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The Baltimore Experience Corps Study

The safety and scientific validity of this study is the responsibility of the study sponsor and investigators. Listing a study does not mean it has been evaluated by the U.S. Federal Government. Read our disclaimer for details.
 
ClinicalTrials.gov Identifier: NCT00380562
Recruitment Status : Completed
First Posted : September 26, 2006
Last Update Posted : September 19, 2013
Sponsor:
Collaborators:
Retirement Research Foundation
Abell Foundation
National Institute on Aging (NIA)
Goldseker Foundation
The Harry & Jeanette Weinberg Foundation, Inc.
Information provided by (Responsible Party):
George W. Rebok, PhD, Johns Hopkins University

Study Description
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Brief Summary:
The purpose of this study is to examine the effectiveness of the Experience Corps program in preventing or delaying physical disability in older adults, by studying the effects of volunteerism on physical, social and cognitive well-being.

Condition or disease Intervention/treatment Phase
Aging Generativity Behavioral: Experience Corps Not Applicable

Detailed Description:

The Baltimore Experience Corps Study is a randomized, controlled, community-based trial of the effectiveness of Experience Corps (EC) to determine if participation for adults 60 years and older, over two years of follow-up, results in better outcomes in the EC versus control arm in terms of mobility, strength, balance, and cognitive functioning.

The Experience Corps is a community-based model for health promotion for older adults embedded within a social engagement program. The program places older adult volunteers in meaningful roles in public elementary schools, bringing the time, experience, and wisdom of older adults to bear in improving academic and behavioral outcomes of children. The Experience Corps incorporates health promotion preventing disability and dependency associated with aging, into new, generative roles for older adults.

This program was initially designed by Dr. Linda Fried of this application, along with Marc Freedman of Civic Ventures, Inc. It has gone through two national demonstrations, neither of which evaluated the impact on older adults.

Study Design
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Study Type : Interventional  (Clinical Trial)
Actual Enrollment : 702 participants
Allocation: Randomized
Intervention Model: Parallel Assignment
Masking: Single (Investigator)
Primary Purpose: Treatment
Official Title: Experience Corps Trial: Improving Health of Older Populations Through Generativity
Study Start Date : July 2006
Actual Primary Completion Date : December 2011
Actual Study Completion Date : December 2011
Arms and Interventions
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Arm Intervention/treatment
Experimental: Volunteer
High intensity volunteering (15 hours a week or greater) in Baltimore City Schools with children in grades K-3
 Behavioral: Experience Corps
High intensity volunteering (15 hours a week or more) over a two year time period working with children in grades K-3 in Baltimore City Schools. Controls are assigned to usual activities for two years and then offered opportunity to volunteer with children at the end of two year.
No Intervention: Control
Usual activities


Outcome Measures
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Primary Outcome Measures :
  1. Decreased disability in mobility and Instrumental Activities of Daily Living (IADL) [ Time Frame: Measured in 4 month intevals from baseline to 24 month ]
    Walking speed, chair stands, questionnaires related to mobility and activities


Secondary Outcome Measures :
  1. Decreased falls [ Time Frame: Measured in 4 month intervals from baseline to 24 month ]
  2. decreased rate of decline in memory [ Time Frame: Measured in 4 month intervals from baseline to 24 month ]
  3. increased, preserved or slowed decline in strength, balance, walking speed, frailty, timed "get up and go", cortical plasticity and executive function and speed and accuracy in objective IADL task performance [ Time Frame: Measured in 4 month intervals from baseline to 24 months ]

Eligibility Criteria
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Ages Eligible for Study:   60 Years and older   (Adult, Older Adult)
Sexes Eligible for Study:   All
Accepts Healthy Volunteers:   Yes
Criteria

Inclusion Criteria:

  • 60 years or older
  • Agree to commit to at least 1 year of participation in the EC and to participate at least 15 hours per week for the full school year, if randomized to the intervention group
  • Meet minimum criteria for cognitive functioning necessary to function successfully in a school setting
  • Functionally literate, using a nationally recognized and standardized evaluation which provides grade level equivalency in reading and spelling
  • Ability to travel to the schools, if randomized to the intervention group
  • Agree to accept randomization and to participate in evaluations
  • Clearance on the Baltimore city public school's criminal background check, if randomized to intervention group
  • Complete training, if randomized to intervention group

Exclusion Criteria:

  • Under 60 years of age
Contacts and Locations
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Information from the National Library of Medicine

To learn more about this study, you or your doctor may contact the study research staff using the contact information provided by the sponsor.

Please refer to this study by its ClinicalTrials.gov identifier (NCT number): NCT00380562


Locations
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United States, Maryland
Center on Aging and Health
Baltimore, Maryland, United States, 21205
Sponsors and Collaborators
Johns Hopkins University
Retirement Research Foundation
Abell Foundation
National Institute on Aging (NIA)
Goldseker Foundation
The Harry & Jeanette Weinberg Foundation, Inc.
Investigators
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Principal Investigator: George Rebok, PhD Johns Hopkins University
More Information
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Publications:

Publications automatically indexed to this study by ClinicalTrials.gov Identifier (NCT Number):

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Responsible Party: George W. Rebok, PhD, Professor, Johns Hopkins University
ClinicalTrials.gov Identifier: NCT00380562    
Other Study ID Numbers: AG0069
P01AG027735 ( U.S. NIH Grant/Contract )
First Posted: September 26, 2006    Key Record Dates
Last Update Posted: September 19, 2013
Last Verified: September 2013
Keywords provided by George W. Rebok, PhD, Johns Hopkins University:
Quality of life
Cognitive Functioning
Activities of Daily Living
Disability prevention