scholarly journals Social Status, Risky Health Behaviors, and Diabetes in Middle-Aged and Older Adults

2006 ◽  
Vol 61 (6) ◽  
pp. S290-S298 ◽  
Author(s):  
Linda A. Wray ◽  
Duane F. Alwin ◽  
Ryan J. McCammon ◽  
Timothy Manning ◽  
Latrica E. Best
Keyword(s):  
Older Adults ◽  
Health Behaviors ◽  
Social Status ◽  
Middle Aged ◽  
Risky Health Behaviors

scholarly journals Health Behaviors and Health Status among Middle-Aged and Older Adults with Chronic Diseases in Taiwan

2020 ◽  
Vol 17 (19) ◽  
pp. 7196
Author(s):  
Wei-Hua Tian ◽  
Joseph J. Tien
Keyword(s):  
Older Adults ◽  
Health Status ◽  
Health Behavior ◽  
Health Behaviors ◽  
Chronic Diseases ◽  
Latent Class ◽  
Healthy Diet ◽  
Lifestyle Behaviors ◽  
Middle Aged ◽  
The Relationship

Changes in lifestyle behaviors may effectively maintain or improve the health status of individuals with chronic diseases. However, such health behaviors adopted by individuals are unlikely to demonstrate similar patterns. This study analyzed the relationship between the heterogeneous latent classes of health behavior and health statuses among middle-aged and older adults with hypertension, diabetes, or hyperlipidemia in Taiwan. After selecting 2103 individuals from the 2005 and 2009 Taiwan National Health Interview Survey (NHIS), we first identified heterogeneous groups of health behaviors through latent class analysis (LCA). We further explored the relationship between each latent class of health behavior and health status through ordered logit regression. We identified the following five distinct health behavior classes: the all-controlled, exercise and relaxation, healthy diet and reduced smoking or drinking, healthy diet, and least-controlled classes. Regression results indicated that individuals in classes other than the all-controlled class all reported poor health statuses. We also found great magnitude of the coefficient estimates for individuals who reported their health status to be poor or very poor for the least-controlled class. Therefore, health authorities and medical providers may develop targeted policies and interventions that address multiple modifiable health behaviors in each distinct latent class of health behavior.

scholarly journals Individual Capital Structure and Health Behaviors among Chinese Middle-Aged and Older Adults: A Cross-Sectional Analysis Using Bourdieu’s Theory of Capitals

2020 ◽  
Vol 17 (20) ◽  
pp. 7369
Author(s):  
Peng Xu ◽  
Junfeng Jiang
Keyword(s):  
Older Adults ◽  
Social Capital ◽  
Physical Exercise ◽  
Health Behaviors ◽  
Binge Drinking ◽  
Smoking Behavior ◽  
Middle Aged ◽  
Binary Logistic Regression Model ◽  
Cross Sectional ◽  
Significant Group

This study draws on Bourdieu’s theory of capitals to analyze the relative importance of economic, cultural, and social capital on health behaviors in Chinese middle-aged and older adults. Based on data from the China Family Panel Studies of 2016 (N = 15,147), we first harnessed a binary logistic regression model to discuss the associations between the three capitals and four types of health behaviors (i.e., physical exercise, smoking, binge drinking and stay-up). Using the sheaf coefficients technique, we then compared the relative effects of three of the capitals on health behaviors. The results suggest that cultural capital is the most influential one, which would significantly increase physical exercise and stay-up behaviors, and reduce smoking and binge drinking behaviors. Economic capital is also an important predictor, that may reduce smoking behavior but increase binge drinking and stay-up behaviors. Social capital has shown the least importance, although it would still be saliently associated with physical exercise, smoking and stay-up behaviors. In addition, some significant group disparities are also identified. This article is one of the first to explain health behavior inequalities through a Bourdieusian capital-based approach in Chinese contexts.

scholarly journals Combined Effects of Race and Educational Attainment on Physician Visits Over 24 Years in a National Sample of Middle-Aged and Older Americans

2020 ◽  
Vol 5 (1) ◽  
pp. 17-23
Author(s):  
Shervin Assari
Keyword(s):  
Older Adults ◽  
Disease Management ◽  
Health Behaviors ◽  
Educational Attainment ◽  
Minority Groups ◽  
Middle Aged ◽  
Physician Visits ◽  
Highly Educated ◽  
Race Ethnicity

Background: The literature on Minorities’ Diminished Returns (MDRs) have shown worse than expected health of the members of racial and ethnic minority groups particularly Blacks. Theoretically, this effect can be in part due to weaker effects of educational attainment on preventive care and disease management in highly educated racial and ethnic minorities. Objectives: The current study explored the racial and ethnic differences in the effect of baseline educational attainment on % adherance to the routine physician visits among middle-aged and older adults in the US. Methods: This is a prospective study with 24 years of follow up. The Health and Retirement Study (HRS: 1992-2016) included 10880 middle-aged and older adults who were Hispanic, non-Hispanic, Black or White. The independent variable was educational attainment. The dependent variable was adherance to the routine physician visits (%). Age, gender, marital status, income, health behaviors (smoking and drinking) and health (depression, self-rated health, and chronic diseases) were the covariates. Race and ethnicity were the focal moderators. Linear regression was used for data analysis. Results: Overall, higher educational attainment was associated with higher % of adherance to the routine physician visits over the course of follow-up, net of all confounders. Race showed a significant statistical interaction with educational attainment suggesting of a smaller effect of high education attainment on % adherance to the routine physician visits for Black than White middle-aged and older adults. A similar interaction could not be found for the comparison of Hispanic and non-Hispanic middle-aged and older adults. Conclusion: Educational attainment is associated with a larger increase in preventive and disease management doctor visits for White than Black middle-aged and older adults. This is a missed opportunity to improve the health of highly educated middle-aged and older adults. It is not race/ethnicity or class that shapes health behaviors but race/ethnicity and class that shape people’s prohealth behaviors. At least some of the racial health disparities is not due to low SES but diminished returns of SES.

scholarly journals MULTIPLE SOURCES OF SOCIAL STATUS IN OLD AGE: THE ROLE OF AGE GROUPS AND GENERATIONS

2019 ◽  
Vol 3 (Supplement_1) ◽  
pp. S729-S729
Author(s):  
David Weiss ◽  
Xin Zhang
Keyword(s):  
Older Adults ◽  
Social Status ◽  
Generation X ◽  
Age Groups ◽  
Later Life ◽  
Middle Aged ◽  
Multiple Sources ◽  
The Us ◽  
Generational Groups ◽  
Middle Aged Adults

Abstract This cross-cultural study compared attitudes towards age and generational groups across the life span in China, Germany, and the US including N = 1302 participants between 18 and 86 years of age. We asked younger, middle-aged, and older respondents to rate either age (e.g., adolescents, young adults, middle-aged adults, and older, adults) or generational groups (e.g., Millennials, Generation X, Baby Boomer, and Silent Generation) on various characteristics. Results demonstrate that across all three cultures older age groups were perceived consistently less positive and more negative, whereas older generations were perceived as significantly more positive and less negative. Our results suggest that generations in contrast to age groups represent a source of high social status in later life providing a sense of respect, value, and admiration. Thus, social status can be derived from multiple sources and older adults can draw upon alternative social status domains (their generation) when confronted with loss.

scholarly journals Social Control of Health Behaviors: A Comparison of Young, Middle-Aged, and Older Adults

2004 ◽  
Vol 59 (4) ◽  
pp. P147-P150 ◽  
Author(s):  
J. S. Tucker ◽  
D. J. Klein ◽  
M. N. Elliott
Keyword(s):  
Older Adults ◽  
Health Behaviors ◽  
Social Control ◽  
Middle Aged

scholarly journals Using the Health Belief Model to Understand Age Differences in Perceptions and Responses to the COVID-19 Pandemic

2021 ◽  
Vol 12 ◽  
Author(s):  
Lauren E. Bechard ◽  
Maximilian Bergelt ◽  
Bobby Neudorf ◽  
Tamara C. DeSouza ◽  
Laura E. Middleton
Keyword(s):  
Older Adults ◽  
Health Behaviors ◽  
Structural Equation ◽  
Age Groups ◽  
Health Belief ◽  
Equation Modeling ◽  
Age Group ◽  
Middle Aged ◽  
Belief Model ◽  
The Health Belief Model

COVID-19 severity and mortality risk are greater for older adults whereas economic impact is deeper for younger adults. Using the Health Belief Model (HBM) as a framework, this study used a web-based survey to examine how perceived COVID-19 susceptibility and severity and perceived efficacy of recommended health behaviors varied by age group and were related to the adoption of health behaviors. Proportional odds logistic regression was used to examine the relationship between age group and perceived COVID-19 susceptibility, severity, impact, and health behavior efficacy and adoption. Structural equation modeling based on HBM constructs examined the relationships between health beliefs and behaviors. Data from 820 participants (Ontario, Canada) were analyzed (age: 42.7, 16.2 years; 79% women). Middle-aged and older adults reported greater concerns about the personal risk of hospitalization and mortality, economic impact, and social impact of COVID-19 than young adults. Middle-aged adults also reported greatest concern for other age groups. Adoption and perceived efficacy of health behaviors was similar across age groups with few exceptions. Both middle-aged and older-adults were more likely to perceive their own and each other's age groups as responding adequately to COVID-19 compared to young adults. Structural equation modeling indicated perceived benefits of health behaviors were the primary driver of behavior uptake, with socioeconomic factors and perceived severity and susceptibility indirectly associated with uptake through their influence on perceived benefits. Overall, these results suggest adoption of health behaviors is very high with few differences between age groups, despite differences in perceived impact of COVID-19. Public health communications should focus on the benefits of health behaviors to drive adoption.

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