Correlates of Perceived Agency and Future Improvement Among Cherokee Nation Getting Ahead Program Completers

Native American communities experience persistent health and economic inequities shaped by poverty, systemic barriers, and historical trauma. Within Cherokee Nation, financial instability remains an important social determinant of health and health-related quality of life (HRQOL). Getting Ahead is a community-based curriculum designed to strengthen financial literacy, agency, and social support. This cross-sectional study analyzed post-program survey responses from 160 participants to examine factors associated with perceived agency and future improvement. Participants completed surveys assessing financial knowledge, financial motivation, perceived social support, HRQOL, and planned use of program components. Regression analyses showed that stronger social support (β = 0.253, p < 0.001), greater planned use of curriculum strategies (β = 0.227, p = 0.001), higher financial motivation (β = 0.164, p = 0.025), and greater financial knowledge (β = 0.156, p = 0.027) were independently associated with higher perceived agency, whereas poorer HRQOL (β = −0.252, p < 0.001) was associated with lower agency. These findings suggest that perceived agency and future improvement are associated with social, financial, and health-related factors and highlight potential areas for future program development and evaluation, including alumni networks, light-touch health navigation, and ongoing financial coaching or debt-reduction support.