A secondary but consistent theme in my research has focused on both supportive and challenging family relationships and how these impact health across the life course. Social support derived from family and other close relationships has a tremendous impact in reducing the negative consequences of different kinds of stressors throughout life. Conversely, family roles such as parenting and caregiving are often challenging and may generate substantial stress, especially among disadvantaged groups. This body of work focuses on understanding the circumstances under which supportive and challenging familial roles have the greatest life course impacts for health and wellbeing.
Representative Publications:
2016 Taylor, Miles G. and Amélie Quesnel-Vallée. "The Structural Burden of Caregiving: Shared Challenges in the US and Canada," The Gerontologist doi: 10.1093/geront/gnw102
2015 Reid, Keshia M.* and Miles G. Taylor. “Social Support, Stress, and Maternal Postpartum Depression: A Comparison of Supportive Relationships.” Social Science Research, 54: 246–262. doi: 10.1016/j.ssresearch.2015.08.009
2013 Valle, Giuseppina*, Janet Weeks*, Miles G. Taylor, and Isaac Eberstein. “Mental and Physical Health Consequences of Spousal Health Shocks Among Older Adults” Journal of Aging and Health 25: 1121-1142
2008 Kamp Dush, Claire, Miles G. Taylor and Rhiannon Kroeger*. “Marital Happiness and Well-Being over the Life Course” Family Relations, Special Issue 57: 211-226.
2004 Taylor, Miles G. and Scott M. Lynch. “Trajectories of Impairment, Social Support, and Depressive Symptoms in Later Life.” Journals of Gerontology: Social Sciences 59B: S238-S246.
Reaching back to my training and throughout my substantive work and teaching, I have been intrigued by the application of latent variable based longitudinal and trajectory models (a family of statistical models increasingly used in the life course literature including latent growth curve (LGC) analysis, LGC with random onset, latent class analysis (LCA) of longitudinal data including growth mixture models (GMM), etc.). My interest in these techniques lies in how they capture human experience over time and may answer (or fail to answer) important life course questions. Much of my substantive research incorporates established and emerging forms of these models, particularly in a Structural Equation Modeling (SEM) framework. My expertise in this area has garnered numerous national and international speaking and teaching invitations, as well as multiple teaching awards.
Representative Publications:
2016 Lynch, Scott M. and Miles G. Taylor. “Trajectory Models in Aging Research”. Handbook of Aging and the Social Sciences, 8th Edition (Academic Press).
2011 Taylor, Miles G. and Scott M. Lynch. “Cohort Differences and Chronic Disease Profiles of Differential Disability Trajectories”. Journals of Gerontology: Social Sciences. 66B: 729-738.
2010 Taylor, Miles G. “Capturing Transitions and Trajectories: The Role of Socioeconomic Status in Later Life Disability.” Journals of Gerontology: Social Sciences 65B: 733-743.
2008 Taylor, Miles G. “Timing, Accumulation, and the Black/White Disability Gap in Later Life: A Test of Weathering.” Research on Aging: Special Issue on Race, SES, and Health 30: 226-250.
The majority of my work to date focuses on physical health disparities among older adults, and particularly racial and socioeconomic differentials. Much of the life course health literature finds early and childhood stratification has long term impacts on health and wellbeing, but that these may work through individualized pathways and mechanisms as people age. My research on older adults focuses on outcomes with broad demographic and population health relevance, including functional health, chronic conditions and mortality. My interest generally lies in how disadvantaged statuses established early in life translate into better or worse health as individuals age into and throughout later life. I am also specifically interested in how these processes of advantage and disadvantage work at different life stages and may be changing historically as the Baby Boomers enter later life.
Representative Publications:
CA Taylor, Miles G. Lynch, Scott M., and Stephanie Ureña*. Racial Disparities in LongTerm Disability Trajectories: Cohort Effects and Disease Profiles (Revise and Resubmit)
2014 Kail, Ben L. and Miles G. Taylor. "Cumulative Inequality and Racial Disparities in Health: Private Insurance Coverage and Black/White Differences in Functional Limitations." Journals of Gerontology: Social Sciences, 69(5):798-808. doi: 10.1093/geronb/gbu005.
2011 Taylor, Miles G. “The Causal Pathway From Socioeconomic Status to Disability Trajectories in Later Life: The Importance of Mediating Mechanisms for Onset and Accumulation.” Research on Aging 33: 84-108.
2008 Taylor, Miles G. “Timing, Accumulation, and the Black/White Disability Gap in Later Life: A Test of Weathering.” Research on Aging: Special Issue on Race, SES, and Health 30: 226-250.
This is an emerging area of research for me, but one that is both fascinating and policy relevant for today’s older adults. More than half of older men in the US are veterans, and the far reaching impacts of military service in older adulthood are gaining increased attention. Military service can convey both risk and resources throughout the life course that have potentially long term implications for health. With student collaborator Stephanie Ureña, this body of work focuses on testing the hypothesized benefits (GI Bill, resilience) and harmful exposures (trauma, environmental toxins) associated with military service in relation to the health and wellbeing of older populations.
Representative Publications:
2016 Taylor, Miles G., Ureña, Stephanie*, and Ben L. Kail. "Service Related Exposures and Physical Health Trajectories among Aging Veteran Men" The Gerontologist, 56: 92-103.
Ureña*, Stephanie, Miles G. Taylor, and Kail, Ben L., and. The Impacts of Wartime Service Related Exposures on Trajectories of Mental Health among Aging Male Veterans (Revise and Resubmit)
Address
Pepper Institute for Aging and Public Policy
Florida State University
633 W. Call St
Tallahassee, Florida 32306-2270
Contacts
Email: mtaylor3@fsu.edu
Phone: (850) 644-5418
Fax: (850) 644-6208