Pathways to Well-Being in Later Life: Socioeconomic and Health Determinants Across the Life Course of Australian Baby Boomers

We used classification analysis to examine change in religiosity among baby boomers from young adulthood to early old age and how religiosity transition patterns are associated with psychological well-being in later life. In addition, we tested the gender difference in the above association. We applied latent class and latent transition analysis to 392 baby boomers who participated in the Longitudinal Study of Generations in Wave-1 (1971) and Wave-9 (2016). We identified three classes describing religiosity at each wave (strongly religious, doctrinally religious, and weakly religious), and considered five types of change or stability in religious class membership from Wave-1 to Wave-9. Multiple regression with gender interactions revealed that men who stayed strongly religious over the period reported better psychological well-being compared to men who declined in their religiosity; no such pattern was found for women. Our findings suggest that maintaining strong religiosity over the life course was beneficial for baby boom men in later life.

Download Full-text

PATTERNS OF WEALTH TRAJECTORY IN LATER LIFE: CRITICAL PERIOD, ACCUMULATION, AND SOCIAL MOBILITY MODELS

Innovation in Aging ◽

10.1093/geroni/igz038.1403 ◽

2019 ◽

Vol 3 (Supplement_1) ◽

pp. S382-S382

Author(s):

Yu-Chih Chen ◽

Sojung Park ◽

Nancy Morrow-Howell

Keyword(s):

Life Course ◽

Social Mobility ◽

Critical Period ◽

Reference Group ◽

Multinomial Logistic Regression ◽

Later Life ◽

Well Being ◽

Economic Stress ◽

Mobility Models ◽

The Life Course

Abstract Wealth, an important financial cushion for older adults to buffer economic stress, requires a longer time to accumulate and develop in one’s course of life. However, little is known about the trajectories of wealth in later life, and how the life course socioeconomic status (SES) may contribute to the development of wealth at old-age. This study investigated longitudinal patterns of wealth trajectory and whether SES across the life course affects these trajectories using critical period, accumulation, and social mobility models. Using data from 16,189 adults aged 51 and older from the 2004-2014 Health and Retirement Study, a growth mixture model was used to explore distinct wealth trajectories. Impacts of life course models were studied using multinomial logistic regression. Results showed that four heterogeneous latent classes of wealth were identified: Stable high (reference group), Low and increasing, Stable low, and High but decline. Disadvantaged adulthood SES, accumulated exposure to socioeconomic risks, and downward or persistent socioeconomic disadvantage over the life course were associated with Stable low, Low and increasing, and High but decline, supporting all three life course mechanisms on wealth development in later life. Evidence suggests that wealth development is heterogeneous across individuals, and a strong gradient effect of life-course SES on wealth trajectories are clearly observed. Programs and policies should address the effects of life course on wealth development to strengthen the economic well-being in later life.

Download Full-text

CONTINUITY OF CAREER OVER THE LIFE COURSE ON LIFE SATISFACTION AND DEPRESSIVE SYMPTOMS IN LATER LIFE

Innovation in Aging ◽

10.1093/geroni/igz038.468 ◽

2019 ◽

Vol 3 (Supplement_1) ◽

pp. S128-S129

Author(s):

Melanie S Hill ◽

James E Hill ◽

Stephanie Richardson ◽

Jessica Brown ◽

Jeremy B Yorgason ◽

...

Keyword(s):

High School ◽

Life Satisfaction ◽

Depressive Symptoms ◽

Life Course ◽

Career Choice ◽

Early Adulthood ◽

Later Life ◽

Well Being ◽

The Life Course ◽

The Impact

Abstract Identity scholars have suggested that having a unified sense of past, present, and future is related to positive well-being outcomes (Whitbourne, Sneed & Skultety, 2009). One’s occupation can have a profound influence on an individual’s identity throughout the life course (Nazar & van der Heijden, 2012). Research has looked at career mobility among younger age groups (Baiyun, Ramkissoon, Greenwood, & Hoyte, 2018); however, less is known about the impact of career stability later in life. Consistency in career choice over the life course may have positive outcomes down the line as career becomes part of an individual's identity. The current study uses the Life and Family Legacies dataset, a longitudinal state-representative sample of 3,348, to examine individual’s careers at three points in the life course: high school (projected career choice), early adulthood, and later life. Results revealed that a match of desired career in high school and actual career in early adulthood was not predictive of life satisfaction or depressive symptoms in later life. However, a match of career in early adulthood and later life was significantly related to better life satisfaction and less depressive symptoms, which was explained through higher levels of job satisfaction. This study highlights the importance of acquiring and maintaining a career that is fulfilling to the individual over the course of early adulthood to later life.

Download Full-text

Marital Strain and Support and Subjective Well-Being in Later Life: Ascribing a Role to Early-Life Conditions

Innovation in Aging ◽

10.1093/geroni/igab046.1571 ◽

2021 ◽

Vol 5 (Supplement_1) ◽

pp. 407-407

Author(s):

Laura Upenieks ◽

Yingling Liu

Keyword(s):

Life Course ◽

Process Model ◽

Later Life ◽

Well Being ◽

Life Course Perspective ◽

Subjective Well Being ◽

Marital Support ◽

Lagged Dependent Variable ◽

The Life Course ◽

Marital Strain

Abstract Decades of research have the beneficial effects of marital support and the detrimental consequences of marital strain on health and well-being. However, we know relatively less about how circumstances in childhood—a key developmental period of the life course—influence the relational structure in which later life is embedded and any implications this may hold for well-being. We integrate the life course perspective with the stress process model to offer a framework for how childhood conditions (childhood happiness, family structure, and financial strain) moderate the relationship between marital support/strain and subjective well-being in older adulthood in potentially different ways for men and women. The consequences of marital strain may be more severe and the benefits of marital support may not be as strongly felt for those adults who experienced greater adversity during childhood. Drawing on longitudinal data from Waves 2 (2010-2011) and 3 (2015-2016) of the NSHAP project (N = 1,376), results from lagged dependent variable models suggest that marital support buffers the effect of not living with both parents in childhood on subjective well-being for men. Meanwhile, women raised in families that experienced financial hardship reported lower subjective well-being in the context of marital strain in later life. No significant interaction effects were obtained for childhood happiness. Taken together, our findings suggest that adverse experiences in childhood can be scarring, particularly in the context of strained intimate relationships. However, a supportive marriage can, in some cases, offset the effects of childhood hardship on subjective well-being in later life.

Download Full-text

Addressing inequities in child health and development: towards social justice

BMJ Paediatrics Open ◽

10.1136/bmjpo-2019-000503 ◽

2019 ◽

Vol 3 (1) ◽

pp. e000503 ◽

Cited By ~ 9

Author(s):

Nick Spencer ◽

Shanti Raman ◽

Bernadette O'Hare ◽

Giorgio Tamburlini

Keyword(s):

Child Health ◽

Life Course ◽

National Level ◽

Health Inequities ◽

Well Being ◽

Health Determinants ◽

Health And Development ◽

The Life Course ◽

The Impact ◽

And Child Health

Inequities have a profound impact on the health and development of children globally. While inequities are greatest in the world’s poorest countries, even in rich nations poorer children have poorer health and developmental outcomes. From birth through childhood to adolescence, morbidity, mortality, growth and development are socially determined, resulting in the most disadvantaged having the highest risk of poor health outcomes. Inequities in childhood impact across the life course. We consider four categories of actions to promote equity: strengthening individuals, strengthening communities, improving living and working conditions, and promoting healthy macropolicies. Inequities can be reduced but action to reduce inequities requires political will. The International Society for Social Paediatrics and Child Health (ISSOP) calls on governments, policy makers, paediatricians and professionals working with children and their organisations to act to reduce child health inequity as a priority. ISSOP recommends the following: governments act to reduce child poverty; ensure rights of all children to healthcare, education and welfare are protected; basic health determinants such as adequate nutrition, clean water and sanitation are available to all children. Paediatric and child health organisations ensure that their members are informed of the impact of inequities on children’s well-being and across the life course; include child health inequities in curricula for professionals in training; publish policy statements relevant to their country on child health inequities; advocate for evidence-based pro-equity interventions using a child rights perspective; advocate for affordable, accessible and quality healthcare for all children; promote research to monitor inequity as well as results of interventions in their child populations. Paediatricians and child health professionals be aware of the impact of social determinants of health on children under their care; ensure their clinical services are accessible and acceptable to all children and families within the constraints of their country’s health services; engage in advocacy at community and national level.

Download Full-text

The Impact of Life Course Employment and Domestic Duties on the Well-Being of Retired Women and the Social Protection Systems That Frame This

Journal of Aging and Health ◽

10.1177/0898264318821205 ◽

2018 ◽

Vol 32 (5-6) ◽

pp. 285-295 ◽

Cited By ~ 1

Author(s):

Sara Zella ◽

Sarah Harper

Keyword(s):

Life Course ◽

Women’S Health ◽

Women's Health ◽

Social Protection ◽

Positive Association ◽

Later Life ◽

Well Being ◽

Welfare States ◽

The Life Course ◽

The Impact

Objectives: The article addresses whether specific combinations of employment and domestic duties over the life course are associated with variations in women’s health at the time of retirement. It also explores the differences of this relationship in four European welfare states. Method: Women from three waves of SHARE (Survey of Health, Aging and Retirement in Europe) are grouped using sequence analysis. Using logistic regression models, group differences in later life depression and self-reported health are tested. Predicted probabilities are applied to analyze welfares’ differences. Results: The findings confirm that a combination of employment and domestic duties across the life course has a positive association with later life health. Being outside the labor market is detrimental for women’s health. Well-being across the life course is framed by the welfare context in which women live. Discussion: We suggest that further research is needed to explore the mechanisms linking work and care trajectories to poor health and enable appropriate interventions.

Download Full-text

Social Gerontology Theories: Past, Present, and Future

Oxford Research Encyclopedia of Psychology ◽

10.1093/acrefore/9780190236557.013.335 ◽

2019 ◽

Cited By ~ 1

Author(s):

Jill Suitor ◽

Megan Gilligan ◽

Marissa Rurka ◽

Yifei Hou ◽

Gulcin Con

Keyword(s):

Social Networks ◽

Life Course ◽

Interpersonal Relations ◽

Later Life ◽

Well Being ◽

Individual Characteristics ◽

Public Health Medicine ◽

Social Gerontology ◽

Social Structural ◽

The Life Course

Theories of social gerontology have progressed from a focus on individuals’ later-life decline to theories that emphasize the intra- and interindividual variability of later-life experiences and the ways in which such heterogeneity is conditioned by social structural, cultural, and interpersonal factors that often begin in childhood and continue to shape individuals and members of their social networks across the life course. Consistent with theories across the sciences, theories of social gerontology predict and explain real-world experiences. In the case of social gerontology, the goals of theory address a wide array of phenomena, ranging from individuals’ attitudes and motivations, social networks and social support, the actions and functions of formal organizations, the embodiment of cultural norms and stereotypes, social determinants of health, and sources of inequality throughout the life course.. As the field of social gerontology has developed, theories in the field have shown increasing complexity, particularly regarding the roles of early life course experiences, social structural positions, and interpersonal relations in explaining variations in well-being, longevity, and the quality of life across the lifespan. As part of this increased complexity, social gerontology has become increasingly cross-disciplinary, spanning disciplines such as sociology, psychology, biology, anthropology, public health, medicine, and engineering, with a strong emphasis on how each discipline can contribute to developing principles that transcend individual fields. These integrative theories of social gerontology are crucial to developing comprehensive approaches to improving the health and well-being of individuals throughout the life course. Theories of social gerontology help us comprehensively understand the aging process by emphasizing individual characteristics, social relationships, and the larger cultural contexts in which individuals’ lives are embedded.

Download Full-text

The Long Shadow of Youth: Girls’ Transition From Full-Time Education and Later-Life Subjective Well-Being in the English Longitudinal Study of Ageing

The Journals of Gerontology Series B ◽

10.1093/geronb/gbaa108 ◽

2020 ◽

Author(s):

Baowen Xue ◽

Penny Tinkler ◽

Anne McMunn

Keyword(s):

Quality Of Life ◽

Life Satisfaction ◽

Life Course ◽

Later Life ◽

Well Being ◽

Full Time ◽

Subjective Well Being ◽

The Life Course ◽

English Longitudinal Study

Abstract Objectives To investigate whether the timing and nature of women’s transitions out of full-time (FT) education are related to later-life subjective well-being and the life-course experiences that might explain any associations seen. Methods Data are from women in Wave 3 of the English Longitudinal Study of Ageing who have participated in the life history interview and were aged 50+ at the interview (n = 3,889). Using multichannel sequence analysis, we identified 6 types of transition out of FT education (ages 14–26). Regression models were used to examine associations between transition types and life satisfaction, quality of life, and depressive symptoms at age 50+. Results Women who made early transitions to married parenthood and FT domestic labor had lower levels of well-being on all 3 later-life well-being outcomes (p < .01), compared to women who made later transitions to family life and remained employed. Women who remained single up to age 26 also had lower life satisfaction (p < .05) and quality of life (p < .01) in later life than their counterparts who married and had children. These associations were explained by the life-course socioeconomic and relationship pathways. Advantaged childhood socioeconomic circumstances and higher educational qualifications set “Later Marriage and Later employment” women apart onto advantaged trajectories and a better quality of life later (p < .01). Discussion The timing and nature of exits from FT education played a pivotal role in setting people onto life-course trajectories that influence well-being in later life for this older generation of women.

Download Full-text

LATENT CLASS ANALYSIS OF RE-EXPERIENCING VIOLENCE ACROSS THE LIFE COURSE

Innovation in Aging ◽

10.1093/geroni/igz038.1271 ◽

2019 ◽

Vol 3 (Supplement_1) ◽

pp. S351-S351

Author(s):

Jooyoung Kong ◽

Scott Easton

Keyword(s):

Life Course ◽

Psychological Health ◽

Childhood Maltreatment ◽

Psychological Functioning ◽

Latent Class ◽

Elder Abuse ◽

Later Life ◽

Well Being ◽

Latent Classes ◽

The Life Course

Abstract Guided by the cumulative disadvantage hypothesis, the present study examines recurrent victimization experiences across the life course and their impact on psychological health in later life. Using data from the 2010-2011 Wisconsin Longitudinal Study, we explored the latent structure of histories of childhood maltreatment (i.e., neglect, emotional/physical abuse, witness of domestic violence) and elder abuse victimization among 5,968 older adults (average age of 71 years). We also investigated whether membership in specific latent classes, particularly experiencing both childhood and elder victimization, would be associated with psychological functioning in late life. We identified five latent classes: “Never victimized” (66% of respondents), “Abused as child” (16%), “Abused and neglected as child” (9%), “Abused as elder” (6%), and “Abused as child and elder” (2%). Also, the “abused as child and elder” class consistently was associated with negative psychological outcomes (i.e., distress and somatic symptom severity) and lower levels of psychological well-being.

Download Full-text

Transgender ageing: community resistance and well-being in the life course

Intersections of Ageing, Gender and Sexualities ◽

10.1332/policypress/9781447333029.003.0004 ◽

2019 ◽

pp. 47-62 ◽

Cited By ~ 2

Author(s):

Vanessa Fabbre ◽

Anna Siverskog

Keyword(s):

Life Course ◽

Lived Experiences ◽

Empirical Work ◽

Later Life ◽

Well Being ◽

Life Choices ◽

Transgender People ◽

Community Resistance ◽

The Life Course

This chapter explores the intersections of gender, sexuality and age through transgender aging. Using empirical work from both Swedish and U.S. contexts, it examines how heteronormative expectations for human lives are challenged by the identities, lived experiences and life choices of older transgender adults. Further, the chapter draws upon life course and queer perspectives to analyse the role of community-level organizing and resistance as pathways to wellness in later life for transgender people

Download Full-text