Approved Research

Associations of genetic, socioeconomic status, lifestyle, and environmental factors with health outcomes

Lay summary

Aims: This project aims to (1) investigate the associations between genetic, socioeconomic status, (time-varying) lifestyle, environmental factors and health outcomes; (2) further determine potential routes among socioeconomic status, various exposures and health outcomes; (3) reveal the influence of covariate missing on estimates of associations and compare different imputation methods.

Scientific rationale: As the population is aging, non-communicable diseases such as cardio-respiratory, metabolic, and neurodegeneration diseases are increasingly prevalent in these years. Previous studies have identified several determinants of the occurrence and mortality of diseases of middle- and old-aged individuals, including genetic factors, cigarette smoking, alcohol consumption, air pollution, diet, and physical activity, etc. Assessing the independent and joint effects of genetic factors, socioeconomic status, (time-varying) lifestyle, environmental factors on health outcomes and further elucidating the underlying mechanisms using statistical approaches would shed light on targeted interventions and promote healthy aging.

Project duration: 36 months

Public health impact: The findings of this project would have important implications on how to promote healthy aging and subsequently improve public health through targeted interventions.