scholarly journals Social engagement and cognitive decline in older African‐Americans: The Minority Aging Research Study

2021 ◽  
Vol 17 (S10) ◽  
Author(s):  
Bryan D James ◽  
Melissa Lamar ◽  
Brittney S Lange‐Maia ◽  
Ana W Capuano ◽  
Lisa L Barnes
Keyword(s):  
African Americans ◽  
Cognitive Decline ◽  
Social Engagement ◽  
Research Study ◽  
Aging Research ◽  
Older African Americans ◽  
Minority Aging

scholarly journals The Importance of Psychosocial Factors in Aging: The Minority Aging Research Study

2021 ◽  
Vol 5 (Supplement_1) ◽  
pp. 260-260
Author(s):  
Lisa Barnes ◽  
Brittney Lange-Maia ◽  
Carlos Mendes de Leon
Keyword(s):  
Cognitive Impairment ◽  
African Americans ◽  
Psychosocial Factors ◽  
Healthy Aging ◽  
Research Study ◽  
Disease Risk ◽  
Aging Research ◽  
Older African Americans ◽  
Longitudinal Association ◽  
Minority Aging

Abstract Psychosocial factors can provide crucial insight into lived experiences that influence healthy aging. Though psychosocial factors are often used to explain health disparities seen between different racial/ethnic groups, within-group investigations can be particularly powerful for identifying culturally specific psychosocial factors that impact heterogeneity in aging among minority populations. The Minority Aging Research Study (MARS) is an ongoing, longitudinal epidemiologic cohort of 797 older African Americans from the Chicago, IL metropolitan area. Participants are on average 73.4 (standard deviation [SD]=6.6) years of age, 78.2% are women, and mean years of education is 14.8 (SD=3.7). At baseline, 75.3% of participants were without cognitive impairment, 20.8% had mild cognitive impairment, and 3.9% had mild dementia. Participants were recruited starting in 2004 and complete annual visits including a clinical evaluation, cognitive and motor testing, and assessment of risk factors related to Alzheimer’s Disease risk, including those hypothesized to be associated with a higher burden of cognitive impairment among older African Americans. This symposium will discuss the longitudinal association between John Henryism and cognitive function and decline (McSorley), participation in social activities and risk of all-cause mortality (Lamar), and the predictive relationship between experiences of everyday discrimination and incident disability (Lange-Maia). Finally, we will examine multilevel correlates—including environmental, sociocultural, behavioral, and biological factors—related to perceived stress (Glover). Mendes de Leon will critically consider what appear to be the most potent psychosocial factors for minority aging and possible implications of integrating these factors into interventions focused on promoting healthy aging among older African Americans.

scholarly journals The Minority Aging Research Study: Ongoing Efforts to Obtain Brain Donation in African Americans without Dementia

2012 ◽  
Vol 9 (6) ◽  
pp. 734-745 ◽  
Author(s):  
Lisa L. Barnes ◽  
Raj C. Shah ◽  
Neelum T. Aggarwal ◽  
David A. Bennett ◽  
Julie A. Schneider
Keyword(s):  
African Americans ◽  
Research Study ◽  
Aging Research ◽  
Brain Donation ◽  
Minority Aging

scholarly journals SOCIAL ENGAGEMENT AND DEPRESSIVE SYMPTOMS IN OLDER AFRICAN AMERICANS: A 6-YEAR CROSS-LAGGED PANEL ANALYSIS

2019 ◽  
Vol 3 (Supplement_1) ◽  
pp. S754-S755
Author(s):  
James Muruthi ◽  
J Tina Savla
Keyword(s):  
Depressive Symptoms ◽  
African Americans ◽  
Social Engagement ◽  
Structural Equation ◽  
Equation Modeling ◽  
Panel Analysis ◽  
Cross Sectional ◽  
Group Activities ◽  
Religious Services ◽  
Older African Americans

Abstract Although previous studies have extensively investigated the cross-sectional relationship between social engagement and depressive symptoms in late life, longitudinal studies have produced mixed results. Furthermore, studies on the associations between these two concepts among aging African Americans are few. Using a sample of 1688 older African Americans adults from waves 1 and 7 of the National Health and Aging Trends Study (60% women; Average age = 77 years), the present study investigates the longitudinal associations between social engagement (an index from scores on visiting friends and family, attending religious services, attending religious services, participating in group activities, and going out for enjoyment) and depressive symptoms across seven years. Structural equation modeling was used to test cross-lagged relationships between the variables. Findings suggest that social engagement at baseline significantly predicted subsequent depressive symptoms and social engagement. Depressive symptoms at baseline, however, were not significantly associated with subsequent social engagement. These findings suggest that low social engagement in older African Americans is directly associated with increased depressive symptoms over time, but not vice versa. The implications of these findings are discussed in relation to the barriers of social engagement for older African Americans and its effects on their mental health.

scholarly journals Insights Gained From Developing Academic-Community Partnerships for Minority Aging, Community-Engaged Research

2020 ◽  
Vol 4 (Supplement_1) ◽  
pp. 844-844
Author(s):  
Ronica Rooks ◽  
Peter Lichtenberg
Keyword(s):  
Older Adults ◽  
African Americans ◽  
Health Outcomes ◽  
Community Advisory Board ◽  
Health Clinic ◽  
Dementia Patient ◽  
Community Engaged Research ◽  
Academic Partnerships ◽  
Older African Americans ◽  
Minority Aging

Abstract Increasingly community-engaged research, characterized by collaborations between researchers and community partners, is recognized as an important part of translating research into improved health outcomes and reduced health disparities for community participants. Training community participants to engage in some or all aspects of this research, particularly focusing on racial and ethnic minority older adults, highlights the need to understand its opportunities and challenges. With this symposium we will discuss and reflect on community-engaged and community-based participatory research approaches to community-academic partnerships with minority older adults. The first presentation addresses recruitment, retention, and training of a community advisory board of older African Americans in Michigan. The second presentation addresses a health education outreach and engagement program to improve health outcomes among older African Americans in California. The third presentation combines community engagement with survey design methods for research with older Native Hawaiian and Pacific Islander adults to improve data collection and health outcomes in this U.S. population. The final presentation examines partnerships between a hospital memory clinic, meal delivery service, research university, and low-income health clinic to improve caregiver and dementia patient outcomes for minority older adults. The symposium discussant will address opportunities, challenges, and implications of community-academic partnerships promoting minority aging.

scholarly journals Depressive Symptoms and Cognitive Decline in Older African Americans: Two Scales and Their Factors

2015 ◽  
Vol 23 (6) ◽  
pp. 568-578 ◽  
Author(s):  
Arlener D. Turner ◽  
Ana W. Capuano ◽  
Robert S. Wilson ◽  
Lisa L. Barnes
Keyword(s):  
Depressive Symptoms ◽  
African Americans ◽  
Cognitive Decline ◽  
Older African Americans

scholarly journals Perceived Stress and Cognitive Decline in Different Cognitive Domains in a Cohort of Older African Americans

2017 ◽  
Vol 25 (1) ◽  
pp. 25-34 ◽  
Author(s):  
Arlener D. Turner ◽  
Bryan D. James ◽  
Ana W. Capuano ◽  
Neelum T. Aggarwal ◽  
Lisa L. Barnes
Keyword(s):  
African Americans ◽  
Cognitive Decline ◽  
Perceived Stress ◽  
Cognitive Domains ◽  
Older African Americans
Sign in / Sign up

Export Citation Format

Share Document