Predoctoral Fellowship in Public and Community Health- Successful Aging Among Asi

Medical College Of Wisconsin, Milwaukee WI

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Abstract

Project Summary/Abstract Specific aims: This exploratory study will use qualitative methods to 1) Elicit the values and meaning of successful aging and social engagement according to Asian elders;2) Determine the factors that motivate and the barriers that deter Asian elders from engaging in social activities and other forms of social engagement;and 3) Assess the ways in which social engagement correlates with quantitative measures of quality of life, and mental and physical health and wellness. Research design and methodology: This study will enroll Chinese and Hmong elders, the largest Asian populations in the region, living in the Milwaukee area. Outreach will be accomplished through establishing partnerships with local community-based organizations that provide services to Chinese and Hmong elders. By employing the use of life stories, where the respondent's accounts of his/her life is delivered orally, this study will take a constructionist approach to exploring the relationship among social engagement, "successful aging", quality of life, and mental and physical health and wellness. The methodology is driven by the life course perspective theory which explains the process of aging as shaped by social contexts and cultural meanings and is a process that is dynamic and contextual. Analysis of the life stories will be inductive, using grounded theory. The results of this study will provide unique insights into the needs of Asian elders which have important implications for service provision by health care providers and service agencies. Relevance to the NIA's mission and research priorities: This study addresses the NIA's mission to support behavioral and social research related to the aging process and needs of older Americans. Concurrent with the growing population of the elderly in the United States is a rapidly growing population of Asian elders, many of whom are first generation immigrants. As such, Asian elders may face unique issues related to cultural differences between normative practices of elder care in the US versus their native homeland. Because Asian elders may hold unique cultural values in defining the concept of "successful aging" this study will help identify their unique needs. This study has potential translational vale in informing service provision aimed at improving health and well-being for the elderly Asian population.