@article {8602, title = {Validation of blood-based assays using dried blood spots for use in large population studies.}, journal = {Biodemography Soc Biol}, volume = {60}, year = {2014}, month = {2014}, pages = {38-48}, abstract = {

Assessment of health in large population studies has increasingly incorporated measures of blood-based biomarkers based on the use of dried blood spots (DBS). The validity of DBS assessments made by labs used by large studies is addressed by comparing assay values from DBS collected using conditions similar to those used in the field with values from whole blood samples. The DBS approach generates values that are strongly related to whole blood levels of HbA1c, cystatin C, and C-reactive protein. Assessing lipid levels reliably with DBS appears to be a greater challenge. However, even when DBS values and values from venous blood are highly correlated, they are often on a different scale, and using conventional cutoffs may be misleading.

}, keywords = {Biomarkers, C-reactive protein, Cholesterol, Cholesterol, HDL, Cystatin C, Dried Blood Spot Testing, Glycated Hemoglobin A, Humans, Middle Aged, Reference Values, Reproducibility of Results}, issn = {1948-5573}, doi = {10.1080/19485565.2014.901885}, url = {http://www.tandfonline.com/doi/abs/10.1080/19485565.2014.901885}, author = {Eileen M. Crimmins and Jung K Kim and Heather McCreath and Jessica Faul and David R Weir and Teresa Seeman} } @article {7819, title = {Trends in late-life activity limitations in the United States: an update from five national surveys.}, journal = {Demography}, volume = {50}, year = {2013}, month = {2013 Apr}, pages = {661-71}, publisher = {50}, abstract = {

This article updates trends from five national U.S. surveys to determine whether the prevalence of activity limitations among the older population continued to decline in the first decade of the twenty-first century. Findings across studies suggest that personal care and domestic activity limitations may have continued to decline for those ages 85 and older from 2000 to 2008, but generally were flat since 2000 for those ages 65-84. Modest increases were observed for the 55- to 64-year-old group approaching late life, although prevalence remained low for this age group. Inclusion of the institutional population is important for assessing trends among those ages 85 and older in particular.

}, keywords = {Activities of Daily Living, Aged, Aged, 80 and over, Disabled Persons, Female, Health Surveys, Humans, Male, Mobility Limitation, Models, Statistical, United States}, issn = {0070-3370}, doi = {10.1007/s13524-012-0167-z}, author = {Vicki A Freedman and Brenda C Spillman and Patricia Andreski and Jennifer C. Cornman and Eileen M. Crimmins and Kramarow, Ellen and Lubitz, James and Linda G Martin and Sharon S. Merkin and Robert F. Schoeni and Teresa Seeman and Timothy A Waidmann} } @article {5919, title = {Results from the Health and Retirement Study Biomarker Validation Project}, year = {2011}, institution = {Ann Arbor, The University of Michigan}, keywords = {Health Conditions and Status, Methodology}, author = {Eileen M. Crimmins and Jung K Kim and Heather McCreath and Teresa Seeman} } @article {7347, title = {Trajectories of cognitive function in late life in the United States: demographic and socioeconomic predictors.}, journal = {Am J Epidemiol}, volume = {170}, year = {2009}, month = {2009 Aug 01}, pages = {331-42}, publisher = {170}, abstract = {

This study used mixed-effects modeling of data from a national sample of 6,476 US adults born before 1924, who were tested 5 times between 1993 and 2002 on word recall, serial 7{\textquoteright}s, and other mental status items to determine demographic and socioeconomic predictors of trajectories of cognitive function in older Americans. Mean decline with aging in total cognition score (range, 0-35; standard deviation, 6.00) was 4.1 (0.68 standard deviations) per decade (95\% confidence interval: 3.8, 4.4) and in recall score (range, 0-20; standard deviation, 3.84) was 2.3 (0.60 standard deviations) per decade (95\% confidence interval: 2.1, 2.5). Older cohorts (compared with younger cohorts), women (compared with men), widows/widowers, and those never married (both compared with married individuals) declined faster, and non-Hispanic blacks (compared with non-Hispanic whites) and those in the bottom income quintile (compared with the top quintile) declined slower. Race and income differences in rates of decline were not sufficient to offset larger differences in baseline cognition scores. Educational level was not associated with rate of decline in cognition scores. The authors concluded that ethnic and socioeconomic disparities in cognitive function in older Americans arise primarily from differences in peak cognitive performance achieved earlier in the life course and less from declines in later life.

}, keywords = {Aged, Aged, 80 and over, Aging, Black or African American, Cognition, Confidence Intervals, Education, Female, Geriatric Assessment, Hispanic or Latino, Humans, Income, Male, Marital Status, Mexican Americans, Poverty, Sampling Studies, Socioeconomic factors, Surveys and Questionnaires, United States, White People}, issn = {1476-6256}, doi = {10.1093/aje/kwp154}, author = {Arun S Karlamangla and Miller-Martinez, Dana and Carol S Aneshensel and Teresa Seeman and Richard G Wight and Joshua Chodosh} } @article {7200, title = {A multilevel analysis of urban neighborhood socioeconomic disadvantage and health in late life.}, journal = {Soc Sci Med}, volume = {66}, year = {2008}, month = {2008 Feb}, pages = {862-72}, publisher = {66}, abstract = {

The associations between neighborhood context and various indicators of health are receiving growing empirical attention, but much of this research is regionally circumscribed or assumes similar effects across the life course. This study utilizes a U.S. national sample to investigate the association between urban neighborhood socioeconomic disadvantage and health specifically among older adults. Data are from 3442 participants aged 70 years and older in the 1993 Asset and Health Dynamics Among the Oldest Old (AHEAD) Study, and the 1990 U.S. Census. Our approach underscores the importance of multiple dimensions of health (self-reported physician-diagnosed cardiovascular disease [CVD], functional status, and self-rated health) as well as multiple dimensions of neighborhood disadvantage, which are conceptualized as environmental hazards that may lead to a physiologically consequential stress response. We find that individual-level factors attenuate the association between neighborhood disadvantage and both CVD and functional status, but not self-rated health. Net of covariates, high neighborhood socioeconomic disadvantage is significantly associated with reporting poor health. In late life, neighborhood socioeconomic disadvantage is more consequential to subjective appraisals of health than diagnosed CVD or functional limitations.

}, keywords = {Aged, Female, Health Behavior, Health Status Disparities, Humans, Male, Poverty, Small-Area Analysis, Socioeconomic factors, United States, Urban Population}, issn = {0277-9536}, doi = {10.1016/j.socscimed.2007.11.002}, author = {Richard G Wight and Janet R. Cummings and Miller-Martinez, Dana and Arun S Karlamangla and Teresa Seeman and Carol S Aneshensel} } @article {7133, title = {Urban neighborhoods and depressive symptoms among older adults.}, journal = {J Gerontol B Psychol Sci Soc Sci}, volume = {62}, year = {2007}, month = {2007 Jan}, pages = {S52-9}, publisher = {62}, abstract = {

OBJECTIVE: This study seeks to determine whether depressive symptoms among older persons systematically vary across urban neighborhoods such that experiencing more symptoms is associated with low socioeconomic status (SES), high concentrations of ethnic minorities, low residential stability and low proportion aged 65 years and older.

METHODS: Survey data are from the Study of Assets and Health Dynamics Among the Oldest Old (AHEAD), a 1993 U.S. national probability sample of noninstitutionalized persons born in 1923 or earlier (i.e. people aged 70 or older). Neighborhood data are from the 1990 Census at the tract level. Hierarchical linear regression is used to estimate multilevel models.

RESULT: The average number of depressive symptoms varies across Census tracts independent of individual-level characteristics. Symptoms are not significantly associated with neighborhood SES, ethnic composition, or age structure when individual-level characteristics are controlled statistically. However, net of individual-level characteristics, symptoms are positively associated with neighborhood residential stability, pointing to a complex meaning of residential stability for the older population.

DISCUSSION: This study shows that apparent neighborhood-level socioeconomic effects on depressive symptoms among urban-dwelling older adults are largely if not entirely compositional in nature. Further, residential stability in the urban neighborhood may not be emotionally beneficial to its aged residents.

}, keywords = {Activities of Daily Living, Aged, Aged, 80 and over, Comorbidity, Cross-Sectional Studies, Depressive Disorder, Female, Health Status Indicators, Health Surveys, Humans, Incidence, Male, Minority Groups, Peer Group, Population Dynamics, Risk Factors, Social Environment, United States, Urban Population}, issn = {1079-5014}, doi = {10.1093/geronb/62.1.s52}, author = {Carol S Aneshensel and Richard G Wight and Miller-Martinez, Dana and Amanda L. Botticello and Arun S Karlamangla and Teresa Seeman} } @article {7087, title = {Urban neighborhood context, educational attainment, and cognitive function among older adults.}, journal = {Am J Epidemiol}, volume = {163}, year = {2006}, month = {2006 Jun 15}, pages = {1071-8}, publisher = {163}, abstract = {

Existing research has not addressed the potential impact of neighborhood context--educational attainment of neighbors in particular--on individual-level cognition among older adults. Using hierarchical linear modeling, the authors analyzed data from the 1993 Study of Assets and Health Dynamics Among the Oldest Old (AHEAD), a large, nationally representative sample of US adults born before 1924. Data from participants residing in urban neighborhoods (n = 3,442) were linked with 1990 US Census tract data. Findings indicate that 1) average cognitive function varies significantly across US Census tracts; 2) older adults living in low-education areas fare less well cognitively than those living in high-education areas, net of individual characteristics, including their own education; 3) this association is sustained when controlling for contextual-level median household income; and 4) the effect of individual-level educational attainment differs across neighborhoods of varying educational profiles. Promoting educational attainment among the general population living in disadvantaged neighborhoods may prove cognitively beneficial to its aging residents because it may lead to meliorations in stressful life conditions and coping deficiencies.

}, keywords = {Aged, Aged, 80 and over, Chi-Square Distribution, Cognition Disorders, Educational Status, Female, Humans, Linear Models, Male, Residence Characteristics, Risk Factors, Socioeconomic factors, United States, Urban Population}, issn = {0002-9262}, doi = {10.1093/aje/kwj176}, author = {Richard G Wight and Carol S Aneshensel and Miller-Martinez, Dana and Amanda L. Botticello and Janet R. Cummings and Arun S Karlamangla and Teresa Seeman} } @inbook {5202, title = {Integrating Biology into the Study of Health Disparities}, booktitle = {Aging, Health, and Public Policy: Demographic and Economic Perspectives}, series = {Population and Development Review}, volume = {30}, year = {2005}, note = {ProCite field 6 : In ProCite field 8 : ed.}, pages = {89-107}, publisher = {Population Council}, organization = {Population Council}, address = {New York}, keywords = {Methodology}, author = {Eileen M. Crimmins and Teresa Seeman}, editor = {Linda J. Waite} } @inbook {5228, title = {Race/Ethnicity, Socioeconomic Status, and Health}, booktitle = {Critical Perspectives on Race and Ethnic Differences in Health in Later Life}, year = {2004}, pages = {310-352}, publisher = {National Academy of Sciences}, organization = {National Academy of Sciences}, chapter = {9}, abstract = {Mounting evidence indicates that racial/ethnic differences in morbidity and mortality are tied to socioeconomic resources (Hayward, Crimmins, Miles, and Yu, 2000; Williams and Collins, 1995). Largely because of data availability, most of this evidence is based on the health experiences of blacks and whites, with much less evidence on the role of socioeconomic factors in understanding racial/ethnic disparities when Americans of Asian or Pacific Island descent, Hispanics, and Native Americans are part of the picture. The potential power of the socioeconomic status (SES) paradigm in understanding health disparities{\textemdash}including racial/ethnic disparities{\textemdash}is evident in the fact that socioeconomic differences in health outcomes have been widely documented for most health conditions in most countries. People who are poorer and who have less education are more likely to suffer from diseases, to experience loss of functioning, to be cognitively and physically impaired, and to experience higher mortality rates (Adler, Boyce, Chesney, Folkman, and Syme, 1993; Adler et al., 1994; Marmot, Kogevinas, and Elston, 1987; Marmot, Ryff, Bumpass, Shipley, and Marks, 1997; Preston and Taubman, 1994; Williams, 1990). In the United States, few health problems are more likely to occur among those who are better off, and some health conditions are particularly sensitive to SES. In recent years socioeconomic differences in health also appear to be increasing in the United States and in other developed countries (Crimmins and Saito, 2001; Feldman, Makuc, Kleinman, and Coroni-Huntley, 1989; Manton, 1997; Marmot, 1994; Pappas, Queen, Hadden, and Fisher, 1993; Preston and Elo, 1995).}, keywords = {Demographics, Health Conditions and Status, Healthcare, Women and Minorities}, url = {https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/books/NBK25526/$\#$:~:text=Socioeconomic\%20status\%20is\%20obviously\%20related,health\%20outcomes\%20relative\%20to\%20whites.}, author = {Eileen M. Crimmins and Mark D Hayward and Teresa Seeman}, editor = {Norman B. Anderson and Randy A. Bulatao and Barney Cohen} } @article {6700, title = {A Health and Demographic Profile of Noninstitutionalized Older Americans Residing in Environments with Home Modifications.}, journal = {Journal of Aging and Health}, volume = {12}, year = {2000}, pages = {204-28}, publisher = {12}, abstract = {OBJECTIVES. In this analysis the authors investigate the demographic characteristics, the health conditions/events, and the disabilities of community-dwelling Americans 70 years of age and older that are associated with residing in environments with specific home modifications. METHODS. Data from a large population-based study of the elderly are used to estimate logistic regression equations that reveal profiles of older individuals who are likely to have distinct home modifications. RESULTS. Having diseases such as diabetes and stroke, having experienced a hip fracture, a fall or a joint replacement, and having greater limitations with activities of daily living raise the likelihood of having home modifications. Low income, Hispanic, and African American elderly appear underrepresented among those with modifications. DISCUSSION. The authors conclude that specialized housing alternatives will be an increasingly important issue in the future as individuals aim to achieve and maintain the delicate balance between their functional ability and their living environment.}, keywords = {Demographics, Disabilities, Health Conditions and Status, Healthcare, Housing, Methodology}, author = {Tabbarah, M. and Merril Silverstein and Teresa Seeman} } @article {6610, title = {Do medical conditions affect cognition in older adults?}, journal = {Health Psychol}, volume = {17}, year = {1998}, month = {1998 Nov}, pages = {504-12}, publisher = {17}, abstract = {

Analyses of a nationally representative sample who completed a list recall task (weighted n = 6,446) and 2 mental status tasks (weighted n = 6,646) were conducted to determine whether specific medical conditions such as high blood pressure and diabetes as well as general health ratings predict cognitive performance in adults aged 70 to 103. Presence of stroke and poorer health ratings predicted poorer performance on the 3 tasks. Presence of diabetes predicted poorer performance on recall and 1 mental status task. Age interacted with medical conditions including high blood pressure and diabetes in predicting mental status, with condition-related deficits confined to the younger end of the age continuum. Global health ratings interacted with age, with poorer ratings associated with worse mental status in the younger participants. Findings suggest that stroke and diabetes are associated with cognitive deficits. Some deficits are more pronounced in younger old adults with high blood pressure and poorer health ratings.

}, keywords = {Aged, Aged, 80 and over, Aging, Cerebrovascular Disorders, Cognition, Diabetes Complications, Diabetes Mellitus, Female, Health Status, Humans, Hypertension, Male, Mental Health}, issn = {0278-6133}, doi = {10.1037//0278-6133.17.6.504}, url = {https://pubmed.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/9848800/}, author = {Elizabeth Zelinski and Eileen M. Crimmins and Sandra L Reynolds and Teresa Seeman} }