HOUSING AS A SOCIAL DETERMINANT OF HEALTH FOR LOW-INCOME OLDER ADULTS

ObjectiveThe purpose of this consensus statement is to determine the state of the field of loneliness among older people, highlighting key issues for researchers, policymakers and those designing services and interventions.MethodsIn December 2018, an international meeting on loneliness was held in Belfast with leaders from across the USA and Europe. A summary of the conclusions reached at this event is presented following a consensus-building exercise conducted both during this event after each presentation as well as after the event through the drafting, reviewing and agreement of this statement by all authors for over 6 months.ResultsThis meeting resulted in an agreement to produce a consensus statement on key issues including definitions of loneliness, measurement, antecedents, consequences and interventions.DiscussionThere has been an exponential growth in research on loneliness among older adults. However, differing measurements and definitions of loneliness mean the incidence and prevalence, associated risk factors and health consequences are often conflicting or confusing especially for those developing policy and services.

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Food Insecurity: A Key Social Determinant of Health for Older Adults

Journal of the American Geriatrics Society ◽

10.1111/jgs.15736 ◽

2018 ◽

Vol 67 (3) ◽

pp. 421-424 ◽

Cited By ~ 5

Author(s):

Jennifer A. Pooler ◽

Heather Hartline‐Grafton ◽

Marydale DeBor ◽

Rebecca L. Sudore ◽

Hilary K. Seligman

Keyword(s):

Older Adults ◽

Food Insecurity ◽

Social Determinant ◽

Social Determinant Of Health

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Food as a Critical Social Determinant of Health Among Older Adults During the Coronavirus Disease 2019 (COVID-19) Pandemic

JAMA Health Forum ◽

10.1001/jamahealthforum.2020.0925 ◽

2020 ◽

Vol 1 (7) ◽

pp. e200925

Author(s):

Julia A. Wolfson ◽

Cindy W. Leung ◽

Jeffrey T. Kullgren

Keyword(s):

Older Adults ◽

Social Determinant ◽

Social Determinant Of Health ◽

Critical Social

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Innovative Approaches to Managing Diabetes in Low-Income Older Adults

PsycEXTRA Dataset ◽

10.1037/e640192010-001 ◽

2010 ◽

Author(s):

Mary E. Steers ◽

Allison A. Jay ◽

Sarah L. Anderson ◽

Kaitlyn Eller ◽

Leilani Feliciano

Keyword(s):

Older Adults ◽

Low Income ◽

Innovative Approaches

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Developing Physical Activity Promotion Plans for Older Adults Who Live Alone with Low-income Based on Socio-ecological Model: A Mixed Method Study

Korean Journal of Sport Studies ◽

10.23949/kjpe.2019.03.58.2.15 ◽

2019 ◽

Vol 58 (02) ◽

pp. 15-34 ◽

Cited By ~ 1

Author(s):

Kyung-O Kim

Keyword(s):

Physical Activity ◽

Older Adults ◽

Low Income ◽

Mixed Method ◽

Ecological Model ◽

Physical Activity Promotion ◽

Mixed Method Study ◽

Activity Promotion

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Mechanisms linking teenage mothers’ educational attainment with self-reported health at age 50

BMC Women s Health ◽

10.1186/s12905-020-01150-y ◽

2021 ◽

Vol 21 (1) ◽

Author(s):

Julie Maslowsky ◽

C. Emily Hendrick ◽

Haley Stritzel

Keyword(s):

Educational Attainment ◽

Well Being ◽

The United States ◽

Social Determinant ◽

Early Childbearing ◽

Partner Characteristics ◽

Higher Educational Attainment ◽

The Life Course ◽

Social Determinant Of Health

Abstract Background Early childbearing is associated with adverse health and well-being throughout the life course for women in the United States. As education continues to be a modifiable social determinant of health after a young woman gives birth, the association of increased educational attainment with long-term health for women who begin childbearing as teenagers is worthy of investigation. Methods Data are from 301 mothers in the National Longitudinal Survey of Youth 1979 who gave birth prior to age 19. We estimated path models to assess women’s incomes, partner characteristics, and health behaviors at age 40 as mediators of the relationship between their educational attainment and self-rated general health at age 50. Results After accounting for observed background factors that select women into early childbearing and lower educational attainment, higher levels of education (high school diploma and GED attainment vs. no degree) were indirectly associated with higher self-rated health at age 50 via higher participant income at age 40. Conclusions As education is a social determinant of health that is amenable to intervention after a teen gives birth, our results are supportive of higher educational attainment as a potential pathway to improving long-term health outcomes of women who begin childbearing early.

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Delivery of Community Support Services for Older Adults in Social Housing

Innovation in Aging ◽

10.1093/geroni/igaa057.3348 ◽

2020 ◽

Vol 4 (Supplement_1) ◽

pp. 910-911

Author(s):

Matthew Yau ◽

Christine Sheppard ◽

Jocelyn Charles ◽

Andrea Austen ◽

Sander Hitzig

Keyword(s):

Older Adults ◽

Service Delivery ◽

Low Income ◽

Support Services ◽

Social Housing ◽

Service Providers ◽

Community Support ◽

Community Agencies ◽

Visible Minorities ◽

Community Support Services

Abstract Community support services are an integral component of aging in place. In social housing, older adult tenants struggle to access these services due to the siloed nature of housing and health services. This study aims to describe the relationship between community support services and social housing for older adults and examine ways to optimize delivery. Data on government-funded community support services delivered to 74 seniors’ social housing buildings in Toronto, Ontario was analyzed. Neighbourhood profile data for each building was also collected, and correlational analyses were used to examine the link between neighbourhood characteristics and service delivery. Fifty-six community agencies provided 5,976 units of services across 17 service categories, most commonly mental health supports, case management and congregate dining. On average, each building was supported by nine agencies that provided 80 units of service across 10 service categories. Buildings in neighbourhoods with a higher proportion of low-income older adults had more agencies providing on-site services (r = .275, p < .05), while those in neighbourhoods with more immigrants (r = -.417, p < .01), non-English speakers (r = -.325, p < .01), and visible minorities (r = -.381, p < .01) received fewer services. Findings point to a lack of coordination between service providers, with multiple agencies offering duplicative services within the same building. Vulnerable seniors from equity-seeking groups, including those who do not speak English and recent immigrants, may be excluded from many services, and future service delivery for seniors should strive to address disparities in availability and access.

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Designing Age-Friendly Communities: Exploring Qualitative Perspectives on Urban Green Spaces and Ageing in Two Indian Megacities

International Journal of Environmental Research and Public Health ◽

10.3390/ijerph18041491 ◽

2021 ◽

Vol 18 (4) ◽

pp. 1491

Author(s):

Deepti Adlakha ◽

Mina Chandra ◽

Murali Krishna ◽

Lee Smith ◽

Mark A. Tully

Keyword(s):

Older Adults ◽

Low Income ◽

Later Life ◽

Healthy Ageing ◽

World Health ◽

Social Resilience ◽

Snowball Sampling ◽

Structured Interviews ◽

Urban Green ◽

Activity Promotion

The World Health Organization and the United Nations have increasingly acknowledged the importance of urban green space (UGS) for healthy ageing. However, low- and middle-income countries (LMICs) like India with exponential ageing populations have inadequate UGS. This qualitative study examined the relationships between UGS and healthy ageing in two megacities in India. Participants were recruited using snowball sampling in New Delhi and Chennai and semi-structured interviews were conducted with consenting participants (N = 60, female = 51%; age > 60 years; fluent in English, Hindi, or Tamil). Interviews were recorded, transcribed, translated, and analysed using inductive and thematic analysis. Benefits of UGS included community building and social capital, improved health and social resilience, physical activity promotion, reduced exposure to noise, air pollution, and heat. Poorly maintained UGS and lack of safe, age-friendly pedestrian infrastructure were identified as barriers to health promotion in later life. Neighbourhood disorder and crime constrained older adults’ use of UGS in low-income neighbourhoods. This study underscores the role of UGS in the design of age-friendly communities in India. The findings highlight the benefits of UGS for older adults, particularly those living in socially disadvantaged or underserved communities, which often have least access to high-quality parks and green areas.

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Voices of Experience: What Do Low-Income Older Adults Tell Us About Mobility, Technology, and Social Participation?

Journal of Applied Gerontology ◽

10.1177/07334648211012530 ◽

2021 ◽

pp. 073346482110125

Author(s):

Haley B. Gallo ◽

Lia W. Marshall ◽

Lené Levy-Storms ◽

Kathleen H. Wilber ◽

Anastasia Loukaitou-Sideris

Keyword(s):

Older Adults ◽

Los Angeles ◽

Qualitative Study ◽

Thematic Analysis ◽

Social Participation ◽

Low Income ◽

Technology Use ◽

Diverse Group ◽

Senior Center ◽

Perceived Safety

Mobility and technology can facilitate in-person and virtual social participation to help reduce social isolation, but issues exist regarding older adults’ access, feasibility, and motivation to use various forms of mobility and technology. This qualitative study explores how a diverse group of low-income, urban-living older adults use mobility and technology for social participation. We conducted six focus groups ( N = 48), two each in English, Spanish, and Korean at a Los Angeles senior center. Three major themes emerged from thematic analysis: using technology for mobility; links between mobility and social participation; and technology-mediated social participation. Cost, perceived safety, (dis)ability, and support from family and friends were related to mobility and technology use. This study demonstrates the range of mobility and technology uses among older adults and associated barriers. The findings can help establish a pre-COVID-19 baseline on how to make mobility and technology more accessible for older adults at risk of isolation.

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