Contact PI/Project LeaderSOCKABASIN, LISA Other PIs
Awardee OrganizationWABANAKI HEALTH AND WELLNESS
Description
Abstract Text
OVERALL: ABSTRACT
The number of American Indians aged 65 and older is expected to triple to 1,624,000 by 2050, while the number
of those aged 85 and older will increase 7-fold to 300,000. While welcome, these statistics raise concerns about
proportionate increases in health conditions associated with aging – especially Alzheimer’s disease and related
dementias. This worrisome confluence of population growth, emerging needs, and high risk, combined with the
widely recognized limitations of available health data on American Indian elders, motivates us to propose the
Wabanaki Native American Research Center for Health, a partnership between Wabanaki Public Health and the
Institute for Research and Education to Advance Community Health at Washington State University. Wabanaki
Public Health is a tribal public health district serving the 4 federally recognized tribes of Maine. Collectively known
as the Wabanaki tribes, the tribes include the Aroostook Band of Micmacs, Houlton Band of Maliseet Indians,
Penobscot Nation, and Passamaquoddy Tribe. Establishing the Wabanaki Native American Research Center
for Health to address elder health is critically important for 3 reasons. First, elder health is a high priority for
Wabanaki Public Health. Second, Alzheimer’s disease and related dementias and mild cognitive impairment are
leading causes of morbidity and mortality, yet nothing is known about the prevalence of these conditions or their
economic impact among American Indians in the northeastern US. Third, Wabanaki Public Health desires to
strengthen its research capacity and infrastructure as a necessary foundation for sustainable research.
Therefore, our overall Specific Aims are to: 1) Strengthen collaborations between Wabanaki Public Health, a
public health district serving American Indians people in Maine and Washington State University to improve the
research and service capacities of Wabanaki Public Health through 1 Research Project, 2 Capacity Building
Projects, and an Administrative Core; 2) Estimate the prevalence of Alzheimer’s disease and related dementia
and mild cognitive impairment among Wabanaki tribal members aged 55 and older, as well as the current and
future direct and indirect costs associated with these conditions; 3) Build research capacity among Wabanaki
Public Health staff and Wabanaki undergraduate students through a year-long tailored research methods course
and year-long student internships at Wabanaki Public Health; and 4) Extend tribal self-governance to encompass
the regulation of scientific endeavors and to build research capacity by laying the foundation for a Research
Review Board. The Wabanaki NARCH is the first in the northeastern US since the program was founded in
2000. It will fill striking gaps in our knowledge of Alzheimer’s disease and related dementias and mild cognitive
impairment among American Indian elders. It will also promote and expand the research and infrastructure
capabilities of Wabanaki Public Health, a tribal public health district that is uniquely positioned to assume a
leadership role in ameliorating health disparities experienced by Wabanaki and other northeastern tribal
communities.
Public Health Relevance Statement
OVERALL PUBLIC HEALTH NARRATIVE
Alzheimer’s disease, dementia, and cognitive impairment will soon have a major impact on American Indian
communities. The life expectancies for American Indians have increased over the last 50 years by as much as
30 years, resulting in an increased number of older adults. The Wabanaki Native American Research Center
for Health is the first such Center in the northeastern US since the program was founded in 2000. It will fill striking
gaps in our knowledge of Alzheimer’s disease and related dementias and mild cognitive impairment among
American Indian elders. It will also promote and expand the research and service capabilities of Wabanaki Public
Health, a tribal public health district that is uniquely positioned to assume a leadership role in ameliorating health
disparities experienced by the Wabanaki and other northeastern tribal communities.
NIH Spending Category
No NIH Spending Category available.
Project Terms
AddressAdvocacyAfrican AmericanAgingAgreementAlaska Native populationAlzheimer's DiseaseAlzheimer's disease related dementiaAmerican Indian PopulationAmerican Indian communityAmerican IndiansAreaCherokee IndianCholesterolCollaborationsCommunitiesCommunity HealthDementiaDirect CostsDisparity populationEconomicsEducationElderlyEligibility DeterminationFacilities and Administrative CostsFacultyFoundationsFutureGenerationsGrowthHealthHealthcare SystemsHoultonHuman ResourcesHypertensionImpaired cognitionInfrastructureInstitutionInternshipsJointsKnowledgeLeadershipLifeLife ExpectancyMaineMedicineMorbidity - disease rateNative American Research Center for HealthNon-Insulin-Dependent Diabetes MellitusNonprofit OrganizationsObesityPassamaquoddyPenobscotPhilosophyPhysical activityPlayPopulationPopulation GrowthPositioning AttributePrevalencePrincipal InvestigatorPublic HealthRegulationResearchResearch InstituteResearch MethodologyResearch Project GrantsResolutionRoleServicesSmokingSocietiesSourceStudentsTeton Sioux IndianTrainingTribesUnderrepresented PopulationsUnited States Public Health ServiceUniversitiesWashingtonagedaging relatedcare systemscollegedementia riskeconomic impactexperiencehealth datahealth disparityhigh riskhuman old age (65+)human very old age (85+)improvedlife spanlow socioeconomic statusmembermid-career facultymild cognitive impairmentmortalityolder adultprogramspublic health researchrepositoryrole modelsocialstatisticstransmission processtribal Nationtribal communitytribal healthtribal membertribal organizationundergraduate studentvirtual
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