The main purpose of this research is to identify the social, behavioral and biomedical factors that may help to explain racial and ethnic differences in hypertension among the elderly. Pathways include both protective factors and promotive factors, namely weathering, religious functionality, social networks and support, and racial and cultural isolation. These pathways will be explored using the EPESE cohorts from both Yale and Duke Universities. Past research has not been successful in providing an explanation for the disporportionate burden of disease in the African American population. This research is geared toward providing a multi-level and lifecourse approach to explaining these disparities. Exploring these pathways is imparative to establishing and maintaining as state of physical health, mental health and well-being for the population under study. Behavioral, psychosocial, social and environmental frameworks will be employed to study: (1) the role of weathering in modifying or increasing the health disparity, (2) religious functionality and social support as protective and mediators of the disparity, and (3) the role of racial and cultural isolation.
