Mid-Life Health in Rural America: Risk and Resilience
Official title: Mid-Life Health in the Rural South: Risk and Resilience
Funded at University of Vermont & St Agric College · NIH-11395296 · Data updated 2026-11-12
A study in rural North Carolina and surrounding areas aims to understand why health differences emerge in mid-life among African American and White adults, by following people over time and collecting health, cognitive, and life context data.
Quick facts
| Grant type | R01 grant |
|---|---|
| Study type | NIH-funded research |
| Funding institution | University of Vermont & St Agric College NIH-funded |
| Lab location | 1 site (Burlington, United States) |
| Project start | September 15, 2023 |
| Project end | May 31, 2028 |
| Funding year | 2026 |
| Award (this year) | $594,812 |
| NIH project number | 5R01AG080485-04 |
| Project ID | NIH-11395296 on NIH RePORTER |
Who could benefit from this research
✓Could help
Adults aged 30 to 55 living in rural parts of North Carolina, including African American and non-African American individuals.
✕Less likely to help
People outside the target rural regions or outside the 30–55 age range may not directly benefit.
What this research studies
This project builds on long-running rural aging studies to examine how social, economic, and health factors influence health outcomes in mid-life. Researchers will recruit participants from rural areas, administer in-home assessments, and collect measurements such as height, weight, blood pressure, lung function, blood spots, and cognitive tests. They will also use ecological momentary assessment to track day-to-day mood and life circumstances over several months. The goal is to identify risk and resilience factors that shape health in rural populations, with a focus on African American communities in the Black Belt region.
Why it matters
Potential benefit: Understanding these factors could lead to targeted strategies to improve health and prevent decline in rural mid-life adults.
How similar studies have gone: The study builds on established rural aging research, expanding its scope with new samples and measures, which have shown promise in similar populations.
Where this research is happening
-
University of Vermont & St Agric College
Burlington, United States Active
Researchers
- Principal investigator: Copeland, William — University of Vermont & St Agric College
- Study coordinator: Copeland, William
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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.