bluuebunny/crossref_metadata_2025_split huggingface dataset:
Older Adults’ Reflections on Ageism and Racism
Authors: Heyman Janna , Phipps Colette , Kelly Peggy , White-Ryan Linda 
Published: December 2020

Abstract
The older population is becoming more racially and ethnically diverse. By the year 2050, 39% of those 65+ will be from minority groups, up from 21% in 2012 (Ortman et al., 2014). These figures have significant implications for aging policy, including concerns over ageism and racism. Discrimination can take many forms, and can be present in legislation, advertising, attitudes, the workplace, and the health care system (Snaedal, 2015). The present study examines perceptions of racial and age discrimination of older adults living in the community and its impact on their quality of life. Using a cross-sectional design, 134 participants over the age of 60 were surveyed at three senior centers with ethnically diverse populations. The Attitudes to Aging Questionnaire (AAQ-24) was used to assess participants’ perceptions and experiences with aging and perceptions of racism were assessed using an adaptation of the Modern Racism Scale. Findings from the AAQ-24 revealed an average score of 27.1 (SD=6.66) for psychosocial loss, 28.3 (SD=5.34) for physical change, and 30.5 (SD=4.65) for psychological growth, indicating moderately high levels of ageism. For the racism scale, the average total score for all respondents was 34.4 (SD=7.05), also moderate. This study helps shed some light on what older adults feel about the aging, as well as their concerns with racial discrimination. The insights gained from older adults’ experiences and perceptions can help shape policies for future generations.
Identity Theft Among Older Adults: Risk and Protective Factors
Authors: DeLiema Marguerite , Langton Lynn , Burnes David 
Published: December 2020

Abstract
Although financial exploitation and fraud targeting older adults have been the focus of increasing academic attention, research on identity theft among older adults is virtually nonexistent. Identity theft refers to an intentional, unauthorized transfer or use of a person’s identifying information for unlawful purposes (Federal Trade Commission 1998). Society’s growing reliance on technology to transfer and store private information has created increased opportunities for financial predators to access and misuse personal data. Results from the most recent Bureau of Justice Statistics’ Identity Theft Supplement show that nearly 1 in 10 adults aged 65 or older experienced identity theft in the past year, with financial losses totaling $2.5 billion. Given the high frequency and cost of identity theft among older Americans, more research is needed to guide prevention efforts and interventions that support recovery. This paper examines the risk factors, protective factors, costs, and consequences of identity theft victimization among older adults, focusing on differences between those aged 65-74 and those 75 or older. Findings suggest that the prevalence of identity theft is lower among those 75 or older (6.6% versus 10.3%), but those 75 or older experienced higher average losses per identity theft incident ($155 vs $96). Compared to those aged 65-74, a lower percentage of adults aged 75 or older engaged in online shopping, thereby reducing their risk of identity exposure (48% versus 24%). However, they were also less likely to engage in protective behaviors such as checking credit reports, changing passwords, checking account statements, and using security software.
Best Practices and Policies for Addressing Social Isolation Among Older Adults
Authors: Mirza Raza , Sinha Samir , Austen Andrea , Liu Anna , Ivey Jaemar , Kuah Michelle , McDonald Lynn , Hsieh Jessica 
Published: December 2020

Abstract
Isolation has been flagged as a major health and social problem for seniors. Yet, many seniors themselves, their friends/family, and carers for seniors may not recognize risk factors for isolation or know what to do if a senior is isolated. Results from the 2016 General Social Survey noted that 27% of seniors reported they were not socially connected with others, with 20% reporting that they lacked support to carry out chores, and 17% reported feeling isolated. However, there has yet to be a comprehensive review of the evidence to suggest what has emerged as best practices and key policy enablers. To address this, seniors and other key stakeholders (n=200) in the community were interviewed on their perspectives and experiences of social isolation. Additionally, three focus groups (n=24) were conducted, along with a consensus meeting, to identify top priorities, best practices and develop implementation strategies. The priority areas identified were: 1) opportunities for seniors to network and be part of the social fabric; 2) initiatives promoting inclusive community development; 3) programs that promote education related to social isolation; 4) develop services that place an emphasis on partnerships/collaborations; 5) services that are sustainable over the longer term. By mapping the best, emerging practices and policies for social isolation, the ability to synthesize the evidence on social isolation and co-create knowledge translation tools with seniors and other stakeholders will be possible. This will help identify solutions and policies that can be used by governments, health systems, and individuals to comprehensively target social isolation.
Evaluation of Senior Community Centers in Rural and Urban Pennsylvania
Authors: Melnick Janet , Shanks-McElroy Heather 
Published: December 2020

Abstract
This is a state-wide study of rural and urban Senior Community Care Centers in PA. The study focused on five key outcomes: To create an inventory of PA’s rural and urban SC locations, To analyze SC attendance and program participation, To analyze the challenges and opportunities that SCC’s face in providing services in rural and urban PA for a growing senior population. To identify innovative and successful models of senior community care centers within the state. To formulate policy recommendations for the state. Particular attention was placed on innovative programs who are attracting and serving the needs of Baby Boomers,
The Penn State Worry Questionnaire Is Invariant Across Age Groups
Authors: Intrieri Robert , Goodwin Paige 
Published: December 2020

Abstract
Prevalence of GAD is between 3 to 5% with onset in the early to mid-twenties (Kessler et al. 2009). The Penn State Worry Questionnaire (PSWQ) is a 16-item self-report instrument assessing generalized anxiety symptoms (Meyers, et al., 1990; Molina & Borkovec, 1994). Brown (2003) and Olatunji et al. (2007) conducted Confirmatory Factor Analyses identifying a two factor model of Worry Engagement and Absence of Worry. No published studies have examined the factor structure of the PSWQ across age groups. The current study presents data from 612 people across three groups: 221 young adults (Mage = 19.31, SD = 1.21), 283 middle-age adults (Mage = 48.27, SD = 5.13), and 108 older adults (Mage = 72.95, SD = 7.19). An ordinal confirmatory factor analysis (CFA) using robust weighted least squares (WLSMV) tested for invariance across groups. Results showed CFI/TLI values of .983/.981, 984/.983, and .981/.984 for Configural (CI), Metric (MI), and Scalar (SI) models. The RMSEA for CI, MI, and SI models was .064, .061, and .059. Based upon Cheung and Rensvold (2002), Sass (2011), and Chen (2007), a cutoff of ΔCFI ≥ 0.01 was established as evidence of invariance. The ΔCFI between CI and MI models was &lt; .01 so analysis continued with the SI test. The ΔCFI between MI and SI models was &lt; 0.01 and did not justify rejection of the null hypothesis. These analyses suggest PSWQ scores are valid across age groups and provide additional support for the multidimensional nature of the PSWQ.
Older Adults Living With Food Insecurity: The Impact on Psychological Health
Authors: Sandhu Robina , Marshall Victoria , Becker Carolyn , Kilpela Lisa , Middlemass Keesha 
Published: December 2020

Abstract
Food insecurity (FI) refers to inadequate access to nutritious foods, either in terms of quality or quantity. In older adults, FI is associated with functional impairment, isolation, financial vulnerability, lower quality of life, and poorer health (e.g., diabetes, cardiovascular disease; Fernandes, et al). The effects of FI on psychological health broadly, however, have not been well-documented among older adults. This study sought to examine the impact of FI severity on psychological health indices among older adults. Older adult clients of local food pantries completed self-report measures of FI severity, worry, internalized weight stigma, trauma history, and eating disorder (ED) symptoms/behaviors. Participants (N=124, aged 66+) included: 68.5% women, 67.7% Hispanic, 75.8% □high school education, 51.0% household income &lt; $10,000/year. Controlling for gender in all analyses, results indicated that FI severity predicted increased worry (p &lt; .001, 21.9% variance), greater internalized weight stigma (p = .04, 3.9% variance), and a trend for increased risk for lifetime traumatic event exposure (OR = 1.4, 95% CI [.98, 2.01]). Regarding ED symptoms, male gender (OR = 6.60, 95% CI [1.96, 22.23] and higher FI severity predicted risk for self-induced vomiting in the past month (OR = 2.5, 95% CI [1.15, 5.36], risk for laxative/diuretic use for weight control (OR = 2.16, 95% CI [1.03, 4.52], and greater dietary restraint (p &lt; .001, 16.1% variance). Male gender was associated with higher risk for binge eating in the past month (OR = 3.19, 95% CI [1.10, 9.24], while FI severity was not. Implications will be discussed.
Equal Protection? Differential Effects of Religious Attendance on Black-White Older Adult Mortality
Authors: Idler Ellen 
Published: December 2020

Abstract
Social determinants of later life population health are “the circumstances in which we are born, grow up, live, work, and age” usually identified as power and status determinants: income, wealth, and education. Although rarely considered a social determinant of health, religious social ties are a familiar “circumstance” for many older persons, and there is considerable evidence linking religious attendance to all-cause mortality. There are race differences in both religiosity and mortality patterns: Black Americans show higher levels of both religious attendance and mortality compared with white Americans. This raises the question of equal protection of religious attendance: Is the protective effect of religious attendance on mortality weaker, stronger, or the same for whites and African Americans? The analysis employs 10-year longitudinal data from the Health and Retirement Study, 2004-2014 (N=18,346). In stratified models, after adjustment for sociodemographic factors and health, African Americans have a hazard ratio (HR) for frequent attendance at services that is more protective than for whites: .48 (95%CI: .35, .67) compared with .61 (95%CI: .53, .70). Health behaviors mediate 19% of the effect for blacks and 26% for whites; other social ties mediate 12.5% of the effect for blacks and 7% for whites. An interaction test shows a more protective effect of frequent attendance for blacks compared with whites (p&lt;.000). Religious attendance may be more beneficial for African Americans who are multiply disadvantaged with respect to other social determinants of health. The mediation patterns also suggest that the mechanisms of effect for blacks and whites may differ.
Savvy Seniors: A Content Analysis of the Usability of Older Adult Resource Websites
Authors: Weber Kendall , Koh Deborah , Stone Lisa , Lac Andrew 
Published: December 2020

Abstract
Due to age-related declines, older adults often experience difficulties using the Internet and navigating websites, even among websites specifically designed for them. Subsequently, the National Institute on Aging (NIA) and National Library of Medicine (NLM; 2001) published guidelines to promote website usability among a later life population. Applying quantitative content analysis, this study examined the accessibility of senior resource websites based on NIA and NLM recommendations. Specifically, the relation between the type of organization sponsoring the websites (i.e., governmental, non-profit, or private) and overall accessibility and the relation between the number of resource categories (e.g., housing, financial, etc.) and overall accessibility were investigated. Font size, organization of presented information, and the color and contrast on the websites were coded to determine how they contribute to overall accessibility. Using a sample of the 100 most-searched senior resource websites, a one-way ANOVA indicated that the type of site on overall accessibility was not significant, F(2, 97) = 2.29, p = .11, η2 = .04. The multiple regression model showed that font size (β = .30, p &lt; .001), organization of information (β = .38, p &lt; .001), and color and contrast (β = .45, p &lt; .001) were significant predictors of overall website accessibility and explained 62% of the variance, F(3, 96) = 51.18, p &lt; .001. The findings suggest that various NIA guidelines differentially contribute to a website’s accessibility, and further attention should be paid to cognitive aspects of resource websites.
The 70- to 85-Year-Old Sweet Spot: Regression Associations Between Spiritual Experience and Successful Aging Outcomes
Authors: Fogle Stephen 
Published: December 2020

Abstract
Utilizing the MIDUS III dataset, this study conducted linear regression analysis for associations between daily spiritual experience and Successful Aging (N=2605). Age was measured in three groups: young-old (55-69), old (70-85), and old-old (86-100). Successful Aging was operationalized as Self-Reported Physical Health, Self-Reported Memory, Depressed Affect, and Life Satisfaction. Daily spiritual experience was measured with the Fetzer Institute five-item composite scale (Cronbach = .891). Analysis for each Successful Aging outcome was controlled for daily spiritual experience, physical and social neighborhood environment, age group, gender identification, co-habitation, income, education, cultural identification and disability. Regression analysis was undertaken for daily spiritual experience on the same control variables. Results found higher frequency of daily spiritual experience was significantly associated (p = .000) with better self-reported memory (β= .146***) and higher life satisfaction (β= .191***). Further, regression analysis revealed the 70-85 age group was significantly associated (p = .000) with better self-reported physical health (β= .123***), lower depressed affect (β= -.144***), and higher life satisfaction (β= .291***). Finally, the 70-85 age group was a stronger predictor of daily spiritual experience (β= .221***) than all other control variables except female gender identification (β= .244***). This study contributes evidence of associations between daily spiritual experience and Successful Aging outcomes, particularly memory and life satisfaction. This study demonstrates the advantage of measuring separate old age categories to reflect heterogeneity of the life course. Finally, this study underscores, “Why Age Matters”, through new evidence linking the 70-85 year old age group with daily spiritual experience and Successful Aging.
Trauma and Religious Complexity in Later Life
Authors: Wigton Rennae , Jones Shannon , Prusak Austin , Futterman Andrew 
Published: December 2020

Abstract
The present study examines the impact of traumatic life events on religious complexity in later life. We anticipated that those older adults experiencing stressors that produce significant personal vulnerability (e.g., life threatening illnesses) demonstrate reduced complexity of belief and behavior (e.g., less belief with doubt). From a sample of 278 semi-structured interviews of older adults (aged 55-101 years-old.) from six New England and New York states, we analyzed 166 interviews using grounded theory (Strauss & Corbin, 1990). Individuals who experienced trauma related to war, close familial loss, and/or severe physical illness tended to be “true believers,” (i.e., adhere to rigid belief orthodoxy; Hoffer, 1950). By contrast, those who experienced less severe trauma (e.g., minor illness, job loss) were less apt to describe rigid belief. Temporal proximity of trauma was not consistently associated with greater complexity of belief and behavior, in the sense that with great distance from trauma, individuals were able to “work through” their experiences of trauma, and thereby increase complexity of belief and behavior. This is consistent with findings by Harris and Leak (2015), Krause and Hayward (2012), and Wong (2013) that suggest that trauma leading to personal vulnerability leads to long-term physical, mental, behavioral, and spiritual deficits that rigid religious belief and behavior help to offset. These findings are discussed in terms of psychological theories of grief resolution, personal coping, and terror management.
Association Between Caregivers’ and Care-Recipients’ Advance Care Planning: An Exploratory Study
Authors: Noh Hyunjin , Lee Lewis , Won Chorong 
Published: December 2020

Abstract
Research on advance care planning (ACP) has highlighted major contributors to the completion of ACP documents. One of such contributors is knowledge about ACP, such as an advance directive or living will (LW). This study aims to 1) understand the initial exposure to ACP knowledge among informal caregivers’ of chronically or seriously ill older adults and to 2) explore an association between caregivers’ advance care planning and that of their care-recipients. Forty-four primary caregivers of cognitively impaired older adults were recruited at various community settings. A mixed-method design was used to qualitatively interview each participant face-to-face about his or her initial experience with ACP and to quantitatively ask if the participant completed a LW and if the care-recipient completed one as well. Qualitative content analysis of participant responses revealed that their initial experiences with ACP were mostly through their care-recipients, such as the care-recipient’s ACP in previous hospitalizations or legal consultations. Chi-square test for independence was conducted to explore whether there is an association between caregivers’ LW completion and that of care-recipients. The results show that there is a significant relationship between the two variables: χ2 (1, n = 44) = 8.84, p &lt; .001, φ = .49. These findings suggest that secondary experiences with close one’s ACP may serve as facilitator to one’s ACP completion. Therefore, efforts to promote ACP should target a caregiver and care-recipient dyad so that caregivers as well as care-recipients may learn about and complete ACP documents.
Conversations About Death and Dying, End-of-Life Care Plans and Preferences Between Aging Parents and Adult Children
Authors: Lee Hyo Jung , Ng Jacobbina Jin Wen 
Published: December 2020

Abstract
This study aims to investigate whether attitude and perception on late-life death and dying, end-of-life care plans and preferences could be better understood from current values shared between aging parents and their adult children in the multi-cultural city-bound country, Singapore. We are in the process of interviewing 20 aging parent-adult child dyads. Up to date, six semi-structured interviews were completed and transcribed. We performed Content analysis to analyze the transcripts. Preliminary findings showed that both aging parents and adult children rarely discussed this issue, although parents had their own plans or preferences. The major barriers against open conversations about death and dying of aging parents include: the perception of not-yet time to talk about this issue (without knowing when the right time is) and tendency to have conversations about death in tandem with finances, but not death itself. Although specific end-of-life care plans or arrangements were not thought out thoroughly, aging parents expressed a high level of trust and reliance on close family members’ decisions regarding their end-of-life care. They tended to agree on joint decision-making process within family, even though adult children had no or unmatched ideas about their aging parents’ end-of-life wishes. This did not necessarily align with previous findings in Western countries, underscoring individuals’ control over their own death and dying process. Open conversation within family, family-involved advance care planning, or joint decision-making processes may be warranted to promote quality of life and death in older Singaporeans and well-being of their family members of all ages.
How Will I Be Remembered? Reflection on Virtues in Self-Defining Memories Across Adulthood
Authors: McDarby Meghan , Mroz Emily , Bluck Susan , Carpenter Brian 
Published: December 2020

Abstract
Reflection on memorialization may differentially influence nomination and narration of self-defining memories across the lifespan, including the extent to which positive character strengths (i.e., virtues) are represented. We investigated characteristics of self-defining memories across adulthood and in the context of being memorialized after death. Young, middle-age, and older adults were randomly assigned to narrate a memorialization-based self-defining memory (a memory to describe you after you are gone; n = 103) or current self-defining memory (a memory to describe your current self; n = 99). Participants rated qualities of their memory (e.g., personal significance) and the extent to which the memory represents them as virtuous (e.g., courageous, empathic, etc.). There were no age or condition differences in personal significance of the memory narrative (p = 0.43). However, there was an age-by-condition interaction for representations of virtue described in the self-defining memory, F(2, 199) = 3.94, p = 0.002. Young adults rated their self-defining memories as more virtuous in the memorialization condition than in the current self condition (p = 0.001). Middle-age (p = 0.95) and older (p = 0.94) adults rated their self-defining memories as portraying similar levels of virtue across conditions. Unlike their middle-age and older counterparts, young adults report embodiment of virtue differently in unique contexts. Findings are discussed in the framework of how individuals’ views of the self as virtuous change in relation to time lived and time left to live.
What Do Older Adults Consider a Good Death?
Authors: Csikai Ellen , Maynard Quentin 
Published: December 2020

Abstract
Without improved understanding and communication about what constitutes a ‘good death’, an extended dying process that does not attend to how serious illness affects older adults’ quality of life near the end of life is likely (IOM, 2014). The primary aim of this study was to understand the concept of a ‘good death’ as defined by older adults. A scoping literature review of qualitative and quantitative research studies (published in peer-review journals since 2000) involving only community-dwelling older adults was conducted, using key search words: good death, dying well, older adults/elderly/seniors, gerontology/geriatrics and Boolean operators in Abstracts in Social Gerontology, CINAHL Plus, PubMed, Academic Search Premier, PsychINFO. A total of 344 articles met the search criteria. Following initial systematic screening of titles/abstracts and full text review, five articles remained that met inclusionary criteria. Therefore, this analysis is based on a total of five articles. Each study was qualitative, with small samples and diverse populations of older adults. Among the factors perceived important, studies’ shared results were dying in sleep/natural death/peaceful; family connection (e.g. time for closure, not being a burden) and faith/religiousness (e.g. getting ‘right’ with God, living with faith). Conceptions of a ‘good death’ often reflect primarily psychosocial/quality of life aspects, in addition to medical concerns. Health professionals need to know how a good death is defined by each individual in order to ensure holistic care and quality of life at the end of life according to older adults’ expressed wishes.