This application intends to identify the sources of individual variation (genetic and environmental influences) in health among African-American twin pairs aged 65 years and older. The assertion is made that knowledge about African-Americans allows greater insight into the role of environment and genetics in aging among the greater populace. Using a twin-sibling research design, this research addresses 1) specification of the sources of genetic and environmental influences on health in older African-Americans, 2) proportions of genetic and environmental influences accounting for covariance between health and personality, cognition, mental health, and social factors, and 3) specification of the differences in the similarity of health of twins compared to other siblings. To address these questions, there are four (sic) major objectives: (1) identify a sample of 400 paris of same-sex aged African-American twins and 200 siblings of the aged twins who reside in North and South Carolina and Virginia from a national population-based registry developed by the Black Elderly Twins Study; (2) perform in-person interviews of African-American twins and their siblings to assess the following dimensions of later life: cognition, mental health, physical health, personality, and social variables; and (3) access Medicare records on health care utilization.

Agency
National Institute of Health (NIH)
Institute
National Institute on Aging (NIA)
Type
Research Project (R01)
Project #
1R01AG013662-01A2
Application #
2395693
Study Section
Human Development and Aging Subcommittee 3 (HUD)
Project Start
1997-09-30
Project End
2002-08-31
Budget Start
1997-09-30
Budget End
1998-08-31
Support Year
1
Fiscal Year
1997
Total Cost
Indirect Cost
Name
Pennsylvania State University
Department
Psychology
Type
Other Domestic Higher Education
DUNS #
City
University Park
State
PA
Country
United States
Zip Code
16802
Yokoyama, Yoshie; Jelenkovic, Aline; Sund, Reijo et al. (2016) Twin's Birth-Order Differences in Height and Body Mass Index From Birth to Old Age: A Pooled Study of 26 Twin Cohorts Participating in the CODATwins Project. Twin Res Hum Genet 19:112-24
Silventoinen, Karri; Jelenkovic, Aline; Sund, Reijo et al. (2015) The CODATwins Project: The Cohort Description of Collaborative Project of Development of Anthropometrical Measures in Twins to Study Macro-Environmental Variation in Genetic and Environmental Effects on Anthropometric Traits. Twin Res Hum Genet 18:348-60
Sims, Regina C; Thorpe Jr, Roland J; Gamaldo, Alyssa A et al. (2015) Cognition and health in African American men. J Aging Health 27:195-219
Jelenkovic, Aline; Yokoyama, Yoshie; Sund, Reijo et al. (2015) Zygosity Differences in Height and Body Mass Index of Twins From Infancy to Old Age: A Study of the CODATwins Project. Twin Res Hum Genet 18:557-70
Whitfield, Keith E (2013) A registry of adult African American twins: the Carolina African American Twin Study of Aging. Twin Res Hum Genet 16:476-80
Thorpe Jr, Roland J; Szanton, Sarah L; Bell, Caryn N et al. (2013) Education, income and disability in African Americans. Ethn Dis 23:12-7
Heard, Erika; Whitfield, Keith E; Edwards, Christopher L et al. (2011) Mediating effects of social support on the relationship among perceived stress, depression, and hypertension in African Americans. J Natl Med Assoc 103:116-22
Szanton, Sarah L; Thorpe, Roland J; Whitfield, Keith (2010) Life-course financial strain and health in African-Americans. Soc Sci Med 71:259-265
Whitfield, Keith E; Kiddoe, Jared; Gamaldo, Alyssa et al. (2009) Concordance rates for cognitive impairment among older African American twins. Alzheimers Dement 5:276-9
Thorpe Jr, R J; Szanton, S L; Whitfield, K (2009) Association between lung function and disability in African-Americans. J Epidemiol Community Health 63:541-5

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