Stroke Recovery in Underserved Populations

描述（由申请人提供）：我们拟定的研究涉及标题为“身心互动与健康研究”的RFA（RFA #OD-03-008）。具体来说，我们解决了国家老龄化研究所在研究“乐观，幸福或积极态度对幸福和健康的影响;以及社会功能和健康。“我们将通过启动一项纵向研究来研究积极情绪（例如，快乐、感激、爱、满足）和社交网络独立地和交互地有助于两个服务不足的群体--非洲裔美国人和西班牙裔美国人--中风后功能状态的恢复。研究结果将与白人中风患者样本进行比较。拟议研究的具体目标是： 1.检查从康复机构出院的白色、非洲裔美国人和西班牙裔中风患者的功能状态（运动和认知功能）恢复情况; 2.检查从康复机构出院的白色、非裔美国人和西班牙裔中风患者的积极情绪和社交网络对功能状态（运动和认知功能）恢复的贡献;以及 3.检查积极情绪和社交网络之间的相互作用对白色、非洲裔美国人和西班牙裔中风患者从康复机构出院后功能状态（运动和认知功能）恢复的影响。 中风患者将从美国各地的20家康复机构招募，具体的康复机构将有针对性地确保400名白人，400名非洲裔美国人和400名西班牙裔美国人的样本。IT Health Track将在四个时间点收集数据：入院和出院时，以及出院后80-180天和365-425天。 这项工作很重要，因为它开始确定和审查可能有助于缩小目前服务不足的少数群体之间存在的健康差距的因素（即，非裔美国人和西班牙裔美国人）和白人。这与NIH/NIA的战略计划一致，即“推进老龄化研究，使其更接近减少和消除老年种族和少数民族之间健康差距的最终目标。这项工作也很重要，因为它有可能“为为什么面对持续的挑战，有些人做得很好，有些人做得很差提供重要的见解”。"

DESCRIPTION (provided by applicant): Our proposed study addresses the RFA entitled "Research on Mind-Body Interactions and Health" (RFA #OD-03-008). Specifically, we address the National Institute on Aging interests in the study of "the impact of optimism, happiness, or a positive attitude on well being and health; and social functioning and health." We will do this by initiating a longitudinal study to examine how positive emotion (e.g., joy, gratitude, love, contentment) and social networks independently and interactively contribute to recovery of functional status after stroke within two underserved groups--African Americans and Hispanics. Findings will be compared with a sample of whites with stroke. Specific Aims of the proposed research are to: 1. Examine recovery of functional status (motor and cognitive function), for white, African American and Hispanic persons with stroke discharged from rehabilitation facilities; 2. Examine the contributions of positive emotion and social networks on recovery of functional status (motor and cognitive function), for white, African American, and Hispanic persons with stroke discharged from rehabilitation facilities; and 3. Examine the interaction between positive emotion and social networks on recovery of functional status (motor and cognitive function) for white, African American, and Hispanic persons with stroke discharged from rehabilitation facilities. Persons with stroke will be recruited from 20 rehabilitation facilities across the U.S. Specific rehabilitation facilities will be targeted to assure a sample of 400 whites, 400 African Americans, and 400 Hispanics. Data will be collected by the IT Health Track at four time points: at admission and discharge from rehabilitation facility, and 80-180 days and 365-425 days after discharge. This work is important as it begins to identify and examine factors that may contribute to a narrowing of the health disparities that currently exist between underserved minority groups (i.e., African Americans and Hispanics) and whites. This is consistent with NIH/NIA's strategic plan to "advance aging research closer to the ultimate objectives of reducing and eliminating health disparities among older racial and ethnic minorities." The work is also important as it has the potential to "contribute important insights into why some do well and others do poorly in the face of persistent challenges."