Methods Matter: Assessment of the Characteristics of a Sample to Analyze Digital Practices and Social Connectedness in Later Life

2020 ◽  
pp. 58-68
Author(s):  
Mireia Fernández-Ardèvol ◽  
Andrea Rosales ◽  
Francisca Morey
Keyword(s):  
Social Connectedness ◽  
Later Life

scholarly journals Effects of Participation in Social Activities on Cognitive Function Among Middle-Aged and Older Adults in Korea

2018 ◽  
Vol 15 (10) ◽  
pp. 2315 ◽  
Author(s):  
Jongnam Hwang ◽  
Sangmin Park ◽  
Sujin Kim
Keyword(s):  
Older Adults ◽  
Cognitive Function ◽  
Cognitive Decline ◽  
Social Connectedness ◽  
Social Activity ◽  
Later Life ◽  
Well Being ◽  
Social Activities ◽  
The Social ◽  
Gender Groups

Cognitive function is a critical health issue in later life, the decline of which disrupts well-being and daily life function. Cognitive decline in older ages can also be understood in the context of the social environment such as social connectedness and engagement in personal life. This study aimed to examine: (1) whether participation in social activities contributes to preventing cognitive decline, and (2) what type of social activities are beneficial to maintaining cognitive function. Data from the Korean Longitudinal Study of Aging (KLOSA) 2006–2014, a longitudinal survey of the household-dwelling population aged 45 and older in Korea were used. The results revealed that Mini-Mental State Examination (MMSE) scores decreased with increasing age, at a rate of approximately 0.18 units across all age-gender groups, and the decrease was steeper for adults aged 65 and over. Participation in social gatherings was likely to delay the decline in cognitive function after the age of 65. In a gender-stratified model, social activity may not have an impact on the decline of cognitive function for men, whereas participation in social gatherings was negatively related to the decline of MMSE scores in women. This study suggests the need for a gender-stratified policy for preventing the decline of cognitive function while promoting engagement in social activities in Korean older adults.

scholarly journals Associations of early social experience with offspring DNA methylation and later life stress phenotype

2020 ◽  
Author(s):  
Zachary M. Laubach ◽  
Julia R. Greenberg ◽  
Julie W. Turner ◽  
Tracy Montgomery ◽  
Malit O. Pioon ◽  
...  
Keyword(s):  
Dna Methylation ◽  
Maternal Care ◽  
Life Stress ◽  
Social Connectedness ◽  
Later Life ◽  
First Year ◽  
Fecal Glucocorticoid Metabolites ◽  
Spotted Hyenas ◽  
First Year Of Life ◽  
Early Social Experience

ABSTRACTIn a wild population of spotted hyenas, we tested the hypothesis that maternal care during the first year of life and social connectedness during two periods of early development lead to differences in DNA methylation and fecal glucocorticoid metabolites (fGCMs) later in life. We found that although maternal care and social connectedness during the communal den dependent period were not associated with fGCMs, greater social connectedness after hyenas leave their communal den is associated with lower adult fGCMs. Additionally, more maternal care and social connectedness after leaving the communal den corresponded with higher global (%CCGG) DNA methylation. Finally, we identified multiple DNA methylation biomarkers near genes involved in inflammation that may link maternal care and stress phenotype. Our findings suggest that both maternal care during the first year of life and social connections after leaving the den influence DNA methylation and contribute to a developmentally plastic stress response.

scholarly journals Intergenerational connections through technology: Insights from the Technology Use in Later Life multi-site study

2020 ◽  
Vol 4 (Supplement_1) ◽  
pp. 928-929
Author(s):  
Shannon Freeman ◽  
Hannah R Marston ◽  
Charles Musselwhite ◽  
Janna Olynick ◽  
Rebecca Genoe ◽  
...  
Keyword(s):  
Older Adults ◽  
Social Networking Sites ◽  
Technology Use ◽  
Social Connectedness ◽  
New Technologies ◽  
Intergenerational Relationships ◽  
Later Life ◽  
Social Distancing ◽  
Rural And Urban ◽  
Intergenerational Connections

Abstract With enhanced challenges to maintain social connections especially during times of social distancing due to the COVID-19 pandemic, the need for technology solutions grow. Technologies have become interwoven into the daily lives for many older adults. The Technology Use in Later Life (TILL) study investigated how the perceptions and use of technology both can foster new and leverage existing intergenerational relationships. Through a mixed methods study engaging older adults aged 70 years of age and greater across rural and urban sites in Canada and the UK (N=37), participants described how the interconnection between technology and intergenerational relationships was an integral component to social connectedness with others. Through a qualitative descriptive approach, it was noted that older adults leveraged intergenerational relationships with family and friends to adjust to new technologies and to remain connected to adult children and grandchildren especially when there is high geographic separation between them. Especially during times of COVID-19, younger family members can play an important role to introduce and teach older adults how to use, technologies such as digital devices, computers, and social networking sites. Participants emphasized the benefits of intergenerational connections to adopt and use technology in later life noting flexibility and willingness to overcome barriers to technology adoption and remain connected across the generations. The adoption and uptake of technologies may continue as viable options during times of social distancing to support older persons to remain independent, age in place, in both age-friendly cities and across rural geographies during and post COVID-19.

scholarly journals Pathways to Late-Life Volunteering: A Focus on Social Connectedness

2019 ◽  
Vol 49 (3) ◽  
pp. 523-547
Author(s):  
Sarah Dury ◽  
Dorien Brosens ◽  
An-Sofie Smetcoren ◽  
Sofie Van Regenmortel ◽  
Nico De Witte ◽  
...  
Keyword(s):  
Mixed Methods Research ◽  
Social Connectedness ◽  
Late Life ◽  
Later Life ◽  
Local Policy ◽  
The Social ◽  
Research Findings ◽  
Quantitative Results ◽  
Qualitative Phase

Utilizing a mixed-methods research design consisting of two consecutive phases, this study investigates older adults’ perceptions and understanding of social connectedness factors influencing late-life volunteering. In the first phase, quantitative data from the Belgian Ageing Studies project ( N = 24,508, from 89 municipalities) was analyzed through regression modeling. In the second, qualitative phase, focus groups with older people were conducted in each of the six research locations, to elucidate and build on the quantitative results. The research findings indicate that formal connectedness is highly influential for both the potential to volunteer and actually doing so. Membership of an association and being a new resident are key determinants for volunteering in later life. Moreover, local policy also functions as an important bridge between long-term residents and new residents in terms of the social structure of the society and the extent to which people are integrated into the community.

Māori Becoming Peer Educators in Later Life: Impacts on Identity, Well-being, and Social Connectedness

2020 ◽  
Author(s):  
Mary Louisa Simpson ◽  
John Oetzel ◽  
Sophie Nock ◽  
Hine-iti-moana Greensill ◽  
Pare Meha ◽  
...  
Keyword(s):  
Older People ◽  
Qualitative Analysis ◽  
Communication Skills ◽  
Social Connectedness ◽  
Later Life ◽  
Well Being ◽  
Peer Educators ◽  
Sense Of Purpose ◽  
Peer Educator ◽  
Peer Intervention

Abstract Objective The aim of this study was to examine ways that older Māori (New Zealand’s Indigenous people) enhanced their ability to be peer educators and how this role impacted on their sense of purpose and well-being in later life. Method Kaupapa Māori and community-based participatory research principles guided the peer intervention involving 26 Māori kaumātua (older people 55 years and older) as peer educators (tuakana) for 121 other kaumātua (teina) facing transitions in later life. Each pair held up to 3 conversations; independent coders rated tuakana communication skills. We used mixed methods in a pre- and post-test, clustered staggered design. Participants completed baseline and post-intervention assessments of health and well-being consistent with Māori worldviews. 5 focus groups involving 22 teina and 1 with 5 tuakana were held. Results Tuakana communication skills were rated as high by teina and independent coders. Qualitative analysis supported the importance of Māori communication processes for the role. Further, three measures increased significantly from the baseline to the final period for tuakana accounting for about 15% of the variance in these variables: sense of purpose (p = .07), self-rated health (p = .05), and health-related quality of life (p = .04). The qualitative analysis supported the benefits of the peer educator role for older Māori including enhanced sense of identity, well-being, and social connectedness. Discussion The results demonstrated that kaumātua had strong communication in the peer educator role and that the intervention has positive impacts for them. The study contributes to peer intervention research that may help to improve experiences ofIndigenous and other older people.

scholarly journals Are Positive Childhood Experiences Linked to Better Cognitive Functioning in Later Life?: Examining the Role of Life Course Pathways

2020 ◽  
pp. 089826432097254
Author(s):  
Haena Lee ◽  
Markus Schafer
Keyword(s):  
Cognitive Functioning ◽  
Family Life ◽  
Social Life ◽  
Social Connectedness ◽  
Positive Association ◽  
Later Life ◽  
Well Being ◽  
Childhood Experiences ◽  
Family Socioeconomic Status ◽  
Happy Family

Objectives: We examine whether childhood family well-being is associated with cognitive functioning and to what extent the association between the family context and cognitive functioning is explained by adulthood resources. Methods: Data are drawn from the National Social Life, Health, and Aging Project Wave 3 (2015/2016; N = 3361). We measured cognitive functioning using the Montreal Cognitive Assessment. Childhood family factors included family-life happiness, family structure, and family socioeconomic status. Education, social connectedness, self-mastery, and self-rated health were assessed as adulthood resources. Results: Respondents who grew up in a happy family had significantly higher levels of cognitive functioning. The formal mediation test suggests that a happy family life during childhood has a positive association with later cognition, in part, by enhancing self-mastery in adulthood. Discussion: Our findings provide evidence that positive childhood experiences are linked to later life cognition. The sense of control people have over their life circumstances is one potential pathway explaining this association.

scholarly journals Methodological Strategies to Understand Smartphone Practices for Social Connectedness in Later Life

2019 ◽  
pp. 46-64 ◽  
Author(s):  
Mireia Fernández-Ardèvol ◽  
Andrea Rosales ◽  
Eugène Loos ◽  
Alexander Peine ◽  
Roser Beneito-Montagut ◽  
...  
Keyword(s):  
Social Connectedness ◽  
Later Life

scholarly journals Neighborhood Walkability or Third Places? Determinants of Social Support and Loneliness among Older Adults

2019 ◽  
pp. 0739456X1987029 ◽  
Author(s):  
Ji Hei Lee ◽  
Teck Hong Tan
Keyword(s):  
Social Support ◽  
Older Adults ◽  
Structural Equation ◽  
Social Connectedness ◽  
Later Life ◽  
Support Network ◽  
Equation Modeling ◽  
Social Support Network ◽  
Third Places ◽  
Neighborhood Walkability

In the context of creating age-friendly communities, this paper examines the effects of neighborhood walkability and third places on older adults’ social connectedness. The subject was older adult homeowners aged sixty-five years and above in the context of American college towns. Partial least squares structural equation modeling was used, controlling personal abilities and sociodemographic factors. Third places positively influenced older adults’ social support network, but it was not associated with loneliness. Objective and perceived neighborhood accessibility had no association with either social support network or loneliness in later life. Findings suggest that planners and developers should prioritize third places in designing for active living.

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