Researchers affiliated with the Health and Aging in Africa: A Longitudinal Study of an INDEPTH Community in South Africa (HAALSI) project have published a study on an aging population in rural South Africa in which more than half suffer from hypertension. Findings reveal that there have been improvements in addressing the condition in every phase of the treatment “cascade” (i.e., awareness, treatment and control).
How stressors are perceived may contribute to differences in mental health between Black and white older adults
Despite higher levels of exposure to common chronic stressors across five life domains (health, financial, residential, relationship, and caregiving), Black study participants were found to suffer less from symptoms of anxiety and depression than white study participants. Our new Sloan Fellow on Aging and Work, Leah Abrams, PhD, is an author on a paper that that explores how stress appraisal (the extent to which stress exposures are perceived to be…
Aiming to ward off ‘spiral of decline’ in aging rural South African population
Researchers analyzed data collected as part of the HAALSI study to learn more about the self-reported physical activity (PA) levels of a population over 40 years old. Factors such as being male, over the age of 80, in a higher wealth category, obesity, and poorer functional capacity correlated with lower levels of physical activity. The paper is published in the International Journal of Environmental Research and Public Health. “These findings…
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Is social capital valuable in protecting cognitive function in lower-resource settings such as rural South Africa?
While theories about the connection between strong social supports and better cognitive health among an aging population are well established in higher resource settings (high income, high education levels), less is known about whether this same pattern exists in lower resource settings. Researchers affiliated with Health and Aging in Africa: a Longitudinal Study of an INDEPTH community in South Africa (HAALSI) have published findings that suggest that a similar pattern…
HAALSI study takes closer look at HIV incidence among older adults in South Africa
While there is much data on the levels of prevalence of HIV among older South Africans, less is known about the risks of older people acquiring HIV. Research from the Health and Aging in Africa: A Longitudinal Study of an INDEPTH Community in South Africa (HAALSI) project published in JAIDS finds that there is some risk of acquiring HIV over the age of 50, especially for women.
Why are more women than men dying of coronavirus in Massachusetts? Berkman, Krieger provide some possible reasons…
Globally and nationally, the gender divide is clear; more men than women are dying of the coronavirus. The Boston Globe spoke with Harvard Pop Center Director Lisa Berkman, PhD, and faculty member Nancy Krieger, PhD, to uncover why Massachusetts is experiencing a different trend.
Impact of traumatic events earlier in life still registers among older cohort in rural South Africa
Researchers affiliated with a longitudinal study on aging in South Africa (HAALSI) have published a paper that examines the impact of traumatic events experienced earlier in the life course on cognition, and mental and physical health outcomes in an older South African population.
Community-based screening may help to raise awareness and control hypertension among aging adults in China
Recent Harvard Bell Fellow Nikkil Sudharsanan, along with faculty member Till Bärnighausen and their colleagues, have published a study that shows an association between the intervention and lower systolic blood pressure in an adult population in which nearly half (many, unknowingly) are at risk for hypertension, a major risk factor for cardiovascular disease.
Riding the bus to better cognitive function
Findings from a study authored by Harvard Pop Center Bell Fellow Emilie Courtin, faculty member Mauricio Avendano, and colleagues reveal that making public transportation more accessible to older adults (by way of a free bus pass) did more than just boost ridership; it also increased their cognitive functioning, perhaps by facilitating a more socially and physically active lifestyle.
U.S. “Silver Tsunami” negatively impacting (and suffering from) climate change
A study finds that aging Americans (a growing population) consume more energy. Learn more about the research findings of Harvard Pop Center faculty member Hossein Estiri and his colleague Emilio Zagheni in The New York Times, the New Scientist, and The Harvard Gazette.