R37AG032449

DETERMINANTS OF ELDERLY HEALTH: THE ROLE OF PLACE-BASED FACTORS - PROJECT SUMMARY/ABSTRACT DETERMINANTS OF ELDERLY HEALTH: THE ROLE OF PLACE-BASED FACTORS THE GOAL OF THE PROPOSED RESEARCH IS TO BETTER UNDERSTAND THE FACTORS AFFECTING THE HEALTH AND HEALTH BEHAVIORS OF THE ELDERLY POPULATION IN THE UNITED STATES BY MOVING BEYOND THE WORK OF THE PRIOR GRANT, WHICH AGGREGATED ANALYSIS OF ELDERLY HEALTHCARE UTILIZATION, TO LOOK DIRECTLY AT HEALTH BEHAVIORS AND HEALTH OUTCOMES. AS RECENT WORK HAS SHOWN, THERE ARE LARGE DISPARITIES IN LIFE EXPECTANCY AMONG THE MEDICARE POPULATION BY RACE, INCOME, AND GEOGRAPHY, DESPITE ACCESS TO THE SAME UNIVERSAL HEALTH INSURANCE PROGRAM. BY EXAMINING TWO POTENTIAL BROAD-BASED FORCES, PERSON-SPECIFIC FACTORS (“HEALTH CAPITAL”), WHICH CAN INCLUDE GENETIC ENDOWMENTS AS WELL AS PRIOR MEDICAL CARE, AND PLACE-BASED FACTORS (“CURRENT PLACE EFFECTS”), WHICH IS THE ENVIRONMENT ASSOCIATED WITH THEIR CURRENT LOCATION, WE HOPE TO GATHER FINDINGS THAT WILL GREATLY ENRICH NOT ONLY OUR UNDERSTANDING OF THE FACTORS THAT AFFECT THE ELDERLY’S HEALTH BEHAVIORS AND HEALTH, BUT ALSO SHED LIGHT ON THE LIKELY EFFICACY OF ALTERNATIVE POLICIES AIMED AT IMPROVING ELDERLY HEALTH BEHAVIORS AND HEALTH. TO ACCOMPLISH THIS GOAL, THE PROPOSAL HAS THREE CENTRAL AIMS. IN AIM 1, WE FOCUS ON A SPECIFIC, HARMFUL HEALTH BEHAVIOR: OPIOID ADDICTION. THE ELDERLY POPULATION USES PRESCRIPTION OPIOIDS AT A HIGHER RATE THAN ANY OTHER AGE GROUP, THEREFORE SUGGESTING THAT THIS CRISIS IS ACUTE AMONG THE ELDERLY AND MAY WORSEN AS THE NEAR- ELDERLY CONTINUE TO AGE. BY ANALYZING PERSON-SPECIFIC FACTORS, SUCH AS MENTAL HEALTH STATUS AND PRIOR SUBSTANCE ABUSE, AS WELL AS PLACE-SPECIFIC FACTORS, INCLUDING AVAILABILITY OF PHYSICIANS WILLING TO PRESCRIBE OPIOIDS FOR WHAT THEY PERCEIVE AS LEGITIMATE REASONS OR THE PRESENCE OF POLICIES SUCH AS PRESCRIPTION MONITORING PROGRAMS INTENDED TO LIMIT ABUSE, WE HOPE TO GAIN A BETTER UNDERSTANDING OF BOTH THE CAUSES OF THE OPIOID CRISIS AND THE LIKELY IMPACTS OF POLICIES DESIGNED TO COMBAT IT. IN THE SECOND PART OF THE PROPOSED RENEWAL, WE WILL EXTEND BEYOND THE EMPIRICAL METHODOLOGY EMPLOYED IN AIM 1 TO FOCUS ON THE ROLE OF PLACE-BASED FACTORS IN TWO SPECIFIC WAYS. IN AIM 2, WE WILL ANALYZE THE IMPACT OF PLACE-BASED FACTORS ON ELDERLY MORTALITY. IN AIM 3, WE WILL ANALYZE THE ROLE OF PLACE-BASED FACTORS IN CONTRIBUTING TO HEALTH DISPARITIES AMONG THE ELDERLY POPULATION. IT IS CRITICAL TO UNDERSTAND THE RELATIVE ROLES OF CURRENT PLACE EFFECTS AND PERSON-SPECIFIC FACTORS IN CONTRIBUTING TO ELDERLY MORTALITY AND ELDERLY MORTALITY DISPARITIES IN ORDER TO MORE FULLY UNDERSTAND THE FACTORS THAT MAY LEAD TO ELDERLY MORTALITY AND THE LIKELY EFFECTS OF POLICIES ON ELDERLY HEALTH. THROUGH THESE AIMS WE HOPE TO GAIN A CLEARER UNDERSTANDING OF HOW PERSON- SPECIFIC AND PLACE-SPECIFIC FACTORS AFFECT THE HEALTH BEHAVIORS AND HEALTH OUTCOMES OF THE ELDERLY POPULATION IN THE UNITED STATES.

Massachusetts Institute Of Technology

TO ENCOURAGE BIOMEDICAL, SOCIAL, AND BEHAVIORAL RESEARCH AND RESEARCH TRAINING DIRECTED TOWARD GREATER UNDERSTANDING OF THE AGING PROCESS AND THE DISEASES, SPECIAL PROBLEMS, AND NEEDS OF PEOPLE AS THEY AGE. THE NATIONAL INSTITUTE ON AGING HAS ESTABLISHED PROGRAMS TO PURSUE THESE GOALS. THE DIVISION OF AGING BIOLOGY EMPHASIZES UNDERSTANDING THE BASIC BIOLOGICAL PROCESSES OF AGING. THE DIVISION OF GERIATRICS AND CLINICAL GERONTOLOGY SUPPORTS RESEARCH TO IMPROVE THE ABILITIES OF HEALTH CARE PRACTITIONERS TO RESPOND TO THE DISEASES AND OTHER CLINICAL PROBLEMS OF OLDER PEOPLE. THE DIVISION OF BEHAVIORAL AND SOCIAL RESEARCH SUPPORTS RESEARCH THAT WILL LEAD TO GREATER UNDERSTANDING OF THE SOCIAL, CULTURAL, ECONOMIC AND PSYCHOLOGICAL FACTORS THAT AFFECT BOTH THE PROCESS OF GROWING OLD AND THE PLACE OF OLDER PEOPLE IN SOCIETY. THE DIVISION OF NEUROSCIENCE FOSTERS RESEARCH CONCERNED WITH THE AGE-RELATED CHANGES IN THE NERVOUS SYSTEM AS WELL AS THE RELATED SENSORY, PERCEPTUAL, AND COGNITIVE PROCESSES ASSOCIATED WITH AGING AND HAS A SPECIAL EMPHASIS ON ALZHEIMER'S DISEASE. SMALL BUSINESS INNOVATION RESEARCH (SBIR) PROGRAM: TO EXPAND AND IMPROVE THE SBIR PROGRAM, TO INCREASE PRIVATE SECTOR COMMERCIALIZATION OF INNOVATIONS DERIVED FROM FEDERAL RESEARCH AND DEVELOPMENT, TO INCREASE SMALL BUSINESS PARTICIPATION IN FEDERAL RESEARCH AND DEVELOPMENT, AND TO FOSTER AND ENCOURAGE PARTICIPATION OF SOCIALLY AND ECONOMICALLY DISADVANTAGED SMALL BUSINESS CONCERNS AND WOMEN-OWNED SMALL BUSINESS CONCERNS IN TECHNOLOGICAL INNOVATION. SMALL BUSINESS TECHNOLOGY TRANSFER (STTR) PROGRAM: TO STIMULATE AND FOSTER SCIENTIFIC AND TECHNOLOGICAL INNOVATION THROUGH COOPERATIVE RESEARCH DEVELOPMENT CARRIED OUT BETWEEN SMALL BUSINESS CONCERNS AND RESEARCH INSTITUTIONS, TO FOSTER TECHNOLOGY TRANSFER BETWEEN SMALL BUSINESS CONCERNS AND RESEARCH INSTITUTIONS, TO INCREASE PRIVATE SECTOR COMMERCIALIZATION OF INNOVATIONS DERIVED FROM FEDERAL RESEARCH AND DEVELOPMENT, AND TO FOSTER AND ENCOURAGE PARTICIPATION OF SOCIALLY AND ECONOMICALLY DISADVANTAGED SMALL BUSINESS CONCERNS AND WOMEN-OWNED SMALL BUSINESS CONCERNS IN TECHNOLOGICAL INNOVATION.

93.866 - Aging Research

National Institute on Aging (NIA) [HHS - NIH]

Cambridge, Massachusetts 021394301 United States

Single Zip Code

Research Project Grant (Parent R01 Clinical Trial Not Allowed) (PA-19-056)

Amendment Since initial award the End Date has been extended from 04/30/25 to 07/31/29.