bluuebunny/crossref_metadata_2025 huggingface dataset:
HOW CAREGIVERS DIVIDE RESPONSIBILITIES: A LATENT CLASS ANALYSIS OF US CAREGIVING ARRANGEMENTS
Authors: Ice Erin
Published: December 2023

Family and other unpaid caregivers provide the bulk of caregiving for older adults, but we know little about how kin divide responsibilities amongst themselves, and how they share tasks with paid caregivers. This study identifies the common “care configurations” that emerge to support older adults with functional limitations. Studying older adults (age 65+) who received assistance from a caregiver in the National Health and Aging Trends Study Wave 5 (n = 4,182), I generate an extensive battery of caregiving arrangement indicators, including household, physical care, transportation, and administrative assistance provided by spouses, children, other unpaid kin, or paid caregivers. I use latent class analysis and adjust for survey design to identify common configurations. I find four primary care configurations. In the most common configuration (42%), partners provided all assistance and most often helped with household chores. Conversely, children often assisted with transportation while sharing other responsibilities with paid caregivers. Older adults with limited physical capacity, probable dementia, and Medicaid were most likely to belong to the only configuration featuring paid caregiving. By studying the full population of older adults who receive care assistance, this study provides a broad perspective on how older adults rely on unpaid kin caregivers and when they rely on paid caregiving. In particular, it identifies transportation assistance as an overlooked form of caregiving and demonstrates that children are most frequently dividing responsibilities with other kin or paid caregivers.
ARTIFICIAL INTELLIGENCE IN MENTAL HEALTH FOR THE AGING POPULATION: A SCOPING REVIEW
Authors: Wei Duo Helen , Hernandez Bianca , Burdick David
Published: December 2023

Artificial intelligence (AI) has significant potential in mental health research and service delivery for the aging population. This poster provides an overview of its evolving utilization, including research methods, data sources, and predictors of mental health. The review of 26 articles from 2015 to 2023 found that surveys/questionnaires, clinical data, non-clinical data, and electronic health records are the most commonly used data sources, with clinical data being the most common, accounting for more than 50% of the articles. The frequently utilized AI techniques in mental health research for older adults were supervised learning (65.4%), deep learning (42.3%), unsupervised learning (7.7%), NLP (7.7%), and semi-supervised learning (3.8%). Mental health factors that received the most attention in the research were anxiety/depression (65.4%), dementia (Alzheimer’s) (38.5%), mild cognitive impairment (23.1%), suicidal ideation (15.4%), and trajectory of cognitive decline (7.7%). AI is currently employed in various aspects of mental health research for older adults, including identifying and diagnosing mental health conditions at an early stage, monitoring mental well-being, assessing the severity of mental health conditions, predicting cognitive trajectories, and providing assistance in treatment. The recent application of generative language models, such as ChatGPT, has further advanced the field of AI in mental health research. However, ethical concerns such as bias, privacy, and transparency must be addressed before widespread implementation. In conclusion, AI has great potential as well as risks and ethical concerns for mental health research and service delivery to aging populations, but further research is needed.
DEVELOPING AND IMPLEMENTING A NATIONWIDE CURRICULUM FOR AGING STUDIES. WHAT ARE THE KEY CONSIDERATIONS FOR GHANA?
Authors: Karikari Grace , Asante Samuel
Published: December 2023

In 2019, Ghana reported the implementation of a Geriatric Medicine Fellowship Program within the Faculty of Family Medicine at the Ghana College of Physicians and Surgeons (GCPS). Though this is a laudable effort to address the specialized workforce shortage the country is facing, the GCPS program is meant to provide an in-country specialization path for physicians desiring to become geriatricians. There are currently no national standardized aging studies, training programs or curricula available to other students in disciplines such as nursing, psychology, public health, and social work. Students in the public, government-owned tertiary institutions are offered isolated courses related to aging and the needs of older adults. To effectively address the workforce shortage issue and improve the overall health and wellbeing of older adults in Ghana, it is imperative to train students in diverse fields and disciplines with the needed knowledge and skills to provide the various specialized services for the aging population. This presentation highlights a proposal to the government of Ghana to consider some key issues and recommendations related to developing and implementing a nation-wide aging studies programs in the public higher institutions. Five key evidence-based areas are extensively discussed: (1) Aging studies in Ghana should be culturally relevant. (2) Aging studies in Ghana should address the needs of older Ghanaians. (3) Aging studies in Ghana should be competency-based. (4) Aging studies in Ghana should be implemented and evaluated by expert-educators. (5) Aging studies in Ghana should be attractive to potential service providers.
PERSPECTIVES OF SPEECH LANGUAGE PATHOLOGISTS AND STUDENTS ON PROVIDING CARE TO PEOPLE WITH DEMENTIA
Authors: Green Makenna , Mayer Jamie , White Laura
Published: December 2023

This scoping review aimed to explore the extant literature on the experiences and views of speech-language pathologists (SLPs) and SLP students regarding the provision of care to people living with dementia (PLWD). A systematic search was conducted using 10 databases. Sources were included if participants were practicing SLPs and/or students enrolled in undergraduate communicative disorders or graduate SLP programs, and if the concepts of experiences or views on the provision of SLP services to PLWD were explored in the context of any clinical or educational setting. Included sources were systematically extracted for pertinent study characteristics, including SLP roles and settings, concept domains, measures utilized, and facilitators/barriers to effective dementia care. The majority of the 29 included sources were published in either academic journals (n=20) or professional organization publications (n=5) and used a cross-sectional study design (n=19). Participants included SLPs (n=22), and masters (n=6), undergraduate (n=3 studies), and doctoral students (n=1). The included studies addressed five primary conceptual domains: experiences, attitudes, roles, knowledge, and confidence. The most commonly addressed barriers and facilitators of effective dementia care were education and training. Mapping and analysis of the current body of knowledge within this scoping review illuminated several knowledge gaps that we propose need to be addressed to meet the education and training needs of SLPs to provide optimal care to PLWD. These include addressing core competencies, systematically measuring educational intervention outcomes, and developing more evidence-based education and training programs both within and outside of an interprofessional collaborative context.
A MODEL FOR TEACHING STUDENTS AGE-FRIENDLY CONCEPTS USING VIRTUAL INTERPROFESSIONAL SIMULATION
Authors: Brown Diane , Hovland Cynthia , Fosnight Susan , Chrzanowski Brandi , Gergis Mary , Patton Rikki , Simpson Darcia
Published: December 2023

Achieving effective Age-Friendly Health Systems requires teaching the future healthcare workforce how to consistently use the 4Ms framework in the care of older adults: What Matters, Medication, Mentation, and Mobility. Effective interprofessional teamwork is key to operationalizing this model. We describe here a virtual interprofessional student simulation training that demonstrates the importance of teamwork in addressing each of the 4Ms concepts and, importantly, how inattention to one ‘M’ can lead to ineffective care. Our training prepares learners with online didactic pre-work followed by a virtual simulation experience where interprofessional groups of students simulate a team care planning meeting. The case demonstrates how ‘what matters most’ to the patient (i.e., providing care for her husband who has dementia) impacts each of the other Ms. Specifically, she is taking medications inappropriately, has symptoms of depression, and will not undergo recommended surgery to correct mobility issues due to concerns about who will care for her husband. We have conducted this training with 548 undergraduate and graduate students representing medicine, nursing, pharmacy, social work, nutrition/dietetics, counseling, physical, occupational and speech therapy. 95% of students rated the simulation experience positively. There was statistically significant improvement in appreciation for teamwork (p< 0.001), evidence-based practice (p< 0.001), and inclusion of the patient and caregiver perspectives (p< 0.001) comparing pre and post simulation survey results. These results indicate a positive impact on student’s preparedness to incorporate 4Ms principles into their future practice, thus advancing both Age Friendly and Dementia Friendly Health System initiatives.
ASSESSING “AGE-FRIENDLINESS” ON CAMPUS: LESSONS FROM GEORGIA STATE UNIVERSITY 50+ STUDENTS
Authors: da Rosa Grace , Qreshi Mariam , Laures-Gore Jacqueline , Kim Hyunji , Morgan Jennifer
Published: December 2023

Older students (aged 50+) are an important, yet underrecognized group on today’s college campuses. Many campuses lack age-friendliness, which deters older students from enrolling and creates barriers for these students. In an effort to better understand age-friendliness of Georgia State University (GSU) campuses, we conducted a survey in Fall 2019 (n=411; 39% response rate). The survey assessed motivations for attending school, challenges on campus, perceptions of how the university is currently addressing their needs, factors/resources that helped adjustment to school, and the extent to which they experienced age discrimination on campus. Of the respondents, 45% were undergraduates (50% identified as Black; 38% identified as White); 41% were graduate students (29% identified as Black; 62% identified as White), and 14% were non-degree students (24% identified as Black; 62% identified as White). Thematic analysis of the responses suggest that the main challenges experienced by GSU older students are course-related (e.g., course load, bureaucracy getting enrolled, limited class options, scheduled course times, course modalities) and time-related (e.g., balance between school, work, and family). For example, students noted, “difficulties finding study groups/lab partners due to age differences” and “administrators not taking older students serious.” Technology barriers were pervasive in the open responses. Respondents further identified faculty/instructors as key resources for overcoming barriers. The survey served as an initial needs assessment to answer institutional questions informing the journey to becoming designated as an Age Friendly University. Implications for increasing age inclusivity and supporting older students will be discussed.
A RANDOMIZED CONTROLLED TRIAL OF THE EVERYDAY MEMORY AND METACOGNITIVE INTERVENTION IN OLDER ADULTS
Authors: Pearman Ann , Hughes MacKenzie , Giannotto Emily , Coblenz Clara , Flurry Ethan , Curley Taylor , Hertzog Christopher
Published: December 2023

This study evaluated an intervention to improve remembering in everyday life, the Everyday Memory and Metacognitive Intervention (EMMI). EMMI uses strategies designed to enhance everyday remembering and self-regulatory approaches to monitor goal pursuit, anticipate, and address memory demands. A randomized controlled trial compared a group assigned to EMMI with a traditional memory strategy training control (MSC) group. Expanding on earlier work (Pearman et al., 2020) we created a new event-based ecological momentary assessment (EB-EMA) smartphone application for reporting everyday memory errors when they occurred, synched to a nightly diary for collecting additional information about each event. The pretest-posttest design assessed changes in subjective memory beliefs and episodic memory performance and also measured posttest-only performance measures, including EB-EMA frequency of memory errors and a laboratory contact task assessing everyday prospective memory. The protocol was reduced in scope to accommodate fully remote participation due to the pandemic. The final sample included 30 EMMI and 32 MSC participants. Memory strategy training differentially improved MSC associative memory test performance. There were no group differences in EB-EMA reported memory errors or successful prospective memory contacts. The EMMI group showed more improvement in memory self-efficacy than the MSC group; both groups showed increases in perceived control over everyday memory. Individual differences in EMMI intervention benefits suggest that the program worked well in reducing memory errors for some but not all older adults. The EMMI shows promise but may require more extensive in-person training and behavioral shaping than this study provided to improve everyday memory.
RESILIENCE AND AGE MODIFY INFLUENCES OF STRESS AND POSITIVE EXPERIENCES ON SUBJECTIVE COGNITION
Authors: Witzel Dakota , Segerstrom Suzanne , Kurth Maria , Choun Soyoung , Crosby Paris , Aldwin Carolyn
Published: December 2023

The COVID-19 pandemic is a major, chronic, worldwide stressor related to poorer health and well-being, especially among older adults, but less is known about risk and protective factors related to cognitive functioning during this stressful time. This eight-week study of 229 community-dwelling middle-aged and older adults (Mage=71.1; 74% women) examined associations between the intensities of weekly stress and positive experiences on subjective cognitive functioning. We also examined how age and trait resilience modified these associations. Zero-inflated Poisson models revealed a positive association between the intensity of stress and self-reported cognitive difficulties (γ=0.34, SE=0.07), whereas the intensity of positive experiences was associated with fewer difficulties (γ=-0.09, SE=0.03). Age moderated the effect of stress (γ=-0.01, SE=0.002), with the old-old having more subjective cognitive difficulties under more intense stress than the young-old. Resilience modified effects of stress and positive experiences, respectively, on cognition (γ=0.04, SE=0.01 and γ=-0.01, SE=0.01). Those with lower resilience reported more cognitive difficulties under more intense compared to less intense stress; this association was slightly attenuated for people with more resilience. Similar associations emerged between resilience and positive experience intensity. Older age was a risk factor for subjective cognitive difficulties during the COVID-19 pandemic, especially under conditions of high weekly stress, whereas resilience was a protective factor. Although those high in resilience appeared to be more sensitive to cognitive difficulties during more intense positive experiences, they still reported fewer difficulties than those low in resilience. Older adults’ cognitive resilience during the COVID-19 pandemic was heterogeneous and multifactorial.
THE ROLE OF VERBATIM VERSUS GIST FORMATTING IN AGE-RELATED DIFFERENCES IN INFORMATION AVOIDANCE
Authors: Mei Lauren , Nolte Julia , Löckenhoff Corinna
Published: December 2023

Older adults are more likely to underuse and actively avoid decision-relevant information. Although the mechanisms underlying age-related differences in information avoidance are still unknown, Fuzzy-Trace Theory (Reyna, 2012) suggests they may be due to age-related differences in information processing preferences: According to this framework, information is stored using both gist (subjective meaning) and verbatim representations (objective details/numbers). Older adults prefer gist information and gist-based information processing, whereas younger adults favor verbatim information and verbatim processing. To examine whether age-related differences in information avoidance are affected by age-related information and processing preferences, an adult lifespan sample (N = 432) completed a pre-registered online study. Participants responded to scenarios containing potentially aversive information and chose between accepting or avoiding the information. Information formatting was experimentally manipulated, with participants either being faced with receiving gist or verbatim-formatted information. Across age groups, participants were more likely to avoid verbatim numbers than qualitative gist information (p=.026); no associations were found between avoidance and information or processing preferences. At odds with prior research, age was associated with lower information avoidance (p=.010). Follow-up analyses revealed that older adults were less likely to avoid information in health-related contexts but not in contexts unrelated to health (e.g., consumer information; p=.010). Overall, participants were more likely to avoid non-health information than health information (p<.001). In sum, our findings revealed that older adults show a decreased likelihood of avoiding potentially aversive health information, but that age-related differences in information avoidance cannot be linked to age-related information or processing preferences.
CONCORDANCE IN SPOUSES’ INTENTION TO MOVE AFTER RETIREMENT AMONG KOREAN MIDDLE-AGED COUPLES
Authors: Lee Eunju , Kim Kyungmin
Published: December 2023

Midlife adults often envision life after retirement and start planning for retirement, forming their own expectations of where they live after retirement. Migration after retirement is an important decision in that physical and social environments of housing and communities affect health and well-being in later life. Research has emphasized that moving decisions are made at the household level, but less is known about whether middle-aged couples are concordant in their desire to move after retirement and whether concordant desires are associated with couples’ marital characteristics, such as marital satisfaction, dyadic coping styles, and communication. We analyzed a sample of 1,285 middle-aged couples (age 49–64) from the 2012 Korean Baby Boomer Panel Study and Korean Forgotten Generation Study. The majority of couples (83%) were concordant in their moving desires—by either agreeing to move (29%) or to stay (54%), whereas 17% of couples were not in agreement—either only husband desires to move (9%) or only wife desires to move (8%). Logistic/multinomial regression results showed that couples who had a communal problem-solving style and where the wife perceived higher marital satisfaction were more likely to be concordant in their moving desires (i.e., agreeing to move or to stay), after controlling for other individual and family characteristics. Further, couples were more likely to agree to move—when they had discussion about life after retirement and shared individual stress between spouses. Our findings suggest the importance of marital dynamics in understanding concordance in spouses’ desire to move after retirement.
ETHNIC VARIATIONS IN SOCIAL CAPITAL IN SOUTH ASIAN AND CHINESE OLDER ADULTS IN HONG KONG
Authors: Lai Daniel W L , Ou Alison X T , Lee Vincent W P , Yu Doris S F , Li Jia , Surood Shireen , Lau Gary K K
Published: December 2023

The role of social capital has gained a lot of attention as one of the determinants of wellbeing of aging adults. It serves the functions of connecting people with vital resources essential to improvement of health, promotion of social cohesion and networks, and enhancement of support received. Social capital could be influenced by a variety of individual and socio-cultural factors among racialized groups. This study aims to examine the variations in social capital in Chinese and South Asian aging adults in Hong Kong. A sample of 1,015 people aged 55 and above, consisting of Chinese (n=800) and South Asian participants (n=215), participated in a survey via telephone (Chinese) and face-to-face (South Asian) interview respectively. A 25-item World Bank’s Social Capital Assessment Tool was used for measuring six variables related to social capital including social participation, social support, social connection, trust, cohesion, and reciprocity, covering the structural and cognitive dimensions of social capital. A generalized linear model was performed to detect differences between the two groups after controlling for demographics. The aging Chinese people exhibited a stronger cohesion level than their South Asian counterparts, whereas the aging South Asians demonstrated higher levels of social participation, social support, social connection, trust, and reciprocity. The identified gaps further illustrate the socio-cultural differences between the groups, highlighting the importance of strategies for enhancing social inclusion and equity for racialized older people in the Chinese context.
PREDICTORS OF DECISION MAKING FOR AGING-IN-PLACE SUPPORT IN ALZHEIMER’S DISEASE
Authors: Miller-Winder Amber , Relerford Raven , Schierer Allie , Olvera Charles , Murawski Alaine , Ramirez-Zohfeld Vanessa , Lindquist Lee A
Published: December 2023

Older adults with Alzheimer’s Disease (AD) need additional support in their lifetime, yet little is known about how the decision to accept help is made. Our goal is to better understand how older adults’ aging-in-place (AIP) decision making is impacted by worsening cognition, functional loss, social influences, and environmental factors. This longitudinal study consists of older adults from an NIA-funded cohort (LitCog) with extensive cognitive testing. The intervention, PlanYourLifespan.org (PYL), facilitates making decisions about AIP needs, including AD. After viewing PYL, subjects are surveyed every 6 months with cognitive, social, functional, health literacy, environmental and decision-making variables. Of 293 subjects, (mean age 73.5, 72.7% female, 40.4% under-represented minority) almost half (47.4%) experienced cognitive decline with 10.3% identifying worsening memory loss from the prior timepoint. Subjects were asked: If you developed AD, have you decided your living/support preferences? At 1-mo, subjects were significantly more likely to have made decisions if they had: limited health literacy (OR 4.36 [p< 0.01, 1.69-11.24]), larger social networks (OR 1.08 [p< 0.05, 1.01-1.15]), completion of a living will (OR 2.43 [p< 0.05,1.11-5.33]. At 6-mo, sufficient social support (OR 3.39 [p< 0.05, 1.19-9.70]. At 12-mo, higher social isolation (OR 1.05 [p< 0.05, 1.01-1.08]) and self-efficacy (OR 1.07 [p< 0.01, 1.04-1.11]). In the event of worsening cognition, the likelihood of making care decision is associated with external (social support) and internal (self-efficacy, health literacy) variables, which change in significance over time. Catastrophic factors (COVID-19) impacted comfortability of utilizing long-term care facilities.
CAREGIVERS’ INTERACTIONS WITH HEALTH CARE PROVIDERS AND THEIR WELL-BEING BY RACE AND ETHNICITY AND GENERATION
Authors: Moon Heehyul , Rote Sunshine , Baik Sol
Published: December 2023

Black and Hispanic family caregivers often face higher levels of care demands than White caregivers, due to factors such as limited resources, cultural differences, and systemic and structural inequalities. Family caregivers from different generations (Baby Boomer vs. Generation X & Millennial ) may approach and experience caregiving process and its health effects to a different extent. Caregivers often interact with healthcare providers on behalf of their care recipients, and these experiences can vary based on caregiver background (race and ethnicity and generation). The current study aimed to explore these interactions and their impact on caregivers’ well-being using nationally representative data from the National Study of Caregiving (NSOC, round 11 (N=1,455; 418 Black caregivers, 926 Non-Hispanic White caregivers, and 111 Hispanic caregivers)). Most caregivers were adult children (70%) and female (70%), with approximately 68% were from the baby boomer generation. While Black and Hispanic caregivers were significantly less likely than White caregivers to communicate with medical providers (χ2(df=2)=12, p<.001), baby boomer caregivers provided more assistance with speaking to medical providers than caregivers from younger generations (χ2(df=1)=4, p<.05). Our regression results indicate that Hispanic caregivers who had more frequent communication with medical professionals reported more depressive symptoms and poorer health, while Black caregivers who rarely communicated with providers reported worse outcomes. Future research should examine the nature and quality of these interactions with healthcare providers to improve caregivers’ well-being.
CARE-RECEIVING CHARACTERISTICS AMONG OLDER ADULTS WITH DIFFERENT MENTAL–SOMATIC MULTIMORBIDITY COMBINATIONS
Authors: Liu Mona , Nagel Corey , Chen Siting , Allore Heather , Kaye Jeffrey , Quiñones Ana
Published: December 2023

Older adults with distinct multimorbidity combinations require different care with varying intensities. This study aimed to examine sociodemographic, health, and care-receiving characteristics among older adults with varying multimorbidity patterns. A total of 4,719 participants from the National Health and Aging Trends Study in 2017 were included, and five clinically-informed multimorbidity categories were assessed: 169 (3.58%) had no conditions, 3031 (64.23%) had somatic conditions only, 347 (7.35%) had depression without cognitive impairment (depression group), 852 (18.05%) had cognitive impairment without depression (cognitive impairment group), and 320 (6.78%) had both depression and cognitive impairment. Compared with the depression group and cognitive impairment group, those with both depression and cognitive impairment were significantly older, more likely to be non-Hispanic Black or Hispanic, widowed, U.S. born, Medicaid recipients, underweight BMI, had lower levels of education and more functional limitations. Compared to the depression group, those with both depression and cognitive impairment had lower self-rated health, less likely to be a smoker, received 118 more hours of care per month on average with more caregivers in ADLs, banking, and money management. Compared with the cognitive impairment group, those with both depression and cognitive impairment had more somatic conditions, received an average of 70 more hours of care per month with more caregivers in ADLs. Results highlighted the substantially greater caregiving hours and intensities pertaining to the combination of depression and/or cognitive impairment, and suggested the potential of addressing mental health among older adults with or without dementia to improve their own and caregivers’ health outcomes.
EMOTIONAL DISTRESS, ECONOMIC PRESSURE, AND WELL-BEING DURING COVID-19: THE ROLE OF A WARM ROMANTIC PARTNER
Authors: Hart Abigail , Lee Jeenkyoung , Neppl Tricia , Greenlee M Heather West
Published: December 2023

The COVID-19 pandemic caused health threats especially for rural older adults. We know less about how characteristics prior to the pandemic impact how older adults fare during the pandemic. Guided by the Family Stress Model, the current study examined midlife economic pressure (age 39) to emotional distress (ages 40-42) and older adult (age 70) COVID-19-related well-being (financial strain, anxiety, general health), and how these associations differ by a warm spouse. Data come from the Family Transitions Project (1989, 1990-1992, 2017, 2020) and included rural white older adults from enduring marriages (N = 265). Multiple group analysis (structural equation modeling, full information maximum likelihood) revealed significant differences between two groups divided by low and high warmth from a spouse in 2017 (low = 135, high = 130). Chi-square difference test between fixed and free model was significant (∆X2 = 9.48, ∆df = 2, p < .01), and free model had an acceptable fit to the data (X2 = 90.616, df = 56, p < .01, CFI = .97, RMSEA = .07). For low warmth group (but not high), emotional distress from economic pressure in midlife significantly predicted financial strain (b = 1.02, SE = .35, p < .01) and anxiety (b = 1.03, SE = .20, p < .001) during COVID-19. General health during COVID-19 was associated with emotional distress in midlife but did not differ by group. Our findings help understand the role of marital warmth on how earlier family stressors impact older adult well-being during historical events like COVID-19.
SPINNING YOUR WHEELS: AGE DIFFERENCE IN DAILY RUMINATIONS AND COVID-19 STRESS EXPERIENCES
Authors: Pearman Ann , Neupert Shevaun , Hughes MacKenzie , Lefebvre Emily
Published: December 2023

How individuals think about stress affects the impact that stress has on their daily life, however, the nature of this relationship may differ by age and be unique within the context of COVID-19. This study uses a daily diary approach to examine age differences in predictors of daily COVID-19-related stress and appraisals as they unfold. A U.S. sample of 535 adults (white [54%] and Black or African American [46%]) ages 21-79 submitted online diaries for 21 days in 2020. Daily measures included appraisals about how COVID-19 impacted several areas of functioning (e.g. routines, finances), stress due to COVID-19, and amount of rumination about COVID-19. Multilevel modeling showed a significant effect of knowledge on appraisals, where people with more knowledge about the pandemic generally reported that COVID-19 had less impact on their lives. A significant interaction emerged between Age x Daily COVID-19 Stress x Daily COVID-19 Rumination predicting daily appraisals. Whereas the strength of the positive relationship between stress and appraisals remained strong across varying levels of rumination for younger adults, the positive relationship between stress and appraisals was weaker at lower levels of rumination compared to higher levels of rumination for older adults. That is, COVID-19-related stress had less of a perceived impact on older adults’ lives on days they engaged in less rumination about the pandemic. These findings have implications for understanding the role of ruminative thinking on stress and appraisals across the adult lifespan. Different processes may be in play with younger and older adults.
AGE DIFFERENCES IN CLIMATE CHANGE ATTITUDES AND BEHAVIORS
Authors: Shin Yeonsoo , Kim Giyeon
Published: December 2023

Although previous studies show that older adults are vulnerable to the effects of climate change, the actions of older adults to address climate change have not received much attention. The purpose of this study is to investigate age differences in the perception of climate change and the characteristics of pro-environmental behavior. We analyzed cross-sectional data from a nationally representative sample drawn from the 2022 Korea Social Survey. The sample consisted of 15,252 adults, including younger adults (aged 19-34, n=6,132) and older adults (aged 65+, n=9,120). Pro-environmental behavior included the following actions: using public transportation, recycling, reducing the use of disposable products, and saving water and power. T-test and moderation analysis were conducted. Results showed that the younger group was more likely to be aware of climate change than the older group (F=68.022, p< 0.01). However, older adults were less likely than younger adults to make food waste and save water and electricity more (p< 0.01). There were no age differences in recycling, which is a representative environmental protection behavior. Results from a moderation analysis revealed that younger adults made more effort to recycle in the lower level of climate change awareness whereas older adults made more effort to recycle in the higher level (B = .031, p< 0.01). The findings indicate that older adults may play a crucial role in taking action to respond to climate change and suggest that promoting awareness of climate change among older adults could be an effective strategy to encourage pro-environmental behavior.
LONGITUDINAL REPORTS OF NEIGHBORHOOD ENVIRONMENT ON COGNITIVE PERFORMANCE AMONG BLACK ADULTS
Authors: Allan Alexa , Gamaldo Alyssa , Thorpe Roland J , Roberts Jennifer D , Evans Michele K , Zonderman Alan B
Published: December 2023

Limited research has explored the association between neighborhood environments and cognitive functioning using longitudinal reports of neighborhood quality. The current study examined the longitudinal association between perceived neighborhood characteristics and computerized cognitive performance among Black adults. This study included 584 community-dwelling socioeconomically diverse Black adults (Mage = 56.27, SDage = 8.94; 58% female) from waves 3 & 4 of the Healthy Aging in Neighborhood of Diversity across the Life Span (HANDLS) study. Neighborhood quality was assessed using three scales about built environment disorder (e.g., litter), social cohesion (e.g., close-knit neighborhood), and social control (e.g., neighbors act if fight in front of house). Cognitive functioning was assessed using the computerized Joggle battery. Multivariable linear regression analyses were conducted with each cognitive measure as the outcome measure. Models were adjusted for age, sex, education, reading literacy, poverty status, and depressive symptoms. In the adjusted models, living in a neighborhood with increasing built environment disorder was associated with slower performance (p <.05) on an attention measure. Increasing social cohesion was associated with faster performance (p <.05) on memory, attention, and visual orientation measures. Similarly, increasing social control was associated with faster performance (p <.05) on attention, executive function/reasoning, visual orientation, and speed measures. Additionally, increasing social control was associated with greater number of correct responses (p <.05) on an attention and executive function/reasoning measure. Significant interactions were observed between changes in neighborhood quality and covariates. These findings amplify the importance of understanding how changes in neighborhood quality impact cognitive performance among Black adults.
DIFFERENCES IN CONFORMITY TO MASCULINE NORMS ACROSS AGE COHORTS
Authors: Owsiany Montgomery , Fenstermacher Erika , An Jeongwi , Lohmar Sabine , Fiske Amy
Published: December 2023

Conformity to masculine norms is associated with worse mental health among men, but little is known about conformity to masculine norms across the lifespan. Much of the literature on this topic focuses on early adulthood, rarely extending past middle age. Research indicates that attaining hegemonic masculinity becomes more difficult as one ages. One study with Australian young and middle-aged men found that conformity to masculine norms was lower in middle-aged cohorts than in younger cohorts. A study of Canadian men aged 55 years and up found that conformity to masculine norms did not significantly differ between those aged 55-69 and those aged 70+ years. The present study assessed differences in conformity to masculine norms across the adult lifespan. It was hypothesized that scores on the conformity to masculine norms inventory (CMNI) would significantly differ across six age groups and would be lower in older cohorts. The mean CMNI score for males (N = 447) was 60.96 (SD = 19.09) and for females (N = 431) was 47.19 (SD = 15.11). In a one-way ANOVA, scores significantly differed between age cohorts for the male (F(5, 441) = 20.83, p < .001) and female samples (F(5,425) = 14.85, p < .001). Tukey’s HSD test for multiple comparisons revealed that CMNI scores were significantly lower in older cohorts compared to younger cohorts in both males and females. Findings highlight the importance of considering age-related differences in the presentation of masculinity. Future studies should investigate whether differences are related to aging or cohort effects.
DEPRESSIVE TENDENCIES AND NEGATIVE LIFE EVENTS AS PREDICTORS OF HOMEBOUND STATUS AMONG OLDER ADULTS IN JAPAN
Authors: Fujita Koji , Yamazaki Sachiko , Imuta Hiromi , Yong Roseline , Matsunaga Hiroko , Fujiwara Yoshinori
Published: December 2023

This study aimed to examine negative life events (NLEs) and depressive tendencies as predictors of homebound status, which poses a risk of long-term frailty in older adults. A population-based cohort study (2018-2020) using self-administered questionnaires was conducted with older adults (65-94 years) in the rural community of Akita Prefecture, Japan. The response rate at the baseline survey in 2018(T1) was 61.5%. About 81.1% (1,048 out of 1,291) of the participants at T1 responded to the follow-up survey in 2020 (T2). Among them, 77.3% (810) were not homebound at T1. After data cleaning, 790 participants’ data were analyzed. A frequency of going out less than once a week was considered a homebound status. In this study, NLEs included 1) loss of a close relative, 2) major illness or injury to oneself, 3) major illness or injury to a family member, 4) financial difficulties, and 5) loss of one’s role (family, workplace, society, others). Depressive tendencies were evaluated using the 6-item Kessler Psychological Distress Scale (0-24 scale). A K6 score ≥ 9 indicates depressive tendencies. Logistic regression analysis was adjusted for potential confounders. The incidence of being homebound at two years was 10.1% for men and 17.1% for women, with a significant gender difference (p< 0.01). The adjusted odds ratio for depressive tendencies was 3.37 (95%CI= 1.62-7.01) among homebound (vs. non-homebound) individuals. However, the five NLEs were not statistically significant. Our results suggest that depressive tendencies, but not NLEs, can cause older adults to remain housebound.
DO INTERNALIZED AGE STEREOTYPES MEDIATE THE RELATIONSHIP BETWEEN VOLUNTEERING AND PURPOSE IN LIFE FOR ADULTS 50+?
Authors: Steward Andrew , Zhu Yating
Published: December 2023

The productive aging literature suggests that volunteering plays a crucial role in enhancing psychosocial well-being among older adults. A growing body of research based in stereotype embodiment theory also demonstrates significant negative health impacts of internalized age stereotypes. Yet, limited research explores which social engagement activities may both reduce internalized ageism and enhance psychosocial health as people age. This cross-sectional study investigated whether internalized age stereotypes mediate the relationship between volunteering and a sense of purpose in life for adults 50+. A convenience sample of volunteers (n = 154) 50+ years of age living in the U.S. Mountain West completed a 15-minute, online survey. The independent variable was number of volunteer hours per week (mean = 6.39, SD = 5.47). The dependent variable was purpose in life measured by six items from the positively worded, five-point purpose in life subscale of the Ryff psychological well-being scale (α = .75; mean = 3.93, SD = 0.61). Drawing from the self-stereotypes of aging scale, the indirect effects of five internalized positive (e.g., “wise” and “capable”) and five negative (e.g., “grumpy” and “helpless”) age stereotypes were tested. Results indicate that increased internalized positive, not negative, age stereotypes partially mediated the relationship between volunteer hours and purpose in life while holding constant age, gender, race, functional limitation, education, employment, self-rated health, and previous volunteer experience. The findings suggest that internalizing positive age stereotypes may function as a form of esteem and contribute to an enhanced sense of purpose in later life.
EFFECTS OF CONSERVATIVE VALUES AND AGING KNOWLEDGE ON YOUNG ADULTS’ AGEISM AGAINST OLDER ADULTS
Authors: Muraira Joseph , Hulsman Erin , López Christian , Killingsworth Derek , Bishop Kellee , Lao Jenna , Coldiron Allyson , Barnett Michael
Published: December 2023

Ageism – the stereotypes, prejudice, and discrimination of individuals solely based on age – is an unfortunately prevalent phenomenon for older adults to experience from young adults, and increased ageism among young adults has been associated with more conservative values and beliefs. Previous interventions to reduce ageism in young adults have focused on increasing knowledge about aging and contact between generations, since greater aging knowledge is associated with decreased ageism. However, recent studies identify multiple forms of ageism, including negative ageism (e.g., beliefs about older adults’ lack of cognitive and physical ability) and positive ageism (e.g., stereotypes of older people as warm and reliable). This study therefore examined the relationships between young adults’ conservative values, aging knowledge, and both negative and positive ageism about older adults. Participants were young adults (N = 459), ages 18 to 25 years (M = 20.10, SD = 1.76), who completed the Relating to Older People Evaluation, Social and Economic Conservatism Scale, and Palmore’s Facts on Aging Quiz in an online survey. Results showed that conservatism was positively associated with negative and positive ageism, while aging knowledge was only negatively associated with negative ageism. Hierarchical regressions found that aging knowledge explained significant variance in negative ageism when controlling for conservatism, but only conservatism explained variance in positive ageism. These findings suggest that interventions including education on aging for young adults may be able to overcome the negative ageism associated with conservative values, but that positive ageism may not be meaningfully addressed by such education-based interventions.
GRAY HAIR AND PINK SLIPS: AN ANALYSIS OF TWITTER RESPONSES TO GENDERED AGEISM
Authors: Barrett Anne , Bastow Skyler , Dominguez Rachael , Frost Melissa , Michael Cherish , Mimbs Hope , Soulie Brianna
Published: December 2023

Popular, long-time Canadian broadcaster, Lisa LaFlamme, was fired in August 2022, with some observers suggesting that CTV National News did not renew her contract because she had “let her hair go gray” during the pandemic. Over the next several months, an international public outcry ensued on Twitter. Our study involved an analysis of over 400 of these tweets. Analyses revealed that over two-thirds of tweets indicated support for LaFlamme’s position, with nearly all the remaining tweets indicating neutral rather than negative positions. Frequent themes in the supportive tweets included assessments of her firing as undeserved and the actions of the news corporation as unjust. Calls to boycott the corporation also appeared. Other themes found in supportive tweets included ageism and sexism; however, references to sexism were somewhat more frequent than those to ageism. A theme appearing not only in supportive but also in neutral or oppositional tweets centered on beauty standards, with supportive tweets more likely to critique these standards’ sexist and ageist underpinnings. Our study extends the literature on gendered ageism by attending to collective responses to it. In contrast, prior studies have focused on individual-level experiences of and responses to gendered ageism. Our study also contributes to the hashtag activism literature, which has given little attention to efforts to dismantle age inequality.
RELATION OF SPECIFIC DOMAINS OF AGING KNOWLEDGE AND CONTACT TO AGEIST ATTITUDES AMONG DOCTORAL PSYCHOLOGY STUDENTS
Authors: Caskie Grace , Johnson Benjamin , Root Eve
Published: December 2023

Knowledge about aging and intergenerational contact were identified in Levy’s (2018) Positive Education about Aging and Contact Experiences (PEACE) model as the two elements that are key to reducing ageist attitudes. Existing empirical literature examining these relationships has primarily focused on undergraduate, rather than graduate, students and has typically operationalized knowledge about aging as a unidimensional construct (i.e., total score). Thus, in this study, we examined how knowledge within three specific domains of aging (psychological, social, biological) as well as quantity of contact with older adults related to ageist attitudes among doctoral psychology students (N=192; age=21-58 years). Participants completed the Contact with Older Adults Scale, Facts about Aging Quiz, Fraboni Scale of Ageism (subscales: Stereotypes, Separation, Affective Attitudes), and Ambivalent Aging Scale (subscales: Hostile Ageism, Benevolent Ageism). Controlling for students’ age and aging coursework, the three knowledge domains and contact together explained between 8%-24% of the variance in the five measures of ageist attitudes. As expected, greater knowledge of psychological aging related to less endorsement of ageist stereotypes and less separation from older adults; however, greater knowledge of biological aging related to more ageist attitudes across all five measures, and greater knowledge of social aging related to more benevolent ageist attitudes. More contact with older adults related to less separation and less negative affect about older adults, but not to the other ageist attitudes measures. Differentiating between domains of aging knowledge produced unique relations with both explicitly negative and ambivalent ageist attitudes, which ageism intervention designers may need to consider.
CONNECTING THROUGH TECHNOLOGY: EXAMINING THE RELATIONSHIP BETWEEN SOCIAL NETWORKING SITES AND MENTAL HEALTH
Authors: Svec Joseph , Ryou Yeon Ji , Lee Jeong Eun
Published: December 2023

Social isolation and loneliness among older adults correspond with numerous mental and physical health consequences including but not limited to depression, anxiety, declines in cognitive functioning, and poor health behaviors. More recent research highlights the potential benefits of digital-social communication technology through social networking sites (SNS), communicative technology, and computer or tablet use (Khosravi et al. 2016; Jutai and Tuazon 2022; Neil-Sztramko et al. 2020). However, the efficacy of technology on mental and physical well-being remains obscure, particularly given the often interchangeability of isolation and loneliness concepts. In this research, we examine the extent to which conditions of isolation and feelings of loneliness correspond with depression among older adults. Using data from two waves of Health and Retirement Study (HRS) data in 2018 and 2020 (N = 8,994), we conduct a series of linear regressions of depression scales on both isolation and loneliness as well as their interaction with the use of social technology in communication. Preliminary results suggest that that the use of virtual communications by social networking sites (SNS) moderates the associations between isolation and depression levels, but no such effect is observed in terms of self-perception of loneliness. Moreover, the magnitude of SNS-Isolation and depression linkages differs significantly for family and friends. This research contributes to the growing body of literature on the intersection of technology and psychological well-being among isolated older adults, highlighting the both the potential benefits and limitations of virtual communication for improving health outcomes in older adults.