Bei Wu

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

Geroscience: Aging and Oral Health Research

Weintraub, J. A., Kaeberlein, M., Perissinotto, C., Atchison, K. A., Chen, X., D’Souza, R. N., Feine, J. S., Ghezzi, E. M., Kirkwood, K. L., Ryder, M., Slashcheva, L. D., Touger-Decker, R., Wu, B., & Kapila, Y. (2023). Advances in Dental Research, 31(1), 2-15. 10.1177/08959374231200840

Abstract

Abstract

Research in aging has significantly advanced; scientists are now able to identify interventions that slow the biologic aging processes (i.e., the “hallmarks of aging”), thus delaying the onset and progression of multiple diseases, including oral conditions. Presentations given during the 3-part session “Geroscience: Aging and Oral Health Research,” held during the 2023 American Association for Dental, Oral, and Craniofacial Research meeting, are summarized in this publication. Speakers’ topics spanned the translational research spectrum. Session 1 provided an overview of the geroscience and health span (disease-free and functional health throughout life) concepts. The common molecular mechanisms between oral cancer and aging were discussed, and research was presented that showed periodontal microflora as a potential factor in Alzheimer’s disease progression. Session 2 focused on behavioral and social science aspects of aging and their oral health significance. The keynote provided evidence that loneliness and isolation can have major health effects. These social conditions, along with poor oral health, tooth loss, and cognitive decline, could potentially affect healthy eating ability and systemic health in older adults. Research could help elucidate the directions and pathways connecting these seemingly disparate conditions. Session 3 focused on the delivery of oral care in different settings and the many barriers to access care faced by older adults. Research is needed to identify and implement effective technology and strategies to improve access to dental care, including new delivery and financing mechanisms, workforce models, interprofessional provider education and practice, and use of big data from medical–dental integration of electronic health records. Research to improve the “oral health span,” reduce oral health disparities, and increase health equity must be tackled at all levels from biologic pathways to social determinants of health and health policies.

Health Behavior Patterns and Associated Risk of Memory-Related Disorders Among Middle-Aged and Older Chinese Couples

Kong, D., Lu, P., Lee, Y. H., Wu, B., & Shelley, M. (2023). Research on Aging, 45(9), 666-677. 10.1177/01640275231157784

Abstract

Abstract

Objectives: Studies on the interdependence of couples’ health behaviors and subsequent cognitive outcomes remain limited. Methods: Longitudinal data from the China Health and Retirement Longitudinal Study (2011–2018) were used (N = 1869 heterosexual couples). Latent class analysis identified the dyadic pattern of health behaviors in 2011 (i.e., alcohol consumption, smoking, and physical inactivity). Stratified Cox models examined the association of latent classes with risk of developing memory-related disorders in 2013–2018. Results: Three classes were identified: class 1 (21.25%, only husband smoke, and both active), class 2 (47.55%, both inactive, neither drink nor smoke), and class 3 (31.20%, both drink and smoke, and both active). Couples’ sedentary lifestyle was associated with an increased risk of memory-related disorders among both husbands and wives. Conclusion: Couples were moderately concordant in their physical activity but weakly in smoking and drinking. Couple-based interventions, especially promoting physical activity, may reduce cognitive aging among middle-aged and older Chinese couples.

Impact of Illness Perceptions on Poststroke Activity Engagement and the Moderating Role of Gender

Shi, Y., Howe, T. H., & Wu, B. (2023). American Journal of Occupational Therapy, 77(5). 10.5014/AJOT.2023.050155

Abstract

Abstract

Importance: Beyond existing knowledge of demographic and performance skill factors, establishing relationshipsbetween poststroke activity engagement and illness perceptions sets the stage for the development of moreeffective intervention strategies.Objective: To describe the illness perceptions of community-dwelling people with stroke in the first 2 yrpoststroke; specifically, to examine whether illness perceptions are associated with activity engagement and toexplore the moderating role of gender in these relationships.Design: Cross-sectional study.Setting: Participants were recruited from eight rehabilitation settings in Beijing, China.Participants: 202 community dwellers with stroke.Outcomes and Measures: Activity engagement and illness perceptions were measured with the Mandarin versionof the Assessment of Life Habits and the Chinese version of the Stroke-Specific Illness PerceptionsQuestionnaire–Revised, respectively. Participants’ demographic information, cognitive status, and motor functionwere also collected.Results: Stronger perceptions of consequences and controllability were related to better performance in activityengagement at the personal level, and stronger perceptions of illness coherence were related to betterperformance in activity engagement at the societal level. In addition, gender differences in the relationship betweenillness perceptions and activity engagement were described.Conclusions and Relevance: How people with stroke perceived their conditions dictated their levels of activityengagement in their community of residence. The findings suggest that understanding clients’ illness perceptionsmay assist practitioners in developing comprehensive, targeted interventions to improve activity engagement andmaximize recovery after stroke. Future studies are needed to explore the gender effect of illness perceptions onactivity engagement in people with stroke.What This Article Adds: This study identified the relationships between illness perceptions and level of activityengagement in real-life environments in people with stroke. In addition to motor and cognitive interventions,providing opportunities for clients to gain a better understanding of stroke would facilitate their activity engagementin their real-life environment.

Instrumental support primarily provided by adult children and trajectories of depressive symptoms among older adults with disabilities in rural China

Wang, J., Wu, B., Pei, Y., & Zhong, R. (2023). Aging and Mental Health, 27(3), 646-652. 10.1080/13607863.2022.2056140

Abstract

Abstract

Objectives: This study aimed to examine the trajectories of depressive symptoms over a 5-year period in a sample of community-dwelling older adults with disabilities in rural China, and the association between duration of instrumental support primarily provided by adult children and the trajectories of depressive symptoms. Methods: Data were drawn from three waves of the China Health and Retirement Longitudinal Study (2011–2015). The sample included 1,466 older adults living in rural areas aged 60 and over who had at least one child in all three waves. Duration of instrumental support provided by adult children was measured by the number of waves that older adults received instrumental support primarily from any adult children in the data collection. Growth mixture modelling was used to identify the trajectory classes of depressive symptoms among these older adults, and logistic regression was used to examine the association between duration of instrumental support primarily provided by adult children and the trajectory classes of depressive symptoms. Results: This study identified two distinct trajectories of depressive symptoms among the respondents: high but decreasing levels of symptoms and persistently low levels of symptoms. Respondents who received a longer duration of instrumental support primarily from adult children were more likely to have high but decreasing symptoms after controlling for other covariates. Conclusion: The findings have important implications for promoting the mental health of older adults with disabilities in rural China. There are still very limited long-term care services and programs are available for older adults, particularly in rural China. It is critical to develop these services at both community and institutional levels to meet the care needs of older adults and their families.

Investigating oral health-related quality of life in patients with ischaemic stroke in China

Li, Y., Huang, Q., Ge, S., Wu, B., & Tang, X. (2023). Gerodontology, 40(3), 348-354. 10.1111/ger.12660

Abstract

Abstract

Objective: The objective of the study was to explore factors associated with oral health-related quality of life (OHRQoL) in patients with ischaemic stroke in China, guided by the theory of planned behaviour (TPB) and Andersen’s oral health outcome model. Background: Recent studies have reported that the prevalence of stroke is increasing and that stroke patients are facing many oral health related problems. This study provided insights into the role of TPB in the OHRQoL among patients with ischaemic stroke. Materials and methods: Three hundred eight patients with ischaemic stroke from the Department of Neurology of a third-grade class-A hospital in Xuzhou, China, were enrolled in this cross-sectional study between June and September 2020. They completed a questionnaire that included information on socio-demographic characteristics and health behaviours, the Montreal Cognitive Assessment Scale, the Modified Rankin Scale and the Chinese version of the Oral Health Impact Profile-14 scale (OHIP-14). Structural equation modelling (SEM) was used to examine the association among the selected variables based on the TPB and Andersen’s oral health outcome model. Results: Among the participants (mean age 65.6), most (57.5%) were male. Their mean OHIP-14 score was 13.3 ± 7.6. Based on the SEM path diagram, behavioural attitude, subjective norms and perceived behavioural control of oral health were positively associated with intention; intention was associated with OHRQoL. The degree of disability was negatively associated with intention. Cognitive function was positively associated with OHRQoL. Conclusion: The OHRQoL of hospitalised patients with ischaemic stroke in China is fair to poor and affected by their oral health behaviours. Improved oral health behavioural attitude, subjective norms and perceived behavioural control might help them form good intentions and improve their OHRQoL.

Investigating the causal effect of cognition on the self-reported loss of functional dentition using marginal structural models: The Panel on Health and Ageing of Singaporean Elderly study

Peres, M. A., Peres, K. G., Chan, A., Wu, B., & Mittinty, M. (2023). Journal of Clinical Periodontology, 50(4), 408-417. 10.1111/jcpe.13752

Abstract

Abstract

Aim: To assess the effect of cognition on the loss of functional dentition. Materials and Methods: We used data from the three waves of the Panel on Health and Ageing of Singaporean Elderly study (n = 4990 at baseline, 774 complete cases analysed) over 6 years (2009–2015). The outcome was the loss of functional dentition (<21 teeth). The exposure was cognitive impairment, while baseline confounders included age, sex, education, and ethnicity. Time-varying confounders included income, living arrangements, smoking, diabetes, depressive symptoms, cardiovascular disease, and body mass index. We used marginal structural mean models with inverse probability treatment weighted. Results: The mean age of the participants was 70.2 years at baseline. The proportion of participants with loss of functional dentition increased from 74.6% to 89.9% over 6 years. Women, ethnic Chinese, less educated, smokers, people with diabetes, and individuals with depression had a higher proportion of loss of functional dentition than their counterparts. Loss of functional dentition was 1.8 times higher (odds ratio 1.80; 95% confidence interval 0.88–3.69) among those with cognitive impairment after taking well-known confounders into account. Conclusions: After accounting for the time-varying exposure and confounding evidence, the association between cognition and functional dentition among the elderly in Singapore remains uncertain.

Lived experiences of maintaining self-identity among persons living with young-onset dementia: A qualitative meta-synthesis

Tang, X., Wang, J., Wu, B., Navarra, A. M., Cui, X., & Wang, J. (2023). Dementia, 22(8), 1776-1798. 10.1177/14713012231193547

Abstract

Abstract

Background: The self-identity of persons with young-onset dementia (YOD) is affected by the disease progression. However, the lived experience of maintaining self-identity along the disease trajectory is understudied. This meta-synthesis integrated qualitative data on the challenges, coping strategies, and needs of persons living with YOD and how their experiences affected their self-identity over time. Methods: Four English (PubMed, Scopus, CINAHL, PsycINFO) and two Chinese (CNKI and Wanfang) electronic databases were searched for published literature peer-reviewed from the time of database inception to 2022. We used thematic analysis to extract and synthesize data from the literature concerning the long-term lived experiences of persons living with YOD. Results: A total of five peer-reviewed publications were eligible for inclusion in this meta-synthesis study. We identified four themes: (1) declining cognitive function and a prolonged diagnostic process threaten the self-identity of persons living with YOD, (2) struggling to accept the diagnosis of YOD and maintain self-identity, (3) maintaining self-identity and the normalcy of life through social support and person-centered care, and (4) living with YOD through self-development and self-identity reshaping at a later stage of the disease. Conclusions: Persons living with YOD experience challenges maintaining their self-identity throughout the disease trajectory. These challenges are affected by their cognitive function, experiences of personal and social stigma associated with the disease, perceived social support, and person-centered care. Study findings have implications for developing tailored supportive programs for persons living with YOD at various stages of the disease trajectory.

Longitudinal associations between social relationships and cognitive function among Chinese older adults: The mediating role of healthy lifestyles

Ma, W., Wu, B., Yu, Y., & Zhong, R. (2023). Geriatric Nursing, 53, 102-108. 10.1016/j.gerinurse.2023.06.016

Abstract

Abstract

Background: We aimed to explore whether social relationships and cognitive function were reciprocally related and whether healthy lifestyles mediate their association. Methods: This study included 3372 Chinese adults from the years 2014–2018 wave of the Chinese Longitudinal Healthy Longevity Survey. Results: Baseline social relationships were negatively associated with a change in cognitive function (β = –0.030, p = 0.043). Participants with a 1 standard deviation (SD) increase in social relationships had an approximately 6% reduced risk of developing cognitive impairment. However, baseline cognitive function did not independently predict social relationships. The association between △social relationships and △cognitive function was partially mediated by △a healthy lifestyle (B = 0.025, 95% CI = 0.013–0.041). Conclusions: The association between social relationships and cognitive function may be unidirectional. Policies that promote cognitive function based on social relationships would benefit by taking into account lifestyle factors.

Longitudinal relationships in the psychopathology of depressive symptoms in middle-aged and older adults in China

Zhu, Z., Qi, X., Pei, Y., Wang, J., & Wu, B. (2023). Aging and Mental Health, 27(9), 1692-1701. 10.1080/13607863.2022.2164253

Abstract

Abstract

Objectives: To develop symptom networks and examine the longitudinal relationships of depressive symptoms among middle-aged and older adults in China. Method: This study used three-wave data from the China Health and Retirement Longitudinal Study (2013 (T1), 2015 (T2), and 2018 (T3)). Depressive symptoms were measured by the 10-item Center for Epidemiologic Studies Depression Scale (CES-D). A multilevel vector autoregression model (VAR) was used to identify ten depressive symptoms dynamically interacting with each other over time. Results: A total of 3,558 participants were included in the final analysis. The strongest direct effects were ‘D10: felt fearful’ -> ‘D6: felt everything I did was an effort’ (β = 0.14). ‘D10: felt fearful’ reported the largest value of out-predictability (r = 0.064) and out-strength (r = 0.635). ‘D3: felt depressed’ reported the largest value of in-predictability (r = 0.077) and in-strength (r = 0.545). Substantial heterogeneity in the network may stem from an individual’s sex and place of residence. Conclusions: ‘Felt fearful’ was the strongest predictor compared to the other nine depressive symptoms based on node centrality. Our study suggests that, after understanding the causes of fear, strategies to reduce fear should be incorporated into multimodal interventions for middle-aged and older adults with depressive symptoms.

A longitudinal study of self-report tooth loss impacting functional status among Chinese older adults: Moderated mediation of social relationships and psychological resilience

Ma, W., Wu, B., Yu, Y., & Zhong, R. (2023). Journal of Dentistry, 139. 10.1016/j.jdent.2023.104767

Abstract

Abstract

Objectives: This study aimed to discern the longitudinal association between tooth loss and subsequent functional status, specifically investigating the moderated mediation effects of social relationships and psychological resilience. Methods: Data from the 2011, 2014, and 2018 waves of the Chinese Longitudinal Healthy Longevity Survey (CLHLS) were analyzed, we included 2834 older adults aged 65 and over in the study. The longitudinal relationship between tooth loss and functional status was analyzed using the generalized estimating equation. Hayes’ PROCESS macro for SPSS was utilized to study the mediating and moderating effects. Results: In the fully adjusted model, the number of natural teeth at T1 was positively associated with instrumental activities of daily living (IADL) score at T3, but not activities of daily living (ADL) score. Compared with 20+ teeth, participants with complete tooth loss at T1 had a higher risk of developing ADL and IADL disability. Participants with 1–9 teeth at T1 had a 38 % risk of developing IADL disability at T3 (OR = 1.38, 95 % CI = 1.07–1.76, p = 0.012). Social relationships mediated the association between tooth loss and IADL only among participants whose psychological resilience was average (B = 0.0006, 95 % CI = 0.0001–0.0014) or high (B = 0.0013, 95 % CI = 0.0003–0.0026). Conclusion: Psychological resilience moderated the mediating effects of social relationships on the association between tooth loss and functional ability. Clinical significance: This longitudinal study contributes to elucidating parts of social-psychological mechanisms underlying tooth loss and functional disability. It suggests that by cultivating positive social relationships and enhancing psychological resilience, the adverse impacts of tooth loss on functional disability may be mitigated.