scholarly journals Exploring Gender Differences in Volunteer Behavior Among Older Asian Americans

2021 ◽  
Vol 5 (Supplement_1) ◽  
pp. 24-25
Author(s):  
Patrick Ho Lam Lai ◽  
Christina Matz ◽  
Cal Halvorsen
Keyword(s):  
Older Adults ◽  
Gender Differences ◽  
Later Life ◽  
Well Being ◽  
Asian Women ◽  
Asian Men ◽  
Using Data ◽  
Social And Cultural Factors ◽  
Racial Ethnic ◽  
Health And Well Being

Abstract Prior research has documented the health and well-being effects of volunteerism in later life, and that positive outcomes increase in the first 100 volunteer hours/year and slightly increase between 100-200 hours. Given this, it seems that using an intersectional lens to explore disparities in volunteer behaviors and what might explain them is important from a health equity standpoint. Using data from 268,194 individuals aged 65-85 from the most recently available Volunteer Supplement of the Current Population Survey, this study found that White older adults were most likely to spend any time in volunteer activities, while Asian and Hispanic older adults were least, across all racial/ethnic groups. Further, the percentage of older Asian women volunteering in the 100-200 hour range (27%) was significantly higher than that of older Asian men (19%). Social and cultural factors that may explain these racial/gender differences and implications for recruiting older adults as volunteers are discussed.

Marital Quality and Well-Being Among Older Adults: A Typology of Supportive, Aversive, Indifferent, and Ambivalent Marriages

2020 ◽  
pp. 016402752096914
Author(s):  
Yingling Liu ◽  
Laura Upenieks
Keyword(s):  
Older Adults ◽  
Marital Quality ◽  
Large Body ◽  
Well Being ◽  
The United States ◽  
Life Course Perspective ◽  
Multiple Indicators ◽  
Using Data ◽  
Health And Well Being ◽  
Synergistic Relationship

A large body of work has linked marital quality to the health and well-being of older adults, but there is a lack of agreement on how to best measure dimensions of marital quality. Drawing on a stress-process life course perspective, we construct a typology of marriage type that captures the synergistic relationship between positive and negative marital qualities and health. Using data from Wave 1 (2005/2006) and Wave 2 (2010/2011) of the NSHAP survey from the United States, we examine the association between supportive, aversive, ambivalent, and indifferent marriages for older adults that remained married over the study period on multiple indicators of well-being (depression, happiness, and self-rated health; N = 769 males and 461 females). Results suggest that older adults in aversive marriages reported lower happiness (men and women) and physical health (men). There was less evidence that those in ambivalent and indifferent marriages reported worse well-being.

scholarly journals Evaluation of the Usability and Acceptability of the InnoWell Platform as Rated by Older Adults: Survey Study

JMIR Aging ◽  
10.2196/25928 ◽  
2021 ◽  
Vol 4 (2) ◽  
pp. e25928
Author(s):  
Haley M LaMonica ◽  
Anna E Roberts ◽  
Tracey A Davenport ◽  
Ian B Hickie
Keyword(s):  
Older Adults ◽  
Social Engagement ◽  
Later Life ◽  
Well Being ◽  
Assessment Tools ◽  
Self Report ◽  
Digital Tool ◽  
System Usability Scale ◽  
Mental Well Being ◽  
Health And Well Being

Background As the global population ages, there is increased interest in developing strategies to promote health and well-being in later life, thus enabling continued productivity, social engagement, and independence. As older adults use technologies with greater frequency, proficiency, and confidence, health information technologies (HITs) now hold considerable potential as a means to enable broader access to tools and services for the purposes of screening, treatment, monitoring, and ongoing maintenance of health for this group. The InnoWell Platform is a digital tool co-designed with lived experience to facilitate better outcomes by enabling access to a comprehensive multidimensional assessment, the results of which are provided in real time to enable consumers to make informed decisions about clinical and nonclinical care options independently or in collaboration with a health professional. Objective This study aims to evaluate the usability and acceptability of a prototype of the InnoWell Platform, co-designed and configured with and for older adults, using self-report surveys. Methods Participants were adults 50 years and older who were invited to engage with the InnoWell Platform naturalistically (ie, at their own discretion) for a period of 90 days. In addition, they completed short web-based surveys at baseline regarding their background, health, and mental well-being. After 90 days, participants were asked to complete the System Usability Scale to evaluate the usability and acceptability of the prototyped InnoWell Platform, with the aim of informing the iterative redesign and development of this digital tool before implementation within a health service setting. Results A total of 19 participants consented to participate in the study; however, only the data from the 16 participants (mean age 62.8 years, SD 7.5; range 50-72) who completed at least part of the survey at 90 days were included in the analyses. Participants generally reported low levels of psychological distress and good mental well-being. In relation to the InnoWell Platform, the usability scores were suboptimal. Although the InnoWell Platform was noted to be easy to use, participants had difficulty identifying the relevance of the tool for their personal circumstances. Ease of use, the comprehensive nature of the assessment tools, and the ability to track progress over time were favored features of the InnoWell Platform, whereas the need for greater personalization and improved mobile functionality were cited as areas for improvement. Conclusions HITs such as the InnoWell Platform have tremendous potential to improve access to cost-effective and low-intensity interventions at scale to improve and maintain mental health and well-being in later life. However, to promote adoption of and continued engagement with such tools, it is essential that these HITs are personalized and relevant for older adult end users, accounting for differences in background, clinical profiles, and levels of need.

5. Positive and successful ageing

2016 ◽  
pp. 87-101
Author(s):  
Nancy A. Pachana
Keyword(s):  
Older Adults ◽  
Social Policy ◽  
Later Life ◽  
Well Being ◽  
Lifestyle Factors ◽  
Successful Ageing ◽  
Policy Frameworks ◽  
The Subject ◽  
Health And Well Being

‘Positive and successful ageing’ examines how, as a society, we can promote positive and successful ageing in terms of physical, mental, and social well-being in later life. It addresses current findings and directions in research, interventions, and social policy, which have focused more strongly on health and well-being, rather than disease and disability, in the last few decades. Attention is paid to the contributions of the environment, lifestyle factors, meaning and engagement in life, resilience, and wisdom that support a successful move through the latter stages of life. Successful ageing is now the subject of policy frameworks, lifespan theories of development, and actions—large and small—affecting older adults globally.

scholarly journals Dynamic Relationships Between Perceived Housing and Life Transitions: A Better Understanding of Good Aging in Place

2021 ◽  
Vol 5 (Supplement_1) ◽  
pp. 444-444
Author(s):  
Frank Oswald ◽  
Steven Schmidt ◽  
Malcolm Cutchin
Keyword(s):  
Older Adults ◽  
Low Income ◽  
Later Life ◽  
Well Being ◽  
Life Transitions ◽  
Community Dwelling ◽  
Life Transition ◽  
Dynamic Relationship ◽  
Dynamic Relationships ◽  
Health And Well Being

Abstract Housing has gained increased relevance as a central factor for health and well-being. Many countries have implemented ageing in place policies, which provide services focused on improving the physical environment. Housing needs change as people grow older and experience different transitions across their life courses. Studies have demonstrated relationships between housing and health and well-being in later life on the one hand and life transitions and health and well-being in later life on the other hand. However, research on life transitions in combination with perceived housing in relation to indicators of good ageing is virtually nonexistent. This symposiums aims to address the dynamic relationship between perceived housing and life transitions and how they impact health, well-being, functioning, and social/neighborhood participation as people age by data from a mixed-method approach in Sweden and Germany. The first contribution by Slaug and colleagues introduces changes in how older adults perceive their housing following the life transition of a fall at home. Second, Eriksson and colleagues present qualitative results on the experience of relationships between perceived housing, several life transitions and well-being among community-dwelling Swedish older adults. Third, Wanka and colleagues present partially different results from a comparable study in German on the same topic but emphasizing the experience of interrelationships between different life course transitions. Fourth, Granbom and colleagues explore how low-income older adults in Sweden reason about their current housing situation and a future life transition of relocation. Finally, Malcolm P. Cutchin will serve as the session’s discussant.

Health and Well-Being in the Year before Death: The Association with Quality of Life and Care at the End-of-Life

2020 ◽  
Vol 32 (10) ◽  
pp. 1475-1485
Author(s):  
Hyo Jung Lee ◽  
Brent J. Small ◽  
William E. Haley
Keyword(s):  
Quality Of Life ◽  
Older Adults ◽  
End Of Life ◽  
Latent Class ◽  
Well Being ◽  
Care Plans ◽  
Advance Care ◽  
Using Data ◽  
Health And Well Being

Objective: We examined whether older adults’ health and well-being during their final year of life predicts end-of-life (EOL) quality of life (QOL) and quality of care (QOC). Methods: Using data from deceased participants ( n = 1125) in the 2011–2015 National Health and Aging Trends Study, we performed latent class analysis to identify profiles of health and well-being, and we examined the association between these classes and EOL QOL and QOC. Results: Four classes were identified: healthy/happy (20%), frail/happy (37%), cognitively impaired/moderately distressed (27%), and highly impaired/highly distressed (16%). Persons in the highly impaired/highly distressed class showed a poorer QOL at the EOL, whereas those in the healthy/happy class reported a lower level of QOC at the EOL. Discussion: The benefits of maintaining health and well-being often carry forward to EOL. Older adults with high impairment and distress merit greater attention such as assuring care and advance care plans.

scholarly journals INTEREST GROUP SESSION—TECHNOLOGY AND AGING: THE POTENTIAL AND PITFALLS OF EXTENDED REALITY SOLUTIONS FOR SUPPORTING AND ASSESSING OLDER ADULTS

2019 ◽  
Vol 3 (Supplement_1) ◽  
pp. S239-S239
Author(s):  
Neil Charness ◽  
Balaji Narasimhan
Keyword(s):  
Older Adults ◽  
Skills Training ◽  
Well Being ◽  
Critical Research ◽  
Group Data ◽  
Focus Group Data ◽  
Nationally Representative ◽  
Using Data ◽  
Health And Well Being ◽  
Broad Overview

Abstract Extended Reality (XR), which encompasses Virtual Reality (VR) and Augmented Reality (AR), holds a great deal of promise for improving the health and well-being of older adults. These opportunities include providing rehabilitation, physical exercise, skills training, leisure opportunities, and support for instrumental activities of daily living. Further, XR presents novel assessment opportunities. This session will explore the potential of XR solutions, and also crucial barriers to XR implementation, adoption, and engagement, particularly with respect to the “digital divide.” Some older adults, for a number of reasons, experience greater challenges adopting and using newer technologies. This session will start with a broad overview of issues related to XR solutions and will identify critical research needs, with an emphasis on the needs of older adults. This will be followed by a presentation of older adults’ perceptions of XR using data derived from a large, nationally representative sample. While some older adults reported not being ready for XR solutions, many older adults reported being willing to accept them to support optimal aging. Next, a study is presented that directly compares older adults’ perceptions of presence and immersion in virtual spaces. Using VR to assess wayfinding and navigation abilities of older adults is discussed next. The final talk will present VR usability issues derived from interview and focus group data. The session discussant will bring an interdisciplinary perspective to these important issues.

scholarly journals Marriage, Cohabitation, and Divorce in Later Life

2017 ◽  
Vol 1 (2) ◽  
Author(s):  
Susan L Brown ◽  
Matthew R Wright
Keyword(s):  
Older Adults ◽  
Primary Source ◽  
Divorce Rate ◽  
Later Life ◽  
Well Being ◽  
Future Research ◽  
Family Change ◽  
Recent Scholarship ◽  
Source Of Care ◽  
Health And Well Being

Abstract Older adults are at the forefront of family change as a declining share experiences lifelong marriage and rates of cohabitation and divorce in later life continue to rise. The goal of this article is to review recent scholarship on marriage, cohabitation, and divorce among older adults and identify directions for future research. The varied family experiences characterizing the later life course demonstrate the importance of moving beyond marital status to capture additional dimensions of the marital biography, including transitions, timing, duration, and sequencing. Cohabitation operates as an alternative to marriage for older adults and is increasingly replacing remarriage following divorce or widowhood. The gray divorce rate has doubled in recent decades as older adults abandon marriage in favor of unmarried partnerships or singlehood. The retreat from marriage among older adults raises important questions about the ramifications of family change for health and well-being as well as access to caregivers given that spouses historically have been the primary source of care.

scholarly journals Recreation, Physical Activities and Health Needs of Older Adults

2014 ◽  
Vol 12 (1) ◽  
Author(s):  
Oludele Albert Ajani
Keyword(s):  
Older Adults ◽  
Later Life ◽  
Well Being ◽  
The Elderly ◽  
Physical Activities ◽  
Community Based ◽  
Selective Optimization With Compensation ◽  
Theory Of Aging ◽  
Health And Well Being ◽  
Insight Into

The benefits of physical activities on health and well-being of humans, in the present and later life, are well documented in many fields of study including gerontology. Adopting the continuity theory of aging and theory of selective optimization with compensation, this paper reviewed empirical works on the interplay of recreation, physical activity and the well-being of older adults. This is with a view to stimulating further research and insight into the understanding of well being of older adults. The paper concludes that a community-based intervention that will encourage active participation may go a long way in meeting the recreation needs of the elderly in Nigeria.

Religion, Health and Well-Being in Later Life : Storying Our Lives in the Face of Death

2021 ◽  
Vol 75 (1) ◽  
pp. 95-119
Author(s):  
Nienke P.M. Fortuin
Keyword(s):  
Older Adults ◽  
Empirical Research ◽  
Life Story ◽  
Later Life ◽  
Well Being ◽  
Cultural Narratives ◽  
End Of Life Decisions ◽  
Counter Narratives ◽  
The Face ◽  
Health And Well Being

Abstract One of the mechanisms by which religion promotes health and well-being is by offering frameworks of meaning. Older adults ‘story’ later life against the background of the grand narratives offered by their worldview and cultural narratives of ageing. The dominance of age-defying narratives and narratives of decline indicates the need for counter narratives of ageing. Moreover, the premature notion that one’s life story has effectively ended is negatively associated with worldview commitment. Empirical research suggests that worldview commitment provides existential support, alleviating death anxiety and enhancing well-being and health. Religions offer meaning in the face of death, thereby influencing end-of-life decisions.

scholarly journals Evaluation of the Usability and Acceptability of the InnoWell Platform as Rated by Older Adults: Survey Study (Preprint)

2020 ◽  
Author(s):  
Haley M LaMonica ◽  
Anna E Roberts ◽  
Tracey A Davenport ◽  
Ian B Hickie
Keyword(s):  
Older Adults ◽  
Social Engagement ◽  
Later Life ◽  
Well Being ◽  
Assessment Tools ◽  
Self Report ◽  
Digital Tool ◽  
System Usability Scale ◽  
Mental Well Being ◽  
Health And Well Being

BACKGROUND As the global population ages, there is increased interest in developing strategies to promote health and well-being in later life, thus enabling continued productivity, social engagement, and independence. As older adults use technologies with greater frequency, proficiency, and confidence, health information technologies (HITs) now hold considerable potential as a means to enable broader access to tools and services for the purposes of screening, treatment, monitoring, and ongoing maintenance of health for this group. The InnoWell Platform is a digital tool co-designed with lived experience to facilitate better outcomes by enabling access to a comprehensive multidimensional assessment, the results of which are provided in real time to enable consumers to make informed decisions about clinical and nonclinical care options independently or in collaboration with a health professional. OBJECTIVE This study aims to evaluate the usability and acceptability of a prototype of the InnoWell Platform, co-designed and configured with and for older adults, using self-report surveys. METHODS Participants were adults 50 years and older who were invited to engage with the InnoWell Platform naturalistically (ie, at their own discretion) for a period of 90 days. In addition, they completed short web-based surveys at baseline regarding their background, health, and mental well-being. After 90 days, participants were asked to complete the System Usability Scale to evaluate the usability and acceptability of the prototyped InnoWell Platform, with the aim of informing the iterative redesign and development of this digital tool before implementation within a health service setting. RESULTS A total of 19 participants consented to participate in the study; however, only the data from the 16 participants (mean age 62.8 years, SD 7.5; range 50-72) who completed at least part of the survey at 90 days were included in the analyses. Participants generally reported low levels of psychological distress and good mental well-being. In relation to the InnoWell Platform, the usability scores were suboptimal. Although the InnoWell Platform was noted to be easy to use, participants had difficulty identifying the relevance of the tool for their personal circumstances. Ease of use, the comprehensive nature of the assessment tools, and the ability to track progress over time were favored features of the InnoWell Platform, whereas the need for greater personalization and improved mobile functionality were cited as areas for improvement. CONCLUSIONS HITs such as the InnoWell Platform have tremendous potential to improve access to cost-effective and low-intensity interventions at scale to improve and maintain mental health and well-being in later life. However, to promote adoption of and continued engagement with such tools, it is essential that these HITs are personalized and relevant for older adult end users, accounting for differences in background, clinical profiles, and levels of need.

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