Supplying Useful Perimenopause through Post-menopause Online Resources and Tools (SUPPORT): A culturally appropriate CHW training program to support minority women

KDH Research & Communication (KDHRC) proposes to develop and evaluate Supplying Useful Perimenopause through Post-menopause Online Resources and Tools (SUPPORT), which will train community health workers (CHWs) to conduct mental, emotional, and social health (health) outreach to African American women and Latinas (minority women) going through perimenopause, menopause, and post-menopause (menopausal transition). Each year, approximately 1 million women in the United States are in the age range (40-58) to reach menopause. Although all women experience the menopausal transition, some groups have worse symptoms than others. Minority women are more likely to begin the menopausal transition earlier than White women and suffer worse symptoms, including depression. CHWs are ideally positioned to educate and support minority women as they go through the menopausal transition due to deeply established connections to their communities and the proven effectiveness of CHW outreach for positive behavior change. SUPPORT- trained CHWs will be able to: (1) understand how the menopause transition impacts women’s health; (2) assess health needs; (3) assess barriers to receiving menopause related support and health care; (4) tailor education and support based on needs assessment and awareness of cultural practices around menopause; (5) identify local services and resources to address needs; (6) empower women to take care of their health during the menopause transition. In Phase I, we will develop the SUPPORT prototype with feedback from a diverse advisory committee. SUPPORT will feature video-based content centered on interactive, artificial intelligence (AI)–powered simulations for CHWs to virtually practice their skills in a variety of real-life situations. KDHRC will evaluate the SUPPORT prototype in a randomized, two-group study that empirically assesses CHWs’ knowledge, skills, and self-efficacy to conduct health outreach to minority women going through the menopausal transition after prototype exposure. The Phase I project will prepare us for Phase II expansion and a rigorous randomized controlled trial of the impact of CHW outreach on minority women going through the menopausal transition. When complete, SUPPORT will be marketed through KDHRC’s CHW Virtual Academy and our robust sales system that uses email and interpersonal outreach to promote and support adoption of our suite of CHW/promotores training programs. SUPPORT is innovative because it is built in context of dramatic growth in everyday stressors and awareness of social injustices that exacerbate menopause-related mental health symptoms.