# The Engaging Communities of Hispanics for Aging Research (ECHAR) Network

> **NIH NIH R24** · UNIVERSITY OF HOUSTON · 2021 · $44,022

## Abstract

Abstract
 Hispanic/Latin American (H/L) populations currently comprise over 18% of the population in the United
States and this number is expected to increase to nearly 29% by 2030. As the H/L population continues
to grow rapidly, ADRDs are becoming a major public health concern. Research suggests H/Ls are 1.5-2x more
likely to develop ADRD and have the highest proportion of AD diagnoses as compared to other ethnic groups
in the United States. Yet, H/Ls are less likely to participate in research due to participation related
stigma, health literacy, and mistrust. Furthermore, research on these recruitment barriers have been primarily
limited to older adults and non-Hispanic Whites since these groups are directly affected by ADRD. Overall,
there is a critical need to include diverse samples in ADRD research to identify and better understand
modifiable risk factors, methods of resilience, and effective methods of recruitment.
 H/L young adults often act as liaisons, or “health brokers,” for their family members as they translate
important documents, correspondence, and medical information. Moreover, they often live in intergenerational
households that focus on the well-being of the family unit rather than on the individual: a concept often referred
to as familismo. In addition to placing a strong emphasis on families, which leads to family centered decision
making, it is important to recognize that H/L young adults are more likely to participate in research studies and
are more open to working with researchers. Thus, H/L young adults may serve as mediators to mitigate many
of the key recruitment barriers that may prevent older adults from participating in ADRD research.
 In an effort to increase H/L representation in ADRD research, we propose to recruit young, college-
aged H/L individuals to participate in a Boot Camp Translation (BCT): a validated, community-
engaged procedure that aims to make scientific health knowledge culturally relevant. Ultimately, the young
adult BCT will have: (1) established a trained community advisory board on ADRD, (2) yielded culturally
relevant and sensitive recruitment material and strategies for ADRD research; and (3) empowered H/L families
in the area to continue their collaboration with investigators and various health information systems. Overall,
the proposed study will capitalize on cultural characteristics to empower H/L community members and promote
their engagement in ADRD research.

## Key facts

- **NIH application ID:** 10327463
- **Project number:** 3R24AG065170-02S1
- **Recipient organization:** UNIVERSITY OF HOUSTON
- **Principal Investigator:** Luis D Medina
- **Activity code:** R24 (R01, R21, SBIR, etc.)
- **Funding institute:** NIH
- **Fiscal year:** 2021
- **Award amount:** $44,022
- **Award type:** 3
- **Project period:** 2020-01-15 → 2022-11-30

## Primary source

NIH RePORTER: https://reporter.nih.gov/project-details/10327463

## Citation

> US National Institutes of Health, RePORTER application 10327463, The Engaging Communities of Hispanics for Aging Research (ECHAR) Network (3R24AG065170-02S1). Retrieved via AI Analytics 2026-05-23 from https://api.ai-analytics.org/grant/nih/10327463. Licensed CC0.

---

*[NIH grants dataset](/datasets/nih-grants) · CC0 1.0*