Progress 11/01/19 to 09/30/20
Outputs
Target Audience:The target audience(s) reached during the reporting period includeyoung seniors age at least 65 in retirement or about to retire, in Alexandria, Louisiana is the first site of the project. Both male and female seniors are also targeted asparticipants. Changes/Problems:Due to the guidelines and restrictions of COVID-19 it has been difficult to collect the blood pressure and weight of the young seniors. The research team is revisiting the initial goals and makingnecessary modifications to reflect constraints imposed by COVID-19 based on the new partnership builtwith the United Christian Faith Ministry Health and Wellness Education Department. What opportunities for training and professional development has the project provided?The project director attended and participated inthe American Economic Association Meetings of 2020in San Diego with funds from the project. The conference was a gathering ofmore than 15,000 economists and social scientists from around the world. How have the results been disseminated to communities of interest?Information from the project was disseminated through the Southern University Agricultural Research and Extension Center'sJune 2020 Chancellor's report. What do you plan to do during the next reporting period to accomplish the goals?Partnering with The United Faith Christian Ministry Health and Wellness Ministry Department Director Mrs. Brenda Williams, R.D. and Senior Pastor Mark Ellis to recruit young seniors in the nearby rural and urban areas along with active members. The recruiting process will consist of flyers and commercials that will be broadcast on social media platforms (Facebook, YouTube, Instagram etc.) from January 24- February 2, 2021. The surveys and food diaries will be administered via Microsoft Forms. Project members will meet once a week for 14 weeks via Zoom. Also, creating open forms virtually for young seniors once a month beginning in March.
Impacts
What was accomplished under these goals?
Goals 1 and 2: During November and December of 2019, the members of the project partnered with Southern University A&M College Shreveport ALUMNI Chapter President Mr. Price and Community Leader Roosevelt Johnson to promote the Evans Allen Project utilizing the local News station in Alexandria, Louisiana, and promotional flyers in efforts to recruit young seniors in the surrounding rural urban areas. In January of 2020, members of the project staff visited Alexandria, Louisiana to conduct a forum organized in a collaborative manner with Community Leader Roosevelt Johnson for young seniors of the community to discuss the project, administered surveys;and registration was also carried out. Goal 4:To provide nutrition education and financial literacy education. After the television and radio announcements of the launch, the research team initiated the first phase with the collaboration of Mr. Roosevelt Wilson a community Stakeholder along with Mr. Freddie Price, the Alexandria Southern University Alumni Chapter President. For the months of February and March of 2020 members of the project conduct in person sessions of nutrition education and financial literacy, data collection via food diaries, and documenting participants blood pressure and weight. Travel was suspended due to COVID-19 in the third week of March of 2020; in which resulted in collecting secondary data from participants and members of the project conducting sessions via teleconference and zoom once a week until the end of July. A telephone conference is held Thursdays from 10:30 am-11:30 am to help seniors understand from a clinical nutrition standpoint how COVID-19 can attack the body and how proper lifestyle changes can assist in staying healthy. Goal 5: To conduct survey to identify deficiencies in nutrient intake using food diary and financial literature Between April and June, the researchers processed the two-week data that were gathered on food diaries, weight, and blood pressure. Further discussions were conducted with individual participants on a case to case basis. The research team asked each participant to set realistic both short-term and long-term health goals for the duration of the project for monitoring, assessment, and nutrition, and health wellness counseling. From July 1 to September 30, 2020, the project team madecontacts with The United Faith Christian Ministry Health and Wellness Department and the East Baton Rouge Council on Aging Seniors. This council has 22 senior centers which provide a well-balanced meal and a healthy lifestyle. The initial contact was made with one councilmember to explain the purpose of the project and the research team obtained the CEO's contact information. Several calls were made and the research team is expected to have a meeting with the CEO of East Baton Rouge Council on Aging Seniors. Goal 6: To assess further research needs in nutrition and economics in collaboration with relevant stakeholders in rural and urban settings The recruitment efforts were pursued in Baton Rouge, LA. Contact was made with The United Faith Christian Center Health and Wellness Ministry Department Director Mrs. Brenda Williams, R.D. Currently, there are plans of structuring a safe and feasible way to conduct valued and valid research. This church has an active membership of about 35 % of the project targeted population, that is, 64 or older. Toward the end of September, the research team virtually met with the council member Ms. Courtnie Cook, B.S.N, R.N of the East Baton Rouge Council on Aging in order to extend the outreach of the project. The council provides a huge access to the project targeted population based on the information provided to the research team and the visit to the EBR Council on Aging webpage "The East Baton Rouge Council on Aging is mandated by the Older Americans Act (OAA), to respond to the needs of Americans aged 60 and over in the local community with the goal of keeping seniors living independently in their own homes. Senior Centers are an excellent way to break social isolation by engaging seniors with their community, in a safe and enriching environment." The research team contacted the CEO of the Council Ms. Shan Barrow to have a virtual meeting for the research team to build a strong partnership with the Council. The research team is working with the CEO's office on the details about the meeting and the partnership. The Council serves about 202,767 meals, 311, 550 home meals delivered, 5,718 respites provided, 3,233 personal cares, and 6,560 home makers.
Publications
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