BackgroundStroke is a leading cause of adult disability and mortality. Intravenous thrombolysis can minimize disability when patients present to the emergency department for treatment within the 3 − 4½ h of symptom onset. Blacks and Hispanics are more likely to die and suffer disability from stroke than whites, due in part to delayed hospital arrival and ineligibility for intravenous thrombolysis for acute stroke. Low stroke literacy (poor knowledge of stroke symptoms and when to call 911) among Blacks and Hispanics compared to whites may contribute to disparities in acute stroke treatment and outcomes. Improving stroke literacy may be a critical step along the pathway to reducing stroke disparities. The aim of the current study is to test a novel intervention to increase stroke literacy in minority populations in New York City.Design and MethodsIn a two-arm cluster randomized trial, we will evaluate the effectiveness of two culturally tailored stroke education films – one in English and one in Spanish – on changing behavioral intent to call 911 for suspected stroke, compared to usual care. These films will target knowledge of stroke symptoms, the range of severity of symptoms and the therapeutic benefit of calling 911, as well as address barriers to timely presentation to the hospital. Given the success of previous church-based programs targeting behavior change in minority populations, this trial will be conducted with 250 congregants across 14 churches (125 intervention; 125 control). Our proposed outcomes are (1) recognition of stroke symptoms and (2) behavioral intent to call 911 for suspected stroke, measured using the Stroke Action Test at the 6-month and 1-year follow-up.DiscussionThis is the first randomized trial of a church-placed narrative intervention to improve stroke outcomes in urban Black and Hispanic populations. A film intervention has the potential to make a significant public health impact, as film is a highly scalable and disseminable medium. Since there is at least one church in almost every neighborhood in the USA, churches have the ability and reach to play an important role in the dissemination and translation of stroke prevention programs in minority communities.Trial registrationNCT01909271; July 22, 2013

Narrative communication in the form of tailored short films may improve intent to call 911 for stroke among the black and Hispanic population.

Background and Purpose Community-level determinants of stroke knowledge among children are unknown, but could meaningfully impact public stroke education campaigns. We explored for associations between community- and school-level quality measures relative to baseline stroke knowledge among children participating in the Hip Hop Stroke (HHS) program. Methods Baseline stroke knowledge assessments were performed in 2,839 fourth, fifth, and sixth grade students (ages 9–11 years) from November 2005–April 2014. Knowledge was assessed relative to School Performance Grade (SPG, graded A–F; a school-level measure determined by NYC Department of Education) and economic need index (ENI, range 0–2; a community-level, within-school measure of subsidized housing and meals with higher scores indicating more socioeconomic distress). Results Schools studied included those with SPG=B (n=196), SPG=C (n=1590), and SPG=D (n=1053) and mean ENI=0.85 (SD 0.23). A composite assessment of knowledge, including four stroke symptoms (blurred vision, facial droop, sudden headache, and slurred speech), was asked consistently since 2006. Overall, students correctly identified a mean of 1.74 stroke symptoms (95% CI: 1.70–1.79; possible range 0–4, expected value of chance response alone or no knowledge=2). For quartiles of ENI, mean knowledge scores ranged from ENIQ1=2.00, ENIQ2=2.09, ENIQ3=1.46, ENIQ4=1.56 (ENIQ3 and ENIQ4 v. ENIQ1, p<0.001). For SPG, SPG=B schools: 2.09, SPG=C: 1.83, and SPG=D: 1.56 (SPG=C and SPG=D v. SPG=B schools: p≤0.05). Conclusions Children’s stroke knowledge was lowest in NYC communities with greater economic need and lower school performance. These findings could guide stroke education campaign implementation strategies.

Objective Stroke is the fifth leading cause of death and the leading cause of serious long-term adult disability in the US. Acute stroke treatments with intravenous thrombolysis and endovascular therapy are proven to reduce disability, however a critical limitation on their effectiveness is the narrow time window for administration, which is 4.5 hours and 6 hours respectively from the onset of symptoms. Our overarching goal is to reduce pre-hospital delays to acute stroke treatments in economically disadvantaged minority communities where the greatest delays exist, using Hip Hop Stroke. Methods Hip Hop Stroke (HHS) is a school-based, child-mediated, culturally-tailored stroke communication multimedia intervention developed using validated models of behavior change and designed to improve stroke literacy (knowledge of stroke symptoms, the urgent need to call 911, and prevention measures) of 4th, 5th and 6th grade students and their parents residing in poor urban communities. Children in the intervention arm will receive the HHS intervention, while those in the attentional control arm will receive standardized nutrition education based on the USDA's MyPyramid program. Children will be trained and motivated to share stroke information with their parents or other adult caregiver. Both children and parents will complete a stroke knowledge assessment at baseline, immediately following the program, and at 3-months post-program. The primary outcome is the effect of the child mediation on parental stroke literacy. Conclusion Stroke literate children, a captive audience in school systems, may represent a viable channel for spreading stroke information into households of poor urban communities where mass media stroke campaigns have shown the lowest penetration. These children may also call 911 when witnessing a stroke in their homes or communities. The HHS program may highlight the potential role of children in the chain of stroke recovery as a strategy for reducing prehospital delays to acute stroke treatment.

Developing an effective youth-based health messaging intervention for African American women, who remain disparately impacted by cancer, presents unique challenges. This paper reports on the challenges with recruiting familial dyads from predominantly low-income, African American neighborhoods, as well as the challenges associated with designing and implementing an upward-directed cancer screening intervention. We developed and pilot tested an educational workshop that provided adolescents with cancer screening information to share with their mother or female relative. Data from follow-up interviews and focus groups, as well as observation records regarding implementation obstacles highlight important lessons learned. The use of familial dyads as well as issues of access posed challenges for recruitment and follow-up. Workshop-related challenges stemmed from the approach, content and length. Finally, personal and environmental factors presented barriers to adolescent message delivery and adult follow-through. By identifying these challenges, we hope to influence and enable the future development of effective adolescent-initiated health messaging interventions.