A Text Message Intervention to Support Latino Dementia Family Caregivers (CuidaTEXT): Feasibility study

Abstract

AbstractBackgroundLatino family caregivers experience disproportionately poor health outcomes and access to caregiver support. We aimed to test the feasibility, acceptability, and preliminary efficacy of CuidaTEXT: a tailored text message intervention to support Latino dementia family caregivers.MethodCuidaTEXT is a six‐month, bilingual, and bidirectional intervention tailored to caregiver needs (e.g., education, problem‐solving, resources). We enrolled 24 Latino caregivers in a one‐arm trial, and assessed feasibility, acceptability, and preliminary efficacy within six months.ResultRecruitment took 61 days and enrollment took 20. None of the participants unsubscribed from CuidaTEXT, and 83.3% completed the follow up survey. Most participants (85.7%) reported reading most text messages thoroughly. Participants reported high levels of satisfaction with the intervention (3.6 on a scale from 1 to 4). CuidaTEXT helpfulness was high (3.5‐3.8 on a 1 to 4 scale). Compared to baseline, at six months caregiver behavioral symptom distress (0‐60) decreased from 19.8 to 12.0, and depression (0‐30) from 8.8 to 5.4 (p<0.05).ConclusionCuidaTEXT demonstrated high levels of feasibility, acceptability, and preliminary efficacy among Latino caregivers. The next logical step is CuidaTEXT’s efficacy‐testing.