International Journal of Aging & Human Development最新文献

The present study evaluates the impact of grandchild distress on parental competence as mediated by Baumrind's parental styles in a sample of 238 custodial grandparents (M age = 58.06). AMOS structural equation findings yielded a model which indicated that both the Laissez-Faire and Authoritarian styles each predicted role stress and/or parental efficacy. Laissez-Faire's mediating role was defined by its link to the grandparent age-internalizing/externalizing behaviors relationship in predicting parental efficacy (beta = -.54, p < .05) and parental role stress (beta = .36, p < .05). The Authoritarian style's mediating role was driven by child externalizing behaviors (beta = .22, p < .05), where Authoritarian styles in turn predicted (beta = .21, p < .05) parental efficacy. The Authoritative style did not emerge as mediational in nature. These findings illuminate the role of parental styles as explanatory factors in understanding the parental challenges that grandparents face in raising their grandchildren.

Stereotypes about aging and aging anxieties are common and when internalized are related to poor physical and psychological outcomes. As a result, older adults may view themselves as having their best years behind them. The present study investigates ageism and aging anxiety as barriers to positive self-development. Participants (n = 360) between ages of 19 and 77 years old (M = 39, SD = 15.9) were recruited using Amazon Mechanical Turk (MTurk) and completed measures of Ageism, Aging Anxiety, and were asked to identify when they have been or will be their Best Self. With increasing age, adults with more internalized ageism and more aging anxiety, specifically physical appearance and fear of loss, identified their Best Self with a time in the past. These findings support the idea that internalization of ageism and aging anxiety can be counterproductive for expectations for growth as one ages.

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.

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.

The Anxiety about Aging Scale (AAS) was developed by Lasher and Faulkender emphasizing a multidimensional approach to aging anxiety and addressing conceptual and psychometric issues of similar tools. Today this scale is one of the most used measures that allow to assess aging anxiety among younger and older populations. This study aimed to test the psychometric properties of the Lithuanian version of the AAS. A total sample of 528 Lithuanian adults, ages ranging from 18 to 82 (M (SD) = 33.6 (14.5)); 22.7% male, were included in this study. Results showed that the Lithuanian version of AAS had good psychometric characteristics. Using confirmatory factor analysis, the four-factor structure originally proposed by Lasher and Faulkender was confirmed. The total AAS scale and all four subscales showed good internal consistency. This study confirmed that the Lithuanian version of AAS can be used in further studies as suggested by scale authors.

Drawing from a life course perspective, this paper examines mid/later-life parent-child relationship quality among ethnically diverse families. Focus is on the role of culture, child, and parental characteristics. Data are drawn from a study of 588 parents aged 50+ of a least one child aged 19-35 who reside in Metro Vancouver, B.C. from four Canadian cultural groups: British, Chinese, Persian/Iranian, and South Asian. Using OLS regression methods, we use two dependent variable scales: positive and negative support/interaction appraisals of the relationship. The positive relationship quality scale is associated with South Asian versus British-Canadian parents, mothers, those with greater income satisfaction, and daughters. The negative scale is inversely associated among South Asian versus British-Canadian parents, income satisfaction, parental health, and being unpartnered (vs. partnered). Interaction effects are found between gender and ethnicity. Implications for theorizing and applied recommendations for those who work with culturally diverse aging families are discussed.

Although there have been interventions to increase growth mindset, little is known about their effectiveness over a longer period, especially for older adults. This study with older adults investigated the long-term effects of a learning intervention that included growth mindset lectures and discussions on growth mindset. In Study 1 (n = 27), participants were tracked for one year after a 12-week intervention. We found that an increased growth mindset did not last beyond the intervention. In Study 2 (n = 71), the COVID-19 pandemic interrupted the intervention after only two months. Participants were followed up for two years, and their growth mindset at one year was greater than at the pretest (Week 0) but declined from the 1- to 2-year follow-up. Taken together, interventions incorporating growth mindset messages can increase growth mindset in the short term but may require booster sessions to retain effects, especially during disruptive life events.

Relatively little is known about how social relationships affect later life planning. Our study focuses on an underexamined aspect of social relationships, frequency of contact - not only with family members but also with friends. Using data from a survey of Floridians aged 50 and older conducted between December 2020 and April 2021 (n = 3,832), we examine the association between frequency of contact and five planning types: finances, health care, living arrangements, driving retirement, and end-of-life. We found that more frequent contact was associated with greater likelihood of planning, and this result was largely consistent across types of relationships and types of planning. Our findings suggest that contact with family members and friends may encourage more planning, which could reduce the stress that can accompany later life transitions. Our study offers further evidence of social relationships' centrality to later life well-being and points to the many benefits of enhancing them.

There is a critical need to increase Latino participation in research on Alzheimer's disease and related disorders (ADRD). Applying principles of community-based participatory research, we convened a community advisory board (CAB) to identify barriers and recommend strategies to increase participation of older Latinos in a longitudinal observational research study of ADRD at the Shiley-Marcos Alzheimer's Disease Research Center. Six major barriers were identified and programmatic changes to overcome them were implemented. Changes resulted in a nearly three-fold increase in the number of Latino individuals recruited, with the proportion of all newly recruited participants who were Latino increasing from 12.2% to 57.4%. Newer Latino recruits were more representative of the elderly Latino population in San Diego County than those recruited pre-CAB and remained highly agreeable to blood draw and neuroimaging, though less so to lumbar puncture and autopsy. Results demonstrate the value of CAB involvement in enhancing diversity in ADRD research.

The images we have concerning aging and older people influence our health, well-being, and longevity; however, we do not know which of its aspects (e.g., health, appearance, and personality) positively or negatively affect us. Therefore, to clarify the impact of images of aging on our desire to live long, which impacts our healthy behavior, we conducted an internet survey targeting 1,000 people aged between 30 and 75 years old in Japan in 2018. We tested the following five hypotheses: 1) Respondents who are interested in interacting with older people wish to live longer than those who do not; 2) Respondents who have a positive stereotype about physiological traits of older people wish to live longer than those who do not; 3) Respondents who have a positive stereotype about social relations among older people wish to live longer than those who do not; 4) Respondents who have a positive stereotype about the functioning of older people wish to live longer than those who do not; 5) Respondents who have a positive stereotype about the functioning of older people are likely to engage in healthy behavior and perceive better subjective health than those who do not, which positively affects the age they wish to live to. As a result, we found that only 70-75-year-old participants who had positive images of social relations in old age tended to express a wish to live longer. However, other aspects of images of aging such as appearance, personality, and biological traits did not affect such desire. We conclude that the influence of aging images on the desire to live long may be less apparent among Japanese than other cultures. It is possible that Japanese people are less likely to internalize aging images regarding old age.