Economic, Social, and Health Consequences of COVID-19 Pandemic for Aging African Americans

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PROJECT SUMMARY The current proposal seeks funding to expand the focus of our NIA grant “Psychosocial Context and the Biological Clock: Changes in Weathering during Middle-Age” (5R01AG055393-03), a longitudinal investigation of biological aging in a sample of roughly 500 middle-aged African Americans. While significant progress is being made regarding the aims of this project, additional funds are being sought through the competitive revision mechanism to investigate the impact of the Covid-19 pandemic on our study participants. The pandemic is predicted to wax and wane over the next several months or years, with the result likely being recurring episodes of self-quarantine and financial hardship. The African American community has been especially hard hit by the epidemic. As they struggle with self-quarantine, a faltering economy, and high rates of infection, there is a need for specific information regarding how these families are being affected, the stressors and challenges being encountered, and the supports and coping resources being utilized. Such knowledge is essential if we are to design effective programs to aid families during this difficult period. Unfortunately, cross- sectional studies will not be able to establish whether reports of the financial problems, family strain, and psychological distress are a response to the epidemic or simply a continuation of everyday stress and adversity experienced by many African Americans. The proposed research, however, is ideally suited to investigate change in response to the pandemic. Our last round of interviews was completed in 2019, a year before the pandemic. These interviews included detailed information on work, economic hardship, psychological well- being, family relationships, religiosity, social support, and health risk behaviors such as diet, smoking, and alcohol consumption. We propose to use these 2019 data as a baseline in assessing participants’ functioning during the Covid-19 crisis. Telephone interviews will be used to collect the new round of data. In addition to the constructs that have been assessed in prior waves, new data collection will investigate: a) difficulties in securing food, prescription medications, and medical care; b) sources of support from relatives and the community; c) success/failure/challenges in implementing shelter-in- place; d) family cohesion and conflict (including domestic violence) during shelter in place; and e) whether any member of the household has contracted COVID-19, how they were tested, and the medical care received. Following the telephone interviews, participants will be sent saliva kits so that we can perform antibody assays to determine whether they have had contact with the virus. The saliva samples will also be used to conduct methylomic assessments of smoking and alcohol consumptions, an approach that avoids the problems associated with self-reports. The proposed research will provide a better understanding of how the Covid-19 pandemic is impacting the lives of poor and aging individuals, especially those of color. This information is needed to better identify the types of support that need to be provided by governmental and private agencies when policies like social distancing are implemented.