Journal of Cross-Cultural Gerontology最新文献

The main objective for this study is to analyze the impact of a positive reminiscence therapy program (REMPOS) in cognitive functioning and depressive symptomatology for older adults in different vital situations (healthy aging, mild cognitive impairment, and Alzheimer's disease).This is a transcultural comparative study (older people from Spain and Mexico). A randomized design with pre-posttest measurement and twelve groups was formulated, during a period of six months of intervention (3 in Mexico and 3 in Spain). The design had: 6 experimental groups with REMPOS intervention (3 in Mexico and 3 in Spain) during a period of six months and 6 control groups that received cognitive stimulation.While a key aspect of this study is the cross-cultural differences, an important part is to determine whether each experimental group had similar results in terms of the change in magnitude between the pre and post analysis. In general, intervention significantly improved cognitive function and decreased depressive symptoms.These findings provide further evidence about the efficacy of the REMPOS therapy between different types of aging and both geographical and cultural contexts (Spain and Mexico).

This study explores Iranian immigrants with dementia living in a culturally profiled Swedish nursing home and what it means to be at "home." The meaning given to a place, in general, is understood to be generated and formed by experiences, expectations, hopes, and chains of events, and its significance can change over time. Life changes will mainly affect the understanding of what constitutes "home." Such a concept can be challenging to define, especially amongst some immigrant populations and those with dementia, for whom parameters change and choice can be limited. This qualitative research study is based on ethnographic fieldwork following ten participants. The data was analyzed, and three main categories that contribute to understanding "home" as part of the delivery of care to elderly immigrants with dementia, namely "a place to escape to", "a place to be", and "a place to live", were identified. The findings show that living in a culturally profiled nursing home in Sweden gave residents a feeling of self-rule, although the institution did have its codes and rules. Considering the feeling of home, none of the participants felt at home; instead, they stated that the culturally profiled nursing home was merely a place to live. Factors that strengthened their independence were the ability to speak the language they were familiar with and receiving medical help without relying on their children.

This paper examines cross-national differences by gender and age in receipt and sources of help for limitations with activities of daily living or instrumental activities of daily living among older adults in the United States, Mexico, China, and Indonesia. Respondents aged 50 + from the Health and Retirement Study, Mexican Health and Aging Study, China Health and Retirement Longitudinal Study, and Indonesia Family Life Survey are included. Descriptive methods, logistic and multinomial regression analyses are used to examine patterns in any help received and main source of help respectively. After controlling for age, marital status, and co-residence with child(ren), it is found that men in all four countries overwhelmingly relied on their spouse for care, while children are more likely to be the main source of care for women. Children as the main source of care increased with age in each country and among men and women, surpassing spouse in China and Indonesia, and to a lesser extent in Mexico, but not in the United States where spouse was found to be more likely to be main caregiver even among the oldest age groups. Caregiving for the disabled is important for the well-being of the care recipient and for caregivers. Our results shed light on the asymmetric burden of caregiving on female spouses, across four diverse and aging countries.

Children are valued in all societies although the specific framing of that value differs. Several societies frame the value of children through the lens of investment. For instance, children are worth having and financially and emotionally investing in because children may grow up to be economically productive citizens offering financial and emotional support to aging parents. Drawing on interviews with 18 Muslim participants in Aotearoa New Zealand, we show that the act of investing in children is emotional, financial and religious. However, while would-be-parents talked most strongly about children being a form of religious investment for the future, investment as money was forced upon participants as they engaged with assisted reproductive technologies (ARTs). We explore how Muslim women and couples navigate terrain around children as investment showing a tangible tension between investment as money and investment as accruing religious capital. We thus develop the concept of children as religious investment to better understand Muslims' journeys through ARTs.

Ghana's elderly population represents about 6.7% of the national populace. They comprise persons aged sixty years and above, including retirees. The main source of income for some of these individuals, particularly those who worked in the formal sector is the monthly pension they receive as compensation for contributing to Ghana's public pension scheme known as the Social Security and National Insurance Trust (SSNIT) while they were working. However, some beneficiaries of the scheme have raised concerns about the inadequacy of the pension income. Old age is accompanied by other social, economic, and health issues that tend to be detrimental to one's well-being. In this study, the survival strategies adopted by SSNIT pensioners to assuage the challenges they encounter, mainly due to inadequate pensions were explored. The mixed-methods research design was employed to gather data from 437 respondents. Whereas the quantitative findings were analyzed via the Stata software, the framework approach was adopted to analyze the qualitative data. The majority (78.7%) of the pensioners indicated that their pensions were insufficient to meet their needs. In their quest to address the challenges confronting them, the pensioners either adopted survival strategies they considered suitable or resorted to other non-prioritized coping mechanisms perceived to be relevant only in times of urgent necessity. Based on the findings of the study, some recommendations for policy and practice were presented.

Sarcopenia and disability in older adults are often characterized by body composition measurements; however, the gold standard of body composition measurement, dual-energy X-ray absorptiometry (DEXA), is expensive to acquire and maintain, making its use in low and middle income countries (LMIC) it out-of-reach in developing nations. Because these LMIC will bear a disproportionate amount of chronic disease burden due to global aging trends, it is important that reliable, low-cost surrogates need to be developed. Handgrip strength (HGS) is a reliable measure of disability in older adults but has not been used widely in diverse populations. This study compared HGS to multiple measurements of body composition in older adults from the US (Kansas) and a middle-income country (Costa Rica) to test if HGS is a cross-culturally appropriate predictive measure that yields reliable estimates across developed and developing nations. Percent body fat (%BF), lean tissue mass index (LTMI), appendicular lean soft tissue index (ALSTI), body fat mass index (BFMI), bone mineral density (BMD), and HGS were measured in older Costa Ricans (n = 78) and Kansans (n = 100). HGS predicted lean arm mass with equal accuracy for both samples (p ≤ 0.05 for all groups), indicating that it is a reliable, low-cost and widely available estimate of upper body lean muscle mass. Older adults from Costa Rica showed different body composition overall and HGS than controls from Kansas. Handgrip operates equivalently in the US and Mesoamerica and is a valid estimate of lean arm muscle mass as derived by the more expensive DEXA.

Previous comparative international studies on wellbeing of older adults in Africa have presented figures based on indicators which tend to obscure the variations in terms of wellbeing among the older adults in a particular country. This paper examined the subjective dimension of quality of life of community dwelling elders in Nigeria. It identified factors related to different levels of subjective wellbeing in different parts of the country and among different socio-economic groups.Data for the paper were drawn from a national study on vulnerability of older adults in Nigeria. A sample of 3,696 older adults (55.6% males; 44.4% females; mean age = 69.2, SD = 8.60) was selected through multi-stage systematic random sampling, using the national census enumeration area framework. Data were collected using structured interviews via Open Data Kit (ODK). Subjective Wellbeing was measured using the Flourishing Scale.Multiple linear regression analysis revealed resilience as the main predictor for older adults' subjective wellbeing. Other significant predictors included perceived attitudes towards old age in the respondents' community, ability to meet daily financial needs, independence in Activities of Daily Living (ADL), membership in social and religious groups and location, whether rural, peri-urban or urban.The findings of the study make significant contributions to the existing literature on older adults' wellbeing in Nigeria and provide material for future regional and international comparisons on the subject. The findings also provide data that can be utilized for policies and programme interventions that will be in alignment with the older adults' perceived needs.

Background and objectives: With the aging of Indians and the cultural context of family care, faith-based ashrams are a possible middle way for older adult care for strained families. Religiosity is multidimensional, but it is unclear how its different dimensions relate to coping. This exploratory study investigates the profile of residents living in a faith-based ashram of Haridwar, a pilgrimage town in Northern India. Additionally, it examines religiosity and coping in this population, and the correlates of positive coping response (PCR).

Methodology: Preliminary field survey helped zero in on a single consenting ashram. We included 95 older adult participants (≥ 60 years) residing for more than six months. Relevant dimensions were captured with a survey interview form to record sociodemographics, BriefCOPE, and Duke University Religion Index. The sample was representative of the institutionalized older-adult population considering the overlap of sociodemographics (age, gender, and marital status). We conducted linear regression to examine possible predictors of PCR.

Results: Most older adults were Hindus, higher educated, married, and lived with their spouses. The participants were highly religious. Coping through religion was most common, followed by active coping. On linear regression, a significant model emerged [F (13, 63) = 3.411, p < .001), where age, education, and organizational religious activity were significant predictors of PCR. However, other sociodemographic (sex, marital status, economics, family contact) and dimensions of religiosity (non-organizational religious activity and intrinsic religiosity) variables failed to predict PCR.

Conclusion: Lesser age, higher education, and involvement in the public practice of religiosity are essential contributors to PCR in older adults. How different aspects of religiosity influence coping and lend meaning to dealing with stress, needs further exploration.

Drawing on Mason Durie's (1985) New Zealand Whare Tapa Whā model of health (spiritual, emotional, physical, and family domains), the goal was to link a model of well-being with the lived reality for long-term care residents and bereaved family members during COVID-19. Interviews were conducted with five residents and six family members of previous residents of one long-term care in one urban centre between July and September 2020. The increased demands imposed by the pandemic highlighted the gaps in well-being for residents and families. In particular, the inability to connect with family during COVID-19 restrictions reduced perceptions of well-being for residents. Study findings indicate that the provision of well-being for older adults and families in long-term care extends beyond the narrow bounds of the biomedical model. The Whare Tapa Whā model provides a valuable framework describing the holistic balance needed between the four health domains.

There is a growing recognition of the importance of subjective definitions of successful aging from a clinical and policy perspective, and for their social and cultural relevance. However, the voices of older Indians remain largely underrepresented in the emerging body of qualitative literature on successful aging. Given this gap, and India's burgeoning older population, the present study set out to examine their subjective perception of successful aging. Using convenience sampling, data was collected from older men and women (N = 63, M Age = 71.21) living in the community, and in old age homes in Delhi NCR, through face-to-face interviews and focus group discussions. Reflexive thematic analysis resulted in four primary themes and eight sub-themes - Successful Aging as Personal Well-being, Tensions between Agency and Fatalism, comprising three sub-themes viz. the person as an active agent, co-existence of agency and fatalism, and negotiating with the invisible powers; Linked Lives comprising two sub-themes viz. the aging parent and the adult child, and spousal interrelationship; and The Social and Built Environment comprising three sub-themes, viz. complexity of social life: the health interface, social life in the neighborhood, and the good house. These findings provide a culture-specific view of successful aging in the Indian context, and reveals the multifaceted conceptualization of successful aging of older Indians - one that encompasses various biopsychosocial components.