Storytelling in community intervention research to promote social support and problem-solving skills for engagement in physical activity

Background. African Americans, Hispanics, and low-income residents in Detroit, MI experience a disproportionate burden of cardiovascular disease (CVD) risk and physical inactivity. Applying a community-based participatory research (CBPR) approach, the Healthy Environments Partnership sought to address inequities in CVD and physical activity through a multilevel intervention. The Walk Your Heart to Health walking group intervention was one aspect of this intervention.

Methods. One challenge of physical activity interventions is maintaining improvements in physical activity. Using a CBPR process, a local storyteller engaged walkers in discussions about strategies to continue walking when faced with challenges. The stories conveyed key themes of building social support and problem-solving skills for walking. Community Health Promoters (CHPs), who are members of the local community, provided support for walkers and integrated and reinforced these intervention messages throughout the 32-week intervention.

Results. We describe the use of culturally adapted stories to illustrate key intervention themes. We demonstrate the use of storytelling as a tool to convey the use of problem-solving skills to promote walking and leadership. Finally, we discuss how the use of stories to convey intervention themes is a promising strategy for health promotion interventions because stories can actively engage participants, are easily remembered and can facilitate bonding when two or more reveal themselves through personal narratives.

Conclusions. We discuss opportunities for incorporating storytelling as a way to facilitate participants in taking small steps to improve their health and telling their own story as a manifestation of power inherent in their own physical and mental health.