Urban and Rural Differences in Trajectories of Depressive Symptoms in Later Life in the United States

2020 ◽  
pp. 073346482097252
Author(s):  
Na Sun ◽  
Cassandra L. Hua ◽  
Xiao Qiu ◽  
J. Scott Brown
Keyword(s):  
Depressive Symptoms ◽  
Rural Areas ◽  
Later Life ◽  
Well Being ◽  
The United States ◽  
Growth Curve Analysis ◽  
Urban Residence ◽  
Latent Growth Curve Analysis ◽  
Nationally Representative ◽  
The Relationship

Objective: This research has two primary goals: to examine the relationship between urban residence and trajectories of depressive symptoms and to investigate whether this relationship differs by social isolation and loneliness. Method: Data are from 2006, 2008, 2010, 2012, 2014, and 2016 waves of the Health and Retirement Study (HRS), a nationally representative sample of U.S. adults aged 51+ ( n = 3,346 females and 2,441 males). We conduct latent growth curve analysis to predict both baseline and trajectories of depression based on urban or rural residency. Results: Residing in urban or rural areas is neither significantly associated with baseline nor the development of late-life depressive symptoms. For females, the relationship between urban residence and baseline depressive symptoms is explained by socioeconomic factors. Discussion: Findings of this study serve to better understand how social and geographic contexts shape long-term well-being of older adults.

scholarly journals SOCIAL CAPITAL AND HEALTH AT OLDER AGES IN GHANA

2019 ◽  
Vol 3 (Supplement_1) ◽  
pp. S747-S747
Author(s):  
Kojo Paul Ayernor
Keyword(s):  
Social Capital ◽  
Later Life ◽  
Personal Control ◽  
Well Being ◽  
Small Scale ◽  
Four Dimensions ◽  
Self Rated Health ◽  
Nationally Representative ◽  
The Relationship ◽  
Global Ageing

Abstract Significant increases in life expectancy and declining fertility confirms that population ageing is fast becoming a reality in several West African nations, and the demographic transition is expected to continue well into this century. This study examines the association between social capital, self-rated health, and depression among older adults aged 50 years and over in Ghana. It draws on a small scale, yet nationally representative longitudinal data from the Global Ageing Study (SAGE-WHO, 2003-2007). Social capital is conceptualized through four dimensions: personal control, generalized trust, safety in the community and free expression. Although there were not significant findings on social capital and depression, results demonstrated significant associations between social capital and self-rated health. The relationship between social capital and self-rated health suggests the need to extend and expand upon research regarding the relationship between social capital, health, and well-being in later life in aging African communities.

scholarly journals Age at Immigration and Depression: The Mediating Role of Contemporary Relationships with Adult Children among Older Immigrants

2020 ◽  
Author(s):  
Heejung Jang ◽  
Natasha V Pilkauskas ◽  
Fenyan Tang
Keyword(s):  
Depressive Symptoms ◽  
Adult Children ◽  
Adult Child ◽  
Later Life ◽  
Well Being ◽  
The United States ◽  
Ordinary Least Squares ◽  
Study Data ◽  
Psychological Well Being ◽  
Older Immigrants

Abstract Objectives For the growing population of older immigrants in the United States, both age at immigration and familial relationships are important factors affecting psychological well-being. This study explores how age at immigration and contemporary relationships with adult children combine to explain older immigrants’ depressive symptoms. Method This study uses 2014 Health and Retirement Study data from a sample of 759 immigrants age 65 and older who have at least one adult child age 21 or older. A series of ordinary least squares regressions and mediational analyses were conducted. Results Findings indicate that structural solidarity significantly mediates the association between age at immigration and depressive symptoms. Specifically, immigrating in later life was associated with a lower level of depressive symptoms through its relationship with structural solidarity. In addition, giving monetary support to children and providing care for grandchildren may alleviate depressive symptoms for older immigrants. Discussion This study suggests that relationships with adult children may differ with age at immigration. The types of support that older immigrants provide to their adult children may be crucial because such support may instill a sense of obligation and reciprocity that may be beneficial to the psychological well-being of older immigrants.

scholarly journals Exploring the Relationship Between the CFPB Financial Well-Being Score and the Elder Index

2020 ◽  
Vol 4 (Supplement_1) ◽  
pp. 731-732
Author(s):  
Jan Mutchler
Keyword(s):  
United States ◽  
Household Income ◽  
Later Life ◽  
Well Being ◽  
The United States ◽  
Poverty Rate ◽  
Financial Security ◽  
Cost Of Living ◽  
The Cost ◽  
The Relationship

Abstract The Elder Index is a cost of living indicator that measures the income older adults need to meet their living expenses while staying independent in the community, calculated on a county-by-county basis for the United States. Analyses based on the Elder Index show that a large segment of the age 65+ population has incomes below the Index, reflecting a level of insecurity that is considerably higher than suggested by the poverty rate. Moreover, comparison of the Elder Index to household income illustrates differences across states in the extent to which incomes cover the cost of necessary expenditures. In this paper we explore how cost of living contributes to subjective financial security among older people, as measured by the CFPB Financial Well-Being Score, using a data match of the Understanding America Study with the Elder Index. Results document this association, offering insight to spatial patterns of financial insecurity in later life.

scholarly journals Moderating Effect of Psychological Resilience on Functional Impairment in Relation to Subsequent Depression

2020 ◽  
Vol 4 (Supplement_1) ◽  
pp. 484-484
Author(s):  
Shinae Choi ◽  
Eun Ha Namkung
Keyword(s):  
United States ◽  
Older Adults ◽  
Depressive Symptoms ◽  
Functional Impairment ◽  
Later Life ◽  
Well Being ◽  
The United States ◽  
Ordinary Least Squares ◽  
Psychological Resilience ◽  
The Impact

Abstract The growing prevalence of functional impairment is a serious concern due to its relation to decreased quality of life in later life. Guided by the social convoy model and the stress process model, the present study investigated whether psychological resilience, particularly optimism and mastery moderated an association between functional impairment and subsequent depressive symptoms in later life. This study used data derived from two population-based national studies in the United States: 2012 and 2016 waves of the Health and Retirement Study (N = 5,035) and 2004 and 2013 waves of the Midlife in the United States (N = 2,476). Ordinary least squares regression was used to estimate the impact of optimism and mastery, respectively, on the associations between functional impairment (baseline measure at wave(t-1), changes over the study period from wave(t-1) to wave(t)) on subsequent changes in depressive symptoms. Across both studies, we found that having and developing functional impairment are related to increased number of depressive symptoms. Optimism independently predicted decreased depressive symptoms over the study periods and buffered the negative effects of functional impairment on depressive symptoms across the two studies. Specifically, the mitigating effects of optimism on depressive symptoms were greater for those with more numbers of functional limitations. The findings suggest that psychological resilience plays a key role in decreasing depressive symptoms, especially for midlife and older adults with functional impairment. The results also demonstrate the importance of examining both optimism and mastery when investigating psychological resilience and emotional well-being in older adults.

scholarly journals Social Support, Coping Behaviors, and Resilience Among African Americans During COVID-19

2021 ◽  
Vol 5 (Supplement_1) ◽  
pp. 198-198
Author(s):  
Sung Park
Keyword(s):  
Social Support ◽  
African Americans ◽  
Ethnic Groups ◽  
Well Being ◽  
The United States ◽  
Coping Behaviors ◽  
Nationally Representative ◽  
And Coping ◽  
The Relationship ◽  
Multiple Health

Abstract Enduring structural inequalities in the United States by race have only become more apparent during COVID-19, as African Americans experienced significant health and economic challenges that far exceeded those observed among other racial and ethnic groups. Relying on multiple nationally representative surveys, this study examines the diversity of ways in which middle-aged and older African Americans’ managed the stress and pressures associated with the pandemic. I summarize the inequities faced by African Americans before and during COVID-19, as well as trends in the utilization of social support, coping behaviors, and degree of resilience. Furthermore, this study investigates the relationship between social support and coping strategies to multiple health outcomes over time. When appropriate, comparisons to other racial and ethnic groups are made. This research underscores the importance of considering social relationships and modifiable coping behaviors when studying African American aging and well-being during times of crisis.

scholarly journals Age at Immigration and Depression in Old Age: The Mediating Role of Contemporary Relationships With Adult Children

2020 ◽  
Vol 4 (Supplement_1) ◽  
pp. 27-27
Author(s):  
Heejung Jang
Keyword(s):  
Depressive Symptoms ◽  
Adult Children ◽  
Adult Child ◽  
Later Life ◽  
Well Being ◽  
The United States ◽  
Ordinary Least Squares ◽  
Psychological Well Being ◽  
Familial Relationships ◽  
Older Immigrants

Abstract For the growing population of older immigrants in the United States, both age at immigration and familial relationships are important factors affecting psychological well-being. This study explores how age at immigration and contemporary relationships with adult children combine to explain older immigrants’ depressive symptoms. This study uses 2014 Health and Retirement Study data from a sample of 759 immigrants age 65 and older who have at least one adult child age 21 or older. A series of ordinary least squares regressions and mediational analyses were conducted. Findings indicate that two aspects of familial relationships, associational solidarity and structural solidarity, significantly mediate the association between age at immigration and depressive symptoms. Specifically, immigrating in later-life was associated with a lower level of depressive symptoms through its relationship with structural solidarity. Immigrating in later-life was also associated with a higher level of depressive symptoms through its relationship with associational solidarity. In addition, giving monetary support to children and providing care for grandchildren may alleviate depressive symptoms for older immigrants. This study suggests that relationships with adult children may differ with age at immigration. The types of support that older immigrants provide to their adult children may be crucial because such support may instill a sense of obligation and reciprocity that may be beneficial to the psychological well-being of older immigrants.

Acceptance of Love and Remarriage Among Older Adults in the Philippines

2020 ◽  
pp. 089826432098124
Author(s):  
Ju Young Kim ◽  
Hanzhang Xu ◽  
Grace Cruz ◽  
Yasuhiko Saito ◽  
Truls Østbye
Keyword(s):  
Older Adults ◽  
Healthy Aging ◽  
Social Activity ◽  
Later Life ◽  
Well Being ◽  
The Philippines ◽  
Multivariable Analyses ◽  
Nationally Representative ◽  
Relationship Of ◽  
The Relationship

Objectives: Later-life re-partnership has been linked to healthy aging, but little is known about Philippine older adults’ perception of love and remarriage in older age. Methods: Using two nationally representative surveys on aging in the Philippines, we estimated the proportion of older adults reporting acceptance. Using weighted logistic regression, we assessed sociodemographic and health factors associated with acceptance as well as the relationship of this acceptance with social activity and health behaviors. Results: Only seventeen percent of respondents reported acceptance. Per multivariable analyses, unmarried men and married women reported acceptance, and acceptance was associated with increased social activity and smoking in men, less smoking in women, and more drinking in both genders. Discussion: Most older adults in the Philippines reported love and remarriage in old age as unacceptable. Through these results, we can understand how attitudes toward later-life relationship impact older adults’ health and well-being.

scholarly journals GROWING UP ON A FARM AND COGNITIVE FUNCTIONING IN LATER LIFE

2019 ◽  
Vol 3 (Supplement_1) ◽  
pp. S57-S57
Author(s):  
Pamela Herd ◽  
Sanjay Asthana ◽  
Kamil Sicinski
Keyword(s):  
Socioeconomic Status ◽  
Cognitive Functioning ◽  
Rural Areas ◽  
Later Life ◽  
Well Being ◽  
Cognitive Outcomes ◽  
Growing Up ◽  
Wisconsin Longitudinal Study ◽  
The Relationship ◽  
Health And Well Being

Abstract There is growing interest in rural disadvantage and the implications for health and well-being in later life. We examine the relationship between living in rural areas in childhood and cognitive outcomes later in life using the Wisconsin Longitudinal Study. The WLS has prospective childhood measures of geographic status, adolescent IQ, and detailed measures of socioeconomic status, combined with later life measures of health and cognitive functioning. We find a robust relationship between rurality and lower levels of cognitive functioning, but it is explained by growing up on a farm.

scholarly journals Housing Conditions and Adolescents’ Socioemotional Well-being: An Empirical Examination from China

2021 ◽  
Author(s):  
Zheng Zhou ◽  
Ying Ma ◽  
Wenbin Du ◽  
Kaiji Zhou ◽  
Shaojie Qi
Keyword(s):  
Rural Areas ◽  
Urban Areas ◽  
Family Income ◽  
Well Being ◽  
Self Esteem ◽  
Subjective Well Being ◽  
Housing Conditions ◽  
Empirical Examination ◽  
Nationally Representative ◽  
The Relationship

AbstractThis paper examines the association between housing and adolescents’ socioemotional well-being in China using a large nationally representative dataset from the 2016 China Family Panel Studies (CFPS). The results showed that housing conditions were negatively correlated with adolescents’ depression and positively correlated with subjective well-being when family income was controlled. However, homeownership did not predict adolescent’s subjective well-being and depression. Adolescents living in urban areas have better socioemotional well-being than adolescents living in rural areas, as demonstrated by their higher subjective well-being, lower depression, and higher self-esteem. Both urban and rural adolescents were influenced by housing conditions in a similar pattern. In addition, self-esteem mediated the relationship between housing conditions and adolescents’ socioemotional well-being. The results indicate that housing conditions are an important factor for policymakers to consider when promoting children’s well-being in China.

scholarly journals Care Challenges Due to COVID-19 and Mental Health Among Caregivers of U.S. Adults With a Chronic or Disabling Condition

2021 ◽  
Vol 5 (3) ◽  
Author(s):  
Amanda N Leggett ◽  
Alicia Carmichael ◽  
Natalie Leonard ◽  
Jeannette Jackson ◽  
Matthias Kirch ◽  
...  
Keyword(s):  
Public Health ◽  
Mental Health ◽  
Depressive Symptoms ◽  
Healthy Aging ◽  
Well Being ◽  
The United States ◽  
Care Needs ◽  
Caregiver Mental Health ◽  
Nationally Representative ◽  
Related Stress

Abstract Background and Objectives The coronavirus disease 2019 (COVID-19) pandemic poses new challenges for caregivers of adults with chronic or disabling conditions. This study uses nationally representative data to examine the prevalence of pandemic care challenges and supports and their associations with caregiver mental health and interpersonal well-being. Research Design and Methods Participants include 311 caregivers aged 50–80 in the United States who were providing care for an adult with a chronic or disabling condition from the June 2020 National Poll on Healthy Aging. Five care challenges (e.g., confusion on public health guidelines) and 2 supports (e.g., physician offered information on care during COVID-19) are treated as predictors of caregiver mental health (care-related stress, self-reported mental health, and depressive symptoms) and interpersonal well-being (interpersonal conflicts, lack of companionship, and isolation). Results Each care challenge/support was endorsed by 13%–23% of caregivers. In adjusted models, difficulty getting needed medical care was associated with greater caregiver stress, depressive symptoms, and lower interpersonal well-being. All care challenges universally predicted greater caregiver stress. Caregiving supports were not independently associated with caregiver’ mental health and interpersonal well-being. Discussion and Implications Care challenges were associated with caregivers’ mental health and interpersonal well-being during the early months of the pandemic. Some of these challenges may be attributed to changing public health guidelines and practices as the pandemic unfolded, whereas others are relevant to all care contexts (e.g., less support from family). Tools and supports for caregivers must consider both changing policies and care needs.

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