Accepted for/Published in: JMIR Research Protocols
Date Submitted: Jul 31, 2023
Date Accepted: Oct 19, 2023
Warning: This is an author submission that is not peer-reviewed or edited. Preprints - unless they show as "accepted" - should not be relied on to guide clinical practice or health-related behavior and should not be reported in news media as established information.
Relationship-Based Resilience Program for Promotores: A Randomized Controlled Waitlist Trial
ABSTRACT
Background:
Hispanic/Latin/o/a/x (HL) communities face high rates of cardiometabolic (CM) disease. Community Service Providers (CSPs) or Promotores are members of the community that play an integral role in the healthcare of low-income HL communities by providing resources, information, and support. CSPs have high-stress frontline jobs and share the high-risk demographics of their communities. Relational savoring (RS) is an intervention that entails reflecting on positive moments of connection with others. RS has been associated with lower cardiovascular reactivity, favorable health behaviors, and psychosocial benefits, and has shown particular promise among HL participants. We aim to identify RS’s potential in promoting CSPs’ CM health, and in so doing, having broader impacts on the community they serve.
Objective:
In this randomized controlled waitlist study, we aim to examine the effect of an RS intervention on (1) CSPs’ CM risk factors and outcomes, and on (2) CSPs’ threats to leaving the workforce.
Methods:
We will recruit a sample of 80 CSPs from community health agencies serving low income Latinx populations. Participating CSPs will be randomized into an experimental or wait-list control. Participants will complete an assessment battery at baseline (pre-intervention) and at two timepoints following a 4-week intervention (post-intervention, 3-month follow-up). During the assessment battery, participants’ electrocardiogram (ECG) data will be collected using a small wearable device as a marker of cardiovascular health.
Results:
The study has been approved by UC Irvine’s institutional review board and is currently in the data collection phase. By May 2023, 37 HL CSPs have been recruited: 34 have completed the baseline assessment, 28 have completed the 4 intervention sessions, 27 have completed the post-treatment assessment, and 10 have completed all assessments (including 3-month follow-up).
Conclusions:
This study will provide valuable information on the potential of RS to support CM health in HL CSPs and, indirectly, in the communities they serve. Clinical Trial: This trial was pre-registered on ClinicalTrials.gov (NCT05560893).
Citation
