This Project Grant award from the National Institute on Aging (CFDA 93.866 - Aging Research) provides $132,570 to Oregon Health & Science University to develop the acceptability, feasibility, and fidelity of a reminiscence-based cognitive health intervention called the SHARP Study. The award supports the project from September 11, 2024 through June 30, 2029.
The SHARP Study engages older Black adults in reminiscence-based walking and social engagement activities to maintain or improve their brain health and well-being. Key activities include:
Establishing a SHARP Learning Collaborative with research institutions and community organizations in Seattle, Portland, and Oakland to understand environmental adaptations, cultural preferences, and effective recruitment and retention strategies.
Assessing the feasibility and acceptability of the SHARP approach in each city by testing it with 12 healthy and mildly cognitively impaired older Black adults over 12 weeks in Portland/Seattle and 8 weeks in Oakland.
Evaluating fidelity to the SHARP intervention across the three cities through video/audio recording and a participant fidelity survey.
The findings will culminate in a comprehensive SHARP protocol and fidelity checklist to facilitate scaling the intervention to additional cities and support a future multi-site efficacy study.