Research on Aging最新文献

Friendship is an understudied social context in research on advance care planning (ACP). Using data from the Health and Retirement Study (2018-2020), we examine the associations between the quality and quantity of friendships and older adults' engagement in advance directives (AD) and end-of-life (EOL) discussions. Multivariable logistic regressions show that having any friends is associated with greater odds of AD and EOL discussions. Number of close friends and emotional support are positively associated with AD only. Marital status and gender, both independently and jointly, moderate the associations between friendship predictors and ACP. The positive association between emotional support from friends and EOL discussions is more pronounced among never married men, compared to both married individuals and never married women. These findings highlight friendship as a salient social context associated with ACP engagement, particularly among never married men.

Unmet needs are common among people living with cognitive impairment (PLwCI) and are linked to adverse outcomes. While caregiving networks (CGNs) are crucial in supporting care, little is known regarding how CGNs relate to unmet needs for PLwCI across racial and ethnic groups. Using data from the 2023 National Health and Aging Trends Study, we adapted the latent profiles of CGN sizes and composition among Black, Latinx, and White PLwCI and assessed their associations with unmet care needs. Zero-inflated negative binomial models showed that White PLwCI in "Spousal CGNs" had more unmet needs than those in "Spouse and other CGNs." Black PLwCI who relied on "Children and Others CGNs" experienced fewer unmet needs. Among Latinx CGNs, "Friends and others CGNs" CGNs showed fewer unmet needs. These findings underscore the importance of addressing within-group variation in CGNs to inform equitable, culturally responsive caregiving policies.

We used latent class analysis to identify profiles of midlife and older Chinese adults' preferences regarding involvement in three dimensions of end-of-life care: information exchange, deliberation, and decisional control. Data are from 548 urban and rural Shanghai residents aged 50+. We used multinomial logistic regression to evaluate associations between individual- and family-oriented beliefs and latent class membership. We identified four profiles. Lead decision-makers (49%) prefer to take charge of information exchange and final decisions, while valuing collaborative discussions. Autonomous decision-makers (19%) prefer making decisions without others' input. Delegating decision-makers (16%) prefer that family or doctors decide. Acquiescent decision-makers (15%) prefer to follow their family's wishes if discrepant preferences exist. Among family-oriented values, only strong extended familism beliefs were associated with delegating decision-making. Individuals' desire for a "good death" was strongly linked to independent decision-making. Practitioners should assess, understand, and develop practices to ensure decision-making preferences are met in Chinese families.

Home- and community-based services (HCBS) complement informal family care and support healthy aging. While HCBS benefits are well documented, how informal family care moderates the association between HCBS and the subjective well-being (SWB) of older adults with disabilities and mediation mechanisms remain underexplored. Using 2018 China Health and Retirement Longitudinal Survey data (n = 1,812), we find that HCBS utilization is positively associated with SWB (measured by life satisfaction), with unmet care needs-reflecting person-environment incongruence-serving as a mediator. Informal family care moderates the HCBS-SWB association. The positive HCBS-SWB association is stronger among older adults with disabilities who were childless, lived alone, and had fewer family caregivers, primarily due to a greater mediation effect of unmet care needs. These findings highlight the importance of considering the structure and capacity of family care when promoting HCBS, ensuring HCBS more effectively complements family support and addresses older adults' needs.

This study examines how family trajectories lead to kin absence and shape loneliness in later life among Chinese middle-aged and older adults. Using data from the China Health and Retirement Longitudinal Study (CHARLS), we applied multichannel sequence analysis to assess joint patterns of partnership and fertility. Men were more likely to become kinless through lifelong singlehood and childlessness, while women often experienced kin absence through widowhood or non-normative paths such as non-marital fertility. Higher loneliness was found among men in the Single/Late-Partnered Childless group (β = 0.45, p < 0.001) and women in the Prematurely Widowed Parented group (β = 0.29, p < 0.05). Theoretically, this study extends the life course principle of linked lives by revealing how interconnected family transitions shape later-life wellbeing. Findings underscore the need for tailored long-term care policies in light of growing kin absence.

This study examines the longitudinal relationship between work status and subjective well-being (SWB) among older adults in South Korea, with a focus on the roles of gender and education. Using data from the Korean Longitudinal Study of Aging (2006-2020), this study employs fixed-effects regression models to examine within-person longitudinal associations between work and SWB, stratified by gender and educational level. Findings reveal a positive association between working status and SWB for men, but not for women. Both lower- and higher-educated individuals experience a positive SWB when they are working. While women in South Korea are more likely to have lower educational attainment, this does not fully explain the gender gap in the relationship between work status and SWB. Policies should address barriers preventing women from experiencing similar SWB benefits as men, ensuring work supports, rather than strains, their well-being.

This study investigated job search patterns among American older workers. Data from the 2016-2018 Health and Retirement Study included 1501 individuals aged 50+ who were looking for jobs in 2016. Latent Class Analysis (LCA) was conducted to identify job search patterns based on nine types of job search activities. Multinomial logistic regression was then used to examine membership in each class. Five job search patterns emerged from the LCA analysis, including No Ads, Ads only, Friends & Ads, Phone & Ads, and Agencies & Ads. Employment transitions were related to job search patterns. Unemployed older workers, despite utilizing more diverse job search methods, were less likely to secure new jobs compared to their employed peers. These findings highlight the need for workforce development programs to focus on workplace skill-building training and educational opportunities before becoming unemployed and age-friendly workforce development tailored to older workers with low-skilled and low income.

Caregivers of older adults with dementia generally report poorer mental health than those caring for other chronic conditions. Research indicates that coping resources such as resilience and perceived gains can improve mental health. This study examined the indirect effects of dementia caregiving status on mental health through coping resources. Participants were 2242 caregivers of Medicare enrollees aged 65 and older from the 2017 National Study of Caregiving. Path analysis was conducted to examine the study aim. Dementia caregiving was associated with higher levels of resilience, which in turn, was associated with reduced psychological distress and increased psychological well-being. Perceived gains were negatively associated with psychological distress and positively associated with psychological well-being. The study highlighted resilience as a mechanism underlying differential mental health outcomes between dementia and non-dementia caregivers, as well as the role of perceived gains in enhancing well-being. Interventions should promote resilience and help caregivers recognize caregiving gains.

Objective: Family caregiving is a prevalent, diverse, and often challenging experience. We develop caregiving activity profiles to better understand how sets of care-tasks contribute to various aspects of strain.Methods: Using diary data from a survey of 213 family caregivers in the U.S., we perform latent class analysis to group commonly occurring care-related tasks into activity profiles. We then use these classifications to predict physical, financial, and emotional strain.Main Findings: We identified 4 unique activity profiles based on a set of 36 daily caregiving activities performed. Activity profiles varied significantly across the three analyzed strain dimensions.Conclusion: Activity profiles present opportunities to better understand how caregiving tasks are related to specific types kinds of caregiving strain.

Using cross-sectional and longitudinal data, we examined the immediate and long-term buffering effects of religious involvement on late-life spousal loss. Using seven waves of data (2006-2018) from the Health and Retirement Study (N = 4714; Obs. = 18,212), we conducted ordinary least squares regression and growth curve analyses. Recent spousal loss was strongly associated with increased depressive symptoms, which gradually decreased over time. Religious involvement buffered the association between a recent loss and depressive symptoms. However, no buffering effect was observed for the changes in depressive symptoms over time. Religious involvement significantly mitigated the immediate effects of spousal loss on depressive symptoms. However, its long-term buffering effects on changes in depressive symptoms are limited. Future studies should consider alternative coping resources that may protect individuals against the negative effects of the loss of a spouse and facilitate the maintenance of mental health over time.