Internet Use and Preventive Health Behaviors Among Couples in Later Life: Evidence from the Health and Retirement Study

Abstract Internet is increasingly popular among older adults and have changed interpersonal interactions. However, it remains controversial whether older people are more or less lonely with internet use. This paper tests the longitudinal association of internet use and loneliness among older people. One pathway that explains the association, the mediation effect of social contact, was examined. Data from the 2006, 2010 and 2014 waves of Health and Retirement Study was used. Hierarchical liner modeling results showed internet use was related to decreased loneliness over 12-year period of time (b=-0.044, p<.001). Internet use was associated with more social contact with family and friends overtime (b=0.261, p<.001), social contact was related to less perceived loneliness longitudinally (b=0.097, p<.001). The total effect of internet use on loneliness is -0.054 and the mediated effect is -0.025. The findings imply that online activities can be effective for reducing loneliness for older people through increased social contact.

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Older adults’ lay theories of abilities predict their willingness to engage in preventive health behaviors

Archives of Gerontology and Geriatrics ◽

10.1016/j.archger.2020.104291 ◽

2021 ◽

Vol 93 ◽

pp. 104291

Author(s):

Manon Marquet ◽

Jason E. Plaks ◽

Laksmiina Balasubramaniam ◽

Samantha Brunet ◽

Alison L. Chasteen

Keyword(s):

Older Adults ◽

Health Behaviors ◽

Preventive Health ◽

Lay Theories ◽

Preventive Health Behaviors ◽

Willingness To Engage

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Is Childhood Socioeconomic Status Related to Coronary Heart Disease? Evidence From the Health and Retirement Study (1992-2012)

Gerontology and Geriatric Medicine ◽

10.1177/2333721417696673 ◽

2017 ◽

Vol 3 ◽

pp. 233372141769667 ◽

Cited By ~ 3

Author(s):

Minjee Lee ◽

M. Mahmud Khan ◽

Brad Wright

Keyword(s):

Socioeconomic Status ◽

Coronary Heart Disease ◽

Heart Disease ◽

Later Life ◽

Study Data ◽

Health And Retirement Study ◽

Increased Risk ◽

Childhood Socioeconomic Status ◽

Nationally Representative ◽

Retirement Study

Objective: We investigated the association between childhood socioeconomic status (SES) and coronary heart disease (CHD) in older Americans. Method: We used Health and Retirement Study data from 1992 to 2012 to examine a nationally representative sample of Americans aged ≥50 years ( N = 30,623). We modeled CHD as a function of childhood and adult SES using maternal and paternal educational level as a proxy for childhood SES. Results: Respondents reporting low childhood SES were significantly more likely to have CHD than respondents reporting high childhood SES. Respondents reporting both low childhood and adult SES were 2.34 times more likely to have CHD than respondents reporting both high childhood and adult SES. People with low childhood SES and high adult SES were 1.60 times more likely than people with high childhood SES and high adult SES to report CHD in the fully adjusted model. High childhood SES and low adult SES increased the likelihood of CHD by 13%, compared with high SES both as a child and adult. Conclusion: Childhood SES is significantly associated with increased risk of CHD in later life among older adult Americans.

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