bluuebunny/crossref_metadata_2025 huggingface dataset:
THE PHYSIOLOGIC COMPLEXITY OF PREFRONTAL OXYGENATION DYNAMICS IS ASSOCIATED WITH AGE AND COGNITIVE FUNCTION
Authors: Zhou Junhong , Hong Yinglu , Yu Wanting , Iloputaife Ike , Bao Dapeng , Manor Brad , Lipsitz Lewis , Jor’dan Azizah
Published: January 2025

The hemodynamics of prefrontal cortex (PFC) oxygenation are regulated by numerous elements over multiple temporal scales. The dynamics in the fluctuations of PFC oxygenation are thus complex. Age may alter the multiscale regulation of PFC oxygenation, leading to diminished physiologic complexity of this important regulatory process. We aimed to characterize the effects of age and cognitive demand on such complexity in younger and older adults and its relationship to cognitive performance. Twenty-four younger (aged 28±3 years) and 27 older adults (aged 78±6 years) completed this study. The oxygenation (HbO2) and deoxygenation (HHb) signals of the PFC were recorded using functional near-infrared-spectroscopy (fNIRS) during the n-back task of blank, identification-of-X (IdX), and 2-back conditions. We used multiscale entropy to quantify the HbO2 and HHb complexity of fNIRS. It was observed that older adults exhibited lower fNIRS complexity regardless of task condition (p=0.0005) and lower percent increase of complexity from blank (p=0.02) or IdX (p=0.01) to 2-back compared to younger. Both groups exhibited greater complexity during IdX and 2-back compared to blank condition (p< 0.02). Those with greater HbO2 complexity had greater 2-back accuracy (p=0.02~0.04). Older adults with greater fNIRS complexity had faster reaction times (β=-0.56~-0.6, p=0.009~0.02); while younger with lower complexity had faster reaction times (β=0.58~0.62, p=0.01~0.02). Participants with greater increase of fNIRS complexity from blank to 2-back had faster 2-back reaction time (β=-0.68~-0.49, p=0.001~0.03). The complexity of fNIRS-measured PFC oxygenation fluctuations may capture the influence of aging and task demands on the regulation of prefrontal hemodynamics involved in cognitive task execution.
PERSONALITY AND ALLOSTATIC LOAD: TESTING HEALTHY NEUROTICISM IN HISPANIC AMERICANS OVER 50
Authors: Sevi Barış , Supiyev Adil , Gutierrez Angela , Terrera Graciela Muniz
Published: January 2025

Allostatic load (AL) measures the cumulative wear and tear resulting from chronic stress and life events. Hispanic populations report a higher risk for elevated AL. To diminish health inequities in socially disadvantaged populations, understanding the antecedents of AL is essential. Using data from the Health and Retirement Study, this study examines the Big-5 personality traits as predictors of AL among middle-aged and older Hispanic adults (age ≥ 50; n: 319). First, a conditional growth model was tested where baseline Big Five personality traits were entered simultaneously to test the association with AL over three time points in eight years (Time 1 = 2006/2008; Time 2 = 2010/2012; Time 3 = 2014/2016). Our findings indicate that higher conscientiousness at baseline was associated with lower AL, but the Big-5 personality traits did not significantly predict the rate of change in AL over time. As the healthy neuroticism hypothesis suggests that higher neuroticism, which is by itself associated with worse health, when combined with higher conscientiousness, may positively influence health outcomes, a second conditional growth model was tested with the interaction of neuroticism and conscientiousness added to the first model. Contrary to expectations, higher levels of neuroticism and conscientiousness were associated with higher baseline AL, with no significant association with the rate of change in AL. These results underscore the importance of personality in predicting AL but provide evidence that challenges the assumptions of the healthy neuroticism hypothesis.
ADAPTATIONS IN A DRUMMING AND HORTICULTURE INTERVENTION FOR OLDER PEOPLE LIVING WITH INTELLECTUAL DISABILITIES
Authors: Ihara Emily , Hand Michelle
Published: January 2025

People aging with intellectual and development disabilities (IDD) often experience intersectional discrimination, impacting multiple dimensions of wellness. Rhythm & Nature is a trauma-informed drumming and horticulture intervention that provides an inclusive and modifiable environment. Both activities involve bilateral stimulation, using alternating hand movements to help create connections between the left and right hemispheres of the brain, which can help improve anxiety symptoms, memory, creativity, and attention. The 8-week intervention was delivered two times, roughly one year apart. The convenience sample was drawn from attendees of an adult day center for older people living with IDD, who could participate in drumming, horticulture, or both activities. This presentation will provide qualitative analysis results of the eight participants in Group 1 and preliminary analysis of the 18 participants in Group 2. Themes from the Group 1 analysis included autonomy, voice, and creativity; fun, laughter, and joy; safe space for sharing; and skill development, affirmations, and confidence. The acuity level of Group 2 participants was higher and the group was larger, requiring different modifications by the two facilitators. Adaptations that improved accessibility included formatting the emojis differently on the pre/post forms, printing pre/post surveys on different colored paper to make it easier for them to follow, and focusing on one theme per session. Week 4 of Group 2 occurred during the center director’s last day. Participants were able to drum a farewell song and create a bouquet to convey meaningful goodbye messages. Further program examples and implications for research and practice will be provided.
CHRONOLOGICAL AGE MODIFIES THE RELATIONSHIP BETWEEN HEALTH COMORBIDITIES AND PERCEIVED HEALTH STATUS
Authors: Downer Brian , Castro Jose Cabrero , Brandt Anita
Published: January 2025

Societal norms perpetuate the notion that declining health is a normal part of aging. However, it is unclear whether chronological age modifies the relationship between health status and how middle-aged and older adults perceive their health relative to others their age. This analysis used data from 13,246 participants from the 2021 wave of the Mexican Health and Aging Study. Participants were asked if their health was better, the same, or worse than people their age. We grouped participants into four age groups (50-59, 60-69, 70-79, >80) and the number of health conditions (0, 1, 2, 3, >4). We used logistic regression models to estimate predicted probabilities of having better perceived health, adjusting for demographic characteristics, life satisfaction, depressive symptoms, and having been diagnosed with COVID-19. Nearly half (44.5%) of participants said their health was better than people their age, 46.1% said their health was the same, and 9.3% said their health was worse. The probability of better perceived health decreased with more health conditions and increased with age. The interaction between age and health conditions was statistically significant (p=0.009). The probability of having better perceived health decreased with more health conditions for participants aged 50-59, 60-69, and 70-79. Among participants aged >80, the probability for better perceived health was similar for participants with 0, 1, 2, and 3 health conditions but was lower for participants with >4 health conditions. Our findings suggest that older adults in Mexico have positive perceptions of their health despite a high prevalence of comorbid conditions.
EFFECTS OF CIRCADIAN MISALIGNMENT ON BEHAVIOR IN MAPT HUMANIZED MOUSE MODEL
Authors: Udenta Mesomachi , Gonzalez Andrea , Lin Qing , Dieterk Kristi , Koronowski Kevin , Palavicini Juan
Published: January 2025

The circadian rhythm is a natural biological process that regulates a multitude of processes including sleep-wake cycles, eating cycles and activity cycles. Circadian misalignment has been found to be related to many neurodegenerative diseases, one of them being Alzheimer’s Disease. Tauopathies, are a distinctive feature of Alzheimer’s Disease and other dementia related disorders. Tau is a protein that helps stabilize he internal structure of brain cells by supporting the microtubules needed for cell structure that oversee maintaining the integrity of the cell. Neurofibrillary tangles are formed when tau accumulates inside the neurons through a process called hyperphosphorylation. These tangles block the neurons transport system and effects the synaptic communication between the neurons which leads to cell damage and eventually cell death. This is the pathway that causes a lot of the major symptoms in Alzheimer’s Disease. In this project. we a MAPT mouse model was used conjunction with a chronic jet lag simulation. The MAPT Gene Replacement Mouse Model consists of genetically modifying mice to express human tau. The model replaces the mouse tau gene with the human tau gene. It can mimic the tau pathology that is seen in humans and allows mice to develop the tau related abnormalities that is seen in dementia related disorders. Studying how this is affected by circadian misalignment can help reveal how sleep wake cycles can influence tau pathology.
LACK OF SLEEP AND PERCEIVED SOCIAL ISOLATION
Authors: Vass Emma , Fiske Amy
Published: January 2025

As F. Scott Fitzgerald wrote, “The worst thing in the world is to try to sleep and not to.” Insomnia is related to multiple distressing health outcomes. Research suggests that one of these outcomes may be higher levels of loneliness (Hom et al. 2017). The aim of this study was to use secondary data analysis to examine the relationship between sleep duration and perceived social isolation among older and younger adults. This study hypothesized that shorter sleep duration would lead to greater perceived social isolation. A sample of 147,694 participants ages 18-64 and 87,343 participants ages 65-99, from the 2022 Behavioral Risk Factor Surveillance Survey (BRFSS) was used to conduct a linear regression analysis on the relationship between these two variables after controlling for gender and education level. The overall model was significant for both older and younger adults: older, R² =.027, F(3, 87339) = 433.41, p <.001; younger, R² =.015 F(3,147690) = 1343.32, p <.001. Regression coefficients were significant for both older, β=.099, p<.001, and younger, β=.142, p<.001, adults. Study results indicated that lower sleep duration is related to higher perceived social isolation in both older and younger adults. Nonetheless, effect sizes were small. With this information in addition to the aforementioned previous work, we can continue to explore the connection between loneliness and sleep problems.
DATA-DRIVEN APPROACHES TO UNDERSTAND PROTEOMICS SIGNATURES IN DEMENTIA: RESULTS FROM ELSA AND UK BIOBANK
Authors: Gong Jessica , Williams Dylan , Steptoe Andrew
Published: January 2025

Novel blood-based protein markers are crucial for understanding dementia’s biological mechanisms. Undertaking a data-driven, proteome-wide approach to understand the protein signatures in dementia, this study used the English Longitudinal Study of Ageing (ELSA) as the discovery cohort, and subsequently the UK Biobank (UKB) as the validation cohort, to estimate the associations between proteins and the risk of incident all-cause dementia (ACD), and dementia subtypes. Bidirectional Mendelian randomization (MR) and drug target MR were employed to establish causal evidence between proteins and dementia as well as cerebral white matter volume (WMV). Of the 276 proteins in 3249 samples from ELSA (229 incident ACD, 89 Alzheimer’s disease (AD), 41 vascular dementia (VAD)), over a median 9.8-year follow-up, two proteins (NEFL, RPS6KB1) were significant after full adjustments, using Cox Proportional Hazard regression models, with False Discovery Rate p-value set at 0.05 to indicate statistical significance. One protein (MMP12) was found to be associated with VAD. NEFL and RPS6KB1 in combination with demographic predictors (sex, age, education, race), along with APOE 4 genotype and memory score showed good predictive value (Area Under Curve (AUC)=0.87). All associations were replicated in UKB in 52,745 participants (1506 ACD, 732 AD, 281 VAD) over median 13.7-year follow-up. Causal evidence for MR indicated a backward association between dementia and NEFL; drug target MR indicated causal relationships between NEFL and AD and WMV, as well as MMP12 and VAD. This study highlights promising blood-based protein candidates for dementia diagnostics and therapeutic targets, emphasizing the potential for improving patient care.
FEASIBILITY OF VIRTUAL COMPANIONSHIP AND ACTIVITIES FOR PERSONS WITH DEMENTIA: MEMORI CORPS TRIAL
Authors: Marx Katherine , Herpst Jessica , Kirchner Kathleen , Samus Quincy
Published: January 2025

The majority of persons living with dementia (PLWD) are cared for at home by a family care partner. Social isolation, the need for meaningful activities, and care partner respite are common unmet care needs for PLWD. Home and community-based services such as Adult Day Care and friendly visitor programs have been instrumental in addressing these needs. However, not all families prefer out-of-home services, some lack service access, and few of these services are tailored specifically for PLWD. Additionally, the COVID-19 pandemic disrupted most services. This study evaluates the feasibility of providing virtual companionship and meaningful activities via Zoom to community-residing PLWD. Sixty-two dyads (PLWD and family care partner) and 52 trained volunteers (ages 55+), participated in a 12-week intervention. Individualized activity plans were developed based on the PLWD’s personal history, roles, interests, and current functional level. Activity sessions were offered up to five times a week for up to one–hour per session, primarily through Zoom. Advantages of virtual delivery included the ability to serve dyads across a large geographic area, resource efficiency, session flexibility allowing individual and group sessions, and the capability to continue services during participant travel. Drawbacks included low initial technology literacy levels of participants (e.g., session scheduling, joining, screen sharing), technical issues (e.g., hardware, Wi-Fi connection issues), need for in-home help for session setup on computer, limited selection of potential activities, and limited ability to evaluate and address environmental barriers impacting sessions. Overall, virtual implementation was feasible and allowed PLWD access to meaningful activity and socialization.
MACHINE LEARNING APPLIED TO MEDICARE CLAIMS DATA TO IDENTIFY OLDER ADULTS WITH UNDIAGNOSED DEMENTIA
Authors: Barnes Deborah , Benjamin Cynthia , Mannen Delia , Boscardin John
Published: January 2025

Approximately half of people living with Alzheimer’s disease and related dementias are undiagnosed. We performed a retrospective cohort study using the 5% Medicare claims sample to test machine learning approaches for calculating risk of undiagnosed dementia. For each calendar year from 2012 to 2021, we created a cohort of beneficiaries aged 65 years or older on January 1 who had at least 2 healthcare claims during the previous 2 years. Those who had prevalent dementia, were in hospice, or died within the calendar year were excluded. We identified those who received an incident dementia diagnosis during the calendar year (i.e., had undiagnosed dementia on January 1) and used machine learning methods to identify key predictors of undiagnosed dementia within each cohort based on demographics, diagnoses, and healthcare utilization. Model accuracy was assessed using c statistics. On average, 837,440 Medicare beneficiaries were included in each cohort, of whom 24,410 (2.9%) were diagnosed with incident dementia each year. An average of 35±10 variables were included using different machine learning approaches and cohort years. Overall model accuracy for detecting undiagnosed dementia ranged from 0.77 to 0.81. All models yielded clinically meaningful discrimination ranging from < 1% (lowest predicted decile) to 13% (highest predicted decile). Model performance was stable temporally and across gender, race, and ethnicity. These results support application of machine learning with Medicare claims to identify older adults at risk of undiagnosed dementia. Future studies should prospectively validate this approach within healthcare systems and explore the potential value of additional data sources.
ASSOCIATION STUDY OF DNA METHYLATION AGE AND BONE HEALTH PHENOTYPES IN OLDER TWINS
Authors: Soerensen Mette , Christensen Kaare , Kassem Moustapha
Published: January 2025

DNA methylation age, a biomarker for biological aging, is reported to associate to mortality and several aging-related phenotypes, while studies of bone phenotypes are surprisingly rare. Here we explore the association between diagnoses on age-related bone fractures, osteoporotic bone fractures, and osteoporosis without factures from the Danish Patient Registry to seven DNA methylation clocks: Horvath, IEAA, Hannum, EEAA PhenoAge, GrimAge and DunedinPACE. Cox regression analysis in a discovery sample of 310 older twins (age 73-91) revealed all clocks to reflect an increased epigenetic age with increasing risk of diagnosis; especially GrimAge and DunedinPACE appeared consistent across all three disease groups. A replication cohort of 777 twins (age 30-79) reflected the same direction of effect, with DunedinPACE displaying statistical significance. A twin pair analysis, reducing genetic and environmental confounding, confirmed the direction of effects, with GrimAge holding the largest effect sizes (e.g., HR=1.21, P=0.057 for osteoporotic fractures). In all analysis the DNA methylation-estimated telomere length reflected the opposite direction of effect, i.e., shorter telomere length with increased risk of diagnosis. Lastly, for a subset of the replication cohort (N=288, age 30-76) data on bone mineral density (BMD) and the bone turn over markers CTX and P1NP were available; CTX and P1NP showed decreased levels with increasing epigenetic age, while BMD showed an inconsistent pattern. Interaction analysis revealed age and sex effects for some of the clocks for BMD, perhaps pointing to the complex mechanisms behind bone biology. Taken together we report associations between DNA methylation age and bone health phenotypes.
LIFE EXTENSION VIA GENETIC/DRUG INTERVENTIONS OCCURS BY DELAYING THE ONSET OF AGING, NOT BY SLOWING THE RATE OF AGING
Authors: Phillips Patrick , Sedore Christine , Jackson Grace , Lithgow Gordon , Driscoll Monica
Published: January 2025

Ever since the discovery more than 30 years ago of mutations capable dramatically increasing lifespan, there has been an increasing push to find genetic pathways and chemical interventions that ameliorate the effects of aging and increase healthspan and longevity. But aging is not merely “getting old,” it is an accelerating rate of the decline in function and an increase in the rate of mortality with chronological age. Here, we present a new framework for understanding longevity-extending interventions by dividing the survivorship into two major parts—the onset of aging and the period of accelerated aging—and use a uniform analytical approach to derive these quantities for each of the major mortality models. We apply this new framework to a set of studies with sufficient size to estimate mortality rate, finding that for four genetic and three chemical interventions in C. elegans and five genetic and eleven chemical interventions in mice, all treatments that lead to an increase in overall lifespan do so by delaying the onset of aging and none decrease the rate of aging late in life. These effects are readily visualized using a relative hazard and relative lifespan approach. Thus, while there is great interest identify compounds and other approaches to “treat” aging, evidence to date suggests that these interventions do not actually affect aging in the formal sense. These results have important implications for the design and analysis of aging studies, as well as for the field of geroscience as a whole.
MOLECULAR SENESCENCE IS ASSOCIATED WITH DEMENTIA RISK IN THE ATHEROSCLEROSIS RISK IN COMMUNITIES STUDY
Authors: Prizment Anna , Park Saeun , Sedaghat Sanaz , Wang Shuo , Guan Weihua , Tang Weihong , Walker Keenan , Hughes Timothy
Published: January 2025

Recent evidence suggests that the accumulation of senescent cells induces chronic inflammation via the senescence-associated secretory phenotype (SASP), increasing Alzheimer’s disease risk. However, the association between SASP proteins and dementia risk remains unknown. Our objective was to develop SASP scores using various protein panels and evaluate their relationship with dementia risk in Atherosclerosis Risk in Communities (ARIC) study – a prospective cohort of 11,755 White and Black men and women (46-70 years old) at baseline (1990-92). We created 3 SASP scores by training them against incident dementia (1,493 cases) in 7,837 participants (67%) followed until 2019. The first score (Score-1), created by Ridge regression, included 133 proteins identified in Basisty’s atlas (2020). The second score (Score-2) included 16 dementia-associated proteins (of 133 SASP proteins). The third score (Score-3) was based on 7 SASP proteins validated by Schafer (2020); it included only 2 dementia-associated proteins: growth differentiation factor 15 (GDF15) and activin A. These scores were computed as weighted sums of standardized SASP proteins (mean=0, SD=1) in the test set of the remaining 3,918 participants (758 dementia cases). Multivariable Cox regression estimated the associations between each score and incident dementia. Hazard ratio (HR, 95% CI) per SD were for Score-1 (1.33, 1.23-1.45), Score-2 (1.20, 1.11-1.31), and Score-3 (1.23, 1.13-1.34), all p< 0.001. Thus, the 3 SASP scores, consisting of different protein numbers, showed comparable positive associations with dementia risk. SASP scores, even those consisting of a small number of proteins, may serve as a potential biomarker for dementia.
A PROTEOMICS-BASED MEASURE OF ACCELERATING AGING IS CORRELATED WITH THE BRAIN AGE GAP IN THE ARIC STUDY
Authors: Casanova Ramon , Walker Keenan , Lu Lingyi , Kritchevsky Stephen , Hughes Timothy , Wagenknecht Lynne
Published: January 2025

Proteomics clocks can be used to estimate chronologic age or predict age-related outcomes (e.g., GrimAge or AgeAccelGrim and mortality). Analogous to AgeAccelGrim, we developed a proteomic predictor in the Atherosclerosis Risk in Communities (ARIC) Study, and present correlations between this measure and an MRI-derived measure of advanced brain age (brain age gap) and other clinical parameters. We used data from 1447 ARIC participants with both brain MRIs and proteins levels available. The data was partitioned into training and testing datasets (75%-25%). We fitted a Cox regression elastic net model to predict all-cause mortality based on all proteins available in the SOMAscan aptamer panel (N = 4877), age and sex. The linear combination of variables was transformed to match mean age and variance of the training dataset. Finally, the age was regressed out to produce the proteomic measure. The testing dataset was used to estimate Spearman correlations. In total 33 proteins were selected by the model including R-sponding-4, GDF-15, ANGPT2 and PCYOX1L with larger (positives) coefficients while F7, SET and CNDP1 were the ones with smaller (negative) coefficients. The proteomic age measure was correlated with the brain age gap (0.26 p< 0.001), hypertension (0.25 p< 0.001), diabetes (0.18 p< 0.001), gait speed (0.24 p< 0.001), total cholesterol (0.25 p< 0.001) but not correlated with fasting glucose, grip strength or MRI-derived temporal meta-ROI. These results here link brain and body indices of accelerated aging independently of chronological age. Further investigation of the interrelationships between brain and proteomics aging measures is warranted.
ASSOCIATIONS BETWEEN CARDIORESPIRATORY FITNESS, BRAIN AGE, AND NEURODEGENERATION AMONG OLDER ADULTS
Authors: Derboghossian Grace , Pituch Keenan , Anthony Mia , Salisbury Dereck , Lin Feng Vankee , Yu Fang
Published: January 2025

There is growing evidence that CRF mitigates the likelihood of dementia caused by Alzheimer’s disease (AD) and may underlie the cognitive benefits observed from aerobic exercise. Previous evidence further demonstrates neurodegeneration is the biological substrate for cognition deterioration and brain age may protect the brain from the deleterious effects of neurodegeneration. However, little is known about the relationships between CRF, brain age, and neurodegeneration in older adults with amnestic mild cognitive impairment (aMCI). The purpose of this cross-sectional study was to examine associations between CRF, brain age, and neurodegeneration among individuals with aMCI, using baseline data from the Aerobic exercise and Cognitive Training Trial, which examines the cognitive effects and underlying mechanisms of a 6-month ACT in older adults with aMCI. CRF was measured with VO2peak from a symptom-limited peak cycle-ergometer test. Brain age, hippocampal volume, and AD-signature cortical thickness (SCT) were obtained from structural magnetic resonance imaging. Multiple linear regressions were conducted in R (version 4.3.2). The sample (N=134) averaged 73.63 ± 5.81 years of age, 16.98 ± 2.9 years of education, 27.47 ± 5.17 in BMI, and 23.5 ± 2.18 in Montreal Cognitive Assessment scores with 51.5% male and 92.5% White. The mean brain age was 72.37±7.76 years with 2.92± 0.31mm ADSCT and 3164 ±455.51mm3 hippocampal volume. CRF was not associated with brain age and neurodegeneration. A negative association was found between brain age with hippocampal volume (β=-11.37, SE=5.11, p=0.02) and ADSCT (β=-0.01, SE=0.003, p=0.004). To conclude, future studies need to explore other brain indicators related to CRF.
HORMONAL THERAPY AND THE RISK OF RHEUMATIC AUTOIMMUNE DISEASES AMONG OLDER MEN WITH PROSTATE CANCER
Authors: Albayyaa Mohanad
Published: January 2025

Prostate cancer ranks as the second most common cause of cancer death among older men. Typically diagnosed at localized stages, treatment options primarily include radiation, hormonal therapy, or surgery. Androgen Deprivation Therapy (ADT) stands as a cornerstone in prostate cancer management, despite its association with various adverse effects such as cardiovascular and autoimmune diseases. ADT alters the mechanistic and biological pathways of androgens, impacting immune cell regulation and autoimmune equilibrium by augmenting regulatory T-cell numbers, cytokines, and pro-inflammatory markers. This study aims to investigate the potential link between hormonal therapy (ADT) and rheumatic autoimmune diseases (RAD), including rheumatoid arthritis, lupus, ankylosing spondylitis, and Sjogren’s syndrome, among older men with prostate cancer. Using Texas Cancer Registry Linked to Medicare dataset, a cohort of patients aged 66 years or older, diagnosed with localized prostate cancer between 2010 and 2019, was analyzed. Patients receiving ADT were compared to those without ADT exposure, matched on a 1:1 ratio. Kaplan-Meier analysis revealed higher rates of RAD among patients receiving ADT (11%) compared to non-ADT recipients (9%). Cox proportional hazard regression confirmed a significant association between ADT use and increased RAD risk (HR =1.29, 95% CI: 1.17-1.56). This finding underscores the importance of considering the potential adverse effects of ADT, emphasizing the need for comprehensive patient counseling and careful monitoring by clinicians. The study’s results, aligned with previous research, further solidify the understanding of ADT’s adverse effects, highlighting the necessity of assessing the patterns of care and personalized treatment strategies of older patients with prostate cancer.
IMPORTANT FACTORS INFLUENCING PROSTATE CANCER SCREENING AMONG INDIGENOUS MEN
Authors: Lee Kyoung Hag , Jun Jung Sim
Published: January 2025

Although there exists mounting evidence of systemic barriers to prostate cancer screening (PCS) among Indigenous peoples, there is a limited understanding of the individual-level barriers to PCS. This study examined how well predisposing, need, and enabling factors predict receipt of a PCS test among Indigenous men. This cross-sectional study recruited a total of 191 Indigenous men aged 40 and above, following the recommendation of the American Cancer Society by using the purposive sampling method in 2014. The study’s dependent variable was the receipt of a PCS. Independent variables included three predisposing, two need, and five enabling factors. Participants’ mean age was 51.58 years, ranging from 40 to 95, and 33.3% were married. The hierarchical logistic regression showed that married participants were 3.82 times more likely than those who never married to receive a PCS. Participants with a personal cancer history were 11.84 times more likely than those without a personal cancer history to receive a PCS. Participants who reported having access to medical care were 9.14 times more likely than those without access to medical care to receive a PCS. Additionally, participants who had heard about the prostate cancer exam were 21.44 times more likely than those who had not heard about the prostate cancer exam to receive a PCS. Social work practitioners or health care providers need to consider developing and providing appropriate prostate cancer prevention programs, family-based intervention programs, a support system for selecting an appropriate place for medical care, and prostate cancer screening education and assistance programs.
POTENTIAL BENEFITS OF GROUP EXERCISE ON CANCER-RELATED LONELINESS AMONG MEN ENROLLED IN THE GET FIT PROSTATE TRIAL
Authors: Winters-Stone Kerri , Stoyles Sydnee , Dieckmann Nathan , Lyons Karen , Crisafio Mary , Hung Arthur , Graff Julie , Sokolova Alexandra
Published: January 2025

Men with prostate cancer may experience cancer-related loneliness (CRL) that impacts their mental and physical health, yet research in this area remains sparse. We explored the relationship between cancer-related loneliness, anxiety, depressive symptoms, social and physical functioning and the potential benefits of group exercise in a subset of men with prostate cancer participating in a clinical exercise trial. We added the CRL questionnaire to measures of anxiety (PROMIS), depressive symptoms (CES-D) and social and physical function (QLQC30 subscales) mid-way through the GET FIT Prostate trial (NCT03741335). 145 men (mean age: 71.5 +/- 7.3 yrs) completed measures prior to participating in one of three online supervised group exercise programs for 6 months and another 68 also completed measures post-intervention. While exercise modalities differed among the three groups, all men participated in 15 minutes of semi-structured social time immediately prior to the start of their one-hour exercise class. 70% of men reported some level of CRL at baseline. CRL was significantly (p< 0.01) and positively associated with higher anxiety (r=0.61) and worse depressive symptoms (r=0.66) and inversely with social (r=-0.50) and physical (r=-0.23) functioning. After 6 months of group exercise, CRL decreased among men who reported experiencing CRL at least some of the time at baseline (p=0.017). Among the whole sample, higher baseline CRL was significantly associated with the greater declines in CRL over 6 months (adjusted-R2=0.16, p< 0.01). A majority of men with prostate cancer may experience cancer-related loneliness, but socially-enhanced group exercise could be an effective countermeasure to improve well-being.
GLOBAL CLIMATE ATTITUDES IN AGING ADULTS: THE ROLES OF SCIENTIFIC TRUST AND LITERACY
Authors: Van Vleet Bryce , Fuller Heather
Published: January 2025

Prior research has established that people with less scientific literacy are more distrustful of science. However, this link is not well understood in older age or in relation to climate change perceptions. Aging adults play an important role in and are particularly vulnerable to the effects of climate change. This study investigates relationships between scientific literacy and trust with perceptions of climate change utilizing the 2020 Wellcome Global Monitor. 33,075 adults aged 50-99 (M=62.47) from 113 countries were interviewed about their views on science. We investigated whether scientific literacy and trust in science were predictors of climate change: a) understanding, b) major threat perception, and c) denial. Multiple regression analyses indicated trust in science and scientific literacy significantly predicted climate change understanding and threat perception, but not denial. Given conceptual distinctions between scientific illiteracy and scientifically literate mistrust, we investigated whether trust in science mediated the relationship between scientific literacy and climate change attitudes in midlife and older adulthood. Bootstrapped mediation models indicated trust in science partially mediated associations between scientific literacy and both understanding and threat perception. Findings suggest bolstering confidence in both scientific literacy and trust in science may help aging populations better understand and anticipate impacts of climate change. Results can help interventionists prepare aging populations for an increasingly warming world. Findings also extend the existing understanding of trust in science and scientific literacy as important processes in how older individuals perceive their environmental and politicized contexts.
COPING STRATEGIES USED BY LATE-MIDLIFE AND OLDER ADULTS DURING THE COVID-19 PANDEMIC
Authors: Kurth Maria , Igarashi Heidi , Aldwin Carolyn
Published: January 2025

Despite greater physiological vulnerability during the COVID-19 pandemic, older adults’ self-reported mental health better than that of younger adults, perhaps due to use of more adaptive coping strategies. Compared to younger adults, older adults more frequently used strategies such as positive reappraisal (Willey et al., 2022) and fewer maladaptive ones, such as substance use (Park et al., 2020.) However, few studies have examined age differences in coping across later life. We used open-ended responses from an online survey, collected April 28 – May 5, 2020, about how adults 50+ in Oregon (N = 235, Mage = 71.27) coped with a COVID-19 difficulty in the past week. An existing scheme (Aldwin et al., 1996) guided a directed content analysis and age was categorized into three groups: late-midlife (50-64), young-old (65-74), and old-old (75). Nearly all participants (93%) responded to the coping question. The final scheme had eight codes (Krippendorf ∝=.89). The most prevalent strategies were problem-focused (49%), social support (31%), and cognitive reappraisal (27%). Three new strategies were identified: activity substitution (8%), emotion processing (4%), and proactive coping (1%). Emotion processing was more frequently by those in late-midlife (16%), compared to both young-old and old-old participants (2%), p <.01 and.05, respectively. While problem-focused coping was positively correlated with trait resilience, activity substitution was positively related to coping efficacy. Thus, even throughout later life, older adults’ use of a variety of adaptive coping strategies to manage problems early on during the COVID-19 pandemic likely contributed to their psychological resilience.
EFFECTS OF RESTRICTIONS IN COMMUNITY-BASED CARE SERVICES ON FAMILY CAREGIVERS DURING THE COVID-19 PANDEMIC
Authors: Honda Ayumi , Liu Yin , Fauth Elizabeth , Honda Sumihisa
Published: January 2025

This mixed-methods study aimed to examine the effects of restrictions in the utilization of community-based care services on family caregivers during the COVID-19 pandemic. We recruited from community-based care services 200 family caregivers who were living with an older care recipient. We first conducted thematic analyses based on open-ended responses to questions regarding the impact of restrictions in the utilization of community-based care services. We then extracted themes to examine and determine patterns across caregiving characteristics. Next, we conducted linear regression analysis to examine associations between impact of restrictions and caregiving contexts. Findings from the thematic analyses identified 11 themes regarding the impact of restrictions in the utilization of community-based care services. Most frequently reported impact included “the family caregiver cannot bathe the older person at home” and “the family caregiver cannot go to work/income decreases”. Additionally, findings from regression analysis suggested that caregiver employment (β = 0.292, SE = 0.122, p =.02), increased caregiving tasks (β = 0.134, SE = 0.051, p =.01), and more behavioral and psychological symptoms of dementia (β = 0.088, SE = 0.037, p =.02) were associated with harmful impacts resulting from restrictions in the utilization of community-based care services. To conclude, family caregivers identified common areas where they felt ill equipped to provide home care during the COVID-19 pandemic. The study informs priorities areas of needed external support, resources, or training that family caregivers may need in planning short- or long-term emergency preparedness.
HOW OLDER REFUGEES IN THE US COPED DURING COVID-19 PANDEMIC: A QUALITATIVE RESEARCH STUDY
Authors: Owino Jonix
Published: January 2025

Due to the novelty experience posed by COVID-19, it is important to understand how older refugees coped in their host communities. This is because older refugees have increased vulnerabilities compared to host populations such as limitations related to healthcare accessibility, language barriers, and discrimination, that may have heightened the challenges posed by COVID-19. As such, the present study examined implications of COVID-19 among older refugees and how they coped. The present study recruited thirty-seven Congolese refugees, aged 55-67 (m=65.7 years) from a community in the East Coast region of the US to participate in interviews on their perceptions of life during COVID-19. The interviews lasted between 35-65 minutes. The qualitative interviews were analyzed using thematic content analysis. Emergent themes showed that though older Congolese refugees in the US experienced COVID-19 challenges similar to other populations, these challenges seemed salient for older refugees compared to non-refugee populations due to refugee background and experiences. For instance, older refugees experienced increased social isolation due to limited access to language interpreters. Moreover, older refugees’ coping strategies during COVID-19 e.g., the use of traditional/herbal medicine and cognitive reframing seemed to have been influenced by the interplay of factors related to their unique refugee experiences and their cultural norms and values. Understanding the implications of COVID-19 among older refugees in the US is beneficial to practitioners in determining how they may assist their clientele in coping with specific situations, considering their specific histories and cultures.
INCREASED RISK OF COVID-19 INFECTION IN PEOPLE WITH DEPRESSION: EVIDENCE FROM ANALYSIS OF SHARE’S CORONA SURVEYS
Authors: He Xiaona , Gao Wei
Published: January 2025

The mental disorder related COVID-19 infection remains of wide interest. However, there is a shortage of population-based studies on depression. To examine the association between a pre-existing depression and COVID-19 infection risk among middle-aged and older Europeans during the COVID-19 pandemic. A population-based retroprospective longitudinal study. Data were from the Survey of Health, Ageing and Retirement in Europe (SHARE), respondents 50 years and older from 26 European countries and Israel were included. Analysis was undertaken at the first and second years of the COVID-19 pandemic. Depression was assessd by the EURO-D scale. Outcomes were the COVID-19 infection during the period of COVID-19 pandemic. We used logistic regression to assess the association of pre-existing depression with the COVID-19 infection. Individuals who had a pre-existing depression had an increased risk for COVID-19 infection in SCS1 (OR=1.52, 95% CI: 1.28-1.79, P < 0.0001) and SCS2 (OR=1.24, 95% CI: 1.13-1.37, P < 0.0001). Among individuals with depression, obesity(BMI≥30) had higher risk than those with BMI≤30; OR=1.23, 95% CI: 1.03-1.46, P=0.021). Unvaccinated individuals with depression had higher risk than vaccinated individuals, with the strongest vaccination disparity for depression (OR=1.99, 95% CI: 1.65-2.39, P< 0.0001). Individuals with depression as being at increased risk for COVID-19 re-infection. (OR=1.68, 95% CI: 1.13-2.49, P< 0.0001). Depression may become an important factor affecting the population of middle-aged and older people infected with COVID-19, suggesting a need for more attention to the population. This includes providing mental health support and counseling services to reduce their symptoms of depression.
RACIAL DISPARITIES IN PSYCHOLOGICAL WELL-BEING ACROSS AGE GROUPS DURING COVID-19: A LONGITUDINAL STUDY
Authors: Elliott Meghan , Charles Susan , Silver Roxane Cohen , Holman E Alison
Published: January 2025

COVID-19 created a health threat that discriminated by age: older adults were at greatest risk for health complications and mortality, but younger adults reported the highest rates of emotional distress. Cross-sectional studies consistently documented age differences in distress, but few studies have examined age-related differences over time. We examined how self-reported anger and both depressive and anxiety symptoms changed throughout the first two years of the COVID-19 pandemic among a national representative sample of adults (N = 6514) aged 18 to 97 years who completed four surveys between March 2020 and June 2022. Multi-level models revealed age differences that varied by race. Overall, younger age and non-white status were related to higher levels of every affective distress measure. For depressive symptoms, most age groups peaked at wave 2 and declined thereafter. The exception was the young non-white adults, where levels peaked at wave 2 and remained stable thereafter. For most participants, anxiety symptoms were highest at wave 1 and declined thereafter, although young non-white participants had minimal decreases and levels increased among middle-aged and older adults across race. Anger symptoms peaked for all age groups at wave 2, yet older white adults were the only group whose anger levels did not decrease from wave 2 to wave 4. Results suggest that non-white status and young age may be vulnerabilities to symptoms of depression and anxiety, and being old and white is related to stable levels of anger across time, highlighting the need for targeted support for these groups.
THE COVID-19 PANDEMIC AND OBJECTIVE SOCIAL ISOLATION AMONG THE OLDER ADULTS IN THE UNITED STATES
Authors: Yin Jiamin , Seplaki Christopher
Published: January 2025

Experiences of social isolation are common among older adults and were amplified by the COVID-19 pandemic, particularly among those aged 80+. However, we do not know if such age differences in the experience of social isolation are due to the pandemic or if the underlying mechanisms driving social isolation may differ across age groups. We use a difference-in-difference design to compare the change in social isolation before and after 2020 across older adults aged 80+ versus those 65-79 years using data from the National Health and Aging Trends Study to constructed a composite measure of objective social isolation that includes four domains (living arrangement, communication regarding important matters, participation in religious and other activities). Our preliminary results suggest that adults aged 80+ years were found 3.7% (Standard Error (SE): 0.014) more likely than those aged 65-79 years to experience social isolation in 2020. Additional analysis of the four social isolation domains suggest that “older” older adults were 6.8% (SE: 0.016) more likely to report no participation in other activities than the “younger” older adults in 2020. In contrast, they were 3.5% (SE: 0.010) less likely than the “younger” older adults to live alone in 2020. No significant effect was observed in other domains. Our preliminary findings highlight the greater vulnerability of adults aged 80 years and the potential importance of developing interventions to address social isolation among this subgroup of vulnerable older adults.
THE IMPACT OF EDUCATIONAL LEVEL ON FOOD SECURITY AMONG OLDER ADULTS AMID THE COVID-19 PANDEMIC
Authors: Monroe-Lord Lillie , Ardekani Azam , Jackson Phronie , Weitman Cassidy
Published: January 2025

The COVID-19 pandemic has dramatically altered global health and economic landscapes, significantly threatening food security worldwide. This study investigates the pandemic’s impact on perceived food security among older adults, with a particular focus on the role of educational attainment. A total of 4,961 participants aged 65 and above were surveyed between August 9 and September 15, 2020, utilizing the USDA’s Six-Item Short Form via Qualtrics to measure food security. The survey, conducted retrospectively twice, assessed higher scores as indicative of increased food insecurity among varying educational backgrounds: less than a high school education, some college education, and a college or graduate degree. Findings indicated older adults with less than a high school diploma were most affected, experiencing a mean percentage increase in food insecurity of 7.7% (p = 0.007). Respondents with some college education saw a 7.03% increase, which was not statistically significant (p > 0.05). Conversely, older adults with a college or graduate degree reported a smaller, yet statistically significant, increase in food insecurity (4.06%, p = 0.041). These results highlight a correlation between educational level and food security, with lower levels of education being associated with a greater risk of food insecurity during the COVID-19 pandemic. This study underscores the need for enhanced support systems to protect the most vulnerable populations, especially the less educated older adults, from the adverse effects of global health emergencies on food security.
THE PANDEMIC AS A GREAT UNEQUALIZER? RURAL–URBAN DIVIDE IN COVID-19 CONCERNS AND OLDER ADULTS’ MENTAL HEALTH IN CHINA
Authors: Liu Jingwen , Han Yang
Published: January 2025

Hukou is a household registration system that divides individuals to rural or urban residents at birth based on their parents’ status, which significantly contribute to health disparities in China. This paper investigates whether older adults’ concerns about the Covid-19 pandemic exacerbate rural-urban disparities and the potential mechanism of coping behaviors. Using the 2020 wave of China Health and Retirement Longitudinal Study (CHARLS), we employed OLS and KHB analyses to local rural residents (rural-Hukou holders living in rural areas, N=9,101), rural-urban migrants (rural-Hukou holders living in urban areas; N=2,418), and local urban residents (urban-Hukou holders living in urban areas, N=2,874), respectively. Results suggest that local rural residents and rural-urban migrants both show substantially higher Covid concerns and depressive symptoms than local urban residents. Covid concerns are associated with higher depressive symptoms among all groups, but the association is statistically more prominent among local rural than local urban residents. While changes in health habits and in-person meetings contribute to explaining these associations for both groups, the delayed medical services and increased preventive behaviors exclusively explain the association for local rural residents. Rural-urban migrants exhibit a dual profile: they demonstrate higher concerns like rural residents while adopting fewer coping behaviors parallel to urban residents. This paper confirms that Hukou acts as a fundamental cause of rural-urban health disparities that will be reproduced and reinforced during societal crises like the Covid pandemic. Rural-born individuals’ health disadvantages may be reduced but not eliminated by the migration to urban areas without substantial reforms of Hukou system.