Encouraging Cognitive Screenings at African American Churches

A Church-based Intervention for Increasing Screening for Dementia Among African American Older Adults (ADC Pilot): Project Grace

This pilot study plans to examine feasibility and outcomes of a culturally/religiously-tailored church-based dementia screening intervention among older adult African American church members and community members who use church outreach services in 4 African American churches.

Study Overview

• Status: Completed
• Conditions: Healthy; Dementia
• Intervention / Treatment: Behavioral: Project Grace

Detailed Description

The primary aim of this study is to conduct an exploratory pilot study to examine feasibility and outcomes of a culturally/religiously-tailored church-based dementia screening intervention among older adult African American church members and community members who use church outreach services in 4 African American churches (N=100). Our secondary outcomes are to assess the impact of the intervention on dementia-related stigma and linkage to care. Intervention content is based on the Theory of Planned Behavior; intervention delivery is based on the Social-Ecological Model - both guided by a faith community engagement approach. Trained faith leaders will deliver the tailored intervention through multilevel church outlets: individual self-help resources (e.g., risk checklist, commitment to screening cards); group ministry discussion guides/seminar on dementia; church-wide services using sermon guides, responsive readings, and church bulletin inserts; and church-community level text messages, dementia screening, and linkage to care services. Two screening events will be held at each church. We will also conduct a process evaluation that will include post-test study focus groups.

Specific Aim 1. Test a religiously/culturally-tailored, church-based dementia screening intervention on receipt of dementia screening, stigma, and linkage to care use among an older adult African American church-populations at 4 months.

Hypothesis. The tailored church-based dementia screening intervention will evidence increased screening and linkage to care rates, and lower dementia-related stigma beliefs at 4 months.

Specific Aim 2. Evaluate predictors of receipt of dementia screening at 4 months among older adult African American church-populations to determine modifiable screening facilitators/barriers.

Specific Aim 3. Conduct a process evaluation to examine study intervention implementation facilitators, barriers, and dose along with exposure and satisfaction to identify essential intervention components.

• Study Type: Interventional
• Enrollment (Actual): 99
• Phase: Phase 1

Contacts and Locations

Study Locations

• United States
  • Missouri
    • Kansas City, Missouri, United States, 64108
      • School of Medicine, UMKC

Participation Criteria

Eligibility Criteria

• Ages Eligible for Study: 55 years and older (Adult, Older Adult)
• Accepts Healthy Volunteers: Yes

Description

Inclusion Criteria:

1. Age ≥55
2. Regular church member (attending church > monthly) or community member receiving church outreach services (>3 times annually)
3. Willing to participate in two surveys (baseline and 4 months)
4. Willing to provide contact information for at least 2 other persons
5. Residing in the Kansas City metropolitan area
6. Provide a working contact email address or number

Exclusion Criteria:

• None

Study Plan

How is the study designed?

Design Details

• Primary Purpose: Screening
• Allocation: Randomized
• Interventional Model: Parallel Assignment
• Masking: None (Open Label)

Number of Arms

2

Arms and Interventions

Participant Group / Arm	Intervention / Treatment
Active Comparator: Standard Control; Standard information churches will receive standard dementia education information. These churches will receive: a) non-tailored project materials collected from mental health organizations and b) standard community-based mental health screening events) coordinated by their Community Health Liaisons. These churches will receive all Project Grace Tool Kit materials and implementation training after the completion of assessments.	Behavioral: Project Grace; A multilevel church-based intervention to encourage cognitive screens and brain health.
Experimental: Project Grace; This intervention will be delivered through church-based multilevel activities by trained church leaders using religiously/ culturally-tailored study materials (sermon guides, responsive readings, educational games, brochures, educational/testimonial videos) packaged in a culturally-tailored. Intervention churches will receive the Project Grace Tool Kit and intervention implementation directions to seek cognitive screening. These churches will hold a Project Grace Kickoff event, where a sermon, and other tool kit materials will be distributed. After the Kick-off, liaisons will deliver 1-2 Tool Kit materials/activities per month through targeted multilevel church activities over 4 months. Delivery of intervention components will coincide with existing, multilevel activities that occur in churches through: a) church-wide services, b) outreach ministry groups; and c) individual level activities (e.g., text/voice/email health promotion messages from church) over 4 months.	Behavioral: Project Grace; A multilevel church-based intervention to encourage cognitive screens and brain health.

What is the study measuring?

Primary Outcome Measures

Outcome Measure	Measure Description	Time Frame
Number of Participants Who Received a Cognitive Screening	Question at 4 months from baseline asking whether the participant has received a cognitive screening within the last 4 months	4 months from baseline
Number of Participants Who Were Linked to Care Services	Question at 4 months from baseline asking whether the participant has received a linkage to care services within the last 4 months	4 months from baseline

Collaborators and Investigators

• Sponsor: University of Kansas Medical Center
• Collaborators: University of Missouri, Kansas City

Study record dates

Study Major Dates

• Study Start (Actual): July 1, 2019
• Primary Completion (Actual): June 19, 2021
• Study Completion (Actual): June 30, 2021

Study Registration Dates

• First Submitted: August 31, 2021
• First Submitted That Met QC Criteria: August 31, 2021
• First Posted (Actual): September 8, 2021

Study Record Updates

• Last Update Posted (Actual): May 26, 2023
• Last Update Submitted That Met QC Criteria: May 24, 2023
• Last Verified: May 1, 2023

More Information

Terms related to this study

• Additional Relevant MeSH Terms: Mental Disorders; Brain Diseases; Central Nervous System Diseases; Nervous System Diseases; Neurocognitive Disorders; Dementia
• Other Study ID Numbers: 2017382 KC

Plan for Individual participant data (IPD)

• Plan to Share Individual Participant Data (IPD)?: NO

Drug and device information, study documents

• Studies a U.S. FDA-regulated drug product: No
• Studies a U.S. FDA-regulated device product: No