“The assurance of things hoped for, the conviction of things not seen”: racial differences in the effects of changes in religiosity and hope in later life

2021 ◽  
pp. 1-27
Author(s):  
Laura Upenieks
Keyword(s):  
Racial Differences ◽  
Later Life

Community Access and Satisfaction: Racial Differences in Later Life

1983 ◽  
Vol 16 (3) ◽  
pp. 209-219 ◽  
Author(s):  
Russell A. Ward ◽  
Harold Kilburn
Keyword(s):  
Life Satisfaction ◽  
Social Interaction ◽  
Survey Data ◽  
Racial Differences ◽  
Indirect Effect ◽  
Social Life ◽  
Later Life ◽  
Future Research ◽  
Community Mobility ◽  
Community Access

Community access can be expected to have an important influence on the life satisfaction of the aged because of age-linked restrictions in social life space. Such access may be less important for older blacks, however, as a consequence of lifelong “ghettoization.” These hypotheses are tested using national survey data. Community mobility is found to have a stronger association with life satisfaction for older whites, while having only an indirect effect through social interaction for older blacks. Directions for future research are suggested.

Abstract WP482: Early Life Exposure to the Stroke Belt and Later Life Incident Cognitive Impairment: The Reasons for Geographic and Racial Differences in Stroke (REGARDS) Study

Stroke ◽  
2020 ◽  
Vol 51 (Suppl_1) ◽  
Author(s):  
Virginia J Howard ◽  
George Howard ◽  
Jennifer J Manly ◽  
M M Glymour ◽  
Laura B Zahodne ◽  
...  
Keyword(s):  
Cognitive Impairment ◽  
Racial Differences ◽  
Early Adulthood ◽  
Later Life ◽  
Logistic Regression Models ◽  
Early Life Exposure ◽  
Increased Risk ◽  
Regards Study ◽  
Adjusted Logistic Regression ◽  
Stroke Belt

Introduction: Incidence of cognitive impairment is higher for residents of the Stroke Belt (SB) compared to those living outside it, but the importance of timing of SB residence is unclear. Methods: Participants were aged 45+ yrs, and enrolled in 2003-2007 in REGARDS. Cognition was assessed annually, by telephone, using the Six-Item Screener (SIS) in 11,488 black or white stroke-free participants currently living in the SB, and 8,949 currently living outside of the SB. Incident cognitive impairment was defined as SIS score of < 4 at last assessment among participants with initial SIS >4. Exposures were defined as SB residence all years, some years, or no years of childhood (ages 0-18) and early adulthood (ages 19-30). Demographic adjusted logistic regression models were stratified by SB residence at enrollment, and were used to estimate the demographic-adjusted odds of incident cognitive impairment. Results: Among those currently residing in the SB, childhood residence outside the SB for some (OR = 0.82; 95% CI: 0.68 - 0.99) or all (OR = 0.76; 95% CI: 0.65 - 0.90) of the time predicted lower odds of incident cognitive impairment. Similarly, early adulthood residence outside the SB for some (OR = 0.86; 95% CI: 0.74 - 0.98) or all (OR = 0.70; 95% CI: 0.58 - 0.84) of the time predicted lower incident cognitive impairment. Conversely, for those currently living outside the SB, the risk of incident cognitive impairment was higher for those who had spent their entire early adulthood in the SB (OR = 1.51; 95% CI: 1.01 - 2.57), with non-significant increased risk for childhood exposure or some early adulthood exposure to the SB (table). Conclusions: These findings suggest that early residence in the SB during childhood or early adulthood increases the risk of cognitive impairment regardless of place of residence in later adulthood. Further research is needed to determine the characteristics of early SB life that are linked to later adult cognitive impairment.

scholarly journals New Evidence on the Biobehavioral Mechanisms of Chronic Pain in Aging African Americans

2020 ◽  
Vol 4 (Supplement_1) ◽  
pp. 784-784
Author(s):  
Staja Booker
Keyword(s):  
Older Adults ◽  
Chronic Pain ◽  
African Americans ◽  
Racial Differences ◽  
Pain Catastrophizing ◽  
Later Life ◽  
Genetic Alterations ◽  
Cross Sectional ◽  
Older African Americans ◽  
New Evidence

Abstract African American older adults are living longer with chronic pain, which presents a huge personal and societal burden. A growing group of scholars are now devoted to accurately and precisely characterizing and phenotyping the experience of pain in aging using within-group and advanced methodological designs to elucidate the biopsychosocial-behavioral responses to pain. In this symposium, five dynamic presenters present new evidence on mechanisms of pain in older African-Americans. Dr. Roach’s investigation reveals the effect of genetic alterations of sickle cell disease (SCD) on stress-related pain in younger and older adults; this scientific inquiry is especially important because there is little research on SCD in aging. Next, Dr. Terry, extends these findings by exploring the association between psychosocial factors such as experiences of discrimination, pain catastrophizing, and perceived stress on neural (brain) responses via magnetic resonance imaging. From a clinical perspective, Dr. Booker reports on the first-ever model of intra-racial differences in movement-evoked pain in older African-Americans with knee osteoarthritis and healthy controls. Our final two presenters use a translational approach to identify how older African-Americans cope with chronic pain. Dr. Robinson-Lane’s study highlights the unique experience and predictors of coping, adaptation, and self-management of chronic pain in Black dementia caregivers. Finally, Dr. Cobb’s research from a large cross-sectional study correlates social, behavioral, and health factors with opioid and psychotropic use in economically disadvantaged older African-Americans. This symposium offers novel ways of understanding social determinants of pain and assisting African-Americans and their caregivers to manage complex chronic pain in later life.

scholarly journals Racial Differences in Depression Trajectories among Older Women

2011 ◽  
Vol 52 (4) ◽  
pp. 444-459 ◽  
Author(s):  
Naomi J. Spence ◽  
Daniel E. Adkins ◽  
Matthew E. Dupre
Keyword(s):  
Socioeconomic Status ◽  
Depressive Symptoms ◽  
Black Women ◽  
Physical Health ◽  
Racial Differences ◽  
White Women ◽  
Later Life ◽  
Theoretical Frameworks ◽  
Growth Curve Models ◽  
Black And White

Despite recent increases in life course research on mental illness, important questions remain about the social patterning of, and explanations for, depression trajectories among women in later life. The authors investigate competing theoretical frameworks for the age patterning of depressive symptoms and the physical health, socioeconomic, and family mechanisms differentiating black and white women. Using data from the National Longitudinal Survey of Mature Women, the authors use linear mixed (growth curve) models to estimate trajectories of distress for women aged 52 to 81 years ( N = 3,182). The results demonstrate that: (1) there are persistently higher levels of depressive symptoms among black women relative to white women throughout later life; (2) physical health and socioeconomic status account for much of the racial gap in depressive symptoms; and (3) marital status moderates race differences in distress. The findings highlight the importance of physical health, family, and socioeconomic status in racial disparities in mental health.

scholarly journals 4430 Coffee Shops and Fast-food Restaurants: Potential Neighborhood Resources for Cognitive Health and Wellbeing Among Aging Americans

2020 ◽  
Vol 4 (s1) ◽  
pp. 4-4
Author(s):  
Jessica Finlay ◽  
Michael Esposito ◽  
Sandra Tang ◽  
Iris Gomez-Lopez ◽  
Dominique Sylvers ◽  
...  
Keyword(s):  
Older Adults ◽  
Mixed Methods ◽  
Cognitive Decline ◽  
Racial Differences ◽  
Fast Food ◽  
Later Life ◽  
Linear Regression Models ◽  
Cognitive Health ◽  
Fast Food Restaurants ◽  
Coffee Shops

OBJECTIVES/GOALS: Environmental factors may significantly increase the risk of or buffer against Alzheimer’s disease and related dementias, yet strategies to address cognitive decline and impairment to date largely overlook the role of neighborhoods. This mixed-methods study is the first to examine potential links between access to eateries and cognitive function. The goal is to inform place-specific interventions to help aging individuals reduce risk for cognitive impairment through neighborhood community and design. METHODS/STUDY POPULATION: Following an exploratory sequential mixed-methods design, seated and mobile interviews with 125 adults aged 55-92 (mean age 71) living in the Minneapolis (Minnesota) metropolitan area suggest that eateries, including coffee shops and fast-food restaurants, represent popular neighborhood destinations for older adults and sources of wellbeing. To test the hypothesis that these sites, and the benefits they confer, are associated with cognitive welfare, we analyzed data from urban and suburban dwelling participants in the REasons for Geographic And Racial Differences in Stroke (REGARDS) study, a national racially diverse sample of older Americans followed since 2003 (n = 16,404, average age at assessment 72 years). RESULTS/ANTICIPATED RESULTS: Qualitative thematic analysis of how older adults perceived and utilized local eateries include sites of familiarity and comfort; physical and economic accessibility; sociability with friends, family, staff, and customers; and entertainment (e.g., destinations for outings and walks, free newspapers to read). Quantitative results from multilevel linear regression models demonstrate a positive association between density of eateries and cognitive functioning. Taken together, these results complicate our understanding of fast-food settings as possible sites of wellbeing through social interaction and leisure activities. DISCUSSION/SIGNIFICANCE OF IMPACT: The results contribute new evidence towards an emerging ecological model of cognitive health. Understanding whether and how retail food environments can help buffer against cognitive decline among older adults provides novel opportunities to promote wellbeing in later life through community interventions and neighborhood design.

scholarly journals HEALTH IMPLICATIONS OF SOCIAL ROLES AND ROLE TRANSITIONS IN MIDLIFE AND LATER LIFE

2019 ◽  
Vol 3 (Supplement_1) ◽  
pp. S797-S797
Author(s):  
Kelly E Cichy ◽  
Athena Koumoutzis
Keyword(s):  
Racial Differences ◽  
Social Roles ◽  
Later Life ◽  
Well Being ◽  
Care Recipient ◽  
Physical And Mental Health ◽  
Care Needs ◽  
Social Trends ◽  
Care Recipients ◽  
Health And Well Being

Abstract Demographic and social trends shape the timing, nature, and implications of social roles and transitions. With increased life expectancy and a changing world, expectations for work and retirement and the need for informal and formal caregiving continue to evolve. Families are also more heterogeneous and the population is becoming increasingly more racially/ethnically diverse. These changes underscore the need for research that focuses on the varied social roles individuals occupy in midlife and later adulthood and the implications of these roles for health and well-being. The current symposium features research that explores multiple roles, including romantic partner, grandparent, and employee/retiree, caregiver/care recipient while attending to individual differences in how these roles and transitions are associated with physical and mental health outcomes. Garcia, Donnelly, and Umberson utilize dyadic diary data from midlife men and women in gay, lesbian, and heterosexual marriages to consider how exposure and reactivity to daily stress varies across union types. Rickenbach and colleagues examine longitudinal changes in health and well-being associated with being a caregiving and non-caregiving grandparent. Cichy and Koumoutzis examine racial differences in the associations between providing care to a spouse/parent and daily health and well-being among African Americans and European Americans. Savla, Roberto, and Sands classify community-living older adults based on their care needs while considering the type of care they receive, predictors of this care, and its implications for care recipients’ health. Finally, Stawski and colleagues examine how mental, physical, and cognitive health change as a function of the transition to and through retirement.

scholarly journals Racial Differences in Self-Appraisal, Religious Coping, and Psychological Well-being in later Life during the COVID-19 Pandemic

2021 ◽  
Vol 1 (3) ◽  
Author(s):  
Timothy Goler ◽  
Tirth Bhatta ◽  
Nirmala Lekhak ◽  
Neema Langa
Keyword(s):  
Older Adults ◽  
Racial Differences ◽  
Minority Groups ◽  
Later Life ◽  
Well Being ◽  
Health Impact ◽  
Race Differences ◽  
Health Conditions ◽  
Economic Conditions ◽  
Psychological Well Being

Older adults from minority groups, especially those with pre-existing health conditions, have been generally considered the most vulnerable to the COVID-19. Due to greater health disadvantages prior to the pandemic, its adverse health impact in terms of mortality has been disproportionately higher on Blacks than Whites. The existing health disadvantages and worsening economic conditions due to the pandemic are likely to be anxiety-inducing that could adversely impact the mental health of Black older adults. Existing studies conducted in the pre-pandemic era have documented paradoxical findings on race differences in later life psychological well-being.

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