Ageing in a low-density urban city: transportation mobility as a social equity issue

2016 ◽  
Vol 38 (2) ◽  
pp. 296-320 ◽  
Author(s):  
GAIL ADORNO ◽  
NOELLE FIELDS ◽  
COURTNEY CRONLEY ◽  
RUPAL PAREKH ◽  
KAREN MAGRUDER

ABSTRACTThe purpose of this study was to examine older adults' experiences and perspectives regarding transportation mobility. Using a community-based participatory research approach, residents of Arlington, Texas, age 55 and older, participated in individual interviews (N = 15) or one of six focus groups (N = 45) as part of an overall study about ageing well in a large ethnically diverse city in the United States of America. Thematic analysis was conducted using inductive and deductive qualitative methods and social equity as a sensitising concept. Findings indicate that older adults who are transportation-disadvantaged experience limited access to health care, goods and services and are isolated from familiar lifestyle habits and social networks. Access to affordable, adequate transportation is compromised through social and political forces, which marginalise historically disadvantaged populations. Implications for cross-disciplinary practice and future research on sustainable transportation and policy development are discussed within a social justice and social equity framework.

2021 ◽  
pp. 0192513X2110380
Author(s):  
Jessica E. Tye ◽  
Sonja J. Meiers ◽  
Gayle Olsen ◽  
Mitchell J. Moore ◽  
Martha J. Aleman ◽  
...  

One in eight children in the United States grows up in a household with parental substance use disorder (SUD). The purpose of this study was to explore the needs of children and kinship caregivers affected by SUD, as perceived by 23 professionals who interact with these families. A community-based participatory research approach with exploratory and descriptive qualitative methods was utilized. Results indicated that (a) children need relationships and connections, stability, emotional and health care support, and protection from risks associated with SUD; (b) caregivers need community resource and navigation supports, skills development, and understanding of the caregiver’s role; and (c) there is a lack of existing comprehensive resources and services to support families affected by SUD. This study adds to existing literature by identifying key professionals’ perceptions and examining various types of kin relationships. Future research and practice implications are discussed.


GeroPsych ◽  
2015 ◽  
Vol 28 (2) ◽  
pp. 67-76
Author(s):  
Grace C. Niu ◽  
Patricia A. Arean

The recent increase in the aging population, specifically in the United States, has raised concerns regarding treatment for mental illness among older adults. Late-life depression (LLD) is a complex condition that has become widespread among the aging population. Despite the availability of behavioral interventions and psychotherapies, few depressed older adults actually receive treatment. In this paper we review the research on refining treatments for LLD. We first identify evidence-based treatments (EBTs) for LLD and the problems associated with efficacy and dissemination, then review approaches to conceptualizing mental illness, specifically concepts related to brain plasticity and the Research Domain Criteria (RDoc). Finally, we introduce ENGAGE as a streamlined treatment for LLD and discuss implications for future research.


2021 ◽  
pp. 215336872098889
Author(s):  
Lynn A. Addington

A punitive legacy of the responses to school shootings in the United States is the expansion of exclusionary discipline. Black girls have disproportionately experienced this form of punishment as compared to white girls and non-Black girls of color. A small, but growing, body of research has examined the patterns and causes of this disparity. Current studies have made suggestions for possible solutions to address this disparity, but these recommendations are not readily accessible in a single location. A catalogue of these ideas could provide a useful foundation for policy development and evaluation. The present research note seeks to generate this resource by conducting a systematic review to identify and categorize recommendations aimed at reducing the discipline disparity experienced by Black girls. Based on this review, four categories emerged that center around: (1) culturally competent school programs, (2) enhanced teacher training, (3) spaces at school for empowering Black girls, and (4) trauma-informed student policies. This research note discusses these categories of recommendations using an intersectional framework and concludes with a summary of next steps to guide future research and policy work to address the disproportionate use of exclusionary discipline against Black girls.


Author(s):  
Katarina Galof ◽  
Zvone Balantič

The care of older adults who wish to spend their old age at home should be regulated in every country. The purpose of this article is to illustrate the steps for developing a community-based care process model (CBCPM), applied to a real-world phenomenon, using an inductive, theory-generative research approach to enable aging at home. The contribution to practice is that the collaboration team experts facilitate the application of the process in their own work as non-professional human resources. This means that each older adult is his or her own case study. Different experts and non-experts can engage in the process of meeting needs as required. The empirical work examined the number of levels and steps required and the types of human resources needed. The proposed typology of the CBCPM for older adults can provide insight, offer a useful framework for future policy development, and evaluate pilots at a time when this area of legislation is being implemented.


2020 ◽  
Vol 4 (Supplement_1) ◽  
pp. 410-410
Author(s):  
Xin Yao Lin ◽  
Margie Lachman

Abstract Social media platforms allow people to connect and share content online (e.g., Facebook, Twitter). Although older adults are becoming more frequent users of social media, there continue to be mixed views on whether social media positively or negatively impacts well-being. Past studies have mainly focused on cross-sectional analyses for individual differences. However, both the time spent on social media and one’s affect can fluctuate on a daily basis. Thus, it is important to understand how the relationship between daily social media usage and affect varies within individuals from day to day. The current study adds to the literature by examining whether daily variations in time spent with social media are related to daily positive and negative affect and whether there are age differences in these relationships. The current study used an eight-day daily diary from the Midlife in the United States (MIDUS) Refresher dataset for 782 participants (ages 25-75). Multilevel modeling results revealed that age moderated the relationship between daily time spent on social media and negative affect: for younger adults, on days when they spent more time on social media, they had more negative affect. For older adults, on days when they spent more time on social media, they had less negative affect. Surprisingly, daily time spent on social media was not related to daily positive affect, nor did this relationship differ by age. Implications for future research are discussed with a focus on how social media usage can contribute to daily well-being for adults of different ages.


Author(s):  
Reneé A. Zucchero

The population of older adults within the United States is growing rapidly, which calls for increased understanding of that population. However, ageism is pervasive and one of the most engrained forms of prejudice. Intergenerational service-learning may be one way to reduce negative stereotypes and ageism. The Co-Mentoring Project is an intergenerational service-learning project that matches undergraduate students and vital older adult volunteers. Students meet with their partners at least four times over the course of the semester to conduct a life review and gather information to begin the older adults' memoirs. This chapter provides a rationale for intergenerational service-learning and information about its theoretical underpinnings. The chapter also offers information about service-learning best practices, including structured reflection, and how the Project's methodology is consistent with them. The multi-modal assessment conducted for the Project and its outcomes are discussed. Finally, directions for future research are described.


2019 ◽  
Vol 3 (Supplement_1) ◽  
pp. S650-S650
Author(s):  
Keqing Zhang ◽  
Wei Zhang ◽  
Yanyan Wu

Abstract Improvements in health and increase in life expectancy have contributed to the increasing proportion of older population over the past century. It is estimated that by 2050, the number of older adults with cognitive impairments in the United States will increase by 2.5-4 fold, while age-specific rates remain constant. This paper uses data from 10 waves (1996-2014) of the Health and Retirement Study (N= 33213) to crystalize the trends in cognitive function changes and cognitive impairment rates in a nationally representative sample of older adults. OLS and logistic regressions are used to estimate the trends and determine the contribution of sociodemographic variables to decreasing trends in the prevalence of cognitive impairment over time. Results show that with the increase of age, the cognitive function of older adults decline in all races, after adjustment for age, gender, education, and other sociodemographic factors. Also, the annual decline rate of cognitive function is larger for African Americans and Hispanic Americans, while smaller for white and other races. A further investigation of the possibility of cognitive impairment reveals a different scenario: as individual ages, the Hispanic are the least likely to suffer from cognitive impairment, followed by the white, other and black. Improvements in educational level contribute to declines in cognitive impairment across all races, particular the Hispanic Americans. Race-specific findings suggest that future research need to take into account the racial diversity and possibly cultural influences when examining the cognitive functions of older adults.


2020 ◽  
pp. 1-38 ◽  
Author(s):  
Alex Torku ◽  
Albert Ping Chuen Chan ◽  
Esther Hiu Kwan Yung

Abstract The unprecedented increase in the ageing population, coupled with urbanisation, has led to a vast number of research publications on age-friendly cities and communities (AFCC). However, the existing reviews on AFCC studies are not sufficiently up-to-date for AFCC researchers. This paper presents a thorough analysis of the annual publication trend, the contributions of authors and institutions from different countries, and the trending research themes in the AFCC research corpus through a systematic review of 98 publications. A contribution assessment formula and thematic analysis were used for the review. The results indicated a growing AFCC research interest in recent times. Researchers and institutions from the United States of America, Canada, United Kingdom and Hong Kong made the highest contribution to the AFCC research corpus. The thematic analysis classified the AFCC research corpus into four main themes: conceptualisation; implementation and development; assessment; and challenges and opportunities. The themes indicate the current and future research patterns and issues to be considered in the development of AFCC and for interested researchers to make proposals for future research. Future directions are proposed, including suggestions on adopting new assessment methods and instruments, collaboration and cross-nation comparative research, considering older adults as place-makers and conducting a prior participatory analysis to maximise the participation of older adults.


2019 ◽  
Vol 3 (Supplement_1) ◽  
pp. S343-S343
Author(s):  
Junyan Tian ◽  
Sara A Freed ◽  
Lesley Ross

Abstract Although annual driving mileage has frequently been examined as a predictor of crashes among older adults, most research used cross-sectional design and relied on self-reported crash data. This study used multivariate regression to examine the number of state reported at-fault crashes between groups of low (14,000km) self-reported annual distance over five years. Additionally, key factors of interest including age, gender, and population density were examined as predictors. The sample included 519 healthy older adults aged 65-90 (M=73.17, SD=5.56) across five sites in the United States. 12% of participants experienced a crash across five years, and among those who crashed, the majority (87%) experienced one crash (range 0-3 crashes). After controlling for age, gender and testing site, people in the high annual mileage group had a greater number of crashes compared to the low mileage group (β=.14, t(513)=2.37, p=.02). There was not a significant difference in number of prospective crashes between the low and medium group. Also, people who drove in sites with low population density had more crashes than those who in high population density sites (β=.10, t(513)=2.24, p=.03). Higher age was associated with a greater number of prospective crashes (β=.01, t(513)=3.67, p =.002); however, gender was not a significant predictor of crashes. Our results highlight the importance of examining prospective crashes over time, and taking mileage and population density into consideration. Future research should examine trajectories of driving exposure in relation to prospective crashes using multilevel modeling.


2014 ◽  
Vol 69 (3) ◽  
pp. 271-282 ◽  
Author(s):  
Karen O. Moss ◽  
Ishan C. Williams

Research suggests that older Blacks tend to prefer more aggressive treatment as they transition toward the end of life. African and Afro-Caribbean immigrants and their offspring are the fastest growing segments of the Black population in the United States. With the increasing population of Black older adults, the cost of end-of-life care is rising. This article presents a review of the literature on the end-of-life preferences of Afro-Caribbean older adults. Findings suggest that Afro-Caribbean older adults make end-of-life decisions with a significant emphasis on family structure, religion/spirituality, cultural identity, migration, and communication. Concerns regarding the meaning of end-of-life preparation and hospice are often viewed in ways that differ from that of healthcare providers. Future research is needed to investigate this process in the Afro-Caribbean older adult subset.


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