Deborah T. Gold, Professor Emeritus in Psychiatry and Behavioral Sciences

Please note: Deborah has left the "Human Development Certificate" group at Duke University; some info here might not be up to date.

My research has centered on the psychosocial consequences of chronic illness for older adults. Although I have studied breast cancer, syncope, head and neck cancer, Parkinson's disease and Paget's disease of bone, my primary interest and focus has been on osteoporosis and its psychological and social impact on those who suffer from it.

In particular, my current research focuses on compliance and persistence with osteoporosis medications. One current study focuses on the impact of race/ethnicity on medication decision making. We are trying to determine the relative weight of cost, convenience, dosing interval, efficacy, and safety in making medication decisions and taking medication on a regular basis as prescribed by a health care provider. I am also on the Steering Committees of two major observational studies with different osteoporosis medications.

Finally, I have worked with voluntary health organizations to translate our research findings into positive real-world outcomes for people with chronic illness. I serve on the Board of Trustees of the National Osteoporosis Foundation and am Chair of its Education Committee. I have also chaired the International Symposium on Osteoporosis (ISO) for the last 8 years.

Contact Info:

Office Location:	1507 Busse Bldg, Durham, NC 27710
Office Phone:	(919) 660-7530
Email Address:

Teaching (Spring 2024):

• SOCIOL 264.01, DEATH AND DYING Synopsis

  Reuben-Coo 129, TuTh 10:05 AM-11:20 AM

• SOCIOL 264.01, DEATH AND DYING Synopsis

  Reuben-Coo 129, TuTh 10:05 AM-11:20 AM

Education:

Ph.D.	Northwestern University	1986
Ph.D.	Northwestern University	2000
M.Ed	National College of Education	1979
B.A., English and Latin	University of Illinois at Urbana-Champaign	1973

Keywords:

African Americans • Aged • Aged, 80 and over • Aging • Alendronate • Analysis of Variance • Ankle Joint • Attitude to Health • Australia • Bereavement • Bone Density • Bone Density Conservation Agents • Calcium, Dietary • Case-Control Studies • Chronic Disease • Cohort Studies • Community Networks • Comorbidity • Confidence Intervals • Cross-Over Studies • Cross-Sectional Studies • Depression • European Continental Ancestry Group • European Union • Family • Female • Follow-Up Studies • Fracture • Fractures, Bone • Health Behavior • Health Education • Health Promotion • Health Services for the Aged • Health Status Indicators • Health Surveys • Hip Fractures • Hip Joint • History, 20th Century • Home Care Services • Home Nursing • Humans • Incidence • Life Change Events • Linear Models • Longitudinal Studies • Lumbar Vertebrae • Male • Marriage • Middle Aged • Motor Activity • North America • North Carolina • Osteoporosis • Osteoporosis, Postmenopausal • Osteoporotic Fractures • Pain • Pain Management • Patient Compliance • Patient Education as Topic • Persistence • Population Surveillance • Prognosis • Proportional Hazards Models • Psychometrics • Quality of Health Care • Quality of Life • Randomized Controlled Trials as Topic • Recurrence • Risk Assessment • Risk Factors • Role • Severity of Illness Index • Sibling Relations • Social Class • Social Support • Sociology • Spinal Fractures • Stroke • Syncope • Thoracic Vertebrae • Weight-Bearing • Women's Health

Representative Publications   (More Publications)

1. Gold, D.T., Stegmaier, K., Bales, C.W., Lyles, K.W., Westlund, R.E., & Drezner, M.K. (1993). Psychosocial functioning and osteoporosis in late life: Results of a multidisciplinary intervention. Journal of Women's Health, 2, 149-155.
2. Gold, D.T., Woodbury, M.A., & George, L.K. (1990). Relationship classification using Grade of Membership (GOM) analysis: A typology of sibling relationships in later life. Journal of Gerontology, 45, S43-S51.