Rural Health Project Reaches New FRONTIER

What does it mean to age in a rural community? Are rural residents at increased risk of Alzheimer’s disease, obesity, cardiovascular disease and diabetes? If so, what drives these disparities, and what can be done to stem their incidence?

These are the questions that drive the daily work of Project FRONTIER at the Texas Tech University Health Sciences Center F. Marie Hall Institute for Rural and Community Health.

Project FRONTIER (Facing Rural Obstacles to Health Care Now Through Intervention, Education and Research) was initiated in Parmer County in 2009 to address characteristics that bring increased risk to unfavorable health outcomes in rural areas. The study currently involves close to 900 participants from Bailey, Parmer and Cochran counties.

Participants receive free medical examinations including clinical blood work, are asked questions about their medical histories and undergo memory and thinking tests. Although most Project FRONTIER participants have given their consent to be re-contacted to continue this important research.

Total participation time is two to three hours and individuals receive $50 for taking part in the study. To be eligible, individuals must be 40 years of age or older and live in one of the participating counties. For more information about Project FRONTIER or to participate in the study, contact Cathy Hudson, project coordinator, at (806) 743-5601.

Project FRONTIER began in 2006 as the Cochran County Aging Study with the primary focus on the interaction between cardiovascular risk factors and the development of cognitive dysfunction, particularly Alzheimer’s disease.

The F. Marie Hall Institute for Rural and Community Health is a multidisciplinary group with four key programs: the West Texas Area Health Education Center, Rural Health Research, the West Texas Health Information Technology Regional Extension Center and Telemedicine. These programs integrate services to bring innovative solutions to health-related challenges in West Texas.

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