bluuebunny/crossref_metadata_2025 huggingface dataset:
ENGAGING IN ARTISTIC AND CREATIVE OPPORTUNITIES TO HELP UNDERSTAND THE AGING EXPERIENCE
Authors: Bishop Alexander , Heinz Melinda , Fung Victor
Published: December 2023

This symposium provides an overview of artistic and creative engagement methodologies to understand aging experiences. The first presentation examines a collaborative effort involving a researcher and filmmaker to film, edit, and produce a documentary about Irish Men’s Sheds to increase awareness of diversity within the dissemination of narrative stories. The second presentation focuses on drawing, investigating how young children socially and cognitively represent perceptions of human longevity and of the concept of what constitutes “old.” Children were asked questions regarding what it means to be “old” and what they might look like at 100 years, and to draw a self-portrait image. Findings demonstrating internal working models consistent with socially-learned attitudes, beliefs, and stereotypes of aging. The third presentation explains digital narrative gerontology and a life story project of the older adult’s life created by younger and older adults. Thematic analysis revealed improved well-being, reduced generational stereotypes, and feelings of loneliness and isolation. The fourth presentation details an intergenerational project involving university students and older adults with cognitive impairment. Participants engaged in a six-week, telephone-based reminiscence experience and then co-created a storyboard/script to create a digital story. Thematic analysis demonstrated six themes: Family, religion and purpose in life, loves and hates, career/work, stress/coping, and major life turning points. The final presentation details music as a therapeutic intervention to improve older adults’ quality of life and foster social connections, self-understanding and expression. Observations from working with older adults in a variety of environments and preferred music styles will also be discussed.
DIFFERENCES IN CAREGIVING BURDEN ACROSS THE INTERSECTIONALITY OF RACE AND GENDER
Authors: Liu Ruotong Mona , Chi Iris , Wu Shinyi
Published: December 2023

Caregivers may be at different risks of various types of burdens by virtue of their gender and racial/ethnic status. This study explored the differences in caregiving burdens among caregivers to people with dementia across the intersectionality of race and gender. Using Round 5 (conducted in 2015) and Round 7 (conducted in 2017) of the National Study of Caregiving and National Health and Aging Trends Study data, the study examined differences in caregiver burdens across and within different gender and racial/ethnic groups, within the realms of financial, emotional, and physical burdens. The sample consisted of 1,206 caregivers who provided services to Medicare beneficiaries. Logistic regressions were performed to assess the three types of burdens each subgroup was experiencing. Results indicated that within the intersectionality framework, compared to White female caregivers, Black male caregivers were 3.3 times (95% confidence interval [CI] 1.77-6.22) more likely to experience financial burden, and Black female caregivers were 54% (95% CI 0.28-0.76) less likely to experience physical burden. Surprisingly, compared to White female caregivers, all the other groups were 37% (95% CI 0.41-0.95) to 71% (95% CI 0.15-0.56) less likely to have emotional burden. The findings highlighted that Black male caregivers are experiencing financial burden and White female caregivers are experiencing emotional burden disproportionately. To develop effective interventions and programs for dementia caregivers, a special focus should be put on monitoring the differences in the types of burdens that the above-mentioned population subgroups experience.
NIA DIVISION OF NEUROSCIENCE
Authors: Larkin Jennie
Published: December 2023

Dr. Larkin will discuss research priorities for the NIA Division of Neuroscience. Dr. Larkin will also be available for small group discussion.
THE AGING NETWORK AS A CATALYST FOR COMMUNITY GERONTOLOGY AND APPLIED RESEARCH
Authors: Wilson Traci , Greenfield Emily
Published: December 2023

The Older Americans Act (OAA) established Area Agencies on Aging (AAAs) fifty years ago as local community-based organizations responsible for planning, coordinating, funding, and delivering nutrition and other supportive services which allow older adults to remain living in their homes and communities. Local control and decision-making, mandated by the OAA, has allowed AAAs to adapt to the evolving needs and demands of their communities The centrality of their role was never more apparent than during the COVID-19 pandemic. As national and societal circumstances have resulted in increased social isolation, housing insecurity, and public health concerns for older adults, AAAs have adapted and expanded beyond traditional OAA services to address the social and health needs of an increasingly diverse older adult population. The Community Gerontology framework provides a useful structure to understand the evolution and impact of AAAs and the broader Aging Network on the health of older adults. Using data from the 2022 National Survey of AAAs and a new qualitative study on Community Care Hubs, academic and Aging Network-based researchers will illustrate the many partnerships and pathways of mutual influence between AAAs and the micro and macro levels to describe how Aging Network services are expanding provision of services for health care partners, public health initiatives, and new housing and homelessness services and partnerships to address emerging needs. The symposium will conclude with an illustration of how applied researchers and Aging Network organizations partnered on research-informed practice to innovate and strengthen services for at-risk older adults.
THE ROLE OF AREA AGENCIES ON AGING IN PUBLIC HEALTH VACCINATION CAMPAIGNS: FINDINGS FROM A NATIONAL SURVEY
Authors: Wilson Traci
Published: December 2023

When COVID-19 vaccinations became available, AAAs played a critical role in ensuring that older adults could receive the lifesaving vaccine. AAAs built on their existing service expertise and vast partnership networks to quickly implement vaccine outreach and education, scheduling support, transportation and other supportive services to attend the appointment, and age-friendly and culturally appropriate vaccination clinics. The CDC recognized AAAs’ early contributions and awarded $50 million to support continuation of these activities. In early 2023, the Aging and Disability Networks received an additional $75 million from ACL, awarded to USAging’s Aging and Disability Vaccination Collaborative, to fund local efforts across the United States to increase vaccine uptake among older adults and people with disabilities, targeting individuals from rural, minority, and disadvantaged backgrounds. This paper describes how AAAs were uniquely positioned to assume this expanded public health role and specific characteristics that contributed to their readiness. Data from the 2022 National Survey of Area Agencies on Aging (n=457 AAAs, 74% response rate) describe new and expanded AAA activities and partnerships that support public health efforts. We will discuss implications for community partnerships to improve public health and look ahead to measuring the impact of these vaccine promotion activities.
HURRICANE STRESSORS AND BUFFERS IN RELATION TO DEPRESSIVE SYMPTOMS AMONG OLDER ADULTS IN PUERTO RICO
Authors: Guinn Victoria , Thompson Sheila , Ballard Erin , Crowe Michael , Brown Lisa
Published: December 2023

The present study examines the role of religiosity and social support on depressive symptoms and the moderating role of hurricane stress related to friends and family following Hurricane Maria in a sample of Puerto Rican older adults. Data was collected from the Puerto Rican Elder: Health Conditions (PREHCO) study. The present study consists of 613 participants in Wave 3 of the longitudinal study. Depressive symptoms were measured using the Geriatric Depression Scale (GDS). Social support was measured using the Lubben Social Support Network scale. Religiosity and hurricane stress related to friends and family were measured using survey items developed by PRECHO investigators. Religion items include church attendance and the helpfulness of religion for health conditions. A linear regression was conducted. Controlling for education and days since the hurricane, church attendance (b=0.642, p<.001), and social support (b=-0.098, p<.001) predicted depressive symptoms. When hurricane stressors related to family and friends were added to the model, church attendance (b=629, p<.001) and social support (b=-0.098, p<.001) remained significant predictors, and hurricane stressors predicted depressive symptoms (b=-0.378, p=.018). Helpfulness of religion was not a significant predictor of hurricane stress. Church attendance and social support are important coping strategies for Puerto Rican older adults. Increased social support and frequent church attendance buffer the development of depressive symptoms even when hurricane-specific stress is present. Future research may examine if church attendance and social support buffer the development of depressive symptoms when other non-social hurricane stressors are present.
A PUBLIC HEALTH APPROACH TO BRAIN HEALTH: THE HBI ROAD MAP SERIES
Authors: Roberts Shelby , Ty Diane
Published: December 2023

In 2005, congressional support led to the creation of the Healthy Brain Initiative (HBI) and the longstanding collaboration between the Alzheimer’s Association and the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention to advance understanding of and support for cognitive decline as a central part of public health practice. Since then, HBI partners have worked together to implement public health strategies that promote brain health, address dementia and help support caregivers. The Healthy Brain Initiative Road Map Series guides this effort. The first HBI Road Map was released by CDC and the Alzheimer’s Association in 2007 and was the first framework for viewing cognitive health and dementia as a public health issue. The second HBI Road Map was released in 2013 and expanded the role of state and local public health departments and partners in improving cognitive health. The third HBI Road Map, published in 2018, continued to chart a course for state and local public health departments and their partners by aligning actions with the essential services of public health. The HBI Road Map for Indian Country, published in 2019, is the first public health guide focused on dementia in American Indian and Alaska Native communities. The release of the fourth HBI Road Map in 2023 continues to advance the field and prepare public health departments to better address health equity and build capacity as new treatments become available. This symposium highlights successes of the Road Map Series and the development of the 4th edition of the HBI Road Map.
BUILDING SUSTAINABILITY IN PUBLIC HEALTH ALZHEIMER’S DISEASE PROGRAMS
Authors: McGuire Lisa , Holt Heidi
Published: December 2023

While public health experts cannot yet say how to prevent Alzheimer’s disease and related dementias (ADRD), public health has a role in slowing ADRD through the implementation of risk reduction strategies, early diagnosis, and better education and training of front-line health care professionals. Efforts to enhance the sustainability of programs, with changes to systems, environments, and policies enhances uptake and increases the lifespan of these interventions, as well as facilitates continuity and integration of efforts across jurisdictions. This approach includes multiple partners from a wide-range of sectors. This presentation will describe public health approach to ADRD including increasing awareness and action on dementia risk reduction, early detection, and coordination with aging services including supporting dementia caregivers. We will discuss innovative approaches of achieving sustainability, including identifying approaches that seek to reach entire populations for widespread and sustained impact utilizing examples from BOLD Programs to develop widespread public health infrastructure.
HOW GRANDPARENT COUPLES ENGAGE IN FAMILY LEISURE WITH GRANDCHILDREN
Authors: Juris Jill , Zvonkovic Anisa
Published: December 2023

There is limited understanding of how grandparent couples negotiate time with grandchildren. Family leisure is often purposive by being planned, facilitated, and executed by parents or grandparents to achieve goals such as improved interaction, communication, and family cohesion. Moving beyond studies of counting time in leisure, few studies of family leisure have included how people experience leisure as couples. Guided by a life course approach, this qualitative study provides insight to an understanding of the process of family leisure among grandparent couples by examining how both individuals in a couple experience family leisure with their grandchildren. Grandparent couples (n=10) ranged in age from 60 to 75 years old (M=66.8, SD=5.01). The grandparents interviewed were not providing custodial care to their grandchildren. Participants completed individual interviews that were then analyzed at the couple level. Through constructivist grounded theory, this study developed a process model of grandparents’ decision-making that unfolded into four options for engaging in family leisure with grandchildren. The four options included: wanting a grandparent fix, going with the flow when invited by children, hosting grandchildren in their homes, and meeting expectations for family gatherings. Grandparent couples often described more than one option of family leisure based on their life course dimensions (i.e., individual, family, and sociohistorical). Implications for application in the fields of recreation and family sciences will be discussed.
“EXPECT THE UNEXPECTED”: CUSTODIAL GRANDPARENTS’ PERSPECTIVES ON RAISING GRANDCHILDREN DURING COVID-19
Authors: Fruhauf Christine , Whitley Deborah , Kelley Susan , Smith Andrea , Lee Youjung , Tseng Heidi , Hayslip Bert
Published: December 2023

Managing COVID-19 demands may exacerbate caregiving responsibilities of custodial grandparents raising grandchildren. This presentation aims to discuss qualitative data obtained from 14 custodial grandmothers who participated in virtual focus groups to understand their parenting experiences in conjunction with meeting COVID-19 demands. Participants were recruited from a larger sample (N=145, age range 30-79 years, Mage = 61.4 years, SD = 8.5) of custodial grandparents who completed a quantitative survey on COVID-19 stressors. Guided by McCubbins and Patterson’s Family Stress and Adaptation model, three researchers conducted open coding of the focus group data. The analysis revealed distinguishing patterns related to managing challenges of grandchild caregiving brought on by COVID-19. Some grandparents discussed the demands of COVID-19 as difficult, but not as challenging as the day-to-day experiences of raising grandchildren. This was reflected when grandparents discussed raising grandchildren with special needs in the pandemic environment, advocating with schools to adjust virtual learning expectations, managing custody cases and social service home visits while ‘protecting’ grandchildren and themselves from COVID-19 exposure. Grandparents stated they did not change their parenting style to manage COVID-19 demands, yet they discovered a stronger, internal commitment to raising grandchildren. Grandparents reflected when isolating they enjoyed engaging in different and new activities with their grandchildren while becoming closer to them as a result. Findings suggest that challenges of raising grandchildren were heightened in the context of COVID-19 demands. Although grandparents experienced losses during the pandemic, they also reflected on gains related to their resourcefulness and resiliency in managing stressors.
CHRONIC IFNΓ-DRIVEN INFLAMMATION IMPAIRS INTESTINAL TOLERANCE AND REGENERATION IN AGING
Authors: Castillo-Azofeifa David
Published: December 2023

The intestine’s remarkable regenerative capacity decreases with aging as the stem cellniche interaction is impaired. Beyond defects in the stem cell-niche interaction, there is a direct correlation between age-related changes in immunity and increased susceptibility to infections. However, how the aging immune system affects the regenerative capacity of the intestine to challenges such as infections is unclear. Here, we infected young and aged mice with Citrobacter rodentium, a model that activates the immune response and causes epithelial damage. Young mice successfully healed, while old mice succumbed to infection. In the aged infected intestines, we identified elevated basal levels of interferon γ (IFNγ) that significantly increased in lymphoid cells, CD4+, and CD8+ T cells. Additionally, aged post-infected intestines exhibited dramatic epithelial barrier disruption, partly due to a decrease in Lgr5+ stem cells and an imbalance of cell differentiation towards goblet cell production, raising the question if the aging intestine is more susceptible to infection due to persistent exposure to IFNγ. To test the response of young and aged intestinal epithelium to continuous IFNγ exposure, we treated young and aged organoids with IFNγ. We found that old organoids undergo massive apoptotic cell death as early as 24 hours post-IFNγ treatment. In contrast, young organoids were unaffected, demonstrating that IFNγ drives the age-related impairment of intestinal healing. Although a short-term boost of IFNγ is necessary for intestinal regeneration in adults, our findings indicate that prolonged IFNγ activation associated with aging can impede intestinal repair.
AGING AND MASS MARKETING FRAUD: EVIDENCE ON REPEAT VICTIMIZATION USING PERPETRATOR DATA
Authors: DeLiema Marguerite , Langton Lynn , Brannock M Daniel , Preble Edward
Published: December 2023

Fraud complaint data indicates that adults in their 70s and 80s experience significantly greater fraud losses than middle aged and young adults, however older adults are less likely to self-report victimization overall. One explanation for older adults’ relatively higher financial losses may be that they experience a greater incidence of repeat victimization. In this study, we examine the relationship between age and repeat mass marketing fraud using a novel dataset of nearly one million US mail fraud victims. The data come from four mail fraud enterprises that were investigated by the US Postal Inspection Service and that ran overlapping scams between 2000 and 2018. The perpetrators collected information on victims (name, address, age) and how often they paid money in response to scam solicitations. Datasets were merged, cleaned, and deduplicated. We use a Prentice-Williams-Peterson adaptation of a Cox proportional hazards model to estimate the effect of age on the likelihood of experiencing a subsequent victimization, controlling for the number of prior victimizations. Compared to victims in their 50s, victims aged 70-79 and 80-89 had a 9% greater risk of experiencing another victimization, whereas victims in their 20s had a 24% lower risk of experiencing another victimization. Logistic regression analyses indicate that adults in their 70s and 80s are significantly more likely than those younger than 50 to experience victimization by multiple types of mail scams. This is the first study to use perpetrator data, rather than self-report, to show that older adults face a greater risk of repeat fraud victimization.
DAILY SLEEP QUALITY AND EXECUTIVE FUNCTIONING PERFORMANCE ACROSS TWO WEEKS IN INDIVIDUALS APPROACHING MID LIFE
Authors: Vo Tina , Zheng Anqing , Muñoz Elizabeth , Wadsworth Sally , Sliwinski Martin , Reynolds Chandra
Published: December 2023

Sleep quality (SQ)-cognition associations are prevalent across aging, with stronger associations observed in midlife. Whether these associations persist within micro-level timescales (e.g., day-to-day) is unclear, particularly in individuals approaching midlife. Burst data from a subsample of the Colorado Adoption/Twin Study of Lifespan behavioral development and cognitive aging (CATSLife1) who participated in the ambulatory smartphone substudy (N=440, Mage=35.78 range=28.07-51.32, %Female=57.7%) were utilized to examine associations between self-reported daily SQ and cognitive performance, measured up to three times a day for 14 days, while accounting for age, sex, and educational attainment. There was a small positive age effect on average SQ (e.g., d=.18 comparing 36 versus 46 year-olds). Separable between-person and within-person time varying covariate effects were extracted for SQ to capture individual differences in typical levels versus variations from one’s typical pattern. The between-person SQ was individually significant and positive (B=0.023, se=0.009, p=0.019) suggesting better Stroop accuracy for each unit increase in SQ. Daily differences from one’s average SQ did not additionally predict daily Stroop performance suggesting the salience of general quality. Estimates suggest higher accuracy for individuals who report higher average SQ (d=.19, average SQ versus +2SD above average SQ). However, there were no Age by SQ effects on Stroop accuracy. Additional SQ aspects (e.g., sleep latency and sleep maintenance) are explored. Examining sleep quality-cognition associations across micro-level timescales are salient to discern whether and how effects accumulate and contribute to performance differences over larger timescales in individuals approaching midlife.
EARLY-LIFE SOCIOECONOMIC POSITION AND LATER-LIFE COGNITIVE FUNCTIONING: A META-ANALYSIS
Authors: Skoblow Hanamori , Palermo Francisco , Proulx Christine
Published: December 2023

A life course perspective on cognitive aging suggests that experiences early in life may be linked to later performance on cognitive tests. A growing literature shows that childhood socioeconomic position (SEP) is positively associated with later-life cognitive functioning. To identify the strength of this association and potential moderating variables, we used meta-analytic techniques to identify the magnitude of the association between early-life (aged 0-17) SEP and later-life (aged 50+) cognitive functioning. After systematically searching PsycINFO, Scopus, and ScienceDirect, 30 studies representing 39 samples and 223,381 participants met the inclusion criteria. Extracted data included participant and study design characteristics, construct operationalization and measures, and effect sizes. The results of the meta-analysis revealed a significant correlation between childhood SEP and later-life cognitive functioning, whether measured as an overall effect size (r = .179, 95% CI = [.156, .201]), global performance (r = .206, 95% CI = [.157, .255]), verbal episodic memory (r = .160, 95% CI = [.132, .188]), verbal fluency (r = .203, 95% CI = [.168, .237]), or processing speed (r = .146 (95% CI = .108, .184]), but not inhibition (r = .146, 95% CI = [-.150, .418]). Subgroup analyses revealed that, in some domains, the correlation was weaker with an older mean sample age. Correlations did not vary by study design (i.e., prospective or retrospective) or journal impact factor. These results provide important evidence for the promotion of policies that buffer children from economic hardship, as one’s cognitive performance in later life begins far earlier than older adulthood.
NEUROFILAMENT LIGHT CHAIN (NFL) AND COGNITIVE PERFORMANCE INCONSISTENCY IN ADULTS APPROACHING MID LIFE
Authors: Reynolds Chandra , Muñoz Elizabeth , Evans Donald , Smolen Andrew
Published: December 2023

Neurofilament light chain (NfL) indexes axonal integrity, where higher NfL values correlate with lower cognitive performance. However, associations of NfL with variability in performance and earlier in the lifespan are unclear. We evaluated inconsistency in trial-level performance within three speed or spatial tasks and dispersion across nine verbal, spatial, speed, and episodic memory tasks in participants from the Colorado Adoption/Twin Study of Lifespan behavioral development and cognitive aging (CATSLife1). Individuals were tested at 28-49 years (M=33.1, SD=4.9). Quanterix Simoa assays of plasma NfL (pNfL, log-transformed), cognitive test scores, and sociodemographic covariates were available for up to 1144 individuals. Multi-level regression analyses accounted for sibling relatedness and sociodemographic covariates. Above average pNfL coupled with higher age were associated with greater inconsistency across trials for the WAIS-III Digit Symbol subtest (d=.15 per 3 years of age increase, p=0.037) adjusting for performance, and with reduced performance across age (d=-.27, p=0.014). Moreover, higher pNfL was associated with higher dispersion among nine specific cognitive ability tasks across age, adjusting for general cognitive ability (GCA) factor scores (d=.156, p=0.037). Building on our earlier report of plasma NfL and GCA, higher pNfL was associated with greater dispersion in performance across a battery of tests. Moreover, higher pNfL was associated with poorer overall speed performance, which was also observed for trial level inconsistency even when adjusting for performance level. Hence, at equal levels of ability, within-task inconsistency and dispersion across tasks may be associated with plasma neurofilament light chain in early- to mid-adulthood.
THE ELDER ABUSE HELPLINE FOR CONCERNED PERSONS (CPS): HOW SERVICES FOR CPS IDENTIFY AND MITIGATE FE AND ABUSE
Authors: Rachmuth Lisa
Published: December 2023

Elder abuse can profoundly impact older adults who experience it. Historically, little is known, however, about another group of individuals in the lives of older adults: non-abusing family members, friends, and neighbors, referred to as “Concerned Persons” (CPs). Through the Elder Abuse Helpline for Concerned Persons (the Helpline), a program at Weill Cornell Medicine, the CPs receive supportive counseling for themselves and referrals to ongoing services for themselves and the Older Adults who are abused. Financial exploitation and abuse often go unrecognized by many. Previous research on the first year of data from Helpline calls indicated that CPs might be critical in enabling support and help-seeking for elder abuse victims, and may be an essential intervention target group to help promote help-seeking behaviors of Older Adult Financially exploited victims. This presentation will highlight findings from a recent study involving secondary analysis of de-identified Helpline data that a) explored characteristics of CPs, alleged victims/abusers, as well as types and circumstances surrounding alleged abuse; and b) characterized the range of services and interventions requested and provided to concerned persons. Primary questions of interest included ones such as, “What are CP’s relationships to alleged victims/abusers?; How do the patterns, types, and circumstances surrounding alleged abuse vary across characteristics of CPs and their relationships to alleged victims/abusers?; What are the common concerns of CPs and the type of services requested by CPs?” Findings from this study improve our current understanding of CPs in the lives of alleged elder abuse victims and CPs’ help-seeking behaviors.
TEMPORARY ACCOUNT HOLDS TO PROTECT VULNERABLE ADULTS AT RISK OF FINANCIAL EXPLOITATION
Authors: DeLiema Marti , Sommers Maruska , Binder Carrie
Published: December 2023

Elder financial exploitation presents a serious challenge to law enforcement and adult protective services (APS) agencies working to prevent losses. The goal of this project is to understand case characteristics associated with a new adult protection law in Minnesota–Chapter 45A–that authorizes temporary holds of suspicious transactions and withdrawal requests for up to 5 weeks to protect older and vulnerable adults experiencing exploitation. Most states have recently passed similar laws, but none have systematically collected data on when temporary holds are applied and for whom, what investigation takes place, and how interventions impact vulnerable and older adults’ financial safety. Analyzing administrative data on Chapter 45A, we found that 286 financial exploitation cases were referred for investigation and temporary holds in 2022 (mean= 23 cases per month) with approximately $3M in funds at risk of further losses. Temporary holds were implemented in 25% of the referred cases. More than 2/3rds of Chapter 45A cases involved fraud perpetrated by strangers compared to fewer cases of financial abuse by friends and family. There is substantial under-reporting of cases involving Black, Hispanic, American Indian, Asian/Asian Pacific Islander, and immigrant older and vulnerable adults relative to the size of these groups in Minnesota. More research is needed to determine why minority clients are not receiving equal access to Chapter 45A intervention, and how to remedy these disparities in case referrals. Greater outreach and education may help improve knowledge of the Chapter 45A reporting processes among financial institutions, law enforcement, and APS agencies that serve these populations.
EXPERIENCES AND WELL-BEING OF LOW-INCOME WORKERS IN THE SENIOR COMMUNITY SERVICE EMPLOYMENT PROGRAM
Authors: Halvorsen Cal , Lai Patrick , Howard Elizabeth , Lyons Karen , Moorman Sara , Matz Christina
Published: December 2023

The Senior Community Service Employment Program (SCSEP) is the only federal job-training program specifically for older workers. SCSEP enrolls unemployed older workers with incomes at or below 125% of the federal poverty level into on-the-job and classroom-based training. SCSEP participants often struggle to secure unsubsidized work, as they experience, on average, more than 3 barriers to employment (e.g., low literacy levels, disability, limited English proficiency). While some outcome metrics are tracked (e.g., job attainment, median unsubsidized wages), we know relatively little about participants’ health, well-being, and training experiences. In response, and in partnership with the Massachusetts Executive Office of Elder Affairs, we fielded a survey on the multidimensional health, well-being, and experiences of participants throughout Massachusetts. Fielded in the spring and summer of 2022 and in six languages, a total of 91 SCSEP participants took the survey with an age range of 57 to 82. Almost half (44%) spoke a language other than English at home, of which Cantonese and Vietnamese were the most common. Respondents generally reported being in moderately good health (only 3% reported “excellent” health) with at least one chronic health condition (86%), and two-thirds (66%) reported reduced social activities due to the COVID-19 pandemic. Less than one-quarter (22%) reported having money left over at the end of the month, but that SCSEP itself improved their finances, social engagement, and self-confidence. To conclude, we will offer reflections on the importance of tracking additional characteristics of SCSEP participants and engaging in respectful community-based work with diverse older populations.
IMPACT OF HUSBAND’S DEMENTIA: INNOVATIVE METHODS TO STUDY HEALTH PROFILES AND CO-TRAJECTORIES BETWEEN COUPLES
Authors: Zhang Yan , Yuan Yiyang , Roche-Dean Maria , Gonzalez Richard , Vega Irving
Published: December 2023

Traditional life course studies often focus on how one predictor influences one health outcome that may not be able to capture the interdependence of two or more health trajectories very well.

Objectives: (1) demonstrate an innovative method to create a 3-dimensional health profile cube that presents physical, mental, and cognitive health and the changing trajectories over time; (2) display how a woman’s health profile may change due to the onset of their male partner’s dementia; and (3) visualize how couple’s co-trajectories of health profiles may vary by their age, race/ethnicity, and household wealth.

Methods: We focus on married and partnered couples, drawing longitudinal data from the Health and Retirement Study (2000-2016; n=3,578). Physical, mental, and cognitive health were respectively measured by functional limitation, depression symptoms (CESD-II), and modified version of the Telephone Interview for Cognitive Status (TICS). We use vector autoregression (VAR) models to analyze these multivariate paths in the same visual representation as the original data.

Results: The approach provides both an analytic framework and a visualization tool that depicts data and model in the same spatial representation to permit assessment of model fit and model comparison. This study advances the traditional life course studies by representing underlying processes as a multidimensional time vector of health outcomes, which better reflect the interdependent co-trajectories of health outcomes and the essence of the life course conceptual framework.

Discussion: This paper provides a blueprint for studying complex health profiles or trajectories.
SOCIAL ISOLATION AND RISK OF DEMENTIA: DO RACE, ETHNICITY, AND GENDER MATTER?
Authors: Lin Zhiyong , Liu Hui (Cathy)
Published: December 2023

Social isolation has emerged as a significant predictor of dementia risk in later life. However, our understanding of how this association may vary across race-ethnicity and gender remains limited. To address this gap, we used longitudinal data from the Health and Retirement Study (2000-2016) to examine the link between social isolation and dementia risk among older adults, separately for non-Hispanic Whites, non-Hispanic Blacks, and Hispanics. We also explored gender variations in this association within each racial-ethnic group. Our results indicate that social isolation increases the risk of dementia for both non-Hispanic Whites and Blacks, even after controlling for basic sociodemographic characteristics. However, social isolation does not appear to be a significant predictor of dementia risk among Hispanics, suggesting that cultural and social factors may play a key role in the association between social isolation and dementia risk across racial/ethnic groups. Further, we found few significant gender variations in the association between social isolation and dementia, except for a stronger effect of severe isolation among Black men compared to Black women. Economic resources and health-related factors were identified as significant mediators of the relationship between social isolation and dementia risk for both non-Hispanic Whites and Blacks. Our study highlights the importance of addressing social isolation as a potential risk factor for dementia among older adults, particularly for those in vulnerable groups. The findings underscore the need for targeted interventions to reduce social isolation and promote social engagement in diverse communities to mitigate dementia risk.
COMMUNITY-BASED MUSICAL THEATER AND MEANING-MAKING IN LATER LIFE
Authors: McGovern Justine
Published: December 2023

This presentation will situate the impact of participating in artistic performances for the first time in later life in relevant scholarship. A growing body of research indicates that older adults benefit from active engagement in the arts, and that this can reduce loneliness, depression and isolation, and improve subjective well-being and quality of life. Benefits include strengthening social connections and a sense of belonging, as well as defining and asserting a sense of self. These outcomes can have a positive impact on physical health as well – older adults engaged in the arts experience lower rates of memory loss and balance issues, heart disease and other health challenges than peers not actively engaged with the arts or passively receiving arts. Participation in performance arts can also improve communication across generations and support processing of loss. Senior centers and community centers with senior members rarely, however, position engagement in performing arts such as musical theater front and center. Programming in visual arts (e.g., painting) and traditional arts (e.g., crochet) tends to take precedence, and this can be detrimental to center members for whom participation in performing arts can be transformative. The presentation will explore meaning-making processes embedded in arts performance and argue for promoting performance opportunities among older adults, as well as suggest ways to replicate the model in other settings.
MOTOR PATHWAYS TO DEMENTIA
Authors: Verghese Joe
Published: December 2023

Emerging evidence indicates that non-cognitive manifestations such as gait impairments occur early during dementia. The Motoric Cognitive Risk (MCR) is a pre-dementia syndrome characterized by slow gait and cognitive complaints. MCR is a simple and easily accessible clinical dementia risk assay that does not require cognitive testing. MCR has incremental predictive validity for Alzheimer’s disease and related dementias over its individual cognitive and motoric components. Recent studies from across the world have helped to elucidate the epidemiology, biology, and brain substrates of MCR; paving the way for future interventions to prevent progression to dementia.
BUILDING BRIDGES TO BETTER INTERGENERATIONAL RELATIONSHIPS
Authors: Shovali Tamar
Published: December 2023

Intergenerational relationships are necessary to prepare the workforce for careers in the field of gerontology. Intergenerational interaction and reflection have been shown to result in valuable skills, such as positive attitudes toward older adults, increased knowledge of aging and needs of older adults, genuine relationships with older adults and a greater appreciation for older generations, greater comfort with the idea of themselves aging, and high satisfaction when embedded into course curriculum. Intergenerational contact in the structure of undergraduate courses also has reciprocal benefits, such as recognizing commonalities, building appreciation and trust, and creating a sense of belonging between generations that can be lasting. Building on empirical evidence, an intensive three-week intergenerational relationships course for first year students using intentional integration with general education goals, while also training students in basic understanding of aging is described here. Students collaborated with the college’s Academy of Senior Professionals, a unique community of retired older adults engaged in lifelong learning, to develop a college-wide intergenerational event. Considerations, outcomes, and lessons learned will be reviewed.
A CROSS-NATIONAL COMPARISON OF RISK FACTORS ASSOCIATED WITH THE MOTORIC COGNITIVE RISK (MCR) SYNDROME
Authors: Jayakody Oshadi , Blumen Helena , Verghese Joe
Published: December 2023

The Motoric Cognitive Risk (MCR) syndrome predicts risk of Alzheimer’s disease and vascular dementia. Cross-national comparisons of risk factors for MCR are important for identifying region-specific factors to design regionally tailored preventive interventions. We examined risk factors associated with MCR in 20,468 adults aged ≥65 years from the U.S Health and Retirement Study (HRS), English Longitudinal Study of Ageing (ELSA), Mexican Health and Aging Study (MHAS), China Health and Retirement Study (CHARLES), Harmonized Diagnostic Assessment of Dementia for the Longitudinal Aging Study in India (LASI-DAD), Survey of Health, Ageing and Retirement in Europe (SHARE) and Brazilian Longitudinal Study of Aging (ELSI-Brazil). MCR was defined as the presence of cognitive complaints and slow gait with no mobility disability and dementia. Associations between demographic [sex, education], medical [hypertension, diabetes, Parkinson’s, heart disease, stroke, obesity, depression, multiple falls], sensorimotor [grip strength, hearing] and behavioral factors [smoking, sedentariness, sleep quality], and prevalent MCR were examined using logistic models. Despite some overlap, cohort-specific risk factors for MCR were identified with relative risk ratios ranging as: 0.4-2.8 for education and multiple falls in HRS, 2.3-7.4 for poor hearing and sedentariness in ELSA, 2.3-2.6 for poor grip and diabetes in MHAS, 1.9-2.2 for depression and sedentariness in CHARLES, 0.5-5.3 for education and stroke in LASI-DAD, 0.3-2.4 for education and depression in SHARE and 2.4-4.0 for multiple falls and stroke in ELSI-Brazil. In this cross-sectional, cross-national comparison of 21 countries, MCR associated risk factors were region-specific, laying the foundation for tailored interventions to prevent MCR and subsequently dementia.
RESEARCH ON AGING: THE INTERNATIONAL VIEW FROM THE EDITORS’ DESKS
Authors: Kim Kyungmin , Burr Jeffrey , Peng Changmin
Published: December 2023

We review the scope, content, and focus of the peer-reviewed journal, Research on Aging (SAGE), publishing its 45th volume this year. We will discuss how scholarship produced from researchers around the globe has changed over the years. Data on submissions, acceptance rates, and the important role of an international editorial board will be presented. The review process will be described, along with suggestions on how to increase chances of success when submitting original research. Although Research on Aging is sometimes considered to focus primarily on social gerontology, the scope has widened considerably, with manuscripts in aging studies published from such fields as economics, psychology, demography, public health, and public policy, as well as from sociology and social work, among others disciplines. One of several special issues forthcoming in the journal will be described to demonstrate the possibilities for international impact.
THE JOURNAL OF APPLIED GERONTOLOGY: AN INTERNATIONAL PERSPECTIVE
Authors: Dobbs Debra , Robison Julie
Published: December 2023

The mission of applied gerontology is to bridge science and practice to benefit the health and well-being of older people, their families, their communities, and other contexts. The Journal of Applied Gerontology features original investigations or meta-analyses/systematic reviews with significant clinical, policy, and/or practice implications. This presentation will provide insights from the Journal of Applied Gerontology and its commitment to publish and disseminate scholarship with international application. Following an overview of the growing internationalization of peer-reviewed submissions to the Journal on a variety of topics and from a range of perspectives, the presentation will highlight opportunities to apply gerontological scholarship to aging contexts worldwide. Concluding comments will examine how outlets for dissemination and authors themselves can better position their work to enhance their influence on aging in an international context.
HOW TO GET AN NIA GRANT
Authors: Santora Kenneth
Published: December 2023

Dr. Santora will provide an overview of the NIA application process, funding opportunities, and relevant policy changes for early-career researchers.
STRATEGIES USED BY OHIO’S NURSING HOMES TO RETAIN CERTIFIED NURSING ASSISTANTS: DO THEY WORK?
Authors: Dikhtyar Oksana , Nelson Ian Matt
Published: December 2023

A low retention rate of certified nursing assistants (CNA) in nursing homes (NHs) is a known problem; it drives up facilities’ operating costs and negatively impacts the quality of care provided. The COVID-19 pandemic exacerbated this problem and left facilities scrambling to retain workers. Using data from the 2021 Ohio Biennial Survey of Long-Term Care Facilities, this study examines strategies implemented by facilities to improve retention of their CNAs. Facilities have tried to implement a variety of workplace environment changes such as allowing staff teams to manage schedule and financial benefit strategies such as longevity wage increase to improve their CNA retention. The statewide average NH retention rate was 64% for CNAs ranging between 0 and 100%. Three groups were constructed from the retention data: high or rate of 75% or higher (N = 220), medium or between 50% and 75% (N = 254), and low or under 50% (N = 145). We found that a higher proportion of low-retention facilities implemented most of these strategies compared to facilities with high and medium CNA retention rates. At the same time, we found that a higher proportion of administrators in the high retention group knew all their CNAs by name compared to the low-retention group (50.0% vs 41.7%). These findings suggest that environmental and financial strategies may not have much of an impact on retention rates, but making people feel respected and appreciated could.
OPPORTUNITIES AND CHALLENGES IN LARGE QUALITATIVE DATASETS IN GERONTOLOGICAL RESEARCH
Authors: Perone Angela , Saunders Pamela
Published: December 2023

Qualitative research focuses on in-depth data to understand people, processes, and phenomena. It often involves smaller datasets that do not intend to produce generalizable results but instead illuminate nuances, counterexamples, or underrepresented voices. Qualitative data can produce theory and allow for in-depth analyses. Recent methodological developments have created opportunities for large mixed methods projects to produce voluminous amounts of qualitative data that can and sometimes are shared as secondary datasets. The growing use of big data has also produced new possibilities for large qualitative datasets. Additionally, longitudinal and comparative qualitative research can produce significant data. This symposium presents four studies that examine opportunities and challenges in large qualitative datasets in gerontology. The first article uses multiple qualitative datasets to examine how long-term care staff balance resident rights of safety and autonomy. The second article uses multiple qualitative methods in a larger mixed methods Friendship Study to examine meaningful connections among people living with dementia in long-term care. Through a multi-site community university partnership, the third study extracts qualitative data from over 500 patient records to examine experiences of terminally ill hospice patients from residential homes for the dying. The fourth study examines nearly ten years of qualitative data from over 20 communities to examine successful aging from an Alaska Native perspective. Altogether, these four studies illuminate diverse strategies for identifying qualitative data, using data software, managing data, addressing ethical dilemmas, and employing research teams for coding and analyzing large qualitative datasets in gerontological research. This is a Qualitative Research Interest Group Sponsored Symposium.
LONGITUDINAL CHANGES IN DAILY STRESS REACTIVITY AND FUNCTIONAL HEALTH ACROSS 20 YEARS OF ADULTHOOD
Authors: Rush Jonathan , Willroth Emily , Cerino Eric , Piazza Jennifer , Charles Susan , Mroczek Daniel , Almeida David
Published: December 2023

The daily within-person association between stress exposure and negative affect (i.e., stress reactivity) has been shown to be predictive of a number of adverse health outcomes (e.g., inflammation, chronic conditions). These findings typically rely on a single burst of daily assessments. Little is known about the influence of long-term changes in daily stress reactivity across adulthood and its association with changes in health outcomes. The present study examined whether longitudinal changes in daily within-person associations between stress and affect over 20 years predicted long-term changes in functional health. We used measurement burst data from the National Study of Daily Experiences subsample (N=2,880) embedded within the MIDUS longitudinal study. Three measurement bursts were separated by ten years, with each containing daily measures of stress and affect across eight consecutive days, yielding 33,942 days of data across 20 years of adulthood. Functional health was measured by basic and instrumental activities of daily living (BADL; IADL) at three measurement waves spanning 20 years. Multilevel structural equation models were fit to simultaneously model short-term within-person associations between stress and affect (i.e., stress reactivity) at Level 1; long-term changes in stress reactivity at Level 2; and the association between changes in stress reactivity and changes in functional health at Level 3. Changes in stress reactivity predicted changes in both BADLs and IADLs across 20 years (estimate=0.518, SE=0.153, p=.016; and estimate=0.656, SE=0.200, p<.001, respectively). Individuals who increased more in their stress reactivity across the 20 year period also showed greater increases in their functional health limitations.