Religious attitudes among British older people: stability and change in a 20-year longitudinal study

2004 ◽  
Vol 24 (2) ◽  
pp. 167-188 ◽  
Author(s):  
PETER G. COLEMAN ◽  
CHRISTINE IVANI-CHALIAN ◽  
MAUREEN ROBINSON
Keyword(s):  
Older People ◽  
Religious Education ◽  
Church Attendance ◽  
Age Groups ◽  
Religious Faith ◽  
Later Life ◽  
Younger Age ◽  
Beliefs And Practice ◽  
The Stability ◽  
Almost All

Britain along with other western European countries has seen a marked decrease in allegiance to traditional forms of Christianity during the latter part of the 20th century. Although church attendance remains relatively high among older people compared with younger age groups, there has been little or no investigation into the stability or change of people's religious belief and practice with increasing age. This paper present findings on these issues from the Southampton Ageing Project, which from 1977–78 to 2002 followed 342 people almost all of whom had had an entirely Christian religious education and all of whom at the outset were aged 65 or more years. Although religion has continued to have considerable meaning in the lives of up to one-half of the participants, approximately one-quarter of the sample expressed a declining commitment to a religious faith and to church membership. The participants' accounts of their recent life experiences, for example following bereavement, give instances of disappointment with the support that they received from institutional religion and show that this was a factor in their declining adherence. They also provide suggestions for further investigation into the origin of this decline. The conclusion argues that the study of older people's religious and spiritual beliefs and practice should be integrated with the investigation of self and identity and of sources of existential meaning in later life.

The mobilities of care in later life: exploring the relationship between caring and mobility in the lives of older people

2020 ◽  
pp. 1-22
Author(s):  
Karen Croucher ◽  
Rose Gilroy ◽  
Mark Bevan ◽  
Katia Attuyer
Keyword(s):  
Longitudinal Study ◽  
Older People ◽  
Age Groups ◽  
Later Life ◽  
Life Transitions ◽  
The North ◽  
Care And Support ◽  
Younger Age ◽  
Per Se ◽  
The Relationship

Abstract There has been a renewed call for a revaluing of informal caring in order to counter the way that caring is undervalued, taken for granted and invisible. Travel is one area where a detailed critique of this issue has emerged with the concept of ‘mobility of care’, however, this concept has only been applied in relation to younger age groups, and our understanding of mobilities of care in later life remains underdeveloped. By ‘mobilities of care’ we mean journeys made for the purpose of giving and receiving informal care and support. This paper draws on the mobility narratives of 99 older people (aged 55 and above) living in three locations in the North of England who participated in a two-year qualitative longitudinal study that explored the inter-play between mobility, wellbeing and life transitions. We focused on the experience of managing life transitions rather than assume that chronology per se determines wellbeing. Narratives of ageing emphasise the importance of getting out and about, and being socially connected active citizens. Our study demonstrates that for many older people getting out and about is not for leisure or utility purposes but to give support and care. As such, these journeys have a particular significance in the lives of older people and in the construction of roles, meaning and identity in later life.

scholarly journals Lifecourse transitions, gender and drinking in later life

2015 ◽  
Vol 37 (3) ◽  
pp. 462-494 ◽  
Author(s):  
CLARE HOLDSWORTH ◽  
MARTIN FRISHER ◽  
MARINA MENDONÇA ◽  
CESAR DE OLIVEIRIA ◽  
HYNEK PIKHART ◽  
...  
Keyword(s):  
Alcohol Consumption ◽  
Older People ◽  
Age Groups ◽  
Later Life ◽  
The Elderly ◽  
Adult Age ◽  
The United Kingdom ◽  
Younger Age ◽  
Frequent Consumption ◽  
Over Time

ABSTRACTOlder people consume less alcohol than any other adult age group. However, in recent years survey data on alcohol consumption in the United Kingdom have shown that while younger age groups have experienced a decline in alcohol consumption, drinking behaviours among the elderly have not reduced in the same way. This paper uses data from the English Longitudinal Study of Ageing to analyse both the frequency and quantity of older adult's alcohol consumption using a lifecourse approach over a ten-year period. Overall drinking declined over time and the analysis examined how socio-economic characteristics, partnership, employment and health statuses were associated with differences in drinking behaviours and how these changed over time. Higher wealth and level of education were associated with drinking more and drinking more frequently for men and women. Poorer self-rated health was associated with less frequent consumption and older people with poor and deteriorating health reported a steeper decline in the frequency of alcohol consumption over time. Men who were not in a partnership drank more than other men. For women, loss of a partner was associated with a steeper decline in drinking behaviours. These findings have implications for programmes to promote responsible drinking among older adults as they suggest that, for the most part, characteristics associated with sustaining wellbeing in later life are also linked to consuming more alcohol.

scholarly journals (Non-)Stereotypical representations of older people in Swedish authority-managed social media

2020 ◽  
pp. 1-22
Author(s):  
Wenqian Xu
Keyword(s):  
Social Media ◽  
Older People ◽  
Age Groups ◽  
Later Life ◽  
Media Representations ◽  
Media Content ◽  
Older Individuals ◽  
Care Needs ◽  
Local Authorities ◽  
Negative Stereotypes

Abstract Social media facilitates the sharing of ideas, thoughts and information about older people and later life through online networks and communities in contemporary society. Social media content about older people has become important for understanding media representations of older people, but it has not been sufficiently studied. Recent studies suggest that older people are predominantly represented as a disempowered, vulnerable and homogeneous group on social media sites, such as Facebook and Twitter. Because local authorities in many countries have begun using Facebook to reach out to and interact with citizens, they are seen as a significant producer of media content about older people and later life. The purpose of this study is to examine the ways in which Swedish local authorities have visually portrayed older people in their use of Facebook compared with other age groups. This research performed a visual content analysis of 1,000 Facebook posts posted by 33 Swedish local authorities, employing ten analytical aspects to describe and interpret the signs, activities and contexts associated with older people and other age groups (infants, children, adolescents and adults). The study found that the representations of older people on the Facebook pages of local authorities appeared to be not very diverse; specifically, older people (including those in residential care homes) were mainly portrayed as remaining socially engaged and moderately physically capable. This media representation destabilised the prevalent negative stereotypes of older people as being out of touch and dependent; however, it collided with the reality of older individuals with care needs. Additionally, this study argues that older people are represented as inferior to the young in terms of physical and technological competence, based on the connotations of the signs. Given that local authorities have progressively incorporated social media into their daily work, it is expected that this study will contribute to a greater understanding of the ways in which local authorities produce (non-)stereotypical representations of older people on social media.

scholarly journals Comparative effectiveness of sitagliptin vs sulphonylureas in older people

2019 ◽  
Vol 48 (5) ◽  
pp. 725-732
Author(s):  
Manuj Sharma ◽  
Irwin Nazareth ◽  
Irene Petersen
Keyword(s):  
Older People ◽  
Comparative Effectiveness ◽  
Odds Ratio ◽  
Retrospective Cohort ◽  
Age Groups ◽  
Evidence Base ◽  
Lower Proportion ◽  
Multivariate Adjustment ◽  
Younger Age ◽  
Multivariable Regression

Abstract Background two common anti-diabetic treatments used are sitagliptin and sulphonylureas however evidence examining their comparative effectiveness in older people is limited. Objective to evaluate effectiveness of sitagliptin vs sulphonylureas when added to metformin in older (aged ≥75) vs younger people (18–75). Design retrospective cohort study. Setting UK Primary Care. Subjects 2,904 individuals prescribed sitagliptin (223 aged≥75) and 13,683 prescribed sulphonylureas (1,725 aged ≥75). Methods multivariable regression to analyse difference in HbA1c and weight, 12 months after add-on initiation and proportion achieving different glycaemic targets. Results after multivariate adjustment to remove baseline differences, the HbA1c after 12 months of treatment was on average 1 mmol/mol (95%CI −0.7 to 2.8) higher with sitagliptin vs sulphonylureas in older people though this was not statistically significant. The weight however, was significantly lower −1.4 kg (95%CI −2.1 to −0.7) with sitagliptin vs sulphonylureas. A lower proportion prescribed sitagliptin vs sulphonylureas recorded HbA1c < 48 mmol/mol by study end: Odds Ratio 0.63 (95%CI 0.42–0.95). In younger people, similar HbA1c reductions were also observed with both treatments, however weight after 12 months was even lower with sitagliptin vs sulphonylureas: −2.3 kg (95%CI −2.5 to −2.0). Conclusions similar HbA1c reduction was observed when sitagliptin or sulphonylureas were added to metformin in older and younger age-groups. Sitagliptin use led to modest comparative weight loss. There may be greater risk of over-treatment with sulphonylureas evidenced by greater proportion recording HbA1c < 48 mmol/mol by study end. This evidence supporting use of sitagliptin when add-on therapy is selected in older adults should be considered alongside the wider evidence-base and patient-preference.

scholarly journals Onderzoek naar de levensloop van ouderen: ervaringen met het McAdams-levensverhaalinterview

KWALON ◽  
2021 ◽  
Vol 26 (1) ◽  
pp. 53-63
Author(s):  
Lise Switsers ◽  
Hannelore Stegen ◽  
Sofie Van Regenmortel ◽  
Liesbeth De Donder
Keyword(s):  
Older People ◽  
Life Course ◽  
Life Events ◽  
Life Story ◽  
Later Life ◽  
Content Type ◽  
Interview Method ◽  
Onderzoek Naar ◽  
Life Story Interview ◽  
Younger Age

Abstract Studying the life courses of older people: The McAdams life-story interview Research among older people often focuses on the present. Nevertheless, life course research can help to understand how certain behavior and feelings take shape and evolve throughout the course of life, and how life events at a younger age can influence conditions, behaviors and feelings in later life. In this article, we focus on the McAdams life story interview method, which we applied in three different studies. We describe the different steps, reflect on the main pitfalls in the implementation of this approach and explain how we attempted to avoid them. The experiences and reflections of both the participants and the researchers are discussed.

scholarly journals Digital Technology and Older People: Towards a Sociological Approach to Technology Adoption in Later Life

Sociology ◽  
2020 ◽  
pp. 003803852097558
Author(s):  
Barbara Barbosa Neves ◽  
Geoffrey Mead
Keyword(s):  
Technology Adoption ◽  
Older People ◽  
Digital Divide ◽  
Digital Technology ◽  
Age Groups ◽  
Later Life ◽  
Digital Inequality ◽  
Social Actors ◽  
Sociological Approach ◽  
Design Learning

Despite increasing social pressure to use new digital technologies, older people’s adoption of them remains below other age groups. This article contributes a sociological dimension to exploring what facilitates learning and using digital technology in later life. We focus on the understudied group of older people who are frail, living in care homes and most likely to be digitally excluded or restricted. Drawing on data from a longitudinal mixed methods study of a co-designed communication app for older people, we explore how attempts to bridge the ‘digital divide’ unfold in time. Using the concept of affordances, we show how adoption of a new communication technology is shaped by its design, learning contexts and surrounding social actors. With this work we contribute to novel sociological understandings of technology adoption that are critical for digital inequality research.

Psychiatry of the elderly

2017 ◽  
pp. 539-562
Author(s):  
Paul Harrison ◽  
Philip Cowen ◽  
Tom Burns ◽  
Mina Fazel
Keyword(s):  
Older People ◽  
Psychiatric Disorders ◽  
Age Groups ◽  
The Elderly ◽  
Behavioural Interventions ◽  
Younger Age ◽  
Normal Ageing

‘Psychiatry of the elderly’ covers the disorders which most affect older people. After an introduction to normal ageing and its psychological and biological correlates, the epidemiology of psychiatric disorders in the elderly is outlined. The principles and practice of psychiatry of the elderly are then described, focusing on the major disorders (other than dementia, which was covered in Chapter 14). We summarise the main features of assessments, services, and treatments, and how these differ from younger age groups. The treatment and management of dementia is an important aspect of psychiatry in the elderly, and both pharmacological and behavioural interventions are covered in detail.

scholarly journals Aging Society and Decline Fertility: How to Respond?

2012 ◽  
Vol 6 (3) ◽  
pp. 333-341
Author(s):  
Asim Kurjak ◽  
Ana Stavljenic Rukavina
Keyword(s):  
Obstet Gynecol ◽  
Age Groups ◽  
Social Consequences ◽  
Aging Society ◽  
Younger Age ◽  
The World ◽  
Almost All ◽  
Aging World ◽  
The Relationship

ABSTRACT We are living in the time of aging of almost all societies in the world. There are at least two long-term causes of aging world and a temporary blip that will continue to show up in the figures for the next few decades. The first of the big reasons is that people everywhere are living far longer than they used to. A second and bigger cause of the aging of societies is that people everywhere are having far fewer children, so the younger age groups are much too small to counterbalance the growing number of older people. These facts will certainly turn the world into a different place. In this paper, we would like to stress the relationship between economic growth, aging and decline fertility as well as social consequences of both. How to cite this article Kurjak A, Stavljenic Rukavina A, Stanojevic M. Aging Society and Decline Fertility: How to Respond? Donald School J Ultrasound Obstet Gynecol 2012;6(3):333-341.

scholarly journals Is Bullying Victimization in Childhood Associated With Mental Health in Old Age

2019 ◽  
Vol 76 (1) ◽  
pp. 161-172
Author(s):  
Bo Hu
Keyword(s):  
Mental Health ◽  
Older People ◽  
Old Age ◽  
Healthy Aging ◽  
Unobserved Heterogeneity ◽  
Age Groups ◽  
Later Life ◽  
Substantial Contribution ◽  
Bullying Victimization ◽  
Negative Impacts

Abstract Objective This study investigates the relationship between bullying victimization in childhood and mental health in old age. Methods The study uses data from a nationally representative sample of 9,208 older people aged 60 and older collected through the China Health and Retirement Longitudinal Study (CHARLS) conducted in 2014 and 2015. Results Older people who were bullied in childhood have more severe depressive symptoms and are more likely to be dissatisfied with life than those without the experience of bullying victimization. The negative impacts remain significant after childhood confounders (15 types of familial adversities), four groups of contemporary confounders (demographic, health, social support, and socioeconomic factors), and community-level unobserved heterogeneity are all controlled for. The negative impacts of bullying victimization on mental health are attenuated among people in very old age, which confirms the socioemotional selectivity theory. Discussion The consequences of bullying victimization for mental health are comparable to, or even greater than those of familial adversities and contemporary risk factors. The factors threatening mental health vary considerably for older people in different age groups. Effective anti-bullying schemes in childhood and personalized support in later life can make a substantial contribution to healthy aging.

Suicidality and suicide in older people

2009 ◽  
Vol 19 (4) ◽  
pp. 271-294 ◽  
Author(s):  
Anke Bonnewyn ◽  
Ajit Shah ◽  
Koen Demyttenaere
Keyword(s):  
Older People ◽  
Health Problem ◽  
Help Seeking ◽  
Age Groups ◽  
Later Life ◽  
Research Literature ◽  
Major Health Problem ◽  
Major Health ◽  
Help Seeking Behaviour ◽  
Significant Health

SummarySuicide is accepted as a major health problem worldwide, especially in the young and middle aged. It is, however, a significant health problem in older people as well, and those aged 65 years and over generally have the highest suicide rates compared with all other age groups. In research literature from the last decade, there has been an increased interest in disentangling the phenomenon of suicide in later life. This paper aims to critically review the literature on suicide and suicidality in later life published from 2000 to 2009. Prevalence rates as well as risk and protective factors are mapped and correlates reviewed. The association between suicidality and help-seeking behaviour is considered. Finally, potential prevention strategies are reviewed.

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