PhD student : Mariami Malania
Title : Epidemiology of ageing concepts in an extended population
Supervisors : Benjamin Landré & Archana Singh-Manoux
Doctoral school : ED 393 Institut Pierre Louis d‘Épidémiologie et de Santé Publique
Promotion : 2027
Funding : Agence Nationale de la Recherche
Thesis abstract :
Background
Multimorbidity, frailty, and limitations in activities of daily living are key concepts used to examine and monitor the health status of older adults. These tools aim to capture the complex health profiles of a population that is known to be heterogeneous. The goal is notably to gain knowledge on why people seek care, and to obtain insight into their mortality risks. These concepts, developed primarily for older adults, is progressively being used in a broader age range, including middle-aged adults, in epidemiological research. How well these measures perform over the older life span remains unclear. For example, the frailty measure was developed on adults over 80 years but its salience for younger individuals (midlife and early old age) is not yet known. Similarly, due to advances in medical care, multimorbidity is common in midlife and early old age. Whether multimorbidity at any age carries similar risk of mortality is unclear.
Research questions
This project seeks to shed light on the value of epidemiological tools (multimorbidity, frailty and functional limitations) used in ageing research for older adults starting in midlife, by examining (1) their usefulness in predicting mortality across the older age span, and (2) determining the contextual and health factors that modify the predictive ability of these tools. Using multiple data sources, this project will examine how age modifies the interpretation of widely used concepts. This will provide knowledge for future targeted prevention and possible calibration of tools.
