Yang Claire Yang
· Alan Shapiro Distinguished ProfessorVerifiedUniversity of North Carolina at Chapel Hill · Sociology
Active 2013–2025
About
Yang Claire Yang, formerly known as Yang Yang, is the Alan Shapiro Distinguished Professor in the Department of Sociology at The University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill. She is also affiliated with the Lineberger Comprehensive Cancer Center and serves as a Faculty Fellow at the Carolina Population Center. Her professional offices are located in Pauli Murray Hall and at the Carolina Population Center on West Franklin Street. Professor Yang's work includes contributions to age-period-cohort analysis, as evidenced by her involvement in multiple chapters of the book "Age-Period-Cohort Analysis: New Models, Methods, and Empirical Applications." Additionally, she is engaged in integrative data analysis (IDA) and teaching activities. Contact information includes her UNC email yangy@unc.edu and phone numbers for her offices.
Research topics
- Psychology
- Demography
- Sociology
- Medicine
- Internal medicine
- Gerontology
- Computer Science
- Ecology
- Biology
- Clinical psychology
- Immunology
- Psychiatry
- Developmental psychology
Selected publications
The Lancet Regional Health - Americas · 2025-04-07 · 6 citations
articleOpen accessBackground: Alzheimer's disease is a major health concern in the U.S., but most research has focused on older populations. We examined whether established risk factors and blood biomarkers are associated with cognition before midlife. Methods: Data from the National Longitudinal Study of Adolescent to Adult Health (Add Health) were analyzed. Participants were enrolled in 1994-95 (grades 7-12) and followed through 2018. We cross-sectionally analyzed weighted survey and biomarker data from Waves IV and V. We measured the Cardiovascular Risk Factors, Aging, and Incidence of Dementia (CAIDE) score comprised of age, education, sex, systolic blood pressure, body mass index, cholesteroal, and physical activity and apolipoprotein E ε4 allele (APOE ε4) status. We also measured total Tau and Neurofilament light (NfL), high sensitivity C-reactive protein (hsCRP), Interleukin (IL)-1β, IL-6, IL-8, IL-10, and Tumor necrosis factor alpha (TNF-α). Outcomes included immediate word recall, delayed word recall, and backward digit span. Findings: Analytic sample sizes ranged from 4507 to 11,449 participants in Wave IV and from 529 to 1121 participants in Wave V. The survey-weighted median (IQR) age was 28 (26-29) years in Wave IV and 38 (36-29) years in Wave V. About half of the survey-weighted Wave IV participants were female (48.4-52.1% across analytic samples), 71.4-72.5% were White, 12.5-14.9% were Black, and 9.3-10.2% were Hispanic. In Wave V, 43.6-46.8% were female, 68.7-69.3% were White, 17.1%-20.0% were Black, and 7.3%-9.6% were Hispanic. The CAIDE score was associated with all cognition measures in Wave IV. For example, among adults aged 24-34, each 1-point increase in CAIDE was associated with a 0.03 standard deviation lower backward digit span score (95% CI: -0.04, -0.02). Total Tau was associated with immediate word recall in Wave V (β = -0.13, 95% CI: -0.23, -0.04). Wave IV hsCRP and IL-10 and Wave V IL-6, IL-1β, and IL-8 were also associated with lower cognitive scores. Interpretation: Key risk factors for Alzheimer's Disease are linked to cognitive function as early as ages 24-44, highlighting the need for early prevention in the US. Funding: NIHP01HD31921, U01AG071448, U01AG071450, R01AG057800, P30AG066615, T32HD091058, P2CHD050924.
UNC Libraries · 2025-06-12
articleOpen accessNo research exists on how body mass index (BMI) changes with age over the full life span and social disparities therein. This study aims to fill the gap using an innovative life-course research design and analytic methods to model BMI trajectories from early adolescence to old age across 20th-century birth cohorts and test sociodemographic variation in such trajectories. We conducted the pooled integrative data analysis (IDA) to combine data from four national population-based NIH longitudinal cohort studies that collectively cover multiple stages of the life course (Add Health, MIDUS, ACL, and HRS) and estimate mixed-effects models of age trajectories of BMI for men and women. We examined associations of BMI trajectories with birth cohort, race/ethnicity, parental education, and adult educational attainment. We found higher mean levels of and larger increases in BMI with age across more recent birth cohorts as compared with earlier-born cohorts. Black and Hispanic excesses in BMI compared with Whites were present early in life and persisted at all ages, and, in the case of Black-White disparities, were of larger magnitude for more recent cohorts. Higher parental and adulthood educational attainment were associated with lower levels of BMI at all ages. Women with college-educated parents also experienced less cohort increase in mean BMI. Both race and education disparities in BMI trajectories were larger for women compared with men.
Longitudinal and Life Course Studies · 2025-08-22 · 1 citations
articleSenior authorMost research on marriage and well-being only looks at current marital status, which fails to address the impact of the timing and sequence of marital events on well-being. To fill in this gap, we use data from the Health and Retirement Study (HRS) and China Health and Retirement Longitudinal Study (CHARLS) to investigate the relationship between marital histories over the life course and loneliness and social participation in late life among older adults aged 65 and over across the US and China, and the gender differences therein. We show that marital histories are associated with loneliness and social participation differently across countries. Off-time marital transition is associated with worse socio-emotional well-being than on-time transition, represented by the higher likelihood of loneliness among Chinese widowed prematurely. On-time transition, featured by mid-life divorce in the US, is otherwise linked to less loneliness. We find weak evidence of gendered differences in the US, such that premature widowhood is linked to higher participation in leisure activities than friend visits for US women but not men. Lifelong singlehood, otherwise, is associated with lower odds of attending leisure activities than friend visits for US men but not women. Our findings reveal the associations between marital histories, including the states and transitions, and the socio-emotional well-being of older adults from three interconnected theories: the life course paradigm, the normative transition theory and the 'gender-as-relational' theory. We also highlight the importance of studying holistic marital histories (rather than current marital status) and their socio-psychological consequences over the life course, with particular attention to non-normative marital transitions that standardised measures of marital status tend to overlook.
Social Science & Medicine · 2025-07-15
articleOpen accessSocioeconomic status (SES) disadvantage shapes exposure to persistent infections and immune aging, but its life-course effects remain understudied. Early adulthood is a crucial period, as immune aging may begin before clinical signs appear. Data from the National Longitudinal Study of Adolescent to Adult Health (Add Health) were used to assess SES disadvantage across adolescence (Wave I) and young adulthood (Wave IV). Four life-course SES disadvantage trajectories were defined: non-disadvantaged, upward mobility, downward mobility, and persistent disadvantage. Outcomes included dried blood spot-based seropositivity and IgG antibody levels for Cytomegalovirus (CMV), Herpes simplex virus type 1 (HSV-1), Epstein-Barr virus (EBV), and Helicobacter pylori ( H. Pylori ) in young adulthood, and DNA-methylation-based CD4+ and CD8+ memory/naïve and CD4+/CD8+ ratios in early midlife (Wave V). Multivariable regression models evaluated associations between SES trajectories and outcomes. In young adulthood, persistent SES disadvantage was associated with higher odds of CMV, HSV-1, and H. Pylori infection (e.g. H. Pylori OR=2.2, 95% CI: 1.7, 2.9) and higher antibody levels (e.g. HSV-1 β=1.4, 95% CI: 0.9, 1.9). In early midlife, it was associated with CMV seropositivity and antibody levels (OR=1.8, 95% CI: 1.4–2.3; β=13.0, 95% CI: 7.4, 18.7), and elevated CD4+ and CD8+ memory/naïve ratios (e.g. CD4+ β=0.3, 95% CI: 0.1, 0.5). Associations with upward and downward mobility were weaker and less consistent across outcomes. Persistent SES disadvantage was consistently associated with higher infection burden and more aged immune cell profiles before midlife. Understanding this link is key for addressing health disparities. • Socioeconomic disadvantage across adolescence and young adulthood linked to immune aging • Cumulative disadvantage associated with higher infection burden in young adults • Socioeconomic mobility had weaker and less consistent immune associations • Biosocial processes underlying accelerated immune aging may emerge before midlife
medRxiv · 2024-11-02
preprintOpen accessImportance: Alzheimer's disease (AD) is a major health concern in the U.S., but most research has focused on older populations. Few studies investigate AD risk factors and cognitive function in young to early midlife adults. Objective: To examine whether key AD risk factors are associated with cognition before midlife. Design, Setting, Participants: Data from the National Longitudinal Study of Adolescent to Adult Health (Add Health) were analyzed. Participants were enrolled in 1994-95 (grades 7-12) and followed through 2018. We analyzed survey and biomarker data from Waves IV (median age 28) and V (median age 38). Exposures: Cardiovascular Risk Factors, Aging, and Incidence of Dementia (CAIDE) score, APOE ϵ4 status, Amyloid Tau and Neurodegeneration markers (ATN), including total Tau and Neurofilament light (NfL), high sensitivity C-reactive protein (hsCRP), Interleukin (IL)-1β, IL-6, IL-8, IL-10, and Tumor necrosis factor alpha (TNF-α). Main Outcomes: Immediate word recall, delayed word recall, and digit span backwards. Results: We analyzed data separately in Wave IV (ranging from N=4,507 to N=11,449) and Wave V (ranging from N=529 to N=1,121). Approximately half were female. The CAIDE score was associated with all cognition measures in Wave IV. For example, among adults aged 24-34, each 1-point increase in CAIDE was associated with a 0.03 SD lower backward digit span score (95% CI: -0.04, -0.02). No significant associations were found between APOE ϵ4 and cognition. Total Tau was associated with immediate word recall in Wave V (β=-0.14, 95% CI: -0.24, -0.04). Wave IV hsCRP and IL-10 and Wave V IL-6, IL-1β, and IL-8 were also associated with lower cognitive scores. Conclusions: Key risk factors for AD, including cardiovascular, ATN, and immune markers, are linked to cognitive function as early as ages 24-44, highlighting the need for early prevention in the US.
An Early and Unequal Decline: Life Course Trajectories of Cognitive Aging in the United States
UNC Libraries · 2024-02-21
articleOpen accessObjectives: Cognitive aging is a lifelong process with implications for Alzheimer’s disease and dementia. This study aims to fill major gaps in research on the natural history of and social disparities in aging-related cognitive decline over the life span. Methods: We conducted integrative data analysis of four large U.S. population-based longitudinal studies of individuals aged 12 to 105 followed over two decades and modeled age trajectories of cognitive function in multiple domains. Results: We found evidence for the onset of cognitive decline in the 4th decade of life, varying gender differences with age, and persistent disadvantage among non-Hispanic Blacks, Hispanics, and those without college education. We further found improvement in cognitive function across 20th century birth cohorts but widening social inequalities in more recent cohorts. Discussion: These findings advance an understanding of early life origins of dementia risk and invite future research on strategies for promoting cognitive health for all Americans.
Pharmacoepidemiology and Drug Safety · 2023-09-24 · 4 citations
articleOpen accessBACKGROUND: Sleep disorders are common among older adults, leading to high prevalence of over-the-counter and prescription sleep medication use. Socioeconomically disadvantaged individuals have higher prevalence of sleep disorders. Frequent use of sleep medications can increase the risk of falls. Little is known about the association between wealth and sleep medication use in older adults. METHODS: We conducted a cross-sectional analysis using a nationwide sample of 7603 Medicare beneficiaries (65+ years) from Round 1 (2011) of the National Health and Aging Trends Study. We measured self-reported wealth as the sum of assets (retirement savings, stocks/bonds, checking/savings accounts, business assets, and home value) minus liabilities (mortgage, credit card, and medical debt). Self-reported sleep medication use in the past month was categorized as frequent (5-7 nights/week), sometimes (1-4 nights/week), or never (0 night/week). We estimated differences in the prevalence of sleep medication use by quintiles of wealth using crude and adjusted binomial regression models. Individuals missing sleep medication information were excluded. RESULTS: Median wealth was $152 582 (IQR: $24 023-412 992). Sixteen percent reported frequent sleep medication use, 15% reported some use, and 70% reported no use. Frequent sleep medication use was more common in lower wealth quintiles (lowest: 20%, highest: 12%). Alternatively, some use was more common in higher wealth quintiles (lowest: 11%, highest: 18%). Results were similar after adjustment for demographic factors, anxiety, depression, and sleep disorders. CONCLUSIONS: In this study, less wealthy older adults had higher prevalence of frequent sleep medication use. This may lead to dependency or increased fall risk in this vulnerable population.
American Journal of Epidemiology · 2023-07-11 · 12 citations
articleOpen accessAbstract The Faurot frailty index (FFI) is a validated algorithm that uses enrollment and International Classification of Diseases, Ninth Revision, Clinical Modification (ICD-9-CM)–based billing information from Medicare claims data as a proxy for frailty. In October 2015, the US health-care system transitioned from the ICD-9-CM to the International Classification of Diseases, Tenth Revision, Clinical Modification (ICD-10-CM). Applying the Centers for Medicare and Medicaid Services General Equivalence Mappings, we translated diagnosis-based frailty indicator codes from the ICD-9-CM to the ICD-10-CM, followed by manual review. We used interrupted time-series analysis of Medicare data to assess the comparability of the pre- and posttransition FFI scores. In cohorts of beneficiaries enrolled in January 2015–2017 with 8-month frailty look-back periods, we estimated associations between the FFI and 1-year risk of aging-related outcomes (mortality, hospitalization, and admission to a skilled nursing facility). Updated indicators had similar prevalences as pretransition definitions. The median FFI scores and interquartile ranges (IQRs) for the predicted probability of frailty were similar before and after the International Classification of Diseases transition (pretransition: median, 0.034 (IQR, 0.02–0.07); posttransition: median, 0.038 (IQR, 0.02–0.09)). The updated FFI was associated with increased risks of mortality, hospitalization, and skilled nursing facility admission, similar to findings from the ICD-9-CM era. Studies of medical interventions in older adults using administrative claims should use validated indices, like the FFI, to mitigate confounding or assess effect-measure modification by frailty.
An Early and Unequal Decline: Life Course Trajectories of Cognitive Aging in the United States
Journal of Aging and Health · 2023-06-19 · 40 citations
articleOpen access1st authorCorrespondingObjectives: Cognitive aging is a lifelong process with implications for Alzheimer’s disease and dementia. This study aims to fill major gaps in research on the natural history of and social disparities in aging-related cognitive decline over the life span. Methods: We conducted integrative data analysis of four large U.S. population-based longitudinal studies of individuals aged 12 to 105 followed over two decades and modeled age trajectories of cognitive function in multiple domains. Results: We found evidence for the onset of cognitive decline in the 4 th decade of life, varying gender differences with age, and persistent disadvantage among non-Hispanic Blacks, Hispanics, and those without college education. We further found improvement in cognitive function across 20 th century birth cohorts but widening social inequalities in more recent cohorts. Discussion: These findings advance an understanding of early life origins of dementia risk and invite future research on strategies for promoting cognitive health for all Americans.
American Journal of Geriatric Psychiatry · 2023-02-25 · 28 citations
articleOpen access
Recent grants
NIH · $602k · 2016
Life Course Process of Alzheimer's Disease: Sex Difference and Biosocial Mechanisms
NIH · $3.6M · 2017–2023
Frequent coauthors
- 86 shared
Allison E. Aiello
Butler University
- 85 shared
Daniel W. Belsky
Canadian Institute for Advanced Research
- 83 shared
Brenda L. Plassman
Duke University
- 75 shared
Max Reason
University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill
- 58 shared
Kathleen Mullan Harris
University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill
- 48 shared
Rebecca C. Stebbins
Columbia University Irving Medical Center
- 37 shared
Patrick J. Curran
- 15 shared
Courtney Boen
Brown University
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