Better data to understand health differences across people's lives
A Next Generation Data Infrastructure to Understand Disparities across the Life Course
This project will create a larger, more detailed national panel to track day-to-day life and health experiences of U.S. adults so we can learn why some groups face worse health.
Quick facts
| Grant type | U01 cooperative agreement |
|---|---|
| Study type | NIH-funded research |
| Funding institution | University of Southern California NIH-funded |
| Lab location | 1 site (Los Angeles, UNITED STATES) |
| Project ID | NIH-11180198 on NIH RePORTER |
What this research studies
You would be invited to join a nationwide panel of adults who answer regular surveys and may share data from wearables, brief in-the-moment reports, and linked records like medical or financial information. The team plans to expand the current panel to about 20,000 people with extra representation from key groups and rural areas, and surveys are offered in English and Spanish. Participants who need devices can be provided internet-enabled tablets to take part. The project will combine these data types and share findings and data tools with the wider research community to help others study health disparities.
Who could benefit from this research
Good fit: Adults in the United States who can complete surveys (English or Spanish) and are willing to share wearable, survey, or linked administrative data are ideal candidates.
Not a fit: People under 21, those unable to use internet devices, or those unwilling to share personal or linked data are unlikely to be eligible or benefit from participation.
Why it matters
Potential benefit: If successful, this could help identify daily-life causes of health differences and guide programs, policies, or services that reduce health disparities.
How similar studies have performed: The Understanding America Study and other national panels have successfully tracked health trends, and combining wearables and administrative links shows promise although this level of scale and data integration is relatively new.
Where this research is happening
Los Angeles, UNITED STATES
- University of Southern California — Los Angeles, United States (Active)
Researchers
- Principal investigator: Kapteyn, Arie — University of Southern California
- Study coordinator: Kapteyn, Arie
About this research
- This is an active NIH-funded research project — typically early-stage science, not a clinical trial accepting patient enrollment.
- Some NIH-funded labs run parallel clinical studies or seek volunteers for related work. To check, contact the principal investigator or institution listed above.
- For full project details, budget, and progress reports, visit the official NIH RePORTER page below.