Adam Allouch
Pronouns:
Research Mentor(s): Toni Antonucci
Co-Presenter:
Research Mentor School/College/Department: Psychology and ISR / LSA
Presentation Date: April 20
Presentation Type: Poster
Session: Session 4 – 2:40pm – 3:30 pm
Room: League Ballroom
Authors: Adam Allouch, Toni Antouncci, Noah Webster, Kristine Ajrouch
Presenter: 95
Abstract
This study is derived from a project known as Detroit Area Wellness Network (DAWN), using data from a random sample of 200 White, 200 Black, and 200 Middle Eastern participants from the Metro Detroit Area. The focus of this study is the participants’ social networks contact frequency (prior to and following the COVID-19 pandemic), to investigate if associations between these factors and poor cognitive health differ amongst Arab American, White, and Black participants aged 65 and older. Telephone surveys were used to assess the general health, social network, life satisfaction, family structure, and cognitive health of this sample. Participants self-reported their contact frequency before and after the pandemic, and ognitive function, semantic memory, verbal short-time memory, and working memory were quantified through category fluency tests, CERAD, and digit spans. Previous findings demonstrate the profound association of both loneliness and social isolation with decreased cognitive function (Lara et al., 2019). While social isolation is simply having very few contacts in a social network, the feeling of loneliness is a psychological phenomenon that does not necessitate being socially isolated (Gierveld et al., 1986). Initiation of data analysis is currently under way following participant tracking for other studies*. Using this study, at risk-demographics can potentially be identified based on cultural trends, allowing for tailored and prompt interventions to be made for populations in need. This way, cognitive impairment can be acted on before the exacerbation of said conditions through social isolation, and less individuals and their loved ones would have to cope with them.
Social Sciences
