scholarly journals Sustainable Commuting: Results from a Social Approach and International Evidence on Carpooling

2020 ◽  
Vol 12 (22) ◽  
pp. 9587
Author(s):  
José Alberto Molina ◽  
J. Ignacio Giménez-Nadal ◽  
Jorge Velilla
Keyword(s):  
Public Transport ◽  
Well Being ◽  
The United States ◽  
Ordinary Least Squares ◽  
Demographic Characteristics ◽  
Household Composition ◽  
Environmental Benefits ◽  
Light Rail ◽  
Social Approach ◽  
Hov Lanes

Sustainable commuting (SC) usually refers to environmentally friendly travel modes, such as public transport (bus, tram, subway, light rail), walking, cycling, and carpooling. The double aim of the paper is to summarize relevant prior results in commuting from a social approach, and to provide new, international empirical evidence on carpooling as a specific mode of sustainable commuting. The literature shows that certain socio-demographic characteristics clearly affect the use of non-motorized alternatives, and compared to driving, well-being is greater for those using active travel or public transport. Additionally, this paper analyzes the behavior of carpooling for commuting, using ordinary least squares (OLS) models, which have been estimated from the Multinational Time Use Study (MTUS) for the following countries: Bulgaria, Canada, Spain, Finland, France, Hungary, Italy, South Korea, the United Kingdom, and the United States. Results indicate that carpooling for commuting is not habitual for workers, as less than 25% of the total time from/to work by car is done with others on board. With respect to the role of the socio-demographic characteristics of individuals, our evidence indicates that age, gender, education, being native, and household composition may have a cross-country, consistent relationship with carpooling participation. Given that socializing is the main reason for carpooling, in the current COVID-19 pandemic, carpooling may be decreasing and, consequently, initiatives have been launched to show that carpooling is a necessary way to avoid crowded modes of transport. Thus, the development of high-occupancy-vehicle (HOV) lanes by local authorities can increase carpooling, and draw attention to the economic and environmental benefits of carpooling for potential users.

Household Change and Racial Inequality in Economic Well-Being, 1960 to 1980

1993 ◽  
Vol 18 (3) ◽  
pp. 249-264 ◽  
Author(s):  
Roger A. Wojtkiewicz
Keyword(s):  
Racial Inequality ◽  
Well Being ◽  
The United States ◽  
Relative Increase ◽  
Household Composition ◽  
Number Of Children ◽  
Household Headship ◽  
1960S And 1970S ◽  
The 1960S ◽  
Economic Well Being

The 1960s and 1970s in the United States were marked by major demographic changes. Marriage was delayed, divorce increased, fertility decreased, and there was a relative increase in nonmarital fertility. These changes led to an increase in female household headship which acted to decrease economic well-being in the population. The changes also led to a decrease in the number of children in households which acted to increase economic well-being. These two household composition changes varied by race. As a result, increased female headship and decreased number of children affected more than levels of economic well-being, the changes affected racial inequality in economic well-being as well.

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 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 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.

scholarly journals Age Advantages in Emotional Experience Persist Even Under Threat From the COVID-19 Pandemic

2020 ◽  
Vol 31 (11) ◽  
pp. 1374-1385
Author(s):  
Laura L. Carstensen ◽  
Yochai Z. Shavit ◽  
Jessica T. Barnes
Keyword(s):  
United States ◽  
Age Differences ◽  
Perceived Risk ◽  
Emotional Experience ◽  
Well Being ◽  
The United States ◽  
Demographic Characteristics ◽  
The Face ◽  
Unavoidable Stress ◽  
Prolonged Stress

The COVID-19 pandemic is creating unprecedented, sustained, and unavoidable stress for the entire population, and older people are facing particularly heightened risk of contracting the virus and suffering severe complications, including death. The present study was conducted when the pandemic was spreading exponentially in the United States. To address important theoretical questions about age differences in emotional experience in times of crisis, we surveyed a representative sample of 945 Americans between the ages of 18 and 76 years and assessed the frequency and intensity of a range of positive and negative emotions. We also assessed perceived risk of contagion and complications from the virus, as well as personality, health, and demographic characteristics. Age was associated with relatively greater emotional well-being both when analyses did and did not control for perceived risk and other covariates. The present findings extend previous research about age and emotion by demonstrating that older adults’ relatively better emotional well-being persists even in the face of prolonged stress.

scholarly journals Connecting Air Quality with Emotional Well-Being and Neighborhood Infrastructure in a US City

2020 ◽  
Vol 14 ◽  
pp. 117863022091548 ◽  
Author(s):  
Raj M. Lal ◽  
Kirti Das ◽  
Yingling Fan ◽  
Karoline K. Barkjohn ◽  
Nisha Botchwey ◽  
...  
Keyword(s):  
Air Quality ◽  
Urban Poor ◽  
Negative Emotion ◽  
Small Sample Size ◽  
Well Being ◽  
The United States ◽  
Small Sample ◽  
Light Rail ◽  
Mobile Source ◽  
Home Based

Cities in the United States have announced initiatives to become more sustainable, healthy, resilient, livable, and environmentally friendly. However, indicators for measuring all outcomes related to these targets and the synergies between them have not been well defined or studied. One such relationship is the linkage between air quality with emotional well-being (EWB) and neighborhood infrastructure. Here, regulatory monitoring, low-cost sensors (LCSs), and air quality modeling were combined to assess exposures to PM2.5 and traffic-related NOx in 6 Minneapolis, MN, neighborhoods of varying infrastructure parameters (median household income, urban vs suburban, and access to light rail). Residents of the study neighborhoods concurrently took real-time EWB assessments using a smart phone application, Daynamica, to gauge happiness, tiredness, stress, sadness, and pain. Both LCS PM2.5 observations and mobile-source-simulated NOx were calibrated using regulatory observations in Minneapolis. No statistically significant (α = 0.05) PM2.5 differences were found between urban poor and urban middle-income neighborhoods, but average mobile-source NOx was statistically significantly (α = 0.05) higher in the 4 urban neighborhoods than in the 2 suburban neighborhoods. Close proximity to light rail had no observable impact on average observed PM2.5 or simulated mobile-source NOx. Home-based exposure assessments found that PM2.5 was negatively correlated with positive emotions such as happiness and to net affect (the sum of positive and negative emotion scores) and positively correlated (ie, a higher PM2.5 concentration led to higher scores) for negative emotions such as tiredness, stress, sadness, and pain. Simulated mobile-source NOx, assessed from both home-based exposures and in situ exposures, had a near-zero relationship with all EWB indicators. This was attributed to low NOx levels throughout the study neighborhoods and at locations were the EWB-assessed activities took place, both owing to low on-road mobile-source NOx impacts. Although none of the air quality and EWB responses were determined to be statistically significant (α = 0.05), due in part to the relatively small sample size, the results are suggestive of linkages between air quality and a variety of EWB outcomes.

Late-Life Divorce and Postdivorce Adult Subjective Well-Being

2015 ◽  
Vol 38 (10) ◽  
pp. 1363-1388 ◽  
Author(s):  
Gary L. Bowen ◽  
Todd M. Jensen
Keyword(s):  
Protective Factors ◽  
Late Life ◽  
Well Being ◽  
Risk And Protective Factors ◽  
The United States ◽  
Ordinary Least Squares ◽  
Future Research ◽  
Least Squares Regression ◽  
Data Set ◽  
Late Life Divorce

Late-life divorce—divorce at 50 years and older—is an increasingly common event in the United States. Despite this trend, the conditions and outcomes for those involved in late-life divorce remain understudied. Drawing on Schlossberg’s transition theory, we assess four sets of risk and protective factors (i.e., situation, self, support, and coping strategies) that could influence the postdivorce life satisfaction of adults who experience late-life divorces. Using the data set of a nationally representative study, we obtained an analytical sample of 164 men and 145 women who reported a divorce at 50 years or older ( N = 309). Results from ordinary least squares regression analysis indicate few statistically significant effects from the sets of risk and protective factors entered in the second and third steps of the analysis. Implications, limitations, and directions for future research are discussed.

Loneliness, age at immigration, family relationships, and depression among older immigrants: A moderated relationship

2021 ◽  
pp. 026540752110612
Author(s):  
Heejung Jang ◽  
Fengyan Tang
Keyword(s):  
Depressive Symptoms ◽  
Social Relations ◽  
Family Relationships ◽  
Well Being ◽  
The United States ◽  
Ordinary Least Squares ◽  
Study Data ◽  
Least Squares Regression ◽  
Familial Relationships ◽  
Older Immigrants

Guided by a convoy model of social relations, this study explores the complex relationships between loneliness, age at immigration, familial relationships, and depressive symptoms among older immigrants. This study used 2010 Health and Retirement Study data from a sample of 575 immigrants (52% female, age range 65–99 years). Ordinary least squares regression models were estimated. The findings indicate that for older immigrants who came to the United States at age 45 or older, loneliness was significantly positively associated with depressive symptoms. Further, perceived negative strain and hours spent helping family moderated this relationship such that the effect of loneliness on depressive symptoms was stronger among respondents who perceived more negative family strain and spent fewer hours helping family. Familial relationships are crucial for the psychological well-being of older immigrants because they can be a source of either stress or support. The results have implications for how research and practices can support the immigrant families.

Psychological Response to HIV Positivity in Hemophilia

PEDIATRICS ◽  
1995 ◽  
Vol 96 (6) ◽  
pp. 1062-1069
Author(s):  
Dennis D. Drotar ◽  
David P. Agle ◽  
C. Lucy Eckl ◽  
Paul A. Thompson
Keyword(s):  
Children And Adolescents ◽  
Disease Severity ◽  
Well Being ◽  
The United States ◽  
Demographic Characteristics ◽  
Controlled Study ◽  
Psychological Resilience ◽  
Family Adaptation ◽  
Hiv Seropositive ◽  
Hiv Negative

Objective. To compare the psychological and family adaptation of children and adolescents with hemophilia who were seropositive for human immunodeficiency virus type 1 (HIV-1) with an HIV-negative group of comparable age, demographic characteristics, and disease severity in a multi-site study. Design. Cross-sectional, controlled study. Setting. Thirty-three hemophilia treatment centers throughout the United States. Sample. Ninety-one children and adolescents with hemophilia who were seropositive for HIV and 92 children and adolescents with hemophilia who were seronegative and of comparable age, demographic characteristics, and disease severity. Results. HIV-seropositive children and adolescents reported less positive affect [(lower well being) (P < .05) ], and more frequent hemophilia-related school absences were identified among HIV-infected patients (P < .005). However, the two groups demonstrated surprisingly comparable levels of psychological, social, hemophilia-related adjustment, general family relations, and hemophilia-related family adaptation, as reported by patients and parents. However, mothers of HIV-seropositive children and adolescents reported higher levels of general psychological distress (P < .008) and higher levels of distress related to hemophilia (P < .0002) than parents of HIV-negative children. Conclusions. Seropositive children and adolescents with hemophilia demonstrate psychological resilience and levels of psychological adjustment that were comparable to seronegative counterparts. However, mothers of seropositive children were more distressed than mothers of HIV-negative children. Practitioners should ensure that stressed mothers obtain necessary psychological support.

scholarly journals A Land-Based and Spatial Assessment of Local Food Capacity in Northern Idaho, USA

Land ◽  
2019 ◽  
Vol 8 (8) ◽  
pp. 121 ◽  
Author(s):  
Felix Haifeng Liao ◽  
Brendan Gordon ◽  
Colette DePhelps ◽  
Darin Saul ◽  
Chao Fan ◽  
...  
Keyword(s):  
Food Production ◽  
Local Food ◽  
Average Distance ◽  
Well Being ◽  
The United States ◽  
Environmental Benefits ◽  
Optimization Approach ◽  
Local Food Movement ◽  
Local Food Production ◽  
Northern Idaho

Across the United States, there has been a growing interest in local food production, which provides an alternative way to increase self-sufficiency and support greater well-being and food security at the community level. This study focused on the Northern Panhandle region of Idaho, where opportunities derived from the local food movement have emerged in several resort and college towns. This research integrated spatial analysis and modeling in a geographic information system (GIS) environment and a linear-programming (LP) optimization approach to identify, quantify, and map these potential opportunities. The obtained results show that existing local food producers are located in the urban fringe and on productive cropland. The foodshed model further suggests that Northern Idaho has enough farmland to feed its whole population within an average distance of 49 km or 31 miles. An alternative land use scenario was explored that involves removing marginal cropland with high soil erodibility from commodity cropping to improve the ecological benefits of local food production. The results of the study, including nuanced evidence of growing demand for local-food products, the existence of enough cropland capacity to meet demand, and potential environmental benefits, are quite encouraging to local food advocates in Northern Idaho and other areas and demonstrate the utility of land-based foodshed analysis.

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