Integrated Research in Health and Aging: Early Results from NSHAP Wave 2

National Opinion Research Center, Chicago IL

Investigators

Abstract

DESCRIPTION (provided by applicant): The National Social Life Health and Aging Project (NSHAP) is a longitudinal, population-based study of health, social life, and well-being among older Americans. This unique project had recently completed the second wave of data collection, integrating social and biological methodologies to understand healthy aging. An important goal of NSHAP is to create high quality data to be used by researchers investigating the relationships between health and social processes among older Americans. As in Wave 1, we propose to host a conference which will encourage the use of the data by a variety of researchers from across the country. The two day conference is designed to encourage the use of the longitudinal NSHAP data, foster interdisciplinary collaboration, and develop a network of scholars familiar with NSHAP and dedicated to interdisciplinary aging research. The conference, located in downtown Chicago, will solicit applications to present innovative findings using the NSHAP data. Proposals will be reviewed for their relevance to aging and health, their multi- disciplinary approach in using the data and their scientific merit, with applications ranking most highly on these criteria accepted. Researchers submitting accepted applications (approximately 20) will be given 6 months to pursue their research and will, subsequently, be invited to present their results at the conference. In addition to the NSHAP investigative team, a panel of discussants will attend the conference to lend their expertise to the discussion of the research findings. Discussants will be solicited from a number of different fields including sociology, human development, demography, social epidemiology, sexuality, and the medical and health sciences. The conference will also include a session designed to allow researchers to express their concerns or suggestions about the data and its use to NSHAP staff. Specifically, the conference aims: 1) To advertise the NSHAP data and encourage its use in the public domain; 2) To develop new and innovative research using the NSHAP data; 3) To increase collaboration and interdisciplinary work in aging research, particularly in regards to the NSHAP; and 4) To solicit feedback on the NSHAP data, its use in the public domain and development towards a third wave of data collection. 2B PUBLIC HEALTH RELEVANCE: The proposed conference will facilitate the use of the unique, longitudinal data collected in the second wave of the National Social Life Health and Aging Project, thus integrating social and biological methodologies to understand healthy aging.