# PHYSICAL FRAILTY IN URBAN AFRICAN-AMERICANS

> **NIH NIH R01** · SAINT LOUIS UNIVERSITY · 1992 · $202,185

## Abstract

St. Louis University (SLU) and Community Health-in-Partnership Services
(CHIPS) are collaborating to develop programs to reduce frailty as
identified by physical weakness and instability of gait and balance) in
community-dwelling African-American seniors living in a 3.25 square mile
area of north St. Louis city.  The project described herein is one of the
initial steps toward meeting this goal.  The specific aims of the project
are to define (1) the distribution of frailty measures in elderly subjects
living in this community; (2) factors associated with progression in
frailty measures; and (3) the effect of frailty on deterioration in self
care functioning.  The effect of frailty on injurious falls, restricted
activity days, use of home health services, hospitalization, long term care
institutionalization, and mortality will also be examined.  Methods involve
the acquisition of one group of 400 subjects selected at random from the
catchment area using a sample frame developed from HCFA's Medicare
Eligibility Enrollment File recruited during the first grant year and a
second group of 400 to 500 subjects recruited from SLU-CHIPS seniors,
programs recruited during the second year. Both groups will be followed
every two months for the duration of the project.  Measured variables
include sociodemographic factors; reported physical, psychological, and
social functioning, including activities of daily living; social support;
socioeconomic status; medical diagnoses; medications; cognitive impairment;
depression; timed physical performance (hand, shoulder, lower extremity,
and walking); stability of gait and balance; health services utilization;
and mortality. Extensive quality control of data collection will be
employed. Distribution of frailty measures will be estimated using the
randomly selected sample.  Risk factors for frailty progression will be
determined using both samples and multiple linear regression (MLR).  MLR on
multiple linear regression will be used to evaluate the impact of frailty
or decline in self care functioning (depending on the measure).

## Key facts

- **NIH application ID:** 3122341
- **Project number:** 5R01AG010436-02
- **Recipient organization:** SAINT LOUIS UNIVERSITY
- **SAM.gov UEI:** JNBLLTBTLLD8
- **Principal Investigator:** DOUGLAS K. MILLER
- **Activity code:** R01 (R01, R21, SBIR, etc.)
- **Funding institute:** NIH
- **Fiscal year:** 1992
- **Award amount:** $202,185
- **Award type:** 5
- **Project period:** 1991-09-30 → 1996-06-30

## Primary source

NIH RePORTER: https://reporter.nih.gov/project-details/3122341

## Citation

> US National Institutes of Health, RePORTER application 3122341, PHYSICAL FRAILTY IN URBAN AFRICAN-AMERICANS (5R01AG010436-02). Retrieved via MORVS 2026-10-25 from https://api.morvs.ai/grant/nih/3122341. Licensed CC0.

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