How Neighborhoods Shape Aging and Health Over Time
Official title: Examining Influences of Place-Based Long-Term and Contemporary Neighborhood Factors on Aging-Related Disease Risk Trajectories: Leveraging the HANDLS Dataset
Funded at Rutgers, the State Univ of N.j. · NIH-11369963 · Data updated 2026-11-12
This study looks at how long-term and current neighborhood factors in Baltimore-area neighborhoods affect aging-related health, memory, and daily functioning.
Quick facts
| Grant type | R01 grant |
|---|---|
| Study type | NIH-funded research |
| Funding institution | Rutgers, the State Univ of N.j. NIH-funded |
| Lab location | 1 site (Piscataway, United States) |
| Project start | September 1, 2024 |
| Project end | May 31, 2029 |
| Funding year | 2026 |
| Award (this year) | $734,648 |
| NIH project number | 5R01AG078675-03 |
| Project ID | NIH-11369963 on NIH RePORTER |
Who could benefit from this research
✓Could help
Adults living in or moving through aging-friendly neighborhoods, particularly those in or around Baltimore with interest in aging health.
✕Less likely to help
People not affected by neighborhood aging factors or those not engaged with community environments may see limited direct benefit.
What this research studies
Researchers will combine long-term and current neighborhood data to see how place-based factors like transportation, services, housing, and walkability relate to cognitive aging, functional decline, and frailty across adults aged 21 and older. Using the HANDLS dataset, they will examine how these neighborhood conditions interact with age, education, and income to influence aging trajectories. The goal is to identify which neighborhood features most strongly influence healthy aging so communities can be designed to support older residents.
Why it matters
Potential benefit: If successful, findings could guide urban planning and community interventions to promote healthier aging and reduce cognitive and physical decline.
How similar studies have gone: Prior work suggests neighborhood environments impact aging-related health, but this project aims to clarify long-term versus contemporary exposures and their pathways.
Where this research is happening
-
Rutgers, the State Univ of N.j.
Piscataway, United States Active
Researchers
- Principal investigator: Beatty Moody, Danielle Lathel — Rutgers, the State Univ of N.j.
- Study coordinator: Beatty Moody, Danielle Lathel
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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.