Volunteering Served as a Transitional Role That Enhances the Well-Being and Cognitive Health Among Older Adults With Cognitive Impairments

2020 ◽  
pp. 073346482098273
Author(s):  
Kathy Lee ◽  
Holly Dabelko-Schoeny ◽  
Virginia E. Richardson
Keyword(s):  
Older Adults ◽  
Mixed Models ◽  
Older Persons ◽  
Cognitive Impairments ◽  
Well Being ◽  
Volunteer Work ◽  
Cognitive Health ◽  
Self Rated Health ◽  
Using Data ◽  
Retirement Study

Objectives: We examined whether volunteering among older adults with cognitive impairments serves as a transitional role that can enhance these older persons’ well-being and cognitive health. Methods: Using data from the Health and Retirement Study, we selected older adults with cognitive impairments ( N = 472) and developed linear mixed models to assess associations between volunteering and health outcomes. Results: Volunteers in our sample were mostly females, non-Hispanic whites, those with higher income, and those with a high-school diploma. Volunteering was associated with higher levels of self-rated health, and consistent participation in volunteer work was related to stronger feelings of purpose in life. Cognitive health slightly improved over time only among those who volunteered. Discussion: We demonstrate that cognitive impaired older adults’ participation in the volunteer role can benefit cognitive health while strengthening their late life resilience.

scholarly journals HOUSING COSTS BURDEN AND SELF-RATED HEALTH: PRELIMINARY FINDINGS FROM A U.S. SAMPLE

2019 ◽  
Vol 3 (Supplement_1) ◽  
pp. S938-S938
Author(s):  
Ji Hyang Cheon ◽  
John Cagle ◽  
Amanda Lehning
Keyword(s):  
Older Adults ◽  
Well Being ◽  
Policy Implications ◽  
Housing Cost ◽  
Cost Burden ◽  
Linear Regression Models ◽  
Assistance Programs ◽  
Self Rated Health ◽  
Housing Cost Burden ◽  
Using Data

Abstract Self-rated health is a multidimensional construct that includes not only physical health but also emotional and social well-being. Previous research has demonstrated that multiple factors contribute to individual self-rated health, including income. Because income is a somewhat limited indicator of older adults' financial circumstances, alternative measures such as housing cost burden may enhance our understanding of contributors to self-rated health. Further, because homeowners and renters may have a different attachment to their home and neighborhood, homeownership may moderate the association between housing cost burden and self-rated health. This study examined these relationships using data from 3,212 older adults in round 7 (2017) of the National Health & Aging Trends Study. Findings from multiple linear regression models indicate that the housing cost burden is associated with lower self-rated health, and this association is stronger for renters compared to homeowners. The findings indicate the potential for reduced housing cost burden to have a positive effect on health. The poster will conclude with practice and policy implications, including the potential benefits of expanding rental assistance programs to older adults who may not meet current income requirements but are experiencing high housing cost burden, as well as research implications, including the need for longitudinal approaches.

scholarly journals AGING-RELATED CHANGES IN MENTAL, PHYSICAL, AND COGNITIVE HEALTH: THE IMPACT OF THE RETIREMENT TRANSITION

2019 ◽  
Vol 3 (Supplement_1) ◽  
pp. S798-S798
Author(s):  
Robert S Stawski ◽  
Kelly D Chandler
Keyword(s):  
Depressive Symptoms ◽  
Depressive Symptomatology ◽  
Later Life ◽  
Cognitive Health ◽  
Preliminary Results ◽  
Self Rated Health ◽  
Retirement Transition ◽  
Using Data ◽  
The Impact ◽  
Retirement Study

Abstract Retirement is an important transition in later life, associated with changes in social roles. It is unclear, however, whether the retirement transition modifies aging-related changes in mental, physical, and cognitive health. Using data from the Health and Retirement Study, we examined changes in depressive symptoms, self-rated health, and memory prior to, at, and after the retirement transition among 6,830 participants (Ages=50-97, 58% female) assessed biennially up to 10 times from 1992-2010. Preliminary results indicate a sudden and significant increase in depressive symptoms and decreases in self-rated health and memory at the transition to retirement (ps<.05). These effects increased among individuals retiring at older ages (ps<.01). Further, aging-related increases in depressive symptomatology became faster after retirement (p<.01). Aging-related decreases in self-rated health and memory were unchanged by the transition. Discussion will focus on the contribution of transitions to understanding trajectories of mental, physical, and cognitive health in later life.

scholarly journals Effects of Self-Perceptions of Aging on Social Disconnectedness and Loneliness in Older Adults

2021 ◽  
Vol 5 (Supplement_1) ◽  
pp. 38-39
Author(s):  
Rita Hu
Keyword(s):  
Older Adults ◽  
Linear Regression ◽  
Social Connectedness ◽  
Social Contact ◽  
Well Being ◽  
Network Size ◽  
Self Perceptions ◽  
Perceptions Of Aging ◽  
Using Data ◽  
Retirement Study

Abstract Research shows that self-perceptions of aging (SPA) predict physical, mental, cognitive, and emotional well-being in older adults. Few studies have examined SPA’s effects on social well-being. Using data from the 2014–2018 Health and Retirement Study, we examined SPA’s effects on older adults’ social connectedness and loneliness (age 65+, N = 3,808). SPA was measured by eight items. Social connectedness was operationalized by network size, social contact, and social participation. The UCLA Loneliness Scale assessed loneliness. Linear regression results show that more positive SPA is correlated with increased social connectedness (b = 0.05 SE = 0.01 p = 0.0003) and decreased loneliness (b = -0.09 SE = 0.02 p < 0.0001) in four years, controlling for sociodemographic and health characteristics. Further, loneliness is a mediator between SPA and social connectedness. Findings suggest that older adults with negative SPA are at risk of both objective and subjective social isolation.

scholarly journals Depression and loneliness of older adults in Europe and Israel after the first wave of covid-19

2021 ◽  
Author(s):  
Josefine Atzendorf ◽  
Stefan Gruber
Keyword(s):  
Older Adults ◽  
Well Being ◽  
Individual Characteristics ◽  
Control Measures ◽  
Epidemic Control ◽  
Government Response ◽  
Country Level ◽  
Interaction Terms ◽  
Share Data ◽  
Using Data

AbstractEpidemic control measures that aim to introduce social distancing help to decelerate the spread of the COVID-19 pandemic. However, their consequences in terms of mental well-being might be negative, especially for older adults. While existing studies mainly focus on the time during the first lockdown, we look at the weeks afterward in order to measure the medium-term consequences of the first wave of the pandemic. Using data from the SHARE Corona Survey, we include retired respondents aged 60 and above from 25 European countries plus Israel. Combining SHARE data with macro-data from the Oxford COVID-19 Government Response Tracker allows us to include macro-indicators at the country level, namely the number of deaths per 100,000 and the number of days with stringent epidemic control measures, in addition to individual characteristics. The findings show that both macro-indicators are influential for increased feelings of sadness/depression, but that individual factors are crucial for explaining increased feelings of loneliness in the time after the first lockdown. Models with interaction terms reveal that the included macro-indicators have negative well-being consequences, particularly for the oldest survey participants. Additionally, the results reveal that especially those living alone had a higher risk for increased loneliness in the time after the first COVID-19 wave.

scholarly journals Memory Decline and Depression Onset in U.S. and European Older Adults

2018 ◽  
Vol 32 (3-4) ◽  
pp. 189-198
Author(s):  
Rebecca Bendayan ◽  
Amanda Kelly ◽  
Scott M. Hofer ◽  
Andrea M. Piccinin ◽  
Graciela Muniz-Terrera
Keyword(s):  
Older Adults ◽  
Depressive Symptoms ◽  
Empirical Evidence ◽  
Mixed Models ◽  
Delayed Recall ◽  
Memory Decline ◽  
Lower Baseline ◽  
Health Aging ◽  
Persistent Depression ◽  
Retirement Study

Objectives: We explore the association between different patterns of change in depressive symptoms and memory trajectories in US and European Mediterranean (Spain, France, Italy, and Israel) and non-Mediterranean (Sweden, Denmark, Netherlands, Germany, Belgium, Switzerland, and Austria) older adults. Methods: Samples consisted of 3,466 participants from the Health Retirement Study (HRS) and 3,940 participants from the Survey of Health, Aging and Retirement (SHARE). Individuals were grouped as follows: non-case depression (NO DEP), persistent depression (DEP), depression onset (ONSET), depression recovery (RECOV), and fluctuating (FLUCT). Memory was measured using immediate and delayed recall tests. Linear mixed models were used. Results: DEP and RECOV had significantly lower baseline memory scores compared to NO DEP, at intercept level. At slope level, ONSET had a significantly faster decline in both tasks compared to NO DEP. Discussion: Cross-cohort robust and consistent new empirical evidence on the association between depression onset and faster decline in memory scores is provided.

Features of Rural Communities in Latin America and Sub-Saharan Africa That Influence Well-Being of Older Persons

2021 ◽  
Vol 5 (Supplement_1) ◽  
pp. 420-421
Author(s):  
Andrew Banda ◽  
Norah Keating ◽  
Jaco Hoffman ◽  
Jose Parodi ◽  
Nereide Curreri
Keyword(s):  
Older Adults ◽  
Latin America ◽  
Rural Communities ◽  
Older People ◽  
Scoping Review ◽  
Older Persons ◽  
Subjective Wellbeing ◽  
Well Being ◽  
Sub Saharan Africa ◽  
Sub Saharan

Abstract In their recent volume, Critical Rural Gerontology, Skinner et al (2021) challenge us to set aside unidimensional notions of rural communities as bypassed vs very supportive; and to identify the elements of rurality that empower or exclude older people and how these differ across cultures and settings. Covid-19 has highlighted the need for safe and inclusive communities. Given that LMIC will be home to the majority of older adults (Gonzales et al. 2015), we undertook a scoping review of features of rural communities that influence wellbeing of older people in countries across Latin America and Sub-Saharan Africa. The review included literature in English, French, Spanish and Portuguese, using search engines MEDLINE, CINAHL Complete, PsycInfo, SocINDEX, SciELO, AJOL (Africa Journals Online), LILACS, Redalyc, LatinIndex and Clacso. Findings illustrate diversity in how community features including remoteness, infrastructure and belonging influence material, social and subjective wellbeing of older residents.

scholarly journals A Friend in Need? Exploring the Influence of Disease and Disability Onset on the Number of Close Friends Among Older Adults

2019 ◽  
Vol 74 (8) ◽  
pp. e119-e124 ◽  
Author(s):  
Kenzie Latham-Mintus
Keyword(s):  
Older Adults ◽  
Heart Disease ◽  
Panel Data ◽  
Daily Living ◽  
Change Score ◽  
Network Activation ◽  
Life Threatening ◽  
Lagged Dependent Variable ◽  
Using Data ◽  
Retirement Study

Abstract Objectives This research examines whether onset of life-threatening disease (i.e., cancer, lung disease, heart disease, or stroke) or activities of daily living disability influences the reported number of close friends. Method Using data from the Health and Retirement Study (HRS; 2006–2012), this research capitalizes on panel data to assess changes in number of close friends over a 4-year period. Lagged dependent variable (LDV) and change score (CS) approaches were used. Results Both the LDV and CS models provide evidence that onset of life-threatening disease was associated with reporting more friends 4 years later. In particular, onset of cancer was associated with reporting more close friends. Discussion This research provides evidence of the network activation hypothesis following onset of life-threatening disease among older adults.

Marital Quality and Well-Being Among Older Adults: A Typology of Supportive, Aversive, Indifferent, and Ambivalent Marriages

2020 ◽  
pp. 016402752096914
Author(s):  
Yingling Liu ◽  
Laura Upenieks
Keyword(s):  
Older Adults ◽  
Marital Quality ◽  
Large Body ◽  
Well Being ◽  
The United States ◽  
Life Course Perspective ◽  
Multiple Indicators ◽  
Using Data ◽  
Health And Well Being ◽  
Synergistic Relationship

A large body of work has linked marital quality to the health and well-being of older adults, but there is a lack of agreement on how to best measure dimensions of marital quality. Drawing on a stress-process life course perspective, we construct a typology of marriage type that captures the synergistic relationship between positive and negative marital qualities and health. Using data from Wave 1 (2005/2006) and Wave 2 (2010/2011) of the NSHAP survey from the United States, we examine the association between supportive, aversive, ambivalent, and indifferent marriages for older adults that remained married over the study period on multiple indicators of well-being (depression, happiness, and self-rated health; N = 769 males and 461 females). Results suggest that older adults in aversive marriages reported lower happiness (men and women) and physical health (men). There was less evidence that those in ambivalent and indifferent marriages reported worse well-being.

scholarly journals COGNITIVE AND HEARING IMPAIRMENTS IN OLDER ADULTS: EVIDENCE FROM THE HEALTH AND RETIREMENT STUDY

2019 ◽  
Vol 3 (Supplement_1) ◽  
pp. S77-S77
Author(s):  
Jessica S West ◽  
Scott Lynch
Keyword(s):  
Older Adults ◽  
Sex Differences ◽  
Cognitive Impairment ◽  
Cognitive Decline ◽  
Hearing Impairment ◽  
Cognitive Impairments ◽  
Hearing Impairments ◽  
The Relationship ◽  
Retirement Study ◽  
Over Time

Abstract As the number of older adults increases, increased prevalence of cognitive and sensory impairments pose growing public health challenges. Research on the relationship between hearing impairment and cognition, however, is minimal and has yielded mixed results, with some studies finding that hearing impairment is associated with cognitive decline, and others reporting that the association is weak or non-existent. Most of this research has been conducted outside of the U.S., and the few U.S.-based longitudinal studies have relied mostly on small, non-representative samples involving short follow-up periods. Further, despite known gendered patterns in cognitive and hearing impairments, no studies to date have examined whether the relationship between the two varies by gender. Our study addresses these weaknesses in the literature by utilizing nine waves of the Health and Retirement Study (1998-2014; n=14,169), a large, nationally representative, longitudinal study that facilitates examination of long-term interrelationships between hearing and cognitive impairments. In this study, we use autoregressive latent trajectory (ALT) methods to model: 1) the relationship between hearing impairment and cognitive decline, and 2) sex differences in the relationship. ALT models enable us to determine whether hearing impairment and cognitive impairment are associated, net of their common tendency simply to co-trend with age. Results indicate that hearing and cognitive impairments are strongly interrelated processes that trend together over time. Moreover, hearing impairment has an increasing impact on cognitive impairment across age while the effect of cognitive impairment on hearing impairment levels out over time. Sex differences in these patterns are discussed.

scholarly journals NEIGHBORHOOD AGE COMPOSITION AND SELF-RATED HEALTH: FINDINGS FROM A NATIONALLY REPRESENTATIVE STUDY

2019 ◽  
Vol 3 (Supplement_1) ◽  
pp. S64-S64
Author(s):  
Amanda Lehning ◽  
Amanda J Lehning ◽  
Nicole Mattocks ◽  
Kyeongmo Kim ◽  
Richard J Smith
Keyword(s):  
Older Adults ◽  
Regression Models ◽  
Neighborhood Change ◽  
Age Composition ◽  
Logistic Regression Models ◽  
Self Rated Health ◽  
Representative Study ◽  
Nationally Representative ◽  
Using Data ◽  
Conceptual Work

Abstract Neighborhood age composition is an understudied area. Furthermore, existing empirical and conceptual work is conflicting, with some indicating neighborhoods with more older adults are beneficial and other scholarship suggesting it can be detrimental. Using data from 7,197 older adults from the first wave (2011) of the National Health & Aging Trends Study combined with census tract data from the National Neighborhood Change Database, we examined the association between neighborhood age composition and self-rated health. Findings from logistic regression models indicate those living in neighborhoods with a growing concentration of older residents are significantly more likely to report lower self-rated health compared to those living in a neighborhood in which older adults overall are declining (β=1.51, p < .05) or are becoming diluted by younger residents (β=.66, p < .05). Results have implications for interventions promoting aging in place, particularly for those who may be stuck in place in age-concentrated neighborhoods.

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