scholarly journals Well-Being During the COVID-19 Pandemic: The Roles of Age, Race, and Gender

2021 ◽  
Vol 5 (Supplement_1) ◽  
pp. 512-512
Author(s):  
Nicky Newton ◽  
Jennifer Lodi-Smith

Abstract In the early months of COVID-19, behavioral modifications (i.e., social distancing) were the only means available to ameliorate contagion. These had widespread ramifications for well-being, although older adults showed relatively less disruption and high resilience than their younger counterparts (Carney et al., 2021). Early findings highlight the need for a life course perspective when examining reactions to COVID-19, based on social structure, personal agency, and individual differences such as age, gender, and personality (Settersten et al., 2020). The presentations in this symposium contribute to a developing body of research that delves deeper into individual lived experiences during COVID-19. Using data from the Health and Retirement Study, Ryan examines cohort and age differences in pandemic-related social contact, communication, loneliness, and well-being for women in the US, revealing that the impact of pandemic-attributed psychosocial experiences on well-being differed by age group. Newton et al. examine associations between perceptions of future time, COVID-19 disruption, and psychological well-being among older Canadian women, finding that COVID-19 disruption moderated the relationship between constrained time horizons and well-being. Birditt and colleagues assessed racial disparities in relationships between COVID-related stress, social isolation, and depression among adults aged 18-97 from the Survey of Consumers, and found ethnic/racial minorities reported greater pandemic-related stress and that stress and social isolation had detrimental effects on well-being. A discussion by Lodi-Smith will emphasize the necessity to include individual differences – age, race, gender, cohort, cultural context –when examining pandemic-related well-being in order to provide a more nuanced body of research.

2015 ◽  
Vol 53 (2) ◽  
pp. 370-371

Kelly Foley of University of Saskatchewan reviews “The Long Shadow: Family Background, Disadvantaged Urban Youth, and the Transition to Adulthood”, by Karl Alexander, Doris Entwisle, and Linda Olson. The Econlit abstract of this book begins: “Considers how social contexts─especially those of family, neighborhood, and school─bear on the long-term well-being of disadvantaged urban youth, drawing on the life experiences of the Baltimore Beginning School Study Youth Panel. Discusses urban disadvantage; the Baltimore backdrop; family disadvantage; neighborhood and school; transitioning to adulthood; socioeconomic destinations; origins to destinations across generations; stratification by race and gender; and a life-course perspective of urban disadvantage.” Alexander is John Dewey Professor and Chair of the Department of Sociology at the Johns Hopkins University. The late Entwisle was Research Professor of Sociology at the Johns Hopkins University. Olson is an associate research scientist with the Baltimore Education Research Consortium and the Center for Social Organization of Schools at the Johns Hopkins University.


2007 ◽  
Vol 28 (12) ◽  
pp. 1611-1638 ◽  
Author(s):  
Nadine F. Marks ◽  
Heyjung Jun ◽  
Jieun Song

Guided by a life course perspective, attachment theory, and gender theory, this study aims to examine the impact of death of a father, a mother, or both parents, as well as continuously living with one or both parents dead (in contrast to having two parents alive) on multiple dimensions of psychological well-being (depressive symptoms, happiness, self-esteem, mastery, and psychological wellness), alcohol abuse (binge drinking), and physical health (self-assessed health). Analyses of longitudinal data from 8,865 adults in the National Survey of Families and Households 1987-1993 reveal that a father's death leads to more negative effects for sons than daughters and a mother's death leads to more negative effects for daughters than sons. Problematic effects of parent loss are reflected more in men's physical health reports than women's. This study's results suggest that family researchers and practitioners working with aging families should not underestimate the impact of filial bereavement on adult well-being.


2014 ◽  
Vol 22 (4) ◽  
pp. 194-201 ◽  
Author(s):  
Freda-Marie Hartung ◽  
Britta Renner

Humans are social animals; consequently, a lack of social ties affects individuals’ health negatively. However, the desire to belong differs between individuals, raising the question of whether individual differences in the need to belong moderate the impact of perceived social isolation on health. In the present study, 77 first-year university students rated their loneliness and health every 6 weeks for 18 weeks. Individual differences in the need to belong were found to moderate the relationship between loneliness and current health state. Specifically, lonely students with a high need to belong reported more days of illness than those with a low need to belong. In contrast, the strength of the need to belong had no effect on students who did not feel lonely. Thus, people who have a strong need to belong appear to suffer from loneliness and become ill more often, whereas people with a weak need to belong appear to stand loneliness better and are comparatively healthy. The study implies that social isolation does not impact all individuals identically; instead, the fit between the social situation and an individual’s need appears to be crucial for an individual’s functioning.


2019 ◽  
Vol 129 (4) ◽  
pp. 127-131
Author(s):  
Agnieszka Parfin ◽  
Krystian Wdowiak ◽  
Marzena Furtak-Niczyporuk ◽  
Jolanta Herda

AbstractIntroduction. The COVID-19 is the name of an infectious disease caused by a new strain of coronavirus SARS-CoV-2 (Severe Acute Respiratory Syndrome Coronavirus 2). It was first diagnosed in December 2019 in patients in Wuhan City, Hubei Province, China. The symptoms are dominated by features of respiratory tract infections, in some patients with a very severe course leading to respiratory failure and, in extreme cases to death. Due to the spread of the infection worldwide, the WHO declared a pandemic in March 2020.Aim. An investigation of the impact of social isolation introduced due to the coronavirus pandemic on selected aspects of life. The researchers focused on observing changes in habits related to physical activity and their connections with people’s subjective well-being and emotional state.Material and methods. The study was carried out within the international project of the group „IRG on COVID and exercise”. The research tool was a standardized questionnaire.Results. Based on the data collected and the analysis of the percentage results, it can be observed that the overwhelming majority of people taking up physical activity reported a better mood during the pandemic. However, statistical tests do not confirm these relationships due to the small sample size.Conclusions. Isolation favours physical activity. Future, in-depth studies, by enlarging the population group, are necessary to confirm the above observations.


2020 ◽  
Vol 4 (Supplement_1) ◽  
pp. 723-723
Author(s):  
Mark Brennan-Ing ◽  
Charles Emlet

Abstract Kimberlé Crenshaw introduced the term “intersectionality” in the late 1980s to highlight the experience discrimination and marginalization of Black and African-American women originating from the confluence of their racial/ethnic and gender identities. Since that time the focus on intersectionality has broadened to consider other communities and individuals who may have multiple stigmatized and discredited identities, including older people with HIV (PWH). For example, Porter and Brennan-Ing described the “Five Corners” model as the intersection of ageism, racism, classism, sexism, and HIV stigma for older transgender and gender non-conforming PWH. HIV disproportionately affects marginalized communities (e.g., racial/ethnic and sexual minorities). Thus, for older PWH it is important to consider how HIV stigma may intersect with other marginalized identities and impact physical and psychological well-being. The first paper in this session examines how the intersection of HIV serostatus, gay identity, and age complicates identity disclosure, leading to social isolation and interference with care planning. The second paper describes how intersectional identities among older PWH interfere with access to mental health services in a population that is disproportionately affected by depression and PTSD. Our third paper examines the role of race, education, and behavioral health in neurocognitive functioning among a diverse sample of older HIV+ gay and bisexual men. Our last paper examines neurocognitive functioning among older Latinx PWH, finding that sexual and gender minorities were at greater risk for impairment. Implications of these findings for research and programming that accounts for the effects of intersectionality among older PWH will be discussed.


2021 ◽  
pp. 0192513X2110300
Author(s):  
Alfred DeMaris ◽  
Gary Oates

Although several studies have documented a distinct marriage advantage in well-being, it is still unclear what it is about marriage that renders this benefit. We hypothesize that it is due to factors theorized to accrue to matrimony, such as elevated financial status and specific social psychological supports. We examine the trajectory of subjective well-being for 1135 respondents from the three-wave 2010 GSS panel survey utilizing linear mixed-effects modeling. We find that about two-fifths of the marriage advantage in subjective well-being is accounted for by a mixture of control variables, finances, and emotional factors, with most of this due to elements that are associated with the marital context. Higher annual income, enhanced interpersonal trust, greater sociability, and less of a sense of loneliness and isolation appear to be responsible for a substantial component of the marital advantage. We further find that the marriage advantage is invariant to both race and gender.


2012 ◽  
Vol 56 (2) ◽  
pp. 126-141 ◽  
Author(s):  
Paula G. Watkins ◽  
Husna Razee ◽  
Juliet Richters

This article examines factors influencing English language education, participation and achievement among Karen refugee women in Australia. Data were drawn from ethnographic observations and interviews with 67 participants between 2009 and 2011, collected as part of a larger qualitative study exploring the well-being of Karen refugee women in Sydney. Participants unanimously described difficulty with English language proficiency and communication as the ‘number one’ problem affecting their well-being. Gendered, cultural and socio-political factors act as barriers to education. We argue that greater sensitivity to refugees' backgrounds, culture and gender is necessary in education. Research is needed into the combined relationships between culture and gender across pre-displacement, displacement and resettlement and the impact of these factors on post-immigration educational opportunities. Training is needed to sensitise educators to the complex issues of refugee resettlement. The paper concludes with recommendations for service provision and policy.


2018 ◽  
Vol 30 (1) ◽  
pp. 1-6 ◽  
Author(s):  
S Kunene ◽  
S Ramklass ◽  
N Taukobong

Background: Anterior knee pain (AKP) is the most common injury among runners and has a negative impact on the quality of life (QOL) of many athletes. Objective: To determine the impact of anterior knee pain on the QOL among runners in Ekurhuleni, Gauteng. Materials & methods: A cross–sectional study design was used. A population of 73 runners with AKP were included. Participants included runners aged 13 to 55-year-old. The SF-36 questionnaire was used to collect data. Ethical clearance, permission from club managers and consent from participants were obtained. Data were collected over six weeks and analysed using SPSS. Descriptive statistics included frequencies, means, standard deviations and ranges. Inferential statistics included Spearman's correlation calculation. Results: The lowest QOL scores were found among: role functioning/physical (62), role functioning/emotional (59), energy/fatigue (59), emotional well-being (68) and pain scales (63). Males, youth and runners with least experience presented with lowest scores. Significant correlation was found between: role functioning/physical and experience (p =.030; rs =-.221), role functioning/emotional and gender (p =.017; rs =-.247) and race (p =.012; rs =-.265), general health and experience (p =.021; rs =-.239), energy/fatigue and race (p =.012; rs =.264), emotional well-being and age (p =.020; rs =.241), general health and gender (p =.013; rs =.456), social functioning and age (p =.010; rs =.271) and energy/fatigue and experience (p =.001; rs =-.371). Discussion & Conclusion: This study highlights the need to improve QOL among running population with AKP. Multidimensional rehabilitation programmes are recommended.  Key words: anterior knee pain, quality of life, runners


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