P2-498: INCREASING RECRUITMENT OF AFRICAN AMERICAN OLDER ADULTS INTO DEMENTIA RESEARCH: EXPECTATIONS ASSOCIATED WITH TRUST IN PARTNERSHIPS BETWEEN RESEARCHERS AND COMMUNITY-BASED ORGANIZATIONS

Abstract African American /Black American older adults’ low participation in research reduces the generalizability of research findings and hinders understanding of dementia mechanisms, further widening health disparities. Both the Alzheimer’s Association and the National Institutes of Health have identified recruitment of African Americans with cognitive impairment into dementia research as an area of high priority. Distrust of research and medical institutions is often cited as a barrier to participation of African Americans in dementia research. Therefore, the goal of this study is to better understand African American community members’ expectations associated with trust. We used focus groups and semi-structured interviews to examine the expectations associated with overall trust. We conducted 6 focus groups: 4 with African American older adults and 2 with caregivers of African American older adults with cognitive impairment. We also interviewed 5 African American older adults with cognitive impairment (total n=59). Data were analyzed with content analysis. Five themes emerged: 1) Importance of providing truthful help/information leading to trust; 2) Long relationships leading to trust; 3) Acting efficiently and consistently (e.g., “not fooling around”) leading to trust; 4) Transference of trust (e.g., I can likely trust someone trusted by a trusted person); 5) Difficult to trust because of a harsh social environment. To conclude, trust is a complex belief associated with multiple expectations and relationships. It is critical that researchers understand these expectations related to trust in order to increase recruitment of African American older adults into dementia research.

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Earning the Trust of African American Communities to Increase Representation in Dementia Research

Ethnicity & Disease ◽

10.18865/ed.30.s2.719 ◽

2020 ◽

Vol 30 (Suppl) ◽

pp. 719-734

Author(s):

Elena Portacolone ◽

Nynikka R. Palmer ◽

Peter Lichtenberg ◽

Catherine M. Waters ◽

Carl V. Hill ◽

...

Keyword(s):

Older Adults ◽

African American ◽

Focus Groups ◽

Community Advisory Board ◽

New Paradigm ◽

Major Barrier ◽

Black African ◽

Dementia Research ◽

African American Communities ◽

African American Older Adults

Black/African American populations are underrepresented as participants in dementia research. A major barrier to participation of African American older adults in dementia research is a tendency to distrust research institutions owing to both historical and contemporary racism. Building on the Ford framework, the objective of our study was to examine factors that influence participation in dementia research among African American older adults and caregivers, with an emphasis on understanding factors related to trust. Data were collected during January 2019 and March 2020 from 10 focus groups with African American older adults (n=91), 5 focus groups with caregivers (n=44), and interviews with administrators of community-based organizations (n=11), and meetings with our Community Advisory Board. Inductive/deductive content analysis was used to identify themes. The results identified an overall tension between distrust of researchers and a compelling desire to engage in dementia research. This overarching theme was supported by six themes that provided insights about the multiple layers of distrust, as well as expectations about the appropriate conduct of researchers and academic institutions. Strong commitment to the community was identified as a priority. The findings suggest that a paradigm shift is needed to increase the representation of African Americans in dementia research. In this new paradigm, earning the trust of African American communities becomes a systemic endeavor, with academic, state, and national institutions deeply committed to earning the trust of African American communities and guiding researchers in this endeavor. The findings also generated actionable recommendations to help improve representation of African American older adults in dementia research.Ethn Dis. 2020;30(Suppl 2):719-734; doi:10.18865/ed.30.S2.719

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Earning the Trust of African American Communities to Increase Representation in Dementia Research

Innovation in Aging ◽

10.1093/geroni/igaa057.3244 ◽

2020 ◽

Vol 4 (Supplement_1) ◽

pp. 878-878

Author(s):

Elena Portacolone ◽

Nynikka Palmer ◽

Peter Lichtenberg ◽

Catherine Waters ◽

Carl Hill ◽

...

Keyword(s):

Older Adults ◽

African American ◽

Focus Groups ◽

Community Advisory Board ◽

New Paradigm ◽

Major Barrier ◽

Black African ◽

Dementia Research ◽

African American Communities ◽

African American Older Adults

Abstract Black/African American populations are underrepresented as participants in dementia research. A major barrier to participation of African American older adults in dementia research is a tendency to distrust research institutions owing to a legacy of racism. Building on the Ford framework, the objective of our study was to examine factors that influence participation in dementia research among African American older adults and caregivers, with an emphasis on understanding factors related to trust. Data were collected from 10 focus groups with African American older adults (n=91), 5 focus groups with caregivers (n=44), and interviews with administrators of community-based organizations (n=11), and meetings with our Community Advisory Board. Inductive/deductive content analysis was used to identify themes. The results identified an overall tension between distrust of researchers and a compelling desire to engage in dementia research. This overarching theme was supported by six themes that provided insights about the multiple layers of distrust, as well as expectations about the appropriate conduct of researchers and academic institutions. Strong commitment to the community was identified as a priority. The findings suggest that a paradigm shift is needed to increase the representation of African Americans in dementia research. In this new paradigm, earning the trust of African American communities becomes a systemic endeavor, with academic, state and national institutions deeply committed to earning the trust of African American communities and guiding researchers in this endeavor. The findings also generated actionable recommendations to help improve representation of African American older adults in dementia research.

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Music Is Healing: Developing a Music Module for a Pain Management Intervention for African American Older Adults

Innovation in Aging ◽

10.1093/geroni/igaa057.2967 ◽

2020 ◽

Vol 4 (Supplement_1) ◽

pp. 815-815

Author(s):

Mary Janevic ◽

Sheria Robinson-Lane ◽

Afton Hassett ◽

Rebecca Courser

Keyword(s):

Older Adults ◽

African American ◽

Pain Management ◽

Health Workers ◽

New Music ◽

Participant Engagement ◽

Management Intervention ◽

Phone Calls ◽

Positive Memories ◽

African American Older Adults

Abstract Music has a known analgesic effect. Our multidisciplinary team is developing a music-focused module for Positive STEPS, a pain self-management intervention based on principles of positive psychology. The priority population is African American older adults with disabling chronic pain. Positive STEPS is delivered via website and phone calls from community health workers. To inform program design, we conducted two focus groups with older adults in Detroit (n=16; 100% female and African American; 75% age 70+). All participants said they would enjoy using music to cope with pain. Content analysis revealed the following themes regarding music for pain management: it elicits positive memories, reduces stress, motivates exercise and daily activities, and promotes relaxation. Participants offered ideas for music-focused activities, including learning about unfamiliar genres and using music for meditation/relaxation. Findings will inform the design of a new music module, to be pilot-tested for its effect on participant engagement and pain-related outcomes.

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The Health and Well-Being of African-American Older Adults With a History of Incarceration

Innovation in Aging ◽

10.1093/geroni/igaa057.1633 ◽

2020 ◽

Vol 4 (Supplement_1) ◽

pp. 506-506

Author(s):

Rodlescia Sneed

Keyword(s):

Older Adults ◽

African American ◽

African Americans ◽

Well Being ◽

Formerly Incarcerated ◽

Older Prisoners ◽

Health Related ◽

History Of ◽

Health And Well Being ◽

African American Older Adults

Abstract African-Americans are overrepresented in the criminal justice system. Longer prison stays and release programs for older prisoners may result in an increased number of community-dwelling older adults with a history of incarceration. In recent years, there has been a substantial increase in research on health-related outcomes for currently incarcerated older adults; however, there has been little inquiry into outcomes for formerly incarcerated African-American older adults following community re-entry. In this study, we used secondary data from the Health and Retirement Study to describe employment, economic, and health-related outcomes in this population. Twelve percent of the 2238 African-Americans in our sample had been previously incarcerated. Those who had been previously incarcerated had higher rates of lung disease, arthritis, back problems, mobility problems, and mental health issues than their counterparts. They also had higher rates of hospitalization and lower use of dental health services. Further, while they did not experience lower employment rates than those with no criminal history, those who had been incarcerated had more physically demanding jobs and reported greater economic strain. Given the disproportionate incarceration rates among African-Americans, the aging of the prison population, and the increase in community re-entry for older prisoners, research that explores factors that impact the health and well-being of formerly incarcerated individuals has broad impact. Future work should focus on addressing the needs of this vulnerable population of African-American older adults.

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The Role of Race in Relations of Social Support to Hippocampal Volumes Among Older Adults

Research on Aging ◽

10.1177/01640275211017268 ◽

2021 ◽

pp. 016402752110172

Author(s):

Desirée C. Bygrave ◽

Constance S. Gerassimakis ◽

Denée T. Mwendwa ◽

Guray Erus ◽

Christos Davatzikos ◽

...

Keyword(s):

Social Support ◽

Older Adults ◽

African American ◽

Disease Risk ◽

Total Sample ◽

Hippocampal Volume ◽

Brain Pathology ◽

Resonance Imaging ◽

African American Older Adults

Evidence suggests social support may buffer brain pathology. However, neither its association with hippocampal volume, a marker of Alzheimer’s disease risk, nor the role of race in this association has been fully investigated. Multiple regression analyses examined relations of total social support to magnetic resonance imaging-assessed gray matter (GM) hippocampal volumes in the total sample ( n = 165; mean age = 68.48 year), and in race-stratified models of African American and White older adults, adjusting for select covariates. Results showed greater social support was associated with greater GM hippocampal volumes among African American older adults only ( p < .01). Our findings suggest greater total social support may play a role in supporting the hippocampus, particularly among African American older adults, who had lower hippocampal volumes than their White counterparts. Further research is needed to test these questions longitudinally and examine which aspects of social support may promote hippocampal integrity, specifically.

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Voices of African American Older Adults on the Implications of Social and Healthcare-Related Policies for Osteoarthritis Pain Care

Pain Management Nursing ◽

10.1016/j.pmn.2020.09.001 ◽

2020 ◽

Author(s):

Staja Booker ◽

Keela Herr

Keyword(s):

Older Adults ◽

African American ◽

Osteoarthritis Pain ◽

Pain Care ◽

African American Older Adults

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BUILDING DISASTER RESILIENCE FOR OLDER ADULTS AGING IN PLACE: THE ROLE OF COMMUNITY-BASED ORGANIZATIONS

Innovation in Aging ◽

10.1093/geroni/igz038.1234 ◽

2019 ◽

Vol 3 (Supplement_1) ◽

pp. S340-S341

Author(s):

Claire Pendergrast ◽

Basia Belza ◽

Ann Bostrom ◽

Nicole Errett

Keyword(s):

Older Adults ◽

Social Services ◽

Aging In Place ◽

Well Being ◽

Local Context ◽

Disaster Resilience ◽

Community Based ◽

Senior Centers ◽

Community Based Organizations

Abstract Older adults are more susceptible to adverse health outcomes during and after a disaster compared with their younger counterparts. Developing community resilience, or strengthening communities to reduce the negative impacts of disasters, has the potential support older adults’ health and well-being. Community-based organizations (CBOs), such as senior centers and Villages, provide social services and programming that support aging in place and may support older adults’ resilience to disasters. This study examines CBO leadership perspectives on the role of CBOs in building disaster resilience for older adults aging in place, as well as perceived barriers and facilitators to incorporating disaster resilience activities into organizational programming. In-depth interviews were conducted with a purposive sample of staff-members of CBOs serving older adults aging in place in King County, Washington. Participants included representatives from 14 organizations that varied in size, geographic setting, organizational structure, and ethnic, linguistic, and socio-economic backgrounds of organizational members. The sample included five government-run senior centers, seven non-profit senior centers, and two Villages. Interviews were audio-recorded and transcribed verbatim. We used a combined inductive and deductive approach to code and thematically analyze the data. Results indicate that local context, leadership risk perception, collaborations, and existing services and programming influence CBOs’ willingness to engage in activities supporting disaster resilience for older adults aging in place. Findings suggest that CBOs supporting aging in place may support disaster resilience for older adults by serving as a trusted source of disaster preparedness information and tailoring disaster-related messages for an older adult audience.

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