Version 2.5.2.0

Abstract

Grant Number:	3R01AG021487-03S1
Project Title:	National Social Life, Health and Aging Project

PI Information:	Name	Email	Title
	WAITE, LINDA J.	l-waite@uchicago.edu	LUCY FLOWER PROFESSOR OF SOCIOLOGY

Abstract: DESCRIPTION (provided by applicant): This study will explore health and well-being in American men and women age 57-84. We propose a nationally representative in-home survey of 3,000 non-institutionalized people to describe, for the first time, distributions of physical and psychocognitive health, illness, medication use, intimacy and sexuality among older adults and to evaluate the relationships among these components of health in different sociocultural contexts. Specifically, we aim to: 1) Describe health of older community-residing Americans: A)Describe distributions of physical and psychocognitive health, social networks and capital, illness, medication use and sexuality among older adults. B) Evaluate the relationships among these components of health in different sociocultural contexts. C) Evaluate the relationship between quality of life and health behaviors among older adults, including: sexuality, physical activity; nutrition; sleep; alcohol, tobacco and other substance use. 2. Evaluate the relationship between health and older adult sexuality, focusing on: A) Physical illness and disability: arthritis, Alzheimer's disease, cancer, cardiovascular disease, diabetes, obesity, urinary incontinence and sexually transmitted diseases including HIV/AIDS; B) Mental illness: depression, dementia, stress, anxiety, low self-esteem, poor body-image; C) Medication use: prescription, self-medication, and alternative remedies. 3) Examine sexuality within social networks and the encompassing sociocultural context: A) Evaluate the relationship of older adult sexuality to important life stages (retirement, divorce, widowhood, and formation of new partnerships including remarriage). B) Evaluate the relationship between sexuality and social embeddedness including: sociability, independence, loneliness, physical, emotional, and sexual abuse. C) Ascertain older adults' perceptions about the relationship of sexuality to health and their needs for physician-patient communication and health care services in this domain.

Public Health Relevance:
This Public Health Relevance is not available.

Thesaurus Terms:
age difference, functional ability, human old age (65+), psychological aspect of aging, social behavior, social support network
body physical activity, health behavior, human middle age (35-64), longitudinal human study, nutrition of aging, quality of life, sex behavior, social adjustment, socioeconomics, socioenvironment, substance abuse related disorder
behavioral /social science research tag, clinical research, human subject, nutrition related tag

Institution:	NATIONAL OPINION RESEARCH CENTER
	1155 E 60TH ST
	CHICAGO, IL 60637
Fiscal Year:	2005
Department:
Project Start:	30-SEP-2003
Project End:	31-AUG-2008
ICD:	NATIONAL INSTITUTE ON AGING
IRG:	SNEM

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