Sisters Together

Sisters Together is a coalition of community organizations and residents who came together to encourage healthy eating and increased physical [Page 691]ctivity among young African American women (aged 18–35) with the goal of helping them to achieve and maintain a healthy weight. It began as a pilot program of the Weight-Control Information Network (WIN), was supported by the National Institute of Diabetes and Digestive and Kidney Diseases, and was one of ten model programs highlighted in the first Surgeon General's Report on Physical Activity.

The original Sisters Together program was based in three Boston communities—Dorchester, Mattapan, and Roxbury—and focused on community partnerships, resource development, and cultivation of self-efficacy. Sisters Together was developed in conjunction with the Boston Obesity/Nutrition Research Center, which included a community nutritionist, media specialist, and educator, as well as representatives from the New England Medical Center, the Harvard School of Public Health, and Tufts University School of Nutrition Science and Policy.

Sisters Together focuses on two related aspects of health: eating better and increasing activity levels. It incorporated information from national research and campaigns and adapted them as appropriate for the specific neighborhoods in question to have impact on the lives of young African American women who are at greatest risk of becoming overweight. For instance, to promote healthy eating, Sisters Together encouraged local restaurants to offer healthier versions of traditional foods (such as collard greens cooked with smoked turkey rather than bacon or ham), offered cooking classes, and developed a calendar that included recipes and tips for healthier eating. To promote greater physical activity, Sisters Together created a walking brochure with tips to increase activity and how to find safe times and locations to exercise outdoors, and descriptions of local walking routes. Sisters Together also created a brochure on hair care and exercise because difficulties with hair care is often cited as a disincentive to exercise by African American women.

Sisters Together is a coalition that was created to encourage healthy eating and increased physical activity among young black women

The pilot program of Sisters Together took place from 1994 to 1998. Much of the information learned during development and application of that program is presented in its program guide, available for download from the Sisters Together Web site. Part of the intent of publishing this information is to encourage the development of analogous programs for similar populations. The program guide also includes reproducible materials including a fact sheet, news release, radio public service announcements, letterhead, flyers, and forms for group sign-ups and exit interviews.