Public Health.

Area of Science:

• Gerontology
• Neuroscience
• Public Health

Background:

• Resilience research in aging and dementia is growing but faces methodological hurdles in diverse populations.
• Disparities in risk/protective factors and social support access impact resilience patterns.
• Understanding these complexities is crucial for promoting brain health across intersectional communities.

Purpose of the Study:

• Identify key methodological challenges in researching resilience within diverse aging communities.
• Provide recommendations for precise detection and enhancement of resilience.
• Promote healthier brain aging and delay or prevent dementia through inclusive research.

Main Methods:

• Consolidated reviews of resilience research from NIH and other groups.
• Analyzed existing research on resilience in diverse communities and identities.
• Incorporated findings from the 2024 Montreal collaboratory on inclusive diversity research.

Main Results:

• Refine conceptualization and measurement of resilience, exposure, and disparities.
• Enhance recruitment, retention, and reporting for diverse participants.
• Implement longitudinal, precision-directed study designs with advanced analytics (e.g., AI).
• Explore diverse aging/dementia databases with key methodological features.

Conclusions:

• Developed a roadmap with recommendations for integrating diversity into resilience research.
• Illustrated strategies using conceptual frameworks and empirical results.
• Aims to guide future research for equitable brain health outcomes.