Lifelong Disadvantage and Late Adulthood Frailty

Frailty is a complex state of objective and subjective vulnerability. It tends to increase with age, but the process is influenced by previous life course, especially previous disadvantages. The aim of this paper is to examine how the disadvantages suffered in adulthood (25 to 59 years) in four domains (unemployment, financial hardship, stress, and bad health) affect frailty in late adulthood (60 to 79 years). Using linear regression models on data from the Survey of Health, Ageing, and Retirement in Europe (2004–2017), we estimate frailty levels for several age groups (60–64, 65–69, 70–74, 75–79) accounting for both the persistence of these disadvantages over time and their coexistence, i.e., the number of years when they were simultaneously experienced. Results show that while frailty increases with age, as expected, there is also evidence of an accumulation of risks: the longer the periods of adult life affected by unemployment, stress, financial hardship or, most importantly, bad health, the frailer individuals are in their late years. Furthermore, periods of coexisting disadvantages in adulthood translate into additional frailty in late life. Our findings highlight the importance of fighting disadvantages early in life: long-term improvements in terms of reduced frailty (a concept interrelated with health) may be substantial.

Typology of people in middle and late adulthood based on the profile of coping with everyday life events

Introduction. The purpose of this study was to construct a typology of the proactive coping profiles of individuals in middle and late adulthood. The conceptual layer refers to the theory of proactive coping as defined by Ralf Schwarzer and Steffen Taubert. It means such an approach to everyday life in which problems are treated as a challenge rather than as a great unknown that limits to only reactive responses to emerging difficulties. An attempt was also made to compare the obtained subtypes in terms of wisdom and resilience. According to Ardelt's research, wisdom, understood as a composite of cognitive, reflective, and emotional components, may be a resource characterizing adults who use mature coping strategies, particularly proactive coping. Building resilience in people helps to prevent stress, hence it can be considered as a resource important in proactive coping. Method. A group of 166 people in middle (N=80) and late adulthood (N=86) was surveyed. The Proactive Coping Inventory (Polish Adaptation) by Sęk, Pasikowski, Taubert, Greenglass and Schwarzer, Three-Dimensional Wisdom Scale (3D-WS) by Ardelt, adapted by Steuden, Brudek and Izdebski and Resilience Measurement Scale (SPP-25) by Oginska-Bulik and Juczynski were used in the study. Results. Four coping types were obtained: runaway, proactive, autonomous and support-seekers. Individuals belonging to particular profiles of coping differed significantly in the level of wisdom and resilience. Conclusions.The study showed that in a group of people in middle and late adulthood it is possible to distinguish consistent profiles of using coping strategies, which differ in the degree of proactivity. Additionally, wisdom and resilience were shown to characterize individuals with a more proactive, goal-oriented structure of coping strategies.

Relationships of Sources of Meaning and Resilience With Meaningfulness and Satisfaction With Life: A Population-Based Study of Norwegians in Late Adulthood

Health-promoting initiatives incorporating meaning-making to enhance the well-being of people in late adulthood are important, particularly as the number of older people is increasing. Resilience and sources of meaning may be related to individuals’ experience of meaningfulness and satisfaction with life. However, few studies have investigated these relations among people in late adulthood. In the present exploratory study, we asked the following questions: What are the differences regarding scores on sources of meaning, resilience, meaningfulness, and satisfaction between people in late adulthood (≥65) and other adults (18–64)? What is the association between sources of meaning and meaningfulness, and between resilience and meaningfulness? What is the association between sources of meaning and satisfaction with life, and between resilience and satisfaction with life? A cross-sectional design was used. A population-based sample of 925 participants (aged 18–91 years) was recruited from the National Population Register in Norway. Of these, 219 participants were 65 years old and older (mean age 73 years). Additionally, sub-analyses for the age-group ≥ 75 (N = 71) were performed. Independent-samples t-tests, chi-square tests, one-way ANOVA, and linear regressions adjusted for demographics, anxiety, and depression were performed utilizing standardized questionnaires. It was found that people in late adulthood (≥65 years) scored significantly higher on meaningfulness compared to younger adults (18–64). Of the sources of meaning, vertical self-transcendence, including explicit religiosity and spirituality, had the strongest relation to meaningfulness for people in late adulthood, after adjusting for demographics, anxiety, and depression. For the same group, accomplishment, including generativity and unselfish engagement with the surroundings and future generations, also stood out as a prominent source of meaning when related to meaningfulness. No sources of meaning were associated with satisfaction with life in the older group. No associations between resilience and meaningfulness, nor between resilience and satisfaction with life, were found among people in late adulthood. However, positive associations were found between resilience and meaningfulness, as well as between resilience and satisfaction with life, in the 18–64 age group. Longitudinal research and interventional studies are needed to confirm whether the designated sources contribute to meaningfulness in a Norwegian context. The implications of the findings are discussed.

Romantic Attachment, Stress, and Cognitive Functioning in a Large Sample of Middle-Aged and Older Couples

Romantic relationships are a key factor contributing to health across the lifespan. Within this research line, attachment theory has been a useful framework to understand how relationships impact health. One primary health concern in late adulthood is reduced cognitive functioning: Alzheimer’s disease and related neurodegenerative disorders become increasingly prevalent with age affecting millions of people. Even though much research has identified various sociodemographic, medical, and behavioral risk factors, little knowledge exists on romantic attachment’s psychosocial role for cognitive decline. The purpose of this study was to examine the link between insecure attachment, stress, and cognitive functioning in a large sample of middle-aged and older couples. In particular, we wanted to investigate how insecure attachment is linked to both partners’ cognitive functioning and whether stress mediates these associations. To that aim, we used data of 1,043 romantic couples (Mage = 64.7 years; 38.5% same-sex couples) who reported on their attachment anxiety and avoidance, their stress levels, their cognitive decline, and their and their partners’ dementia symptoms. Couple members also participated in a memory performance task. The results suggest that anxiety is linked to participants’ cognitive decline, while avoidance was linked to partners’ cognitive decline and poorer memory performance. We also detected significant mediational effects for stress in the association between insecure attachment and cognitive functioning. We conclude that potentially malleable psychosocial factors, such as insecure attachment and stress, are important research objects when understanding cognitive functioning in middle and late adulthood.

Five–year changes in objectively measured cardiorespiratory fitness, physical activity, and sedentary time in mid-to-late adulthood

This study examined five-year changes in cardiorespiratory fitness, physical activity, and sedentary time in mid-to-late aged adults. Fifty-seven participants completed baseline and follow-up treadmill exercise tests and physical activity monitoring. We observed a 14% decline in fitness (p<.001), 12% decrease in physical activity (p= 0.010), and non-significant increase in sedentary time (p=.196). Age was negatively associated with five-year change in physical activity (r=-.31; p=.02) and this decline was strongest among APOE ε4 carriers (g=-0.75). Novelty: • Cardiorespiratory fitness and physical activity significantly declined from mid-to-late adulthood, these findings were most pronounced among older adults and those with genetic risk for Alzheimer’s disease.

Eccrine Angiomatous Hamartoma: A Rare Presentation in Late Adulthood

Eccrine angiomatous hamartoma is a tumor characterized by benign malformation of eccrine and vascular elements, occurring generally at birth or during early infancy and childhood. The rarity with which it is encountered in adults and the elderly makes it a diagnostic challenge in such age brackets. We report an interesting case of eccrine angiomatous hamartoma presenting in late adulthood confirmed by histopathology. Keywords: Cisplatin, concurrent chemotherapy, daily, weekly, three weekly, carcinoma cervix