Catherine Garcia (HDFS / ASI) PI, Socioenvironmental Influences on Health Among Older Island Puerto Ricans, University of Alabama at Birmingham / NIH. 8/23/21-4/30/22
Research on the socioenvironmental context in Puerto Rico has been extremely limited and little is known about the pathways that link the residential environment to health among older adults. Using data from the longitudinal Puerto Rican Elderly Health Conditions Project (PREHCO) collected in 2002-03, 2006-07, and 2020-21, this study investigates how housing, neighborhoods, health care environments, and physical hazards influence the health and well-being of older community-dwelling Puerto Ricans. Results from the study will provide new insights into the structural and social determinants of aging among community-dwelling older adults in Puerto Rico that can be used to inform future research as well as policies for designing communities that support aging in place, especially in the context of compounding disasters (e.g., debt crisis, Hurricane María, COVID-19).