Three UMB students who are part of the 2023 Alicia & Yaya Fellows in Global Aging Research presented their work Nov. 28 at the 46th Annual Medical Student Research Day.

They were part of a group of seven from the School of Medicine who studied healthy aging in Costa Rica, a nation experiencing a rapid aging process due to increased life expectancy and declining birth rates. The students' projects this past summer aimed to understand the aging and demographic transition process in Coto Brus, a rural municipality in the country, and identify opportunities for future interventions. Projects included:

• Experience of Aging in Indigenous Communities: A Qualitative Study of the Ngäbe-Buglé Community in Coto Brus, Costa Rica by Melissa Rallo

• Examining Physical Activity and Life Expectancy in an Aging Population in Costa Rica by Lillianna Pedersen

• Identifying Influential Factors on Perceived Social Support in Aging in Rural Costa Rica by Christine Wan

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