In Third Ward and East End, Houston’s historically African American and Hispanic neighborhoods, the Treating Obesity in Underserved Communities in Houston (TOUCH) program lasted for three years and impacted the lives of nearly 4,000 residents.
Since the communities involved were in close proximity to UH, this just proved further that the University is committed to creating a healthier Houston and being a good neighbor.
Professors Ezemenari Obasi and Dan O’Connor, of UH’s HEALTH Research Institute, were co-leaders of the TOUCH program.
As experts in health disparities, Obasi and O’Connor spearheaded a program which identified those at risk for chronic diseases and obesity.
TOUCH provided free and culturally informed health education, prevention strategies, and intervention support and served as a model of a sustainable and scalable programming that can be replicated in other communities.
This UH program, in collaboration with the United Health Foundation and the YMCA, went into the places where the participants shopped, worked and lived and helped them to make healthier choices, thus improving their quality of life.
“[TOUCH] has given me renewal and another reason for living here on this earth,” said Margaret Jefferson, TOUCH participant.
Image: Courtesy of the University of Houston
