Healthy Aging
Conditions
Keywords
older adults, community health workers, senior centers
Brief summary
The aCT Study will develop, implement and evaluate a community health worker (CHW) integrated model of care delivery for older adults that is senior center based. CHW services will be available for older adult participants at three centers, 4 hours per week for 4 months. Three centers will continue usual services. Researchers will compare blood pressure, physical activity levels, fruit/vegetable consumption and psychosocial outcomes across groups before and after the intervention.
Detailed description
The six senior centers are located in southeastern Kentucky. The CHWs are community-based, certified in the state of Kentucky and employed by a local organization. The CHW intervention will be guided by a training module developed by the researchers in collaboration with our collaborating partner, the University of Kentucky Center for Excellence in Rural Health that reflects evidence-based geriatric practices and formative assessment conducted in 2024/2025 with seniors and senior service administrators from the area
Interventions
BEHAVIORALaCT CHW intervention
The aCT CHW intervention arm will be delivered by state-certified CHWs employed and supervised by Kentucky Homeplace, a local organization that provides training and CHW services to local communities. Trained CHWs will deliver the intervention at three senior centers 4 hours per week for 4 months, which will include health promotion and disease prevention services and programs, advocacy, and health screenings.
Sponsors
George Mason University
University of Kentucky
Study design
Allocation
NON_RANDOMIZED
Intervention model
PARALLEL
Primary purpose
PREVENTION
Masking
NONE
Eligibility
Sex/Gender
ALL
Age
60 Years to No maximum
Healthy volunteers
Yes
Inclusion criteria
Eligible participants will be age 60 years and older, registered as a meal program participant at a participating senior center and speak English.
Exclusion criteria
Non-English speakers and older adults who access meal program services in senior centers not participating in the study are not eligible for study participation.
Design outcomes
Primary
| Measure | Time frame | Description |
|---|---|---|
| blood pressure | Baseline following enrollment and 4-5 months later following completion of the intervention | Blood pressure will be measured in duplicate, with appropriate size cuff and participant seated, arm supported so elbow at heart level and following a 5 minute rest. |
| physical activity levels | Baseline following enrollment and 4-5 months later following intervention completion | We will use a self-report measure, the Rapid Assessment of Physical Activity (RAPA), a 9-item questionnaire validated for use in older adults |
Countries
United States
Contacts
CONTACTMartha Kubik, PhD
CONTACTWilliam Baker
PRINCIPAL_INVESTIGATORMartha Kubik, PhD
George Mason University
Outcome results
None listed