During the 2024-2029 funding cycle, the USC PRC will conduct a dissemination and implementation (D&I) research project using a community-based participatory approach to examine how African Methodist Episcopal (AME) churches implement Walk Your Heart to Health (WYHH), an evidence-based program designed to build, strengthen, and sustain social networks that support physical activity among older adult members.

This project primarily aims to study implementation outcomes, addressing critical gaps in implementation science. It will contribute to advancing research and practice around the factors that influence the translation of evidence-based programs in faith-based settings. Guided by the Consolidated Framework for Implementation Research (CFIR), the project will focus on answering three core questions:

1. How do contextual factors influence implementation and sustainability success or failure?
2. What barriers and facilitators to implementation exist?
3. How can the EBI be scaled up to broader regions or populations outside the research community?

To answer these questions, we will collaborate closely with the Community Advisory Board and  organizational partners throughout the five-year funding cycle.