bluuebunny/crossref_metadata_2025 huggingface dataset:
Supporting Persons With Severe Dementia in Communicating Their Preferences
Authors: Burshnic Vanessa , Bourgeois Michelle
Published: December 2020

Government mandates require US nursing homes to provide preference-based, person-centered care. Persons with dementia (PWD) are less likely to have a role in preference assessments (PAs) used for care planning due to communication challenges associated with the disease. Thus, PWD are at risk of receiving de-personalized treatments. External supports (photograph and text cues) are known to improve communication in PWD. Yet these cues have never been studied with widely used PAs, such as the MDS 3.0 Section F and Preferences for Everyday Living Inventory (PELI). This study examined the effect of two PA conditions (externally supported; standard verbal) on preference consistency and response types (off-topic, clarification requests, elaboration) of residents with severe dementia (N=21) (BIMS < 7) when assessed twice, one-week apart. PA questions were derived from the MDS 3.0 Section F and PELI. As a social validity measure, naïve judges (N=10) listened to interviews and rated residents’ communication clarity and their confidence understanding residents’ preferences. Results showed that neither condition promoted significantly greater levels of consistency over time. Residents’ ‘clarification requests’ were significantly fewer with use of external supports. Other response types were not significantly different across conditions. Judges’ ratings were not significantly different across conditions; however, they rated residents’ communication as clear and understandable overall. This study addresses a gap in current research and holds important implications for helping providers meet government mandates and enhance care plan participation by residents with severe dementia and other communication challenges.
Does Discrimination Attenuate Age-Benefits in Emotional Health?
Authors: Zavala Daisy , Munoz Elizabeth , Sliwinski Martin , Scott Stacey
Published: December 2020

Perceived discrimination has been found to negatively impact emotional health (e.g., depression, psychological distress). Few studies, however, have examined this association across adulthood. Strength and Vulnerability Integration Theory (SAVI) proposes that there may be age-benefits in emotion regulation, however these may be reduced when faced with stressors. We examined whether two forms of stress related to discrimination (i.e., subtle and major) moderated expected age-benefits in emotional outcomes. We predicted that individuals who experienced more discrimination would display worse emotional outcomes, and that this effect would be stronger with older age. Participants were 334 diverse adults (25-65 years, Mage = 47, 63% Female) from Bronx, New York. They reported major and subtle discrimination experiences, depressive symptoms, positive affect (PA), and negative affect (NA). Subtle discrimination was associated with greater NA and depressive symptoms and lower PA (ps <.0001), but the associations with depressive symptoms and PA did not vary by age. Age, however, moderated the relationship between subtle discrimination and NA (b = .022, t (22) = 2.04, p<.05). Specifically, the slope between subtle discrimination and NA was stronger with older age. Greater major discrimination was associated with greater NA and depressive symptoms (p<.05), but these effects were age invariant. These results demonstrate that subtle and major discrimination are associated with poorer emotional health across individuals. Partially consistent with SAVI, stressful experiences like subtle discrimination may serve as a boundary condition for age-benefits in emotional outcomes.
Resilience Factors That Modify Genetic Risk for ADHD Matter for Later Life Emotional and Cognitive Health Outcomes
Authors: Arpawong Thalida , Milam Joel
Published: December 2020

Having features of Attention Deficit Hyperactivity Disorder (ADHD) is associated with challenges with emotional regulation and cognitive function. Heritability for ADHD in adults is estimated to be 30%. The degree to which genetic risk for ADHD can be modified by protective factors, such as strong personal relationships and pursuing more education, to result in better emotional and cognitive outcomes at later ages is not well understood. We evaluated these relationships in a population-representative sample of older adults in the U.S. Health and Retirement Study, with 9,003 European Americans (EA; 57% women, age M=68.6, SD=10.4), and 1,622 African Americans (AA; 63% women, age M=64.4, SD=9.5). Outcomes included validated scales for psychological resilience, life satisfaction, depressive symptoms (DepSx), cognitive functioning, and impairment, assessed between 2008-2012. A genetic risk score for ADHD (GRS-ADHD) was calculated from a genomewide-scan, using a mixed ancestry sample. We used multivariable linear and logistic regression models, adjusted for age, gender, and genetic ancestry. We found a protective effect such that stronger personal relationships in adulthood reduced the inverse relationship between the GRS-ADHD and resilience and life satisfaction in later age (interaction p’s<.004 in EAs), but not with DepSx. In contrast, strong parental relationships in childhood attenuated the association between the GRS-ADHD and later life DepSx (interaction p’s<.007 in EAs and AAs) only. Education did not modify, but mediated the main effect of the GRS-ADHD on cognitive abilities and impairment in EAs and AAs. Findings have implications for later age health for those at greater genetic risk for ADHD.
New Insights on Self-Employment of Older Adults in the United States
Authors: Abramowitz Joelle
Published: December 2020

This work examines the nature of self-employment arrangements of older adults in the United States. Many people engage in self-employment - in the 2016 Health and Retirement Study (HRS), 20 percent of respondents working for pay reported being self-employed - yet there exists a dearth of data on these arrangements. This lack of data prevents consideration of important questions relevant to employment, inequality, and policy. Who works in different types of self-employment? What resources facilitate some individuals obtaining higher quality self-employment arrangements? To what extent does the income from different types of arrangements keep people out of poverty? Are different types of arrangements associated with individuals being happier and having more job satisfaction? This work leverages novel restricted-access data collected in the HRS in 2016 on the employer names and locations for individuals reporting self-employment along with respondent narratives on industry and type of work to classify self-employment reports into three entrepreneurial roles (own/run; manage; independent) across 14 different types of work. Using the breadth of information collected in the HRS and linkage to administrative records, this work then presents differences in characteristics, such as demographics, income, wealth, savings, health insurance coverage, home ownership, health status, and expectations of working longer, associated with different classifications of self-employment. Exploring these questions provides unique insights into the changing nature of work and the transition to retirement relevant to policy considerations across the health, insurance, and retirement income dimensions, among others.
Do Mediators Linking Childhood Conditions to Late-Life Chronic Inflammation Vary by Race?
Authors: Ferraro Kenneth , Morton Patricia
Published: December 2020

Recent findings suggest that childhood exposures can lead to chronic inflammation decades later, but the mechanisms underlying this relationship are relatively unknown. We investigate how childhood exposures influence adult chronic inflammation (measured by C-reactive protein) and examine five potential mediators comprising two midlife domains: socioeconomic status (SES) and health lifestyles. Using a sample of 8,891 adults aged 51 and older from the Health and Retirement Study (HRS), the analysis tests whether these life course mediators operate differently for Black, White, and Hispanic Americans. Among the six childhood domains examined, low SES and risky parental behaviors predict adult chronic inflammation, but adult health lifestyles mediate the effects of childhood SES and parental behavior. Adult SES also mediates the effect of childhood SES. Smoking and wealth exert stronger direct and indirect effects on adult inflammation for White Americans compared to Black Americans whereas BMI and exercise exert stronger direct and indirect effects for White Americans compared to Hispanic Americans. Although education mediated the effect of childhood SES on adult chronic inflammation, its effects did not vary by race. These results demonstrate that the physiological consequences of childhood exposures are carried into late-life via adult lifestyle factors and SES. In addition, the life course antecedents of chronic inflammation are distinct for Black, White, and Hispanic Americans. Future research investigating the early origins of adult health should consider not only multiple midlife mechanisms but also how resource mediation varies by race and ethnicity.
Driving Private Vehicles in Later Life: Necessity or Luxury?
Authors: Choi Moon
Published: December 2020

The automobile industry in South Korea has rapidly expanded for the last half century. The current generation of older adults is the first generation that has experienced mass car ownership and also faced challenges related to driving cessation due to geriatric syndromes. This study aimed to explore diversity in reasons for driving private vehicles among Korean older adults. Data came from a nationally representative survey on adults aged 65 years and older conducted in August, 2019 (N=1,500; women 57.1%). One out of four respondents (24.5%) reported driving, and the current drivers were categorized into four groups by primary reason for driving: (a) for convenience, (b) for caregiving, (c) for survival (due to the lack of public transport) and (d) for living (i.e. taxi or bus driver). The results showed that current drivers were more likely to be men, younger and more educated compared to non-drivers. Conspicuously, those who reported driving for their family members with mobility needs were the second largest group after those who reported driving for convenience such as for grocery shopping (34.6% and 43.6%, respectively). The results of multinomial logistic regression model showed that older age, living in rural areas and poorer self-rated health were associated with driving for survival as compared to driving for convenience. About the odds of driving for caregiving compared to driving for convenience were higher for those married and living with their spouse than for those not-married. The results imply the importance of considering diversity in developing public policies for older drivers.
Examining Risky Driving Behavior Among Older Drivers Using Self-Reported and Objective Data
Authors: Zakrajsek Jennifer , Molnar Lisa , Eby David , LeBlanc David , Kostyniuk Lidia , Zanier Nicole , Sayer Tina
Published: December 2020

Motor vehicle crashes represent a significant public health problem. Efforts to improve driving safety are multifaceted, focusing on vehicles, roadways, and drivers with risky driving behaviors playing integral roles in each area. As part of a study to create guidelines for developing risky driving countermeasures, 480 drivers (118 young/18-25, 183 middle-aged/35-55, 179 older/65 and older) completed online surveys measuring driving history, risky driving (frequency of engaging in distracted [using cell phone, texting, eating/drinking, grooming, reaching/interacting] and reckless/aggressive [speeding, tailgating, failing to yield right-of-way, maneuvering unsafely, rolling stops] driving behaviors), and psychosocial characteristics. A cluster analysis using frequency of the risky behaviors and seat belt use identified five risky behavior-clusters: 1) rarely/never distracted-rarely/never reckless/aggressive (n=392); 2) sometimes distracted-rarely/never reckless/aggressive (n=33); 3) sometimes distracted-sometimes reckless/aggressive (n=40); 4) often/always distracted-often/always reckless/aggressive (n=11); 5) no pattern (n=4). Older drivers were more likely in the first/lowest cluster (93.8% of older versus 84.2% of middle-aged and 59.3% of young drivers; p<.0001). Fifteen older drivers participated in a follow-up study in which their vehicles were equipped with a data acquisition system that collected objective driving and video data of all trips for three weeks. Analysis of video data from 145 older driver trips indicated that older drivers engaged in at least one distracted behavior in 115 (79.3%) trips. While preliminary, this suggests considerably more frequent engagement in distracted driving than self-reported and that older drivers should not be excluded from consideration when developing risky driving behavior countermeasures. Full study results and implications will be presented.
Aging and Financial Capacity: Cognitive Correlates of an Early Indicator of Functional Decline
Authors: Wild Katherine , Marcoe Jennifer , Sharma Nicole , Siqueland Mary , Mattek Nora , Karlawish Jason , Kaye Jeffrey
Published: December 2020

Financial capacity describes the ability to make and carry out sound financial decisions sufficient to meet an individual’s needs for health and well-being. Impairments in financial capacity have been shown to be one of the earliest functional changes in patients with mild cognitive impairment (MCI), the precursor to Alzheimer’s disease and related dementias. Recent developments using online automated monitoring of financial transactions promise a new way to identify the earliest signs of cognitive decline. We examine the feasibility of using secure online technology to link ongoing financial activity monitoring data with other objective measures of function and cognition in a cohort of independent living older adults. To date, 73 older adults (mean age = 76.8, MoCA = 25.9) have enrolled and are participating in a 12-month online financial monitoring program that tracks account activity and generates alerts for unusual or irregular transactions. At baseline participants are administered a battery of neuropsychological tests and the Financial Capacity Instrument (FCI), a measure of financial capacity using tasks of everyday financial activity. Financial monitoring data are collected continuously, and are summarized and reported monthly. Younger participants had more online transactions and higher FCI scores. FCI total score was positively correlated with animal fluency (p < .02), Trails A (p < .03) and B (p < .0001), and visual memory (p < .0008). Number of online transactions in one month was correlated with FCI score, and Trails B (faster time to completion). Lower MoCA scores were associated with higher number of alerts per month.
Gerotranscendence as a Factor of Active Aging: Predictors and Outcomes
Authors: Strizhitskaya Olga
Published: December 2020

The image of modern aging had changed. While before ageing was associated with degenerative processes, today more older adults become active and meaningful members of the society. Still more knowledge is needed to help the majority of older adults to age in active and positive way. Solid body of research shows that in ageing the value of subjective factors dramatically increases. Gerotranscendence that suggests important positive personality changes to occur in aging, could be one of such mechanisms. The aim of the present study was to investigate which psychological characteristics were important for development of gerotranscendence and which positive outcomes it might cause. Participants were 200 older adults aged 60-89 (69% females). Methods: Gerotranscendence scale (Strizhitskaya), self-actualization test (Shostrom), Self-acceptance test (Pantileev), Psychological well-being scale (Ryff), Scale of social activity (Strizhitskaya). Our results confirmed in consistence with literature that higher scores on self-acceptance and self-actualization favored development of gerotranscendence. We also found that developed gerotranscendence positively affected psychological well-being. New in our research was that we showed that people who demonstrated higher scores on gerotranscendence were more interested in maintaining social activities; they were interested in participation in social life of their community and were trying to continue active and meaningful social participation. The final model fitted the original data (Chi-square=12,168; df=11; p=0,103; CFI=0,944; GFI=0,973; RMSEA=0,051; PCLOSE=0,503). Thus gerotranscendence had positive effects on older adult’s functioning and social participation.
Understanding Wisdom: An Investigation of Gender Difference in Old Age
Authors: Hartikka Kathryn
Published: December 2020

Understanding wisdom contributes to a larger dialogue on how best to serve older adults as they go through the aging process. Namely, by identifying gender differences in wisdom conceptualization, research can further gather information regarding the complex, implicit definitions. To investigate how older men and women differ in conceptualizing wisdom, semi-structured qualitative interviews with seven men and eight women (age range: 64-86 years) who scored above average on the Three-Dimensional Wisdom Scale (3D-WS), the Adult Self-Transcendence Scale (ASTI), and the Foundational Values Scale (FVS) were compared. In-depth analysis of semi-structured interviews uncovered spiritual and non-spiritual experiential-based knowledge, “good” or spiritual-based decision-making, and a selfless care for others as common themes among women. Men invoked similar themes, such as spiritual-based decision-making and experiential-based knowledge, yet also differed in conceptualizing wisdom by emphasizing themes such as growth through hard times and overcoming obstacles. Men also considered wisdom to be related to an open-mindedness about life and rarely noting selfless care for others as a characteristic of wisdom in contrast to female respondents. The findings confirm earlier quantitative research results on implicit wisdom theories that men are more likely than women to have a cognitive understanding of wisdom, whereas women are more likely than men to characterize wisdom as an integrative construct.
When Cancer Meets Dementia: The End-of-Life Caregiving Experience for Older Adults With Comorbid Dementia and Cancer
Authors: Ling Gigi C C , Chow Amy Y M
Published: December 2020

Older adults with comorbid dementia and cancer is an increasing phenomenon with the aging population worldwide. Caregivers of these older adults might have a totally different and unique end-of-life caregiving experience. This is because all physical and behavioral signs and symptoms of dementia and cancer may interact with each other and complicate the caregiving experience. The aims of this study was to understand and examine the end-of-life caregiving experiences for older adults with comorbid dementia and terminal cancer from the perspective of family caregivers. Twenty-one caregivers were invited to participate in a semi-structured interview that examined the end-of-life caregiving experiences, its impact and how they coped with the challenges they faced. The interviews were transcribed and analyzed using interpretative phenomenological analysis. The essential meaning of the phenomenon is understood as “grieving thrice, suffering dually and becoming one”, characterized by how caregivers understood the meaning of togetherness after going through the time of recurring losses from dementia through cancer to death and experiencing ambiguous sufferings dually with their loved one. Ambiguous sufferings were not “there” before the diagnosis of cancer but emerge in the context of comorbid dementia and cancer and in the connection with the caregivers making interpretation and appraisal of their internal and external resources. These important findings fill in the knowledge gap in the literature related to end-of-life caregiving experience for older adults with comorbid dementia and cancer; and may guide the development of appropriate interventions to support the older adults and their caregivers in a holistic approach.
Cognitive Decline and Financial Well-Being: Evidence From the Cognitive Economics Study
Authors: Zhou Yuci
Published: December 2020

Maintaining financial well-being is important for older adults, as they are generally decumulating wealth at this stage of life. We use survey data from the Cognitive Economics Study (CogEcon, 2008-2017) and Cognition and Aging in the USA Study (CogUSA, 2007-2014) to investigate the impact of cognitive decline on financial well-being of older adults in the United States. In our sample (N = 976), with an average starting age of 65 years old, we use linear regression, then add results including a control function approach to correct our estimates for sample selection and attrition. In particular, those who have poor health outcomes (including death) disproportionately attrit from the study and may bias the results of a naïve regression. The naïve regression results yield no relationship between cognition and financial well-being; however, after controlling for attrition, we find that a decline in crystallized intelligence is associated with a decrease in financial well-being, and changes in fluid intelligence are not associated with changes in financial well-being.
Awareness of Age-Related Change, Future Time Perspective, and Implications for Goal Management in Older Adulthood
Authors: Wilton-Harding Bethany , Windsor Tim
Published: December 2020

How people manage their goals is central to adaptation across the lifespan. However, little is known about the individual difference characteristics that predict how and why people use different self-regulatory strategies. The present study aimed to investigate associations of perceived age-related gains and losses, and their interaction, as predictors of flexibility in goal management in older adulthood. We also examined whether future time perspective (FTP) mediated the relationship between AARC and goal flexibility, such that awareness of aging impacts perceptions of time remaining, impacting how individuals evaluate and manage their goals. A community-based sample of 408 adults aged between 60 and 88 years was recruited via an internet-based research platform. Participants completed questionnaire measures of AARC-gains, AARC-losses, FTP, goal disengagement, and goal re-engagement. A flexibility index reflecting tendencies toward use of both goal disengagement and re-engagement strategies was also analyzed. Although AARC-losses was associated with lower goal re-engagement and goal flexibility, this association was weaker among those with higher AARC-gains, indicating that AARC-gains may be protective in the relationship between AARC-losses and goal management. Furthermore, the association between AARC and goal management was mediated by FTP. Higher AARC-gains were associated with more open-ended FTP, which was associated with higher goal re-engagement and lower goal disengagement. On the other hand, higher AARC-losses was associated with more restricted FTP, which was associated with lower goal re-engagement, and higher goal disengagement. Results suggest that subjective awareness of aging (particularly awareness of gains), has important implications for goal management in older adulthood.
Measuring Self-Perceptions of Aging: Differences Between Measures When Predicting Health Outcomes
Authors: Boeder Jordan , Tse Dwight
Published: December 2020

The majority of self-perceptions of aging (SPA) research uses either a combination of the Age-related Cognition (AgeCog) scales of Ongoing Development and Physical Loss, or the Attitudes Towards Own Aging (ATOA) subscale to assess views on aging. Although these scales are used interchangeably, the valence (positive/negative) and the specificity of the view on aging (domain-based/general) being assessed are not consistent. This study investigates how different measures of SPA relate to one another and whether they differentially predict various types of health outcomes (psychological/physiological; well-being/ill-being). Data from the 2008 and 2014 waves of the German Aging Survey (DEAS; n=3,745), a population-based representative survey of adults aged 40 to 95, was used to examine the relationship between the AgeCog scales and the ATOA subscale, as well as the differences in the types of health outcomes each predicts. The correlations between the AgeCog scales and the ATOA were higher than the correlation between the AgeCog scales (p < .001). The AgeCog scale of Ongoing Development significantly predicted psychological health outcomes across a six-year period, while the AgeCog scale of Physical Loss and the ATOA subscale predicted both physiological and psychological health outcomes. Evidence supports using the AgeCog scale of Ongoing Development to predict domain-relevant, psychological health outcomes. However, the multidimensionality of SPA is best measured by the ATOA subscale or a combination of the two AgeCog scales. Both forms of measurement were found to maximize the amount of explained variance for psychological and physiological indicators of well-being and ill-being.
When Social Isolation Might Save Your Life: An MIT AgeLab Study of Living Through the COVID-19 Crisis at Age 85 and Over
Authors: Miller Julie , Patskanick Taylor , D’Ambrosio Lisa , Raue Martina , Balmuth Alexa , Coughlin Joseph
Published: December 2020

Previous research shows that social isolation is associated with increased mortality rates among older adults. However, in the face of the novel coronavirus (COVID-19), social distancing was prescribed as a potentially lifesaving measure, particularly for older adults. In this session, MIT AgeLab researchers will present findings from a mixed methods study with the MIT AgeLab 85+ Lifestyle Leaders, a panel study of octogenarians and nonagenarians that began in September 2015. In March 2020, AgeLab researchers began conducting a series of telephone interviews (n=15) with Lifestyle Leaders and collected quantitative data via an online survey (n=25). Together, the interviews and survey inquired about Lifestyle Leaders’ attitudes and behaviors related to COVID-19, as well as their uses of technology throughout the crisis. Findings suggest that fears about the impacts of coronavirus transcended multiple domains of the Lifestyle Leaders’ lives, including their physical, socioemotional, and financial wellbeing. Lifestyle Leaders were asked about functional and emotional repercussions of social distancing and other precautions they had taken to reduce the spread of COVID-19 and to protect themselves from contracting the virus. Special attention was paid to differences in lived experiences of the COVID-19 crisis among Lifestyle Leaders who were living independently versus those who were living in assisted living or continuing care retirement communities. Findings from this study suggest that socially-connected emergency preparedness measures will become increasingly important for the growing number of octogenarians and nonagenarians.
Combining frontal tDCS with walking rehabilitation to enhance mobility and cognition: a pilot clinical trial
Authors: Clark David , Chatterjee Sudeshna , Skinner Jared , Lysne Paige , Wu Samuel , Rose Dorian , Woods Adam
Published: December 2020

Walking function is compromised with older age, particularly for cognitively demanding complex walking tasks. Frontal lobe brain networks are important to both complex walking and cognitive function. There is a need for interventions that target this brain region. This pilot study assessed a novel intervention to enhance both walking and executive function in older adults. The primary hypothesis was that eighteen sessions of frontal lobe tDCS combined with complex walking rehabilitation would be feasible, safe, and show preliminary efficacy for improvements in walking and cognition. Eighteen participants were randomized to one of three intervention groups: active tDCS and rehabilitation with complex walking tasks (Active/Complex); sham tDCS and rehabilitation with complex walking tasks (Sham/Complex); or sham tDCS and rehabilitation with typical walking (Sham/Typical). Outcome measures included multiple tests of walking function, executive function, and prefrontal activity during walking measured by functional near infrared spectroscopy. For the walking tests, effect sizes for Active/Complex were generally higher than for Sham/Complex. The Sham/Typical group exhibited walking test effect sizes that were often larger than either of the complex walking groups, possibly due to higher intervention step count. For the executive function tests, effect sizes were largest for the Active/Complex group. Improvements in prefrontal activity during walking were observed, as conceptualized by the Compensation Related Utilization of Neural Circuits Hypothesis. These preliminary findings support that tDCS combined with complex walking rehabilitation in older adults is feasible and may enhance both walking function and executive function.
Torque and Velocity Dependence of Muscle Fatigue in Aging
Authors: Fitzgerald Liam , Martin Anthony , Nagarajan Rajakumar , Kent Jane
Published: December 2020

Old age generally leads to smaller, weaker and slower skeletal muscles. To address the independent effects of weakness vs. slowing on fatigue in aging, we used a custom ergometer in a whole-body, 3 tesla magnetic resonance system to quantify knee extensor size, torque, velocity, power and intracellular energetics at baseline and during two 4-min fatiguing contraction protocols; one in which contraction velocity was constrained and torque varied (i.e., torque-dependent contractions; isokinetic, IsoK), and one in which torque was constrained and velocity varied (i.e., velocity-dependent contractions; isotonic, IsoT). On separate days, 10 young (27.5±1.2 yrs, 6 men) and 10 older (71.2±1.6 yrs, 5 men) healthy adults completed the IsoK (120°∙s-1, 0.5 Hz) and IsoT (20% maximal torque, 0.5 Hz) protocols, with continuous measures of intracellular [Pi], pH, and [H2PO4-]. At baseline, contractile volume (803.5±72.3 vs. 1,125.6±109.9cm3), specific IsoK torque (0.035±0.004 vs. 0.058±0.007Nm.cm-3) and IsoT velocity (121.4±11.6 vs. 176.3±8.0deg.s-1) were greater in young than older (p≤0.023). Fatigue (%initial specific torque) was greater in young than older for IsoK (40.1±3.0 vs. 61.2±5.3%, p=0.0028), and accompanied by greater [Pi] and [H2PO4-] and lower pH in the young (p≤0.001). For IsoT, fatigue (%initial velocity) was not different between groups (young: 56.5±5.5 vs. older: 47.2±4.9%, p=0.661), despite lower pH and greater [H2PO4-] in young than old (p≤0.001). Collectively, these results reveal that normalizing dynamometer outputs to assess age-related differences in fatigue obscures baseline differences in muscle weakness. Further, our results suggest the contractile machinery may be less sensitive to changes in pH in older than young.
Do Automatic Habits Predict Physical Activity Engagement in Older People?
Authors: Andrews Sophie , Parekh Dinaz , Brady Brooke , Delbaere Kim , Killcross Simon , Anstey Kaarin
Published: December 2020

Sufficient physical activity is crucial to maintaining independence, health and wellbeing during ageing, yet physical inactivity is common in older people. Identifying factors associated with physical activity engagement is essential to develop novel approaches to increase activity in older people. Automatic, context-dependent habits may play an important role in physical activity behaviour. The current study aimed to investigate the relationship between physical activity behaviours and their automaticity in older people. 123 community dwelling Australians aged over 65 – 88 years (M=72.2; 81 women), recruited from participant registries, hospital noticeboards and community groups, completed an online questionnaire. Current physical activity levels were measured using the Incidental and Planned Exercise Questionnaire, and automaticity of those physical activity behaviours were measured using the Self-Report Habit Automaticity Index. Participants also reported demographic information, body mass index (BMI), medical history and current mood symptoms. Participants reported an average of 2.28 hours planned walking (SD=2.33), 5.81 hours planned moderate/vigorous exercise (SD=4.02), and 20.5 hours incidental activity (SD=15.52) per week. Multiple regression analyses revealed that after controlling for age, gender, BMI and depression symptoms, higher automaticity scores were associated with more hours per week of planned walking (p=.012), moderate/vigorous exercise (p=.038), and incidental activity (p=.017). Supporting older people to make their physical activity more habitual could therefore be an effective approach to increase levels of physical activity in this population.
Web-Based Physical Activity Intervention for COPD: Differences Between Rural and Urban Veterans
Authors: Robinson Stephanie , Shimada Stephanie , Richardson Caroline , Moy Marilyn
Published: December 2020

Physical activity is recommended for all patients with chronic obstructive pulmonary disease (COPD), a disease prevalent among older adults. Rural Veterans often lack access to in-person services to support behavior change. Technology can be used to overcome these barriers. This secondary analysis of a randomized controlled trial compared engagement (weekly website-logons) and efficacy (step-count change) measures of a 4-month technology-based physical activity intervention between rural and urban Veterans with COPD. Rural-urban commuting codes (RUCA) were used to classify participants (N=239; mean age=66.7±8.84 years) as ‘rural’ or ‘urban’. Participants were randomized 2:1 to a pedometer and website with iterative, individualized step-count feedback and goals, motivational and informational messages, and an online community (intervention group, n=155, 45.8% rural) or to receive a pedometer-alone (waitlist-control group, n=84, 44% rural). General linear modeling estimated the adjusted effect of rurality on intervention response. There was no significant rural-urban difference in weekly website-logons (3.33 vs. 3.17; p=.364). There was a significant interaction between rurality and group on step-count change (p=.045). Among rural participants, both intervention and controls increased their step counts (567.32 vs. 732.30; p=.769). Among urban participants, the intervention group demonstrated a significantly higher change in step-counts compared to controls (1052.67 vs. -313.57; p=.008). Results suggest that rural participants increased their step-counts similarly whether they received a pedometer alone or used the intervention, whereas only urban participants who used the intervention increased their step counts. It is possible that simply receiving the pedometer alone was sufficient for behavior change in the rural participants.
How Adolescent Sports Participation, Family, and School Resources Impact Later-Life Physical Activity Levels
Authors: Arpawong Thalida , Gatz Margaret , Gruenewald Tara , Zavala Catalina , Seblova Dominika , Manly Jennifer , Lapham Susan , Prescott Carol
Published: December 2020

Engaging in physical activity (PA) in adulthood has multiple protective health effects in later ages. However, unknown are the extent to which PA habits are laid down earlier in life and persist into adulthood, and the extent to which greater opportunities for PA during adolescence stem from differences in socioeconomic status (SES) which then affect opportunities for PA. We investigated potential mechanisms underlying these relationships using the longitudinal Project Talent Twin and Sibling Study (assessments in 1960 and 2014). With this design, we are able to hold genetics constant by modeling relationships between monozygotic twins (who share 100% of their genes) and therefore isolate effects of contextual factors on later-life PA (mean age ~70). We found that higher family SES (ß=.39, p<.0001) and sports participation in adolescence (ß=.05, p<.0001) predicted PA 55 years later, adjusted for gender and physical limitations. This held true when partialling out genetic variation that could otherwise explain these relationships. More education also predicted later-life PA (ß=.12, p<.0001) separately from family SES and partially mediated the effect of family SES on PA. While school-level resources (e.g., availability of sports and recreation opportunities) did not predict later life PA, they did associate with adolescent sports participation (ß=.26, p=0.007). Overall, later-life physical activity was influenced by earlier life sports participation and education, with family rearing resources being more important than high school resources. As twin pair correlations suggest gender differences, future research will examine whether family or school resources differentially benefit males or females for later-life physical activity.
Gender Differences in Disability Life Expectancy Among Older Adults in Colombia Age 60 and Older
Authors: Osuna Margarita Maria , Farina Matthew , Ailshire Jennifer
Published: December 2020

Life expectancy has increased rapidly in Colombia but it is unclear whether these added years of life are healthy years. The objective of this paper is to estimate gender differences in disability life expectancy for older adults. We use data from the first nationally representative survey of adults ages 60 and over in Colombia, the 2015 Survey of Aging, Health and Wellbeing (SABE) (N=23,694) to determine age- and gender-specific prevalence. Mortality data come from the Latin American Mortality Database. We created prevalence base life tables using the Sullivan′s method to calculate disability life expectancy. We define disability as having any reported difficulty with any of the following activities of daily living (ADL): eating, dressing, bathing, toileting, getting out of bed, and walking across a room. The age-adjusted prevalence of ADL disability was 8.7% for men and 12.4% for women. Life expectancy at age 60 for women was 20.6 years, of which 3.0 years (14%) were lived with disability. In contrast, men’s life expectancy at age 60 was 18.2 years, of which 1.7 years (10%) were lived with disability. Women have lower mortality rates than men at older ages, but because they have higher disability prevalence, they live proportionately more years with disability relative to men. We also investigated patterns at different ages, and functional limitations, and found similar gender differences. This study provides new insights into how mortality and disability patterns at older ages contribute to the gender health disparity in older Colombians.
Multidimensional Profiles of Religiosity Among Grandparents, Parents, and Grandchildren
Authors: Yoon Joonsik , Hwang Woosang , Silverstein Merril , Brown Maria
Published: December 2020

Studies have frequently treated different measures of religiosity as cumulative components on a single scale of religiosity ranging in value from high to low, despite the broad consensus that religiosity is multidimensional in nature. Multidimensional typologies can be helpful not only in properly assessing and measuring religiosity in an increasingly diverse population, but could also help identify specific religious and spiritual differences within seemingly similar groups. The different dimensions of religiosity also allow us to classify populations according to their religious characteristics rather than according to social outcomes in relation to their religiosity. We apply latent class analysis and multiple group latent class analysis to multigenerational data from the Longitudinal Study of Generations (N= 1,726) to examine (1) what religiosity profiles exist across three generations (grandparents, parents, and grandchildren), and (2) how the patterns of religiosity profiles are the same or different across three generations. Results of the latent class analysis show that four religiosity subgroups are identified in the three generations: strongly religious, weakly religious, religious but not literalists, literalists but not religious. In addition, results of the multigroup latent class analysis show that the four religiosity subgroups are structurally the same across three generation. Our findings complement previous studies that show religiosity is a multidimensional construct, and demonstrate that religiosity class memberships are invariant across three generations. Furthermore, given that one in four U.S. adults consider themselves “spiritual but not religious” or “religious but not spiritual”, our findings confirm similar patterns of religiosity subgroups in three generations.
Reciprocal Associations Between Normative, Affectual, and Associational Solidarity With Parents in Young Adults
Authors: Kim Jeung Hyun , Hwang Woosang , Cheng Kent Jason , Brown Maria , Silverstein Merril
Published: December 2020

Intergenerational solidarity has become important as close family ties mobilize the provision of social support across generations and contribute to the family wellbeing. One popular approach to studying intergenerational cohesion in aging families is through the theoretical construct of intergenerational solidarity. However, less is known about the longitudinal and reciprocal associations between normative, affectual, and associational solidarity with mothers and fathers among young-adult children in the transition to adulthood. On the basis of the theoretical construct of intergenerational solidarity, we examined the reciprocal associations between three dimensions of intergenerational solidarity (normative, affectual, and associational) with parents in young-adult children from their early twenties to late thirties. Data were derived from 287 mother-son, 325 mother-daughter, 262 father-son, and 297 father-daughter groups who participated in the Longitudinal Study of Generations between 2000 and 2016. Autoregressive cross-lagged model with latent variables predicted the causal relations between three dimensions of solidarity across four parent-child groups. We found that young-adult sons’ perceived associational solidarity with parents predicted normative solidarity over time, whereas young-adult daughters’ perceived affectual solidarity with mothers predicted normative solidarity over time. In addition, young-adult daughters’ perceived normative solidarity predicted affectual solidarity for fathers over time. The present study found that young-adult sons and daughters have different ways establishing normative solidarity in their early twenties to late thirties according to parents’ gender. In addition, this study found that normative solidarity is beneficial for young-adult daughters developing emotional closeness with fathers over time.
Family Dynamics and Elder Financial Exploitation by Family-Member Powers-of-Attorney Agents
Authors: Vincenti Virginia , Steinman Bernard
Published: December 2020

Elder family financial exploitation (EFFE) is a growing problem likely to increase due to population aging. Older people, often considered vulnerable, are frequently targeted for financial exploitation. Relatives, identified as the largest group of perpetrators often misuse powers of attorney (POA); nevertheless, relationship complexity and dependencies, and family privacy result in underreporting and infrequent prosecutions. The aim of this research is to understand family risk factors that could be used for prevention and early detection. We hypothesized that family dynamics in EFFE families compared to non-EFFE families having family-member POA agents would be at greater risk when these risk factors were present. Our larger multi-state research team created a survey to collect demographic and situational data and to explore family-member and elder characteristics and specific family dynamics that could later place older relatives at risk for EFFE. Analyses consisted of testing whether poor family functioning, ineffective communication/problem-solving dynamics, resource exchange patterns, conflict before/during resource distribution, and entitlement attitudes were statistically associated with the occurrence of EFFE. Specifically, we tested a series of hierarchical logistic regressions to examine the association of family dynamic variables with EFFE. Results suggest that fairness conflict, exchange expectations, entitlement expectations, and communication patterns were statistically associated with EFFE. Current family communication patterns were not a statistical predictor of EFFE. These results could prompt older persons and relevant healthcare, legal, financial, law enforcement, social service, and counseling professionals to work proactively with families and mid-life and older adults to consider risk factors before making end-of-life decisions.
It Protects Them From Me: Reasons Older Adult Black Women Engage in Living-Apart-Together Relationships
Authors: Hicks Nytasia
Published: December 2020

The preference for living-apart-together (LAT) relationships, where individuals are committed to one another but reside in separate households, has increased among older adults. Despite the growing trend to LAT in later life, there is a dearth of literature on living-apart-together exploring the experiences of minority older adult sub-groups. Particularly, few studies have explored motivations for living-apart-together among minority older adult sub-groups. In this study, using a qualitative descriptive approach, reasons older adult Black women engage in living-apart-together relationships were explored. As part of a larger study, thirteen black women ages 59-74 (married and unmarried) completed two semi-structured phone interviews about their motivations for living-apart-together and how decisions, or lack thereof, to LAT were made. Inductive thematic analytic methods revealed three major motivations for LAT among this sub-group. Motivations included: (1) to protect freedom and self-governance; (2) to maintain current living arrangements with live-in family members; and (3) to maximize healthy relationship characteristics (e.g. individuality). Participants reflected that reasons to engage in LAT were influenced by the distance between living-apart-together partners, current caregiving roles, and level of commitment. As to how older adult black women decided to engage in living-apart-together relationships, Participants reported that LAT happened by coincidence or because of a partner’s preference to maintain separate households. Boundary reinforcement regarding role strain was also identified as a core concept. Findings point to the need for applications to variations in relationship types among older adults regarding living arrangements, to professionals supporting aging families, and to further studies of family gerontology.