scholarly journals Aging during COVID-19 in Germany: a longitudinal analysis of psychosocial adaptation

2021 ◽  
Author(s):  
Anna Schlomann ◽  
Mareike Bünning ◽  
Lena Hipp ◽  
Hans-Werner Wahl
Keyword(s):  
Older Adults ◽  
Life Satisfaction ◽  
Online Survey ◽  
Continuous Variable ◽  
Psychosocial Adaptation ◽  
Partial Recovery ◽  
Older Individuals ◽  
Middle Aged ◽  
Social Contacts ◽  
General Life Satisfaction

AbstractExisting theories of aging suggest that there may be similarities and differences in how COVID-19 impacts older people’s psychosocial adaptation compared to younger age groups, particularly middle-aged individuals. To assess the degree to which these impacts vary, we analyzed data from 3098 participants between the ages of 40 and 79 from an online survey in Germany. Data were collected at three measurement occasions between the start of the nationwide lockdown in mid-March 2020 and the end of the lockdown in early August 2020. The survey focused on everyday experiences during the COVID-19 crisis and collected various satisfaction ratings (e.g., general life satisfaction, satisfaction with family life, satisfaction with social contacts). At baseline, participants also provided retrospective ratings of satisfaction for the period before the COVID-19 crisis. In our analyses, we compared satisfaction ratings of middle-aged (40–64 years) and older individuals (65–79 years) and found that both middle-aged and older participants experienced the greatest decreases in satisfaction with social contacts, with more pronounced decreases seen in middle-aged participants. A similar pattern was observed for general life satisfaction, but the overall decreases were less pronounced in both groups compared to the decreases in satisfaction with social contacts. We also observed a partial recovery effect in all measures at the last measurement occasion, and this effect was more pronounced in older adults. Findings were also confirmed using age as a continuous variable and checking for linear and nonlinear effects of outcomes across the age range. Although ageism arose during the pandemic in the sense that older adults were labeled as a “risk group,” particularly at the start of the outbreak, we found consistently with other studies that middle-aged adults’ satisfaction decreased to a greater extent than that of older adults.

scholarly journals Aging during COVID-19 in Germany: A Longitudinal Analysis of Psychosocial Adaptation and Attitudes Toward Aging

2020 ◽  
Author(s):  
Anna Schlomann ◽  
Mareike Bünning ◽  
Lena Hipp ◽  
Hans-Werner Wahl
Keyword(s):  
Older Adults ◽  
Life Satisfaction ◽  
Online Survey ◽  
Age Groups ◽  
Psychosocial Adaptation ◽  
Partial Recovery ◽  
Theories Of Aging ◽  
Younger Age ◽  
The Social ◽  
Attitudes Toward Aging

Available theories of aging suggest that there may be similarities and differences in how COVID-19 impacts older peoples’ psychosocial adaptation compared to younger age groups, particularly mid-aged individuals. We analyzed data from 3,215 participants between 40 and 79 years gathered at three measurement occasions between the start of the nation-wide lock-down mid-March 2020 and its lifting early August 2020 in an online survey in Germany. The survey focused on everyday experiences during the COVID-19 crisis and collected various satisfaction ratings (e.g., general life satisfaction, satisfaction with family life, satisfaction with social contacts). Participants also provided retrospective satisfaction ratings for their situations before the COVID-19 crisis at baseline. For a small sub-sample of 29 participants (48–78 years), we explored how attitudes toward own aging (ATOA) measured prior to the crisis may have played a role in satisfaction ratings during the crisis. Both mid-aged and older participants experienced the greatest decreases in satisfaction in the social domain, with more pronounced decreases seen in mid-aged participants. We also observed a partial recovery effect in all measures at T3, and this effect was more pronounced in older adults. More negative ATOA prior to the crisis was associated with lowered psychosocial adaptation. Although ageism arose during the pandemic in the sense that older adults were labeled as a “risk group” particularly at the outbreak, we found in accordance with other studies that mid-aged adults’ satisfaction decreased to a greater extent than older adults’. Beginning evidence supports that attitudes toward aging were relevant for adaptation.

scholarly journals Income and Mental Well-Being of Middle-Aged and Older Americans: Immigrants’ Diminished Returns

2020 ◽  
Vol 8 (1) ◽  
pp. 37-43 ◽  
Author(s):  
Shervin Assari
Keyword(s):  
Older Adults ◽  
Well Being ◽  
The United States ◽  
Continuous Variable ◽  
High Income ◽  
Limited Information ◽  
Older Individuals ◽  
Middle Aged ◽  
Race Ethnicity ◽  
Mental Well Being

Introduction: Although income is among the major social determinants of mental health of middle-aged and older individuals, socially marginalized groups gain less health from their income and other socioeconomic status (SES) resources compared to socially privileged groups. This pattern is called marginalization-related diminished returns (MDRs). Most of the existing knowledge on MDRs, however, has been derived from studies that have defined marginalization based on race, ethnicity, or sexual orientation. As a result, very limited information exists on whether similar MDRs can be observed for middle-aged and older immigrants or not. Building on the MDRs framework, this study compared a national sample of immigrants and non-immigrants for the effects of income on the mental well-being of middle-aged and older adults in the United States. Methods: This is a cross-sectional study. The 2015 National Health Interview Survey (NHIS) enrolled 14149 middle-aged and older individuals who were either immigrants (n=1977; 14.0%) or non-immigrants (n=12166; 86.0%). The independent variable (IV) was income that was treated as a continuous variable. The dependent variable was mental well-being, also treated as a continuous variable. Age, gender, race, ethnicity, education, marital status, employment, self-rated health, obesity, and region were confounders. Immigration (nativity status) was the moderator. Logistic regression was applied for data analysis. Results: High income was associated with higher odds of good mental well-being in middle-aged and older adults. However, immigration showed a significant statistical interaction with income, which was suggestive of a smaller protective effect of high income on mental well-being for immigrant than non-immigrant middle-aged and older adults. Conclusion: In line with MDRs, the association between income and mental well-being is weaker for immigrant than non-immigrant middle-aged and older adults. There is a need to help high income immigrants secure health outcomes similar to those of non-immigrants. Such changes may require bold and innovative economic, public, and social policies that help immigrants more effectively translate their income and socioeconomic resources into tangible outcomes such as mental well-being.

Benefits of volunteerism for middle-aged and older adults: comparisons between types of volunteering activities

2021 ◽  
pp. 1-20
Author(s):  
Alfred H. K. Lam ◽  
Dannii Y. Yeung ◽  
Edwin K. H. Chung
Keyword(s):  
Older Adults ◽  
Life Satisfaction ◽  
Depressive Symptoms ◽  
Cross Sectional Study ◽  
Middle Aged ◽  
Cross Sectional ◽  
Health And Wellbeing ◽  
Hand Grip ◽  
Middle Aged Adults ◽  
Main Effects

Abstract Volunteering is a popular activity among middle-aged and older adults as means to contribute to the society and to maintain personal health and wellbeing. While the benefits of volunteering have been well-documented in the current literature, it does not tend to distinguish between various types of volunteering activities. This cross-sectional study aims to compare the effects of instrumental (e.g. food preparation, fundraising) and cognitively demanding volunteering activities (e.g. befriending, mentoring) in a sample of 487 middle-aged and older Hong Kong Chinese adults. Participation in instrumental and cognitively demanding volunteering, life satisfaction, depressive symptoms, cognitive functioning and hand-grip strength were measured. The results of two-way between-subject robust analyses of variance demonstrated significant main effects of volunteering type and their interaction effect with age on life satisfaction and depressive symptoms. Comparisons among four volunteering groups (no volunteering, instrumental volunteering, cognitively demanding volunteering and both types) revealed that individuals engaging in instrumental volunteering exhibited lower life satisfaction and more depressive symptoms compared to those who engaged in cognitively demanding volunteering and those who did not volunteer at all. This detrimental pattern of instrumental volunteering was only seen in middle-aged adults, but not in older adults. Findings of this study revealed distinctive effects of two volunteering types, and provide valuable directions for designing future volunteering programmes.

Strengths and Satisfaction Across the Adult Lifespan

2003 ◽  
Vol 57 (2) ◽  
pp. 181-201 ◽  
Author(s):  
Derek M. Isaacowitz ◽  
George E. Vaillant ◽  
Martin E. P. Seligman
Keyword(s):  
Older Adults ◽  
Life Satisfaction ◽  
Community Dwelling ◽  
Middle Aged ◽  
Lower Strength ◽  
Younger Adults ◽  
Adult Lifespan ◽  
The World ◽  
Community Dwelling Older Adults

Positive psychology has recently developed a classification of human strengths (Peterson & Seligman, in press). We aimed to evaluate these strengths by investigating the strengths and life satisfaction in three adult samples recruited from the community (young adult, middle-aged, and older adult), as well as in the surviving men of the Grant study of Harvard graduates. In general, older adults had higher levels of interpersonal and self-regulatory strengths, whereas younger adults reported higher levels of strengths related to exploring the world. Grant study men tended to report lower strength levels than older adults from the community. Among the young adults, only hope significantly predicted life satisfaction, whereas among the middle-aged individuals, the capacity for loving relationships was the only predictor. Among community-dwelling older adults, hope, citizenship, and loving relationships all positively and uniquely predicted life satisfaction, compared with loving relationships and appreciation of beauty in the Grant sample.

scholarly journals Personality and change in perceived control across the first four months of the coronavirus pandemic

2021 ◽  
Vol 5 (Supplement_1) ◽  
pp. 726-726
Author(s):  
Amanda Sesker ◽  
Ji Hyun Lee ◽  
Martina Luchetti ◽  
Damaris Aschwanden ◽  
Yannick Stephan ◽  
...  
Keyword(s):  
Older Adults ◽  
Personality Traits ◽  
Perceived Control ◽  
Online Survey ◽  
National Sample ◽  
World Health ◽  
Middle Aged ◽  
Younger Adults ◽  
Health Organization ◽  
Over Time

Abstract Objective: This study examined change in perceived control (PC) across the first four months of the global coronavirus pandemic and whether change varied significantly by age and personality traits during the first four months of the pandemic. Methods: Personality was assessed prior to the pandemic in a large national sample of 2,455 American adults (18-100 years) from a preregistered online survey (https://osf.io/q8cpd), first conducted between January 31, 2020 and February 10, 2020. Three additional follow-up waves were conducted: mid-March 2020 (following the World Health Organization declaration of the coronavirus a pandemic), late April 2020 (toward the end of the White House’s 30 Days to Slow the Spread guidance), and late July 2020 (when patient deaths in the U.S. reached 132,918). PC was assessed in Waves 2-4. Results: There were age differences in the trajectory of PC such that PC increase for middle-aged and older adults, whereas younger adults had lower PC and did not increase over the follow-ups. All personality traits but Openness were associated with PC at the first assessment. Conscientiousness, Extraversion, and Agreeableness positively predicted PC change over time. The association between Conscientiousness and Extraversion and increased PC over time was stronger at older ages. Conclusion: Pre-pandemic personality predicted PC and PC change during the first four months of the pandemic, with middle-aged and older adults showing better adaption than younger adults. This study provides new evidence for PC change and associations between personality and PC during the COVID-19 pandemic.

scholarly journals Association between tea consumption and cognitive impairment in middle-aged and older adults

2020 ◽  
Vol 20 (1) ◽  
Author(s):  
Jia Zhang ◽  
Anxin Wang ◽  
Xiaoli Zhang ◽  
Shuohua Chen ◽  
Shouling Wu ◽  
...  
Keyword(s):  
Older Adults ◽  
Cognitive Impairment ◽  
Cognitive Function ◽  
Green Tea ◽  
High Frequency ◽  
Epidemiological Studies ◽  
Neuroprotective Activity ◽  
Tea Consumption ◽  
Older Individuals ◽  
Middle Aged

Abstract Background Biologic studies have suggested that tea may have neuroprotective activity. However, tea’s protective effect on cognitive function is controversial in human epidemiological studies, and no data, including the middle-aged, are available. The objective of this study was to investigate the association of habit, frequency, and types of tea consumption with incident cognitive impairment in middle-aged and older adults. Methods Data from the Asymptomatic Polyvascular Abnormalities in Community study were used (aged over 40y). We gathered information on tea consumption, including habit, frequency, and types, via a standardized questionnaire and assessed cognitive function by Mini-Mental State Examination (MMSE) and/or Montreal Cognitive Assessment (MoCA). Three thousand eight hundred sixty-eight and 806 participants were selected in MMSE and MoCA subgroups. Multivariate logistic regression models were utilized to examine associations between tea consumption and cognitive impairment in middle-aged and older participants. Results In MMSE analyses, after adjustment for potential confounding factors, habitual (odds ratio (OR) 0.47, [95% confidence interval (CI) 0.33–0.68], p < 0.001) and high frequency (p trend < 0.001) of tea intake were associated with a lower risk of cognitive impairment. The risk of cognitive impairment was lower in green tea consumption (OR 0.36, [95% CI 0.22–0.61], p < 0.001) than other types (OR 0.59, [95% CI 0.38–0.91], p = 0.017). In MoCA analyses, we got similar results. Conclusions Habitual tea consumption, especially high-frequency and green tea consumption, was significantly associated with a lower prevalence of cognitive impairment in middle-aged and older individuals.

scholarly journals The Relationships between Physical Activity and Life Satisfaction and Happiness among Young, Middle-Aged, and Older Adults

2020 ◽  
Vol 17 (13) ◽  
pp. 4817
Author(s):  
Hsin-Yu An ◽  
Wei Chen ◽  
Cheng-Wei Wang ◽  
Hui-Fei Yang ◽  
Wan-Ting Huang ◽  
...  
Keyword(s):  
Physical Activity ◽  
Older Adults ◽  
Life Satisfaction ◽  
Psychological Health ◽  
Age Groups ◽  
Demographic Characteristics ◽  
Activity Level ◽  
Moderate Activity ◽  
Activity Levels ◽  
Middle Aged

Physical activity has benefits on physical and psychological health. The aims of this study were to investigate (1) the relationships between physical activity and life satisfaction and happiness in young, middle-aged, and older adults while controlling for demographic characteristics, and (2) the relationships between age and life satisfaction and happiness for different physical activity levels. A total of 2345 healthy adults were recruited. Demographic characteristic, physical activity, life satisfaction, and happiness were collected. Participants were divided into young, middle-aged, and older adult groups based on age, and physical activity was categorized as high, moderate, and low. After controlling for demographic characteristics, participants with high and moderate activity levels had significantly higher life satisfaction and happiness than those with a low activity level across the total population and the three age groups. Age squared was a significant predictor of a positive curvilinear between age and life satisfaction and happiness. Physical activity was significantly related to life satisfaction and happiness in young, middle-aged, and older adults. In addition, life satisfaction and happiness increased with increasing age. The results support the promotion of physical activity.

The Role of Optimism on the Relationship Between Activity Limitations and Life Satisfaction Among Middle-Aged and Older Adults in the United States: A Growth Curve Model of Changes Over Time

2021 ◽  
pp. 073346482110566
Author(s):  
Kent Jason Go Cheng ◽  
Darcy Jones (DJ) McMaughan ◽  
Matthew Lee Smith
Keyword(s):  
Older Adults ◽  
Life Satisfaction ◽  
Growth Curve ◽  
Daily Living ◽  
Activity Limitations ◽  
Negative Consequences ◽  
Middle Aged ◽  
The Relationship ◽  
Over Time

Activity limitations can diminish life satisfaction. This study explored the role of optimism on the relationship between changes in activities of daily living and instrumental activities of daily living (ADL/IADL) limitations and life satisfaction over time among middle-aged and older adults. Growth curve modeling accounting for intra- and inter-individual changes in life satisfaction was applied to the 2008–2018 waves of the Health and Retirement Study Leave Behind Survey subsample ( n = 39,122 person-years). After controlling for sociodemographic factors, physical functioning decline adversely affected life satisfaction ( βADL = −0.12, βIADL = −0.13, p < 0.001), but the negative consequences reduced slightly through optimism ( βADL = −0.11, βIADL = −0.12, βoptimism = 0.47, p < 0.001). Increasing optimism could reduce the negative consequences of ADL/IADL limitations on life satisfaction among middle-aged to older adults.

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