scholarly journals Annual Review of Gerontology and Geriatrics Symposium: Black Older Adults in the Era of Black Lives Matter

2021 ◽  
Vol 5 (Supplement_1) ◽  
pp. 48-48
Author(s):  
Jessica Kelley ◽  
Roland Thorpe ◽  
Linda Chatters
Keyword(s):  
Older Adults ◽  
Lived Experience ◽  
Life Histories ◽  
Black Americans ◽  
Well Being ◽  
Annual Review ◽  
Racial Justice ◽  
Social Dimensions ◽  
Black Adults ◽  
Systemic Racism

Abstract Our renewed urgency and engagement in a national dialogue on issues of systemic racism and racial justice provides a much-needed opportunity to expand the discourses, perspectives, and practices used in the study of aging. This symposium features contributions from the 2021 (Vol 41) Annual Review of Gerontology and Geriatrics focusing on the continued development and maturation of scholarship on the lives of older Black Americans. Building on the scholarship and research contributions of prior generations of eminent African American gerontologists, the volume asks: “What do we know about the lived experience of Black older adults and what is there still to be learned?” The contributing authors continue a tradition of research that examines the life histories and contemporary experiences of older Black adults within their relevant social and personal contexts. Symposium presenters from a range of social science fields (sociology, psychology, social work), explore aspects of physical health, stress, cognition, and social well-being in the context of intersecting social dimensions of marriage, family, gender, and neighborhood.

People and Climate Change

2019 ◽  
Keyword(s):  
Climate Change ◽  
Lived Experience ◽  
Social Institutions ◽  
Well Being ◽  
The United States ◽  
Negative Consequences ◽  
Social Dimensions ◽  
Community Inclusion ◽  
Global Issue ◽  
Political Challenge

Climate change is a profoundly social and political challenge with many social justice concerns around every corner. A global issue, climate change threatens the well-being, livelihood, and survival of people in communities worldwide. Often, those who have contributed least to climate change are the most likely to suffer from its negative consequences and are often excluded from the policy discussions and decisions that affect their lives. This book pays particular attention to the social dimensions of climate change. It examines closely people’s lived experience, climate-related injustice and inequity, why some groups are more vulnerable than others, and what can be done about it—especially through greater community inclusion in policy change. A highlight of the book is its diversity of rich, community-based examples from throughout the Global South and North. Sacrificial flood zones in urban Argentina, forced relocation of United Houma tribal members in the United States, and gendered water insecurities in Bangladesh and Australia are just some of the in-depth cases included in the book. Throughout, the book asks social and political questions about climate change. Of key importance, it asks what can be done about the unequal consequences of climate change by questioning and transforming social institutions and arrangements—guided by values that prioritize the experience of affected groups and the inclusion of diverse voices and communities in the policy process.

The moralization of healthy living: Burke’s rhetoric of rebirth and older adults’ accounts of healthy eating

2012 ◽  
Vol 16 (6) ◽  
pp. 619-635 ◽  
Author(s):  
Philippa Spoel ◽  
Roma Harris ◽  
Flis Henwood
Keyword(s):  
Older Adults ◽  
Lived Experience ◽  
Healthy Eating ◽  
Self Regulation ◽  
Rhetorical Analysis ◽  
Well Being ◽  
Older Age ◽  
Healthy Living ◽  
The Uk ◽  
Health And Well Being

This article develops a rhetorical analysis of how older adults in Canada and the UK engage with civic-moral imperatives of healthy living. The analysis draws on Burke’s concepts of ‘symbolic hierarchies’ and the ‘rhetoric of rebirth’ to explore how participants discursively negotiate the moralizing framework of self-regulation and self-improvement central to healthy eating discourse, in particular. Working from the premise that healthy eating is a ‘principle of perfection’ that citizens are encouraged to strive to achieve, the article traces the vocabularies and logical distinctions of ‘guilt’, ‘purification’ and ‘redemption’ in participants’ accounts of what healthy eating means to them. This analysis reveals some of the complex, situated and often strategic ways in which they rearticulate and reconfigure the normative imperatives of healthy eating in ways suited to their lived experience and their priorities for health and well-being in older age.

scholarly journals Iridescent Life Course: LGBTQ Aging Research and Blueprint for the Future – A Systematic Review

Gerontology ◽  
2019 ◽  
Vol 65 (3) ◽  
pp. 253-274 ◽  
Author(s):  
Karen I. Fredriksen Goldsen ◽  
Sarah Jen ◽  
Anna Muraco
Keyword(s):  
Older Adults ◽  
Identity Development ◽  
Life Course ◽  
Well Being ◽  
Future Research ◽  
Social Dimensions ◽  
Negative Stereotypes ◽  
Life Course Framework ◽  
The Life Course ◽  
Over Time

Background: LGBTQ* (lesbian, gay, bisexual, trans, and queer) older adults are demographically diverse and growing populations. In an earlier 25-year review of the literature on sexual orientation and aging, we identified four waves of research that addressed dispelling negative stereotypes, psychosocial adjustment to aging, identity development, and social and community-based support in the lives of LGBTQ older adults. Objectives: The current review was designed to develop an evidence base for the field of LGBTQ aging as well as to assess the strengths and limitations of the existing research and to articulate a blueprint for future research. Methods: Using a life course framework, we applied a systematic narrative analysis of research on LGBTQ aging. The review included 66 empirical peer-reviewed journal articles (2009–2016) focusing on LGBTQ adults aged 50 years and older, as well as age-based comparisons (50 years and older with those younger). Results: A recent wave of research on the health and well-being of LGBTQ older adults was identified. Since the prior review, the field has grown rapidly. Several findings were salient, including the increas­ed application of theory (with critical theories most often used) and more varied research designs and methods. While ­existing life course theory provided a structure for the investigation of the social dimensions of LGBTQ aging, it was limited in its attention to intersectionality and the psychological, behavioral, and biological work emerging in the field. There were few studies addressing the oldest in these ­communities, bisexuals, gender non-binary older adults, intersex, ­older adults of color, and those living in poverty. ­Conclusions: The Iridescent Life Course framework highlights the interplay of light and environment, creating dynamic and fluid colors as perceived from different angles and perspectives over time. Such an approach incorporates both queering and trans-forming the life course, capturing intersectionality, fluidity over time, and the psychological, behavioral, and biological as well as social dimensions of LGBTQ aging. Work is needed that investigates trauma, differing configurations of risks and resources over the life course, inequities and opportunities in representation and capital as LGBTQ adults age, and greater attention to subgroups that remain largely invisible in existing research. More depth than breadth is imperative for the field, and multilevel, longitudinal, and global initiatives are needed.

Generating Independence

2018 ◽  
pp. 33-61
Author(s):  
Elana D. Buch
Keyword(s):  
Older Adults ◽  
Home Care ◽  
Life Histories ◽  
Well Being ◽  
Good Care ◽  
Independent Manner ◽  
Reciprocal Relationships ◽  
Care Workers ◽  
Home Care Workers ◽  
To Receive

The first chapter of the book draws on the life histories of three very different older adults, exploring how elders came to understand the ideas of independence over their long histories of experience. These histories reveal the stakes of care for older adults and how they distinguish good care from bad. Older adults did not imagine independence as requiring them to sustain their lives without assistance from anyone else. They understood independence as generated through reciprocal relationships in which they contributed equitably to the well-being of those upon whom they relied. Older adults took solace in the fact that their home care workers were paid, seeing this as a more independent manner in which to receive care than relying on unpaid but morally obligated relatives. In this way, home care buttressed older adults from becoming a burden on those they loved, protecting them from the always present specter of dependence.

scholarly journals Consequências do comportamento sedentário no bem-estar psicossocial: estudo qualitativo com idosos residentes em Portugal (Consequences of sedentary behavior on psychosocial well-being: a qualitative study with older adults living in Portugal)

Retos ◽  
2021 ◽  
Vol 42 ◽  
pp. 198-210
Author(s):  
André Ramalho ◽  
João Petrica ◽  
João Serrano ◽  
Rui Paulo ◽  
Pedro Duarte-Mendes ◽  
...  
Keyword(s):  
Older Adults ◽  
Sedentary Behavior ◽  
Scientific Evidence ◽  
Well Being ◽  
Activity Level ◽  
Affective States ◽  
Sedentary Behaviors ◽  
Social Dimensions ◽  
Structured Interviews ◽  
Activity Data

  As evidências científicas sugerem que o excesso de comportamento sedentário é um fator de risco para a saúde física dos idosos, independentemente dos seus níveis de atividade física. No entanto, o conhecimento acerca das consequências do comportamento sedentário em diversos indicadores psicossociais na população idosa, está, ainda, pouco explorado. O objetivo do estudo foi identificar e compreender as consequências do comportamento sedentário no bem-estar psicossocial de idosos residentes em Portugal. Participaram no estudo 14 idosos com idades compreendidas entre os 65 e os 73 anos.  Com a finalidade de descrever os participantes entrevistados, utilizou-se questionários que permitiram estimar o tempo médio diário utilizado em diferentes comportamentos sedentários e o nível habitual de atividade física. Além disso, os dados foram recolhidos através de entrevistas semiestruturadas e analisados em função dos procedimentos da análise temática. Foi identificado que as diferentes dimensões do comportamento sedentário (o tipo de comportamento sedentário, a interrupção do comportamento sedentário, o tempo ininterrupto sentado e a frequência) podem ter influência no bem-estar psicossocial dos idosos. Além disso, foram identificados três temas (a perceção de melhoria e de manutenção de funções cognitivas, a perceção de estados afetivos positivos e a interação social percebida) associados à promoção do bem-estar psicossocial dos idosos e dois temas (a perceção da diminuição de relações sociais e a perceção de sintomas de fadiga mental) que podem contribuir para a deterioração do mesmo. Os resultados deste estudo são úteis para a compreensão da experiência dos idosos em relação ao comportamento sedentário e as implicações deste na dimensão cognitiva, emocional e social, das suas vidas.  Abstract. Scientific evidence suggests that excessive sedentary behavior is a risk factor for physical health in older adults, regardless of their activity level. However, knowledge about the consequences of sedentary behavior on various psychosocial indicators in the older population is still poor. The aim of this study was to identify and understand the consequences of sedentary behavior on the psychosocial well-being of older adults in Portugal. Fourteen older people, aged between 65 and 73 years, participated in the study. Questionnaires were used to determine the average daily time spent in different sedentary behaviors and the usual level of physical activity. Data were also collected through semi-structured interviews and analyzed using thematic analysis techniques. It was found that the different dimensions of sedentary behavior (type of sedentary behavior, interruption of sedentary behavior, time of uninterrupted sitting, and the frequency) may influence the psychosocial well-being of older adults. In addition, three themes (perceived improvement and maintenance of cognitive function, perceived positive affective states, and perceived social interaction) were associated with promoting psychosocial well-being in older adults, and two themes (perceived decreased social relationships and perceived symptoms of mental fatigue) may contribute to the decline in psychosocial well-being. The findings of this study are useful for understanding older adults’ experiences of sedentary behavior and its impact on the cognitive, emotional, and social dimensions of their lives.  Resumen. Las pruebas científicas sugieren que un comportamiento sedentario excesivo es un factor de riesgo para la salud física de las personas mayores, independientemente de sus niveles de actividad física. Sin embargo, el conocimiento sobre las consecuencias del comportamiento sedentario en varios indicadores psicosociales en la población de edad avanzada está todavía poco explorado. El objetivo del estudio era identificar y comprender las consecuencias del comportamiento sedentario en el bienestar psicosocial de las personas mayores residentes en Portugal. Catorce personas mayores de entre 65 y 73 años participaron en el estudio.  Para describir a los participantes entrevistados, se utilizaron cuestionarios para estimar el tiempo medio diario dedicado a diferentes comportamientos sedentarios y el nivel habitual de actividad física. Además, los datos se recogieron mediante entrevistas semiestructuradas y se analizaron según los procedimientos del análisis temático. Se identificó que las diferentes dimensiones del comportamiento sedentario (el tipo de comportamiento sedentario, la interrupción del comportamiento sedentario, el tiempo ininterrumpido sentado y la frecuencia) pueden tener una influencia en el bienestar psicosocial de las personas mayores. Además, se identificaron tres temas (percepción de mejora y mantenimiento de las funciones cognitivas, percepción de estados afectivos positivos y percepción de interacción social) asociados a la promoción del bienestar psicosocial en las personas mayores y dos temas (percepción de disminución de las relaciones sociales y percepción de síntomas de fatiga mental) que pueden contribuir a su deterioro. Los resultados de este estudio son útiles para comprender la experiencia de las personas mayores en relación con el comportamiento sedentario y sus implicaciones en las dimensiones cognitiva, emocional y social de sus vidas.

The Modified-Fetzer Multidimensional Measure of Religiousness and Spirituality: Examination of Construct Validity in Older Black Adults

2014 ◽  
Vol 22 (3) ◽  
pp. 77E-101E
Author(s):  
Melissa J. Mokel ◽  
Juliette M. Shellman
Keyword(s):  
Older Adults ◽  
Factor Analysis ◽  
Health Disparities ◽  
Confirmatory Factor Analysis ◽  
Factor Structure ◽  
Black Americans ◽  
Black Adults ◽  
Multidimensional Measure ◽  
Confirmatory Factor ◽  
Study Participants

Background and Purpose: Sociocultural explanatory frameworks are increasingly being considered to address causes of health disparities, and attention has been focused on religion among Black Americans and its subsequent influence on health. The purpose of this study was to examine a multidimensional measure of religiousness and spirituality (Modified-Fetzer Multidimensional Measure of Religiousness and Spirituality [M-FMMRS]) in a sample of Black older adults. Methods: The M-FMMRS was administered to 130 study participants, and confirmatory factor analysis was conducted. Results: Findings did not support the hypothesized factor structure. Conclusions: Overall, the M-FMMRS is a reliable survey, but the validity needs to be further addressed. Historical documentation, review of data, and participant feedback are used to examine findings.

scholarly journals RACIAL DIFFERENCES IN CONTEMPLATIVE PRACTICES IN LATER LIFE: EXAMINING THE ROLE OF SES AND HEALTH DISADVANTAGE

2019 ◽  
Vol 3 (Supplement_1) ◽  
pp. S149-S149
Author(s):  
Nirmala Lekhak ◽  
Tirth Bhatta ◽  
Timothy Goler
Keyword(s):  
Older Adults ◽  
Socioeconomic Status ◽  
Racial Differences ◽  
Life Events ◽  
Later Life ◽  
Well Being ◽  
Black Adults ◽  
Opposite Pattern ◽  
Contemplative Practices ◽  
Private Prayer

Abstract Substantial scholarly attention has been placed on prayer as a buffer of life events’ adverse influences on well-being in later life. The disproportionate distribution of adverse life events among Black adults has also attracted scholarly interest in racial differences in contemplative practices. Black adults have been found to more likely engage in private prayer than White adults, whereas studies have observed an opposite pattern for meditation. The contribution of stratification in socioeconomic status and health to racial differences in contemplative practices, especially in meditation has received relatively less attention. Drawing from a subsample from Health and Retirement Survey (N = 1102), this study takes a next necessary step to assess the contribution of socioeconomic status, multimorbidity, and depressive symptoms to racial differences in both prayer and meditation use in later life. Consistent with prior studies, the odds of engaging in private prayer (OR=2.78, p<0.01) was higher among Blacks than White older adults. Our findings of higher odds (OR=2.92, p<0.001) of meditation among Black older adults than White older adults, however, do not align with previous studies. The disadvantage in socioeconomic status, health, and psychological well-being completely explain racial differences in prayer, but this difference in meditation persist even after adjusting for those factors. Our findings call for further research on contextually influenced underlying individual motivations that drive older adults of different racial and social economic groups to engage in various contemplative practices. Further research is also warranted on how older adults, particularly Blacks differentiate between private prayer and meditation.

scholarly journals Presidential Symposium: From Disruption to Transformation: Challenging and Changing the New Normal

2021 ◽  
Vol 5 (Supplement_1) ◽  
pp. 251-252
Author(s):  
Deborah Waldrop ◽  
Philip Rozario ◽  
Emily Greenfield
Keyword(s):  
Older Adults ◽  
Assisted Living ◽  
Ethnically Diverse ◽  
Well Being ◽  
High Turnover ◽  
Systemic Racism ◽  
Neighborhood Conditions ◽  
New Normal ◽  
Emergency Operations ◽  
Diverse Backgrounds

Abstract While the refrain “We’re all in this together” is meant to describe a sense of universality of our exposure and adaption to the Covid-19 pandemic life, the deeply rooted racial and economic injustices and ongoing health crises continue to expose the inequities experienced by many older adults. In this symposium, we focus on existing disparities and possibilities for transformation. The first paper discusses systemic racism as a structural driver of practices and policies that influence poverty, poor housing and neighborhood conditions, worse health profiles, relationship loss and social isolation among older Black adults. The second paper illuminates the importance of health equity and collaboration between aging and healthcare systems to improve the well-being outcomes and address disparities of older adults from racial-ly/ethnically diverse backgrounds. The third paper illustrates how the privatization of Medicare has created bureaucratic complexities that increase cost and burdens for beneficiaries. The fourth paper presents the ways that the pandemic has exposed the challenges of a nonexistent Long Term Services and Support system; specifically, in refocusing our attention on the working conditions of in-home and residential workers, such as poor compensation, and high turnover and mounting demands on families. The fifth paper addresses the importance of collaboration between nursing homes and assisted living communities with governmental emergency operations in times of disasters and public health crises. Each paper addresses pressing issues that have created the “new normal” for older adults; together the presenters explore the disruptions and offer solutions for renewed transformation.

Talk or Walk? Gait Speed over Self-Report in Association with Cognitive Speed in Healthy Older Adults

GeroPsych ◽  
2019 ◽  
Vol 32 (1) ◽  
pp. 41-52
Author(s):  
Matthew C. Costello ◽  
Shane J. Sizemore ◽  
Kimberly E. O’Brien ◽  
Lydia K. Manning
Keyword(s):  
Older Adults ◽  
Older Adult ◽  
Gait Speed ◽  
Well Being ◽  
Self Report ◽  
Subjective Report ◽  
Healthy Older Adults ◽  
Relative Value ◽  
Cognitive Speed ◽  
Age Range

Abstract. This study explores the relative value of both subjectively reported cognitive speed and gait speed in association with objectively derived cognitive speed. It also explores how these factors are affected by psychological and physical well-being. A group of 90 cognitively healthy older adults ( M = 73.38, SD = 8.06 years, range = 60–89 years) were tested in a three-task cognitive battery to determine objective cognitive speed as well as measures of gait speed, well-being, and subjective cognitive speed. Analyses indicated that gait speed was associated with objective cognitive speed to a greater degree than was subjective report, the latter being more closely related to well-being than to objective cognitive speed. These results were largely invariant across the 30-year age range of our older adult sample.

Leisure Activities and the Subjective Well-Being of Older Adults in Croatia

GeroPsych ◽  
2018 ◽  
Vol 31 (1) ◽  
pp. 31-39 ◽  
Author(s):  
Ljiljana Kaliterna Lipovčan ◽  
Tihana Brkljačić ◽  
Zvjezdana Prizmić Larsen ◽  
Andreja Brajša-Žganec ◽  
Renata Franc
Keyword(s):  
Older Adults ◽  
Leisure Activities ◽  
Leisure Activity ◽  
Later Life ◽  
Perceived Health ◽  
Well Being ◽  
Hierarchical Regression ◽  
Subjective Well Being ◽  
Convenience Sample ◽  
Financial Status

Abstract. Research shows that engagement in leisure activities promotes well-being among older adults. The objective of the current study was to examine the relationship between subjective well-being (flourishing) and leisure activities (total number of different activities in the previous year) in a sample of older adults in Croatia, thereby considering the variables of sex, marital status, financial status, and self-perceived health. The differences in the examined variables between the groups of older adults who reported to be engaged in new activities with those who did not were also examined. The sample of N = 169 older adults aged 60 years and above was drawn from a convenience sample of adult internet users in Croatia. Participants reported their self-perceived health and the number of leisure activities they engaged in over the previous year as well as completing the Flourishing Scale. Hierarchical regression analyses indicated that older adults who were engaged in more various leisure activities, who perceived better financial status, and who were married reported higher levels of flourishing. A comparison of the two groups of older adults with and without engagement in leisure activities showed that those engaged in at least one leisure activity were more likely to be women, reported higher levels of flourishing, and perceived their own financial status as better. This study indicated that engaging in leisure activities in later life might provide beneficial effects for the well-being of older adults.

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