Advancing Alzheimer's Disease Communication and Recruitment Science among American Indians and Alaska Natives

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PROJECT SUMMARY/ABSTRACT Alzheimer’s disease and related dementias (ADRD) affects 5.5 million Americans. The number of people in the US with ADRD is expected to increase to 16 million by 2050 unless preventive interventions and effective treatments are developed. Despite advances in ADRD research among non-Hispanic Whites, little is known about the prevalence and risk factors for ADRD in American Indian and Alaska Native (AI/AN) populations. This is in part due to low participation of AI/ANs in ADRD research. The National Institute on Aging and the Alzheimer’s Association have issued calls for an increase in minority participation in clinical trials. However, success has been evasive in efforts to recruit AI/AN populations into ADRD clinical studies. The internet is a primary method for providing information about ADRD and recruiting participants into clinical studies. AI/ANs frequently use the internet for health information but also report that the websites they access lack cultural sensitivity. To increase AI/AN participation in ADRD research, it is critical to understand how AI/ANs consume and process online information. This information can be used to create effective communication and recruitment material for ADRD clinical studies. In this K01, we will apply a multi-method approach to assess how AI/ANs process and consume online material. Using this information, we will create culturally tailored online content to educate AI/ANs about ADRD to promote their enrollment into ADRD research. Our Specific Aims are to: 1) conduct psychophysiology testing and semi-structured interviews to characterize visual website search patterns, objectively measured cognitive and emotional responses, knowledge about ADRD and research, and preferences for accessing health information online; 2) create a culturally tailored educational ADRD website for AI/ANs that offers research opportunities and conduct a pilot study to demonstrate feasibility of a future randomized controlled trial; and 3) complete a rigorous training plan that will position the applicant as an independent investigator and leader in communication with underserved populations, especially AI/ANs. This innovative application provides an opportunity to discover critical information about how AI/ANs process information and answers the National Institute on Aging’s call for research to better understand effective strategies for recruiting minorities into ADRD research and communicating health messages that are appropriate for diverse populations.