How incarceration history affects midlife health and dementia risk
Consequences of Incarceration on Health, Age-Related Conditions, and Risk Factors for ADRD
Researchers will follow adults who were incarcerated as youth to learn how jail and prison experiences relate to health in midlife and future dementia risk.
Quick facts
| Grant type | R01 grant |
|---|---|
| Study type | NIH-funded research |
| Funding institution | Northwestern University NIH-funded |
| Lab location | 1 site (Chicago, United States) |
| Project ID | NIH-11308740 on NIH RePORTER |
What this research studies
This project follows people from a long-term group who were involved with the juvenile justice system and are now in their 40s. If you join, researchers will collect your health measurements, surveys, and detailed incarceration history to examine how frequency, duration, age at incarceration, and facility type relate to midlife health and dementia risk. The team will focus on changeable risk factors like high blood pressure, diabetes, smoking, alcohol use, obesity, exercise, depression, and social connections. Methods include interviews, medical exams, and review of records to identify factors that could be changed to lower future dementia risk.
Who could benefit from this research
Good fit: Ideal participants are adults now in midlife (around 39–49) who experienced incarceration as adolescents or young adults and are willing to share health information and records.
Not a fit: People without a history of incarceration or those well outside the midlife age range are unlikely to gain direct benefit from participating.
Why it matters
Potential benefit: If successful, the project could identify specific changeable health factors linked to incarceration and inform programs to reduce dementia risk among formerly incarcerated people.
How similar studies have performed: Few prior studies have looked prospectively at incarceration 'dose' and dementia risk, though a small pilot (n=65) showed the methods are feasible.
Where this research is happening
Chicago, United States
- Northwestern University — Chicago, United States (Active)
Researchers
- Principal investigator: Teplin, Linda a — Northwestern University
- Study coordinator: Teplin, Linda a
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.