Neighborhood Pathways to Frailty and Mortality: A Comparative Cohort Study of Older Adults in Costa Rica and the United States
Principal Investigator
Dr. Amanda Lehning, Senior Associate Dean for Academic Affairs and Assistant Professor, UMB School of Social Work
The purpose of this project is to develop and submit a R01 proposal that will examine neighborhood pathways to frailty and mortality among older adults living in Costa Rica and the United States. Frailty is a common condition in later life, and has negative consequences for older adults, their families, and health and long-term care systems. Findings from our own recent research supported by the Alicia and Yaya Initiative suggests that contextual differences between the U.S. and Costa Rica play a role in the onset of frailty, its association with mortality, and who may be most at risk. To our knowledge, however, previous studies have not examined the potential environmental pathways to mortality via frailty, nor how these pathways may differ between these two countries. The travel funds requested for this development grant will support our burgeoning collaboration between UCR and UMB and facilitate future research that can inform multi-level interventions to reduce frailty and its associated mortality.