The aims of the proposed study are to: (1) advance understanding of resilience in later adulthood in a sample of Native Americans, and (2) identify and examine personal and support factors that contribute to positive health outcomes in this sample. In addition, an important aim of this research is to: (3) examine resilience profiles as they relate to health outcomes among Native American older adults. Resilience refers to one's ability to bounce back after adversity and is thought to be a function of one's available protective factors. Although a substantial literature on resilience has emerged with children and adolescence, this process is not well understood in later life. Because of the multitude of challenges that often accompany aging, older adulthood is a particularly important age-span in which to examine resilience. At the same time, although minority research in the field of aging is increasing, there is still a dearth of information in this area as well. Designed to begin to address these gaps in the literature, the proposed study combines qualitative and quantitative methodologies to examine stress, personal (spirituality; sense of self) and support (family and community support) resources, and health outcomes (mental and physical) in a sample of Native Americans over the age of 50 living on a reservation. Specifically, Study 1 is an examination of the factors that contribute to positive adaptation in a sample of Native American older adults. Data will be collected using semi-structured interviews and analyzed using a process of thematic categorization. Study 2 is an investigation of the factors identified in Study 1 as they relate to positive health outcomes. Study 2 will be conducted using in-person surveys; cluster analysis will be used to classify groups of individuals according to similarities on levels of stress and the protective factors, and ANOVA will be used to validate the cluster solution and investigate any differences in health outcomes by cluster membership. Findings from this research will help further theoretical understanding of resilience in later life by elucidating the complexities of resilience not normally observed in the general population. This research will also serve as a foundation for future inquiries in this area, particularly with regards to the complex, multidimensional nature of resilience, its psychological, social, and physical components, and trajectories of change in resilience mechanisms over time.
