The goal of this application is to identify patterns of perceived stress, active coping style,health status and genes that contribute to longevity observed within African American families.We will examine these factors using vertical and horizontal approaches by studying similaritiesbetween siblings and parent-child pairs. To this end, we have the following questions: 1) Do familial effects (genes and shared environments) create similarity in the patterns ofperceived tress and coping within and across generations? 2) Does stress account for differences in patterns of longevity between families? 3) Do psychosocial factors like stress, coping, and discrimination account for differences inpatterns of health status and longevity between families? 4) What role do genes play in patterns of stress and longevity? 5) Are there gene-environment interactions between genes associated with stress andlongevity and environmental factors such as family financial adversity and discrimination?To address these research questions, we have planned five specific aims:1) Collect data from 750 older African Americans on perceptions of stress, discrimination,coping style, health, personality and genetics from multi-generation families (parent-child andsiblings).2) Examine similarities and differences in stress and coping, and health status among siblingpairs and across generations within families.3) Compare the health status of siblings concordant for higher stress and poorer coping tothose with lower stress and better coping.4) Examine genes associated with stress and longevity in comparisons of long lived familiesand short lived families and among sibling pairs.5) Are there gene-environment interactions between genes associated with stress andlongevity and environmental factors such as family financial adversity and discrimination?This project is novel and innovative in that it will employ a multi method approach tounderstand longevity. It will use a quantitative genetic approach, a molecular geneticapproach, and a multi generation approach. To our knowledge, this is the first time all of thesemethods have been employed on one sample.
| Thorpe Jr, Roland J; Whitfield, Keith E (2018) Psychosocial Influences of African Americans Men's Health. J Gerontol B Psychol Sci Soc Sci 73:185-187 |
| Whitfield, Keith E; Thorpe Jr, Roland J (2017) Perspective: Longevity, Stress, Genes and African Americans. Ethn Dis 27:1-2 |
| Thorpe Jr, Roland J; Whitfield, Keith E (2017) Advancing Minority Aging Research. Res Aging 39:471-475 |
