International Journal of Aging & Human Development最新文献

This study aimed to identify pickleball-related injury prevalence and risk factors in older adults and evaluate injury incidence during a pickleball tournament. A cross-sectional study analyzed self-reported injuries from the past 12 months and new injuries during the 2018 US Open Pickleball Championships. Data were collected on demographics, play characteristics, and psychological attributes. Injury details came from self-reports and medical tent records. Hierarchical logistic regression identified significant injury predictors. Of 237 participants, 32.1% reported past-year injuries, mainly in lower extremities (57.9%) and muscle/tendon tissues (61.8%). The tournament had a 5.8% incidence of new injuries, primarily in lower extremities and skin/muscle tissues. Key risk factors were male gender, lower BMI, and increased weekly play hours. No significant associations were found with psychological variables. Pickleball players have a high injury prevalence, especially in lower extremities, linked to longer play hours, male gender, and lower BMI.

Considering the inconclusive effect of grandchild care on grandparents' well-being, this study aimed to develop an Effort-Reward Imbalance in Grandchild Care Scale (ERI-GCS) to delineate the effect. In Study 1, 422 grandparents rated the 27-item draft ERI-GCS, which supported the ERI model. In Study 2, 397 grandparents participated to validate the construct structure of ERI-GCS. Confirmatory factor analysis supported a three-factor model including the two first-order factors of effort and overcommitment that correlate with one second-order reward factor with three first-order factors of intrinsic reward, adult child's recognition, and grandchild's affection. The final 22-item ERI-GCS has good internal consistency, with Cronbach's alphas ranging from 0.78 to 0.89. ERI-GCS shows good convergent validity and criterion validity, indicated by correlations with non-reciprocity relationships and mental health (depressive symptoms, psychological flourishing), respectively. The findings show that the ERI-GCS can reliably measure the effect of effort-reward imbalance on caregiver grandparents' mental health.

Objectives: Understanding the factors protecting life satisfaction in older adults despite stressors is central to late-life wellbeing. This study examined whether self-efficacy moderated the relationships between negative life events, hassles, and life satisfaction in older adults. Methods: The sample comprised 176 older adults aged 60 or above. Two moderation models were tested, controlling for gender, socioeconomic status and health status. Results: The negative relationship between adverse life event and life satisfaction was stronger for individuals with lower self-efficacy. There was no evidence that self-efficacy moderated the relationship between hassles and life satisfaction. Discussion: The study is the first to provide empirical evidence for the role of self-efficacy in buffering the association between negative life events and lower life satisfaction. Strategies to increase self-efficacy can be incorporated in interventions and policies to enhance resilience in this growing population.

Well-being has been shown to improve with age, but underlying mechanisms are unclear. We tested a conceptual model that posited that age-related increases in present time orientation foster greater dispositional mindfulness and savoring the moment, and that these psychological processes are pathways that link older age to better well-being. U.S. adults (N = 797, M_age= 45.57 years, SD = 15.07, range: 20-88) completed an online, self-report survey of their present time perspective, dispositional mindfulness, savoring the moment, and hedonic and eudaimonic well-being. Using structural equation modeling, our conceptual model was a good fit to the data. Older age was associated with greater present time orientation, which was associated with both greater mindfulness and savoring the moment, and ultimately related to greater eudaimonic and hedonic well-being. Mindfulness and savoring interventions may be beneficial for promoting present moment orientation, and subsequently, better well-being. However, longitudinal studies are needed to establish temporal associations.

Close relationships have long been recognized as crucial in shaping older adults' happiness and well-being. This study investigated the longitudinal association between close relationships (including those with a spouse, children, and friends) and happiness among older adults using random intercept cross-lagged panel models (RI-CLPMs), explicitly capturing changes over time. We pooled waves 10-11, 12-13, and 14-15 from the RAND file of the Health and Retirement Study (HRS). Our analytic sample included 15,758 individuals aged 50 years and older (Mean age = 67.14). We ran three RI-CLPMs to examine how close relationships with spouse, children, and friends affect the happiness of older adults. All models demonstrated a good fit with the data (spouse's model, χ² (df = 7) = 6.979, p = .43, comparative fit index [CFI] = TLI = 1.00; children's model, χ² (df = 8) = 13.91, p = .08, CFI = TLI = 1.00; friend's model, χ² (df = 8) = 17.35, p = .03, CFI = 0.999, TLI = 0.996). We also conducted a sensitivity analysis by computing models without missing data imputation. The results were mostly consistent with the initial analysis. In the initial waves, we did not find carry-over and spill-over effects between close relationships and happiness. However, carry-over effects were observed for models in the later waves. We also found that married individuals tended to be happier as they aged. Additionally, women were more likely to have close relationships with children and friends compared to men. These findings reinforce the dynamic nature of close relationships in later life, suggesting that long-term relationship stability contributes to happiness over time. Practical implications include encouraging companionship and communication within family networks and promoting peer support groups to strengthen social bonds and happiness in later adulthood.

Background: Physical inactivity is a major risk factor for noncommunicable diseases, particularly among older adults. We examined changes in cardiovascular risk factors among older adults in a community-based fitness program in Miami-Dade County, FL. Methods: We used repeated measures linear mixed models to examine participants' cardiovascular risk factor changes over 28 months. Outcomes (body mass index, blood pressure, pulse, arm/leg strength, and mobility) were modeled accounting for park, individual, time, and sociodemographic factors (2017-2019). Results: The study included 210 participants (mean age 71 years; 86% female; 52% Hispanic, 38% non-Hispanic Black). Participation was positively associated with reductions in cardiovascular risk, including improvements in systolic and diastolic blood pressure (-0.83 and -0.39 mmHg, respectively), mobility (-0.07 s) and arm strength (0.5 arm curls). Differences were observed in arm curls across sex and pulse across poverty areas. Conclusion: Participating in a park-based fitness program was associated with improved older adults' cardiovascular health.

Self-employment is a way for older adults to become active, achieve financial security and contribute to the economy. We explore the meaning of old age from the perspectives of employed and self-employed people. To examine the meaning of old age, 16 employed and self-employed Finns aged 50 and older were interviewed. The sample was stratified according to gender, employment relationship and company size. We employ the life course perspective to examine how choice of work over the life course influences how people think about old age. Employees and self-employed individuals have different perspectives and ways of defining the onset of old age, particularly in terms of the link between retirement and old age. This paper demonstrates that employees and the self-employed view the beginning of old age differently and have different life courses, showing the complex interplay between work and perception of old age.

In prospective studies on religiousness and depressive symptoms, it remains unclear whether religiousness is a predictor or parallels the fluctuating course of depressive symptoms. The current study focuses on several affective aspects of religiousness in their associations over time with late life depressive symptoms. As part of the population-based Longitudinal Aging Study Amsterdam, a subsample of 222 respondents (mean age 76.3 years) completed up to three postal questionnaires with 3-year intervals. The questionnaires included the Center for Epidemiologic Studies Depression scale and subscales of the Questionnaire God Representations and the Brief Religious Coping scale. Analyses were performed using mixed model analysis and logistic regression. Positive feelings toward God were associated with fewer depressive symptoms over time. Anxiety toward God, discontent about God, and negative religious coping predicted more depressive symptoms over time (between-subject effects) but also tended to run parallel to the course of depressive symptoms (within-subject effects).

Background: Informal childcare supply may have a double-edged effect on grandparents' health and quality of life, as different aspects of it may exceed or subceed the capacity of the older persons, in various ways. This study aimed to assess the effect of grandparenting on physical activity, nutrition, and quality of life of older people. Methods: The study involved 152 grandparents ≥65 years old (69.2 ± 4.5 years). Data were collected by a self-reported questionnaire consisting of four sections: (a) sociodemographic profile, (b) physical activity assessment (IPAQ), (c) compliance with the Mediterranean diet (MedDiet score), and (d) quality of life assessment (WHOQOL-BREF). Results: Significant correlations were found concerning the care of grandchildren with physical activity, eating habits, and quality of life of older adults. The most notable results of regression analysis, regarding grandparenting effect, were the number of grandchildren being taken care of, which had a statistically significant negative effect on dietary habits, physical activity and quality of life, and being the only caregivers, which was positively associated with dietary habits, but negatively with the two other outcomes (all p < .01). Conclusion: The results showed that different aspects of informal childcare had statistically significant effects on dietary habits, physical activity, and overall quality of life in older people.

Objectives: This study aimed to examine the differential impacts of two forms of social isolation on depressive symptoms and investigate the mediating role of activity engagement among older Chinese immigrants. Methods: Data were from four waves of the Population Study of Chinese Elderly in Chicago Study (PINE) (N = 2,075). Social disconnectedness was measured by social network size and range, living arrangement, and marital status. Perceived isolation was measured by loneliness and lack of social support. Activity engagement was assessed by engagement with various social and cognitive activities. Results: The latent growth curve models indicated that social disconnectedness and perceived isolation were associated with a higher initial level of depressive symptoms. However, perceived isolation predicted a faster decline in depressive symptoms. Activity engagement had significant mediating effects on the relationships. Discussion: Efforts should focus on reducing social isolation and providing opportunities for activity engagement to mitigate depression among older Chinese immigrants.