scholarly journals Depression Fully Mediates the Effect of Multimorbidity on Self-Rated Health for Economically Disadvantaged African American Men but Not Women

2019 ◽  
Vol 16 (10) ◽  
pp. 1670 ◽  
Author(s):  
Shervin Assari ◽  
James Smith ◽  
Mohsen Bazargan
Keyword(s):  
Older Adults ◽  
Gender Differences ◽  
Los Angeles ◽  
Social Relations ◽  
Low Income ◽  
Economically Disadvantaged ◽  
African American Men ◽  
Equation Modeling ◽  
Men And Women ◽  
Self Rated Health

Background. Although chronic medical conditions (CMCs), depression, and self-rated health (SRH) are associated, their associations may depend on race, ethnicity, gender, and their intersections. In predominantly White samples, SRH is shown to better reflect the risk of mortality and multimorbidity for men than it is for women, which suggests that poor SRH among women may be caused not only by CMCs, but also by conditions like depression and social relations—a phenomenon known as “the sponge hypothesis.” However, little is known about gender differences in the links between multimorbidity, depression, and SRH among African Americans (AAs). Objective. To study whether depression differently mediates the association between multimorbidity and SRH for economically disadvantaged AA men and women. Methods. This survey was conducted in South Los Angeles between 2015 to 2018. A total number of 740 AA older adults (age ≥ 55 years) were enrolled in this study, of which 266 were AA men and 474 were AA women. The independent variable was the number of CMCs. The dependent variable was SRH. Age and socioeconomic status (educational attainment and marital status) were covariates. Depression was the mediator. Gender was the moderator. Structural Equation Modeling (SEM) was used to analyze the data. Results. In the pooled sample that included both genders, depression partially mediated the effect of multimorbidity on SRH. In gender specific models, depression fully mediated the effects of multimorbidity on SRH for AA men but not AA women. For AA women but not AA men, social isolation was associated with depression. Conclusion. Gender differences exist in the role of depression as an underlying mechanism behind the effect of multimorbidity on the SRH of economically disadvantaged AA older adults. For AA men, depression may be the reason people with multimorbidity report worse SRH. For AA women, depression is only one of the many reasons individuals with multiple CMCs report poor SRH. Prevention of depression may differently influence the SRH of low-income AA men and women with multimorbidity.

scholarly journals Investigation of the Predictors of Self-rated Health of Economically Disadvantaged African American Men and Women: Evidence for Sponge Hypothesis

2020 ◽  
Vol 7 (1) ◽  
pp. 25-34 ◽  
Author(s):  
Sharon Cobb ◽  
Shervin Assari
Keyword(s):  
Low Income ◽  
Economically Disadvantaged ◽  
African American Men ◽  
Cross Sectional Study ◽  
Linear Regression Models ◽  
Cross Sectional ◽  
Men And Women ◽  
Face To Face ◽  
Self Rated Health ◽  
And Gender

Background and aims: According to the sponge hypothesis, compared to men’s self-rated health (SRH), women’s SRH is more likely to reflect conditions other than chronic medical conditions (CMCs) such as psychiatric disorders (PDs). As a result, poor SRH is a weaker predictive factor for mortality risk for women than men. Most of this literature, however, is done in samples that are predominantly middleclass White. To test the sponge hypothesis among economically disadvantaged African Americans (AAs), this study compared low-income AA men and women for the effects of the number of PDs and CMCs on SRH. Materials and Methods: This cross-sectional study recruited a non-random sample (n=150) of economically disadvantaged AA adults with PD(s). Structured face-to-face interviews were used to collect data. SRH was measured using a single-item measure. PDs and CMCs were also self-reported. We applied linear regression models to test the interactions between SRH and the number of PDs and CMC as well as gender. Results: The number of PDs and CMCs were associated with SRH in the pooled sample of low-income AA adults with PD(s). However, we found a significant interaction between the number of PDs and gender. This interaction suggested a stronger association between PDs and SRH for AA women than AA men. Gender did not alter the association between the number of CMCs and SRH. Conclusion: The number of PDs is a determinant of SRH for low-income AA women but not AA men, supporting the sponge hypothesis.

scholarly journals Cigarette Smoking among Economically Disadvantaged African-American Older Adults in South Los Angeles: Gender Differences

2019 ◽  
Vol 16 (7) ◽  
pp. 1208 ◽  
Author(s):  
Shervin Assari ◽  
James Smith ◽  
Marc Zimmerman ◽  
Mohsen Bazargan
Keyword(s):  
Older Adults ◽  
Gender Differences ◽  
Smoking Cessation ◽  
Depressive Symptoms ◽  
Los Angeles ◽  
Cigarette Smoking ◽  
Urban Areas ◽  
Economically Disadvantaged ◽  
Financial Difficulty ◽  
Current Smoking

The current study aims to explore gender differences in the risk of cigarette smoking among African-American (AA) older adults who live in economically disadvantaged urban areas of southern Los Angeles. This cross-sectional study enrolled 576 older AA adults (age range between 65 and 96 years) who were residing in Service Planning Area 6 (SPA 6), one of the most economically challenged areas in southern Los Angeles. All participants had cardiometabolic disease (CMD). Data were collected using structured face-to-face interviews. Demographic factors (age and gender), socioeconomic status (educational attainment and financial difficulty), health (number of comorbid medical conditions and depressive symptoms), and health behaviors (current alcohol drinking and current smoking) were measured. Logistic regressions were used to analyze the data without and with interaction terms between gender and current drinking, depressive symptoms, and financial difficulty. AA men reported more smoking than AA women (25.3% versus 9.3%; p < 0.05). Drinking showed a stronger association with smoking for AA men than AA women. Depressive symptoms, however, showed stronger effects on smoking for AA women than AA men. Gender did not interact with financial difficulty with regard to current smoking. As AA older men and women differ in psychological and behavioral determinants of cigarette smoking, gender-specific smoking cessation interventions for AA older adults who live in economically deprived urban areas may be more successful than interventions and programs that do not consider gender differences in determinants of smoking. Gender-tailored smoking cessation programs that address drinking for AA men and depression for AA women may help reduce the burden of smoking in AA older adults in economically disadvantaged urban areas. Given the non-random sampling, there is a need for replication of these findings in future studies.

scholarly journals Voices of Experience: What Do Low-Income Older Adults Tell Us About Mobility, Technology, and Social Participation?

2021 ◽  
pp. 073346482110125
Author(s):  
Haley B. Gallo ◽  
Lia W. Marshall ◽  
Lené Levy-Storms ◽  
Kathleen H. Wilber ◽  
Anastasia Loukaitou-Sideris
Keyword(s):  
Older Adults ◽  
Los Angeles ◽  
Qualitative Study ◽  
Thematic Analysis ◽  
Social Participation ◽  
Low Income ◽  
Technology Use ◽  
Diverse Group ◽  
Senior Center ◽  
Perceived Safety

Mobility and technology can facilitate in-person and virtual social participation to help reduce social isolation, but issues exist regarding older adults’ access, feasibility, and motivation to use various forms of mobility and technology. This qualitative study explores how a diverse group of low-income, urban-living older adults use mobility and technology for social participation. We conducted six focus groups ( N = 48), two each in English, Spanish, and Korean at a Los Angeles senior center. Three major themes emerged from thematic analysis: using technology for mobility; links between mobility and social participation; and technology-mediated social participation. Cost, perceived safety, (dis)ability, and support from family and friends were related to mobility and technology use. This study demonstrates the range of mobility and technology uses among older adults and associated barriers. The findings can help establish a pre-COVID-19 baseline on how to make mobility and technology more accessible for older adults at risk of isolation.

The Influence of Social Networks and Supports on Depression Symptoms: Differential Pathways for Older Korean Immigrants and Non-Hispanic White Americans

2016 ◽  
Vol 17 (1) ◽  
pp. 13-23 ◽  
Author(s):  
Haesang Jeon ◽  
James Lubben
Keyword(s):  
Social Support ◽  
Older Adults ◽  
Social Networks ◽  
Los Angeles ◽  
The United States ◽  
Korean Immigrants ◽  
Equation Modeling ◽  
Depression Symptoms ◽  
Older Korean Immigrants ◽  
Hispanic White

Objectives: The current cross-cultural study examines the pathways underlying different formations of social networks and social support systems, which affect depression symptoms among older Korean immigrants and non-Hispanic Whites in the United States.Method: Data for this study came from a panel survey of 223 older Korean American immigrants and 201 non-Hispanic White older adults 65 years of age and older living in Los Angeles. Structural equation modeling (SEM) is used to test the proposed conceptual model designed to explain the direct and indirect relationships between social networks and social support on depression symptoms.Results: Empirical evidence from this study indicated different effect of one’s social networks and social support on depression by race/ethnicity.Discussion: The work discussed in this article pointed to the need to recognize the role of culture in assessing the relationships between social networks, social support, and health among older adults.

scholarly journals Social Networks and Physical Activity in Senior Housing: A Pilot Feasibility Study

2019 ◽  
Vol 29 (Suppl 1) ◽  
pp. 201-208
Author(s):  
Noah J. Webster ◽  
Toni C. Antonucci ◽  
Neil B. Alexander
Keyword(s):  
Physical Activity ◽  
Older Adults ◽  
Social Network ◽  
Social Relations ◽  
Low Income ◽  
Strategic Partnership ◽  
Multiple Chronic Conditions ◽  
Activity Levels ◽  
Senior Housing ◽  
Physical Activity Interventions

Objective: Only 16% of people aged >65 years engage in recommended levels of physical activity, putting a vast major­ity at risk for multiple chronic conditions including heart disease. Physical activity is even lower among older adults with fewer economic resources. Research is needed to develop context-specific approaches to pair with physical activity interventions to increase effectiveness. In this pilot study, we examine social ties and physical activity levels of older adults living in a US Depart­ment of Housing and Urban Development subsidized senior housing community to test feasibility of a social network-based approach to physical activity interventions. This study is grounded in Social Contagion Theory and the Convoy Model of Social Relations, which argue health and health-related behaviors are facilitated through network ties.Methods: Data were collected through face-to-face interviews conducted over the course of three months (September- November 2018) with 46 residents living in a low-income senior housing community in southeast Michigan. Residents were asked about physical activity, people they know in the community, and their close social network composition.Results: Residents reported knowing, on average, six other residents and approxi­mately 28% of those in their close networks were also residents. Sociocentric network analysis identified two socially engaged (known by seven or more other residents) physically active residents, whereas ego-centric analysis identified four (60% or more of their network comprised residents).Conclusions: This study demonstrates potential feasibility of a strategic partnership that involves pairing social resources with physical activity interventions in afford­able senior housing. Multiple approaches, which need to be evaluated, exist to identify socially engaged residents.Ethn Dis. 2019;29(Suppl 1): 201-208; doi:10.18865/ ed.29.S1.201.

scholarly journals PRESIDENTIAL SYMPOSIUM: HARNESSING SOCIAL NETWORKS TO OPTIMIZE ENVIRONMENTAL CONTEXTS FOR DIVERSE AGING EXPERIENCES

2019 ◽  
Vol 3 (Supplement_1) ◽  
pp. S583-S583
Author(s):  
Philip A Rozario ◽  
Emily Greenfield ◽  
Nancy Kusmaul
Keyword(s):  
Older Adults ◽  
Social Networks ◽  
Social Relations ◽  
Low Income ◽  
Disaster Preparedness ◽  
Urban Areas ◽  
Well Being ◽  
Community Based ◽  
Cross Sectional ◽  
Senior Housing

Abstract Social networks provide opportunities for engagement with others and structure the receipt and provision of emotional, instrumental, informational and appraisal support. Indeed scholars in this field have documented the importance of having strong social networks in influencing older adults’ well-being and quality of life. The three papers in this symposium draw on the convoy model of social relations and ecological model to examine and better understand the micro, mezzo, macro contexts that shape and influence how older people engage with and benefit from their networks in three areas: low-income senior housing communities, urban areas specifically targeting older Latinos with dementia, and disaster preparedness in micropolitan counties in eastern Iowa. The first paper, a cross-sectional study focusing on social connections in senior housing communities, examines levels of social networks, engagement, support and loneliness and their relationship with well-being outcomes. The second paper, a community-based participatory research project, reports an intervention that seeks to train natural helpers in a predominantly Latino urban neighborhood to identify and refer older Latinos with dementia to bilingual assessment services. The third paper, synthesizing findings from interventions targeting network building at the individual and state levels as well as a community-based network analysis, presents ways to strengthen networks at the mezzo and macro levels as well as environmental contexts that enable better disaster preparedness for community-based older adults. These papers will consider practice, policy and research implications in strengthening social networks and engagement to optimize older adults’ well-being in various settings.

scholarly journals Health-Related Quality of Life of Economically Disadvantaged African American Older Adults: Age and Gender Differences

2019 ◽  
Vol 16 (9) ◽  
pp. 1522 ◽  
Author(s):  
Shervin Assari ◽  
James Smith ◽  
Mohsen Bazargan
Keyword(s):  
Older Adults ◽  
Gender Differences ◽  
Economically Disadvantaged ◽  
Older Age ◽  
Related Quality ◽  
Health Related ◽  
Physical Hrqol ◽  
Effect Of Age ◽  
Pooled Sample

Background: The association between age and health-related quality of life (HRQoL) is still under debate. While some research shows older age is associated with better HRQoL, other studies show no or negative association between age and HRQoL. In addition, while the association between age and HRQoL may depend on race, ethnicity, gender, and their intersections, most previous research on this link has been performed in predominantly White Middle Class. Objective: To explore gender differences in the association between age and mental and physical HRQoL in a sample of economically disadvantaged African American (AA) older adults. Methods: This cross-sectional survey was conducted in South Los Angeles between 2015 to 2018. A total number of 740 economically disadvantaged AA older adults (age ≥ 55 years) were enrolled in this study, using non-random sampling. This includes 266 AA men and 474 AA women. The independent variable of interest was age. Dependent variables of interest were physical component scores (PCS) and mental component scores (MCS), two main summary scores of the HRQoL, measured using Short Form-12 (SF-12). Gender was the moderator. Socioeconomic status (educational attainment and financial difficulty) were covariates. Linear regression models were used to analyze the data. Results: AA women reported worse PCS; however, gender did not impact MCS. In the pooled sample, high age was associated with better PCS and MCS. In the pooled sample, a significant interaction was found between gender and age on PCS, suggesting a stronger effect of age on PCS for AA men than AA women. In gender-stratified models, older age was associated with better PCS for AA men but not AA women. Older age was similarly and positively associated with better MCS for AA men and women. Conclusions: There may be some gender differences in the implications of ageing for the physical HRQoL of AA older adults. It is unclear how old age may have a boosting effect on physical HRQoL for AA men but not AA women. Future research should test gender differences in the effect of age on physical health indicators such as chronic disease as well as cognitive processes involved in the evaluation of own’s health in AA men and women.

scholarly journals The Pivotal Role of Women in Informal Care

2008 ◽  
Vol 29 (10) ◽  
pp. 1348-1378 ◽  
Author(s):  
Piet Bracke ◽  
Wendy Christiaens ◽  
Naomi Wauterickx
Keyword(s):  
Gender Differences ◽  
Social Relations ◽  
Panel Study ◽  
Work And Family ◽  
Social Conditions ◽  
Life Stages ◽  
Men And Women ◽  
The Social ◽  
The Life Course

Supporting and caring for each other are crucial parts of the social tissue that binds people together. In these networks, men and women hold different positions: Women more often care more for others, listen more to the problems of others, and, as kin keepers, hold families together. Is this true for all life stages? And are social conditions, among other things bound to the organization of work and family, an essential explanation of these differences? Data from the sixth wave (1997) of the Panel Study of Belgian Households allow us to answer these questions. The results show that women are the glue holding social relations together. They play a central role as friends, daughters, sisters, mothers, and grandmothers throughout all stages of the life course. Similar life commitments do not reduce these gender differences but instead emphasize them even further.

scholarly journals Binge Drinking among Economically Disadvantaged African American Older Adults with Diabetes

2019 ◽  
Vol 9 (9) ◽  
pp. 97 ◽  
Author(s):  
Shervin Assari ◽  
James L. Smith ◽  
Mohammed Saqib ◽  
Mohsen Bazargan
Keyword(s):  
Older Adults ◽  
African American ◽  
African Americans ◽  
Los Angeles ◽  
Binge Drinking ◽  
Economically Disadvantaged ◽  
Living Arrangement ◽  
Urban Environments ◽  
Health Determinants ◽  
African American Older Adults

Purpose. This study investigated the effect of demographic, socioeconomic, and psychological factors as well as the role of health determinants on alcohol consumption and binge drinking among economically disadvantaged African American older adults with type 2 diabetes mellites (T2DM). Methods. This survey recruited 231 African Americans who were older adults (age 65+ years) and had T2DM. Participants were selected from economically disadvantaged areas of South Los Angeles. A structured face-to-face interview was conducted to collect data on demographic factors, objective and subjective socioeconomic status (SES) including education and financial difficulty, living arrangement, marital status, health, and drinking behaviors (drinking and binge drinking). Results. Age, gender, living alone, pain, comorbid conditions, and smoking were associated with drinking/binge drinking. Male gender, pain, and being a smoker were associated with higher odds of drinking/binge drinking, while individuals with more comorbid medical conditions had lower odds of binge drinking. Conclusion. In economically constrained urban environments, gender, pain, and smoking but not age, SES, depression, and health may predict binge drinking for African American older adults with T2DM. African Americans older adult men with T2DM with comorbid pain should be screened for binge drinking.

scholarly journals A registered report on how implicit pro-rich bias is shaped by the perceiver's gender and socioeconomic status

2020 ◽  
Vol 7 (8) ◽  
pp. 191232
Author(s):  
Bradley D. Mattan ◽  
Jasmin Cloutier
Keyword(s):  
Gender Differences ◽  
Socioeconomic Status ◽  
Low Income ◽  
High Status ◽  
Review Of The Literature ◽  
Men And Women ◽  
The Poor ◽  
The Rich ◽  
And Control ◽  
Beliefs And Attitudes

Although high status is often considered a desirable quality, this may not always be the case. Different factors may moderate the value of high status along a dimension such as wealth (e.g. gender, perceiver income/education). For example, studies suggest men may value wealth and control over resources more than women. This may be especially true for high-income men who already have control over substantial resources. Other work suggests that low-income men and women may have different experiences in educational contexts compared to their richer peers who dominate norms at higher levels of education. These experiences may potentially lead to different attitudes about the wealthy among low-income men and women. In this registered report, we proposed two key predictions based on our review of the literature and analyses of pilot data from the Attitudes, Identities and Individual Differences (AIID) study ( n = 767): (H1) increasing income will be associated with increased pro-wealthy bias for men more than for women and (H2) income will also moderate the effect of education on implicit pro-wealthy bias, depending on gender. Overall, men showed greater implicit pro-wealthy bias than did women. However, neither of our hypotheses that income would moderate the effects of gender on implicit pro-wealthy bias were supported. These findings suggest implicit pro-wealthy bias among men and are discussed in the context of exploratory analyses of gender differences in self-reported beliefs and attitudes about the rich and the poor.

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