scholarly journals Day-to-Day Contact and Help Among Neighbors Measured in the Natural Environment

2020 ◽  
Vol 4 (2) ◽  
Author(s):  
Alexander Seifert
Keyword(s):  
Older Adults ◽  
Research Design ◽  
Mobile Application ◽  
Longitudinal Research ◽  
Ecological Validity ◽  
Real Life ◽  
Social Contact ◽  
Well Being ◽  
Positive Valence ◽  
Design And Methods

Abstract Background and Objectives Empirical evidence suggests that the concept of “neighboring” (i.e., social contact and social support within a neighborhood) is related to between-person differences in well-being among older adults. However, little is known about the within-person differences in older adults’ everyday lives, which limits the ecological validity of prior findings. This study examined within-person associations between neighboring and the existence of positive valence, loneliness, and attachment to one’s neighborhood. Research Design and Methods The sample consisted of 4,620 observations of 20 days, drawn from 77 adults aged between 61 and 90 years. A mobile application on a smartphone was used for data collection. Results The results of the multilevel analysis suggest that daily contact with one’s neighbors was not significantly associated with daily positive valence, but it was positively related to daily feelings of not being alone and daily attachment to one’s neighborhood. Discussion and Implications The study makes noteworthy contributions to the field of gerontology by applying a micro-longitudinal research design to assess real-life within-person information.

scholarly journals Better Off Alone: Daily Solitude Is Associated With Lower Negative Affect in More Conflictual Social Networks

2018 ◽  
Vol 59 (6) ◽  
pp. 1152-1161 ◽  
Author(s):  
Kira S Birditt ◽  
Jasmine A Manalel ◽  
Heidi Sommers ◽  
Gloria Luong ◽  
Karen L Fingerman
Keyword(s):  
Older Adults ◽  
Social Networks ◽  
Negative Affect ◽  
Social Contact ◽  
Adaptive Strategy ◽  
Well Being ◽  
Social Contexts ◽  
Network Quality ◽  
Ecological Momentary ◽  
Design And Methods

Abstract Background and Objectives Older adults are often considered at risk for social isolation. Little is known, however, about how often older adults lack social contact (in person, phone, electronic) throughout the day, the implications of lacking contact (i.e., solitude), and whether the effects of solitude vary by the broader social context. Research Design and Methods Participants were from the Daily Experiences and Well-being Study (DEWS) which included 313 older adults (aged 65+) who completed baseline interviews followed by 5–6 days of ecological momentary assessments approximately every 3 hr. Results Individuals reported having no social contact (i.e., solitude) on 11% of the occasions. Solitude predicted lower negative and positive affect on those occasions. The solitude-negative affect link varied by social network quality. Solitude predicted lower negative affect among individuals with more conflictual social networks but not among those with less conflictual networks. Discussion and Implications Overall, solitude may serve as an adaptive strategy for individuals embedded in demanding or irritating social contexts.

scholarly journals Older Adults’ Experience of the COVID-19 Pandemic: A Mixed-Methods Analysis of Stresses and Joys

2020 ◽  
Author(s):  
Brenda R Whitehead ◽  
Emily Torossian
Keyword(s):  
Older Adults ◽  
Online Survey ◽  
Social Contact ◽  
Well Being ◽  
Psychological Well Being ◽  
Coping Theory ◽  
Concern For Others ◽  
Stress Experience ◽  
And Coping ◽  
Design And Methods

Abstract Background and Objectives The coronavirus disease 2019 (COVID-19) pandemic is experienced differently across individuals, and older adults’ different life experiences lead to a variety of ways of coping. The present study explores older adults’ reports of what about the pandemic is stressful, and what brings joy and comfort in the midst of stress. Research Design and Methods An online survey asked 825 U.S. adults aged 60 and older to complete questionnaires assessing 3 psychological well-being indicators: perceived stress, negative affect, and positive affect. Participants also responded to open-ended questions about what was stressful and what brought joy or comfort at the time of the survey. A mixed-method approach first qualitatively analyzed the open-ended responses, content analysis identified themes most frequently reported, and quantitative analysis examined the associations between various stressors and joys and the psychological well-being indicators. Results Qualitative analysis revealed 20 stress categories and 21 joy/comfort categories. The most commonly reported stressors were confinement/restrictions, concern for others, and isolation/loneliness; the most commonly reported sources of joy/comfort were family/friend relationships, digital social contact, and hobbies. Demographic comparisons revealed variations in experience. Independent t tests revealed stress from concern for others, the unknown future, and contracting the virus to be significantly associated with poorer psychological well-being; faith, exercise/self-care, and nature were associated with more positive psychological well-being. Discussion and Implications Results are discussed in the context of stress and coping theory, highlighting the importance of understanding the unique stress experience of each individual for effective distress intervention.

scholarly journals Older HIV+ and HIV− Adults Provide Similar Definitions of Successful Aging: A Mixed-Methods Examination

2018 ◽  
Vol 60 (3) ◽  
pp. 385-395 ◽  
Author(s):  
Pariya L Fazeli ◽  
Jessica L Montoya ◽  
Chastity N McDavid ◽  
David J Moore
Keyword(s):  
Older Adults ◽  
General Health ◽  
Successful Aging ◽  
Well Being ◽  
Neurocognitive Impairment ◽  
Older Individuals ◽  
Demographic Correlates ◽  
Biological Health ◽  
Design And Methods

Abstract Background and Objective As HIV-infected (HIV+) individuals age, there is a need to understand successful aging (SA) from the patient perspective. This study compared SA definitions between HIV+ and HIV-uninfected (HIV−) older adults and then examined correlates of SA categories. Research Design and Methods Ninety-three HIV+ and 46 HIV− older (aged 50+) adults provided brief definitions of SA, which was examined using content analysis. We then compared the frequency of SA categories by serostatus and examined the correlates of SA categories within both groups. Results Seven SA categories emerged: General Health, Cognitive Health & Ability, Physical/Biological Health & Ability, Social Relationships, Attitudes, Psychological, & Emotional Well-Being, Proactive & Engaged Lifestyle, and Independence. While no significant differences emerged, HIV− older adults were more likely to report General Health and the subcategory of Longevity/Survival, while HIV+ older adults were more likely to report subcategories of Enjoying Life & Fulfillment and Maintaining Balance. Few demographic correlates of SA categories emerged. Mood and HIV characteristics were not associated with SA categories. In both groups, those without neurocognitive impairment were significantly more likely to endorse General Health than those with neurocognitive impairment. Discussion and Implications HIV+ and HIV− older individuals may generally perceive SA similarly, and their definitions parallel with existing models of SA. Yet, living with a chronic illness may cause HIV+ older adults to place greater value on quality of life and life satisfaction than physical health and chronological age. Observational and intervention studies may use similar approaches in evaluating and maximizing SA.

scholarly journals Sounds of Healthy Aging: Assessing Everyday Cognitive Activity From Real-Life Audio Data

2020 ◽  
Vol 4 (Supplement_1) ◽  
pp. 622-622
Author(s):  
Burcu Demiray ◽  
Minxia Luo ◽  
Matthew Grilli
Keyword(s):  
Older Adults ◽  
Prospective Memory ◽  
Cognitive Aging ◽  
Healthy Aging ◽  
Cognitive Activity ◽  
Real Life ◽  
Well Being ◽  
Cognitive Status ◽  
World Health ◽  
Recording Device

Abstract The healthy aging model of the World Health Organization (2015) highlights the value of assessing and monitoring everyday activities in understanding health in old age. This symposium includes four studies that used the Electronically Activated Recorder (EAR), a portable recording device that periodically collects sound snippets in everyday life, to assess various real-life cognitive activities in the context of healthy aging. The four studies collected over 100,000 sound snippets (30-seconds long) over a few days from young and older adults in the US and Switzerland. Participants’ speech in the sound snippets were transcribed and coded for different cognitive activity information. Specifically, Haas and Kliegel have investigated the “prospective memory paradox” by examining the commonality and differences in utterances about retrospective and prospective memory failure in young and older adults’ everyday conversations. Demiray and colleagues investigated the relation between autobiographical memory functions and conversation types in young and older adults in relation to well-being. Luo and colleagues have identified the compensatory function of real-world contexts in cognitive aging: Their study showed that older adults benefited from talking with their spouse in producing complex grammatical structures. Finally, Polsinelli and colleagues found robust associations between language markers (e.g., prepositions, more numbers) and executive functions, highlighting the potential use of spontaneous speech in predicting cognitive status in healthy older adults. Finally, Prof. Matthew Grilli will serve as a discussant and provide an integrative discussion of the papers, informed by his extensive work on clinical and cognitive neuroscience of memory in relation to real-life contexts.

scholarly journals Happiness and Cognitive Impairment Among Older Adults: Investigating the Mediational Roles of Disability, Depression, Social Contact Frequency, and Loneliness

2019 ◽  
Vol 16 (24) ◽  
pp. 4954
Author(s):  
Jit Hui Tan ◽  
Edimansyah Abdin ◽  
Shazana Shahwan ◽  
Yunjue Zhang ◽  
Rajeswari Sambasivam ◽  
...  
Keyword(s):  
Older Adults ◽  
Cognitive Impairment ◽  
Adult Population ◽  
Social Contact ◽  
Positive Association ◽  
Well Being ◽  
Cross Sectional ◽  
Mediation Analyses ◽  
Frequency Of Contact ◽  
Contact Frequency

Background: Understanding the lower level of happiness among older adults with cognitive impairment has been a largely neglected issue. This study (1) reports on the level of happiness among older adults in Singapore and (2) examines the potential mediating roles of depression, disability, social contact frequency, and loneliness in the relationship between cognitive scores and happiness. Methods: Data for this study were extracted from the Well-being of the Singapore Elderly (WiSE) study: a cross-sectional; comprehensive single-phase survey conducted among Singapore citizens and permanent residents that were aged 60 years and above (n = 2565). The Geriatric Mental State examination (GMS) was administered to the participants. Questions pertaining to socio-demographic characteristics; happiness; loneliness; social contact; depression; and, disability were utilized in this study. Logistic regression analyses and mediation analyses were used to explore the correlates of happiness and potential mediating factors. Results: Overall, 96.2% of older adults in Singapore reported feeling either fairly happy or very happy. In the regression analysis, individuals of Malay descent, those who were married/cohabiting, or had higher education levels were more likely to report feeling happy. After controlling for socio-demographic factors, higher cognitive scores were associated with higher odds of reporting happiness. We found that the positive association between cognition and happiness was fully mediated by disability, depression, loneliness, and frequency of contact with friends. Conclusion: The majority of the older adult population reported feeling fairly or very happy. While cognitive impairment has shown limited reversibility in past studies, unhappiness among older adults with cognitive impairment might be potentially mitigated through interventions addressing accompanying issues of social isolation, disability, and depression

scholarly journals Age Moderates Perceived COVID-19 Disruption on Well-Being

2020 ◽  
Author(s):  
Amy Knepple Carney ◽  
Allyson S Graf ◽  
Grace Hudson ◽  
Ellen Wilson
Keyword(s):  
Older Adults ◽  
Negative Affect ◽  
Perceived Stress ◽  
Large Scale ◽  
Negative Impact ◽  
Well Being ◽  
Community Dwelling ◽  
Middle Aged ◽  
Age Related ◽  
Design And Methods

Abstract Background and Objectives It is not fully understood how large-scale events affect well-being. Older adults showed the highest levels of resilience following the September 11th (9/11) terrorist attacks, but during the severe acute respiratory syndrome outbreak, there were no age-related differences in well-being. The current study examined the Coronavirus Disease 2019 (COVID-19) disruption on well-being throughout adulthood. Research Design and Methods Perceived stress and affect were examined in 166 community-dwelling adults (Mage = 35.65; SD = 15.53; range = 18–79) in relation to the perceived disruption of the COVID-19 pandemic to their lives. Results A significant moderation was found for age and COVID-19 disruption on perceived stress [F(5, 153) = 8.88, p < .05, R2 = .22] and negative affect [F(5, 154) = 4.91, p < .05, R2 = .14], but not for positive affect. For participants over 50, those who rated COVID-19 as a low or high disruption had similar scores on stress and negative affect, but with younger aged participants, perceiving high disruption corresponded with higher levels of stress and negative affect. Discussion and Implications Findings are consistent with the strength and vulnerability integration (SAVI) model, wherein older adults try to maintain positive emotional well-being, with middle-aged and older adults in the current study having experienced less negative impact on well-being. Middle-aged and older adults may be better able to regulate negative emotions from COVID-19 than younger adults. SAVI proposes a greater negative impact on older adults when they experience sustained stressors; as the challenges with COVID-19 continue, further data will need to be examined.

scholarly journals Prioritizing Health Care and Employment Resources During COVID-19: Roles of Benevolent and Hostile Ageism

2020 ◽  
Author(s):  
MaryBeth Apriceno ◽  
Ashley Lytle ◽  
Caitlin Monahan ◽  
Jamie Macdonald ◽  
Sheri R Levy
Keyword(s):  
College Students ◽  
Older Adults ◽  
Health Care ◽  
Research Design ◽  
Online Survey ◽  
Past Work ◽  
Lower Priority ◽  
Working From Home ◽  
Design And Methods ◽  
To Receive

Abstract Background and Objectives Benevolent and hostile ageism are subtypes of ageism that characterize older adults as incompetent. With benevolent ageism, older adults are also viewed as warm. The coronavirus disease 2019 (COVID-19) pandemic has strained resources and prompted debates about priority for older adults versus other groups. Research Design and Methods College students completed an online survey of how much priority should be given to older adults in 3 relevant health care-related scenarios and 3 relevant employment scenarios. Results Benevolent ageism significantly predicted higher priority for older adults to receive health care (triage, COVID-19 vaccine, and COVID-19 testing) and employment resources (retention of job and working from home) while greater endorsement of hostile ageism significantly predicted lower priority ratings. Discussion and Implications These findings replicate and extend past work. As the COVID-19 pandemic continues to wreak havoc on health care and employment resources, this study sheds light on one factor—benevolent and hostile ageism—that contributes to a greater understanding of prioritization views toward a vulnerable segment of the population.

Feasibility, Acceptability, and Preliminary Efficacy of an App-Based Mindfulness-Meditation Program Among Older Adults

2020 ◽  
Author(s):  
Leeann Mahlo ◽  
Tim D Windsor
Keyword(s):  
Older Adults ◽  
Life Satisfaction ◽  
Negative Affect ◽  
Perceived Stress ◽  
Mindfulness Meditation ◽  
Well Being ◽  
Community Dwelling ◽  
The Body ◽  
Study Interval ◽  
Design And Methods

Abstract Background and Objectives Few studies have focused on the utility of mindfulness-meditation for well-being in older adults. The present study investigated the feasibility, acceptability, and preliminary efficacy of an app-based mindfulness-meditation program among older adults. Research Design and Methods A community-based sample of 46 participants aged between 63 and 81 (M = 70.85, SD = 4.70) engaged with a 30-day app-based mindfulness-meditation program for 10 min daily on their smartphones. Each meditation session comprised focusing on the breath, mentally scanning the body, monitoring the mind’s activity, and cultivating a nonjudgmental orientation toward experiences. Participants completed questionnaires at baseline, day 10, and day 30. Results On average, participants completed 25 sessions and almost 4 h of application use across the 30 days. Results of linear mixed effects models showed significant improvements in positive affect, negative affect, and life satisfaction across the study interval, but no meaningful change in total mindfulness or perceived stress. Furthermore, relative to high levels of smartphone efficacy, low smartphone efficacy was associated with higher perceived stress and negative affect, and less life satisfaction at baseline; and steeper improvements on these outcomes across the study interval. On average, older adults rated the app-based mindfulness-meditation training as interesting, enjoyable, valuable, and useful. Discussion and Implications The findings provide preliminary support for the feasibility and acceptability of an app-based mindfulness-meditation program with community-dwelling older adults and demonstrate potential benefits for well-being. Results suggest the value of further research investigating the efficacy of digital mindfulness-meditation interventions for older adults via larger randomized controlled trials.

scholarly journals Association of Physical Function With Driving Space and Crashes Among Older Adults

2019 ◽  
Vol 60 (1) ◽  
pp. 69-79 ◽  
Author(s):  
Linda S Ng ◽  
Jack M Guralnik ◽  
Cora Man ◽  
Carolyn DiGuiseppi ◽  
David Strogatz ◽  
...  
Keyword(s):  
Older Adults ◽  
Physical Function ◽  
Physical Functioning ◽  
Longitudinal Research ◽  
Prevalence Ratio ◽  
Well Being ◽  
Older Drivers ◽  
Cross Sectional ◽  
Longitudinal Effects ◽  
Driving Outcomes

Abstract Background and Objectives Balancing both driver mobility and safety is important for the well-being of older adults. However, research on the association of physical function with these 2 driving outcomes has yielded inconsistent findings. This study examined whether physical functioning of older drivers, as measured by the Short Physical Performance Battery (SPPB), is associated with either driving space or crash involvement. Methods Using cross-sectional data of active drivers aged 65–79 years from the AAA Longitudinal Research on Aging Drivers (LongROAD) study (n = 2,990), we used multivariate log-binomial and logistic regressions to estimate the associations of the SPPB with either self-reported restricted driving space in the prior 3 months or any crashes in the past year. Interaction with gender was assessed using likelihood ratio tests. Results After adjustment, older drivers with higher SPPB scores (higher physical functioning) had lower prevalence of restricted driving space (8–10 vs. 0–7, prevalence ratio [PR] = 0.88, 95% confidence interval [CI]: 0.78–0.99; 11–12 vs. 0–7, PR = 0.78, 95% CI: 0.61–0.99). Fair (8–10), but not good (11–12), scores were significantly associated with reduced crash involvement (8–10 vs. 0–7, odds ratio [OR] = 0.71, 95% CI: 0.60–0.84). Gender was not a significant effect modifier. Discussion and Implications This study provides evidence that higher physical functioning is associated with better driving mobility and safety and that the SPPB may be useful for identifying at-risk drivers. Further research is needed to understand physical functioning’s longitudinal effects and the SPPB’s role in older driver intervention programs.

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