Project EPIC (Empowering People to Independence in COPD): Study protocol for a hybrid effectiveness-implementation pilot randomized controlled trial of telephonic, geriatrics-palliative care nurse-coaching in older adults with COPD and their family caregivers.

BACKGROUND: EPIC (Empowering People to Independence in COPD) is a geriatric-palliative care telephonic, nurse coach intervention informed by Baltes' Theory of Successful Aging and adapted from the ENABLE (Educate, Nurture, Advise, Before Life Ends) intervention. EPIC, focused on improving independence, mobility, well-being, and COPD symptoms, has undergone formative and summative evaluation for adults with COPD. METHODS: The primary study aim is to assess the refined EPIC intervention's feasibility and acceptability via a pilot hybrid effectiveness-implementation randomized control trial in community-dwelling older adults with moderate to severe COPD and their family caregivers. The secondary aim is to explore the impact of EPIC on patient and caregiver outcomes. Older adults with COPD and their family caregivers (target N = 60 dyads) will be randomized to EPIC (intervention) or usual COPD care (control). EPIC includes six patient and four family caregiver weekly, telephone-based nurse coach sessions using a manualized curriculum (Charting Your Course), plus three monthly follow-up calls. Feasibility will be measured as completion of EPIC intervention and trial components (e.g., recruitment, retention, data collection). Acceptability will be evaluated using satisfaction surveys and post-study feedback interviews. A blinded data collector will assess exploratory outcomes (e.g., Life-Space mobility, quality of life, caregiver burden, emotional symptoms, loneliness, cognitive impairment, functional status, healthcare utilization) at baseline, 12, and 24 weeks. DISCUSSION: This intervention fills a gap in addressing the geriatrics and palliative care needs and equity for adults with COPD and their family caregivers. TRIAL REGISTRATION: ClinicalTrials.gov Identifier: NCT05040386.

Preliminary Validation of the Acute Care Mobility Assessment as a Measure of Hospital Mobility.

BACKGROUND: Despite heightened interest, measurement of hospital mobility remains challenging. Available assessment tools lack patient input regarding level and frequency of hospital mobility. The purpose of this study was to validate a brief self-reported mobility assessment to measure out-of-bed activity during hospitalization. METHODS: We recruited cognitively intact hospitalized adults (age ≥ 65 years) who walked prior to admission, to wear an accelerometer for 24 hours, and to complete the Acute Care Mobility Assessment (ACMA), a self-report of mobility that ranges from bed rest to walking off the hospital unit in the prior 24 hours. For each mobility level from sitting in a chair to walking off the unit, patients reported the frequency of the activity and the need for help from another person or equipment. Spearman correlation coefficients were calculated using several scoring algorithms to compare ACMA to accelerometer data. RESULTS: Fifty-one patients (mean age 74.3 [standard deviation 6.2] years, 63% female, 39% Black) had complete data. Steps taken in 24 hours ranged from 10 to 2 831. Correlation analyses identified strong associations between ACMA scores and total steps, and moderate correlations with total time walking using all algorithms. However, the unweighted frequency count using the 3 ambulation levels only (walking in room, in hall, and off ward) had the highest correlation with total steps (r = 0.84; p < .001) and total time walking (r = 0.66; p < .001). CONCLUSIONS: ACMA is a valid measure of mobility among cognitively intact hospitalized older adults. The ACMA may add value to our current armamentarium of tools by adding patient reports of hospital mobility.

Acculturation and healthy lifestyle habits among Hispanics in United States-Mexico border communities / Aculturación y hábitos de vida saludables en los hispanos de las comunidades de la zona fronteriza entre México y los Estados Unidos

OBJECTIVE: To explore the relationship between acculturation and healthy lifestyle habits in the largely Hispanic populations living in underserved communities in the United States of America along the U.S.-Mexico border. METHODS: A cross-sectional study was conducted from April 2006 to June 2008 using survey data from the Alliance for a Healthy Border, a program designed to reduce health disparities in the U.S.-Mexico border region by funding nutrition and physical activity education programs at 12 federally qualified community health centers in Arizona, California, New Mexico, and Texas. The survey included questions on acculturation, diet, exercise, and demographic factors and was completed by 2 381 Alliance program participants, of whom 95.3 percent were Hispanic and 45.4 percent were under the U.S. poverty level for 2007. Chi-square (χ2) and Student's t tests were used for bivariate comparisons between acculturation and dietary and physical activity measures. Linear regression and binary logistic regression were used to control for factors associated with nutrition and exercise. RESULTS: Based on univariate tests and confirmed by regression analysis controlling for sociodemographic and health variables, less acculturated survey respondents reported a significantly higher frequency of fruit and vegetable consumption and healthier dietary habits than those who were more acculturated. Adjusted binary logistic regression confirmed that individuals with low language acculturation were less likely to engage in physical activity than those with moderate to high acculturation (odds ratio 0.75, 95 percent confidence interval 0.59-0.95). CONCLUSIONS: Findings confirmed an association between acculturation and healthy lifestyle habits and supported the hypothesis that acculturation in border community populations tends to decrease the practice of some healthy dietary habits while increasing exposure to and awareness of the importance of other healthy behaviors.

OBJETIVO: Explorar la relación entre la aculturación y los hábitos de vida saludables en las poblaciones en gran parte hispanas que residen en comunidades subatendidas de los Estados Unidos en la zona fronteriza con México. MÉTODOS: De abril del 2006 a junio del 2008, se llevó a cabo un estudio transversal a partir de los datos de la encuesta de la Alianza para una Frontera Saludable, un programa que se concibió para reducir las disparidades de salud en la zona fronteriza entre México y los Estados Unidos mediante el financiamiento de programas educativos en materia de nutrición y actividad física en 12 centros de salud comunitarios con calificación federal, en Arizona, California, Nuevo México y Texas. La encuesta incluyó preguntas sobre aculturación, régimen alimentario, ejercicio y factores demográficos, y fue respondida por 2 381 participantes del programa, de los que 95,3 por ciento eran hispanos y 45,4 por ciento estaban por debajo del nivel de pobreza del año 2007 en los Estados Unidos. Se utilizaron las pruebas de ji cuadrado (χ2) y t de Student para la comparación bifactorial entre la aculturación y las mediciones nutricionales y de actividad física. El control de los factores asociados con la nutrición y el ejercicio se llevó a cabo mediante métodos de regresión lineal y regresión logística binaria. RESULTADOS: Con base en pruebas unifactoriales, confirmadas mediante análisis de regresión con control de las variables sociodemográficas y de salud, los entrevistados menos aculturados notificaron una frecuencia significativamente mayor de consumo de frutas y verduras y hábitos alimentarios más saludables que los más aculturados. Mediante regresión logística binaria ajustada se confirmó que la probabilidad de que las personas con bajo nivel de aculturación idiomática realizaran algún tipo de actividad física era menor que la de los que tenían un grado de aculturación entre moderado y alto (razón de posibilidades 0,75; intervalo de confianza de 95 por ciento 0,59-0,95). CONCLUSIONES: Los resultados confirmaron una asociación entre la aculturación y los hábitos de vida saludables y apoyaron la hipótesis de que la aculturación en las comunidades de las poblaciones fronterizas tiende a reducir la práctica de algunos hábitos alimentarios saludables mientras que aumenta la exposición a otros comportamientos saludables, como la actividad física, y por tanto, la toma de conciencia de su importancia.