Intervention mapping as a guide for the development of a diabetes peer support intervention in rural Alabama.

Introduction: Peer support is a promising strategy for the reduction of diabetes-related health disparities; however, few studies describe the development of such strategies in enough detail to allow for replication. The objective of this article is to describe the development of a 1-year peer support intervention to improve diabetes self-management among African American adults with diabetes in Alabama's Black Belt.

Methods: We used principles of intervention mapping, including literature review, interviews with key informants, and a discussion group with community health workers, to guide intervention development.

Positive and negative neuroplasticity: implications for age-related cognitive declines.

Cognitive complaints and declines increase with age, which can interfere with everyday functioning and quality of life for older adults. With the increasing number of older adults, the need to promote successful cognitive aging will grow. Nurses, as health educators, will be increasingly called on to provide patients with information on how to avoid cognitive problems and accentuate cognitive abilities.