Stroke Recovery in Underserved Populations

描述(申请人提供)：我们的拟议研究涉及题为“关于身心互动和健康的研究”的RFA(RFA#OD-03-008)。具体地说，我们在国家老龄兴趣研究所的研究中介绍了“乐观、幸福或积极的态度对幸福和健康的影响；以及社会功能和健康。”为此，我们将启动一项纵向研究，考察积极情绪(例如，喜悦、感激、爱、满足)和社交网络如何独立和交互地促进两个服务不足的群体--非洲裔美国人和拉美裔美国人--中风后功能状态的恢复。研究结果将与中风白人样本进行比较。拟议研究的具体目标是： 1.检查康复机构出院的白人、非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)的恢复情况； 2.研究积极情绪和社会网络对康复机构出院的白人、非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)恢复的贡献；以及 3.探讨康复机构出院的白人、非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)恢复过程中，积极情绪和社会网络之间的相互作用。 中风患者将从美国各地的20家康复机构招募。专门的康复机构将以400名白人、400名非裔美国人和400名拉美裔美国人为样本。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，因为它开始查明和审查可能有助于缩小目前在服务不足的少数群体(即非裔美国人和西班牙裔)和白人之间存在的健康差距的因素。这与NIH/NIA的战略计划是一致的，即“推动老龄化研究更接近减少和消除老年种族和少数民族之间的健康差距的最终目标。”这项工作也很重要，因为它有可能“为为什么有些人在面对持续的挑战时表现得很好，而另一些人表现不佳，提供了重要的见解。”

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."