Journal of Women & Aging最新文献

In the United States, Latinos experience a higher prevalence of chronic diseases with concomitant complications when compared to Non-Latino Whites. Older Latina women often manage a chronic illness while also providing kinship care. This article presents an integrative review of Latina kinship caregivers' self-management of chronic disease. An extensive review of the literature was conducted in seven databases. Four resulting studies included qualitative, quantitative, and mixed methods research and suggested health outcomes for Latina kinship caregivers were often worse when compared to other groups. A major gap in the literature identified an absence of disease-specific self-management behaviors for this population.

Poverty, poor living conditions, religious values and norms, lack of education, and gender discrimination influence the beliefs and behaviors of rural older women in many low-income countries. This paper aims to report the socio-ecological determinants of health-seeking beliefs and behaviors of rural older women in North-eastern Bangladesh and how these behaviors impact their recognition within the setting. It involved semi-structured interviews with 25 older women and 11 healthcare professionals. The findings revealed various determinants at the personal level (awareness of illness, mistrust toward medical treatment, self-treatment, and religious values and norms), the interpersonal level (isolation in family and communication with clinicians), community level (community perception of aging, neighboring and community organizations), and in the sphere of human rights (care affordability, social safety-net coverage and national policy). Four core determinants (poverty, education, gender and religiosity) were intertwined in shaping beliefs and behaviors.

Objectives: Considerable attention has been directed at increased social isolation and loneliness during the COVID-19 pandemic and their impact on later-life psychological well-being. There is a dearth of research on the effect of financial strain and associated psychosocial mechanisms on loneliness among women across racial groups. It is unclear how racial status and financial strain intersect to impact later-life loneliness amid immense uncertainty, social isolation, and anxiety induced by the pandemic.Methods: Based on our nationwide Web-based survey (n = 1,301), we used ordinary least square regression to examine the effects of financial strain on loneliness among Black and White women and assessed the role of emotional support in contributing to such effects.Results: We found that Black women face significantly more financial strain than White women but also receive more emotional support and experience less loneliness. Findings show that women experiencing financial strain report increased loneliness, but the negative effects of financial strain are significantly greater for Black women than for White women. Our mediation analysis revealed that emotional support made a significant contribution to the effects of financial strain on loneliness in White women but not in Black women.Discussion: Despite shared vulnerability and social isolation across the general population, our findings suggest that negative effects of financial strain on loneliness among women continue to differ across race, even amid the pandemic. Our findings demonstrate how emotional support explains the relationship between financial strain and later-life loneliness in a racially distinct manner.

Background: The gendered aspects of extraordinary demanding spousal caring for people with young-onset dementia have been scarcely researched.

Aim: To analyze spouses' experiences of the meaning, content, and effort of intensive caring for spouses/partners with young-onset frontotemporal dementia (YO-FTD), concentrating on a female perspective.

Method: A qualitative Norwegian study using narrative interviews with 10 wives and 6 husbands were conducted in 2014 and 2015.

Findings: The analysis resulted in four gendered main themes: Different caregiving periods, Distancing: experiencing a transformed spouse and relationship, Social isolation, and Needing assistance and relief. A case analysis of wives' and men's stories was applied, especially focusing on a wife's story, to examine the detailed interrelationships between life situation, caring demands, experiences, and reactions. Spousal care is influenced by gendered caring norms and roles. The study finds marked differences between wives and husbands in the meaning, content and sustainability of care, and needs for support vary. Wives endured more stress longer than husbands, with a greater emotional impact and negative health consequences, and their needs are more easily neglected. Husbands presented their needs more efficiently and obtained public relief earlier.

Conclusion: Women may need more support earlier during different stages of caring for a spouse with YO-FTD. They need gender sensitive person-centered support to live their own lives and preserve their selves.

This study examines the cultural, social, and religious contexts of African-Caribbean women ageing without children. Drawing on in-depth biographical interviews with ten African-Caribbean women, the study aimed to develop insight into the experiences of women who were growing older without children. Thematic analysis highlighted the implications of early socialization and the complex intersections between childlessness, cultural and religious identity, and gender. The findings suggest that culture and religious beliefs were key factors in shaping the women's earlier socialization and views on family life, children, gender and marriage. However, there was variation in the extent to which some women's earlier socialization was retained into adulthood. Some women let go of earlier beliefs and practices, whereas others chose to keep the ones that they felt were important to them, which often influenced their decisions, choices and pathways regarding having children.

People with dementia have long been defined by the label of dementia, rather than by other aspects of their identities including gender. As a result, little research has focused on gender and dementia, particularly through the perspectives of those living with dementia. The purpose of this study was to explore the experiences and perspectives of women living with dementia. Specifically, we sought to understand how gender structured their experiences of receiving and coping with a diagnosis, services, and important relationships and supports. Utilizing a qualitative research approach, twenty-one women living with dementia participated in individual or group interviews. Women discussed the following aspects of gender and dementia: caregiver roles, perceptions of gender differences, the impact of dementia on families, and women's strength and resilience. The findings of this study indicate a clear need for further research to explore diversity and gendered experiences for those diagnosed with dementia.

This study aimed to picture the experience of the meaning of life in widows by using a photovoice approach with thematic analysis. The participants involved were 10 widows living in West Timor, Indonesia. The results of the thematic analysis show that the meaning of life in widows relates to the following three themes: the spiritual meaning of life, risks of abuses and harassment, and supporting systems for widows. The photovoice approach managed to spark social change and improve community awareness on issues threatening widows' well-being.

Few studies describe how community disadvantage impacts intergenerational relationships. Using interviews with women and service providers (n = 100), we explored benefits and challenges of intergenerational relationships in Flint, Michigan, an economically vulnerable community. Women valued relationships that increased social connections and generativity; however, few community resources promoted such relationships. Intergenerational relationships were important for leaving a social legacy in lieu of a meaningful economic legacy. Some middle-aged women are overwhelmed by caregiving, balancing employment while caring for multiple generations. Women desired intergenerational activities that include children and younger adult women. Further, caregiving programs should attend to the needs of middle-aged caregivers.

Cardiovascular disease (CVD) remains the leading cause of death among women. During midlife (ages 40-60), universal aging processes, sex-specific factors such as menopause, psychological distress, and conditions such as hypertension substantially increase women's risk for CVD. The onset of the COVID-19 pandemic has impacted employment, social interactions, caregiving responsibilities, and overall well-being worldwide; however, little research has investigated how COVID-19 has affected women in midlife. The present study was designed to determine how COVID-19 has affected women in midlife with elevated risk for CVD, by examining changes in their mental health symptoms and life domains across three time points: prior to COVID-19 (2019), during stay-at-home orders (April-June 2020), and during initial reopening (August 2020). Women in midlife with one or more CVD risk conditions (e.g., hypertension; n = 35) responded to questions related to COVID-19, changes in life circumstances, and mental health symptoms at each time point. Findings showed meaningful changes in caregiving, medical visits, and employment status, as well as significant changes in depression and sleep quality scores across time. However, the findings also showed that women were distressed prior to COVID-19 and did not exhibit changes in perceived stress, body dissatisfaction, or anxiety symptoms over time. Findings from this study highlight the impact of the COVID-19 pandemic on an at-risk group of women, which may be used to help guide future health promotion efforts specifically tailored to this population.

We conducted 15 interviews and 3 focus groups (total N = 36) among women 60 and older with low libido to better understand the role that it plays in their lives. Interviews and focus groups were led by facilitators using open-ended questions. A codebook was developed, then codes were assigned to all data. We identified three themes. First, women reported that sex was an important aspect of their lives. Second, women desired to know what was "normal" with regards to sexuality and aging. Third, women were distressed by low libido, concerned that it could have negative effects on romantic relationships and self-image.