New Approaches to Analyzing Social Media Content for Enhancing Census Bureau Data

Woman using social media microblogging app on her smart phone

There has been substantial interest in whether and how analyses of social media data can add value to social research and the production of official statistics. Some researchers hope that survey findings can be augmented with social media content, while others hope that costs might be reduced and timeliness improved by replacing at least some… Continue reading New Approaches to Analyzing Social Media Content for Enhancing Census Bureau Data

Health and Well-being Over the Life Course and Across Multiple Generations

Team of paper doll people holding hands

The Panel Study of Income Dynamics (PSID) is a longitudinal survey of a nationally representative sample of U.S. families. Begun in 1968, 40 waves of data have now been collected on PSID families and their descendants. Its long-term measures of economic and social wellbeing have spurred researchers and policy makers to attend to the dynamics… Continue reading Health and Well-being Over the Life Course and Across Multiple Generations

Health, Wellbeing, and the Social Networks of Family Caregivers of People with Alzheimer’s Disease

Nurse consoling her elderly patient by holding her hands

Alzheimer’s disease and related dementias are estimated to be among the most costly health conditions in America, with the bulk of the costs stemming from the provision of long-term services and supports: that is, help with everyday activities, such as bathing, dressing, grooming, using the toilet, eating, and moving around. Family and friends provide most… Continue reading Health, Wellbeing, and the Social Networks of Family Caregivers of People with Alzheimer’s Disease

Fragile Families Third Generation

Grandfather with grandson and granddaughter sitting at the table and looking at photographic slides at grandpa's home.

The intergenerational persistence of poor health and poverty and the quest to understand underlying processes underscore the importance of rich multigenerational data. Very few existing datasets contain comprehensive information on social, environmental, and biological factors over the life course and across generations; lack of such data has seriously limited attempts to identify the processes shaping… Continue reading Fragile Families Third Generation

Assessing the Neuropsychological Benefits of Weatherization Programs

Shutters and trim have been removed around all the old windows and very soon new energy efficient windows will be professionally installed. A close look reveals a puppy watching through the window.

The homes of millions of older Americans do not provide adequate protection from extreme temperatures, due in large part to ‘energy poverty.’ Modifications to homes that increase energy efficiency and improve indoor temperatures may reduce the adverse neuropsychological health impacts of extreme temperatures. Indoor temperatures may impact sleep quality and short-term cognitive function, and high… Continue reading Assessing the Neuropsychological Benefits of Weatherization Programs

Network for Advancing Methodological Research in Longitudinal Studies of Aging

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Longitudinal studies of the population near, through and after the retirement stage, such as the Health and Retirement Study (HRS), play an important role in aging research because they provide data from a life course perspective, allowing researchers to make population-level causal inference. Because such data collection is a social interaction between researchers and the… Continue reading Network for Advancing Methodological Research in Longitudinal Studies of Aging

Enhancing Synthetic Data Techniques for Practical Applications

Notebook showing the program code for programmers That displays the code on the screen of Notebook

The goal of the project is to enhance synthetic data techniques for practical applications. Specifically, the aims will develop novel methods to improve disclosure risk assessment, quality check verification, and population generalizability in the adjustment of complex survey design and weights. Yajuan Si will offer expertise on Bayesian and survey statistics and experiences in survey… Continue reading Enhancing Synthetic Data Techniques for Practical Applications

Spanking and hitting children: Trends and changes in risk factors in consecutive, longitudinal, national samples of parents from 1993-2022

Spanking -dictionary definition

The long-term goals of this research are to capitalize on existing investments in the Monitoring the Future (MTF) study – the only annual survey with measures of spanking and hitting a child – to rigorously surveil trends in parental physical violence and to examine risk factors for violence over time. The overall objectives in this… Continue reading Spanking and hitting children: Trends and changes in risk factors in consecutive, longitudinal, national samples of parents from 1993-2022

The Longitudinal and Dynamic Effects of Food Insecurity on Cognitive Impairment and Dementia Risk

Asian senior woman sorting out payment bills and household finances in the kitchen, inflation and high cost of living concept

By 2030, 8.5 million Americans will be diagnosed with Alzheimer’s disease and related dementias (ADRD); yet because socioeconomically disadvantaged populations are underrepresented in ADRD research, the extent of ADRD disparities by socioeconomic factors are poorly understood. Food insecurity, a condition of limited food availability due to insufficient resources, is an understudied dimension of socioeconomic disadvantage… Continue reading The Longitudinal and Dynamic Effects of Food Insecurity on Cognitive Impairment and Dementia Risk

A Multi-Ancestry Study of Gene-Lifestyle Interactions and Multi-Omics in Cardiometabolic Traits

ECG graph with heart diagnose and stethoscope

Cardiometabolic disease and management of its risk factors, such as hypertension, dyslipidemia, adiposity and type II diabetes, constitute a major public health burden across diverse populations. Therefore, understanding the genetic and environmental (lifestyle) factors and their interactions may provide insights into intervention, prevention and therapeutic strategies for addressing this burden. Several genome-wide association studies (GWAS)… Continue reading A Multi-Ancestry Study of Gene-Lifestyle Interactions and Multi-Omics in Cardiometabolic Traits