Research on Aging最新文献

The current study examined changes and variation in self-perceptions of aging (SPA) and how these perceptions vary according to sources of support and strain from spouses, children, family, and friends. We used random intercept cross-lagged panel models to model within-person changes in SPA and support/strain over twelve years (2008-2020) among 22,160 older adults from the Health and Retirement Study. There was a bidirectional, positive association between spousal support and SPA. More positive SPA was associated with lower spousal strain, though spousal strain did not affect SPA. Surprisingly, higher strain from other family members and friends was associated with more positive SPA; support from these sources did not affect SPA. Lastly, child support and strain were unrelated to SPA. These findings highlight the complex interactions between social relationships and aging perceptions. Future studies should explore cognitive, psychological, or physiological mechanisms and outcomes underlying each relational contributor of SPA.

A lack of diversity in Alzheimer's (AD) and dementia research is an important barrier to identifying strategies for prevention and treatment. Research suggests media coverage of AD/dementia research will familiarize people with the issue and motivate them to place more importance in the issue in general. This study explores how news media may inform groups that are under-represented in AD/dementia through coverage of the issue. A national survey identified the media outlets that were most often consumed and used for health information within target populations. Transcripts from these media outlets were content analyzed to examine AD/dementia coverage. The timeframe included the months before and after the US FDA's approval of the drug Aduhelm and the controversy surrounding it. Results highlight differences in under-represented groups' media consumption patterns and coverage of AD/dementia and indicates a failure to inform about an event that may have widespread effect on Medicare and AD/dementia research.

Spouses often influence each other's health behaviors through social control, yet most research relies on cross-sectional data from different-sex couples. Far less is known about how these dynamics unfold in same-sex marriages or evolve with age, despite their importance for population health. Using longitudinal survey data (n = 614) and daily diary data (n = 524) from mid-to-later-life same- and different-sex couples, we track six-year changes in social control tactics, reactions, and effectiveness. Supportive tactics decline, appreciation decreases, and irritation increases across couple types, although women married to women initially report greater appreciation. Over time, however, they experience the steepest declines in appreciation and the effectiveness of direct regulatory control. In contrast, joint health activities grow more effective for encouraging exercise across couples. These findings highlight the limits of regulatory control and the potential importance of collaborative approaches, with implications for interventions aimed at supporting healthy aging in diverse couples.

The study objective was to investigate the differences between sexual minority and heterosexual individuals on multiple dimensions of self-perceptions of aging (SPA) and examine the mediating role of stress. In the nationally representative German Ageing Survey, 257 sexual minority individuals were matched one-to-two with heterosexual individuals based on their age (mean 72 years) and sex (45% women). Cross-sectional linear regression and mediation models were estimated. Sexual orientation was not significantly associated with felt age or age-related perceived physical losses, personal growth, and self-knowledge. However, sexual minority individuals reported lower positive attitudes towards own aging (ATOA, Standardized β = -0.13) and more social losses (β = 0.11) than heterosexual individuals and the differences were partially mediated by stress. Although causality cannot be inferred, higher stress may explain why sexual minority individuals experience less positive ATOA and more social losses. Interventions to reduce stress and improve SPA may help in supporting sexual minority individuals' future wellbeing.

Objective: This study examined how changes in social isolation and loneliness relate to transitions in cognitive-functional impairment (CFI) among Chinese older adults.

Methods: We used four waves (2008-2018) of CLHLS data and constructed an exploratory CFI indicator by combining MMSE and ADL measures. A two-state Cox regression model was applied to assess the effects of changes in social isolation and loneliness on CFI transitions.

Results: Among 11,704 observations aged 65 and above, 44.54% were aged 81-95 years and 51.14% were female. Overall, 18.24% of respondents became lonelier and 11.10% became socially isolated. In total, 13.91% showed cognitive impairment, 10.45% had functional limitations, and 4.87% had CFI. Changes in loneliness had a notably stronger effect on CFI transitions than changes in social isolation. Individuals who became lonely were more likely to develop new or persistent cognitive impairment, emerging functional limitations, and newly developed CFI (all adjusted hazard ratios (aHRs) > 1), whereas those who transitioned to a non-lonely state were less likely to remain cognitively-functionally impaired (aHR < 1).

Conclusions: Rising loneliness may have a stronger impact on cognitive and functional decline than increasing social isolation. Early identification and intervention targeting loneliness could help support both cognitive and functional health among older adults.

Social isolation is prevalent among older immigrants, yet the multidimensional factors contributing to it remain understudied. Using data from five waves of the Population Study of Chinese Elderly in Chicago (N = 2,835), this study identified social isolation change trajectory patterns over eight years and examined contributing factors across ecological systems. Social isolation was measured by the social disconnectedness index. The multidimensional factors included socio-demographic and health conditions, interpersonal relationships, immigration experiences, and neighborhood characteristics. Latent class growth analysis identified four distinct change trajectories, including "Persistent Low", "Persistent Medium", "Persistent High", and "Increasing" isolation. Multinomial logistic regression indicated that older age, being female, lower social support and social strain, longer U.S. residence, and neighborhood physical disorder predicted greater social isolation. Stronger sense of community and social cohesion unexpectedly heightened the likelihood of "Persistent High" isolation. Findings highlight the need for culturally sensitive and multidimensional interventions to address social isolation among older immigrants.

This study explores the relationships between ICT uses for various purposes and mental health and the moderating effect of technology learning among Chinese and Korean older Americans. The survey data were collected from 513 Chinese and Korean older Americans in New York City. Negative binomial regression was used to examine the relationships between ICT uses for social, instrumental, and health purposes, and depressive symptoms. Interaction terms between ICT use variables and technology learning styles were created for the moderation test. We found that ICT uses for social contact and health purposes were significantly associated with lower depressive symptoms among the Chinese and Korean older Americans, and the benefits were more pronounced for those who learned ICT independently. This study highlighted the importance of supporting ICT uses for social contact and health purposes and technology learning process to improve mental health of older Asian Americans.

Empirical discourses surrounding bisexuality often focus on challenges and disparities. This analysis identifies counternarratives of coping and survival among 21 midlife and older bisexual individuals. Findings are presented in three found poems followed by interpretations within participants' life experiences. Each poem depicts an "act" of life, separating narratives into three stages of meaning-making. Act I: The Struggle captures early-to midlife experiences fraught with confusion, isolation, mental health challenges, and interpersonal conflict. In Act II: Coping and Survival Looks Like…participants reflect on strengths, skills, and relationships they used to confront significant challenges. Act III: Healing Bisexual Futures presents reflections on what bisexuality means to participants in later life and how they envision their futures. This streamlined version of complex and messy life histories represents an agentive story-telling process in which participants seek meaning and cohesion in narrating their lives. Creative methodologies are well-suited to capturing this narrative nuance and poignance.

This study examines individual socio-structural resources and country-level welfare state commitment in relation to four different aspects of civic engagement in later life. Multilevel logistic regression was used to analyze data from the European Quality of Life Survey (EQLS) collected from people aged 65 and over in 32 European countries during 2016-2017 (n = 9265). On the individual level, socio-structural resources in terms of educational level, income, and self-rated health were positively related to formal volunteering, political participation, and associational participation. However, socio-structural resources seemed to be less important to informal caregiving. On the country-level, strong welfare state commitment, as measured by social expenditure, was positively associated with all four aspects of civic engagement. Cross-level interactions between socio-structural resources and welfare state commitment were statistically significant in part. The present study strengthens the view of civic engagement in later life as a multidimensional concept that is shaped by individual and contextual factors.

Older adults prioritize emotion regulation over other cognitively demanding tasks. Thus, emotions requiring regulation may increase reliance on advice when making judgements. An online sample of 42 young, 48 middle-aged, and 42 older adults were randomly allocated to either an anger, gratitude, or neutral emotion induction, using autobiographical recall. A judge-advisor task measured advice-taking, and participants rated their confidence, perceived advice accuracy, and emotions, followed by the general decision-making styles questionnaire. Due to emotion induction failure, a global positive mood score was explored. Although positive mood did not correlate with advice-taking, greater age was associated with lesser avoidant decision-making style, lower pre- and post-advice confidence, and greater positive mood. Perceived advice accuracy was positively correlated with both pre- and post-advice confidence ratings, positive mood, and advice-taking. The present study provides no evidence for age-related differences in the degree of advice-taking, but suggests that different mechanisms likely underpin advice-taking at different ages.