Research on Aging最新文献

This study tests associations between purpose in life and coping, and whether coping mediates the association between purpose and cognitive function. Longitudinal data from the Midlife Development in the United States (MIDUS) study were used to investigate associations between purpose at MIDUS I and coping at MIDUS II (N = 2386). Emotion-focused and problem-focused coping were tested as mediators between purpose and cognitive function (memory, executive function, global cognition) at MIDUS III. Higher purpose was associated with more problem-focused and less emotion-focused coping. Coping partially mediated the association between purpose and cognitive function. Emotion-focused coping partially mediated (14.3%) the effect of purpose on cognitive function. Problem-focused coping partially mediated (16.7%) the association of purpose on episodic memory, but not executive function or global cognition. These findings provide new evidence for links between purpose and coping and suggest coping is one mechanism linking purpose with better cognitive function.

With Asia's rapid population aging, intergenerational exchanges between older adults and children are becoming increasingly important for old-age support. However, the relationship between older adults' marital quality and intergenerational support remains underexplored, particularly in multi-ethnic and developing settings. To address this, we examine a subsample of currently married older adults (60+) with at least one child (n = 1575) from Wave 1 (2018) of the Malaysian Aging and Retirement Survey. Using latent class analysis, we identify intergenerational support patterns among older Malaysians. Multinomial logistic regression is employed to investigate how older adults' marital experiences relate to these support patterns. Findings show positive marital experiences are associated with support patterns involving mutual exchange or high receipt of support, while negative marital experiences are linked to patterns characterized by a downward transfer of support to children. Policymakers in developing settings should thus pay more attention to family dynamics when aiming to strengthen intergenerational support.

This study compared equal age groups from two cohorts from the Midlife in the United States (MIDUS) study surveyed at different times to characterize societal changes in measures of subjective age and age threshold. Two successive MIDUS cohorts were utilized (1995-1996 and 2011-2014; age range 25-74). Outcomes included subjective age (felt age and desired age) and age threshold. Following multiple imputations of missing data and balancing methods, weighted linear regression measured associations between subjective age outcomes and cohort, sex, and chronological age. Individuals of the later MIDUS cohort reported older felt age and younger desired age in middle age groups (35-64 years old). An increase in age threshold was observed only in older age groups (65+). Possible underlying historical changes in health and societal age stereotypes are explored to explain the observed trend toward older felt age and age threshold, but a younger desired age.

Migrating to urban areas profoundly shapes later-life cognitive function. However, it is unclear whether the acquisition of urban citizenship matters in old age and how the rural-urban hukou differences in cognition change over time. In particular, the existing literature has overlooked the need to differentiate between the effects of health selection and urban hukou attainment. To address these gaps, we use data from five waves of the China Health and Retirement Longitudinal Study. The results indicate that those who have obtained urban hukou through policies have better cognitive outcomes later in life compared to hukou non-converters, and these hukou-related differences grow with age. However, their cognitive abilities are lower when compared to merit-based hukou converters, who exhibit similar trajectories to lifelong urban citizens. These findings encourage not only a further breakdown of the urban-rural segregation structure in China, but more importantly, an improvement in the cognitive reserve of individuals.

Romantic relationships significantly impact physical and mental wellbeing. While both partnership history and current relationship quality influence wellbeing in later life, they are seldom investigated together. This study examines the long-term effects of partnership history on wellbeing, exploring whether current relationship quality can mitigate the impact of past experiences. Using data from the Survey of Health, Ageing, and Retirement in Europe (SHARE) Finland, we categorize partnership histories and examine if relationship quality mediates their effect on life satisfaction. The analysis identifies five partnership history clusters, revealing that continuous relationships lead to the highest life satisfaction, while unstable histories are linked to lower wellbeing. High relationship satisfaction and fewer conflicts are associated with greater wellbeing for both sexes. Relationship quality mediates the negative associations between unstable partnership histories and subjective wellbeing for both men and women but does not alter the wellbeing associations for those with a continuous partnership history.

Recent decades have seen state successes in rebalancing Medicaid long-term care from institutional care (e.g., nursing homes) into home and community settings. However, significant barriers can prevent access to home and community-based services (HCBS) among older adults and persons with dementia. Qualitative research on potential innovations and solutions in the contemporary context with attention to a wider range of state-level policy contexts is limited. Drawing on interviews with 49 key informants including state Medicaid officials, HCBS providers, and advocates for persons with dementia across 11 states, we examined perceived solutions to barriers. Key informants articulated a range of potential solutions and innovations, ranging from tangible or realized policy changes to 'magic wand' solutions. Policy research has typically focused on the former; excluding the latter may miss opportunities to envision and design a more effective long-term care system for persons living with dementia and older adults.

We examined whether religious involvement was associated with cognitive function among older adults in the 2006-2020 waves of the Health and Retirement Study. Using growth curve analysis, we found the association between religious involvement and cognition varied by facet of religious involvement and race and Hispanic ethnicity. Attending religious services with friends was associated with higher initial levels of cognitive function (b = 0.22, p < .05). For Hispanic older adults, frequent attendance at religious services was associated with a slower rate of cognitive decline (b = 0.16, p < .01). Stratified models by race and Hispanic ethnicity demonstrated that religious salience was associated with lower initial levels of cognitive function among non-Hispanic White adults (b = -0.19, p < .01). We found no association between religious involvement and cognitive function among non-Hispanic Black respondents. In sum, elements of religious involvement are positively or negatively related to cognitive function in later life and vary by race and ethnicity.

This study examines religiosity patterns across childhood and later adulthood and their associations with later-life health using an experimental module from the 2016 Health and Retirement Study (N = 1649; Mean Age = 64.0). Latent class analysis is used to categorize individuals by commonalities in religious attendance, religious identity, and spiritual identity. Cross-sectional and longitudinal associations are then explored using probable depression, disability, and mortality as health indicators. Results reveal complex patterns, often characterized by declining attendance and fluctuating identity. Relationships with health appear stronger in cross-sectional analyses, suggesting that some associations may be non-causal. Individuals with consistently strong religiosity show significantly better psychological health compared to their relatively non-religious counterparts. Moreover, the absence of religiosity in later adulthood is associated with an increased risk of mortality. Overall, the findings support the promotion of religiosity whilst acknowledging individual variations and highlighting the need for more individualistic approaches to the study of religion and health.

Objectives: We investigate whether volunteering is associated with a reduced risk of first heart attack in later life and whether purpose in life moderates this relationship. Methods: Cox proportional hazards were used to examine seven waves of data (2006-2018) from the Health and Retirement Study-a nationally representative survey of adults 50 years and older (N = 5,079). Results: Volunteering a moderate number of hours was associated with a 46% lower risk of heart attack compared to non-volunteers. The association between high time-commitment volunteering and heart attack risk was contingent on level of purpose in life: compared to non-volunteers, people with high purpose in life who volunteered 100 + hours had the lowest risk of heart attack. Discussion: Meaningful volunteer activities may be one way for older adults to reduce their risk of heart attack.

Shared appraisals and collaboration within couples play important roles in optimizing health. Less is known about concordance regarding collaboration, factors associated with concordance, and implications for health. Data from 2,761 couples from the Health and Retirement Study (2014/2016 and 2016/2018 waves) were examined to determine within-couple concordance in completion of two tasks (family decisions and medical forms). The majority of couples were concordant regarding who makes family decisions (69.7%) and who completes medical forms (64.4%); 62% agreed they make family decisions collaboratively versus 25.5% completing medical forms collaboratively. Concordance was significantly associated with greater marital support and longer marital duration. Concordance was not significantly associated with depressive symptoms 2 years later, but the link between concordance in making major family decisions and self-rated health differed by age and gender. Future research at the intersection of concordance and collaboration may shed important light on how older couples navigate tasks and decisions.