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APHA Scientific Session and Event Listing

Molly A. Rose, PhD¹, Christine Arenson, MD², James J. Diamond, PhD³, Pamela Harrod, MS³, Robyn Salkey, MS², Julie Becker, PhD, MPH², and Michael Rosenthal, MD³. (1) JCHP School of Nursing, Thomas Jefferson University, 130 S. 9th Street, Suite 1205, Philadelphia, PA 19107, 215-503-7567, Molly.Rose@jefferson.edu, (2) JMC Department of Family and Community Medicine, Thomas Jefferson University, 1015 Walnut Street, Suite 401, Philadelphia, PA 19107, (3) Department of Family and Community Medicine, Jefferson Medical College, 1015 Walnut Street, Suite 401 Curtis, Philadelphia, PA 19107

Older adults suffer a disproportionate share of chronic disease. Low income, minority elders are even more likely to suffer excess morbidity and mortality from chronic diseases. The Chronic Disease Self-Management Program (CDSMP) has been shown to improve health behaviors and health status, and decrease health care utilization in relatively young, affluent, whites and Latinos enrolled in an HMO. This pilot study seeks to determine if the program is similarly efficacious in a community-based, low-income, urban, African American population. The six-week CDSMP has been developed and validated by Lorig, et. al. Based on self-efficacy theory, the standardized program uses two leaders (one health educator and one community lay leader), who have been trained and conduct sessions according to the leaders manual, previously adapted for African Americans. Each group was recruited from within one community (senior center, senior housing, or church), along with that group's lay leader. Demographic, health status, health behaviors, self-efficacy and health beliefs were collected at baseline, 10 weeks, 6 months, and 1 year after the CDSMP. Over 120 African American older adults completed the CDSMP. Significant changes between baseline and 10 weeks, 6 months, and 1 year on outcomes including health status, self-efficacy, and health behaviors will be presented. Outcome measures of the CDSMP delivered in urban, community settings to low-income African American elders will be compared to results in majority, younger, affluent subjects. Elders reported high levels of satisfaction with the program. Lessons learned and implications for future interventions and research will be presented.

Learning Objectives: At the end of the session, the participants will be able to

• discuss the CDSMP underlying theory, intervention, and evaluation method.
• identify significant outcomes of a CDSMP program with elder African Americans.
• discuss lessons learned from this research study and implications for future practice and research.

Keywords: Chronic Illness, Evidence Based Practice

Presenting author's disclosure statement:

Not Answered