# Social Interactions and Cognitive Health in Older Immigrants:  Bonding/Bridging/Bullying in Senior Housing

> **NIH NIH R21** · UNIVERSITY OF SOUTHERN CALIFORNIA · 2024 · $249,000

## Abstract

PROJECT SUMMARY
In response to the NIH’s (RFA-AG-24-029) interest in understanding the role of immigration on life course
health and aging, the proposed study aims to examine how older immigrants’ cognitive health is shaped by
cognitive reserves and social interactions in the context of senior housing. Foreign-born older immigrants are
at higher cognitive health risks than community-dwelling counterparts due to low cognitive reserves and
immigration-related challenges. Additionally, many older immigrants who reside in ethnically concentrated
senior housing experience both positive and negative social interactions, which may directly impact cognitive
health and also modify the impact of cognitive reserves on cognitive health. Using the compensatory reserve
hypothesis and resource substitution theory as the theoretical framework of the study, we will examine the
independent and interactive effects of cognitive reserves (e.g., education and acculturation) and social
interactions (e.g., bonding, bridging, and bullying) on cognitive health. Three specific aims of the study include:
(1) to examine the effect of cognitive reserves on cognitive health, (2) to examine the effect of social
interactions (bonding, bridging, and bullying) on cognitive health, and (3) to examine whether the impact of
cognitive reserves on cognitive health will be modified by social interactions. Given the distinct but related
nature of the constructs in each domain, we will consider the interactions within each domain (e.g., education X
acculturation, bonding X bullying) and across the domains (e.g., education X bridging, acculturation X bullying).
To pursue the proposed aims, this study will focus on older Korean immigrants living in subsidized senior
housing in Los Angeles. In partnership with Front Porch, a community service organization that manages
affordable housing in the greater Los Angeles area, we will recruit approximately 300 Korean American
residents from four subsidized senior housing facilities with a high proportion of Korean American residents (60
to 80 participants at each site). Data will be collected by using both conventional survey instruments and the
social network analysis (SNA) name-generator approach to measure unique indicators of social interactions
(e.g., in-degree centrality, effective size, structural hole, and outdegree density) and more in-depth patterns of
social interactions. Survey, cognitive assessment, and sociometric data will be used to pursue the proposed
aims. Using an explanatory sequential mixed-methods approach, a series of focus groups with residents,
family members, and housing staff will be followed to discuss strategies to translate study findings into
practice. By enhancing the knowledge of the role of cognitive reserves and social interactions in shaping older
immigrants’ cognitive health, this R21 study will respond to the social and cognitive health needs of older
ethnic immigrants in underserved communities and build a grou...

## Key facts

- **NIH application ID:** 10974991
- **Project number:** 1R21AG088775-01
- **Recipient organization:** UNIVERSITY OF SOUTHERN CALIFORNIA
- **Principal Investigator:** YURI JANG
- **Activity code:** R21 (R01, R21, SBIR, etc.)
- **Funding institute:** NIH
- **Fiscal year:** 2024
- **Award amount:** $249,000
- **Award type:** 1
- **Project period:** 2024-08-01 → 2026-06-30

## Primary source

NIH RePORTER: https://reporter.nih.gov/project-details/10974991

## Citation

> US National Institutes of Health, RePORTER application 10974991, Social Interactions and Cognitive Health in Older Immigrants:  Bonding/Bridging/Bullying in Senior Housing (1R21AG088775-01). Retrieved via AI Analytics 2026-05-24 from https://api.ai-analytics.org/grant/nih/10974991. Licensed CC0.

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