Advances in medicine and technology are providing for longer and healthier lives today much more than in the past. Yet with longevity comes new public health concerns about age-related diseases and conditions. Moreover, health indicators have demonstrated little improvement in health disparities between different racial and ethnic populations over the past decades. Indeed, many of the health and economics issues associated with the aging process are of such magnitude and complexity that they cannot be understood from the vantage point of any single discipline alone. Against this backdrop, the Minority Aging Health Economics Research Center (the University of Southern California Resource Centers for Minority Aging Research, ?USC RCMAR?) brings together an interdisciplinary team to provide infrastructure and resources to increase the number, diversity and success of researchers focusing on the health and economic well being of the elderly with the goal of improving the health, well-being, function, and independence of all older Americans. We will build upon its successful 5 year history, during which it has supported 15 pilots and 92 papers involving 13 scientists at USC, 1 scientist at the Spelman College, 1 scientist at Vanderbilt University and 1 scientist at Los Angeles County Department of Public Health. The mission of the Minority Aging Health Economics Research Center (the University of Southern California Resource Centers for Minority Aging Research, ?USC RCMAR?) is to increase the diversity and success of researchers focusing on the health and economic well being of the elderly with the goal of improving the health, well-being, function, and independence of diverse older Americans. The proposed RCMAR?s target research areas are the differences across racial and ethnic groups of elderly in health and health care usage with an emphasis is on using longitudinal survey and claims based data sources to identify causal pathways: i.e. (1) social, economic and environmental factors driving disparities in physical disease and cognitive functioning; and (2) health consequences of disparities in medical care and pharmaceutical utilization. The USC RCMAR is housed in the Schaeffer Center for Health Policy and Economics, which brings together 40 health policy experts across the University?including faculty from Gerontology, Engineering, Law, Public Policy, Pharmacy, Medicine, and Arts & Letters. This proposed Center will utilize the resources of National Institute on Aging Centers including Roybal Center for Health Policy Simulation, Roybal Institute on Aging, Roybal Center for Financial Decision Making and Financial Independence in Old Age, Alzheimer Disease Research Center, Center for the Study of Health Inequality, USC/UCLA Biodemography and Population Health; and other USC Centers including Brookings Institute/Schaeffer Initiative, USC Center for Economic and Social Research, and the Schaeffer Center.

Public Health Relevance

The mission of the Minority Aging Health Economics Research Center (the University of Southern California Resource Centers for Minority Aging Research, ?USC RCMAR?) is to increase the diversity and success of researchers focusing on the health and economic wellbeing of diverse older Americans with the goal of improving the health, well-being, function, and independence of all older adults. USC RCMAR will be housed in the Schaeffer Center, an interdisciplinary health policy and economics center which brings together 40 health policy experts from USC schools of gerontology, engineering, law, public policy, pharmacy, medicine, and arts & letters. USC RCMAR?s target area of emphasis is on using longitudinal survey and claims based data sources to identify causal pathways: i.e. (1) social, economic and environmental factors driving disparities in physical disease and cognitive functioning; and (2) health consequences of disparities in medical care and pharmaceutical utilization. USC RCMAR will utilize the resources of National Institute on Aging Centers at USC including Roybal Center for Health Policy Simulation, Roybal Institute on Aging, Roybal Center for Financial Decision Making and Financial Independence in Old Age, Alzheimer Disease Research Center, Center for the Study of Health Inequality, USC/UCLA Center on Biodemography and Population Health; and other USC Centers including Brookings Institute and Schaeffer Initiative, and the Center for Economic and Social Research.

Agency
National Institute of Health (NIH)
Institute
National Institute on Aging (NIA)
Type
Center Core Grants (P30)
Project #
2P30AG043073-06
Application #
9532398
Study Section
Special Emphasis Panel (ZAG1)
Program Officer
Plude, Dana Jeffrey
Project Start
2012-09-01
Project End
2023-06-30
Budget Start
2018-09-15
Budget End
2019-06-30
Support Year
6
Fiscal Year
2018
Total Cost
Indirect Cost
Name
University of Southern California
Department
Miscellaneous
Type
Schools of Arts and Sciences
DUNS #
072933393
City
Los Angeles
State
CA
Country
United States
Zip Code
90089
Saenz, Joseph L; Downer, Brian; Garcia, Marc A et al. (2018) Cognition and Context: Rural-Urban Differences in Cognitive Aging Among Older Mexican Adults. J Aging Health 30:965-986
Garcia, Marc A; Saenz, Joseph L; Downer, Brian et al. (2018) Age of Migration Differentials in Life Expectancy With Cognitive Impairment: 20-Year Findings From the Hispanic-EPESE. Gerontologist 58:894-903
Chatters, Linda M; Nguyen, Ann W; Taylor, Robert Joseph et al. (2018) Church and Family Support Networks and Depressive Symptoms among African Americans: Findings from the National Survey of American Life. J Community Psychol 46:403-417
Van Nuys, Karen E; Xie, Zhiwen; Tysinger, Bryan et al. (2018) Innovation in Heart Failure Treatment: Life Expectancy, Disability, and Health Disparities. JACC Heart Fail 6:401-409
Parker, Susan W; Saenz, Joseph; Wong, Rebeca (2018) Health Insurance and the Aging: Evidence From the Seguro Popular Program in Mexico. Demography 55:361-386
Chen, Cynthia; Zissimopoulos, Julie M (2018) Racial and ethnic differences in trends in dementia prevalence and risk factors in the United States. Alzheimers Dement (N Y) 4:510-520
Mitchell, Uchechi A; Ailshire, Jennifer A; Brown, Lauren L et al. (2018) Education and Psychosocial Functioning Among Older Adults: 4-Year Change in Sense of Control and Hopelessness. J Gerontol B Psychol Sci Soc Sci 73:849-859
Barthold, Douglas; Joyce, Geoffrey; Wharton, Whitney et al. (2018) The association of multiple anti-hypertensive medication classes with Alzheimer's disease incidence across sex, race, and ethnicity. PLoS One 13:e0206705
Cross, Christina J; Nguyen, Ann W; Chatters, Linda M et al. (2018) Instrumental Social Support Exchanges in African American Extended Families. J Fam Issues 39:3535-3563
Saenz, Joseph L; Wong, Rebeca; Ailshire, Jennifer A (2018) Indoor air pollution and cognitive function among older Mexican adults. J Epidemiol Community Health 72:21-26

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