Lower executive functioning predicts steeper subsequent decline in well-being only in young-old but not old-old age

2020 ◽  
pp. 016502542093707
Author(s):  
Andreas Ihle ◽  
Paolo Ghisletta ◽  
Élvio R. Gouveia ◽  
Bruna R. Gouveia ◽  
Michel Oris ◽  
...  
Keyword(s):  
Executive Functioning ◽  
Old Age ◽  
Sex Education ◽  
Completion Time ◽  
Healthy Aging ◽  
Leisure Activities ◽  
Well Being ◽  
Change Score ◽  
Old Adults ◽  
Young Old

Objectives: From a longitudinal perspective, the direction of the relationship between cognitive functioning and well-being in old age, both conceptually and empirically, is still under debate. Therefore, we aimed to disentangle the different longitudinal relationship patterns proposed and whether those differed between young-old and old-old adults. Methods: We used latent change score modeling based on longitudinal data from 1,040 older adults ( M = 74.54 years at Time 1 [T1], median = 73 years) to analyze reciprocal lead–lag relationships over 6 years in executive functioning (trail making test [TMT] completion time) and well-being (life satisfaction), taking into account chronological age, sex, education, leisure activities, and chronic diseases. Results: In young-old adults (<73 years), longer TMT completion time at T1 (i.e., lower executive functioning status) significantly predicted steeper subsequent decline in well-being. This was not the case for old-old adults (≥73 years), for whom this relationship was significantly different from that of the young-old (moderation effect). In either group, well-being status at T1 did not predict changes in TMT completion time. Discussion: Lower executive functioning may predict a subsequent decline in well-being in young-old adults only. Wider implications in a context of promotion of healthy aging are discussed.

The longitudinal relation between social reserve and smaller subsequent decline in executive functioning in old age is mediated via cognitive reserve

2019 ◽  
pp. 1-7 ◽  
Author(s):  
Andreas Ihle ◽  
Michel Oris ◽  
Marie Baeriswyl ◽  
Sascha Zuber ◽  
Stéphane Cullati ◽  
...  
Keyword(s):  
Executive Functioning ◽  
Old Age ◽  
Completion Time ◽  
Cognitive Reserve ◽  
Leisure Activities ◽  
Leisure Activity ◽  
Change Score ◽  
Subsequent Increase ◽  
Activity Engagement ◽  
Mediating Role

ABSTRACT Objectives: Social reserve such as having close friends helps promoting activity engagement in old age. Activity engagement in turn contributes to the accumulation of cognitive reserve and is a key predictor for maintaining executive functioning in aging. We investigated the mediating role of leisure activity engagement in the longitudinal relation between close friends and subsequent change in executive functioning as measured through performance changes in the Trail Making Test (TMT). Design, Setting, and Participants: Longitudinal study with 897 older adults tested in two waves 6 years apart, analyzed using latent change score modeling. Measurements: TMT parts A and B, leisure activity engagement, and close friends. Results: A larger number of close friends in the first wave of data collection was related to a higher frequency of leisure activities in the first wave. A higher frequency of leisure activities in the first wave significantly predicted a smaller subsequent increase in TMT completion time from the first to the second wave (i.e. a smaller decline in executive functioning). Importantly, 41.3% of the longitudinal relation between a larger number of close friends in the first wave and a smaller subsequent increase in TMT completion time (i.e. a smaller decline in executive functioning) was mediated via a higher frequency of leisure activities in the first wave. Conclusions: Social reserve such as having close friends may help promoting activity engagement in old age. By enhancing individuals’ cognitive reserve, this activity engagement may finally result in smaller subsequent decline in executive functioning in aging.

scholarly journals Age-Friendliness and Life Satisfaction of Young-Old and Old-Old in Hong Kong

2017 ◽  
Vol 2017 ◽  
pp. 1-10 ◽  
Author(s):  
Alma M. L. Au ◽  
Stephen C. Y. Chan ◽  
H. M. Yip ◽  
Jackie Y. C. Kwok ◽  
K. Y. Lai ◽  
...  
Keyword(s):  
Life Satisfaction ◽  
Social Participation ◽  
Satisfaction With Life ◽  
Linear Regression Analysis ◽  
Well Being ◽  
Specific Aspect ◽  
World Health ◽  
Satisfaction With Life Scale ◽  
Old Adults ◽  
Young Old

Age-friendliness, promoted by the World Health Organization (WHO), aims to enable and support individuals in different aspects of life for fostering life satisfaction and personal well-being as they age. We identified specific aspect(s) of age-friendliness associated with life satisfaction and examined similarities and differences in age-friendliness and life satisfaction in young-old and old-old adults. Six hundred and eighty-two ageing adults were asked to complete a survey questionnaire consisting of the Age-friendly City Scale, Satisfaction with Life Scale, and sociodemographic variables. Multiple linear regression analysis was used to examine the effects of various domains of age-friendliness on life satisfaction among the young-old adults (aged 65 to 74, n=351) and the old-old adults (aged 75 to 97, n=331). Common domains associated with life satisfaction in both young-old and old-old groups were transportation and social participation. Community and health services were associated with life satisfaction for the young-old group only. On the other hand, civic participation and employment was significantly associated with the old-old group only. Social participation is important for the young-old and the old-old. Ageing older adults can be a resource to the society. Implications for promoting and implementing age-friendliness were discussed in the context of successful and productive ageing and the need for a more refined taxonomy of social activities.

scholarly journals SOCIAL STRATIFICATION AND TRAJECTORIES OF LIVING ARRANGEMENTS AMONG OLDER AMERICANS

2019 ◽  
Vol 3 (Supplement_1) ◽  
pp. S281-S281
Author(s):  
Jersey Liang ◽  
BoRin Kim ◽  
Xiao Xu ◽  
James Raymo ◽  
Mary Beth Ofstedal ◽  
...  
Keyword(s):  
Old Age ◽  
Social Stratification ◽  
Living Arrangements ◽  
Well Being ◽  
Cross Sectional ◽  
Term Care ◽  
Older Americans ◽  
Rate Of Increase ◽  
Race Ethnicity ◽  
Young Old

Abstract Living arrangements are critical to intra-family exchanges that affect older persons’ health and well-being. The conventional conceptualization of living arrangements has emphasized coresidence with children, while overlooking proximate residence from children. Additionally, existing research often relied on cross-sectional data which confound intrapersonal differences with interpersonal variations. This study examined the dynamics of living arrangements in old age by depicting their trajectories as a function of social stratification (i.e., age, gender, race/ethnicity, education, income, and wealth). Data came from the Health and Retirement Study and included a national sample of 7,822 older Americans with at least one living child from 1998 to 2014. Multi-level mixed effects models were employed to analyze the trajectories of living arrangements and their key determinants for the young-old and the old-old separately. Among the young-old (age 65-74, N=4,917), the probability of coresidence increased slightly over time, whereas the probabilities of proximate residence and distant residence decreased slightly and remained stable respectively, and the risk for institutionalization increased moderately. Similar but more accelerated trajectories were observed among the old-old (age 75+, N=2,905). Age, gender, race/ethnicity, education, income, and asset were significantly associated with not only the levels of the probabilities of various living arrangements but also their slopes. For instance, among the old-old, Hispanics had a lower level of nursing home residence as well as a slower rate of increase in the risk of institutionalization than Whites. These findings may inform public policies to strengthen family-based support and long-term care for older people.

scholarly journals REPRESENTATION OF THE ELDERLY PROTAGONIST IN TRACY LETTS’ AUGUST: OSAGE COUNTY

2018 ◽  
pp. 120-125
Author(s):  
A. Gaidash ◽  
Keyword(s):  
Healthy Aging ◽  
The Elderly ◽  
Theoretical Background ◽  
Heavy Smoker ◽  
Pulitzer Prize ◽  
Late Adulthood ◽  
Old Adults ◽  
Passive Strategies ◽  
Young Old ◽  
Osage County

This article examines the literary portrayal of the female sexagenarian in the Pulitzer-Prize winning play. The gerontological portrait of the elderly is analyzed in the context of “the young old” adults. The theoretical background of the article is formed from an array of humanities-related disciplines: in particular, sociology, literary gerontology, medical humanities. The author of the article studies how the notion of normativity in late adulthood is represented in August: Osage County. The playwright subverts the concepts of successful and healthy aging in the images of Violet and Beverly Westons: Violet is a heavy smoker; Beverly is a heavy drinker. The issue of ableism allows us to detect the element of a new genre of pathography, a battle, which is indicative of the gerontological portrayal of the elderly protagonist. In his drama, Tracy Letts develops active and passive strategies of aging, which his elderly characters choose to cope with their disabilities in late adulthood.

The Association of Psychological Well-Being With Sensory and Cognitive Function and Neuronal Health in Aging Adults

2021 ◽  
pp. 089826432110468
Author(s):  
Natascha Merten ◽  
Aaron Alex Pinto ◽  
Adam J Paulsen ◽  
Yanjun Chen ◽  
Lauren K Dillard ◽  
...  
Keyword(s):  
Visual Acuity ◽  
Cognitive Function ◽  
Contrast Sensitivity ◽  
Sex Education ◽  
Healthy Aging ◽  
Well Being ◽  
Inner Plexiform Layer ◽  
Psychological Well Being ◽  
Age Related ◽  
Olfactory Impairment

Objectives Psychological well-being (PWB) may be a potential modifiable risk factor of age-related diseases. We aimed to determine associations of PWB with sensorineural and cognitive function and neuronal health in middle-aged adults. Methods This study included 2039 Beaver Dam Offspring Study participants. We assessed PWB, hearing, visual acuity, contrast sensitivity impairment, olfactory impairment, cognition, and retinal (macular ganglion cell inner-plexiform layer, mGCIPL) thickness. Age-sex-education-adjusted multivariable linear, logistic regression, and generalized estimating equation models were used and then further adjusted for health-related confounders. Results Individuals with higher PWB had better hearing functions, visual acuity, and thicker mGCIPL and reduced odds for hearing, contrast sensitivity and olfactory impairment in age-sex-education-adjusted models. Effects on mGCIPL and visual and olfactory measures decreased with adjustment. Higher PWB was associated with better cognition, better combined sensorineural-cognitive function, and decreased cognitive impairment. Discussion Psychological well-being was associated with sensorineural-cognitive health indicating a potential of PWB interventions for healthy aging.

scholarly journals The Age and Well-Being Paradox Revisited: A Multidimensional Perspective

2020 ◽  
Vol 4 (Supplement_1) ◽  
pp. 459-459
Author(s):  
Thomas Hansen
Keyword(s):  
Old Age ◽  
Emotional Regulation ◽  
Fixed Effects ◽  
General Pattern ◽  
Well Being ◽  
Older Age ◽  
Men And Women ◽  
Age Related ◽  
Young Old ◽  
Age Related Changes

Abstract Much gerontological research has focused on the paradoxical observation that older people, despite their lower objective quality of life, report higher well-being than younger people. High well-being in old age is believed to be caused by adaptation, emotional regulation, and accommodative strategies. We aim to add nuance by examining whether the “paradox” holds across dimensions of well-being; for men and women; in young old and old-old age; and before introducing statistical controls (e.g for health and social factors). Using fixed effects models and 15-years panel data from the Norwegian NorLAG study (n=2,700, age 40+), we explore age-related changes in cognitive, affective, and eudaimonic dimensions of wellbeing. Results indicate a general pattern of stability well into older age, but negative changes in advanced age, cross-sectionally and longitudinally, and for each well-being measure. Declines in well-being are less pronounced and with a later onset for the cognitive compared with the other measures. Results are similar for men and women. Loss of health and partner are the main causes of declining well-being in older age. Findings suggest qualifications to the “well-being paradox”, e.g.: some dimensions of well-being remain more stable than others; across dimensions of well-being change is more negative in old-old than in young-old age; and patterns of increasing well-being in older age are more pronounced after controlling for age-related changes in health and social roles. We argue that the use of controls makes for false impressions of the psychological changes that actually occur when people grow older.

scholarly journals Interactional Effects Between Relational and Cognitive Reserves on Decline in Executive Functioning

2020 ◽  
Author(s):  
Julia Sauter ◽  
Eric Widmer ◽  
Marie Baeriswyl ◽  
Nicola Ballhausen ◽  
Fanny Vallet ◽  
...  
Keyword(s):  
Executive Functioning ◽  
Completion Time ◽  
Cognitive Reserve ◽  
Change Score ◽  
Network Size ◽  
Subsequent Increase ◽  
Family Networks ◽  
Data Assessment ◽  
Longitudinal Association ◽  
Trail Making

Abstract Objectives The present study set out to investigate associations of cognitive reserve (as indicated by education) and relational reserve (as indicated by the family network size and indices of emotional support) to decline in executive functioning over 6 years as measured by changes in Trail Making Test (TMT) completion time in older adults and whether education and network size interacted with age and sex as covariates with respect to this longitudinal association. Method We analyzed data from 897 participants tested on TMT parts A and B in two waves 6 years apart. The mean age in the first wave was 74.33 years. Participants reported information on their family networks and their level of education. Results Latent change score modeling testing for moderation effects revealed a significant interaction of network size in the first wave of data assessment with education. Specifically, for lower levels of cognitive reserve (−1 SD of education), the longitudinal association between relational reserve in the first wave and subsequent changes in executive functioning was not significant. In contrast, for higher levels of cognitive reserve (+1 SD of education), a higher relational reserve in the first wave significantly predicted a smaller subsequent increase in TMT completion time from the first to the second wave (i.e., a smaller decline in executive functioning). Discussion The present longitudinal study provides evidence for the interaction between cognitive and relational reserves. This confirms the hypothesis that reserves from different domains are intertwined and their combined effects contribute to less cognitive decline in old age.

scholarly journals The relationship of obesity predicting decline in executive functioning is attenuated with greater leisure activities in old age

2019 ◽  
pp. 1-8 ◽  
Author(s):  
Andreas Ihle ◽  
Élvio R. Gouveia ◽  
Bruna R. Gouveia ◽  
Sascha Zuber ◽  
Nathalie Mella ◽  
...  
Keyword(s):  
Executive Functioning ◽  
Old Age ◽  
Leisure Activities ◽  
Relationship Of ◽  
The Relationship

scholarly journals Linking Emotion Regulation Capacity and the Frequency of Daily Stressors in Old and Very Old Age

2021 ◽  
Vol 5 (Supplement_1) ◽  
pp. 331-331
Author(s):  
Denis Gerstorf ◽  
Anna Lücke ◽  
Hans-Werner Wahl ◽  
Oliver Schilling ◽  
Ute Kunzmann ◽  
...  
Keyword(s):  
Emotion Regulation ◽  
Old Age ◽  
Negative Emotion ◽  
Daily Stressors ◽  
Very Old ◽  
Old Adults ◽  
Film Clips ◽  
Very Old Age ◽  
Young Old ◽  
Initial Results

Abstract Lifespan theories and lab-based research both suggest that the ability to downregulate negative emotions is often well preserved into old age, but becomes increasingly fragile in very old age. However, little is known about factors that may alleviate such age differences. Here, we ask whether exposure to daily stressors helps very old adults to maintain effective emotion regulation skills. We used data from 130 young-old (65-69 years, 48% women) and 59 very-old adults (83-89 years, 58% women) who watched negative emotion evoking film clips in the lab under emotion regulation instructions and also reported stress situations they experienced in everyday life (42 occasions across seven days). Initial results indicate that very-old adults were indeed less successful in regulating sadness than young-old adults, but those very-old adults who reported many daily stressful situations were as capable of emotion regulation as young-old adults. We discuss possible factors contributing to our age-differential findings.

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