With the number of older adults expected to double and the proportion of people 65 and older expected to rise to 22% by 2020, it is critical to develop and test population-based approaches for large scale, effective health promotion for our aging society. This will permit evidence-based decisions as to how to deploy resources in order to have optimal impact on the health of older adults. This Administrative Core supports the operations and overall coordination of a program project dedicated to contributing to this goal by conducting a randomized, controlled trial of the Experience Corps program and its cost-effectiveness and cost-benefit impact locally and societally. This program is a senior volunteer program which places people 60 and older in meaningful roles in public elementary schools, roles designed to have high impact on children's' outcomes; the program attracts and retains older adults, 15 hours per week, for its opportunity to give back. However, designed into the program is a health promotion program, intending to increase social, cognitive and physical activity. This application will, in a University-community-city collaboration, conduct a rigorous evaluation of the impact of the scaled-up program through a randomized controlled evaluation: of older volunteers to determine whether Experience Corps prevents or slows physical disability, falls and cognitive decline (Project 1); of schools, to determine if children improve academically, behaviorally and in readiness to learn as a result of the social capital offered by Experience Corps and, hence, our aging society (Project 2); of the potential mechanisms of program action on brain structure and executive function (Project 3); of program effects on social and psychological mechanisms and outcomes (Project 4); and, finally, we will conduct a cost-benefit analysis of the program, taking impact on both older adults and children into account. The work of the 5 projects and 3 supporting cores will be mutually interconnected and synergistic, and will be interdigitated through a Steering Committee and an Executive Committee operated within this Administrative Core (Core A). This Core will project coordination and interdigitation, overall organization and budget management for all Projects and cores, monitor progress and effectiveness, produce reports, organize DSMB meetings, and coordinate community relations. Overall, this program project is designed to evaluate the utility and effectiveness of Experience Corps as a social model for health promotion for an aging society. ? ? ?

Agency
National Institute of Health (NIH)
Institute
National Institute on Aging (NIA)
Type
Research Program Projects (P01)
Project #
5P01AG027735-03
Application #
7459718
Study Section
Special Emphasis Panel (ZAG1-ZIJ-9 (J3))
Program Officer
Haaga, John G
Project Start
2006-07-01
Project End
2011-06-30
Budget Start
2008-08-01
Budget End
2009-06-30
Support Year
3
Fiscal Year
2008
Total Cost
$1,793,745
Indirect Cost
Name
Johns Hopkins University
Department
Internal Medicine/Medicine
Type
Schools of Medicine
DUNS #
001910777
City
Baltimore
State
MD
Country
United States
Zip Code
21218
Yasar, Sevil; Varma, Vijay R; Harris, Gregory C et al. (2018) Associations of Angiotensin Converting Enzyme-1 and Angiotensin II Blood Levels and Cognitive Function. J Alzheimers Dis 63:655-664
Tang, Xiaoying; Varma, Vijay R; Miller, Michael I et al. (2017) Education is associated with sub-regions of the hippocampus and the amygdala vulnerable to neuropathologies of Alzheimer's disease. Brain Struct Funct 222:1469-1479
Andrews, Ryan M; Tan, Erwin J; Varma, Vijay R et al. (2017) Positive Aging Expectations Are Associated With Physical Activity Among Urban-Dwelling Older Adults. Gerontologist 57:S178-S186
Ramsey, Christine M; Spira, Adam P; Parisi, Jeanine M et al. (2016) School climate: perceptual differences between students, parents, and school staff. Sch Eff Sch Improv 27:629-641
Varma, Vijay R; Tan, Erwin J; Gross, Alden L et al. (2016) Effect of Community Volunteering on Physical Activity: A Randomized Controlled Trial. Am J Prev Med 50:106-110
Carlson, Michelle C; Kuo, Julie H; Chuang, Yi-Fang et al. (2015) Impact of the Baltimore Experience Corps Trial on cortical and hippocampal volumes. Alzheimers Dement 11:1340-8
Parisi, Jeanine M; Ramsey, Christine M; Carlson, Michelle C et al. (2015) Impact of Experience Corps(®) participation on school climate. Prev Sci 16:744-53
Parisi, Jeanine M; Kuo, Julie; Rebok, George W et al. (2015) Increases in lifestyle activities as a result of experience Corps® participation. J Urban Health 92:55-66
Varma, Vijay R; Chuang, Yi-Fang; Harris, Gregory C et al. (2015) Low-intensity daily walking activity is associated with hippocampal volume in older adults. Hippocampus 25:605-15
Varma, Vijay R; Carlson, Michelle C; Parisi, Jeanine M et al. (2015) Experience Corps Baltimore: Exploring the Stressors and Rewards of High-intensity Civic Engagement. Gerontologist 55:1038-49

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