Journal of Women & Aging最新文献

Most research on sex workers globally has focused on cis women sex workers vulnerabilities including violence, risk for HIV/AIDS, and stigma. Despite the plethora of studies on the topic, older sex workers are significantly underrepresented in research. We used a phenomenological approach to highlight street and home-based sex workers' experiences. Using a purposive sampling strategy, 39 cis women sex workers were recruited from Karnataka, India and data were collected using in-depth interviews and focus group discussions. Findings revealed a range of changes in sex workers' lives as they aged, financial instability, lack of alternate livelihood options, and limited access to governmental benefits and social security. Participant narratives challenged the notion of anticipated traditional familial support especially from their grown children. Findings were replete with instances of sex workers' personal agency to confront personal and professional challenges. Peer networks formed the biggest forms of support as were sex workers' connections with local community-based groups. There is an urgent need for helping professionals to recognize the ongoing marginalization faced by older sex workers. It is critical to address concerns broadly along with inequities in terms of access and power as experienced by older sex workers. Finally, examining the differential impact of ageism, structural barriers including neglect by the State, violence, and stigma that follow sex workers is vital.

This study analyzed the effects of COVID-19 and gender differences in depressive symptoms in older adults using data from the 7th (2018) and 8th (2020) surveys of the Korean Longitudinal Study of Aging. A panel two-way-fixed effects model was used to control for individual fixed effects and time effects. A 0.1% point increase in the intensity of COVID-19 was associated with an average increase of 1.5 points out of 10 on the Center of Epidemiologic Studies Depression Scale, 10-item version (CES-D10) among older adults. The increase in depression was greater among women. Depressive factors due to COVID-19 among older adults are more likely to be related to negative emotions or interpersonal relationships than to physical and behavioral decline. Depression prevention policies for older adults should be informed by these gender differences. While older men require assistance with instrumental activities of daily living such as housework, meal preparation, etc., older women should be provided with online socialization opportunities to interact with others.

Prior research indicates that APOE-e4 allele(s) and working without compensation may be independently associated with risk for cognitive decline. This study investigated whether the interaction of type of work (paid versus unpaid) and presence of APOE-e4 allele(s) was associated with cognitive dysfunction in women in mid- and late-life. Participants included 340 females (mean age = 74.7 years) from the Alzheimer's Disease Neuroimaging Initiative (ADNI) dataset. A two-way ANOVA to assess the simple main effects of type of work and APOE-e4 allele status on cognition as well as their interaction was performed. A two-way ANCOVA including age, education, and marital status as covariates was also conducted. The presence of one or two APOE-e4 allele(s) and unpaid work was associated with greater cognitive dysfunction. A significant interaction effect revealed engagement in paid work, regardless of the presence of APOE-e4 allele(s), was associated with better cognitive functioning. Consistent with prior literature, women who engage in unpaid forms of labor for the majority of their life may be at higher risk for cognitive decline, regardless of presence of APOE-e4 allele(s). Further research is needed to identify the factors related to unpaid labor that may increase risk for cognitive dysfunction.

This study aims to investigate women between the ages of 50 and 70 who write and perform spoken word poetry, through which they wish to lead positive social change, by turning the culture of silence into open discourse. This period represents a new phase of life. These women are at an "in-between" phase of being no longer young but not yet old and are between life roles. This is a new age group that has not yet been studied. We argue that this stage of life requires a new term. The term chosen for this study is advant-age because it implies the advantages and opportunities that this period of life affords. Although this group of women is growing in relation to the general population, the ageism and sexism they experience are increasing, creating a gradual process of social exclusion and reduction in their agency. Spoken Word Poetry (SWP) is written on a page but performed live in front of an audience. It is a poetic piece that includes rhythm, rhyme, and sometimes humor, which help convey complex messages with finesse. The importance of the current research lies in revealing a new and unresearched social phenomenon that has been developing in Israel in recent years: Advant-aged women are discussing issues that society usually silences, using methods that traditionally have been associated with younger groups. Through SWP, advant-aged women are enabling the possibility of raising these issues for public discussion and creating an opportunity for social change.

This study aimed to investigate the effect of 12-week Zumba dancing on postural control and cognitive parameters and the correlations between these parameters in middle-aged women. Thirty-eight women, aged between 50 and 60 years, were randomly allocated to a Zumba group (ZG) or control group. Postural control and cognitive functions [working memory (WM) and reaction time (RT)] were assessed before and after 12 weeks of a Zumba dancing program using a stabilometric force platform, Corsi Block-Tapping Task and Simple RT tests, respectively. The results indicate that ZG showed significantly (p<.01) better balance performances when standing on a stable surface in both visual conditions [firm surface with eyes opened (EO) (20,9%) and eyes closed (EC) (12.3%)]. However, when standing on an unstable surface in both visual conditions (foam surface with EO/EC), the ZG showed no significant improvement in postural control. It seems that the benefits of Zumba on postural control depend on the sensory condition. Besides, 12-week Zumba dancing was not sufficient to significantly enhance cognitive performances (RT/WM) performances. These cognitive performances were related to postural control in challenging conditions and can be considered an effective tool for monitoring postural performances following an intervention program. Clinicians should, therefore, focus on interventions that boost cognitive functions in middle-aged women to achieve optimal postural control, mainly in challenging conditions, in order to prevent the risk and fear of falls as well as the incidence of falling.

Family caregivers and African Americans often do not achieve the recommended 150 minutes of moderate-intensity aerobic activity per week. Factors associated with engaging in physical activity among African American caregivers have not been systematically examined. This cross-sectional study examined how contextual factors were associated with meeting the recommended amount of physical activity among African American women caregivers. We used a population-based sample of 1,478 African American women caregivers in the U.S. from the 2015, 2017, and 2019 Behavioral Risk Factor Surveillance System. We used survey-weighted multivariate regression analyses to examine associations between condition-specific factors, physical and social environment, and individual and family factors and meeting the national aerobic physical activity guideline (i.e., participating in 150 minutes (or vigorous equivalent minutes) of physical activity per week). Over half (53.9%) of African American women caregivers in the U.S. did not meet the guideline. Being age 65 years or older was associated with decreased odds of meeting the guideline compared to being between the ages of 25-44 years (OR = 0.50, 95% CI[0.26-0.99]). Compared to college graduates, women with partial college education had higher odds of meeting the guideline (OR = 2.08, 95%CI[1.24-3.51]). Having health insurance was associated with increased odds of meeting the guideline (OR = 2.28, 95%CI[1.12-4.63]). Our findings suggest several contextual factors are independently associated with meeting the national guideline. Understanding the relationships between contextual factors and engaging in physical activity among African American women caregivers can inform interventions aimed at protecting and promoting the health of these women.

This study is an analysis of the personal and social meanings of married women's experiences caring for their aging mothers as the eldest daughter in Korean society. Semi-structured interviews were conducted with seven participants for this study. The interviews were conducted in Korean, and the collected data were analyzed using descriptive phenomenological analysis in four categories: "being the eldest daughter and daughter-in-law in a patriarchal society with nothing but duties"; "the pain of taking care of my mother that invades my daily life"; "The compassion of an eldest daughter who can't turn a blind eye to her mother's miserable life."; and "Support from society to overcome the psychological difficulties of caregivers and help older adults in their daily lives". The study participants felt emotional pain in caring for their mothers, and it was difficult for them to simultaneously play the roles of daughter-in-law, wife, and mother. However, they felt compassion for their mothers' lives in a patriarchal society and believed they could compensate for their mothers' hardships by caring for them. The participants emphasized the need for specialized in-home services that address the specific health needs of the older adult, along with counseling services for their caregivers. In Korean society, when daughters care for their mothers, it strengthens the shared history and emotions between mothers and daughters, affirming female solidarity. Based on the above findings, policy and practical measures are recommended to ensure that daughters who provide care for their mothers can deliver stable care.

This article investigates the impact of demographic and socioeconomic inequalities on wellness, composed of both physical health and subjective well-being. We examine how gender inequality moderates the joint effects of aging and income on wellness in China. Utilizing generalized linear mixed model (GLMM), we analyze data from the Chinese General Social Survey (CGSS) spanning from 2003 to 2021. Our results reveal that income inequality disproportionately affects physical health among older, underweight, lower-class females; males are more susceptible to negative impacts on subjective well-being, particularly among lower-class, middle-aged males. These gendered patterns are situated in the contemporary Chinese society and are explained in relation to intra-household distributional inequality and the gender role expectations in the Confucian culture. We also discussed the policy implications of how to reduce the gaps in wellness across social classes, age cohorts, and genders.

In recent decades, there has been an increase in motherhood at an advanced age that has raised several medical and social concerns. We conducted a qualitative interview study, guided by Interpretative Phenomenological Analysis, to focus on the motivations and experiences of Belgian women who 'renewed' their motherhood later in life, meaning they had one or several children and then (at least 10 years later) had another child at the age of 40 or older. We focused on ten women's experiences of motherhood later in life, as well as on the way they managed social norms and expectations regarding family building and the appropriate life course. We identified two main themes. The first theme describes the participants' encounters with social norms that challenged their decision to reproduce and parent later in life, and how they managed and anticipated criticism, surprise, disbelief and incomprehension about their renewed motherhood in various ways. The second theme shows how these women talked about taking responsibility as a (renewed) mother of advanced age. For them, responsible motherhood involved making thoughtful reproductive choices, attending to the range of needs of their children, and making extra efforts to safeguard the social and emotional wellbeing of their youngest children, thereby seeking to reduce potential harm resulting from these reproductive choices. This study provides insight into these women's self-conception and their interactions with prejudiced social views of motherhood and family building.

Financial wellbeing in retirement is contingent on realizations of financial expectations developed earlier in life and may differ substantially by gender. People's standard of living in retirement is tied to stability in work and income trajectories during working years along with retirement benefits and savings. Women have a greater overall income disadvantage relative to men, including reduced life course labor force exposure that may restrict retirement savings and benefits. Using the Canadian Longitudinal and International Study of Adults (LISA) and 20 years of linked tax record data (N = 2,353), we explore the association between instability in work and income histories and lower perceived retirement standard of living (PRSOL), net of retirement benefits, for women and men in Canada. Results show that for women, life course effects shaping PRSOL are driven by cumulative disability exposure and bouts of social assistance. For men, PRSOL is influenced more by cumulative unemployment. Although retirement benefits do not offset histories of work and income instability for either gender, income assistance is protective for women in retirement while personal investments are protective for men. Overall, our findings suggest that despite Canada's relatively generous pension program in later life, life course instability in work and income have persisting, gendered effects on financial wellbeing in retirement that underscore financial and health disadvantage for women across the life course.