New Jersey has the 2nd highest number of COVID-19 cases and mortality in the US, especially elderly with vulnerabilities such as Alzheimer?s disease and related dementia (ADRD). Thus, the local governmental response has drastically altered the daily activities of New Jersey residents, especially through the endorsement and enforcement of social distancing for the general public. While the theoretical benefits of social distancing are clear and it is a likely effective tool in reducing the spread of communicable disease like COVID-19, there are known consequences of isolation and loneliness for older adults, which has been linked to numerous negative health outcomes. The practice and impact of social distancing contains multiple facets, including the spaces which it is practiced, the activities it may impact, and the degrees to which it is practiced. NJ residents have additionally experienced acute racial disparities in relationship to COVID-19 outcomes. The objective of this application is to leverage the infrastructure from the New Jersey Minority Aging Collaborative (R24AG063729) to prospectively quantify the impact of social distancing on mental health in African American, Hispanic, and Asian aging populations, especially those with cognitive impairment, subjective memory loss, or Alzheimer?s Disease and Related Dementias (ADRD). In its first year, the parent grant has made significant progress in implementing its aims through the establishment and expansion of institutional capacity to foster academic-community partnerships. Through this parent project, we have additionally begun responses to continue and expand community engagement throughout the COVID-19 crisis. Through a study of 600 minority older adults (200 African American, 200 Hispanic, and 200 Asian), this administrative supplement aims to link the infrastructure of the parent grant to understand the practice, experience, and impacts of social distancing (currently at its height) on mental health among minority older adults through biweekly/monthly telephone interviews and weekly self-reported (social distancing practice and psychosocial wellbeing) through a multi-lingual, intuitive, and user friendly survey application. This study aims to: 1) Quantify the factors that leads to the adherence to social distancing among community-dwelling African American, Hispanic and Asian older adults; 2) Quantify the intended and unintended consequences (hygiene, psychological outcomes, social outcomes) of social distancing in above populations; and 3) Quantify the independent and potential joint influence of resilience factors (individual and family level) that might moderate the negative mental health consequences associated with social distancing in above population of older adults. We will additionally seek to understand the experience of social distancing among minority older adults with cognitive impairment or Alzheimer?s disease and related dementia (ADRD) through additional analyses. In totality, this administrative supplement will provide critical data and knowledge about the health and wellbeing of African American, Hispanic, and Asian older adults during the COVID-19 era.
COVID-19 is greatly impacting minority older adults in relationship to disease severity and mortality, but less is known about the experience of social distancing in this population. In this administrative supplement to the New Jersey Minority Aging Collaborative, we will leverage existing infrastructure to prospectively quantify the predictors, moderators, and impact of social distancing on African American, Hispanic, and Asian older adults in an 8-week longitudinal study.
