Bringing Transdisciplinary Aging Research from Theory to Practice

[Strengthening prevention and health promotion in and for old age]

BACKGROUND

Disease prevention and health promotion in and for old age have become increasingly more important. Nevertheless, more (national) research and implementation in practice is needed, as the international comparison shows.

OBJECTIVE

To develop guiding principles for research and practice on prevention and health promotion in and for old age.

MATERIAL AND METHODS

As part of an iterative process, members of the German Society of Gerontology and Geriatrics came together in workshops and symposia to formulate key guiding principles and fields of action for prevention and health promotion.

RESULTS

The following were worked out: 1) prevention and health promotion are useful and possible up to oldest age, 2) prevention and health promotion for advanced age should start early, 3) prevention and health promotion must take into account the diversity and heterogeneity of the life situations of old people, 4) prevention and health promotion promote and demand self-determination and participation, 5) prevention of multiple illnesses must be given greater attention, 6) prevention of the need for long-term care and prevention in long-term care must be treated equally, 7) prevention and health promotion must be thought of in terms of life worlds and across sectors, paying particular attention to aspects of social inequality and a focus on resources, 8) prevention and health promotion and the related research must be interdisciplinary and transdisciplinary and be applied at different levels, from molecular to societal.

DISCUSSION

The guiding principles outline the focal points of future-oriented ageing, health and healthcare research and open up fields of action but also show the limits of this approach for political decision-makers, researchers and practitioners.

Cultivating Relationships as a Community-Based Recruitment Strategy in Transdisciplinary Aging Research: Lessons From an Academic-Community Partnership

Participation of Black American older adults in community-engaged research remains challenging in health sciences. The objectives of this study were to describe the specific efforts, successes, and challenges in recruiting Black American older adults in research led by the Health and Wellness in Aging Across the Lifespan core, part of the Virginia Commonwealth University Institute for Inclusion, Inquiry, and Innovation (iCubed). We conducted a cross-case analysis of 6 community-engaged research projects using the community-engaged research continuum model. Successful recruitment strategies comprised a multifaceted approach to community-based collaboration, including a wellness program with a long standing relationship with the community, engaging key stakeholders and a community advisory board, and building a community-based coalition of stakeholders. Posting flyers and modest monetary compensation remain standard recruitment strategies. The cross-case analysis offered critical lessons on the community's nature and level of engagement in research. Relationship building based on trust and respect is essential to solving complex aging issues in the community.

How transdisciplinary research teams learn to do knowledge translation (KT), and how KT in turn impacts transdisciplinary research: a realist evaluation and longitudinal case study

BACKGROUND

Transdisciplinary research and knowledge translation are increasingly regarded as key concepts underpinning applied research across the health and social sciences, due to their presumed potential in addressing complex, "wicked" problems and improving the use of research in practice and policy, respectively. Despite sharing an impact mandate, the relationship between transdisciplinary research collaboration and knowledge translation remains unclear. In response, we examined the relationship between transdisciplinary collaboration and knowledge translation to generate these understandings with a view towards maximizing the impact of collaborative efforts.

METHODS

We undertook a realist evaluation and longitudinal case study of a 5-year National Health and Medical Research Council-funded Centre of Research Excellence in Transdisciplinary Frailty Research. Data were collected between February 2017 and March 2020 over three rounds of theory development, refinement and testing using interviews, observation, document review and visual elicitation as data sources. The Human Research Ethics Committee of the University of Adelaide approved this study.

RESULTS

Iterative analysis of narrative interviews and visual data led to the development of three overarching programme theories explicating the reciprocal relationship between KT understandings and transdisciplinary team process. These programme theories revolve around the concept of a network, which we define in alignment with extant theoretical literature on network mechanisms and complex networks as graphically representable networks of agents/people (nodes) joined by social relationships (links). Our findings demonstrate that under the right contextual conditions, transdisciplinary team members respond through an improved ability to (1) navigate the network, (2) negotiate the network and (3) mobilize the network.

CONCLUSIONS

This research demonstrates the reciprocity and mutually supportive relationship between transdisciplinary research and knowledge translation. Our findings suggest that embedding a collaborative knowledge translation framework and providing resources such as facilitation and distributed leadership within a transdisciplinary team can improve collaboration and support transdisciplinary research objectives.

Socioeconomic Effects on Psychosocial Factors Among Low-Income Older Adults

Objectives: Older adults have been disproportionately affected by COVID-19. The primary goal of this study is to determine the socioeconomic effects on psychosocial factors among low-income independent-living older adults, in an urban setting, during the COVID-pandemic. Methods: Participants were recruited through Virginia Commonwealth University’s Richmond Health and Wellness Program. Telephone surveys (n=100) were conducted using the Epidemic – Pandemic Impacts Inventory Geriatric with the Racial/Ethnic Discrimination addendum. Responses were analyzed for income and education effects across seven domains: home life, social activities/isolation, economic, emotional health-wellbeing, physical health, COVID-infection history, and positive change behaviors/experiences. Results: The sample population was between 51 and 87 years of age, 88% were Black, 57% reported incomes of $10,000/year or less, and 60% reported a high-school education or less. There were income effects for social activities/isolation (f = 3.69, p<.05) and positive change (f = 8.40, p<.01), and education effects for COVID History (f = 4.20, p <.04). Discussion: Overall results highlight the social patterns for a diverse sample of low-income urban older adults; education and income are identified as risk factors for social losses, COVID-infection experiences, racial/ethnic discrimination during the COVID-pandemic, and positive change behaviors.