NC Works4Health: Reducing Chronic Disease Risks in Socioeconomically Disadvantaged, Unemployed Populations

Summary

The proposed study, NC Works4Health (NCW4H), builds on the strengths of long-standing academic-community research partnerships between this UNC at Chapel Hill (UNC) team of investigators and key stakeholders across health, social service, employment, and economic development sectors. The overall goal of this study is to test the effectiveness of a multilevel intervention that can be readily adopted by communities to reduce chronic disease risks in socioeconomically disadvantaged populations by (a) embedding prevention efforts in DSS-E programs at the individual level, and (b) enhancing supervisor supports for DSS-E hires at the employer level. Interventions at each level, and their joint effects, are designed to mitigate the psychological, behavioral, and clinically relevant risks for chronic disease onset, morbidity, and comorbidity that accrue with unemployment and the employment-entry transition.

Conditions

• Diabetes
• Chronic Disease
• Psychological Distress

Interventions

BEHAVIORAL

Immediate Chronic Disease Prevention Program (CDPP)

The CDPP is an adaptation of the Diabetes Prevention Program (DPP). It will take place over a 24 week period and involve online instruction and individualized lifestyle coaching sessions. The online classroom curriculum includes 8 modules: Goal setting, self-monitoring and problem solving (M1), Managing stress and negative thoughts (M2), Healthy eating (M3), Taking more steps (M4), Keeping alcohol in check (M5), Lifestyle change (M6), Taking charge of what (and who) is around you (M7), and Staying motivated (M8). The lifestyle coaches will meet in person and over the phone intermittently over the 24 week period (Weeks 2, 4, 6, 10, 12, 16, 24).

BEHAVIORAL

Workplace Equity, Job and Health Supports Employer Intervention

The employer intervention combines implicit bias awareness training for supervisors of hired DSS-E clients, and regular, structured, interactions between supervisors and DSS-E hires.

BEHAVIORAL

Delayed, attenuated Chronic Disease Prevention Program (CDPP)

Participants will have access to a delayed, attenuated online-only version of the CDPP at the time they complete the 12 month data collection. This version will provide all modules, self-monitoring options (including through use of a Fitbit contingent on the completion of the 12 month data collection) but will not include face-to-face or phone lifestyle coach sessions.

Sponsors & Collaborators

• National Institute on Minority Health and Health Disparities (NIMHD)

  collaborator NIH

• University of North Carolina, Chapel Hill

  lead OTHER

Principal Investigators

• Shawn Kneipp, Ph. D · UNC School of Nursing

Study Design

Allocation

RANDOMIZED

Purpose

PREVENTION

Masking

SINGLE

Model

FACTORIAL

Eligibility

Min Age

18 Years

Max Age

64 Years

Sex

ALL

Healthy Volunteers

Yes

Timeline & Regulatory

Start

2021-09-17

Primary Completion

2025-11-30

Completion

2025-11-30

Countries

• United States

Study Locations