# Using a Randomized Prevention Trial to Understand the Health Benefits of Supportive Couple Relationships among Rural African American Adults

> **NIH NIH R01** · UNIVERSITY OF GEORGIA · 2020 · $650,396

## Abstract

PROJECT SUMMARY
In this proposal, we seek to follow a well-characterized sample of 346 low-income, middle-age African American
couples who recently concluded participation in a randomized prevention trial of the Protecting Strong African
American Families (ProSAAF) program. All couples reside in impoverished small towns and communities in rural
Georgia in which poverty rates are among the highest in the nation. Individuals in this catchment area are at
elevated risk for multiple chronic diseases of aging (CDAs) including cardiovascular disease and diabetes as
well as risk factors for CDAs such as inflammation and metabolic syndrome. Continuing to follow this sample
with more thorough assessments of aging over the next five years will provide one of the first prospective studies
of couple relationships and aging conducted within a randomized prevention trial designed for rural African
American adults. As observational designs are prone to residual confounding and reverse directionality errors,
the current proposal will provide a unique opportunity for testing casual hypotheses about the role of enhanced
couple functioning in promoting and protecting the health of African American adults from the erosive effects of
cumulative stress exposure. This proposal, therefore, is directly responsive to PA-15-042, which encourages
innovative, hypothesis-driven R01 grant applications that can expand understanding of the role and impact of
families and interpersonal relationships on health and well-being in midlife and older age. In this continuation
then, we propose to collect two additional waves of multi-level data from couples who participated in the ProSAAF
trial. This data collection will involve intravenous blood draws and other biometrics to determine whether
ProSAAF participation and program-induced changes in couple functioning will carry forward to promote African
Americans' healthy aging. Assessments of psychological well-being and behavioral coping strategies will be
collected as well. We will test hypotheses concerning: (a) ProSAAF participation on the physical health and
psychological well-being of rural African American adults; (b) mediating mechanisms through which ProSAAF-
induced changes in couple relationship functioning and cumulative stress exposure influence rural African
Americans' health; and (c) resilience mechanisms on healthy aging among rural African Americans. Hypotheses
will be analyzed using individual- and couple-level models to examine actor, partner, and dyadic-level effects.
Our proposed design provides both strong tests of theory and enhanced ability to guide practical application than
typically is possible using observational research alone. Findings from this research will facilitate the
development of health promotion strategies to enhance healthy aging and, ultimately, reduce health disparities
among rural African Americans.

## Key facts

- **NIH application ID:** 9918840
- **Project number:** 5R01AG059260-08
- **Recipient organization:** UNIVERSITY OF GEORGIA
- **Principal Investigator:** Steven R Beach
- **Activity code:** R01 (R01, R21, SBIR, etc.)
- **Funding institute:** NIH
- **Fiscal year:** 2020
- **Award amount:** $650,396
- **Award type:** 5
- **Project period:** 2012-04-01 → 2023-03-31

## Primary source

NIH RePORTER: https://reporter.nih.gov/project-details/9918840

## Citation

> US National Institutes of Health, RePORTER application 9918840, Using a Randomized Prevention Trial to Understand the Health Benefits of Supportive Couple Relationships among Rural African American Adults (5R01AG059260-08). Retrieved via AI Analytics 2026-05-24 from https://api.ai-analytics.org/grant/nih/9918840. Licensed CC0.

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