scholarly journals Implications of Perceived Neighborhood Quality, Daily Discrimination, and Depression for Social Integration Across Mid- and Later Life: A Case of Person-Environment Fit?

2019 ◽  
Vol 60 (4) ◽  
pp. 661-671
Author(s):  
Jeffrey E Stokes
Keyword(s):  
Social Integration ◽  
Successful Aging ◽  
Later Life ◽  
Well Being ◽  
The United States ◽  
Neighborhood Quality ◽  
Social Community ◽  
Random Intercept ◽  
Person Environment Fit ◽  
Age Range

Abstract Background and Objectives Integration in one’s social community may depend in part upon feeling safe and secure within one’s physical community, or neighborhood. Moreover, high-quality neighborhoods may serve as a supportive resource, potentially “buffering” against the harmful influence of experiences such as discrimination or depression that could otherwise erode adults’ sense of belonging. This study examines longitudinal associations of perceived neighborhood quality, daily discrimination, and depression with social integration among midlife and older adults, and tests whether perceived neighborhood quality is of increased importance with age and/or in the contexts of discrimination and depression. Research Design and Methods Multilevel random intercept models analyzed 6,016 observations of 3,102 individuals drawn from the 3 waves of the National Survey of Midlife Development in the United States (MIDUS, 1995–2014). Results Perceived neighborhood quality was associated with greater social integration throughout adulthood, though its impact was slightly attenuated with age. Moreover, depression was harmful for social integration across the age range, yet its influence was significantly buffered by perceived neighborhood quality. Daily discrimination was not associated with social integration, net of covariates. Discussion and Implications Findings underscore the importance of physical place and person-environment fit for social well-being throughout adulthood, and confirm the deleterious effects of depression for adults’ social integration. Further, results highlight perceived neighborhood quality as a critical component for successful “aging in place,” particularly as a social resource adults may call upon in the context of depression.

HIV/AIDS in Later Life

2018 ◽  
Author(s):  
Philip Sayegh ◽  
David J. Moore ◽  
Pariya Fazeli Wheeler
Keyword(s):  
Successful Aging ◽  
Neuropsychiatric Symptoms ◽  
Later Life ◽  
Well Being ◽  
The United States ◽  
Neurocognitive Deficits ◽  
Everyday Functioning ◽  
Persons Living With Hiv ◽  
Living With Hiv ◽  
Hiv Aids

Since the first cluster of people with HIV was identified in 1981, significant biomedical advances, most notably the development of antiretroviral therapy (ART), have led to considerably increased life expectancy as well as a reduction in the morbidity and mortality associated with HIV/AIDS. As a result, HIV/AIDS is no longer considered a terminal illness, but rather a chronic illness, and many persons living with HIV/AIDS are beginning to enter or have already reached later life. In fact, Americans ages 50 years and older comprise approximately half of all individuals with HIV/AIDS and represent the most rapidly growing subpopulation of persons living with HIV/AIDS in the United States. Despite significant advances in HIV/AIDS treatment and prognosis, older adults living with HIV (OALH) face a number of unique challenges and circumstances that can lead to exacerbated symptoms and poorer outcomes, despite demonstrating generally better ART adherence than their younger counterparts. These detrimental outcomes are due to both chronological aging and cohort effects as well as social and behavioral factors and long-term ART use. For instance, neurocognitive deficits and neuropsychiatric symptoms, including depression, anxiety, apathy, and fatigue, are often observed among OALH, which can result in feelings of loneliness, social isolation, and reduced social support. Taken together, these factors can lead to elevated levels of problems with everyday functioning (e.g., activities of daily living) among OALH. In addition, sociocultural factors such as race/ethnicity, ageism, sexism, homophobia, transphobia, geographic region, socioeconomic status and financial well-being, systemic barriers and disparities, and cultural values and beliefs play an influential role in determining outcomes. Notwithstanding the challenges associated with living with HIV/AIDS in later life, many persons living with HIV/AIDS are aging successfully. HIV/AIDS survivor and community mobilization efforts, as well as integrated care models, have resulted in some significant improvements in overall HIV/AIDS patient care. In addition, interventions aimed at improving successful aging outcomes among OALH are being developed in an attempt to effectively reduce the psychological and physical morbidity associated with HIV disease.

The Temporal Relationship Between Self-Acceptance and Generativity over Two Decades

2022 ◽  
pp. 073346482110614
Author(s):  
Mohsen Joshanloo
Keyword(s):  
Successful Aging ◽  
Temporal Relationship ◽  
Well Being ◽  
The United States ◽  
The Self ◽  
Future Generations ◽  
Panel Model ◽  
Random Intercept ◽  
Past Life ◽  
Self Acceptance

Generativity is defined as a concern for the well-being of future generations, which involves both caring and a will to extend the self into the future. Extant research indicates that generativity plays an important role in successful aging. The present study sought to examine the temporal relationship between self-acceptance and generativity over about 2 decades. The data were drawn from the three waves of the Midlife in the United States (MIDUS) project, collected with intervals of about 10 years ( N = 4,167). The random-intercept cross-lagged panel model was used for data analysis. It was found that self-acceptance prospectively predicted generativity, whereas generativity did not predict self-acceptance. Thus, coming to terms with various aspects of one’s personality and past life contributes to higher future levels of generativity.

scholarly journals Higher Childhood Adversity Reduces Environmental Satisfaction Among Older Adults

2021 ◽  
Vol 5 (Supplement_1) ◽  
pp. 781-781
Author(s):  
Ramona Danielson ◽  
Susan Ray-Degges
Keyword(s):  
Successful Aging ◽  
Correlation Coefficients ◽  
Childhood Adversity ◽  
Positive Association ◽  
Well Being ◽  
Poor Quality ◽  
Neighborhood Quality ◽  
Significant Positive Association ◽  
Increased Risk ◽  
Person Environment Fit

Abstract Background Childhood adversity (CA) is associated with increased physiological and psychological challenges in adulthood. Normal aging comes with changes that may put adults with a history of CA at increased risk of a poor quality aging experience. Because suitable person-environment fit is an important component of well-being, the present study explored two hypotheses: 1) Higher CA is associated with lower perceived neighborhood quality, and 2) Higher CA is associated with higher perceived inequality in home. Methods Using MIDUS 2011-2014 Refresher Survey (for this study, N=1,017 adults ages 55-76), Spearman’s rho correlation coefficients were run to explore the associations between a previously validated CA score and two environmental satisfaction indices. Perceived inequality in home comprised ratings on six items and perceived neighborhood quality comprised ratings on four items. Results Hypothesis 1: There was a significant positive association between the perceived inequality in home and cumulative CA, rs(998) = .200, p < .001. Hypothesis 2: There was a significant negative association between the perceived quality of neighborhood index and cumulative CA, rs(998) = -.182, p < .001. The strength of the associations were weak. Conclusions Higher cumulative experiences of CA were associated with increased feelings of home environment inequality, and decreased feelings of neighborhood quality. Significant differences were evident after decades had elapsed, demonstrating the long-lasting reach of CA. Further research exploring policy and practice approaches to mitigating the effects of CA is needed to allow aging adults to achieve better person-environment fit and equitable access to successful aging.

scholarly journals WOMEN'S EXPERIENCES OF AGING AND SOCIAL CONNECTEDNESS

2019 ◽  
Vol 3 (Supplement_1) ◽  
pp. S212-S212
Author(s):  
Nicky J Newton ◽  
Jamila Bookwala
Keyword(s):  
Native American ◽  
Older Women ◽  
Successful Aging ◽  
Social Connectedness ◽  
Later Life ◽  
Well Being ◽  
Life Transition ◽  
Theories Of Aging ◽  
Age Related ◽  
Age Range

Abstract Models of aging, such as the successful aging framework outlined by Rowe & Kahn (1987; 2015) should be holistic, necessitating the inclusion of health, psychosocial factors, and social connectedness. Even at the oldest ages, life expectancy and rates of survival are increasing, yet these longer lives are accompanied with disease and disability, especially among women (Crimmins & Beltrán-Sánchez, 2010); thus, maximizing health and well-being during these post-retirement years, which can often span decades, is a high priority. However, models of age-related change, such as those relating to age-related transitions, are predominantly based on men’s experiences; less is known about how women navigate later life (Calasanti, 2010; Kim & Moen, 2002). The presentations in this symposium provide quantitative and qualitative data from women of a broad age range concerning their experiences of aging, with the shared theme of social relationships. Sherman examines the relationship between personality and social support for well-being outcomes in Native American, African American, and European American women (Mage = 57). Conceptualizing aging as the quintessential life transition, Newton outlines the diverse themes of physical, psychological, and social aging from interviews with older women (Mage = 72). Fuller and Toyama find that for older women (Mage = 80), friendships mattered more than family, and counting on neighbors could even be detrimental in terms of life satisfaction and stress. Taken together, these presentations provide a varied picture of what it means for women to ‘age well’, suggesting nuanced ways in which we might conceptualize theories of aging for women.

Innovation in Later Life: A Study of Grandmothers and Facebook

2020 ◽  
pp. 009141502094020
Author(s):  
Mor Yachin ◽  
Galit Nimrod
Keyword(s):  
Information And Communication Technology ◽  
Communication Technology ◽  
Successful Aging ◽  
Later Life ◽  
Well Being ◽  
Innovation Theory ◽  
Use Patterns ◽  
The World ◽  
Information And Communication ◽  
Set Up

Relying on the Innovation theory of successful aging, this study aims at exploring how grandmothers around the world perceive and use Facebook. Twenty-seven focus groups were set up in seven countries: Canada, Colombia, Israel, Italy, Peru, Romania, and Spain. Participants consisted of 184 grandmothers aged 65 and over who use information and communication technology to some extent. Data were analyzed according to hybrid thematic analysis principles and findings pointed to substantial ambivalence regarding Facebook. Grandmothers who used it reported rather restrained use that was typically triggered externally and characterized by reactive use patterns. Nevertheless, Facebook appeared to promote users’ well-being by supporting preservation of their relationships, roots, and sense of relevance. These findings suggest a new theoretical tenet to innovation theory according to which even “restrained innovation” in later life may be beneficial.

scholarly journals Multidimensional comparison of countries’ adaptation to societal aging

2018 ◽  
Vol 115 (37) ◽  
pp. 9169-9174 ◽  
Author(s):  
Cynthia Chen ◽  
Dana P. Goldman ◽  
Julie Zissimopoulos ◽  
John W. Rowe ◽  
Keyword(s):  
United States ◽  
Successful Aging ◽  
Well Being ◽  
The United States ◽  
Social Risks ◽  
The Status ◽  
Using Data ◽  
Eastern European Countries ◽  
Policies And Programs ◽  
Aging Societies

As long-term changes in life expectancy and fertility drive the emergence of aging societies across the globe, individual countries vary widely in the development of age-relevant policies and programs. While failure to adapt to the demographic transformation carries not only important financial risks but also social risks, most efforts to gauge countries’ preparedness focus on economic indicators. Using data from the Organization for Economic Cooperation and Development (OECD) and other sources, we developed a multidimensional Aging Society Index that assesses the status of older populations across five specific domains, including productivity and engagement, well-being, equity, economic and physical security, and intergenerational cohesion. For 18 OECD countries, the results demonstrate substantial diversity in countries’ progress in adapting to aging. For any given domain, there are wide differences across countries, and within most countries, there is substantial variation across domains. Overall, Norway and Sweden rank first in adaptation to aging, followed by the United States, The Netherlands, and Japan. Central and eastern European countries rank at the bottom, with huge untapped potential for successful aging. The United States ranks best in productivity and engagement, in the top half for cohesion, and in the middle in well-being, but it ranks third from the bottom in equity. Only well-being and security showed significant between-domain correlation (r = 0.59, P = 0.011), strengthening the case for a multidimensional index. Examination of heterogeneity within and across domains of the index can be used to assess the need for, and effectiveness of, various programs and policies and facilitate successful adaptation to the demographic transition.

scholarly journals EMOTIONS AND WELL-BEING IN LATER LIFE CHILDHOOD HAPPINESS, SELF-MASTERY, AND LATER-LIFE HEALTH

2019 ◽  
Vol 3 (Supplement_1) ◽  
pp. S576-S576
Author(s):  
Haena Lee ◽  
Markus H Schafer
Keyword(s):  
Depressive Symptoms ◽  
Family Environment ◽  
Social Life ◽  
Successful Aging ◽  
Living Arrangement ◽  
Later Life ◽  
Well Being ◽  
Adult Health ◽  
Growing Up ◽  
Self Rated Health

Abstract Considerable work has documented that positive childhood memories, especially childhood happiness, predict better health among young adults. However, it is not known whether growing up happy has enduring health consequences across the life course. Using two waves of the National Social Life, Health and Aging Project (2010-2011 and 2015-2016; N = 1,937), we investigate the relationship between childhood happiness and changes in physical, mental, and biological functioning in later life. Childhood happiness was retrospectively assessed using a question: “When I was growing up, my family life was always happy.” Self-rated health, depressive symptoms, and frailty over a five-year period were examined to reflect changes in functional status. Childhood SES and living arrangement were examined to assess childhood sociodemographic background. Educational attainment, family support and strain, and self-mastery were considered as potential mediators. We find that, among other childhood factors, childhood happiness significantly predicts older adult health. Specifically, childhood happiness was associated with better self-rated health and lower depressive symptoms at follow-up, net of baseline health conditions. We did not find a relationship between frailty and childhood happiness. Unlike prior work, we found no significant effect of childhood SES on the measured outcomes. Associations between childhood happiness and self-rated health and depression were mediated by psychosocial resources including self-mastery and perceived social support from family members. This implies that growing up in nurturing, cherished family environment has the potential to cultivate social relationships and build resilience which could provide an important pathway to successful aging.

Reconsidering Change and Continuity in Later Life: Toward an Innovation Theory of Successful Aging

2007 ◽  
Vol 65 (1) ◽  
pp. 1-22 ◽  
Author(s):  
Galit Nimrod ◽  
Douglas A. Kleiber
Keyword(s):  
Activity Theory ◽  
Successful Aging ◽  
Aging Process ◽  
Sense Of Self ◽  
Later Life ◽  
Well Being ◽  
Perceived Benefits ◽  
Structured Interviews ◽  
Male And Female ◽  
Purposive Sample

This article examines the patterns and meanings of innovation in the activities of a group of retirees with an eye toward understanding the place and value of innovation in the aging process. Starting with a consideration of continuity theory, as a perspective that simply describes typical patterns of activity, and activity theory that prescribes expansion of activities as a key to well-being, this article highlights the characteristics, meanings and perceived benefits of a wide variety of innovative activities. The study utilized in-depth semi-structured interviews with a purposive sample of 20 male and female retirees involved in a “Learning and Retirement” program. Innovations that both preserve a sense of self (internal continuity) as well as those that allow one to strike out in entirely new direction are described, and, using a process of constant comparison, their motivational dynamics are explored. Given previous arguments that activity can be indiscriminate and disintegrative in some circumstances, we nevertheless suggest that innovation can be growth producing and liberating, even in later life, while at the same time generally protecting a sense of internal continuity.

scholarly journals Give Thanks in All Circumstances? Gratitude Toward God and Health in Later Life After Major Life Stressors

2021 ◽  
Vol 5 (Supplement_1) ◽  
pp. 465-465
Author(s):  
Laura Upenieks ◽  
Joanne Ford-Robertson
Keyword(s):  
Older Adults ◽  
Life Course ◽  
Later Life ◽  
Well Being ◽  
The United States ◽  
National Sample ◽  
Life Stressors ◽  
Major Life ◽  
Moderation Effect ◽  
Development Framework

Abstract Gratitude is foundational to well-being throughout the life course, and an emerging body of work suggests that older adults may be more inclined to attribute gratitude to a non-human target (God). Drawing on life course theory and Erikson’s lifespan development framework, we use data from a national sample of Christian older adults from the United States (N = 1,005) to examine whether gratitude towards God buffers the noxious health effects of the death of a loved one or personal illness. Results suggest that gratitude towards God tends to predict better age-comparative and global self-rated physical health in the aftermath of stress, a moderation effect which is partially mediated by stronger beliefs in God-mediated control (that God is a collaborative partner in dealing with problems). We conclude by proposing some interventions for clinicians and counselors centered around gratitude and religiosity that may assist older adults in coping with major life stressors.

scholarly journals Daily Activity Engagement Predicts More Positive Affect Especially on Days When a Person Feels Young

2021 ◽  
Vol 5 (Supplement_1) ◽  
pp. 908-909
Author(s):  
Erica O'Brien ◽  
Shevaun Neupert
Keyword(s):  
Negative Affect ◽  
Successful Aging ◽  
Leisure Activities ◽  
Well Being ◽  
Daily Basis ◽  
Subjective Age ◽  
Activity Engagement ◽  
Prior Literature ◽  
Age Range ◽  
The Relationship

Abstract Engagement in a wide array of mental, social, and physical leisure activities confers several health benefits. Indeed, theories of successful aging argue that an active lifestyle serves as an important criterion for maintaining high levels of psychological, functional, and physical well-being in old age. Findings from parallel studies also show that people who hold positive (self-)views of aging exhibit higher and maintained levels of well-being over time. Yet, whether views of aging enhances the link between activity engagement and well-being - and whether they do so on a daily basis – remains unknown. This study therefore sought to extend prior literature by examining the relationship between activity engagement, subjective age, and affective ratings within-person over several days. Old adults (N = 115; Age: Range = 60 – 90, M = 64.65, SD = 4.86) in the Mindfulness and Anticipatory Coping Every Day (MACED) study completed an 8-day daily diary. Participants reported on their positive and negative affect, the age they subjectively felt compared to their actual age, and the number and types of leisure activities in which they engaged. Results from multilevel analyses indicate that people felt more positive on days when they also engaged in more activities (total across mental, social, physical types) than usual. Moreover, the effect of activity engagement was most pronounced on days when people felt younger than usual. No effects were found for negative affect. Preliminary findings suggest that people benefit psychologically from daily leisure activities and a positive self-view of aging.

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