Bei Wu

Faculty

Bei Wu headshot

Bei Wu

FAAN FGSA PhD

Dean's Professor in Global Health
Vice Dean, Research
Affiliated Professor, Ashman Department of Periodontology & Implant Dentistry
Co-director, NYU Aging Incubator

1 212 992 5951

433 First Ave
New York, NY 10010
United States

Accepting PhD students

Dr. Wu is Dean’s Professor in Global Health and Vice Dean for Research at the NYU Rory Meyers College of Nursing. She is an inaugural Co-Director of the NYU Aging Incubator. Prior to joining NYU, she was the Pauline Gratz Professor of Nursing at Duke University School of Nursing. Prof. Wu is an internationally-known leader in gerontology.

As a principal investigator, Prof. Wu has led numerous projects supported by federal agencies and private foundations, including the NIH and CDC. She is currently leading several NIH-funded projects including a clinical trial to improve oral health for persons

with cognitive impairment, and a large secondary data analysis to examine how the co-occurrence of diabetes and poor oral health may lead to the development of dementia and cognitive decline. She co-leads the newly funded Rutgers-NYU Center for Asian Health Promotion and Equity. Through this center, she also leads a 5-year intervention study that focuses on supporting Chinese and Korean dementia caregivers who are at increased risk for high blood pressure and diabetes due to the physical and emotional demands of caregiving. She is a director of the Research and Education Core for the NIA-funded Asian Resource Center for Minority Aging Research (RCMAR).

As a scholar, Prof. Wu is an internationally known leader in gerontology. Her scholarship has been distinguished by interdisciplinary collaborations with researchers in various disciplines, including nursing and dentistry, in the US and abroad. Her research areas cover a wide range of topics related to aging and global health, including oral health, long-term care, dementia, and caregiving. She is one of the first in the nation to study the linkages between oral health and cognitive decline in older adults. Her research has also addressed knowledge gaps in the linkages between oral health and diabetes.

Prof. Wu has devoted much of her time to training the next generation of aging and nursing scientists from dozens of academic institutions in the U.S. and abroad. She has mentored hundreds of faculty members, visiting scholars, and students from various disciplines, including nursing, gerontology, dentistry, medicine, social work, demography, public health, sociology, public policy, geography, and economics. She is successful in mentoring several dozens of early-stage faculty members in receiving competitive funding from NIH, Robert Wood Johnson Scholars, the Alzheimer’s Society (UK), National Science Foundation of China, China Medical Board, National Medical Research Council (Singapore), and many others. 

Prof. Wu is a productive researcher. She has published more than 600 peer-reviewed papers, books, reports, and conference abstracts. Her extensive publications cover a wide range of topics related to aging and global health. She has delivered presentations at hundreds of conferences as an invited speaker. Her work has been widely recognized in the field. Research findings from her team have been featured by the National Institute on Aging, and in numerous media outlets, including the New York Times, CNN, BBC, U.S. News and World Report, MarketWatch, CBS News, Reuters, AARP Bulletin, China Daily, Daily Mail, South China Morning Post, and Financial Review.

Her achievement has been recognized by many international and national organizations and she is a fellow of the Gerontological Society of America, the Association for Gerontology in Higher Education, and the New York Academy of Medicine. She is an honorary member of the Honor Society of Nursing, Sigma Theta Tau International, and is the former president of the Geriatric Oral Research Group of the International Association for Dental Research. She has served on a number of NIH review panels and is a frequent reviewer for multiple international funding agencies. She was honored as the 2017 IADR Distinguished Scientist in Geriatric Oral Research. She is the recipient of the 2022 Wei Hu Inspiration Award from the China Health Policy and Management Society. 

PhD - Gerontology Center, University of Massachusetts, Boston
MS - Gerontology Center, University of Massachusetts, Boston
BS - Shanghai University

Gerontology
Global

Honorary Member, Sigma Theta Tau International - Honor Society of Nursing

Distinguished Scientist Award for Geriatric Oral Research, International Association for Dental Research (2017)
Pauline Gratz Professorship, Duke University School of Nursing (2014)
J. Morita Junior Investigator Award in Geriatric Oral Health, International Association for Dental Research (2007)
Fellow, Gerontological Society of America
Fellow, New York Academy of Medicine
Fellow, Association for Gerontology in Higher Education

Understanding Health and Social Challenges for Aging and Long-Term Care in China

Yang, W., Wu, B., Tan, S. Y., Li, B., Lou, V. W., Chen, Z., Chen, X., Fletcher, J. R., Carrino, L., Hu, B., Zhang, A., Hu, M., & Wang, Y. (2021). Research on Aging, 43(3), 127-135. 10.1177/0164027520938764
Abstract
Abstract
The second King’s College London Symposium on Ageing and Long-term Care in China was convened from 4 to 5th July 2019 at King’s College London in London. The aim of the Symposium was to have a better understanding of health and social challenges for aging and long-term care in China. This symposium draws research insights from a wide range of disciplines, including economics, public policy, demography, gerontology, public health and sociology. A total of 20 participants from eight countries, seek to identify the key issues and research priorities in the area of aging and long-term care in China. The results published here are a synthesis of the top four research areas that represent the perspectives from some of the leading researchers in the field.

Urban-Rural Disparities in Dental Services Utilization Among Adults in China’s Megacities

Qi, X., Qu, X., & Wu, B. (2021). Frontiers in Oral Health, 2. 10.3389/froh.2021.673296
Abstract
Abstract
Objective: China’s dental care system is bifurcated between urban and rural areas. However, very few studies have examined the dental services utilization inequities in China’smegacities, particularly in these urban and rural areas. This study aims to examine the urban-rural disparities in dental services utilization among adults living in China’s megacities based on the Andersen dental services utilization model. Methods: This study used data from 4,049 residents aged 18–65 who participated in the “2019 New Era and Living Conditions in Megacities Survey.” Multivariate logistic regressions were employed to examine the associations between place of residence and dental services utilization for individuals from ten megacities in China. Predisposing variables (age, gender, marital status, living arrangement, and education), enabling variables (socioeconomic status, occupational status, income, insurance coverage, health attitude, and health behavior), and need variables (self-rated health, oral health status, gum bleeding) were controlled for. Results: The mean age of the 4,049 adults was 45.2 (standard deviation = 13.0), and 30.4% (n = 1,232) had no dental visits at all. Adults who resided in urban areas were more likely to use dental services [odds ratio (OR) = 1.57, 95% confidence interval (CI) = 1.30 to 1.91] than those residing in rural areas after controlling for key covariates. Factors associated with higher odds of visiting dentists include having a higher income (OR = 1.44, P < 0.001), higher education level (OR = 1.53, P = 0.042), being covered by insurance for urban residents/employees (OR = 1.49, P = 0.031), having a positive attitude toward healthy diets (OR = 1.43, P < 0.001), attending regular physical examination (OR = 1.66, P < 0.001), having more tooth loss (OR = 1.05, P < 0.001), and having frequent gum bleeding (OR = 2.29, P < 0.001). Conclusion: The findings confirm that place of residence is associated with dental services utilization while adjusting for key covariates. Despite rapid economic development in China, many adults had never visited dentists at all. More efforts should be taken to encourage widespread dental care, such as providing more dental coverage and better access to dental care services.

What COVID-19 Innovations Can Teach Us About Improving Quality of Life in Long-Term Care

Bowers, B. J., Chu, C. H., Wu, B., Thompson, R. A., Lepore, M. J., Leung, A. Y., Brunkert, T., Sharew, N. T., Yamamoto-Mitani, N., Mateos, J. T., & McGilton, K. S. (2021). Journal of the American Medical Directors Association, 22(5), 929-932. 10.1016/j.jamda.2021.03.018

Where Are We and What Shall We Do Next? A Qualitative Study of the Quality of Home Care in Shanghai, China

Tang, X., Chen, X., Wu, B., Ma, C., Ge, S., Sun, H., & Zhou, L. (2021). Journal of Transcultural Nursing, 32(3), 276-285. 10.1177/1043659620911965
Abstract
Abstract
Introduction: With the increasing need for home care in Shanghai, China, it is crucial to ensure its quality. This study aimed to explore quality-related issues of home care in Shanghai, China, and identify strategies for improvement. Method: This is a descriptive qualitative study. Semistructured interviews were conducted among 27 individuals, including home care managers (n = 8), nurses (n = 10), and patients and/or their caregivers (n = 9). Colaizzi’s seven-step analysis method was used to guide data analysis. Results: Three themes emerged regarding the quality of home care in China: unsatisfactory structure quality, unsatisfactory process quality, and imperfect outcome quality evaluation system. Recommended strategies for quality improvement included issuing standards for home care evaluation, refining structure quality and process quality, and establishing an outcome quality evaluation system. Conclusions: Concerns about the quality of home care in China were identified by providers and patients. More research especially studies quantifying the care quality and its influencing factors are needed.

Anxiety about aging, resilience and health Status among Chinese older adults: Findings from Honolulu and Wuhan

Zhang, K., Zhang, W., Wu, B., & Liu, S. (2020). Archives of Gerontology and Geriatrics, 88. 10.1016/j.archger.2020.104015
Abstract
Abstract
A growing body of literature found that anxiety about aging is related to health and well-being of older adults. However, very few studies have been conducted on Chinese older adults residing in different countries and examined the role of resilience. Using the Pearlin's Stress Process Model, this study aims to fill in this gap by examining the relationship between anxiety about aging as the stressor and health status among Chinese older adults living in Honolulu, the United States (N = 292) and Wuhan, China (N = 532). The survey data were collected through June 2017 to September 2018, using snowball and convenience sampling strategy. The moderating role of resilience on the focal relationship is also explored. Results showed that for both samples, the negative relationship between anxiety about aging and self-rated health was significantly moderated by resilience (18 % and 13 %, respectively), implying the stress-buffering role of resilience. Although both mean levels of resilience and anxiety about aging were lower for the Honolulu sample, the moderating effect appeared to be stronger, implying that older adults in the Honolulu sample might rely more on psychological resources such as resilience in coping with stressors, compared with their counterparts in Wuhan. However, the moderating effect of resilience did not work for the association between anxiety about aging and number of chronic conditions for both samples. Our findings suggest that future research needs to take into account both social and psychological resources when examining anxiety about aging and health status among Chinese older adults residing in different cultural contexts.

Association Between Early Cognitive Impairment and Midterm Functional Outcomes Among Chinese Acute Ischemic Stroke Patients: A Longitudinal Study

Li, J., Wang, J., Wu, B., Xu, H., Wu, X., Zhou, L., & Deng, B. (2020). Frontiers in Neurology, 11. 10.3389/fneur.2020.00020
Abstract
Abstract
Background: Cognitive decline is common after stroke. The influence of early cognitive impairment on midterm functional outcomes among Chinese acute ischemic stroke (AIS) patients has not been fully studied. The aim of the study was to assess the association between early cognitive impairment and midterm functional outcomes among Chinese AIS patients. Methods: A longitudinal survey focusing on Chinese AIS patients was conducted in three stroke centers in Shanghai, China (July to December 2016). A total of 185 eligible patients were interviewed at acute stage and at 1, 3, and 6 months after onset. Patients' functional outcomes were measured by modified Rankin Scale (mRS) and Barthel Index (BI) at each time point. Cognitive function was assessed using Montreal Cognitive Assessment, Changsha version (MoCA-CS), within 7 days after stroke onset. Covariates included patient's demographic characteristics, socioeconomic status, clinical characteristics of stroke, vascular risk factors, receiving rehabilitation after discharge from acute hospital, and recurrence. Generalized linear mixed models and general linear mixed models were applied. Results: The prevalence of cognitive impairment at acute stage of stroke among these patients was 88.1%. The risk of disability (mRS 2–5) of all patients after stroke decreased over time (OR = 0.491, 95% CI = 0.401–0.603). The risk of disability among those with cognitive impairment increased compared with those with normal cognition (OR = 7.384, 95% CI = 1.041–52.407). The BI score of all patients increased over time after controlling for covariates (β = 1.51, p < 0.01). The BI score of those with cognitive impairment was lower than that with normal cognition over the follow-up period after controlling for other covariates (β = −8.11, p < 0.05). Conclusions: This study showed that early cognitive impairment was associated with higher risk of disability and poor activity of daily living (ADL) among Chinese AIS patients. Further studies are needed to examine the linkage between multi-domain cognitive impairment and long-term disability and ADL among stroke survivors by using neuropsychological test batteries.

Bidirectional relations between cognitive function and oral health in ageing persons: A longitudinal cohort study

Kang, J., Wu, B., Bunce, D., Ide, M., Aggarwal, V. R., Pavitt, S., & Wu, J. (2020). Age and Ageing, 49(5), 793-799. 10.1093/ageing/afaa025
Abstract
Abstract
Background:: evidence suggests a reciprocal relationship between cognitive function (CF) and oral health (OH), but no study has demonstrated this inter-relationship in a longitudinal population. Objective:: to investigate the bidirectional relationship between CF and OH in an ageing cohort. Design:: cohort study. Setting:: general community. Subjects:: participants from the English Longitudinal Study of Ageing. Methods:: OH, measured by teeth status, self-reported OH and OH-related quality of life (OHRQoL), and CFs were collected at three time points in 2006/07, 2010/11 and 2014/15. Cross-lagged structural equation models were used to investigate the association between CF and OH, adjusted for potential confounding factors. Results:: 5477 individuals (56.4% women) were included (mean age = 63.1 years at 2006/07, 67.2 at 2010/11 and 70.4 at 2014/15, SD = 8.9) in analyses. The average CF score was 46.5(SD = 12.3) at baseline and 41.2 (SD = 13.4) at follow-up. 3350 (61.2%) participants had natural teeth only and 622 (11.2%) were edentulous. In the fully adjusted model, better cognition at baseline was associated with better OH at follow-up (beta coefficient = 0.02, 95% CI: 0.01–0.03); conversely better OH at baseline predicted better cognition (beta coefficient = 0.12, 95% CI: 0.06–0.18). Similar magnitude and direction of the reciprocal association was evident between cognition and OHRQoL. Conclusions:: This is the first longitudinal study to demonstrate the positive reciprocal association between CF and OH. The findings suggest the importance of maintaining both good CF and OH in old age.

Characterizing Sugar-Sweetened Beverage Consumption for US Children and Adolescents by Race/Ethnicity

Russo, R. G., Northridge, M. E., Wu, B., & Yi, S. S. (2020). Journal of Racial and Ethnic Health Disparities, 7(6), 1100-1116. 10.1007/s40615-020-00733-7
Abstract
Abstract
OBJECTIVES: To examine racial/ethnic differences in type of SSB most frequently consumed and in correlates of youth sugar-sweetened beverage (SSB) intake.METHODS: Data were obtained from the National Health and Nutrition Examination Survey (NHANES), 2011-2016, for children and adolescents aged 5-17 years (n = 6507). The main outcome was SSB consumption (i.e., sodas, sweetened fruit drinks, nectars, sports and energy drinks, sweetened coffees and teas, enhanced waters). Mean and proportions of SSB intake were estimated accounting for complex sampling strategy and weighting. Multivariable regression models were developed for each race/ethnicity and age group.RESULTS: Two-thirds of children and adolescents reported consuming SSB on a given day. Among consumers, mean SSB consumption was greatest for Black children and White adolescents and lowest for Asian American children and adolescents. The most popular type of SSB consumed was sweetened fruit drinks among children and soda among adolescents, except among White and Mexican American children for whom soda and Black adolescents for whom sweetened fruit drinks were most popular. Female sex and water intake were negatively associated with SSB consumption across most races/ethnicities. Screen time, dentist visits, nativity, and guardian education were associated with SSB intake among a subset of races/ethnicities.CONCLUSIONS: Associations between covariates and SSB intake as well as types of beverages preferred vary by race/ethnicity, as such chronic disease policies should not be 'one size fits all'. Targeted interventions for specific groups of vulnerable youths hold promise for further reducing SSB consumption, including directing efforts towards reducing sweetened fruit drinks for Black children.

Chinese Medical Students' Attitudes toward Older Adults and Willingness To Consider a Career in Geriatric Medicine: A Cross-Sectional Survey

Zhao, H., Wu, B., Shi, J., Reifsnider, E., Fan, J., Li, J., & Mao, J. (2020). Teaching and Learning in Medicine, 32(5), 486-493. 10.1080/10401334.2020.1784739
Abstract
Abstract
Phenomenon: Ageism is a significant social issue, especially in China. Ageism adversely affects willingness to consider a career in geriatric medicine. However, few studies have examined this topic among Chinese medical students. This study aimed to investigate attitudes toward older people among medical students in China, examine the factors related to these attitudes, and determine the relationships between attitudes and willingness to consider geriatric medicine as a career after graduation. Approach: Responses from 1,022 Chinese medical students were included in the analyses. Students provided demographic information and completed the Fraboni Scale of Ageism (FSA). The data were analyzed using the Statistical Package for Social Sciences, version 24.0 (IBM SPSS Corp). Findings: The mean score of the FSA was 64.42 ± 6.58. Multiple regression analysis showed that the significant predictors of ageism were being male, longer years of training in medical school, and no caregiving experiences with older adults during clinical practice (R 2 =.038, F = 13.520, p <.001). Students who had higher FSA scores were more unwilling to consider a career in geriatric medicine after graduation (t = 4.281, p <.001, Cohen’s d =.268). Insights: Chinese medical students have fewer positive attitudes toward older adults than what has been reported in other countries. Future studies should examine the determinants of ageism among medical students in various cultures to guide the development, implementation, and assessment of interventions designed to nurture a more positive attitude toward older adults and increase willingness to consider a career in geriatric medicine.

Cognitive behavioral therapy for persons living with HIV in China: A randomized pilot trial

Han, S., Hu, Y., Lu, H., Zhang, L., Zhu, Z., Luo, J., Relf, M. V., Mulawa, M. I., Pei, Y., & Wu, B. (2020). Journal of Affective Disorders, 277, 640-648. 10.1016/j.jad.2020.08.085
Abstract
Abstract
Background: Chinese persons living with HIV (PLWH) suffer from prevalent mental health issues. We aimed to develop a tailored cognitive behavioral therapy (CBT), test its feasibility, acceptability, and preliminary effects (depression, anxiety, and medication adherence) for Chinese PLWH. Methods: Twenty PLWH were assigned randomly. Intervention participants learned skills in CBT and relaxation training in a tailored group-based weekly 10-session project. Each session lasted for two hours and was delivered by nurses and volunteers. Control participants only received laboratory tests and free antiretroviral therapy (ART) medication. Feasibility and acceptability were descriptively summarized. Depression, anxiety, and ART medication adherence data were collected at the baseline (T0), after the intervention (T1) and after 6 months of follow-up (T2). Results: The average CBT attendance rate for all sessions was 60%. No participants in the intervention group dropped out of the study. All participants in the intervention group agreed that they could benefit from the CBT. Participants in the intervention group showed a greater improvement in anxiety and self-reported ART medication adherence than those in the control group at T1. However, no preliminary intervention effect was found at T2. Limitations: The small sample size leads to a lack of representativeness in the study sample. We excluded participants with severe comorbidities, which may lead to an underestimate of the intervention effect of CBT among Chinese PLWH. Conclusions: CBT is feasible and acceptable, demonstrating promising preliminary effects on anxiety and ART medication adherence among Chinese PLWH. Additional research is needed to test the effectiveness of this approach.