Let’s Drink to Being Socially Active: Family Characteristics, Social Participation, and Alcohol Abuse across Mid- and Later-life

2020 ◽  
Vol 61 (4) ◽  
pp. 453-469
Author(s):  
Eric M. Vogelsang ◽  
Joseph T. Lariscy
Keyword(s):  
Older Adults ◽  
Alcohol Abuse ◽  
Social Participation ◽  
Drinking Behavior ◽  
Marital Dissolution ◽  
Later Life ◽  
Family Characteristics ◽  
Negative Consequences ◽  
Linked Lives ◽  
Using Data

Researchers and practitioners often extol the health benefits of social relationships and social participation for older adults. Yet they often ignore how these same bonds and activities may contribute to negative health behaviors. Using data from the Wisconsin Longitudinal Study (16,065 observations from 7,007 respondents), we examined how family characteristics, family history, and social participation predicted three measures of alcohol abuse between ages 53 and 71. Results indicate that, generally, greater social participation is associated with increased drinking days per month. We also found that religious participation and having ever lived with an alcoholic are each associated with reporting possible alcohol dependence but not with alcohol consumption itself. Lastly, we identified gendered associations between marital dissolution and drinking behavior. These findings contextualize the increasing rates of alcohol abuse among older adults by emphasizing the possible negative consequences of “linked lives” on health via relationship stress and group norms.

scholarly journals Social Relationships and Alcohol Abuse in Older Ages

2020 ◽  
Vol 4 (Supplement_1) ◽  
pp. 404-405
Author(s):  
Eric Vogelsang
Keyword(s):  
Older Adults ◽  
Alcohol Consumption ◽  
Alcohol Abuse ◽  
Social Relationships ◽  
Drinking Behavior ◽  
Social Activities ◽  
Family Ties ◽  
Problematic Drinking ◽  
Using Data ◽  
Aging World

Abstract In an aging world, researchers and practitioners often extol the health benefits of social relationships (e.g., family ties, social participation) for older adults. Yet, they generally ignore how these same bonds and activities may contribute to negative health behaviors, such as alcohol use and abuse. Using data from the Wisconsin Longitudinal Study (16,065 observations from a cohort of 7,007 respondents), I examine how family structure, family history, and participating in certain social activities predict alcohol consumption and symptoms of alcoholism between ages 53 and 71. I find that having children and taking part in two particular social activities (meeting friends and group exercise) are associated with problematic drinking behavior. Moreover, religious participation and ever living with alcoholics were associated with reporting negative alcohol consequences, but not with alcohol consumption itself. These findings contextualize the increasing rates of alcohol abuse among older adults.

Repartnering and trajectories of life satisfaction after separation and divorce in middle and later life

2021 ◽  
pp. 026540752110095
Author(s):  
Sandra Gloor ◽  
Stefanie Gonin-Spahni ◽  
Hansjörg Znoj ◽  
Pasqualina Perrig-Chiello
Keyword(s):  
Life Satisfaction ◽  
Recovery Period ◽  
Marital Dissolution ◽  
Later Life ◽  
Adjustment Process ◽  
Negative Consequences ◽  
Aged People ◽  
Initial Recovery ◽  
Trait Resilience

Separation and divorce are life events that might alter life satisfaction on the long term. Previous literature suggests a recovery of life satisfaction after marital dissolution for most individuals, simultaneously emphasizing considerable heterogeneity in the extent and timing of such adaptation. A new partnership seems to be a promising factor for a positive post-separation adjustment process. At the same time, the question arises whether people with beneficial characteristics, such as higher trait resilience, may have a double advantage by recovering faster and being more likely to find a new partner. However, little research has concurrently investigated the consequences of repartnering and favorable personal attributes on life satisfaction of middle- and older-aged people, especially not beyond the initial recovery period. Our data stem from a three-wave longitudinal questionnaire study including 199 participants after a separation, all single at the beginning of the study. Latent growth modeling was applied to investigate trajectories of life satisfaction, examining the role of a new intimate partnership, while controlling for trait resilience. Trait resilience represented a strong general predictor for inter-individual differences in the initial level of life satisfaction. However, an increase in life satisfaction over time was only observed in the group of participants who engaged in a new partnership. This increase occurred independently of preexisting differences in beneficial characteristics, such as high levels of trait resilience or life satisfaction. Thus, repartnering is associated with improvement of life satisfaction beyond the first adaptation phase after separation and is therefore important to prevent long-term negative consequences.

Linked Lives in Double Jeopardy: Child Incarceration and Maternal Health at Midlife

2019 ◽  
Vol 60 (4) ◽  
pp. 398-415 ◽  
Author(s):  
Alyssa W. Goldman
Keyword(s):  
Maternal Health ◽  
Regression Models ◽  
Later Life ◽  
Longitudinal Survey ◽  
Social Emotional ◽  
Linked Lives ◽  
Sources Of Support ◽  
Lagged Dependent Variable ◽  
Intergenerational Ties ◽  
Using Data

Parents’ relationships with their adult children play an important role in shaping mid and later life health. While these relationships are often sources of support, stressors in the lives of children can compromise parents’ health as they age. I consider that a child’s incarceration is also a stressor that could imperil parents’ health through social, emotional, and economic strains that parents may experience as a result. Using data on 3,159 mothers from the National Longitudinal Survey of Youth 1979 in a series of lagged dependent variable regression models, I find that a child’s incarceration is associated with declines in maternal health between ages 40 and 50. These associations are largest for mothers who had grandchildren by their child at the time of the child’s incarceration. I close by discussing the implications of child incarceration for intergenerational ties and other social determinants of midlife health.

The effect of time volunteering and charitable donations in later life on psychological wellbeing

2010 ◽  
Vol 31 (4) ◽  
pp. 590-610 ◽  
Author(s):  
NAMKEE G. CHOI ◽  
JINSEOK KIM
Keyword(s):  
Older Adults ◽  
Social Capital ◽  
Later Life ◽  
The United States ◽  
Psychological Wellbeing ◽  
Physical And Mental Health ◽  
Moderate Amount ◽  
Charitable Donations ◽  
Using Data ◽  
Positive Direct

ABSTRACTAlthough accumulated research findings point to both short- and long-term salutary effects of time volunteering on older adults' physical and mental health, little research has been done on the effect of older adults' making charitable donations on their wellbeing. Guided by activity theory and the theory of volunteering and using data from the first and second waves of Midlife Development in the United States (MIDUS, 1995–1996 and MIDUS II, 2004–2006), this study examined the question of whether time volunteering and charitable donations nine years earlier had a positive direct effect on psychological wellbeing among individuals age 55 and above. Controlling for time 1 (T1) psychological wellbeing and T1 human, cultural, and social capital resources, a moderate amount (up to ten hours monthly) of T1 time volunteering and any amount of T1 charitable donations had a direct positive effect on time 2 (T2; nine years later) psychological wellbeing. The findings also show a greater effect on psychological wellbeing of any amount of charitable donations than of any amount of time volunteering, although the extent of the effect of both time volunteering and charitable donations was small. With regard to human, cultural, and social capital resources, T1 self-rated health and generative quality were significant predictors of T2 psychological wellbeing, but T1 social capital had no significant effect on T2 psychological wellbeing.

scholarly journals Coping Mechanisms and Resilience in Later Life: The Role of Family and Friendship Ties in Diverse Settings

2020 ◽  
Vol 4 (Supplement_1) ◽  
pp. 579-579
Author(s):  
Feinian Chen ◽  
Rashmi Gupta ◽  
Zhenmei Zhang
Keyword(s):  
Older Adults ◽  
Social Ties ◽  
Later Life ◽  
Coping Mechanisms ◽  
Migrant Children ◽  
Chinese Older Adults ◽  
Adverse Health Outcomes ◽  
The Face ◽  
Using Data

Abstract The papers in this symposium explore different aspects of social ties and how they act as critical coping mechanisms in the face of negative circumstances in later life. Using data from diverse settings, including China, Singapore, and the U.S., these papers underscore the importance of strong family and friendship ties, as they offer older adults with strong protection against social isolation and adverse health outcomes. Gupta and Pilai explore the similarity and differences in coping strategies/resilience among a diverse group of 30 U.S. older adults. Results point to the saliency of support from friends, regardless of race/ethnicity. Visaria addresses the relationship between the expression of loneliness and objective measures of social networks among older adults in Singapore. The findings shed light on how meaningful companionship and desired social connection offer powerful buffers against isolation in later life. Ruan and Chen explore which types of social ties offer the strongest protection when Chinese older adults are coping with the aftermath of negative life events. Findings point to the need to look beyond filial obligations and to consider the interplay among various forms of social support, including family, friends and the broader community. Zhang et al. examine the role of family and friendship ties in a rural Chinese community where many older adults were left behind by migrant children. The results suggest that those who are isolated from friends experience more depressive symptoms while those with close-knit friendship ties are the most resilient.

scholarly journals Perceived Ageism During the Covid-19-Crisis Is Longitudinally Related to Subjective Perceptions of Aging

2021 ◽  
Vol 9 ◽  
Author(s):  
Anna E. Kornadt ◽  
Isabelle Albert ◽  
Martine Hoffmann ◽  
Elke Murdock ◽  
Josepha Nell
Keyword(s):  
Older Adults ◽  
Later Life ◽  
Well Being ◽  
Negative Consequences ◽  
Subjective Age ◽  
Current Crisis ◽  
Self Perceptions ◽  
Measurement Occasion ◽  
Perceptions Of Aging ◽  
Longitudinal Regression

Ageism in media and society has increased sharply during the Covid-19-crisis, with expected negative consequences for the health and well-being of older adults. The current study investigates whether perceived ageism during the crisis longitudinally affects how people perceive their own aging. In June 2020, N = 611 older adults from Luxembourg [aged 60–98 years, Mage(SD) = 69.92(6.97)] participated in a survey on their perception of the crisis. In October 2020, N = 523 participated in a second measurement occasion. Participants reported on perceived ageism during the crisis in different domains, their self-perceptions of aging and subjective age. In latent longitudinal regression models, we predicted views on aging at T2 with perceived ageism at T1, while controlling for baseline views on aging and covariates. Perceived ageism at T1 increased self-perceptions of aging as social loss and yielded a trend for physical decline, while there were no effects on subjective age and self-perceptions of aging as continued growth. Views on aging are powerful predictors of well-being and health outcomes in later life. Our data suggest that being the target of ageism during the crisis negatively affects older adults' self-perceptions of aging and this impact may be felt beyond the current crisis.

scholarly journals Research on Attitudes Toward Ageing, Social Participation, and Depressive Symptoms Among Older Adults in China

2021 ◽  
Author(s):  
Shan Mao ◽  
Yue Zeng ◽  
Nan Lu
Keyword(s):  
Older Adults ◽  
Depressive Symptoms ◽  
Social Participation ◽  
Mental Health Problems ◽  
Later Life ◽  
Mediator Role ◽  
Common Mental Health Problems ◽  
Older Chinese ◽  
Underlying Mechanisms ◽  
The Relationship

Abstract Depressive symptoms are one of the most common mental health problems in later life. Although previous studies examined the social determinants of depressive symptoms, older adults’ attitudes toward ageing and the underlying mechanisms are understudied, especially in developing country contexts such as China. The objective of this study was to examine the mediator role of attitudes toward ageing on the relationship between social participation and depressive symptoms among older Chinese adults. The data were drawn from the 2014 baseline wave of China longitudinal Ageing Social Survey, and a total of 8568 respondents aged 60 years and older were included in this study. Path analysis was used to test the hypotheses. The results indicated that both psychological loss and psychological growth (i.e., two types of attitudes toward ageing) had direct effect on depressive symptoms. In addition, attitudes toward ageing were found to play significant mediator roles on the relationship between social participation and depressive symptoms among older adults. In conclusion, this study implicated the importance of older adults’ attitudes toward ageing in reducing depressive symptoms, and engaging in social activities could modify attitudes toward ageing and further reduce the risk of depressive symptoms.

scholarly journals Ethnic Differences in Magnesium Intake in U.S. Older Adults: Findings from NHANES 2005–2016

Nutrients ◽  
2018 ◽  
Vol 10 (12) ◽  
pp. 1901 ◽  
Author(s):  
Sarah Jackson ◽  
Lee Smith ◽  
Igor Grabovac ◽  
Sandra Haider ◽  
Jacopo Demurtas ◽  
...  
Keyword(s):  
Older Adults ◽  
African American ◽  
African Americans ◽  
Ethnic Groups ◽  
Later Life ◽  
Targeted Interventions ◽  
Magnesium Intake ◽  
Health And Nutrition ◽  
Dietary Magnesium ◽  
Using Data

Magnesium plays a crucial role in hundreds of bodily processes relevant to aging, but consumption of dietary magnesium intake has been shown to be inadequate in a large proportion of older adults. Identifying groups at risk of low magnesium intake is important for informing targeted advice. Using data from the National Health and Nutrition Examination Survey (NHANES) 2005–2016, we examined the association between ethnicity (Caucasian/African American/Hispanic/other) and magnesium intake in a large representative sample of U.S. older adults (≥65 y, n = 5682, mean (SD) 72.9 (0.10) y). Analyses adjusted for total energy intake and a range of relevant covariates. Overall, 83.3% of participants were not meeting the recommended level of dietary magnesium intake, ranging from 78.1% of other ethnic groups to 90.6% of African Americans. In the fully adjusted model, magnesium intake was lower among African American older adults (−13.0 mg/d, 95% CI: −18.8 to −7.2), and higher among Hispanics (14.0 mg/d, 95% CI: 7.5 to 20.5) and those from other ethnic groups (17.2, 95% CI: 3.8 to 30.5) compared with Caucasian older adults. These results highlight the need for targeted interventions to increase magnesium intake in U.S. older adults, with a focus on African Americans, in order to reduce the burden of morbidity and ethnic inequalities in health in later life.

scholarly journals Residential Mobility of Older Adults in the Dutch Housing Market: Do Individual Characteristics and Housing Attributes Have an Effect on Mobility?

2012 ◽  
Vol 19 (1) ◽  
pp. 33-47 ◽  
Author(s):  
Petra A. De Jong ◽  
Aleid E. Brouwer
Keyword(s):  
Older Adults ◽  
Residential Mobility ◽  
Health Care Systems ◽  
Later Life ◽  
Individual Characteristics ◽  
Chi Square ◽  
Dutch Housing ◽  
Care Systems ◽  
Using Data ◽  
Housing Attributes

The ageing of the population will change many societies in unprecedented ways. The changing age composition does not only create a burden on existing income systems and health care systems, but also affects the geographical mobility of populations. The objective of this paper is to provide some first insights into the moving behaviour of older adults in the Netherlands. By using data of the Housing Research Netherlands (HRN) 2009 survey, it was possible to investigate whether or not later-life residential mobility is influenced by individual characteristics and housing attributes. The responses of migrants and non-migrants are compared by conducting several two-way-chi-square analyses. The results of these descriptive analyses demonstrate that migrants indeed differ from non-migrants and that these differences are mostly related to housing attributes.

Differences in social participation of older adults across European welfare regimes: Fourteen years of SHARE data collection

2021 ◽  
pp. 026858092199332
Author(s):  
Martin Lakomý
Keyword(s):  
Older Adults ◽  
Social Participation ◽  
Later Life ◽  
Unintended Consequence ◽  
Active Ageing ◽  
Welfare Regimes ◽  
Context Sensitive ◽  
Share Data ◽  
Over Time

Social participation amongst older adults is considered generally beneficial and is supported by active ageing policies in Europe. However, efforts to increase the quality of life and enhance the ageing experience may have the unintended consequence of increasing later life inequalities. This study uses six waves from SHARE to illustrate how social participation develops over time and how it is structured by education, financial situation and health status in the context of five European welfare regimes. The level of participation slightly increases over time for the population 55+, whilst the inequalities in access to these activities and their outcomes remain stable. Therefore, support of these activities does not strengthen or reduce inequalities amongst older adults – it may rather legitimise the inequalities in its emphasis on individual responsibilities. These findings suggest that the active ageing approach needs to become more context-sensitive or replaced by other social policy approaches.

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