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DESCRIPTION (provided by applicant): The goal of the proposed study is to deliver and evaluate a skill building intervention to enhance health literacy about complementary and alternative therapies (CAM), specifically natural products, to promote more informed health management decisions. The study is consistent with the overall strategic objectives of the National Center for Complementary and Integrative Health and the National Action Plan to Improve Health Literacy among the U.S. population. Natural products, the most commonly used type of CAM, are readily available for purchase without prescription, and some may have significant therapeutic value and so can expand viable treatment options. These products may present health risks if consumers do not understand such things as dose, expected effects, known side-effects, and potential interactions with foods and/or other medications. Without adequate CAM health literacy, consumers may not understand and evaluate the myriad of choices that confront them. Falling victim to fraudulent practices or ingesting potentially harmful
substances are serious consequences that make enhancing CAM health literacy a priority. The specific aims are to: 1. Deliver a skill building intervention to enhance CAM health literacy about
natural products among older rural adults. a.) refine and evaluate existing skill building session b.) evaluate the impact of the intervention on CAM health literacy. (Hypothesis: CAM health literacy scores at T2 will be higher than scores at T1 and T3.) c.) refine and evaluate the intervention protocol. 2. Evaluate the association of antecedent components of the MSU CAM Health Literacy Conceptual Model. To achieve the study aims, the intervention will be implemented with older adults living in four rural communities in Montana. The intervention involves four skill building sessions of 1 to 1.5 hours in length which will be refined prior to implementation. The skill building sessions are focused on: issues with health literacy and CAM, communication with healthcare professionals, essential CAM knowledge, and health information seeking skills. The intervention protocol includes recruitment of at least 20 older rural adult participants from each research site who will complete all aspects of the study, recruitment and training of community Champions and Senior Center Directors who will facilitate the intervention in their communities, and identification of potential resources to sustain the intervention's impac beyond the grant. Participants will complete instrument packets at three points: at the first session (T1), at the fourth session (T2), and ten months after the initiation of the intervention (T3). The intervention content and delivery will be evaluated using descriptive statistics and qualitative data to determine needed improvements. Statistical analyses will be conducted to test the hypothesis and assess the antecedent component of the conceptual model. Graduate and undergraduate junior and senior level nursing students will be involved in all aspects of the study as appropriate. The findings of the proposed study will be used to guide the conceptualization, development, and implementation of a subsequent randomized control trial,