Socio-Economic Resources and Differential Ageing

1993 ◽  
Vol 13 (4) ◽  
pp. 517-550 ◽  
Author(s):  
Karl Ulrich Mayer ◽  
Michael Wagner
Keyword(s):  
Mental Health ◽  
Life Course ◽  
Physical Health ◽  
Cognitive Functioning ◽  
Old Age ◽  
Well Being ◽  
Economic Resources ◽  
Subjective Well Being ◽  
Cohort Differences ◽  
Social Differentials

ABSTRACTThe Sociology and Social Policy Research Unit of the Berlin Aging Study focuses on four substantive areas: (1) life course antecedents and generational experiences, (2) later phases of the family life course, (3) action resources and social participation, and (4) economic situations and the provision of care. This paper reports results on the relationship between social and economic inequality and differential ageing, using the BASE multidisciplinary Intake Assessment (N = 360). The socio-economic position of older people is measured along three dimensions: economic resources, social status and prestige, and cultural status. Several ageing outcomes are considered, including functional physical health, cognitive functioning and mental health, overall subjective well-being, social autonomy and dependency. First, we show that old people as a group are neither socially nor economically homogeneous: very old women possess unusually low economic resources; and cohort differences in educational attainment are carried into old age. Second, cognitive functioning and mental health are positively correlated with socio-economic resources, while functional physical health is not. For women, socio-economic resources slightly affect overall subjective well-being, and are linked to the likelihood of living in a nursing home. We speculate that the wide availability of compulsory health insurance reduces social differentials in physical health and that these inequalities may determine who survives into old age.

Self-compassion, Well-being and Health in Elderly: Are there Related?

2017 ◽  
Vol 41 (S1) ◽  
pp. S648-S648 ◽  
Author(s):  
M. Cunha ◽  
L. Parente ◽  
A. Galhardo ◽  
M. Couto
Keyword(s):  
Mental Health ◽  
Life Satisfaction ◽  
Physical Health ◽  
Old Age ◽  
Satisfaction With Life ◽  
Well Being ◽  
The Elderly ◽  
Major Advance ◽  
Subjective Well Being ◽  
Self Compassion

IntroductionThe increase in aging population is a major advance in society, but also a great challenge, imposing the need for actions that promote successful aging, with higher subjective well-being and better health.Objectives(1) analyse the possible influence of socio-demographic variables in self-compassion, satisfaction with life, affection, physical and mental health (study variables); (2) understand how is that the study variables are associated with each other in old age; and (3) explore which variables best predict satisfaction with life and health in the elderly.MethodThe study sample consists of 155 individuals, aged between 65 and 94 years old, institutionalised and non-institutionalised.Results(1) significant correlations were found between some demographic and the study variables. (2) Significant associations were also found between self-compassion, subjective well-being and health. (3) linear regression analysis revealed that physical health is best predicted by greater life satisfaction and lower age; mental health is best predicted by increased satisfaction with life, self-compassion and decreased negative affect; and, finally, life satisfaction is predicted by a higher physical health and self-compassion.ConclusionsThese results suggest the importance of developing psychological skills such as warmth, tolerance and the acceptance of suffering bearing in mind that the elderly may experience difficulties resulting from the developmental characteristics of old age. Our findings suggest the possible beneficial effect of compassion, focused therapies designed for this specific population, particularly contributing to the promotion of life satisfaction and mental health of the Portuguese elderly.Disclosure of interestThe authors have not supplied their declaration of competing interest.

Future time perspective: Dimensions of opportunities, life, and time are differentially associated with physical health, cognitive functioning, and well-being in old age

2019 ◽  
Vol 24 (9) ◽  
pp. 1487-1495 ◽  
Author(s):  
Pavel Kozik ◽  
Johanna Drewelies ◽  
Sandra Düzel ◽  
Ilja Demuth ◽  
Elisabeth Steinhagen-Thiessen ◽  
...  
Keyword(s):  
Physical Health ◽  
Cognitive Functioning ◽  
Old Age ◽  
Time Perspective ◽  
Well Being ◽  
Future Time Perspective ◽  
Future Time

scholarly journals Marriage, parenthood and social network: Subjective well-being and mental health in old age

PLoS ONE ◽  
2019 ◽  
Vol 14 (7) ◽  
pp. e0218704 ◽  
Author(s):  
Christoph Becker ◽  
Isadora Kirchmaier ◽  
Stefan T. Trautmann
Keyword(s):  
Mental Health ◽  
Social Network ◽  
Old Age ◽  
Well Being ◽  
Subjective Well Being

scholarly journals Overview of EWB and Aging

2021 ◽  
Vol 5 (Supplement_1) ◽  
pp. 204-205
Author(s):  
Robert Kaplan
Keyword(s):  
Mental Health ◽  
Risk Factor ◽  
Clinical Practice ◽  
Cognitive Function ◽  
Cognitive Functioning ◽  
Old Age ◽  
Scientific Knowledge ◽  
Well Being

Abstract The accumulation of scientific knowledge has been hampered by inconsistent usage of terms and categories. Ontology is the study of categories, their properties, and the relations between them. This presentation considers the definition and measurement of emotional well-being (EWB), a term that has been used inconsistently in research and clinical practice. The category contains eudaimonic and hedonic well-being that represent interrelated but conceptually distinct aspects of mental health. This presentation will review the definition and measurement of EWB and evidence for the validity of the construct. Evidence suggests EWB increases after age 50 and is important for maintenance of cognitive function in old age. Further, low in EWB may be a risk factor for incident ADRD, and is likely to impair cognitive functioning.

scholarly journals A Person-Oriented Approach to Multidimensional Perfectionism: Perfectionism Profiles in Health and Well-Being

2019 ◽  
Vol 38 (1) ◽  
pp. 127-142
Author(s):  
Danielle S. Molnar ◽  
Fuschia M. Sirois ◽  
Gordon L. Flett ◽  
Stanley Sadava
Keyword(s):  
Mental Health ◽  
Chronic Illness ◽  
University Students ◽  
Physical Health ◽  
Psychological Health ◽  
Well Being ◽  
Subjective Well Being ◽  
Socially Prescribed Perfectionism ◽  
Health And Well Being ◽  
Oriented Approach

Advances in understanding of the perfectionism construct have been limited by an almost exclusive reliance on a variable-centered approach. This study utilized a person-oriented approach to examine Hewitt and Flett’s conceptualization of multidimensional perfectionism in relation to health and well-being. Levels of conscientiousness, extraversion, and neuroticism were also assessed. Cluster analyses were employed to examine within-person configurations of self-oriented, other-oriented, and socially prescribed perfectionism (SPP) in university students ( n = 538) and adults with chronic illness ( n = 773). Five unique configurations were found in both samples and three clusters replicated across samples. “Extreme perfectionists” with high scores across all perfectionism dimensions reported relatively poor physical health, psychological health, psychosocial resources, and well-being along with elevated neuroticism and conscientiousness. A group distinguished by elevated SPP also reported relatively poorer outcomes along with elevated neuroticism and lower conscientiousness. In contrast, “nonperfectionists” reported relatively elevated levels of health and well-being. These profiles differed in their links with health and well-being even after taking into account key differences in conscientiousness and neuroticism. Our results illustrate the importance of employing a person-oriented approach to the study of multidimensional perfectionism, especially as it relates to physical health, mental health, and subjective well-being.

scholarly journals The Perks of Doing Housework: Its Impacts on Physical Health, Mental Well-Being, Cognitive Performance, and Survival

2021 ◽  
Vol 5 (Supplement_1) ◽  
pp. 109-109
Author(s):  
Li Chu ◽  
Xianmin Gong ◽  
Jennifer Lay ◽  
Fan Zhang ◽  
Timothy Kwok ◽  
...  
Keyword(s):  
Mental Health ◽  
Older Adults ◽  
Physical Health ◽  
Cognitive Functioning ◽  
Sex Education ◽  
Living Arrangement ◽  
Linear Regression Analysis ◽  
Well Being ◽  
Mediating Effect ◽  
Survey Study

Abstract Previous research has shown mixed results regarding the effects of doing housework. While some earlier studies have found no association between performing heavy housework and health, other studies have found various benefits of doing housework, including body leanness and lower mortality rate. This study examined the effects of housework on older adults’ survival over a period of 14 years, and investigated the underlying mechanisms. A total of 2,768 older adults in Hong Kong (female: 47.29%; age: 65-98) from a longitudinal survey study were included in the current analyses. Linear regression analysis revealed that doing more housework was significantly associated with surviving more days (β = 45.36, SE = 6.40, p < .001). We then examined whether the association between housework and survival was mediated by physical health, mental health and/or cognitive functioning using a parallel mediation model with multiple mediators. Results showed a significant partial mediating effect of physical health (β = 1.20, SE = .53, p = .003), a marginally significant partial mediating effect of cognitive functioning (β = 1.35, SE = .70, p = .054) and no mediating effect of mental health. All the analyses remained consistent after controlling for sex, education, marital status, subjective social status and living arrangement. These results suggest that doing housework may benefit survival by improving physical and cognitive functioning. Our findings have implications for better understanding factors that influence mortality, developing accessible physical activity interventions for older adults, and supporting aging in place.

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