We evaluated the effectiveness of the Salud y Bienestar program to deliver diabetes education in the Hispanic population in the United States. This program uses a community outreach model where community health promoters are trained and then they deliver education to other community members regarding diabetes disease, risk factors, and ways to prevent and control disease. This intervention applies a one-group pre- and post-test design to improve diabetes knowledge. The intervention carried out in the states of California, Texas, and Washington DC. A total of 1,413 participants were enrolled. Of these, 73% were females, 46% were 65 years or older, 59% were Mexican, 64% had at least elementary education, 56% had lived in the US for more than 20 years, and 38% participants were self-reported diabetic. Among diabetic participants, a significant improvement was observed on diabetes knowledge when comparing pre- and post-test scores (13.7 vs. 18.6, P < 0.001; Cohen's d = 1.2). Among non-diabetic participants, diabetes knowledge also increased significantly after one-single training session (12.9 vs. 18.2, P < 0.001; Cohen's d = 1.2). The Salud y Bienestar program conducted by community health workers was effective approach to improving diabetes knowledge in the Hispanic population.

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Anxiety is the most common psychiatric disorders affecting females twice more than males. In hippocampal cells, estradiol regulates group I/II metabotropic glutamate receptors (mGluR1a/5 and mGluR2/3, respectively) activation. Thus, estradiol might modulate female anxiety within the basolateral amygdala (BLA) through mGluRs. We hypothesized that: 1) BLA activation of mGluRs might produce anxiolytic‐like effects; and 2) mGluR protein expression will be up‐regulated, in an estradiol dependent manner. Ovariectomized female rats, with (OVX+EB) and without (OVX) estradiol treatment were compared to male rats. We infused (S)‐3,5‐dihydroxyphenylglycin (DHPG), a group I mGluR agonist into the BLA. Anxiety was analyzed with the elevated plus maze and risk assessment behaviors (RABs); and protein expression by western blots analysis. DHPG (1.0 μM) increased the time and entries in open arms; and reduced RABs in OVX+EB (p<0.05), but not OVX and/or male rats. In the amygdala, protein expression of mGluR1a and mGluR2/3 were up‐regulated in OVX+EB (p<0.05) than OVX and/or male rats. No differences were found for mGluR5. Thus, activation of group I mGluRs, within the BLA, depends upon estradiol to modulate female anxiety. This effect might be underlined by region‐specific estradiol genomic and nongenomic effects.Grant Funding Source: NIH‐EARDA 1G11H046326, MBRS‐RISE GM61838 and NSF DBI‐0932955

Caregivers with diverse backgrounds make up an important part of the landscape of caregiving in the US. Their unique experiences have been traditionally under-researched in the field of social sciences and underrecognized by society. To further understand the impact of race, ethnicity, class, gender and sexuality onto caregiving, the National Alliance for Caregiving (NAC) and the AARP Public Policy Institute commissioned an in-depth analysis of the dataset collected from the Caregiving in the US 2020 study, which segments populations based on ethnic and sexual identity, geographic location, and income level. Utilizing survey interviews with 1,392 caregivers in the US, this study found differences amongst the African-American, Latinx, and Asian American-Pacific Islander populations in relation to age, time spent caregiving, ADL/IADLs, caregiving strain and intensity, receipt of formal and informal support, and financial impact. In consideration of the distinct challenges presented by diverse caregiving throughout the lifespan, this presentation will also feature results from a 2020-2021 Diverse Elders Coalition and NAC commissioned study on the unmet caregiving needs in diverse communities. 11 virtual listening sessions were held with 400 caregivers of color, including American Indian/Alaska Native caregivers, and LGBTQ caregivers across the nation. Presentation attendees can expect to learn new insights into the experiences of diverse caregivers, while also gaining a fresh understanding of informal and formal support preferences with a multicultural lens. Finally, this presentation will provide recommendations to further prioritize the needs of historically marginalized caregivers in policy and practice.