Journal of Women & Aging最新文献

Feminine traits associated with crone consciousness can help solve many challenges that North American societies face today. This descriptive study demonstrates how six older women, ages 63-74, who identify as crones, contribute significantly as board members, mentors, social workers, daughters, mothers, coaches, and community members. Crones were part of ancient prehistorical cultures and portrayed as wise healers. After the 1400s, the crone is often depicted as ugly, decrepit, repulsive, and threatening. Today, crone consciousness is reemerging, especially in older women, as qualities of wisdom, inner knowing, and intuition. A crone-like person can be an instrument for transformative justice. Phase 1 of this study, n = 84 with an average age of 67, built on a set of crone attributes from previous research, providing a more nuanced description of what it means to be a crone and a leader in the 21^st century. In this follow-up study, Phase 2, the researcher used models and applications from the theory of the Coordinated Management of Meaning (CMM) to describe crone consciousness in action. People in positions of power commit epistemic injustices when they prevent those of all genders from enlivening the crone archetype and acting for the common good. When many leaders focus on competition and economic prosperity at the expense of many, working for the common good might be considered a radical imaginary. This study contributes to a growing literature on crones, providing contemporary real-world examples of an ancient and reviving consciousness.

This study aimed to examine the relationships among menopausal attitudes, psychological well-being, menopausal symptoms, and gender role attitudes, and how these factors influence psychological well-being in menopausal women. Data were collected from 290 participants using a Personal Information Form, Gender Roles Attitude Scale, Psychological Well-Being Scale, and Attitude Toward Menopause Scale. Pearson correlations and multiple linear regression were used to analyze the relationships and predict psychological well-being. Menopausal attitude was positively correlated with psychological well-being (r = 0.550, p < 0.001) and negatively correlated with menopausal symptoms (r = -0.420, p < 0.001). Gender attitude was positively correlated with both menopausal attitude (r = 0.480, p < 0.001) and psychological well-being (r = 0.380, p < 0.001), and negatively correlated with menopausal symptoms (r = -0.290, p < 0.001). The relationship between psychological well-being and menopausal symptoms was not significant (r = -0.100, p > 0.05). In the regression model, these variables explained 30% of the variance in psychological well-being (Adjusted R² = 0.30, F = 32.584, p < 0.001). Positive menopausal and gender role attitudes were associated with improved psychological well-being, while higher menopausal symptoms were linked to lower well-being. These findings suggest that addressing gender role attitudes and promoting positive perceptions of menopause could enhance psychological well-being during this life transition.

This study investigates how diverse service needs shape aging anxiety among middle-aged marriage immigrant women (MIWs) in South Korea, grounded in life course theory and developmental task theory. Prolonged unmet service needs can limit access to essential resources, hinder preparation for later life, and exacerbate aging anxiety. Utilizing data from the 5th National Survey on Multicultural Families and filtering it based on the length of residence in Korea, this study employs latent class analysis to identify patterns of service needs. The Bolck-Croon-Hagenaars approach is also applied to examine the relationship between the identified patterns and aging anxiety. The findings reveal five distinct service need patterns-High service need, Low service need, Employment need, Social involvement need, and Childcare and startup need groups-and aging anxiety varies across these patterns. This research highlights the importance of developing tailored social welfare policies to foster inclusivity within vulnerable populations and to support successful aging. Ultimately, the findings call for life stage sensitive and targeted services that reflect the unique developmental needs of middle-aged MIWs to mitigate aging anxiety and promote well-being.

Previous studies of custodial grandparenting tend to aggregate population data or not distinguish custodial grandparenting experiences by race, even though research demonstrates that custodial grandparenting for Black grandmothers is compounded by intersectional disadvantages. Our aim is to contribute to the gerontologic health literature with a nuanced understanding of caregiver burden that captures the strains and joys of custodial grandparenting, more accurately representing the heterogeneous experiences of Black caregiving. Data for this analysis is derived from a mixed methods descriptive concurrent parallel design with 20 custodial Black grandmothers. Quantitative analysis included bivariate associations. Qualitative thematic analysis was used. Quantitative and qualitative data were collected in parallel manner, analyzed independently, then aligned. We identified three distinct groups: High, Moderate, and Low Burden. Two-fifths of custodial Black grandmothers experienced low caregiving burden and one-quarter reported high burden which contrasts with research emphasizing the strains of caregiving for this population. Findings reveal diversity and significant variation in the caregiving experiences of Black grandmothers influencing, and influenced by, psychological and physical well-being. These findings also demonstrate meaningful sociodemographic differences across the three groups, supporting the typology of caregiver burden. The caregiver burden typology can be utilized to inform policy and support services, and as a starting point for future research to assess heterogeneity in custodial Black grandmother's experiences.

Prior research on employment history and old age health has focused on the US and Europe, leaving studies of developing countries underexplored. This study characterizes the employment history of Chinese men and women and examines their associations with cognition. Individuals (aged 60+) enrolled in the 2011 China Health and Retirement Longitudinal Study were included ($N_{\text{men}}$=2,733, $N_{\text{women}}$=2,363) and followed up in 2013 and 2015. Cognition was measured by the sum of memory (word recall) and mental intactness (tasks like serial 7's). Retrospective information on employment history (age 15-60) was retrieved. Sequence analysis grouped similar employment trajectories and mixed-effect models examined the relationship between employment trajectories and cognition. A significant proportion of Chinese were consistently employed in agriculture (45% of men; 70% of women). About 26% men were consistently non-agriculture employed and retired at age 60, while 29% men had fluctuating employment featuring agriculture and early retirement. About 15% women were consistently non-agriculture employed and retired at age 55. Notably, 14% women had fluctuating employment featuring unemployment, home, and early retirement. Compared to the agriculture employment, the non-agriculture employed group reported better cognition (men: β = 1.26, 95%CI = 0.81, 1.66; women: β = 1.63, 95%CI = 1.09, 2.30). Men's fluctuating employment trajectory also had higher cognition than the agriculture employment group. Older Chinese experienced distinct life course employment trajectories reflecting the economic and historic development in China. Sex difference was evident as women were more involved in agricultural work and working at home. Agricultural employment was associated with worse cognition, highlighting the disadvantaged health status of Chinese farmers.

While help-seeking is one of the main coping strategies, some evidence suggests that social norms and gender-role expectations can affect help-seeking patterns and make them different between wife and husband caregivers. However, there is limited knowledge about these differences in Middle Eastern countries, such as Iran. This study investigated help-seeking differences between older husbands and wives caring for their spouses with Alzheimer's disease (AD) in Iran. This qualitative study was a conventional content analysis using the Hsieh and Shannon approach, which utilized purposive sampling and in-depth interviews to select participants and collect data. Overall, 15 older spousal caregivers (nine wives and six husbands) participated in the study. Lincoln and Guba's criteria were used to evaluate data trustworthiness. Seeking filial affection versus Authoritative management was recognized as a central theme. Subthemes were Emotional help-seeking from children versus Internalizing emotions, Involving the children in Daddy's care versus Using community-based care services, and Passive financial help-seeking from children versus Seeking formal funding sources in the community. Older husbands and wives caring for their spouses with AD seek help differently due to cultural views and gender expectations, and they need education and awareness in this field. Healthcare providers and policymakers should consider these differences to develop gender-sensitive support interventions and services and reduce the caregiving burden for these older caregivers.

Older women from a Lifelong Learning Institute (N = 7) participated in a narrative and photovoice study on successful aging. The participants met for three class sessions. During the first session, participants were given an overview of the study and told to take a photograph and write a corresponding narrative about how they were aging successfully for seven consecutive days. During the second class session, participants shared their photos and narratives with each other by engaging in a group discussion. After data collection ended, the researcher shared recent research on successful aging with the group during the third class session. The narratives, photos, and recorded group discussion were analyzed using Braun and Clarke's thematic analysis approach. Results revealed two themes and a subtheme from the narrative and photos. Theme 1: Adapting and Coping revealed the importance of adapting to life challenges, with adjusting to widowhood as the most discussed life event. A subtheme on Challenging Yourself was noted under this theme and represented how participants enjoyed challenging themselves by participating in lifelong learning and volunteering. Theme 2: Connections, represented the diverse social resources that women had access to, including friendships and connections with their faith/spirituality, as well as pets. Overall, these women focused on their human agency and its role in determining how they perceived successful aging. Their former careers were protective and ultimately enhanced successful aging by providing them with opportunities for fulfillment, engagement, and socialization in older adulthood.

Scarce studies have examined an intersection of women's fertility and education and their impacts on racially stratified women's later-life health. This study examined the health outcomes of women aged sixty-five and older by comparing Black and non-Black women. It focused on analyzing how the number of children a woman had, and her level of education, can constitutively impact her later-life health outcomes. We used data from the National Health Interview Survey (2010-2018) and the intersectionality and fundamental causes of disease theories. Logistic regression findings suggested that being Black, having a lower education status, and having two or more children were significantly associated with higher activity limitation, disability, and poorer self-rated health as compared to their counterparts. The significantly higher odds interaction effects were found between race and education, as well as race and parity, indicating the stronger influence of lower levels of education and a larger number of children on activity limitations and disability for older Blacks than non-Black women. These interactions were weaker in terms of self-rated health status. The three-way interactions between race, fertility, and education were significantly lower. This indicates weaker or smaller gains associated with high fertility and lower education on disability and activity limitations status among Blacks than non-Black older women. This new study suggests a unique contribution of Black women's fertility history as an additional determinant of their later life health when intersected with other upstream factors like education.

Few studies have looked into the best surgical treatment for older breast cancer patients, with many opting for a mastectomy for simplicity. The purpose of this study was to compare the cosmetic satisfaction and decision regret of older Chinese patients who had breast-conserving surgery (BCS) versus mastectomy. Female Chinese patients aged 70 or older when diagnosed with breast cancer were recruited between September 2019 and December 2021. The Chinese version of the BREAST-Q survey was used to assess satisfaction with breast cosmesis before and after surgery. The Decision Regret Scale was used to characterize decision regret six months after the operation. A comprehensive geriatric assessment was performed, as well as quality of life (QoL) measures. Eighty-six patients fulfilled the recruitment criteria, and 77 of them consented to the study and completed the questionnaires (90% participation rate). Fifty-three patients (68.8%) underwent a mastectomy, while twenty-four patients (31.2%) underwent BCS. At six months after the operation, patients who had a mastectomy were found to be less satisfied with the cosmetic outcome of their breasts (p = 0.012). Breast cosmesis satisfaction remained similar in the group of patients who received a BCS (p = 0.550). Neither group expressed regret in their choice of operation option (p = 0.429). Patients who received BCS had better social support (p = 0.025). There was no significant difference in QoL measures. The cosmetic outcome of a mastectomy can cause significant dissatisfaction in older adults. It is critical to engage patients in discussions about surgical options so that they can make an informed decision.

This qualitative study explores the psychosocial experiences of midlife Italian women, focusing on the evolution of their creative self. Using Interpretative Phenomenological Analysis, we examined narratives from eight women aged 51-62, capturing their spontaneous perception of the changes characterizing this phase of their life, with a particular focus on the subject of creativity. Three major themes emerged from the interviews: (1) Personal Growth, highlighting increased self-awareness, resilience in the face of adverse events and a deeper connection with their bodies; (2) Relationships with Others, underscoring shifts in friendships, family dynamics, and how relationships foster creativity; and (3) The Creative Self, which explores the redefinition of creativity in midlife as part of a broader transformative process. The study offers new insights into how midlife can serve as a fertile period for personal and creative development, challenging the dominant focus on loss often associated with ageing. This work contributes to the literature by highlighting the underexplored positive transformations occurring during this phase, particularly in the Italian socio-cultural context.