Assessing resources in the built environment for aging and sensory health (AREAS): Built Environment and the National Health and Aging Trends Study

About This Grant

PROJECT SUMMARY There is a critical need to study the implications of place-based social risk factors on sensory loss including vision, hearing, and olfaction loss. Vision, hearing, and olfaction impairment are critical health outcomes that disproportionately affect the aging population. Yet, current findings have been limited in exploring the association between sensory loss and the built environment for the aging population. A review of the literature did not identify the built environment as a potential moderator between air quality exposure and sensory outcomes, thus there is a need to explore this association. The current proposal seeks to understand the implications of the built environment on vision, hearing, duel sensory loss, and olfaction with two methods: secondary data analysis and prospective data collection. I will examine the relationship between the built environment on four sensory outcomes: vision, hearing, dual sensory loss, and olfaction. I will utilize existing data from the NIA-funded National Health and Aging Trends Study (NHATS) to identify associations between air quality and hearing, dual sensory loss, and olfaction. I will evaluate if the built environment acts as a moderator between the association of air quality and vision, hearing, dual sensory loss, and olfaction. The proposed work will expand beyond NHATS data to perform a mixed-methods study in patients with hearing, vision, or olfaction impairment to tailor a built environment survey to understand any unique air quality exposures and built environment resources. The mixed methods study will identify distinct built environment factors for individuals with hearing or vision impairments. The candidate’s mentorship team comprises experts in aging and sensory research, survey methodology, spatial epidemiology, mixed methods, and advanced statistical analyses. Together with the vibrant academic environment of the University of Michigan, the candidate will gain unique expertise in aging research, survey and advanced statistical analyses, and mixed methods. This will lead to an independent research program, supported by critical pilot data, focused on the intersection of aging, the built environment, and sensory loss.