Research Snapshots
These are research highlights taken from our newsletter, the Life Course Ledger. Sign up to receive the LCC's monthly newsletter by emailing [email protected].
April 2022
2022 Data-Intensive Research Conference: Contextualizing Work and Health Disparities across the Life Course
JULY 20 - 21, 2022 | MINNEAPOLIS, MN & ONLINE
COVID-19 has changed conventions around work and health while also highlighting and exacerbating disparities. These changes are taking place alongside technological innovations, globalization, shifting economies, and changing demographics of places and the workforce. The 2022 Data-Intensive Research Conference will showcase research that explores disparities in work and health within and across particular contexts and demographic subgroups in the U.S. and international settings.
We'll also be hosting several pre-conference workshops on July 18-19th.
December 2021
Influencing Factors of Loneliness Among Hmong Older Adults in the Premigration, Displacement, and Postmigration Phases
LCC Member: Cindy Vang
Published in The Journal of Refugee Studies. Read the full article.
Minimal research has simultaneously explored the premigration, displacement, and postmigration experiences of loneliness among older adults with a refugee history. This study aimed to explore the factors influencing loneliness in these three phases among Hmong older adults with a refugee background. Interviews were conducted with 17 Hmong adults aged 65 and older residing in Northern California. Findings revealed the influencing factors emerging from systems of oppression grounded within the social, political, and cultural context of each phase. Influencing factors of loneliness were identified as betrayal, familial loss, instability, war violence, loss of social status, isolation, diminishing filial piety, language barrier, declining health, and lack of purpose. This study highlights the need for more research, practice, and policy focused on the context of the refugee experience to gain a greater insight into their loneliness experiences.
October 2021
Research Mixer: Work and Later Life Course Health
Please join the Life Course Center at the University of Minnesota for a virtual research mixer!
September 2021
To Speed or Not to Speed
THEMATIC ANALYSIS OF AMERICAN DRIVING NARRATIVES
LCC Members: Colleen Peterson and Joseph Gaugler
Speeding is a major cause of traffic fatalities in the United States. Existing data show drivers usually tend to speed less as they age. LCC Members Colleen Peterson and Joseph Gaugler wanted to understand why speeding behavior changes over the life course.
July 2021
Data-Intensive Research Conference
Held virtually on Tuesdays and Thursdays, July 20 - August 5, 2021. All sessions are central time.
Researchers now have access to full count individual-level microdata from the U.S. Census spanning 1850 to 2010. Never before have social scientists had access to population data of this size and scope. These data present extraordinary opportunities, including novel approaches to research on aging and the later life course, but also some challenges. Our goals for this event are to:
- highlight research that leverages expansive data resources,
- provide training opportunities for working with these data resources, and
- connect scholars with one another and with data experts.
April 2021
Indigenous Cultural-Understandings Of Alzheimer’s – Research And Engagement (ICARE) Project
Kristen Jacklin | Associate Director of Memory Keepers
There is an urgent need to address the increasing burden of Alzheimer’s disease and related dementias (ADRD) in American Indian and First Nations populations. Life Course Center Member Kristen Jacklin received new funding from the National Institute of Health (NIH) to create a foundational ethnographic database of lived experience of ADRD from these communities to inform the creation of culturally appropriate and safe approaches to improve diagnostics, care, and outreach.
ADRD rates are approximately three times higher among American Indian and First Nations populations, with a 10-year earlier onset, compared to majority populations. Higher rates of co-morbidities and limited access to social, economic, and health resources increase Indigenous health disparities. Culture and community context influence Indigenous peoples’ experience with dementia and culturally grounded approaches/resources increase awareness and improve outcomes. Currently, there is little information to guide culturally appropriate efforts to address ADRD.
This project will use community-based participatory research, to engage Indigenous communities in Minnesota, Wisconsin and Ontario. The project will include cultural understandings of ADRD, experiences with diagnosis and care, and community strengths and challenges. Information will be collected using participant observation and semi-structured in-depth interviews with people with dementia, caregivers, and healthy seniors. The qualitative analytic approach incorporates both biomedical and Indigenous understandings of ADRD.
Learn more about the Memory Keepers project by visiting their website and following them on Twitter. Watch the recording of a related seminar from Kristen Jacklin.
March 2021
“It’s about a Life Worth Living”: Rosalie A. Kane, PhD, Pioneer of Quality of Life Measurement in Long-Term Care
“It’s about a Life Worth Living”: Rosalie A. Kane, PhD, Pioneer of Quality of Life Measurement in Long-Term Care
Commentary by Joseph E. Gaugler and Tetyana P. Shippee in the Journal of Gerontological Social Work
Dr. Kane’s legacy is celebrated in the Journal of Gerontological Social Work, highlighting her significant scholarly achievements in the measurement of quality of life in long-term care. This commentary synthesises Dr. Kane’s groundbreaking work in this area. It summarizes how her study of the measurement of quality of life served as the foundation for significant practice/policy advancements. Dr. Kane has achieved her ultimate aspiration: the elevation of quality of life as the central concern when selecting, using, delivering, and valuing long-term care.
February 2021
Minnesota’s Assisted Living Report Card
Tetyana Shippee, Odichinma Akosionu, Tricia Skarphol, and Timothy Beebe
Concerns around assisted living (AL) quality in Minnesota prompted passage of new legislation in 2019 and provided funding for the development of an Assisted Living Report Card. LCC members Tetyana Shippee and Timothy Beebe and colleagues presented results from the first two phases of this project. The first phase involved a national literature review of quality measures and technical advisory panels to understand the types of domains and indicators for AL quality that are measured. Nine quality domains were identified. The second phase focused on state-wide stakeholder engagement to determine priority rankings for nine AL quality domains and indicators identified. Quality of life, staff quality and resident safety were the top three domains across all stakeholder groups. The state will implement surveys of AL resident quality of life and family satisfaction as mandated by the legislature, but findings indicate that other aspects of quality such as staff-related measures and resident safety, are also important to address.
December 2020
Meeting the Social Needs of Older Adults in Rural Areas
Carrie Henning-Smith - Deputy Director, Rural Health Research Center
Social isolation is associated with health risks, and older adults in rural areas are especially at risk. Life Course Center member Carrie Henning-Smith looks at the unique risks faced by this demographic group. Barriers such as transportation, limited economic resources, less access to broadband internet and cellular connectivity, and restricted access to health care all play a role. Meeting interpersonal social needs is intertwined with providing other care needs. Health care professionals should collaborate with community partners to reduce isolation and loneliness. Read the full article on the JAMA Health Forum.
November 2020
Shippee leads new study
The research led by Associate Professor Tetyana Shippee includes documenting trends in the services used or desired by clients and the factors related to how satisfied they are with their care.