Grateful Expectations: Cultural Differences in the Curvilinear Association between Age and Gratitude

Recent research suggests that the association between age and gratitude might be curvilinear—despite gratitude ostensibly being higher in middle-age, it might be lower in older adulthood. It is unclear if this curvilinear pattern of age differences in gratitude is found in other samples and whether its manifestation depends on contextual (i.e., national/cultural) characteristics. The current study examined cultural variation in the curvilinear effect of age on gratitude in a sample of over 4.5 million participants from 88 countries. Participants from countries with lower levels of human development, a shorter-term orientation, and higher levels of indulgence reported higher levels of gratitude. Cultural moderation effects were very small, suggesting that curvilinear effects of age on gratitude may be relatively comparable across cultures.

Grateful expectations: Cultural differences in the curvilinear association between age and gratitude

Recent research suggests that the association between age and gratitude might be curvilinear—despite gratitude ostensibly being higher in middle-age, it might be lower in older adulthood. It is unclear if this curvilinear pattern of age differences in gratitude is found in other samples and whether its manifestation depends on contextual (i.e., national/cultural) characteristics. The current study examined cultural variation in the curvilinear effect of age on gratitude in a sample of over 4.5 million participants from 88 countries. Participants from countries with lower levels of human development, a shorter-term orientation, and higher levels of indulgence reported higher levels of gratitude. Cultural moderation effects were very small, suggesting that curvilinear effects of age on gratitude may be relatively comparable across cultures.

SDHA Germline Variants in Adult Patients With SDHA-Mutant Gastrointestinal Stromal Tumor

BackgroundSDH-deficient gastrointestinal stromal tumors (GIST) account for 20–40% of all KIT/PDGFRA-negative GIST and are due to mutations in one of the four SDH-complex subunits, with SDHA mutations as the most frequent. Here we sought to evaluate the presence and prevalence of SDHA variants in the germline lineage in a population of SDHA-deficient GIST.MethodsGermline SDHA status was assessed by Sanger sequencing on a series of 14 patients with gastric SDHA-deficient GIST.ResultsAll patients carried a germline SDHA pathogenic variant, ranging from truncating, missense, or splicing variants. The second hit was the loss of the wild-type allele or an additional somatic mutation. One-third of the patients were over 50 years old. GIST was the only disease presentation in all cases except one, with no personal or familial cancer history. Seven metastatic cases received a multimodal treatment integrating surgery, loco-regional and medical therapy. The mean follow-up time was of 10 years, confirming the indolent clinical course of the disease.ConclusionSDHA germline variants are highly frequent in SDHA-deficient GIST, and the disease may occur also in older adulthood. Genetic testing and surveillance of SDHA-mutation carriers and relatives should be performed.

Risk factors for depression in older adults in Bogotá, Colombia

Purpose This paper aims to identify psychosocial, demographic and health risk factors associated with depression in older people. Design/methodology/approach A correlational study with 281 independent and autonomous persons of the community over 60 years old from Bogotá was conducted. The three instruments used to measure the variables included in the data analyses were Demographic and Health Data Questionnaire, Short version of 15 items of Geriatric Depression Scale (GDS) and Montreal Cognitive Assessment Test (MoCA). Findings Fifteen percent of the participants presented depression. Depression was associated with different demographic, low social support and health factors in this population group and was particularly high in women. Being a woman with poor social support networks and a previous history of depressive episodes should be considered as determining factors within a clinical risk profile for depression in older adulthood. It is essential to design prevention strategies focused on women and on the development of better social support in old age. Originality/value Depression is a prevalent and highly disabling disease, when it is suffered by an older person it is associated with higher mortality, functional dependence, poor physical health, worse quality of life indicators and psychological well-being. In the elderly, the clinical diagnosis of depression is difficult, as it has a high comorbidity and is often confused with other health conditions prevalent during older adulthood.

Loneliness and Off-Topic Verbosity Among Young Adults and Older Adults

Objectives: Off-topic verbosity (OTV) refers to prolonged speech that derails from the initial conversational topic by including more loosely associated speech and becoming increasingly more unfocused and distant from the initial topic. Previous research has suggested that, among older adults, loneliness may be associated with greater OTV. The purpose of this study was to investigate the nature of the relationship between loneliness and OTV among young adults ( n = 62) and older adults ( n = 80). Methods: Participants completed a measure of loneliness and provided speech samples, which were transcribed and rated for OTV. Results: Results indicated some relationship between loneliness and tangentiality of speech, particularly among older adults. Discussion: Overall, loneliness may be associated with greater OTV in older adults, which could further explain the connection between increased loneliness and worse health outcomes in older adulthood.

The Paid and Unpaid Working Life Expectancy at 50 in Europe

Objectives Amid growing concerns about the economic implications of population aging and the sustainability of older adults’ working life, unpaid family care work receives less attention despite its direct relevance to population aging. This paper systematically compares the paid and unpaid working life expectancy at age 50 to understand the overlap and trade-off between paid and unpaid work among older European adults. Method Using data from the Survey of Health and Retirement in Europe (SHARE) with the Sullivan method, the paper presents gender differences across 17 countries in life expectancy at age 50 at various paid (employment) and unpaid (caregiving) role configurations. Results When work is defined to include unpaid family caregiving, women and men have similar working life expectancies at age 50, in contrast to prior research. However, its paid and unpaid components are gendered. The results also show that at age 50, women are expected to spend similar number of years providing grandchild care and ADL/IADL care and that most of these years take place after retirement. Discussion The results highlight that the gendered tension between paid and unpaid work persists into older adulthood and needs to be accounted for in working life expectancy measures. The results also underscore the gendered implications of population aging and unpaid work in older adulthood for retirement age policies and strategies for promoting gender equality in later life.

Characteristics of Financial Exploitation in a Sample of Israeli Older Adults

Financial exploitation (FE) negatively affects wellbeing in older adulthood. However, characteristics of FE and its health correlates remain poorly understood. In this study, 138 Israeli older adults answered questions regarding FE history, and completed physical and mental health questionnaires. Of 138 participants, 23 reported a history of FE. FE participants were older (M birth year = 1950.35; sd = 9.65) than non-FE participants (M birth year = 1953.79; sd = 6.06; p = 0.028) and reported lower household income (p=0.001). Groups did not differ in education level or sex breakdown. The FE group reported older subjective age (p = 0.022), worse subjective cognition (p = 0.007), more depressive symptoms (p=0.002), and marginally higher anxiety symptoms (p = 0.099) than the non-FE group. Groups did not differ in reported levels of social support or number of medical conditions. When covarying for age, differences between groups in subjective cognition and depressive symptoms remained significant (ps ≤0.022), while subjective age differences became marginal (p = 0.07). The FE group responded to follow-up questions regarding FE experiences. Reported perpetrators included companies/businesses (most commonly reported, 30%), strangers, friends/neighbors, service providers, and family. Eleven reported losing 100 NIS to 10,000 NIS, and 10 reported losing 10,001 to over 100,000 NIS. Additionally, six FE participants reported that the FE is ongoing, and two reported additional FE experiences. Findings suggest that FE is related to mental and physical health of older adults. Findings also provide preliminary information regarding characteristics of FE in a sample of Israeli older adults.

Sense of Purpose in Life Promotes Resilience to Memory Deficits Related to Depressive Symptomatology

Individuals higher in depressive symptoms commonly present with neuropsychological deficits including poorer memory performance. Sense of purpose in life, a component of psychological well-being, has been shown to promote resilience to cognitive impairment in older adulthood, but it is unclear whether it may also protect against cognitive deficits associated with higher depressive symptoms. This study examined whether purpose in life moderated the effect of depressive symptoms on cognitive functioning in a large longitudinal study of 4599 American older adults (Mage = 74.33 years, range = 65–104 years, 56.84% female) across a 12-year follow-up period. Depressive symptomatology was assessed at each wave using the 8-item Center for Epidemiologic Studies Depression Scale. Multilevel models assessed the influence of depressive symptoms and the interaction with sense of purpose in life on changes in word recall and mental status. Higher depressive symptoms were associated with poorer recall at baseline, but not rate of change over time. A negative interaction was observed between sense of purpose in life and depressive symptoms such that individuals higher in purpose experienced a less negative impact of depressive symptoms on word recall. No significant interaction of sense of purpose and depressive symptoms was observed on mental status. Having a sense of purpose in life may help protect older adults from memory deficits associated with higher depressive symptoms. The present findings underscore the potential for sense of purpose to promote cognitive reserve in older adulthood, allowing individuals to maintain cognitive performance in the face of accruing neuropsychological challenges.

Using Visual Demonstrations of Learning to Promote Age-Integrated Problem Solving

Working to dismantle the “othering” of older adults requires active effort to reverse deeply ingrained cultural perceptions and attitudes. As gerontology educators, we are uniquely positioned to “move the needle” on this issue by providing students with the opportunity to engage with older adults in meaningful ways and to see the world from their perspective. In this presentation, visual demonstrations of student learning will be shared that allow students to demonstrate their mastery of course concepts in a creative way and to problem-solve a particular issue by engaging with their own future selves. This approach also allows for a deviation from the routine of written demonstrations of learning by appealing to a different set of student skills. Approaches discussed will include concept maps to deconstruct community collaboration; book bentos to explore optimal aging; multimedia presentations on meaning-making in older adulthood; and a photo elicitation project to address outdoor fall hazards.