Aging Fast & Slow

Policies are pivotal for shaping the structural resilience of communities, influencing their ability to navigate and overcome adversity. In this episode, we are joined by Dr. Vincent Guilamo-Ramos, Director of The Institute for Policy Solutions at the Johns Hopkins School of Nursing, to explore how policies, social determinants of health, and structural resilience intersect to shape community well-being and examine how thoughtful policy frameworks can either bolster or hinder a community's ability to overcome adversity.  References Guilamo-Ramos V et al. Nurse-led approaches to address social determinants of health and advance health equity: A new framework and its implications. Nursing Outlook. November/December 2023. Guilamo-Ramos V et al. Paternal Communication and Sexual Health Clinic Visits Among Latino and Black Adolescent Males With Resident and Nonresident Fathers. Journal of Adolescent Health. September 2023. Guilamo-Ramos V et al. Community-engaged Mpox vaccination provides lessons for equitable health care in the United States. Nature Medicine. September 2023.

Ongoing research is shedding light on the complex dimensions of structural resilience. In this episode, we are joined by Dr. Kamila Alexander, an Associate Professor at Johns Hopkins School of Nursing. Dr. Alexander's research focuses on understanding how socio-structural factors impact health outcomes of marginalized youth, particularly regarding trauma, violence, and sexual, mental, and reproductive health. She shares insights from her work on how communities can overcome challenges, utilize resources, and promote sustainable development despite facing adversity. References Alexander KA et al. Intervention Approaches to Address Intimate Partner Violence and HIV: a Scoping Review of Recent Research. Current HIV/AIDS Reports. September 2023. Alexander KA et al. Contraceptive Use Among Women Experiencing Intimate Partner Violence and Reproductive Coercion: The Moderating Role of PTSD and Depression. Violence Against Women. February 2023. Alexander KA et al. Having a Child Meant I had a Real Life: Reproductive Coercion and Childbearing Motivations Among Young Black Men Living in Baltimore. Journal of Interpersonal Violence. June 2019. Alexander KA, Szanton SL, et al. Life Space and Activity Space Measurement: Making ‘Room’ for Structural Racism. The Gerontogist. November 2023.

This episode delves into the powerful connection between resilience and civic engagement that enables underserved communities to not just withstand systemic challenges but to emerge stronger. Our guest for this conversation is Dr. Hahrie Han, the Director of the SNF Agora Institute and a Professor of Political Science at Johns Hopkins University. Dr. Han explores how grassroots organizations transform community engagement into political influence. Join us as we explore the juncture of societal structures, grassroots movements, and the enduring resilience of communities striving for a more equitable future. References Han H, Kim, JY, de Vries, M. The unequal landscape of civic opportunity in America. Nature Human Behavior. November 2023. Han H, McKenna E, Oyakawa M. Prisms of the People. University of Chicago Press. 2021.

Grandmothers, coaches, school nurses, barbers — what are the roles of non-traditional community leaders like these and what critical roles can they play in engaging historically divested communities and isolated individuals? How can art, imagination, and collective action model best practices for more equitable structures? We are joined by Marisa Morán Jahn, an artist whose work with low-wage workers, new immigrant families, and public housing residents has been described by the Chicago Tribune as exploring “civic spaces and the radical art of play.” She is Director of Integrated Design at Parsons/The New School and a Senior Researcher at MIT. We are also joined by Micah Campbell-Smith, a community developer who launched Black Pittsburgh Matters and has designed policies and trainings with New York’s Community Preservation Corporation and Pittsburgh’s Urban Redevelopment Authority.

For the past three seasons, we've delved deep into the critical issue of structural racism, shedding light on its complex web of historical, political, and social factors that contribute to its persistence. Another critical aspect of this topic pertains to the resilience and fortitude cultivated within communities in the face of structural racism. Our upcoming podcast season will feature scientists, policy experts, and innovators to shed light on the importance of building personal and communal resilience as a means of empowerment and healing in the face of systemic injustices.

The complex aspects of structural racism—encompassing policies, practices, and cultural biases—make it difficult to measure, often requiring innovative methods that account for historical and contemporary disparities. In this episode, we speak with Dr. Karen Bandeen-Roche, a distinguished biostatistician who has mastered the art of quantifying the unquantifiable. Dr. Bandeen-Roche guides us through her expertise in measuring elusive variables such as frailty and how this skill could illuminate aspects of healthcare's structural racism.  References Bandeen-Roche K, Gross A L, et al. Principles and Issues for Physical Frailty Measurement and Its Clinical Application. The Gerontological Society of America. July 2019. Bandeen-Roche K, Xue Q-L, et al. Phenotype of Frailty: Characterization in the Women’s Health and Aging Studies. Journal of Gerontology. March 2006.

In the realm of addressing health disparities and fostering health equity, the intricacies of socioeconomic factors and their profound influence cannot be understated. In this podcast episode, we welcome Dr. Laura Samuel, an Assistant Professor at the Johns Hopkins School of Nursing, whose expertise in addressing socioeconomic disparities offers profound insights that contribute to the broader dialogue on health equity. Tune in as we explore the interplay of socioeconomic factors that shape health outcomes, and discover the transformative potential of this work in reshaping the landscape of health disparities. References Samuel L, Dwivedi P, Hladek M, Cudjoe T, Drazich B, Li Q, Szanton S. The effect of COVID-19 pandemic-related financial challenges on mental health and well-being among US older adults. Journal of the American Geriatric Society. October 2021. Samuel L, Crews D, Swenor B, Szanton S, et al. Supplemental Nutrition Assistance Program Access and Racial Disparities in Food Insecurity. JAMA Network Open. June 2023. Samuel L, Wright R, Taylor J, Lavigne L, Szanton S. Social Norms About Handling Financial Challenges in Relation to Health-Protective Capacity Among Low-Income Older Adults. The Gerontologist, May 2022.

In this podcast episode, we explore how neighborhoods and the policies that govern those communities can reveal long-standing issues of racism within our society. Our guest, Dr. Odis Johnson, Jr. from Johns Hopkins University, is an expert in multiple fields, including health policy, education, and sociology. Dr. Johnson helps us understand how these issues have led to ongoing inequalities, particularly for marginalized communities. We discuss how past discriminatory policies still impact us today and why we need significant changes in our systems. Dr. Johnson also explains how these policies affect the quality of schools in different neighborhoods and their impact on students' success.  References Johnson Jr. O, Jabbari J. Suspended While Black in Majority White Schools: Implications for Math Efficacy and Equity. The Educational Forum. November 2021. Johnson Jr. O. Exogenous Policy, Racial Avoidance, and the Qualified Relevance of Macroeconomic Change to Metropolitan Inequality. Teachers College Record: The Voice of Scholarship in Education. May 2022.