Related Experiment Video
Updated: Jan 27, 2026
Dried Blood Spot Collection of Health Biomarkers to Maximize Participation in Population Studies
Published on: January 28, 2014
Demographic-Specific Rates for Life Events in the Cardiovascular Health Study and Comparisons With Other Studies
Peter P Vitaliano1, Annette L Fitzpatrick2,3, Lee E Williams4
1Department of Psychiatry and Behavioral Sciences, University of Washington Seattle.
Insights
This study analyzed life event rates in older adults using the Cardiovascular Health Study (CHS) and other cohorts. Demographic factors like race and marital status significantly influenced the occurrence of various life events in the CHS cohort.
Area of Science:
- Gerontology
- Public Health
- Epidemiology
Background:
- Understanding life event frequency is crucial for assessing health risks in aging populations.
- Previous studies often lacked detailed demographic breakdowns or used inconsistent timeframes for life event assessment.
Purpose of the Study:
- To provide specific rates of life events experienced within six months for older adults in the Cardiovascular Health Study (CHS) cohort (N=5,849).
- To present life event rates from 29 additional studies involving community-residing older adults (N=41,308).
- To analyze demographic-specific rates and probabilities for age, gender, race, marital status, and education within the CHS sample.
Main Methods:
- Utilized data from the Cardiovascular Health Study (CHS), a diverse sample of Medicare enrollees.
- Employed interviewer-assessed life events and regression analyses to determine associations with demographic variables.
- Controlled for demographic factors such as gender, age, race, marital status, and education in statistical models.
Main Results:
- In the CHS, life event rates varied, with 'death of someone close' at 44.7% and 'retirement/work changes' at 1.1%.
- Race was associated with 8 life events, marital status with 7, education with 6, and age with 4 events in the CHS.
- Illness-related life events were linked to 5 demographic variables, caregiving difficulties to 4, and relationship issues to 3.
Conclusions:
- Identifying demographic groups at higher risk for life events is essential for targeting interventions and addressing health disparities in older adults.
- The findings provide critical data for developing targeted interventions, informing clinical practice, and shaping health policy for aging populations.
Purpose Of The Study:
(1a) We use the Cardiovascular Health Study (CHS), a multi-site heterogeneous sample of Medicare enrollees (N = 5,849) to provide rates for specific life events experienced within 6 months; (1b) We present rates for 29 other studies of community-residing older adults (N = 41,308); (2) For the CHS, we provide demographic-specific rates and predicted probabilities for age [young-old (65-75) vs old-old (≥75)], gender, race, marital status, and education.
Design/Methods:
The CHS sample is 57.6% women, 84.2% white (15.8% black), and 66.3% married. Mean age is 72.8 years (standard deviation [SD] = 5.6, range = 65-100) and education is 13.7 years (SD = 4.8). Life events were interviewer-assessed. Regressions estimated associations of life event rates with demographic groups (e.g., age), controlling for other demographic variables (e.g., gender, etc.).
Results:
(1a) CHS rates ranged from 44.7% (death of someone close) to 1.1% (retirement/work changes). (1b) Most life event studies used total scores and only 5 that met our inclusion criteria used time intervals <1 year; longer intervals were associated with higher rates. (2) In the CHS, the life event for illnesses was related to 5 demographic variables (net the other 4 demographic variables), difficulties caregiving to 4, and worse relationships to 3 demographic variables. Race was related to 8 life events, marital status to 7, education to 6, and age to 4 events.
Implications:
By identifying demographic groups at highest risk for life events, this research focuses on older adults at greatest risk for health problems. These data are necessary for translating research into interventions, practice, and policy.
More Related Videos
08:24The Joint Effect of Social Comparison and Social Distance on Evaluation of Intertemporal Choice Outcomes in Event-related Potential Studies
Published on: August 25, 2023
10:11Fundus Photography as a Convenient Tool to Study Microvascular Responses to Cardiovascular Disease Risk Factors in Epidemiological Studies
Published on: October 22, 2014
Related Concept Videos
01:17Imaging Studies for Cardiovascular System I:Echocardiography
Indications: Echocardiography is utilized to diagnose heart failure, valve disorders, and myocardial infarction. It also assesses cardiac structures' size, shape, and motion,...
01:28Imaging Studies for Cardiovascular System V: CT
01:20Imaging Studies for Cardiovascular System II:Types of Echocardiography
Types of Echocardiography
Transthoracic Echocardiography (TTE)
TTE is the most common type of echocardiogram which involves placing a transducer on the patient's chest, emitting sound waves to create heart images. TTE is invaluable for evaluating the heart's size, structure, and motion, making it particularly useful for...
01:20Blood Studies for Cardiovascular System I: Cardiac Biomarkers
The essential diagnostic tools for detecting myocardial necrosis and monitoring individuals suspected of having acute coronary syndrome (ACS) include:
Troponins
Troponins, particularly cardiac troponins I and T, are the most precise and sensitive markers of myocardial injury. They are detectable within 4-6 hours of myocardial injury and remain...
01:20Imaging Studies for Cardiovascular System III: X-Ray
Definition and Purpose
An X-ray, or radiograph, is a non-invasive method that uses ionizing radiation to take images of internal structures. It is mainly used in cardiac imaging to examine the heart, lungs, and major blood vessels, aiming to identify abnormalities in the heart's size, shape, and position, such as heart failure, congenital defects, and vascular...
01:21Imaging Studies for Cardiovascular System IV: CMRI