This application is a response to RESEARCH OBJECTIVE 3)Racial/Ethnic Differences. The exact emphasis of this proposal is particularly geared toward research on social factors contributing to racial/ethnic differences in late life diseases and disability. The study of aging, health, and social relations among non-majority immigrant/ethnic groups is becoming an important avenue for discerning significant trends that may lead to a more complete theoretical understanding of the aging process, may help service providers assist such populations, as well as serve as a basis for public policy recommendations. This pilot study will target aging Arab Americans, a growing immigrant/ethnic group within the United States. Arab American elderly represent a significant immigrant group deemed to be a population-at-risk by professionals in the health care field. The sample will consist of both immigrant and native born Arab Americans sixty years and over who live in the metropolitan Detroit area which is home to the largest concentration of Arab Americans outside of the Middle East. The objective of this project is to begin to document the patterns of health and social relations among aging Arab Americans. The families of the elderly are those who will most feel the responsibility that accompanies frailty, yet social relations among an immigrant/ethnic group may differ in important ways from dominant American society. The nature of social network and support characteristics has implications for the health and well-being of the elderly, and may yield new insights into the association between social relations and health. This objective encompasses two specific aims: 1) To explore this issue at a qualitative level in using focus group data as a mechanism for obtaining culturally relevant information; and 2) To test preliminary hypotheses about the relationship between health and social relations (controlling for SES) among Arab American elderly. Focus group discussions will be organized with three different groups of Arab American elders: Arabic speaking immigrants, English speaking immigrants, and Arab American elderly born in the United States. Results from the focus group discussions will provide important information about the cultural elements of aging, health and social relations. An existing survey (Survey of Social Relations) will then be administered to 35-50 Arabic speaking immigrant elderly, 35-50 English speaking immigrant elderly, and 35-50 Arab American elderly born in the United States. Analysis will be primarily descriptive, examining the role of immigrant status on social relations and health, as well as to determine gender patterns with regard to health and social relations. The methods proposed are multifaceted, attempting to capture the details of cultural influences on the disease and disability of elderly Arab Americans. These analyses will lay the foundation for a comparative study of racial/ethnic groups (Arab Americans, African American, Latino, and European American) that will in turn facilitate a better understanding of racial/ethnic factors as they relate to disease and disability.
| Ajrouch, Kristine J (2007) Resources and well-being among Arab-American elders. J Cross Cult Gerontol 22:167-82 |
| Ajrouch, Kristine J; Blandon, Alysia Y; Antonucci, Toni C (2005) Social networks among men and women: the effects of age and socioeconomic status. J Gerontol B Psychol Sci Soc Sci 60:S311-S317 |
