Study Design and Implementation of the PINE Study

TLDR

Chinese older adults face research participation barriers due to cultural and linguistic diversity, demographic characteristics, and residential patterns, limiting their access to advances in aging science. The study was initiated to fill the gap in systematic understanding of the Chinese aging population through the Population‑Based Study of Chinese Elderly in Chicago (PINE). PINE employed a community‑based participatory research design, recruiting Chinese adults aged 60+ in Greater Chicago and using community‑engaged recruitment, innovative data collection, and culturally and linguistically sensitive infrastructure. The study described its design and implementation, highlighting adaptation strategies for a population‑based study in the Chinese community, and discussed implications for future minority aging and social science research.

Abstract

Objective: Multiple barriers in research participation have excluded the Chinese older adults from benefitting the recent advancement of aging sciences. The paucity of systematic understanding of Chinese aging population necessitated the Population-Based Study of ChINese Elderly in Chicago (PINE). Method: Guided by community-based participatory research approach, the PINE study is a population-based epidemiological study of Chinese older adults aged 60 and above in the Greater Chicago area. Results: We described study design and implantation of the PINE study, highlighting strategies in adapting a population-based study design to the Chinese community. These measures included community-engaged recruitment, innovative data collection methods, and culturally and linguistically sensitive study infrastructure. Discussion: The intricate cultural and linguistic diversity among U.S. Chinese older adults, coupled with their demographic characteristics and residential pattern, present challenges and opportunities in implementing a population-based study of older adults. Implications for the research and practice in relation to future minority aging and social sciences studies are discussed.