Community Health Workers United to Reduce Colorectal Cancer and Cardiovascular Disease Among People at Higher Risk (CHURCH)

The overall goal of this study is to develop a comprehensive, culturally tailored community-based colorectal cancer (CRC) prevention model with a dual emphasis on reducing CRC risk along with its CVD risk factors. The study intervention has two components: Screening, Brief Intervention, and Referral to Treatment (SBIRT) to address CRC screening and a web-based lifestyle program called "Alive!" to address CVD risk factors linked to CRC. The C.H.U.R.C.H. Trial (Community Health workers (CHW) United to Reduce Colorectal cancer and cardiovascular disease among people at Higher risk) has four specific aims: (1) to compare the effect of a CHW-Led SBIRT (Intervention) to Referral As Usual (RAU) (Usual Care) on guideline-concordant CRC screening uptake; (2) to evaluate the effect of a Culturally Adapted CHW-linked Alive! (CACA) program incorporated into the intervention arm on dietary inflammatory score (DIS); (3) to evaluate the effect of CACA on changes in Life Simple-7 (LS7) scores; and (4) to examine the multi-level contextual mechanisms and factors influencing CHW effectiveness, reach, and implementation of CRC screening uptake and CACA activities through a mixed-methods process evaluation. Given the broad reach and influence of churches, results from this study can be used to inform future scale up of this multi-pronged intervention.

Study Overview

• Status: Recruiting
• Conditions: Colorectal Cancer
• Intervention / Treatment: Behavioral: Referral as Usual (RAU); Behavioral: SBIRT

Detailed Description

Colorectal cancer (CRC) is the second most lethal cancer in the U.S with the highest incidence and mortality rates among African Americans (AAs) compared to other racial groups. Despite these disparities, which includes premature mortality, AAs are the least likely to undergo CRC screening, have precancerous colorectal polys removed, and have CRC detected at stages early enough for curative excision. Lower screening rates are linked to the downstream effects of structural inequities such as access to care, knowledge of screening options and benefits, health system mistrust, fear and anxiety. Although reducing the burden of CRC is best accomplished by screening, compelling evidence links inflammatory diets and cardiovascular disease (CVD) risk factors to increased CRC risk. This proposal aims to develop a community-based prevention model to reduce CRC and cardiovascular disease (CVD) risk among AAs.

• Study Type: Interventional
• Enrollment (Estimated): 880
• Phase: Not Applicable

Contacts and Locations

• Study Contact: Name: Olajide A. Williams, MD, MS; Phone Number: 212-342-3668; Email: ow11@columbia.edu
• Study Contact Backup: Name: Lisa Matthews, EdD, MPH; Phone Number: 212-853-1150; Email: lam2160@cumc.columbia.edu

Study Locations

• United States
  • New York
    • New York, New York, United States, 10032
      • Recruiting
      • Columbia University Irving Medical Center
      • Contact: Lisa Matthews, MPH, EdD; Phone Number: 212-853-1150; Email: lam2160@cumc.columbia.edu
      • Contact: Olajide A. Williams, MD, MS; Phone Number: 212-342-3668; Email: ow11@columbia.edu
      • Principal Investigator: Olajide A. Williams, MD MS

Participation Criteria

Eligibility Criteria

• Ages Eligible for Study: 45 years and older (Adult, Older Adult)
• Accepts Healthy Volunteers: Yes

Description

Inclusion Criteria:

1. English-speaking
2. Aged 45 years and older
3. Not up-to-date with CRC
4. Working telephone
5. Can provide informed consent

Exclusion Criteria:

1. Non-English speaking
2. <45 years old

Study Plan

How is the study designed?

Design Details

• Primary Purpose: Prevention
• Allocation: Randomized
• Interventional Model: Parallel Assignment
• Masking: Single

Number of Arms

2

Arms and Interventions

Participant Group / Arm	Intervention / Treatment
Experimental: Screening, Brief Intervention, and Referral to Treatment (SBIRT); Participants randomized to this arm will receive: SBIRT is an evidence-based approach originally designed for people at risk of developing mental disorders. SBIRT is composed of three components: Screening with a validated instrument, Brief Intervention, Referral to Treatment. Motivational Interviewing (MI) is an empirically tested, person-centered, behavior change intervention designed to guide, elicit, and strengthen motivation for change. It decreases ambivalence and increases motivation for treatment.; Culturally-adapted Alive! Program, which is a cost-effective, lifestyle coaching web-based automated platform that includes step-by-step individualized tailoring, feedback, and weekly guidance through interactive emails focused on increasing physical activity, improving eating habits, and weight control.	Behavioral: SBIRT; SBIRT is an evidence-based approach originally designed for people at risk of developing mental disorders. SBIRT is composed of three components: Screening with a validated instrument, Brief Intervention, Referral to Treatment. Motivational Interviewing (MI) is an empirically tested, person-centered, behavior change intervention designed to guide, elicit, and strengthen motivation for change. It decreases ambivalence and increases motivation for treatment. The investigators will utilize the Culturally-adapted Alive! Program - a cost-effective, lifestyle coaching web-based automated platform that includes step-by-step individualized tailoring, feedback, and weekly guidance through interactive emails focused on increasing physical activity, improving eating habits, and weight control.; Other Names: Culturally-adapted ALIVE! Program (CAP)
Active Comparator: Referral as Usual (RAU); Participants randomized to this arm will receive Referral as Usual (RAU), which will involve distributing CRC health educational materials (e.g. NCI or Centers For Disease Control brochures that include new guidelines) and contact information for screening service providers in our target community.	Behavioral: Referral as Usual (RAU); Referral as Usual will involve distributing CRC health educational materials (e.g. NCI or CDC brochures that include new guidelines) and contact information for screening service providers in our target community.

What is the study measuring?

Primary Outcome Measures

Outcome Measure	Measure Description	Time Frame
CRC Screening Uptake	Screening uptake (clinic-based colonoscopy or home-based stool test) (Primary Outcome) is the subject's self-report of completing a CRC screening test plus the research team's verification of this completion from medical records.	6 months post-screening

Secondary Outcome Measures

Outcome Measure	Measure Description	Time Frame
Change in Dietary Inflammatory Score (Dietary Screening Measure)	Assessment of participant eating habits via the culturally-adapted ALIVE! program will be captured by the Block Food Frequency Questionnaire (FFQ) that generates the dietary inflammatory score (DIS) which can be used to examine associations between inflammatory diets, cardiovascular diseases and colorectal cancer.	Baseline and 6 months post-screening
Change in Life's Simple 7 Score (CVD Risk Screening Measure)	Evaluation of CVD risk factors using the Life Simple-7 (LS7) measure. LS7 scores range from 0 to 14 and are calculated from the composite of the factor scores. CVD health is then classified as inadequate (0-4), average (5-9), or optimum (10-14). Achieving a greater number of ideal LS7 metrics is associated with lower risk of dying after stroke and all cause cardiovascular mortality in a dose dependent manner.	Baseline, 6 months post-screening and 1 year post-screening

Collaborators and Investigators

• Sponsor: Columbia University
• Collaborators: National Institute on Minority Health and Health Disparities (NIMHD)
• Investigators: Principal Investigator: Olajide A. Williams, MD, MS, Columbia University

Publications and helpful links

General Publications

• Jackson CS, Oman M, Patel AM, Vega KJ. Health disparities in colorectal cancer among racial and ethnic minorities in the United States. J Gastrointest Oncol. 2016 Apr;7(Suppl 1):S32-43. doi: 10.3978/j.issn.2078-6891.2015.039.
• De Jesus M, Puleo E, Shelton RC, McNeill LH, Emmons KM. Factors associated with colorectal cancer screening among a low-income, multiethnic, highly insured population: does provider's understanding of the patient's social context matter? J Urban Health. 2010 Mar;87(2):236-243. doi: 10.1007/s11524-009-9420-1. Epub 2009 Dec 31.
• Sly JR, Edwards T, Shelton RC, Jandorf L. Identifying barriers to colonoscopy screening for nonadherent African American participants in a patient navigation intervention. Health Educ Behav. 2013 Aug;40(4):449-57. doi: 10.1177/1090198112459514. Epub 2012 Oct 19.
• Lumpkins CY, Coffey CR, Daley CM, Greiner KA. Employing the church as a marketer of cancer prevention: a look at a health promotion project aimed to reduce colorectal cancer among African Americans in the Midwest. Fam Community Health. 2013 Jul-Sep;36(3):215-23. doi: 10.1097/FCH.0b013e31829159ed.
• Maxwell AE, Lucas-Wright A, Santifer RE, Vargas C, Gatson J, Chang LC. Promoting Cancer Screening in Partnership With Health Ministries in 9 African American Churches in South Los Angeles: An Implementation Pilot Study. Prev Chronic Dis. 2019 Sep 19;16:E128. doi: 10.5888/pcd16.190135.
• Shelton RC, Thompson HS, Jandorf L, Varela A, Oliveri B, Villagra C, Valdimarsdottir HB, Redd WH. Training experiences of lay and professional patient navigators for colorectal cancer screening. J Cancer Educ. 2011 Jun;26(2):277-84. doi: 10.1007/s13187-010-0185-8.
• Williams O, Ting T, Matthews L, Block G, Block T, Teresi J, Eimicke J, Kong J, Silver S, Ravenell J, Mallaiah J, Jammalamadaka S, Nelson LM, Karmally W, Hankerson S. Community Health workers United to Reduce Colorectal cancer and cardiovascular disease among people at Higher risk (CHURCH): study protocol for a randomized controlled trial. Trials. 2024 Apr 26;25(1):283. doi: 10.1186/s13063-024-08110-z.
• Williams O, Ting T, Matthews L, Block G, Block T, Teresi J, Eimicke J, Kong J, Silver S, Ravenell J, Mallaiah J, Jammalamadaka S, Nelson LM, Karmally W, Hankerson S. Community Health workers United to Reduce Colorectal cancer and cardiovascular disease among people at Higher risk (CHURCH): study protocol for a randomized controlled trial. Res Sq [Preprint]. 2024 Apr 9:rs.3.rs-3797889. doi: 10.21203/rs.3.rs-3797889/v1.

Study record dates

Study Major Dates

• Study Start (Actual): March 19, 2023
• Primary Completion (Estimated): June 30, 2026
• Study Completion (Estimated): August 31, 2026

Study Registration Dates

• First Submitted: November 5, 2021
• First Submitted That Met QC Criteria: December 13, 2021
• First Posted (Actual): December 30, 2021

Study Record Updates

• Last Update Posted (Estimated): September 16, 2025
• Last Update Submitted That Met QC Criteria: September 10, 2025
• Last Verified: June 1, 2025

More Information

Terms related to this study

• Keywords: Cardiovascular Disease; Screening; Prevention; Colorectal Cancer; Community Health Workers
• Additional Relevant MeSH Terms: Neoplasms by Site; Neoplasms; Intestinal Diseases; Gastrointestinal Neoplasms; Digestive System Neoplasms; Digestive System Diseases; Gastrointestinal Diseases; Intestinal Neoplasms; Rectal Diseases; Colonic Diseases; Colorectal Neoplasms; Cardiovascular Diseases; Professional Practice; Organization and Administration; Health Services Administration; Referral and Consultation
• Other Study ID Numbers: AAAT9307; 1P50MD017341 (U.S. NIH Grant/Contract)

Plan for Individual participant data (IPD)

• Plan to Share Individual Participant Data (IPD)?: YES
• IPD Plan Description: De-identified data will be shared through submission of study findings to peer-reviewed journals. De-identified data will also be shared at community forums and academic conferences.
• IPD Sharing Time Frame: Data will be available six months after publication in a peer-reviewed journal article.
• IPD Sharing Access Criteria: The study Investigators, Dr. Olajide Williams, will create criteria and review requests for data sharing access. Data will be available to analyze types of clinical and demographic factors impact study outcomes.
• IPD Sharing Supporting Information Type: STUDY_PROTOCOL

Drug and device information, study documents

• Studies a U.S. FDA-regulated drug product: No
• Studies a U.S. FDA-regulated device product: No
• product manufactured in and exported from the U.S.: No