Announcing the Final Examination of Mona Shah for the Degree of Master of Science in Psychology - Clinical

Thursday, September 3, 2015 10 a.m. to noon
Thesis title: Alcohol Consumption, Frailty, and the Mediating Role of C-Reactive Protein (CRP) in Older Adults.

Explanation: Frailty is a well-established indicator of late-life decline and is accompanied by higher rates of comorbidity and disability. Meanwhile, an estimated 41% of adults over the age of 65 report consuming alcohol – an identified health risk and protective factor depending on dosage. Given that the demographic group of older Americans is projected to double by the year 2050, identification of frailty risk and protective factors is imperative. The goals of this thesis are to (1) identify how varying levels of alcohol consumption relate to frailty, and (2) elucidate a possible mechanism that accounts for the relationship between alcohol consumption and frailty. A sample of stroke-free participants over the age of 65 was identified from the Health and Retirement Study. Study 1 utilized stepwise logistic regression models to identify predictors of prevalent frailty at baseline (2000), and of incident frailty 4, 8, and 12 years later. For both males and females, significant predictors of frailty at all years included age, CES-D score, and medical burden score. In addition, BMI was a significant predictor of frailty for females at all years. With respect to alcohol use, results revealed that drinking 1-7 drinks per week had a protective effect for females at baseline (OR=0.50) and 12 years later (OR=0.75); however, no such protective effects were found for males. Given that extant research has identified CRP to mediate the relationship between moderate alcohol use and cardiovascular health benefits, Study 2 used a cross-sectional sample from the 2008 wave and employed structural equation modeling to examine the relationship between moderate alcohol use, frailty, and CRP. Results from Study 2 support the hypothesized model that moderate alcohol is associated with less frailty, and that this relationship is partially mediated by CRP levels. Overall findings suggest that moderate alcohol use confers health benefits for females by reducing frailty risk and that CRP is one mechanism by which alcohol use may confer protective effects for frailty. Future research should further examine the relationship between alcohol use and frailty and determine if CRP mediates the relationship between moderate alcohol use and other beneficial health outcomes.  Read More

Location:

Psychology Building: 135


Calendar:

Psychology Department Calendar

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Academic

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