How neighborhoods and social ties affect long-term body stress
Neighborhood, social connectedness, and allostatic load
This project looks at whether neighborhood type and how connected Chinese American adults feel are linked to long-term wear-and-tear on the body.
Quick facts
| Grant type | R01 grant |
|---|---|
| Study type | NIH-funded research |
| Funding institution | Research Inst of Fox Chase Can Ctr NIH-funded |
| Lab location | 1 site (Philadelphia, United States) |
| Project ID | NIH-11248270 on NIH RePORTER |
What this research studies
If you join, researchers will ask about your social connections, neighborhood, and how long you've lived in the U.S., and will take health measures like blood pressure, body measurements, and blood samples to measure allostatic load. They will compare people living in ethnic enclaves versus other neighborhoods and people with different lengths of U.S. residence to see whether social connectedness relates to biological stress markers. Data will come from surveys, physical exams, and lab tests with active follow-up over time. You would not get immediate treatment from the project, but your participation could help shape community supports to reduce chronic stress.
Who could benefit from this research
Good fit: Ideal participants are Chinese American adults (many likely foreign-born) willing to complete questionnaires and provide blood samples and basic physical measurements.
Not a fit: People not of Chinese descent, those uninterested in social or neighborhood research, or anyone seeking direct clinical treatment are unlikely to receive personal medical benefit from participation.
Why it matters
Potential benefit: Could identify social or neighborhood changes that lower biological stress and help prevent chronic disease in Chinese American communities.
How similar studies have performed: Prior studies in other immigrant groups have linked longer U.S. residence to higher allostatic load, but applying this approach to Chinese Americans and neighborhood social connectedness is relatively new.
Where this research is happening
Philadelphia, United States
- Research Inst of Fox Chase Can Ctr — Philadelphia, United States (Active)
Researchers
- Principal investigator: Fang, Carolyn Y. — Research Inst of Fox Chase Can Ctr
- Study coordinator: Fang, Carolyn Y.
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.