Design and rationale of the community-led initiative on cardiovascular disease risk reduction among adults in Baltimore: The EngAGE with heart program

Introduction: Cardiovascular disease (CVD) remains the leading cause of death in the United States, and Black adults are disproportionately affected. Community-engaged strategies that incorporate cultural, environmental, and social contexts offer a promising opportunity for promoting cardiovascular health equity. This study aims to evaluate the impact of a community-led initiative in reducing CVD risk and improving heart health knowledge and behaviors. Methods: is a community-led, quasi-experimental intervention co-developed with multisectoral partners to improve the cardiovascular health of 200 adults, 25 years or older, who will be recruited from two senior centers and four faith-based organizations in Baltimore. Participants in the program receive structured health education sessions, CVD risk screening, community outreach with follow-up visits for education and counseling on lifestyle modification from community health ambassadors over a 6-month period, and healthy food and nutrition initiatives over the same 6-month period. Primary outcomes include changes in CVD risk, heart disease risk knowledge, and health behaviors after 3 and 6 months. Conclusion: presents a scalable model for community-centered cardiovascular health promotion. It is designed to generate preliminary findings on the impact of community-led initiatives to reduce disparities, improve health behaviors, and foster sustainable partnerships to address CVD risk in underserved communities.