P3‐597: Uncovering New Intervention Strategies for Mitigating Alzheimer's Disease Risk in Faith‐based, African‐american Communities
Year: 2019
Type: article
Study design: Clinical Trial
Abstract: Addressing the disproportionate prevalence of Alzheimer's disease (AD) among African-Americans requires the deliberate development of evidenced-based intervention strategies that are effective in reducing disease risk and promoting healthy aging in vulnerable populations. The Center for Outreach in Alzheimer's, Aging and Community Health (COAACH) designed a COAACH Caregiver College (C3) education program for faith-based communities to improve awareness, care management, and health outcomes for families impacted by AD, diabetes, and related conditions. This four-day pilot intervention program included modules and additional trainings on the following topics: 1) Understanding AD, 2) Understanding Diabetes, and 3) Nutrition and Exercise. Twenty-four C3 participants were recruited as lay health ambassadors from 15 African-American churches in North Carolina (NC). Participants were given a 20-item pre- and post-test assessment consisting of multiple choice and free response questions. The mean, minimum and maximum score of each item, and frequency within score categories were calculated for both tests. An examinee analysis was performed to measure the increase between pre- and post-test cumulative scores and individual module scores. An Analysis of Variance (ANOVA) was used to determine statistical differences between pre- and post-test cumulative scores and individual module scores. The pre-test item correct response rate for C3 participants ranged from 0.29 to 1.67, which was lower than the post-test item correct response rate of 0.63 to 2.67. The C3 participants’ average pre- and post-test cumulative scores increased from 17.46 to 21.33 (p<0.0001), respectively. When considering questions related to the “Understanding AD” (6) and “Nutrition and Exercise” (6) modules, the average increase in participant test scores was statistically significant (5.21 to 6.63 [p<0.0001]; 6.63 to 8.88 [p<0.00001]). In contrast, there was no statistically significant improvement in test scores for the “Understanding Diabetes” module questions (8) (5.63 to 5.83 [p= 0.1802], suggesting that the participants were already knowledgeable on the diabetes information presented. The C3 intervention was effective in improving knowledge of AD and Nutrition and Exercise in African-American, faith-based communities in NC. This education program may be a promising public health solution in extending the reach of AD prevention efforts in vulnerable populations and mitigating disease risk.
Source: Alzheimer s & Dementia
Language: English
Subfield: Psychiatry and Mental health
Field: Medicine
Domain: Health Sciences
Open Access status: bronze
OpenAlex ID: W2981265128