Examining the daily stress of mid-life adults in the built and natural environment

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In the United States, mid-life adults are staying in the workforce longer and are engaging in higher levels of physical activity than previous generations, potentially extending their interactions with elements of the built and natural environments that influence their experience of daily stress. The relationship between various types of stress and alterations in cognitive functioning has been well documented, and there is growing evidence showing a relationship between daily stress in mid-life and cognitive decline. Even though mid-life adults constitute one of the largest portions of the current U.S. population, there is relatively little data about the experience of daily stress and health outcomes in this age group. Perceived stress in mid-life adults has also been closely linked with physical disability later in life. Mid-life adults of different socioeconomic status and race are subject to structural inequality in their living environments. Those living in urban environments with higher levels of poverty and violence are experience higher levels of environmental stress than those living in suburban or rural environments. It is well documented that Blacks are exposed to environmental stressors more than Whites. In this Stage 0 study of the NIH Stage Model for Behavioral Intervention Development, we propose to use our novel custom-built Stress Reports in Free-living Environments (STRIVE) ecological momentary assessment (EMA) mobile phone app to measure the experience of daily stress of mid-life adults in free-living conditions. Using our novel app and capturing data in real time will allow us to determine (1) where and when daily stress happens for mid-life adults, (2) whether mid-life adults’ daily stressors are linked to certain elements of the built and natural environment, and (3) whether EMA measurement of daily stress is comparable to the ‘gold standard’ Daily Inventory of Stressful Events (DISE) measurement tool that captures daily stress at the end of the day in mid- life adults (used in Midlife in the United State Survey (MIDUS)). These data will expand our understanding of mid-life adults’ experience of stress in free living conditions and pave the way for data-driven individual and community-based intervention designs to promote health and well-being in mid-life adults. Potential interventions that could stem from our data include technology based ‘just in time’ interventions that account for spatiotemporal location, mindfulness-based interventions that incorporate environmental stress triggers, and community-based interventions designed to eliminate environmental stressors that are commonly experienced by mid-life adults (e.g., congested areas).