scholarly journals Kinlessness, Loneliness, and End of Life: A Cross-National Comparison of 20 Countries

2020 ◽  
Vol 4 (Supplement_1) ◽  
pp. 604-604
Author(s):  
Esteban Calvo ◽  
Christine Mair ◽  
Katherine Ornstein ◽  
Rosario Donoso ◽  
José Medina
Keyword(s):  
Older Adults ◽  
Family Structure ◽  
End Of Life ◽  
Well Being ◽  
Life Outcomes ◽  
National Data ◽  
Family Structures ◽  
National Comparison ◽  
Pooled Sample ◽  
Cross National

Abstract Countries across the globe are experiencing declining rates of fertility and marriage, which present a distinct challenge for older adults’ social integration, well-being, and end-of-life care. However, older adults who are “alone” (e.g., no partner, no child) may not be lonely, and end-of-life risks faced by “kinless” older adults likely vary significantly by country context. Using harmonized, cross-national data from 20 countries (United States (HRS), England (ELSA), and European Union (SHARE)), we examine associations between family structure, loneliness, and end-of-life outcomes. Although “kinless” family structures are associated with greater loneliness in the pooled sample, the percent of “kinless” who report no signs of loneliness ranges from 7% (Greece) to 56% (Denmark). Family structure is associated with various end-of-life outcomes, and these associations vary by country—likely reflecting differences in healthcare structure. We discuss distinctions between “being alone,” “being lonely,” and “being without care” in light of cross-national variation.

scholarly journals Kinlessness and Social Isolation at the End of Life: Cross-National Comparisons

2020 ◽  
Vol 4 (Supplement_1) ◽  
pp. 603-603
Author(s):  
Christine Mair ◽  
Katherine Ornstein ◽  
Feinian Chen
Keyword(s):  
Older Adults ◽  
Family Structure ◽  
End Of Life ◽  
Social Isolation ◽  
Life Outcomes ◽  
Family Structures ◽  
Marriage Rates ◽  
Location Of Death ◽  
Demographic Shifts ◽  
Cross National

Abstract Nearly all older adults cross-nationally rely on close family members to facilitate care at the end-of-life, but recent demographic shifts toward declining fertility and marriage rates have yielded an unprecedented increase in older adults who lack traditional family ties (“kinless”). “Kinless” older adults may be at risk for social isolation, lack of caregiving options, and poorer end-of-life outcomes, and these risks may be buffered or exacerbated by social and economic resources as well as country context. Because the potential impact of “kinlessness” on end-of-life outcomes cross-nationally is unknown and virtually unstudied, this symposium composed of overlapping, interdisciplinary research teams investigate if and how “kinlessness” is associated with end-of-life outcomes cross-nationally. Mudrazija and Ornstein analyze a sample of older European adults (SHARE) to predict location of death (e.g., home deaths) by family size, living alone, and size of social network. Plick, Ankuda, and Ornstein examine a sample of older American decedents (HRS) to predict end-of-life outcomes (e.g., hours of care received, location of death). Mair, Ornstein, Aldridge, and Thygesen explore associations between family structure and multiple end-of-life outcomes (e.g., hospitalizations, ICU visits, medical treatment) among the population of decedents aged 50+ from Denmark. Finally, Mair, Ornstein, Calvo, Donoso, and Medina explore family structure, social isolation, loneliness, and end-of-life outcomes among a sample of older adults from 20 countries (Gateway to Global Aging). These papers will be discussed by Feinian Chen, a family sociologist and social demographer who specializes in cross-national comparisons of older adults’ family structures, country context, and health.

scholarly journals Family caregiving and place of death: Insights from cross-national analysis of the Harmonized End of Life Data

2020 ◽  
Author(s):  
Jennifer Ailshire ◽  
Margarita Osuna ◽  
Jenny Wilkens ◽  
Jinkook Lee
Keyword(s):  
United States ◽  
Older Adults ◽  
Nursing Home ◽  
End Of Life ◽  
Family Caregiving ◽  
The United States ◽  
Place Of Death ◽  
Life Data ◽  
Cross National ◽  
At Home

Abstract Objectives Family is largely overlooked in research on factors associated with place of death among older adults. We determine if family caregiving at the end of life is associated with place of death in the United States and Europe. Methods We use the Harmonized End of Life data sets developed by the Gateway to Global Aging Data for the Survey of Health, Ageing and Retirement in Europe (SHARE) and the Health and Retirement Study (HRS). We conducted multinomial logistic regression on 7,113 decedents from 18 European countries and 3,031 decedents from the United States to determine if family caregiving, defined based on assistance with activities of daily living, was associated with death at home versus at a hospital or nursing home. Results Family caregiving was associated with reduced odds of dying in a hospital and nursing home, relative to dying at home in both the United States and Europe. Care from a spouse/partner or child/grandchild was both more common and more strongly associated with place of death than care from other relatives. Associations between family caregiving and place of death were generally consistent across European welfare regimes. Discussion This cross-national examination of family caregiving indicates that family-based support is universally important in determining where older adults die. In both the United States and in Europe, most care provided during a long-term illness or disability is provided by family caregivers, and it is clear families exert tremendous influence on place of death.

The orientation to life questionnaire: Assessing older adults’ sense of coherence

2016 ◽  
Vol 33 (S1) ◽  
pp. s289-s289
Author(s):  
S. von Humboldt ◽  
I. Leal
Keyword(s):  
Older Adults ◽  
Psychometric Properties ◽  
Sense Of Coherence ◽  
Discriminant Validity ◽  
Well Being ◽  
Community Dwelling ◽  
Care Practice ◽  
Life Questionnaire ◽  
Distributional Properties ◽  
Cross National

IntroductionGrowing literature suggests that the sense of coherence (SOC) positively influences well-being in later life.ObjectivesThis study reports the assessment the following psychometric properties: distributional properties, construct, criterion and external-related validities, and reliability, of the Orientation to Life Questionnaire (OtLQ) in an cross-national population of older adults.MethodsWe recruited 1291 community-dwelling older adults aged between 75–102 years (M = 83.9; SD = 6.68). Convenience sampling was used to gather questionnaire data. The construct validity was asserted by confirmatory factor analysis, convergent and discriminant validity. Moreover, criterion and external-related validities, as well as distributional properties and reliability were also tested.ResultsData gathered with the 29-items OtLQ scale showed overall good psychometric properties, in terms of distributional properties, construct, criterion and external-related validities, as well as reliability. Three factors were validated for the OtLQ scale: (a) comprehensibility; (b) manageability; and (c) meaningfulness.ConclusionWe validated the 3-factor OtLQ scale, which produced valid and reliable data for a cross-national sample with older adults. Hence, it is an adequate instrument for assessing sense of coherence among older people in health care practice and program development contexts.Disclosure of interestThe authors have not supplied their declaration of competing interest.

Japan and Thailand: A Cross National Comparison of COVID 19 Impact on University Student Health and Well-Being

2021 ◽  
pp. 1-4
Author(s):  
Akihiro Masuyama ◽  
Daichi Sugawara ◽  
Nuntaporn Karawekpanyawong ◽  
Phanida Juntasopeepun ◽  
Surinporn Likhitsathian ◽  
...  
Keyword(s):  
Well Being ◽  
University Student ◽  
Student Health ◽  
National Comparison ◽  
Health And Well Being ◽  
Cross National

African American Family Structure

2000 ◽  
Vol 21 (7) ◽  
pp. 838-857 ◽  
Author(s):  
JAMES HERBERT WILLIAMS ◽  
WENDY F. AUSLANDER ◽  
CHERYL A. HOUSTON ◽  
HOPE KREBILL ◽  
DEBRA HAIRE-JOSHU
Keyword(s):  
African American ◽  
Family Structure ◽  
African American Women ◽  
Well Being ◽  
Social Psychological ◽  
Community Based ◽  
Family Structures ◽  
American Women ◽  
Research Questions ◽  
Economic Well Being

This study addresses the following research questions: (a) What are the various types of family structures that exist in urban African American households? and (b) to what extent do differences in family structure influence social, psychological, and economic well-being as reported by urban African American women? The authors present findings from 301 African American women who participated in a community-based nutrition prevention program in a large Midwestern urban center. This study's results indicate that family structure has more influence on African American women's economic well-being than do social and psycho-logical factors. Implications of these findings for intervention are presented.

scholarly journals How to measure a psychological construct in cross-national comparison: Regarding Rhoads et al. (2021)

2021 ◽  
Author(s):  
Sotaro Kita
Keyword(s):  
Well Being ◽  
Subjective Well Being ◽  
Psychological Construct ◽  
Psychological Science ◽  
Global Variation ◽  
National Comparison ◽  
Cross National

This is a critique of the altruism variables used by Rhoads et al. (2021). Accepted for publication as "Letter to Editor" in Psychological Science. Rhoads, S. A., Gunter, D., Ryan, R. M., & Marsh, A. A. Global Variation in Subjective Well-Being Predicts Seven Forms of Altruism. Psychological Science, 0(0), 0956797621994767. doi:10.1177/0956797621994767

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