Journal of Cross-Cultural Gerontology最新文献

We interviewed older Hmong refugees in the U.S. to understand how they experience and define depression. Methods. Data were collected in California (N = 20). The study sample included Hmong immigrants aged 55 and over. The qualitative method allowed for an in-depth understanding of events that occurred throughout the participants' life course and how these events impacted depression in later life. Results. The participants' conceptualization of depression was defined with reference to their lived experiences. Three main conceptualizations emerged: behavioral descriptions of depression, mental or emotional descriptions, and physical descriptions of depression. The use of personal examples to describe depression was common. Our findings suggest that this sample's understanding of depression may not be fully captured by conventional measurement and thus more work is needed to develop a measure of depression that aligns with these respondents' descriptions.

With the introduction of the New Rural Social Pension Scheme (NRSPS), pension coverage in rural China has increased substantially during the last decade. We investigate how the new public pension benefits influence intergenerational transfers and subjective well-being of older adults in rural China using panel data from the 2011 and 2013 waves of the China Health and Retirement Longitudinal Study (CHARLS). The results of our first-difference regression models show that receiving a public pension goes along with an increase in intergenerational financial support and has a positive impact on the subjective well-being of older adults in rural China. Our analysis represents one of the first studies examining the effects of the introduction of the NRSPS from a longitudinal perspective. The results demonstrate that public pension benefits as a form of institutional financial support are beneficial to the well-being of older adults, while they do not hinder intergenerational exchange.

Little research has considered all children while investigating adult children's role in their older parents' health and well-being. In this study, we examine the effect of filial piety across all children on parental depressive symptoms. A sample of 432 older parents with 1,223 adult children in a rural county in northern China rated the filial piety level for each child individually. Ratings were then combined across multiple children and organized into an ordinal variable of filial piety including three levels: all children being filial, some of the children being filial, and none of the children being filial. Ordinary least squares linear regression analyses were performed. The results reveal a significant and negative relationship between adult children's filial piety levels and older parents' depressive symptoms after controlling for age, gender, marital status, financial strain, chronic conditions, and social support from family and friends, respectively. That is, one level lower in the adult children's filial piety corresponds to increase in level of older parents' depressive symptoms. Filial piety seems to benefit older Chinese parents' mental health net of social support from family and friends in this sample. Including information from all children in the analyses is informative for better understanding the psychological significance of filial piety for healthy aging in China.

The population of the United States is aging and by 2045 it is projected that approximately 1 in every 6 Alaskans will be 65+. Delivering healthcare and meeting the needs of older Alaskans in their community is critical to supporting healthy aging and community sustainability. Alaska Native (AN) Elders are underserved with very few studies providing an emic perspective on their experience aging. This research opens the door and allows us a glimpse of the AN Elder experience of aging: the values, beliefs, and behaviors that allow them to age well. This study highlights the characteristics and activities of AN Elders in the Aleutian and Pribilof Islands to further develop the model of AN successful aging. There are many theories of aging and this study explores a cross-cultural understanding of gerotranscendence - the personal and interpersonal changes that result from successful aging or achieving Eldership. This study interviewed Elders in two communities of the Aleutian and Pribilof Islands region. Using 22 standardized questions based on the explanatory model, researchers facilitated discussion of what it means to be an Elder and age successfully. Employing thematic analysis, interview transcripts were analyzed for themes to organize the data. Themes were organized into 5 core elements of successful aging with specific emphasis on values, beliefs, and behaviors that were protective and helped them adapt to aging-related changes. Interview content, meaning, and themes support the four elements of the AN model of successful aging developed by Lewis (The Gerontologist, 51(4), 540-549, 2011): Mental and Emotional Wellbeing, Spirituality, Purposefulness and Engagement, and Physical Health. Elders' stories highlight the importance of reflection, personal growth, and psychosocial development. Elders who more strongly identified with their role in the community described how their perspective had changed and they shared stories that emphasized culture, connection to the land, and enjoyment of daily activities that resulted in increased life satisfaction. Elders provided clear evidence that they experienced aspects of gerotranscendence, which Tornstam (Journal of Aging Studies, 11(2), 143-154, 1997) categorized as the cosmic dimension, the self, and social and personal relationships. Elders adapting to aging-related changes and embracing their role as an Elder provided the greatest evidence of gerotranscendence - they developed new perspectives on life, took on new roles within the community, and experienced a shift in mindset that reinforced the importance of culture, tradition, and the Native Way of Life. This research allowed AN Elders to share their experiences, define successful aging, and expand the concept of Eldership to include changes in mindset, values, and relationships with themselves and others. The study is a framework to help us better understand the experiences of AN Elders aging successfully and the wisdom they wish to impart to

In this article, our goal is to provide researchers with a non-western perspective concerning the COVID-19 pandemic through a qualitative study of older adults living in Iwate, a prefecture in Japan that has only recently (27 July 2020) reported its first confirmed COVID-19 cases and which has experienced comparatively few cases since. Because they live in an environment with few COVID-19 cases, the individuals in this study provide an interesting perspective of the pandemic as it is unfolding in rural Japan and our focus here is on documenting the circumstances and ideas of elder residents of Iwate Prefecture to understand individual experiences of this population. Our intention here is to provide data and tentative analysis that may be useful in developing more complex cross-cultural studies related to the lived experience of COVID-19 among older people.

This study examined built environmental and socio-demographic variables as correlates of sedentary behaviour in a population of older adults, and attempted to introduce the idea of measuring sedentary behaviour with two domains, namely 'partial sedentary behaviour' and 'absolute sedentary behaviour'. The study's population was community-dwelling older adults aged 60 years or more in Accra, Ghana. A self-reported questionnaire was used to gather data from 504 older people. Multiple linear regression analysis was used to present findings, with all nominal categorical variables incorporated in this analysis dummy-coded. The overall (third) regression model accounted for a variance of 55.9% and a significant F-test [F (25,454) = 22.99; p < 0.001)]. Gender was positively associated with sedentary behaviour - the sedentary behaviour of women was 28 min in excess of that of men. Sedentary behaviour decreased as the social network size and supporting social network of older people increased. Sedentary behaviour decreased as availability of spacious road pavements, secure social recreational centres for older people, and health services in the community increased. The improvement of road safety conditions at the community level and design of the built environment to support social integration of older people are major recommendations of this study.

Social determinants of health is a core cross-cutting approach of the World Health Organization to reduce health inequalities, and places an emphasis on aged care planning in rural areas of low- and lower-middle income countries including Bangladesh. The complex correlated health and social factors in Bangladesh interplay to shape the healthcare access of rural people. This impact is significant for rural elderly women in particular who have been shown to access healthcare in ways that are described as 'socially determined'. This study aimed to explore how this cohort related their healthcare access to their living circumstances and provided insight into how their healthcare access needs can be addressed. This study was a critical social theoretical exploration from conversational interviews held over three months with 25 elderly women in rural Bangladesh. Two critical social constructs, 'emancipation' of Habermas and 'recognition' of Honneth, were used in the exploration and explanation of the influence of personal circumstances, society and system on rural elderly women's healthcare access. The concept of 'social determinants of healthcare access' is defined from the physical, emotive, symbolic and imaginative experiences of these women. Interviewing the women provided information for exploration of the determinants that characterized their experiences into an overall construct of 'The World is Not Mine'. This construct represented four themes focusing on the exclusion from healthcare, oppressive socioeconomic condition, marginalization in social relationships and personal characteristics that led the women to avoid or delay access to modern healthcare. This study confirms that the rural elderly women require adequate policy responses from the government, and also need multiple support systems to secure adequate access to healthcare. As healthcare services are often a reflection of community values and human rights concerns for the elderly, there is a need of recognition and respect of their voice by the family members, society and the healthcare system in planning and implementation of a prudent aged care policy for rural elderly women in Bangladesh.

The proportion of the world's older adults and of its dementia cases is increasing in low and middle-income countries. This is particularly true in Colombia. There, the number of individuals with dementia may increase five-fold by 2050. Yet research is lacking on dementia in such settings. This work estimates the prevalence of dementia in a community-dwelling population in Colombia. It also assesses how gender-based differences in cardiovascular conditions and socioeconomic disparities affect dementia. This work analyzes data on 2000 respondents at least 60 years of age in the Health, Well-Being, And Aging (SABE) study in Bogota. Respondents with dementia are those who have cognitive impairment and at least two limitations in instrumental activities of daily living. The SABE study finds 8.4% of respondents have dementia. Age, cardiovascular risks, and socioeconomic disparities contributed to higher odds of dementia. The contributors to dementia can differ for men and women. For example, socioeconomic disparities were a larger contributor to dementia for women than men. The findings support the cognitive reserve hypothesis on dementia. This holds that pre-existing cognitive processes and compensatory mechanisms influence dementia. Women in Latin America are more likely to suffer from socioeconomic disparities that limit their cognitive reserve. This research points to several policy implications that can help offset these disparities and reduce the prevalence of dementia.

The purpose of this study was to explore the challenges neglected older adults experience and the strategies they employ to cope. A Phenomenological qualitative approach was adopted. Employing criterion purposive sampling, 12 older adults were recruited from a community in Winneba in Ghana. A semi-structured interview guide following focus group discussion was used to explore the challenges and the coping strategies of older adults. Thematic data analysis making use of descriptive coding was employed. The study revealed that neglected older adults experience financial challenges, health issues, and social isolations. They lacked decent accommodation, nutritional food and were prevented from determining the kind of food they want to eat. These neglected older adults survived by adopting internal and external coping strategies. This study offers a better understanding of the needs of neglected older adults and the nature of their coping strategies. It is recommended that financial and social care should be available for older adults.