scholarly journals Perceived Control and Aging: A Mini-Review and Directions for Future Research

Gerontology ◽  
2017 ◽  
Vol 63 (5) ◽  
pp. 435-442 ◽  
Author(s):  
Stephanie A. Robinson ◽  
Margie E. Lachman
Keyword(s):  
Sex Education ◽  
Perceived Control ◽  
Later Life ◽  
Well Being ◽  
Reciprocal Relationship ◽  
Control Beliefs ◽  
Future Research ◽  
Cross Sectional ◽  
As Stress ◽  
Health And Well Being

This brief review on perceived control and aging is organized according to 3 perspectives of research involving description, explanation, and modification. An extensive body of literature has utilized cross-sectional and correlational methods to describe the sociodemographic variations and outcomes associated with perceived control. This work has focused on differences in perceived control as a function of age, sex, education, socioeconomic status, and culture and has identified positive associations with many aging-related outcomes involving health and well-being. With growing evidence regarding the health benefits of perceived control in the context of a declining sense of control with aging, there has been an increased effort to uncover the mechanisms involved, with the hopes of developing methods to maintain and/or promote adaptive control beliefs throughout adulthood. Through longitudinal and experimental work, researchers are beginning to clarify the directionality and elucidate the mechanisms to explain the associations. Recent evidence from longitudinal studies shows that control beliefs have an impact on subsequent changes in health. Yet, the findings suggest that it is not a unidirectional relationship. A conceptual model suggesting an ongoing reciprocal relationship between perceived control and health and well-being is discussed. Research examining the mechanisms that link perceived control to aging-related outcomes can help to inform and to develop effective interventions that are tailored to the individual's specific barriers and goals. We consider new directions for research, including more attention to intraindividual variability and reactivity to daily challenges, such as stress, with the goal of advancing our understanding of how perceived control contributes to aging-related outcomes. More work is needed to develop strategies to enhance control beliefs in later life. Although it will not always be possible to modify control beliefs, researchers can take these beliefs into account when developing interventions. A personalized approach is recommended as a way to tailor interventions that are compatible with individuals' beliefs about control to facilitate adaptive behavior change. Conclusions focus on selected issues and considerations for future research.

Achieving the Sustainable Development Goals: Evidence from the Longitudinal Parenting Across Cultures Project

2021 ◽  
pp. 89-112
Author(s):  
Jennifer E. Lansford ◽  
W. Andrew Rothenberg ◽  
Sombat Tapanya ◽  
Liliana Maria Uribe Tirado ◽  
Saengduean Yotanyamaneewong ◽  
...  
Keyword(s):  
Sustainable Development ◽  
Longitudinal Data ◽  
Sustainable Development Goals ◽  
Well Being ◽  
Future Research ◽  
Cross Sectional ◽  
The Sustainable Development ◽  
Development Goals ◽  
Future Research Directions ◽  
Health And Well Being

This chapter uses evidence from the Parenting Across Cultures (PAC) project to illustrate ways in which longitudinal data can help achieve the Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs.) The chapter begins by providing an overview of the research questions that have guided the international PAC as well as a description of the participants, procedures, and measures. Next, empirical findings from PAC are summarized to illustrate implications for six specific SDGs related to child and adolescent development in relation to education, poverty, gender, mental health, and well-being. Then the chapter describes how longitudinal data offer advantages over cross-sectional data in operationalizing SDG targets and implementing the SDGs. Finally, limitations, future research directions, and conclusions are provided.

scholarly journals Child’s Developmental Disabilities and Parental Well-being in Midlife and Old Age: Does Race Matter?

2020 ◽  
Vol 4 (Supplement_1) ◽  
pp. 916-916
Author(s):  
Juha Lee ◽  
Manjing Gao ◽  
Chioun Lee
Keyword(s):  
Developmental Disabilities ◽  
Life Course ◽  
Personal Growth ◽  
Later Life ◽  
Well Being ◽  
The United States ◽  
Future Research ◽  
Differential Vulnerability ◽  
Differential Exposure ◽  
Health And Well Being

Abstract Having a child with developmental disabilities (DD) compromises parents’ health and well-being. We have little knowledge on whether the association is robust to the presence of exposure-outcome confounders and how it varies by race. Guided by life-course perspectives, we evaluate (1) the association between having a child with DD and parental well-being and (2) racial disparities in the likelihood of having a child with DD (differential exposure), and/or the effect of having a child with DD on parental well-being (differential vulnerabilities). We advance prior studies by including a wide array of parent’s early-life adversities (ELAs, e.g., poverty and abuse), which may link the predictor to the outcome. Using the core, Refresher, and Milwaukee samples from Midlife in the United States (N=9,640, 25% non-Whites), we conducted regression analysis with race as a moderator. Compared to having a healthy child, parents having a child with DD reported lower well-being even after controlling for ELAs. While the likelihood of having a child with DD (around 10%) is similar for both non-Hispanic Whites and African Americans, African American parents are more adversely affected by having a child with DD across most of the eudaimonic well-being indicators (i.e., autonomy, self-acceptance, positive relationships with others, personal growth, environmental mastery). The later-life well-being of racial minorities is disproportionally affected by having a child with DD. Future research avenues include identifying life-course pathways that contribute to this differential vulnerability.

scholarly journals Successful Aging in Individuals From Less Advantaged, Marginalized, and Stigmatized Backgrounds

2019 ◽  
Vol 1 (3) ◽  
Author(s):  
Myriam Verena Thoma ◽  
Shauna Ledean Mc Gee
Keyword(s):  
Health Outcomes ◽  
Successful Aging ◽  
Organizational Factors ◽  
Later Life ◽  
Well Being ◽  
Future Research ◽  
Social Resilience ◽  
Multi Level ◽  
The Impact ◽  
Health And Well Being

Health and well-being in later life are heavily influenced by behaviors across the life course, which in turn are influenced by a variety of wider contextual, social, economic, and organizational factors. There is considerable potential for inequalities in health-promoting behaviors and health outcomes, arising from poverty, social, and environmental factors. This suggests that individuals from disadvantaged backgrounds and circumstances may have more exposure to (chronic) stressors, coupled with reduced access to resources, and increased susceptibility to risk factors for ill-health and mental disorders in later life. This drastically decreases the likelihood for successful aging in individuals from less advantaged backgrounds. Nevertheless, despite these adverse circumstances, some high-risk, disadvantaged individuals have been shown to achieve and maintain good health and well-being into later life. This scientific update provides an overview of recently published research with samples that, against expectations, demonstrate successful aging. Favorable personality traits, cognitive strategies, and a high-level of intrinsic motivation, paired with a supportive social environment, have been found to build a prosperous basis for successful aging and positive health outcomes in later life for individuals living in aversive environmental circumstances. For clinical psychologists, the movement towards the investigation of underlying mechanisms of successful aging from a psychological perspective, particularly in disadvantaged individuals, may be a critical step towards understanding the vast heterogeneity in aging. Successful aging is possible in disadvantaged individuals. Psychological and social resilience resources may compensate for the impact of disadvantage. The application of multi-level resilience models can aid future research on successful aging. Successful aging is possible in disadvantaged individuals. Psychological and social resilience resources may compensate for the impact of disadvantage. The application of multi-level resilience models can aid future research on successful aging.

Children's Beliefs about Control, Means-ends, and Agency: Developmental Differences during Middle Childhood

1988 ◽  
Vol 11 (3) ◽  
pp. 369-388 ◽  
Author(s):  
Ellen A. Skinner ◽  
Michael Chapman ◽  
Paul B. Baltes
Keyword(s):  
Age Differences ◽  
Middle Childhood ◽  
Perceived Control ◽  
Developmental Differences ◽  
Control Beliefs ◽  
Future Research ◽  
Cross Sectional ◽  
Agency Beliefs ◽  
Children’S Behaviour ◽  
Children's Beliefs

A new action-theoretical conceptualisation was used to study developmental differences in children's generalised perceived control. According to this conceptualisation, controland action-related beliefs are multidimensional and may include not only (1) expectancies about the extent to which an agent (e.g. the self) can obtain desired outcomes (referred to as control beliefs), but also (2) expectancies about the extent to which certain causes or means produce outcomes (means-ends beliefs), as well as (3) expectancies about the extent to which the agent possesses the potential means (agency beliefs). Cross-sectional age differences in these three sets of beliefs were studied in 240 boys and girls from age 7 to 12. The results of age comparisons in mean level indicated that: (1) perceived control of positive events is greater than that of negative events at all ages; (2) the categories of means-ends beliefs (i.e. for the causes effort, attributes, powerful others, luck, unknown) are increasingly differentiated from each other as to their level of perceived effectiveness; (3) agency beliefs for effort, attributes, and powerful others are high across middle childhood. The increase in the perceived accessibility of powerful others is an especially noteworthy finding. Surprisingly few sex differences were found, with the exception that boys rates the cause "attributes" as more effective than girls. The pattern of age differences in control, means-ends, and agency beliefs not only adds to our understanding of the development of generalized expectancies involving control and action across middle childhood, but also holds promise for future research on the origins of these beliefs and on how they influence children's behaviour and action.

scholarly journals Marriage, Cohabitation, and Divorce in Later Life

2017 ◽  
Vol 1 (2) ◽  
Author(s):  
Susan L Brown ◽  
Matthew R Wright
Keyword(s):  
Older Adults ◽  
Primary Source ◽  
Divorce Rate ◽  
Later Life ◽  
Well Being ◽  
Future Research ◽  
Family Change ◽  
Recent Scholarship ◽  
Source Of Care ◽  
Health And Well Being

Abstract Older adults are at the forefront of family change as a declining share experiences lifelong marriage and rates of cohabitation and divorce in later life continue to rise. The goal of this article is to review recent scholarship on marriage, cohabitation, and divorce among older adults and identify directions for future research. The varied family experiences characterizing the later life course demonstrate the importance of moving beyond marital status to capture additional dimensions of the marital biography, including transitions, timing, duration, and sequencing. Cohabitation operates as an alternative to marriage for older adults and is increasingly replacing remarriage following divorce or widowhood. The gray divorce rate has doubled in recent decades as older adults abandon marriage in favor of unmarried partnerships or singlehood. The retreat from marriage among older adults raises important questions about the ramifications of family change for health and well-being as well as access to caregivers given that spouses historically have been the primary source of care.

Military families: the impacts of having a first child during service on military mothers

2021 ◽  
pp. bmjmilitary-2021-001928
Author(s):  
Charlotte Williamson ◽  
J Baumann ◽  
D Murphy
Keyword(s):  
Military Service ◽  
Armed Forces ◽  
Well Being ◽  
Self Report ◽  
Future Research ◽  
Cross Sectional ◽  
First Child ◽  
The Uk ◽  
The Military ◽  
Health And Well Being

IntroductionThe rights, roles and responsibilities of servicewomen in the UK Armed Forces has changed dramatically over time. Previously, service personnel were automatically discharged from the military if they became pregnant. As the percentage of servicewomen in the UK Armed Forces increases, having children during service is becoming more common and maternity policies are now in place. Having children during military service can impact on the health and well-being of servicewomen, including a greater risk of illness when returning to work.MethodsA cross-sectional, self-report survey was used for data collection. The response rate was approximately 45%. Female Army veterans were recruited via a female military association. The survey collected data on parental status, the timing of their first child (during or after service), and several current mental and physical health and well-being outcomes.ResultsOf the 750 female Army veterans who completed the survey, 406 reported having children. Of those with children, 14.5% had their first child during service compared with 85.5% after service. The most frequently endorsed health outcomes were low social support, loneliness and common mental health difficulties. Participants who had their first child during military service were more likely to have left the service non-voluntarily.ConclusionsThis study provided insight into the impacts of having a first child during military service on servicewomen. Overall, female Army veterans who had their first child during service had poorer outcomes, including leaving service non-voluntarily. However, none of the health or well-being outcomes remained significant after adjusting the results. This study explored a widely under researched population and field of research. Future research should seek to expand on our findings and continue to explore the impacts of having a first child during military service for military mothers.

scholarly journals Investigating the Qualities of a Recreational Forest: Findings from the Cross-Sectional Hallerwald Case Study

2020 ◽  
Vol 17 (5) ◽  
pp. 1676 ◽  
Author(s):  
Renate Cervinka ◽  
Markus Schwab ◽  
Daniela Haluza
Keyword(s):  
Citizen Participation ◽  
Perceived Stress ◽  
Stress Reduction ◽  
Well Being ◽  
Cross Sectional ◽  
Convenience Sample ◽  
Before And After ◽  
As Stress ◽  
Health And Well Being

Prior research shows that forests contribute to human health and well-being. In this sense, this cross-sectional case study, adopting the principles of citizen science, assessed the restorative potential of places in the Hallerwald, an Austrian community forest. A convenience sample of adult forest visitors (n = 99, 64% females) completed a survey during a guided 2.5 h forest tour. The German questionnaire assessed the qualities of defined places in the forest. We also investigated changes in mood states, perceived stress, restoration, connectedness, and mindfulness before and after visiting the forest. In cooperation with a local working group, we developed the new Widen One’s Mind (WOM) scale, which showed good scale characteristics. All places received high scores in their potential to increase restoration and vitality and to widen one’s mind. Positive affect, restoration, connectedness with nature and the forest, and mindfulness increased pre- versus post-visits, whereas negative affect and perceived stress decreased. The findings of this study suggest that in recreational forests, visitors experience beneficial mental effects such as stress reduction in addition to physical exercise. To facilitate regional development goals, we recommend evaluating places in forests regarding the potential effects on the health and well-being as well as citizen participation before initiating extensive remodeling.

scholarly journals Ethnic Disparities in Social Capital and Health among Jewish and Arab Participants in the Israeli Mamanet Cachibol League

2021 ◽  
Vol 18 (1) ◽  
pp. 295
Author(s):  
Yuval Paldi ◽  
Daniel S. Moran ◽  
Orna Baron-Epel ◽  
Shiran Bord ◽  
Riki Tesler
Keyword(s):  
Social Capital ◽  
Depressive Symptoms ◽  
Ethnic Groups ◽  
Team Sports ◽  
Ethnic Disparities ◽  
Well Being ◽  
Future Research ◽  
Cross Sectional Survey ◽  
Reported Health ◽  
Health And Well Being

The Israeli Mamanet Cachibol League (MCL) serves as a community model that incorporates physical activity and amateur team sports among women. Team sports have been shown to bridge gaps and build positive relationships between communities. There is a paucity of data regarding the advantages of team sports to promote the health and well-being of women from different ethnic backgrounds. The purpose of this study was to examine the association of participation in MCL with social capital, health, and well-being across two ethnic groups: Jewish and Arab women. A cross-sectional survey was conducted among women aged 25–64: 102 Jewish and 96 Arab MCL participants, and 102 Jewish and 81 Arab non-MCL participants. Data regarding social capital (trust, social support and social involvement) and well-being (self-reported health and psychosomatic and depressive symptoms) were analyzed using two-way analyses of covariance and multiple regression models with sequential entry of the variables. MCL participants from both ethnic groups reported higher social capital (p < 0.001), better self-reported health (p < 0.001), and lower psychosomatic symptoms (p < 0.001) compared to non-participants. Jewish MCL participants reported lower depressive symptoms (p < 0.001) than non-participants, however no difference was found between Arab MCL participants and non-participants (p < 0.160). Amateur team sports such as MCL are related with higher levels of well-being and social capital. Future research should focus on longitudinal studies that examine the change in social capital and well-being over time.

scholarly journals Updated systematic review and meta-analysis of studies examining the relationship between reported racism and health and well-being for children and youth: a protocol

BMJ Open ◽  
2021 ◽  
Vol 11 (6) ◽  
pp. e043722
Author(s):  
Naomi Priest ◽  
Kate Doery ◽  
Mandy Truong ◽  
Shuaijun Guo ◽  
Ryan Perry ◽  
...  
Keyword(s):  
Systematic Review ◽  
Health Outcomes ◽  
Research Policy ◽  
Meta Analysis ◽  
Well Being ◽  
Children And Youth ◽  
Effect Sizes ◽  
Future Research ◽  
Critical Determinant ◽  
Health And Well Being

IntroductionRacism is a critical determinant of health and health inequities for children and youth. This protocol aims to update the first systematic review conducted by Priest et al (2013), including a meta-analysis of findings. Based on previous empirical data, it is anticipated that child and youth health will be negatively impacted by racism. Findings from this review will provide updated evidence of effect sizes across outcomes and identify moderators and mediators of relationships between racism and health.Methods and analysisThis systematic review and meta-analysis will include studies that examine associations between experiences of racism and racial discrimination with health outcomes of children and youth aged 0–24 years. Exposure measures include self-reported or proxy reported systemic, interpersonal and intrapersonal racism. Outcome measures include general health and well-being, physical health, mental health, biological markers, healthcare utilisation and health behaviours. A comprehensive search of studies from the earliest time available to October 2020 will be conducted. A random effects meta-analysis will examine the average effect of racism on a range of health outcomes. Study-level moderation will test the difference in effect sizes with regard to various sample and exposure characteristics. This review has been registered with the International Prospective Register of Systematic Reviews.Ethics and disseminationThis review will provide evidence for future research within the field and help to support policy and practice development. Results will be widely disseminated to both academic and non-academic audiences through peer-review publications, community summaries and presentations to research, policy, practice and community audiences.PROSPERO registration numberCRD42020184055.

scholarly journals Family Variables and Quality of Life in Children with Down Syndrome: A Scoping Review

2021 ◽  
Vol 18 (2) ◽  
pp. 419
Author(s):  
Anna Lee ◽  
Kathleen Knafl ◽  
Marcia Van Riper
Keyword(s):  
Quality Of Life ◽  
Down Syndrome ◽  
Scoping Review ◽  
Personal Development ◽  
Well Being ◽  
Future Research ◽  
Cross Sectional ◽  
Children With Down Syndrome ◽  
Family Variables

The purpose of this scoping review was to identify the family and child quality of life variables that have been studied in relation to one another in children with Down syndrome, the frequency with which different relationships have been studied, and the extent to which family variables were the focus of the research aims. A literature search was conducted to find studies published between January 2007 and June 2018. The initial search yielded 2314 studies; of these, 43 were selected for a final review. Researchers most often addressed family resources and family problem-solving and coping concerning child personal development and physical well-being. Little attention to child emotional well-being was observed, with none considering family appraisal of child emotional well-being. The relationship between family variables and child QoL rarely was the primary focus of the study. Methodologically, most reviewed studies used cross-sectional designs, were conducted in North America and based on maternal report. From future research considering the issues found in this review, healthcare providers can obtain an in-depth understanding of relationships between children and family variables.

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