Housing insecurity is a pressing public health problem: U.S. rates are the fastest-growing among older adults, one-third of whom spend more than 30% or 50% of their income on housing. Housing insecurity – defined as limited access to and availability of affordable, stable, safe, and adequate housing and neighborhoods – is a risk factor for… Continue reading Housing, Health, and Disability: The Role of Housing Assistance and Housing Insecurity among Older Adults of Low-Income
Research Theme: Health
Social Environment & Health
Since its inception in the early 1960s, the Social Environment and Health Program (SEH) has been a leader in the development of theory and research on the major role of psychosocial factors in the etiology and course of both mental and physical health and illness. Founded as a cross-disciplinary program, the program has been home to The… Continue reading Social Environment & Health
Novel Methods to Inform mHealth Interventions for Substance Use
This project aims to address the need for robust, rigorous and computationally efficient methods for optimizing Just-In-Time Adaptive Interventions (JITAIs) to prevent and treat substance use disorders (SUD). Although the proposed methods are motivated by micro randomized trials (MRTs) in SUD, they can be extended to observational studies and employed to develop effective JITAIs in… Continue reading Novel Methods to Inform mHealth Interventions for Substance Use
Characterizing upstream environmental, social, and economic determinants of health and their association with cancer-related health outcomes
This proposal seeks to characterize the upstream conditions identified by this framework in the persistent, current, and low poverty census tracts in the Karmanos Cancer Institute (KCI) catchment area and throughout Michigan by 1) developing a data resource of variables characterizing the upstream factors (social inequities & social justice; institutional environments; and economic, physical, social,… Continue reading Characterizing upstream environmental, social, and economic determinants of health and their association with cancer-related health outcomes
Intergenerational disadvantage and pediatric health disparities in acute respiratory illness and diarrhea
This project seeks to document the frequency and duration of diarrheal disease and acute respiratory infection in early childhood, and assess how intergenerational disadvantage and household and community circumstances shape disparities in children’s health, illness, and healthcare utilization. The results of this project will allow child health programs and health systems to better address health… Continue reading Intergenerational disadvantage and pediatric health disparities in acute respiratory illness and diarrhea
Examining the relationship between blood-based mitochondrial bioenergetic capacity in frozen samples, socioeconomic position, and physical functioning
Physical performance in older age predicts independence, and social factors influence physical function, yet the biological mechanisms are not well understood. Mitochondrial function—a new “hallmark of aging”—may explain how social experiences impact health, as its dysfunction is linked to multiple age-related diseases and declining physical performance. However, no field studies have examined links between mitochondria,… Continue reading Examining the relationship between blood-based mitochondrial bioenergetic capacity in frozen samples, socioeconomic position, and physical functioning
Enhancing and Archiving Genomic Data of the PSID Child Development Supplement
This project will enhance basic genomic data from the 2014 wave of the Child Development Supplement to the Panel Study of Income Dynamics in a number of important ways. It will create new genomic measures, make them available to the research community free of charge, and promote their use through comprehensive documentation and outreach efforts.… Continue reading Enhancing and Archiving Genomic Data of the PSID Child Development Supplement
Mid-Life Health Inequalities in the Rural South: Risk and Resilience
This project proposes to study determinants of mid-life health in the areas most beset by such place-based health inequalities: rural communities in the South and Appalachia. The Survey Research Operations (SRO) will provide sample design services, manage the sample purchase, and provide consultation on sample monitoring and interviewer training. The SRO Director of Sampling Operations… Continue reading Mid-Life Health Inequalities in the Rural South: Risk and Resilience
Seasonal Allergy Blues: Is Mental Health Worse on High Pollen Days?
This project aims to evaluate the impact of local environmental conditions – seasonal pollen – on mental health and death by suicide in the United States and identify contributing factors which would be sensitive to policy intervention.
Genotyping the Understanding America Study to generate novel opportunities for research on cognitive functioning and dementia
This project seeks to gather genotype data from 12,000 participants in the Understanding America Study panel to develop polygenic scores. These scores will be utilized in social-science genetic studies to examine factors influencing the risk of Alzheimer’s disease and related dementias. Researchers involved in the project will: Biological samples will be processed and stored at… Continue reading Genotyping the Understanding America Study to generate novel opportunities for research on cognitive functioning and dementia