How friendships and community affect thinking and memory in older Black and Latino gay and bisexual men in New Jersey
Social Networks and Cognitive Health among Black and Latino sexual minority men in NJ
This project looks at how friends, family, and social connections relate to activity levels and thinking skills in aging Black and Latino gay, bisexual, and other men who have sex with men in New Jersey.
Quick facts
| Grant type | R01 grant |
|---|---|
| Study type | NIH-funded research |
| Funding institution | Rutgers Biomedical and Health Sciences NIH-funded |
| Lab location | 1 site (Newark, UNITED STATES) |
| Project ID | NIH-11364787 on NIH RePORTER |
What this research studies
You would join a group of about 400 older Black and Latino sexual minority men recruited through friend referrals in three New Jersey counties. The team will ask about your social ties, experiences of stigma and support, daily activities, and do tests of thinking and memory over time. They will map social networks and track how stable and connected those networks are and whether changes predict later activity levels and cognitive changes. The study combines regular follow-up visits and network-based recruitment to understand how relationships help or hurt cognitive health.
Who could benefit from this research
Good fit: Black or Latino men who identify as gay, bisexual, or as sexual minority men, who are middle-aged or older and live in Essex, Bergen, or Hudson counties, New Jersey, are ideal candidates.
Not a fit: People who are not Black or Latino sexual minority men, who live outside the three New Jersey counties, or who cannot take part in the study visits and network-based recruitment are unlikely to directly benefit from participating.
Why it matters
Potential benefit: If successful, the findings could help create community-based approaches to keep thinking and memory healthier for aging Black and Latino sexual minority men.
How similar studies have performed: Some social network interventions have helped health behaviors in other groups, but applying network approaches to cognitive health in aging Black and Latino sexual minority men is relatively new.
Where this research is happening
Newark, UNITED STATES
- Rutgers Biomedical and Health Sciences — Newark, United States (Active)
Researchers
- Principal investigator: Yang, Cui — Rutgers Biomedical and Health Sciences
- Study coordinator: Yang, Cui
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.