Bei Wu

Dr. Wu received her M.S. and Ph.D. in gerontology from the University of Massachusetts in Boston. She served as Research Associate and Research Methodologist at the Wellesley College Center for Research on Women, and as Senior Research Associate at the Center for Health Economics Research in Massachusetts. Previously Associate Professor in the Center on Aging and in the Department of Community Medicine at West Virginia University, Dr. Wu also served as Clinical Associate Professor in the WVU School of Dentistry. She is a Fellow of the Gerontological Society of America (GSA) and Association for Gerontology in Higher Education (AGHE). Dr. Wu has extensive experience conducting research on aging and health, including dementia, caregiving, oral health, long-term care, and health services utilization among older adults. She is the Principal Investigator on two ongoing NIH/NIDCR funded projects on cognitive function and oral health among older adults and social support, depression and oral health in late life. As a Principal Investigator at West Virginia University, she worked with colleagues nationwide on a CDC-funded project promoting cognitive health among the elderly. Additionally, Dr. Wu is extensively involved in international research. She holds Adjunct Professor/Senior Fellow positions in three academic institutions in China, conducting numerous aging related studies in China. As Co-Investigator of a NIH/NIA funded project, Wu examines the influence of cultural beliefs and values on the dementia caregiving experience and care-seeking modalities in China. The UNCG Gerontology Program supports expanding research and education in gerontology with the arrival of Dr. Bei Wu in January 2009.

There are 25 included publications by Bei Wu :

TitleDateViewsBrief Description
Age Distribution and Risk Factors for the Onset of Severe Disability Among Community-Dwelling Older Adults with Functional Limitations 2007 1311 This study examines age distribution and risk factors for the onset of severe disability among community-dwelling older adults with functional limitations. Data were obtained from the initial community-dwelling sample (n = 6,088) of the National Long...
Are Contributory Behaviors Related to Culture? Comparison of the Oldest Old in the U.S. and in China 2005 1771 The purpose of this study is to examine the impact of culture on contributory behaviors within the context of family, friends, and neighbors among the oldest old in the United States and in China. The study was conducted in suburban areas of Boston i...
Attitudes About Aging Well Among a Diverse Group of Older Americans: Implications for Promoting Cognitive Health 2009 2244 Purpose: To examine perceptions about aging well in the context of cognitive health among a large and diverse group of older adults. Design and Methods: Forty-two focus groups were conducted with older adults living in the community (N = 396; White, ...
Chronic Illness and Depression among Chinese Elderly Immigrants 2004 2827 Objectives: The purpose of the study is to explore the unique effects of various chronic illnesses on depression in a sample of Chinese immigrant elders. Methods: The data were collected in the Greater Boston area at various social service agencies, ...
Cognitive Function and Oral Health Among Community-Dwelling Older Adults 2008 3524 Background. Both oral health problems and cognitive impairment are relatively common among older adults. Poorer oral health appears to contribute to a decline in quality of life and to be related to various medical conditions. Little is known about t...
Comparison of Dental Care Utilization among Chinese- and Russian-Speaking Immigrant Elders 2005 2852 Objective: The purpose of the study was to identify factors predictive of use of dental services among Chinese - and Russian- speaking immigrant elders. Methods: The data for this analysis were collected from the 1997 survey 'Assessing public health...
Dental Service Utilization among Urban and Rural Older Adults in China 2007 2054 Objectives: China's health care system is bifurcated in nature between rural and urban areas. In addition, there is a huge gap in socioeconomic status between rural and urban residents. The purpose of the study was to examine the factors related to d...
Depressive symptoms and health problems among Chinese immigrant elders in the US and Chinese elders in China 2010 2825 Objectives: Researchers speculate that depression tends to be more prevalent among immigrant elders due to their lack of resources, acculturation stress, language problems, and social isolation. However, other characteristics of elderly immigrants, s...
Emerging Services for Community-Based Long-Term Care (CBLTC) in Urban China: A Systematic Analysis of Shanghai?s Community-based Agencies 2005 4015 China?s rapid economic reforms, coupled with the changes in age composition of the demographic structure, have greatly affected the traditional family support system. In response to these changes, efforts to develop new models of community-based long...
Factors Affecting Western Physician Visits in a Chinese and Chinese Immigrant Sample 2008 2242 This study examines predictors of Western physician utilization using the Andersen’s Behavioral Model of Health Services Use for Chinese elders who reside in Shanghai and immigrant Chinese elders who reside in the US Chinese elders are under-studied ...
Gender Differences in Contributory Behaviors among the Oldest-Old Chinese in Shanghai 2008 2681 This study examined gender differences in factors related to contributory behavior among the oldest-old aged 80+ in Shanghai, China. The study population included a randomly selected sample of 349 community dwelling respondents who lived in five dist...
Gender Differences in Views about Cognitive Health and Healthy Lifestyle Behaviors among Rural Older Adults 2009 3057 Purpose: Research suggests that men and women often differ in knowledge and beliefs about causes and treatments of a variety of diseases. This study examines gender differences in views about cognitive health and behaviors that have been associated w...
Getting the Message Out About Cognitive Health: A Cross-Cultural Comparison of Older Adults' Media Awareness and Communication Needs on How to Maintain a Healthy Brain 2009 2764 Purpose: Evidence suggests that physical activity and healthy diets may help to maintain cognitive function, reducing risks of developing Alzheimer's disease and vascular dementia. Using a cross-cultural focus, we describe older adults‘ awareness abo...
Health Care and Social Service Use Among Chinese Immigrant Elders 2005 4749 We explored patterns and reasons for health and social service use among Chinese immigrant elders. Interviews were conducted with 27 Chinese immigrant elders, 11 adult care giving children, and 12 health and social service providers. Content analysis...
Institutional Care for Elders in Rural China 2008 3635 The long-term care (LTC) literature has been generally associated with industrialized countries. However, LTC needs are increasing in the developing world at a rate that far exceeds than experienced by industrialized countries. Using China as a case ...
Job Characteristics and Leisure Physical Activity 2000 8233 Objectives: This study employs a sample population of older workers to estimate an empirical model of leisure exercise activity. Alternative theories relating work and leisure attitudes relevant for understanding the exercise behavior of older worker...
Left Ventricular Ejection Fraction Test Rates for Medicare Heart Failure Patients 2002 10158 The left ventricular ejection fraction (LVEF) test rate is increasingly used as a quality of care indicator for pa-tients with heart failure. Our study produced benchmark LVEF test rates in a Medicare fee-for-service population for consideration by a...
Promoting Cognitive Health: A Formative Research Collaboration of the Healthy Aging Research Network 2009 3241 Purpose: Evidence suggests that healthy lifestyles may help maintain cognitive health. The Prevention Research Centers Healthy Aging Research Network, 9 universities collaborating with their communities and the Centers for Disease Control and Prevent...
The Public's Perceptions About Cognitive Health and Alzheimer's Disease Among the U.S. Population: A National Review 2009 3603 The present review assesses the public's perceptions about cognitive health and Alzheimer's disease among adults in the United States. We searched the published literature and Internet, and contacted experts in the field to locate surveys assessing t...
Root caries patterns and risk factors of middle-aged and elderly people in China 2009 6219 The objectives of this study were to describe root caries patterns of Chinese adults and to analyze the effect of selected demographic and socioeconomic factors on these patterns. A total sample of 1080 residents aged 35–44-years-old and 1080 residen...
Socioeconomic Status and Alcohol Use among Urban and Rural Residents in China 2008 4681 The association between socioeconomic status (SES) and current regular alcohol use was examined separately for urban and rural residents of Hubei, China, using the third Chinese National Health Service Survey conducted in 2003. A probability sample o...
Teaching Chinese Health Care Professionals about Community-based Long-Term Care in China 2005 3196 Academic exchanges between the U.S. and other countries around the world are increasing and teaching students abroad is part of this trend. China is in its initial stage of developing gerontology education and is in great need of new concepts and ide...
The Two Voices of Alzheimer's: Attitudes Toward Brain Health by Diagnosed Individuals and Support Persons 2009 2017 Purpose: Most individuals with Alzheimer's are cared for in their homes by unpaid family members. Research on caregiving focuses disproportionally on costs of care, service utilization, and negative psychosocial outcomes. Few narrative accounts of Al...
Urban–rural, age and gender differences in health behaviours in the Chinese population: findings from a survey in Hubei, China 2007 3626 Health behaviours are affected by socio-economic status, such as income and education, and socio-demographic characteristic factors1,2 as well as 3 cultural values. Researchers have pointed out that, in order to have a better understanding of health ...
Workforce Issues in Residential Care Facilities in Rural China 2009 2874 This study examined contemporary frontline workforce issues related to residential care for elders in rural China. Residential facilities in rural China are in transition from exclusively providing shelter to childless elders to providing long-term c...