The National Institute on Aging (NIA), one of twenty-five institutes and centers of the U.S. National Institutes of Health, was established in 1974 to support biomedical, behavioral, and social research on aging processes and the diseases, problems, and needs of older people. The mission of the NIA is to improve the health and well-being of older Americans. In addition to providing support for research and research training through the award of grants, the NIA offers free information to the public through the National Institute on Aging Information Center (NIAIC), the Alzheimer's Disease Education and Referral (ADEAR) Center, and through various publications, including Age Pages, which is a collection of fact sheets on different topics, and numerous informational booklets.

(SEE ALSO: AARP; Alzheimer's Disease; Medicare)

— JEAN S. KUTNER

Encyclopedia of Public Health. Copyright © 2002 by The Gale Group, Inc. All rights reserved.