Nursing Foundation of Rhode Island announced the awarding of three research grants to nurse researchers at its annual awards ceremony held on July 23^rd at URI.

The awardees are: Patricia Burbank, D.N.Sc, Professor of Nursing at URI and Director of the URI Nursing Practice program; Alicia Curtin, PhD, GNP-BC, Associate Professor of Nursing at URI and Claire Creamer, PhD(c), RN, CPNP-PC, Associate Professor of Nursing at RI College.

 Below are brief summaries of their research proposals.

Patricia Burbank:
“Exploring the use and effectiveness of the AAGILE with older adults”
Regular physical activity is key to health promotion and maintenance, fall prevention, and prevention and reversal of frailty among older adults.  Despite the strong evidence promoting the benefits of physical activity, less than 25% of older adults are active at the recommended levels.  The AAGILE (Activity Analyzer with voice Guidance for Independent Living Environments) is a small wearable device, patented by Drs. Burbank  and Sun.  It functions to monitor the type and time of daily activity and inactivity, and provides encouragement and directions for exercise through inactivity- and time-activated voice recordings.  It has a computer interface to record and summarize daily activity. This study will test the functionality of the AAGILE in a sample of 10 community dwelling sedentary older adults.  While the sample in this pilot study is small, valuable information will be gained on the feasibility of using the AAGILE with older adults, ways of improving its functionality, and the effectiveness of the AAGILE to increase activity levels in this sample.  This will provide important preliminary data necessary to apply for funding for a larger study

Claire M. Creamer:
“Exploring The Health of Women Who Experienced Homelessness During Adolescence”
Homelessness remains a significant global issue with significant health consequences related to the experiences of homelessness.  The experience of homelessness is typically associated with high levels of risk, violence, and negative consequences on the overall well being of an individual. Depending on the developmental level and gender these consequences can have far reaching outcomes. A significant body of literature explores the outcomes of mental health, sexual practices, risky behaviors, and substance abuse as related to the experiences of homelessness. However, exploration of the lived experiences of adolescent females while homeless especially related to strengths used for caring for their health, engaging in health promotion, and accessing health information is limited. Adolescent females are at greater risk for acts of violence against them, have different physical and emotional needs as well as different perspectives regarding their health and well-being. The purpose of this study is to explore how adolescent females describe the approaches they used to meet their basic health needs; discuss which resources were available and valued; what challenges they met while trying to maintain their health and any recommendations they have for health care providers who work with this population. Outcome of this research will offer recommendations to inform all levels of nursing practice as well as for policy makers who assist in establishing health care policies for this population.

Alicia J. Curtin:
“El Cuidado Nuestro – Understanding Perceptions of Mental Health among Hispanic Older Adults”

There is a critical need to understand the perceptions of stress and mental health in a Hispanic older adult population and determine the best interventions to address their mental health needs. Currently, Hispanics are the largest minority group in the U.S. and are expected to comprise approximately 30% of the total U.S. population by 2050. Hispanic immigrants are disproportionately affected by mental health problems. As a group, they are disproportionately exposed to social circumstances that are associated with negative physical and mental health outcomes. They use mental health services less often, are less likely to receive appropriate treatment, and are underreported in health care research. This study will explore the perceptions of stress and depression in Hispanic older adults who immigrated from the Dominican Republic, Columbia and Guatemala.  Participants representing one of the major Latin American countries in the Providence community (N=15) will participate in three, one hour interviews over a three to four week period regarding their perceptions of stress and depression in their country of origin and the United States.  The findings of the study will assist in developing screening tools to identify levels of stress/depression which are culturally and linguistically appropriate.  Data from this study will also provide initial findings to explore culturally and linguistically appropriate interventions for comparative effectiveness research and patient centered outcomes research in health disparities.