Wabanaki Native American Research Center for Health (Wabanaki NARCH) Research Project 1 (RP1): The Voices of our Elders

Status: Current

Grant Start: 09/01/2021

Grant End: 08/31/2025

 This effort is a partnership between Washington State University, the University of Miami, and Wabanaki Public Health and Wellness, a Tribally-founded and directed public health district serving all four federally recognized Tribes in Maine, collectively known as the Wabanaki Tribes. Approximately 875 American Indians aged 55 and older reside in the service delivery areas of the four tribes, yet nothing is known about their cognitive function or clinical prevalence ADRD or multiple cognitive impairment. Our study will contribute invaluable public health data for Wabanaki Public Health and American Indians nationally, and contribute to the development of ADRD-related health interventions tailored to the needs of Wabanaki communities and other American Indian populations.

Partners

  • Wabanaki Public Health and Wellness
  • Houlton Band of Maliseet Indians
  • Mi'qmak Nation
  • Passamaquoddy Tribe at Motahkomikuk
  • Passamaquoddy Tribe at Sipyaik
  • Penobscot Nation

Funding Sponsors

  • Federal - National Institutes of Health
  • National Institute on Aging (NIA)
  • National Institute of General Medical Sciences

Communities Involved

  • Tribal communities

Study Locations

  • Maine

Study Type

  • Community based participatory research
  • Population-based epidemiologic study
  • Case-control validation study

Study Characteristics

  • Ages 50 plus

IREACH Programs

Principal Investigator(s)

Heath Research Initiatives

  • American Indian and Alaska Native

Focus Areas

  • Alzheimer's disease
  • Health disparities