African Americans (AA) and Latinos, the two largest minority groups in the U.S., are disproportionality affected by Alzheimer's disease and related disorders (ADRD) as well as a number of other comorbid medical conditions (e.g. hypertension, diabetes, etc.). There is evidence from population-based studies that general rates of disability are higher among minorities, and thus Aim 1 will examine whether there are disparities in instrumental activities of daily living (IADL) difficulties among AA and Latinos compared to Non-Hispanic Whites. Understanding, preventing, and ameliorating potential health disparities is a major public health priority because poorer functional outcomes translate into disparities in quality of life and greater economic burden.
Aim 2 will examine whether there are differences in key factors that are associated with functional abilities across groups. Regardless of whether there are disparities in overall level of IADL disability, there are likely to be different contributing factors (e.g., cognition, physical functioning, and medical co-morbidities). This study will address an important gap in knowledge about potential disparities and contributors to functional outcomes, which has important implications for developing effective public health policies and tailoring interventions. This supplement would allow Dr. Chan to reduce her clinical responsibilities and increase her dedicated research time, which would work towards her long-term career goal of developing an independent program of research in ADRD related disparities among ethnic minorities. This supplement would also provide a mentored research experience at the UCD Alzheimer's Disease Center that will further develop her experience in clinical research methodology and produce peer-reviewed scientific publications on ADRD, which would enhance her existing knowledge base of cognitive aging in minorities.
This study will delineate how and why functional outcomes differ among AA and Latino older adults. Results of the study will have direct implications for improving quality of life, health care delivery and personalized medicine, reducing economic burden, and will redress the burden of disability in ethnic minorities.
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