
WSSU awarded $200K grant to research wellness coaching
A $200,000 grant has been awarded to the department of human performance and sport sciences to fund research involving the impact of wellness coaching on reducing obesity. The grant was endowed by the Centers for Medicare and Medicaid Services.
Shawn Ricks is the primary investigator for the two-year study.
She said experiences such as her grandmother's obesity-related illness and subsequent death and her father's quadruple bypass surgery when he was 42 - were her motivation to explore obesity prevention.
"In a more global context, as an African-American woman I am concerned about preventing obesity in other African- American women," she said.
The study, "The Coach Approach to Obesity Prevention," will focus on Black women between ages 30 to 65.
According to the Office of Minority Health, Black women have the highest rates of being overweight or obese compared to other groups in the United States and about four out of five Black women are overweight or obese.
Ricks said her research has three main goals: assessing the effectiveness of a wellness-coaching obesity intervention on psychosocial wellbeing, obesity health risks and lifestyle behaviors; assessing program effectiveness evaluations; and developing a plan to disseminate research results to policy makers.
To get the research started, Ricks collaborated with physical education professor and project coordinator Marian Anderson-Booker, professor and consultant Cynthia Williams Brown and Vanessa Hood, associate director of university recreation.
"We have also involved a few Chancellor's Scholars to assist," Ricks said.
The study will offer a 16-week intervention program, providing personal-wellness coaching, free weekly exercise classes, free health screenings and a stipend upon completion.
"It makes the person being coached feel that they are important enough to have positive results from working out and an improved image of themselves," Hood said.
The project's partnerships include Novant Health, the Maya Angelou Center for Women's Health and Wellness of Forsyth Medical Center and Goler Memorial AME Zion Church.
"I am hopeful that as the result of this study we can provide useful data that will assist African-American women in connecting their mental health with their physical health, with the long-term goals of seeing a reduction in obesity in African-Americans," Ricks said.
Get Top Stories Delivered Weekly
More thenewsargus News Articles
- Bennett College Loses Accreditation Despite Raising Sufficient Funds
- Smollett Investigation Continues To Be Unsolved and Difficult to Resolve
- Tea Talk w/ The News Argus: LaKeith Stevenson
- Brown administration makes history with school's first SGA inauguration
Recent thenewsargus News Articles
Discuss This Article
MOST POPULAR THENEWSARGUS

WSSU Rams Head Football Coach Relieved of His Duties By Elijah Richardson

Bennett College Loses Accreditation Despite Raising Sufficient Funds By Elijah Richardson

Smollett Investigation Continues To Be Unsolved and Difficult to Resolve By Elijah Richardson

Lady Rams look to reverse an abysmal 2014-2015 season By Demetrius Dillard
GET TOP STORIES DELIVERED WEEKLY
LATEST THENEWSARGUS
- Black Business
- WSSU Rams Head Football Coach Relieved of His Duties
- Controversial Wake Forest Tweet Sparks Outrage
- Bennett College Loses Accreditation Despite Raising Sufficient Funds
- Smollett Investigation Continues To Be Unsolved and Difficult to Resolve
- UREC Looks To Continue and Improve Student Engagement Through Physical...
- University Recreation To Hold Personal Training Pilot Study
FOLLOW OUR NEWSPAPER
RECENT THENEWSARGUS CLASSIFIEDS
OUTSIDE THE LINES
- Making Your Energy Choices Count this Earth Day
- Classic Tales Make Great Easter Gifts For Little Ones
- Military Child Advocates for International Humanitarian...
- Early Screening—The First Step to Protect Your Memory a...
- How Black Americans Can Protect Their Cognitive Ability
- The Right Equipment Readies You For Storms, Unpredictable...
- Are Carbonated Drinks Bad For Your Teeth?
- A Moving New Book About Moving And Much More
- Denied Relief: Children with Migraine May Be Left Without...
- Top Tips To Keep Children Busy And Engaged During School...
FROM AROUND THE WEB
- When it’s Smart to Put Down the Phone
- From Absence to Engagement: How Student Leadership is...
- Hot New Pet Products for Your Furry Best Friend
- Child Care Tuition Assistance Programs Available to Families
- My Doctor Saved My life, Diabetes Tech Gave Me Control
- BookTrib’s Bites: Four Charming Spring Reads
- Sunscreen: You’re Not Fully Dressed Without It
- Step Into Spring – Don't Let Varicose Veins Stop You
- Test Story
- Test story II
COLLEGE PRESS RELEASES
- When It Comes to Sex and Relationships, New Multimedia Campaign Empowers Young Adults to Get Past the Awk and Get to the Talk
- CARNEGIE YOUNG LEADERS PROGRAM OPENS CALL FOR 500 GEN Z LEADERS
- The Honor Society of Phi Kappa Phi Announces2025 Dissertation Fellows
- DoSomething "Talking Trash" Campaign Equips Young People With the Knowledge and Tools to Improve Recycling in Their Communities
- Handshake Releases 2025 Internship Index: Advice for Gen Z Job Seekers as Competition Heats Up