scholarly journals Links of Previously Experienced Unemployment to the Subjective Well-Being of Older Adults in the Baltic States

2021 ◽  
Vol 22 ◽  
pp. 59-73
Author(s):  
Antanas Kairys ◽  
Raimonda Sadauskaitė ◽  
Albinas Bagdonas ◽  
Jonas Eimontas ◽  
Vilmantė Pakalniškienė ◽  
...  
Keyword(s):  
Older Adults ◽  
Life Experiences ◽  
Well Being ◽  
Life Course Perspective ◽  
Subjective Well Being ◽  
Baltic States ◽  
Sociodemographic Data ◽  
Using Data ◽  
The Baltic ◽  
The Life Course

In this paper, using data obtained from the Survey of Health, Ageing and Retirement in Europe (SHARE), previously experienced unemployment links to the subjective well-being of older adults in the Baltic States are analyzed. One of the global challenges faced by a considerable number of countries is the aging of society. Subjective well-being of older adults and its factors are becoming one of the fundamental issues of the research as older adults are becoming a bigger part of society, and it becomes critical to understand what makes their lives wholesome. According to the life course perspective, human development is a lifelong process, and various events, personal life experiences may shape people and their lives. Therefore, it can be assumed that such a significant event as previously experienced unemployment may be related to the subjective well-being at older ages. Thus, this study aims to analyze the links between previously experienced unemployment and the subjective well-being of life of older adults in the Baltic States. Data obtained from the 7th wave of the Survey of Health, Ageing and Retirement in Europe (SHARE) was used for the analysis (Bergmann et al., 2019; Börsch-Supan, 2020). Two thousand eight hundred five responses of Estonians, 941 of Lithuanians, and 809 of Latvians over the age of 50 were analyzed. The subjective well-being, previously experienced unemployment, socio-demographic, personality, and health factors were analyzed. Research results show that many factors predict the subjective well-being of older adults in the three Baltic States: sociodemographic data can explain around 11% of the variance of the subjective well-being. Income additionally explains 2%, factors related to a person’s health adds 11% to the explanation, personality traits – also 11%, previously experienced unemployment – less than 1%. In the model containing all the factors, the most important predictor was personality trait neuroticism, and the model explained 35% of the variance of the subjective well-being. The subjective well-being was not linked only to gender and living with a partner. By analyzing the links between previously experienced unemployment and subjective well-being, we found that these links are relatively weak, although they remain even when controlling a range of factors of subjective well-being.

Marital Quality and Well-Being Among Older Adults: A Typology of Supportive, Aversive, Indifferent, and Ambivalent Marriages

2020 ◽  
pp. 016402752096914
Author(s):  
Yingling Liu ◽  
Laura Upenieks
Keyword(s):  
Older Adults ◽  
Marital Quality ◽  
Large Body ◽  
Well Being ◽  
The United States ◽  
Life Course Perspective ◽  
Multiple Indicators ◽  
Using Data ◽  
Health And Well Being ◽  
Synergistic Relationship

A large body of work has linked marital quality to the health and well-being of older adults, but there is a lack of agreement on how to best measure dimensions of marital quality. Drawing on a stress-process life course perspective, we construct a typology of marriage type that captures the synergistic relationship between positive and negative marital qualities and health. Using data from Wave 1 (2005/2006) and Wave 2 (2010/2011) of the NSHAP survey from the United States, we examine the association between supportive, aversive, ambivalent, and indifferent marriages for older adults that remained married over the study period on multiple indicators of well-being (depression, happiness, and self-rated health; N = 769 males and 461 females). Results suggest that older adults in aversive marriages reported lower happiness (men and women) and physical health (men). There was less evidence that those in ambivalent and indifferent marriages reported worse well-being.

scholarly journals Marital Strain and Support and Subjective Well-Being in Later Life: Ascribing a Role to Early-Life Conditions

2021 ◽  
Vol 5 (Supplement_1) ◽  
pp. 407-407
Author(s):  
Laura Upenieks ◽  
Yingling Liu
Keyword(s):  
Life Course ◽  
Process Model ◽  
Later Life ◽  
Well Being ◽  
Life Course Perspective ◽  
Subjective Well Being ◽  
Marital Support ◽  
Lagged Dependent Variable ◽  
The Life Course ◽  
Marital Strain

Abstract Decades of research have the beneficial effects of marital support and the detrimental consequences of marital strain on health and well-being. However, we know relatively less about how circumstances in childhood—a key developmental period of the life course—influence the relational structure in which later life is embedded and any implications this may hold for well-being. We integrate the life course perspective with the stress process model to offer a framework for how childhood conditions (childhood happiness, family structure, and financial strain) moderate the relationship between marital support/strain and subjective well-being in older adulthood in potentially different ways for men and women. The consequences of marital strain may be more severe and the benefits of marital support may not be as strongly felt for those adults who experienced greater adversity during childhood. Drawing on longitudinal data from Waves 2 (2010-2011) and 3 (2015-2016) of the NSHAP project (N = 1,376), results from lagged dependent variable models suggest that marital support buffers the effect of not living with both parents in childhood on subjective well-being for men. Meanwhile, women raised in families that experienced financial hardship reported lower subjective well-being in the context of marital strain in later life. No significant interaction effects were obtained for childhood happiness. Taken together, our findings suggest that adverse experiences in childhood can be scarring, particularly in the context of strained intimate relationships. However, a supportive marriage can, in some cases, offset the effects of childhood hardship on subjective well-being in later life.

Leisure Activities and the Subjective Well-Being of Older Adults in Croatia

GeroPsych ◽  
2018 ◽  
Vol 31 (1) ◽  
pp. 31-39 ◽  
Author(s):  
Ljiljana Kaliterna Lipovčan ◽  
Tihana Brkljačić ◽  
Zvjezdana Prizmić Larsen ◽  
Andreja Brajša-Žganec ◽  
Renata Franc
Keyword(s):  
Older Adults ◽  
Leisure Activities ◽  
Leisure Activity ◽  
Later Life ◽  
Perceived Health ◽  
Well Being ◽  
Hierarchical Regression ◽  
Subjective Well Being ◽  
Convenience Sample ◽  
Financial Status

Abstract. Research shows that engagement in leisure activities promotes well-being among older adults. The objective of the current study was to examine the relationship between subjective well-being (flourishing) and leisure activities (total number of different activities in the previous year) in a sample of older adults in Croatia, thereby considering the variables of sex, marital status, financial status, and self-perceived health. The differences in the examined variables between the groups of older adults who reported to be engaged in new activities with those who did not were also examined. The sample of N = 169 older adults aged 60 years and above was drawn from a convenience sample of adult internet users in Croatia. Participants reported their self-perceived health and the number of leisure activities they engaged in over the previous year as well as completing the Flourishing Scale. Hierarchical regression analyses indicated that older adults who were engaged in more various leisure activities, who perceived better financial status, and who were married reported higher levels of flourishing. A comparison of the two groups of older adults with and without engagement in leisure activities showed that those engaged in at least one leisure activity were more likely to be women, reported higher levels of flourishing, and perceived their own financial status as better. This study indicated that engaging in leisure activities in later life might provide beneficial effects for the well-being of older adults.

scholarly journals Self-reported morbidities, nutritional characteristics, and associated factors in institutionalized and non-institutionalized older adults

2021 ◽  
Vol 21 (1) ◽  
Author(s):  
Abdelhafid Benksim ◽  
Rachid Ait Addi ◽  
Elhassania Khalloufi ◽  
Aziz Habibi ◽  
Mohamed Cherkaoui
Keyword(s):  
Older Adults ◽  
Health Insurance ◽  
Nutritional Status ◽  
Statistical Significance ◽  
Well Being ◽  
Public Institution ◽  
Subjective Well Being ◽  
Number Of Children ◽  
Significant Difference ◽  
Nutritional Characteristics

Abstract Background As the world’s population ages and people live longer, it seems important to ensure that older people have a good quality of life and positive subjective well-being. The objective of this study is to determine socio-economic, health and nutritional characteristics of institutionalized and non-institutionalized elders in the province of Marrakech. Methods This study was conducted among 368 older adults in the province of Marrakech between March 2017 and June 2019. Of all participants, 180 older adults reside in a public institution and 188 of them live in their own homes. Data on health conditions, nutritional status, functional and socio-economic characteristics were collected. Data was analyzed using SPSS Statistics for Windows, Version 16.0. Statistical significance was set at p < 0.05. Results Institutionalized elders were illiterate (80.0%), had low incomes (95.5%), and unmarried (73.3%), they reported also no children (56.1%) and no health insurance (98.9%). Institutional residents suffered from malnutrition (22.2%), hearing impairments (35.6%) and severe edentulism (43.3%). There was no significant difference between both groups on daily activities and depression. A multivariate analysis identified a model with three significant variables associated with non-institutionalized elders: health insurance (P = 0.001; OR = 107.49), number of children (P = 0.001; OR = 1.74) and nutritional status (p = 0.001; OR = 3.853). Conclusions This study shows that the institutionalization of older adults is considerably induced by various factors such as nutritional problems, lack of health insurance and family structure. To mitigate the effects of this phenomenon, home care strategies and preventive actions should be implemented to delay the institutionalization of older adults and therefore keep them socially active in their own homes.

scholarly journals Older Adults’ Subjective Well-being Following an Exergame Intervention “Bandit the Dolphin”: Focus Group Findings

2020 ◽  
Vol 4 (Supplement_1) ◽  
pp. 169-170
Author(s):  
Brittany Drazich ◽  
Breanna Crane ◽  
Kyle Moored ◽  
Karl Shieh ◽  
Janiece Taylor ◽  
...  
Keyword(s):  
Mental Health ◽  
Older Adults ◽  
Mental Illness ◽  
Focus Groups ◽  
Well Being ◽  
Community Dwelling ◽  
Mental Illness Stigma ◽  
Subjective Well Being ◽  
Future Health ◽  
Adult Participants

Abstract Due to generational mental illness stigma and under diagnosis of mental illness, older adults do not always receive the mental health help that they need. One unique technology that has the potential to improve mood in older adults is exergames, or exercise video games. The objective of this sub-study (main study: Stimulation With Intricate Movements “SWIM” Study) was to explore older adults’ mood following an exergame intervention called “Bandit the Dolphin,” created by the Johns Hopkins KATA Studio. Researchers conducted three focus groups with 14 community-dwelling older adult participants who took part in the SWIM Study exergame intervention. The semi-structured focus groups were transcribed, coded, and analyzed using deductive and inductive techniques described by Ray Maietta’s “sort and sift, think and shift” method. Three themes related to playing “Bandit the Dolphin” and mood emerged. First, participants described their perceived association between activity and mood. Participants felt that both active and passive activities, “Bandit the Dolphin” and otherwise, improved their mood through the “fun” factor, and through feelings of achievement. Second, the participants described that the competition and frustration of playing “Bandit the Dolphin” increased eventual feelings of achievement. Third, participants described how feelings of immersion, or being absorbed in the game, helped them forget their other life concerns. These findings provide a better understanding of older adults’ perceived relationship between an exergame intervention, “Bandit the Dolphin,” and short-term improved mood. Future health and engineering researchers should explore exergames as a potential tool to improve the mental health of older adults.

scholarly journals Depression and loneliness of older adults in Europe and Israel after the first wave of covid-19

2021 ◽  
Author(s):  
Josefine Atzendorf ◽  
Stefan Gruber
Keyword(s):  
Older Adults ◽  
Well Being ◽  
Individual Characteristics ◽  
Control Measures ◽  
Epidemic Control ◽  
Government Response ◽  
Country Level ◽  
Interaction Terms ◽  
Share Data ◽  
Using Data

AbstractEpidemic control measures that aim to introduce social distancing help to decelerate the spread of the COVID-19 pandemic. However, their consequences in terms of mental well-being might be negative, especially for older adults. While existing studies mainly focus on the time during the first lockdown, we look at the weeks afterward in order to measure the medium-term consequences of the first wave of the pandemic. Using data from the SHARE Corona Survey, we include retired respondents aged 60 and above from 25 European countries plus Israel. Combining SHARE data with macro-data from the Oxford COVID-19 Government Response Tracker allows us to include macro-indicators at the country level, namely the number of deaths per 100,000 and the number of days with stringent epidemic control measures, in addition to individual characteristics. The findings show that both macro-indicators are influential for increased feelings of sadness/depression, but that individual factors are crucial for explaining increased feelings of loneliness in the time after the first lockdown. Models with interaction terms reveal that the included macro-indicators have negative well-being consequences, particularly for the oldest survey participants. Additionally, the results reveal that especially those living alone had a higher risk for increased loneliness in the time after the first COVID-19 wave.

scholarly journals Family Solidarity, Social Support, Loneliness, and Well-Being Among Older Adults in Rural China

2020 ◽  
Vol 4 (Supplement_1) ◽  
pp. 319-320
Author(s):  
Xiaoyan Zhang ◽  
Merril Silverstein
Keyword(s):  
Older Adults ◽  
Life Satisfaction ◽  
Adult Children ◽  
Child Support ◽  
Structural Equation ◽  
Total Population ◽  
Well Being ◽  
Equation Modeling ◽  
National Bureau ◽  
Subjective Well Being

Abstract China is experiencing a large increase in elderly population. In 2019, China’s population aged 60 and above had reached 253 million, accounting for 18.1% of the total population (National Bureau of Statistics of China, 2020). By 2050, the number of adults aged 60+ would be up to 430 million, reaching one third of the total population (Du, Zhai & Chen, 2005). Considering such a rapid aging process and the existing large number of older adults in China, it becomes imperative to investigate how psychosocial factors affect this group’s subjective well-being. This study proposed that, among older adults, higher support received from each of the three relational sources (adult children, family and friends) were associated with reduced loneliness and improved well-being. Structural equation modeling was conducted using a sample of rural adults aged 60 and older (N= 1142) from the 2018 wave of data from the Longitudinal Study of Older Adults in Anhui Province, China. Findings indicated that support from adult children directly and indirectly decreased older adults’ depression and improved their life satisfaction through loneliness; while support from family members directly decreased depression but did not directly improve life satisfaction or indirectly improve well-being through loneliness. Although support from friends did not have a significant impact on older adults’ well-being, it indirectly improved well-being through reduced loneliness. Findings have implications for programs or interventions targeting both parent -adult-child support and friends support and reducing rural older adults’ loneliness.

scholarly journals PHYSIOLOGY OF SUCCESSFUL AGING: IMPLICATIONS FOR HEALTH AND WELL-BEING

2019 ◽  
Vol 3 (Supplement_1) ◽  
pp. S434-S434
Author(s):  
Konstantinos Mantantzis ◽  
Denis Gerstorf ◽  
Thomas M Hess
Keyword(s):  
Older Adults ◽  
Successful Aging ◽  
Well Being ◽  
Empathic Accuracy ◽  
Future Research ◽  
Subjective Well Being ◽  
Use Of Data ◽  
Aging Study ◽  
Underlying Mechanisms ◽  
Relationship Factors

Abstract Research into peripheral physiology and its association with cognition, emotionality, and social/physical functioning has received considerable attention over the years. However, many of the underlying mechanisms are not well understood. In this symposium, we have compiled a set of four empirical projects that showcase current and future endeavors to address some of the long-standing questions about when, how, and why physiology shapes and is shaped by key psychosocial resources. Hawkley et al. make use of data from the NSHAP and HRS longitudinal studies to investigate whether social relationships such as number of friends predicts risk of diabetes among older adults. Wilson et al. use dyadic data from young and middle-aged couples to examine cardiometabolic similarity among spouses, and how such concordance is shaped by key relationship factors such as emotional closeness. Pauly et al. use data from two daily-life studies of older couples to investigate how physiological synchrony in cortisol is modulated by partner interactions, empathy, and empathic accuracy. Finally, Mantantzis et al. make use of multi-year longitudinal data from the Berlin Aging Study II to examine the role of glucose regulation capacity for trajectories of subjective well-being among older adults. Thomas Hess will discuss the importance of these papers, discuss strengths and weaknesses of the approaches chosen, and consider implications for future research.

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