Articles:
"The relationship between socio-demographic factors and oral health-related quality
of life in dentate and edentulous community-dwelling older adults"
UAB Study of Aging
(Mobility Among Older African Americans and Whites)
Sponsors:
National Institute on Aging (R01-AG15062)
Purpose:
This research is a prospective, observational study of a population-based sample
of 1000 community-dwelling older adults (251 African American (AA) males, 249 AA
females, 250 white males and 250 white females; 54% rural). The National Institute
on Aging first funded the project in 1998. A five-year grant renewal will permit
subject follow-up through 2008. The primary aim is to test the hypothesis that subject-specific
factors predict mobility among African Americans (AAs) and whites, and that there
are racial differences in potentially modifiable risk factors. Cohort studies, simple
in-home evaluations, and mobility assessments in terms of life-space (where subjects
report going in the four weeks before each assessment) are used.
The specific aims for the first five-year period of funding included:
- Determine racial differences in patterns of change in mobility over a short-term
period
- Determine short-term predictors of mobility limitation for AAs and whites
- Determine if mobility limitation predicts nursing home placement and death
- Determine intermediate-term and long-term predictors of mobility limitation
Additional aims include:
- Assess the predictors of life-space trajectories
- Identify predictors of transitions to restricted life-space, homebound status, and
nursing home placement
- Examine proximate causes of life-space transitions
- Evaluate changes in hypothesized risk factors as predictors of life-space trajectories
- Determine the relationship of nutritional status with subsequent life-space trajectories
- Evaluate specific markers of inflammation as potential predictors of life-space
Description:
Repeat in-home assessments 48-months after the baseline (1999-2001) in-home assessment
will permit documentation of changes in disease and geriatric syndrome status, neuropsychological
factors, nutritional status, health behaviors, and medication use since baseline.
Fasting blood specimens are being obtained within one month of the 48-month, in-home
assessment to assess nutrition-related lab tests, measures of inflammation, and
other lab tests reflecting disease severity or management. Three 24-hour recall
dietary intakes are performed within one month of the in-home assessment. Follow-up
telephone interviews are used every 6 months to ascertain subsequent life-space.
Multivariable, hierarchical mixed model growth curve analyses and generalized estimating
equation (GEE) approaches will be used for analyses to permit identification of
predictors of life-space trajectories and of specific life-space transitions. The
results of this research will lead to interventions that will foster independence
of older AAs and whites.
Listing of publications:
Articles
- Assessing Mobility in Older Adults (Peel et al)
- Family Loss (Williams et al)
- Life-Space Mobility (Baker et al)
- Measuring Life-Space Mobility in Community-Dwelling Older Adults (Baker et al)
- Leisure-Time Physical Activity and Health-Care Utilization in Older Adults (Martin
et al)
- The Relationship Between Sociodemographic Factors and Oral Health–Related Quality
of Life in Dentate and Edentulous Community-Dwelling Older Adults (Makhija et al)
- A Life-Space Approach to Functional Assessment of Mobility in the Elderly (Parker
et al)
- Racial Similarities and Differences in Predictors of Mobility Change over Eighteen
Months (Allman et al)
- Dietary Factors and Cognitive Impairment in Community-Dwelling Elderly (Rahman et
al)
- Social isolation, support, and capital and nutritional risk in an older sample:
ethnic and gender differences (Locher et al)
- UAB Study of Aging (Allman et al)
- Study of Aging County Comparison
- A Cluster Analysis Typology of Religiousness/Spirituality Among Older Adults (Klemmack
et al)
Opportunities for Faculty Involvement:
Data from this study are available for investigators to analyze for publications
and for use as preliminary data for new grant applications.
Procedures for Requesting Data Sets
Primary Contact Person:
Patricia Sawyer, Ph.D.
(tel) (205) 975-5372
(fax) (205) 934-7354
Leaders and Key Staff:
- Richard M. Allman, M.D. (PI)
- Patricia Sawyer (Baker), Ph.D. (Co-PI)
- Ali Ahmed, M.D., MPH
- Karlene K. Ball, Ph.D.
- Marcas Bamman, Ph.D.
- Eric V. Bodner, BS
- Kathryn L. Burgio, Ph.D.
- Olivio Clay, Ph.D.
- Martha R. Crowther, Ph.D.
- Michael Crowe, Ph.D.
- Gregg H. Gilbert, DDS
- Patricia S. Goode, M.D.
- Gordon Jensen, M.D., Ph.D.
- Julie Locher, Ph.D.
- Cynthia W. Owsley, Ph.D.
- Michael W. Parker, DSW
- Claire Peel, Ph.D.
- Christine S. Ritchie, M.D.
- Jeffrey R. Roseman, M.D.
- David Roth, Ph.D.
- Richard V. Sims, M.D.
- Alan Stevens, Ph.D.