Advancing Aging Research through a Health Disparities Perspective

Juliana Teruel Camargo; Jessica T Smith; Erik J Rodriquez; Eliseo J Pérez-Stable

doi:10.1093/gerona/glae082

Advancing Aging Research through a Health Disparities Perspective

J Gerontol A Biol Sci Med Sci. 2024 Mar 19:glae082. doi: 10.1093/gerona/glae082. Online ahead of print.

Authors

Juliana Teruel Camargo¹, Jessica T Smith², Erik J Rodriquez¹, Eliseo J Pérez-Stable^{1

3}

Affiliations

¹ Division of Intramural Research, National Heart, Lung, and Blood Institute, National Institutes of Health, Bethesda, MD, USA.
² Division of Intramural Research, National Institute on Aging, National Institutes of Health, Baltimore, MD, USA.
³ Office of the Director, National Institute on Minority Health and Health Disparities, National Institutes of Health, Bethesda, MD, USA.

PMID: 38502828
DOI: 10.1093/gerona/glae082

Abstract

The proportion of older adults in the U.S. is growing, and the older adult population is also becoming increasingly diverse. However, there are limited data on the aging process and older adults in underserved populations. Equitable participation in research studies on aging, the research workforce, and the healthcare workforce is critical to improve health outcomes for the entire U.S. population. Health disparities frameworks offer researchers and healthcare professionals the tools to develop and evaluate aging research that addresses all levels of analysis and domains of influence. Although there have been efforts to diversify the healthcare and research workforce, significant disparities in representation remain. In this perspective, we discuss existing aging health disparities, health disparities frameworks to use as tools to better conduct aging research, methods to enhance the proportion of underrepresented populations in aging research, and the current gaps in as well as efforts to enhance the diversity of the healthcare and research workforces.

Keywords: Diversity; Equity; Geroscience; Health Inequities; Inclusion.