AUTHOR=Koren Yael , Lo On-Yee , Cappon Davide Balos , Syme Maggie , Andrews Heather , Gilfix Talia , Quigley Molly , Woolley John , Munn Megan , Stein Benjamin , Manor Brad , Travison Thomas G. , Lipsitz Lewis Arnold , Pascual-Leone Alvaro 

TITLE=The Healthy Aging Initiative (HAI): an interdisciplinary longitudinal cohort study to characterize and promote healthspan in senior housing

JOURNAL=Frontiers in Public Health

VOLUME=Volume 13 - 2025

YEAR=2025

URL=https://www.frontiersin.org/journals/public-health/articles/10.3389/fpubh.2025.1671875

DOI=10.3389/fpubh.2025.1671875

ISSN=2296-2565

ABSTRACT=ObjectiveWe present the rationale, design, and methods for the Healthy Aging Initiative (HAI), a prospective longitudinal cohort study of older adults primarily residing in senior housing, aimed to identify and characterize factors associated with a prolonged healthspan in this population.MethodsThe HAI, developed with input from experts at the Marcus Institute for Aging Research and informed by a pilot study, includes a community engaged recruitment method and a yearly assessment encompassing the following domains: sociodemographic information, medical history, lifestyle, psychological well-being, physical and cognitive health, mobility, and sensory health. Recruitment is ongoing and includes participants who are aged ≥55 years recruited from six senior housing communities. A control group of community-dwelling participants living in conventional housing aged ≥55 is also planned.ResultsRecruitment remains ongoing. Expected results include characterizing the sociodemographic and health profiles of older adults in independent-living (IL) senior housing, identifying psychological, lifestyle and biological factors associated with a prolonged healthspan, and defining high-risk subgroups to inform future targeted interventions and health promotion strategies. Data will be made publicly available.DiscussionLongitudinal studies on aging often face challenges such as retention and sustained community engagement. Through a collaborative effort among research scientists in the aging field, housing providers, and older adults, this project aims to collect data on aging trajectories among older adults residing in IL senior housing to inform future initiatives that promote prolonged healthspan in this population.