Biodemography of Health, Social Factors and Life Challenge

Georgetown University, Washington DC

Investigators

Linked publications, trials & patents

Abstract

? DESCRIPTION (provided by applicant): Biomarkers and changes in those markers provide windows into the physiological processes linking the social environment with health. Repeated measures of biomarkers and performance assessments, in combination with 25 years of self-reported information and mortality follow-up, permit us to extend previous research. In conjunction with data on disadvantage and challenge we propose to: 1. Examine how profiles of change or continuity in biomarkers affect subsequent mortality and health; 2. Evaluate the extent to which immune function and inflammation are associated with early and later life socioeconomic disadvantage and challenge; 3. Use newly added markers from recent pilot funding and additional markers that we propose in this application to explicate immune pathways and assess their link to survival; 4. Examine how challenge and disadvantage impart a metabolic signature that can be detected in the biochemical profiles of peripheral biofluids; 5 Enhance the publicly available data with: a) newly collected data on immune markers, performance assessments and survival; and b) an unrestricted freely downloadable version of the data set. The project draws on longitudinal data from eight survey waves (1989, 1993, 1996, 1999, 2003, 2007, 2011, and planned 2015) of the parent household study (TLSA) combined with supplemental data including biomarkers collected from the SEBAS subsample in 2000 and 2006 and mortality follow-up through 2020. A growing number of biosocial surveys have provided and will continue to provide rich opportunities for collaboration. At the same this projec has distinct features that make it invaluable for the proposed objectives: the length of data collection, a broad spectrum of markers covering multiple physiological systems as well as genetic information, repeated measures of biomarkers and performance assessments, a large national sample, extensive information on stressors and other environmental factors, and continued follow-up of health and survival status. This project began as an innovative step toward integrating biomarkers into social science research; it continues to be at the forefront of biodemographic and interdisciplinary research.