Health Disparities Framework

LIFECOURSE PERSPECTIVE

Lifecourse perspective definition: "The life course perspective (or life course theory) (LCT) is a multidisciplinary approach that examines how biological, social, environmental, and behavioral factors shape individual health. It considers both the entire life span and specific life stages to understand how experiences across time influence health trajectories and contribute to health disparities at the population level. This approach encompasses ideas and observations from an array of academic and scientific disciplines, notably history, sociology, demography, economics, anthropology, psychology, physiology and biology."

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The NIA Health Disparities Research Framework is a resource for scientists interested in investigating health disparities related to aging. The Framework outlines four key levels of analysis related to disparities research–environmental, sociocultural, behavioral, and biological—with priority focus areas in each level. The Framework can aid in highlighting important factors related to the aging process to be considered in health disparities research, stimulates opportunities to further describe causal pathways among different factors, and further expanding different targets to be examined in interventions, thereby facilitating NIA’s efforts to ultimately eliminate health disparities among older adults. Developing aging research studies that reflect the levels of analysis described in the Framework can also shape evidenced-based interventions to help address, understand, and create activities that lead to better health outcomes for everyone.