Northwestern University proposes planning activities to prepare for a major interdisciplinary study of health perceptions, behaviors, and outcomes among Blacks aged 65 and older residing in Chicago. Goals of the planning efforts include: 1) definition and specification of research goals, objectives, and design of several interrelated projects; and 2) development of the interview protocol for the core project. Major activities will include literature review, and interdisciplinary seminar group, consultation with outside experts, and pilot testing of the core project protocol. Planning efforts will result in proposals for the subsequent projects, preliminary results for the core project, and enhanced research capacity of the applicant organization related to minority aging. Envisioned projects resulting from the planning activities include: 1) The core project (""""""""Community Project""""""""), which will be a three-wave longitudinal survey of health perceptions, behaviors and outcomes among a random sample (N=1500) of Chicago Black elders residing in the community. 2) Studies of two subsamples of the core sample, one focusing on individuals with three """"""""target"""""""" diseases: hypertension, diabetes, and arthritis (""""""""Illness Project""""""""), the other examining family dynamics affecting health perceptions and behavior (""""""""Family Project""""""""). 3) A study of Black patients receiving treatment in four medical settings (""""""""Clinical Project""""""""). 4) A project to compare the results of the above projects with existing information on the health of elders in other racial/ethnic groups (""""""""Comparative Project""""""""). The results will be a major contribution to our understanding of the health of Black urban elders, with implications for theory in culture and health and for intervention strategies.
