bluuebunny/crossref_metadata_2025_split huggingface dataset:
HOW IMPORTANT IS IT TO PRAY AND MEDITATE FOR BRAZILIAN OLDER ADULTS? SOCIODEMOGRAPHIC AND CLINICAL CHARACTERISTICS
Authors: Salecker Mariana , de Souza Yolanda , Bós Angelo José 
Published: December 2023

Abstract
Praying and meditating are considered spiritual expressions, but little is known about this importance among older adults. Therefore, this abstract aim to understand the frequency and the sociodemographic and clinical characteristics related to the importance given by the Brazilian older adults to praying and meditating. This is a secondary analysis of the transversal data of the Older Adults Health Longitudinal Study, made by Fiocruz in 2015. The dependent variable is: “How much daily praying and meditating is important to you?” Independent variables included: sex, age, educational level, marital status, race, and self-perception of health. The relation between the variables were tested by Chi-Square, considering p&lt;0.05 significant. Praying and meditating everyday were important in 87.6% of the participants. Higher percentages were noticed between the ages of 60 to 69 years old (88.8%) and the ages 80 to 89 years old (88.1%, p&lt;0.001), women (91.6%, p&lt;0.001), widows (90.8%, p&lt;0.001), indigenous (89.1%, p&lt;0.001), with primary school complete (90.5%, p&lt;0.001) and with regular auto perception health (88.4%, p=0.051). We conclude that there is higher than expected frequency of Brazilian older adults who consider important praying and meditating. They are more likely to be women, widow, indigenous, younger, less educated and have regular self-perception of health.
ADAPTING TO THE HEALTH RESEARCH MENTORING LANDSCAPE: THE ENHANCING RESEARCH FOR ONLINE LEARNERS (ENROLL) PROGRAM
Authors: Peterson Matthew 
Published: December 2023

Abstract
Engaging students in mentored research has contemporary challenges, including virtual environments and student disengagement. This provides an opportunity to develop novel methods to attract and support students in health research, with the goal of encouraging a career in the health sciences. The overarching objective of EnROLL is to attract, support, and engage on-line and on-campus learners in faculty-led, interdisciplinary health science research. The specific aims of EnROLL are, 1) to develop a focused program and curriculum in faculty-led research to engage online graduate and underserved undergraduate students in health research, 2) to develop and implement an effective model of research mentor training for dissemination, and 3) to assess the value in the program as a model to disseminate for engaging students in faculty-led health research. Now in the second year of funding, attracting students into the mentoring structure has been the biggest challenge. To address this challenge, novel strategies for student recruitment and engagement have been implemented. A stipend-supported scholars program and novel intergenerational events are two examples. Engaging external institutional partners has also yielded differing perspectives and collaborations. This program’s recruitment challenges have yielded new programmatic strategies and unforeseen opportunities. The need for creative and adaptable programming will be highlighted and discussed.
INTERNATIONAL PUBLISHING OPPORTUNITIES AT THE JOURNAL OF AGING & SOCIAL POLICY
Authors: Miller Edward , Simpson Elizabeth , Gusmano Michael , Nadash Pamela 
Published: December 2023

Abstract
Policymakers, practitioners, and researchers need a balanced, thoughtful, and analytical resource to meet the challenge of global aging at a rate that’s historically unprecedented. The Journal of Aging & Social Policy (JASP), which was founded in 1989, serves this role by drawing contributions from an international panel of policy analysts and scholars who assume an interdisciplinary perspective in examining and analyzing critical phenomena that affect aging and the development and implementation of programs for older adults from a global perspective. Study settings extend beyond the United States to include Europe, the Middle East, Australia, Latin America, Asia, and the Asia-Pacific rim. This presentation will document the scope, content, and focus of JASP, including the rise of international submissions, which now account for approximately half of articles published. Opportunities for publishing in JASP will be discussed; so too will strategies for navigating the peer-review process successfully.
PERCEIVED STRAIN ON THE SPOUSAL RELATIONSHIP AMONG MARRIED CUSTODIAL GRANDPARENTS WITHIN THE PARENTING ROLE
Authors: Kim Eunbea , Lee Jeong Eun , Smith Gregory 
Published: December 2023

Abstract
Providing primary care for grandchildren is known to have a significant impact on custodial grandparents’ well-being. For married custodial grandparents, although their caregiving burden may spill over to marriage which can lead to negative psychological outcomes, it has rarely been examined. We examined how custodial grandparents couples’ perceived stress in the spousal relationship due to parenting (PSSR) is associated with their psychological outcomes mutually using Actor Partner Interdependent Model. We further tested the moderating effect of coping strategies on the association between PSSR and psychological outcomes. Participants are grandparents couples providing full-time care to their grandchild in the absence of the grandchildren’s biological parents (N_dyad = 193). We found that one’s PSSR was associated with one’s higher depressive symptoms for both grandmothers and grandfathers. Regarding anxiety symptoms, only grandmothers’ PSSR was positively related to both their own and their spouses’ anxiety level.In terms of coping strategies, we found that a higher level of problem-focused coping was related to higher levels of anxiety for both grandmothers and grandfathers when grandmothers experienced higher PSSR. A higher level of emotional coping was related to higher level of depressive symptoms in both grandfathers and grandmothers when they experienced a higher level of PSSR. A higher level of emotional coping was related to both grandfathers and grandmothers’ higher level of anxiety when grandmother’s PSSR was higher. Our research adds to the existing body of literature by emphasizing how emotional and problem-focused coping can moderate the connection between increased PSSR and psychological outcomes among custodial grandparents.
ASSESSING CAREGIVING SUPPORT NETWORKS FOR PERSONS WITH DEMENTIA IN A LONG-TERM CARE CONTEXT IN CHINA AND THE US
Authors: Xu Hanzhang , Dupre Matthew , Lynch Scott , Østbye Truls , Wu Bei 
Published: December 2023

Abstract
Informal caregivers are vital to the provision of care for persons living with dementia (PLWD). Although PLWD often receive care from multiple sources, little is known about the broad caregiving support networks that PLWD have. Furthermore, the structure of caregiving support networks is likely influenced by the availability, accessibility, and affordability of LTC services. Therefore, caregiving support networks in China and in the U.S. are likely to differ. In this study, we identified the major types of caregiving support networks that PLWD have using the Health and Retirement Study and China Health and Retirement Longitudinal Study. Results from latent class analysis show that both countries have three major types of caregiving networks, but they differ in the proportion of each country’s population that follow each type. Unlike conventional secondary data studies that often only focus on existing data, we are working with WE-THRIVE Consortium to further gain a comprehensive understanding of the dementia care context in China and in the U.S. Through an expert panel survey, we will assess the scope, services, needs, funding, and ownerships of LTC in each country. We will then link the data from expert survey to the two national aging studies to contextualize the caregiving support networks in persons with dementia. This new way of linking existing individual-level with country-level data is directly responsive to the priority research areas identified by the National Academy of Medicine and will shed light on which caregiving support networks need more external formal support to promote person-centered dementia care.
PRACTICAL STRATEGIES FOR RETAINING DIRECT CARE WORKERS
Authors: Janssen Leah 
Published: December 2023

Abstract
Direct care workers (DCWs), such as state-tested nurse aides, personal care aides, and home care aides are a critical component of the long-term services system. While there is consensus in both the research and practice community on the challenges faced, the plan for a long-term solution continues to be developed. The final paper of this symposium is based on a review of state and national initiatives and interviews with high-performing long-term services and support providers, and culminates into a tip sheet of practical strategies for providers who are seeking to recruit and retain DCWs. The tip sheet is organized in relation to the symposium theme of work culture, which includes elements of creating a welcoming and respectful work environment, employing a participative leadership model, and opportunities for DCWs to anonymously assess work culture. It also discusses staffing ratios that are critical to recruiting and retaining workers, as well as an examination of career ladders, mentorship opportunities, and strengthening training standards. DCW economic well-being (e.g., financial incentives such as wages, bonuses and benefits) and community impact are also explored. The priority of this section is to help providers gain insights on establishing a work culture that is more receptive to DCWs’ needs.
PROVIDERS AND DIRECT CARE WORKERS’ PERCEPTIONS OF RETENTION
Authors: Karmacharya Isha , Janssen Leah , Brekke Bailee 
Published: December 2023

Abstract
Direct care worker (DCW) retention remains a persistent challenge for long-term services and supports (LTSS). Multiple studies have identified key factors for worker retention, including worker training and empowerment, career advancement opportunities, compensation, and communication. However, few studies include multiple perspectives on understanding work culture from both providers and DCWs, which is essential for developing effective retention strategies that address the needs and concerns of different stakeholders. This qualitative study explores elements of work culture through semi-structured in-depth interviews with 21 providers and 16 DCWs from 12 high-performing LTSS facilities and agencies across Ohio. The facilities/agencies were selected based on state-level family satisfaction and staff retention data. Three major elements of work culture emerged as important for DCW retention: 1) a family-like approach, 2) working conditions, and 3) worker empowerment. DCWs value a family-like approach in the workplace, which included relationships with clients and their supervisors. Favorable working conditions comprised freedom of choice, participative leadership, and effective communication that promoted retention. DCWs experienced empowerment through recognition and appreciation, coupled with financial incentives and career advancement opportunities. These findings suggest simple modifiable changes to work culture that improve worker retention in LTSS. This study urges policymakers to consider these implications for addressing the ongoing challenge of DCW retention.
AGE DIFFERENCES IN AFFECT DYNAMICS: APPLYING A FORMALIZED THEORETICAL APPROACH
Authors: Wirth Maria , Voss Andreas , Rothermund Klaus 
Published: December 2023

Abstract
Emotional aging research is dominated by the idea of age-related improvements that result from shifts in motivation. Socioemotional selectivity theory (SST) proposes that as individuals age, they increasingly favor emotion-related goals and savor positive but avoid negative emotions. Previous age-comparative studies on everyday emotional experience typically were descriptive or studied the processes underlying emotional experience in isolation. We aimed at a more holistic approach to test hypotheses derived from SST regarding age-related differences in general emotional dispositions (i.e., anchoring), emotional reactivity, and emotion regulation by using a comprehensive computational approach. We applied our Model of Intraindividual Variability in Affect (MIVA) to data on everyday emotional experiences in an age-diverse sample (N = 378, age range 14 – 86 years). Parameter estimations were carried out within a Bayesian framework. Our results provide partial support for predictions derived from SST. Consistent with SST, affect elicited by pleasant events was down-regulated less by older adults and affect elicited by unpleasant events was down-regulated more by older compared to younger adults. Inconsistent with SST, anchoring showed a negative age-related trend, indicating a more positive general affect disposition in younger, not older adults. Reactions to pleasant events showed no age-related differences. Reactivity to unpleasant events was highest in midlife and lower for younger and older adults. We discuss the broader implications of our approach for understanding emotional development across the lifespan.
THE CHALLENGES OF LARGE QUALITATIVE DATASETS AND MEETING THE EXPECTATIONS OF INDIGENOUS COMMUNITIES AND FUNDERS
Authors: Lewis Jordan 
Published: December 2023

Abstract
Literature on Alaska Native Elders and how they subjectively define a successful older age is limited. The lack of a culturally specific definition often results in the use of a generic definition that portrays Alaska Native Elders as aging less successfully than their White or non-Native counterparts. However, there is very little understanding of the diverse array of successful aging experiences and how this data will translate to other racial and ethnic minority populations, as well as advance the field of successful aging. This decade long study research the concept of successful aging from an Alaska Native perspective, or what it means to age well in Alaska Native communities and the lessons Elders. Qualitative, in-depth, interviews have been conducted with 154 Elders representing 20 participating communities to explore the concept of successful aging and the role of their community in the aging process. This study highlights the four (6) elements of successful aging, or “Eldership:” emotional wellbeing, spirituality, community engagement, Native ways of life, generativity, and physical health. These elements serve as the foundation of how communities define who is an Elder and what is important when considering who has aged successfully or not. This presentation will discuss challenges of analyzing large datasets to inform future studies, the development of a theory and measure of successful aging, as well as how to balance the needs of Indigenous community partners and the funders.
MENTAL HEALTH FIRST AID TRAINING: EVIDENCE OF ITS EFFECTIVENESS FOR MENTAL HEALTH PROMOTION AMONG OLDER ADULTS
Authors: Amin Iftekhar 
Published: December 2023

Abstract

Background
About 15% of adults aged 60 and over have a mental health disorder. However, stigma and lack of knowledge of mental health resources act as barriers for them to seek professional help. Mental Health First Aid (MHFA) is an evidence-based program that teaches participants how to identify, understand and respond to signs of mental illnesses and substance use disorders. The Older Adults version of this training focuses on the unique experiences and needs of older adults. This study evaluated the effectiveness of a Substance Abuse and Mental Health Services Administration (SAMHSA) funded MHFA training program among older adults. Method: Data were collected from MHFA training sessions delivered to 27 staff and 36 residents at two assisted living facilities from January to March 2023. A quasi-experimental, pre-post design was used. Two outcomes mental health literacy and stigma were measured at the pretest, posttest, and 4 months after the the training. A paired sample t-test was performed to test the differences between the pre- and post-test.

Results
Statistically significant improvements in self-confidence in promoting help-seeking and reduction in stigmatizing attitudes were observed among participants in post-tests and 4-month tests. Participants reported increased knowledge in how to provide initial support to someone who may be mental health crisis and help connect them to the appropriate care.

Conclusion
Results indicate MHFA is likely to improve mental health awareness and reduce stigma among older adults. This study adds new evidence to the literature on the MHFA program’s effectiveness among older adults and their caregivers.
GENOMIC ARCHITECTURE OF FEMALE REPRODUCTIVE AGING
Authors: Murray Anna 
Published: December 2023

Abstract
Female reproductive lifespan is characterised by declining ovarian reserve, but the underlying mechanism is poorly understood. Reproductive ageing is a multifactorial trait with both genetic and environmental modifiers. Our research uses genome-wide analyses to identify the genes and biological processes that govern female reproductive ageing. We have identified 290 genetic loci with relatively common variants (&gt;0.1%) that are associated with timing of natural menopause, in a meta-analysis of &gt;200,000 women in the ReproGen consortium. In combination these common variants explain around 12% of the variation in menopause timing. Women in the top 1% combined genetic risk centile for earlier menopause are approximately 5x more likely to have menopause before 40 years. A high genetic risk for earlier menopause in mothers, but not fathers, is also associated with increased de novo mutation rate in offspring. We assessed the role of rare (MAF&lt;0.1%) protein-coding variants on ovarian function in data from 104,733 females in the UK Biobank using gene burden association tests. We identified nine genes with associations that passed our multiple testing threshold. Protein-truncating variants in ZNF518A were associated with earlier menopause (effect size 5.61 years, P=1.2x10-10), with an effect larger than for any previously reported gene or variant. Deleterious variants in SAMHD1 were associated with &gt;1 year later menopause and were also a germline risk factor for cancer predisposition in males and females. Understanding the genetics of reproductive ageing is not only important for fertility, but also has implications for broader age-related health outcomes, such as cancer, diabetes and osteoporosis.
RACIAL–ETHNIC DISPARITIES IN STRESS EXPOSURE AND THE ONSET OF LATER-LIFE LIMITATIONS IN ACTIVITIES OF DAILY LIVING
Authors: Sauerteig-Rolston Madison , Ferraro Kenneth 
Published: December 2023

Abstract
This study investigates the relationship between stress exposure – including cumulative stress burden and domain-specific stressors – and the onset of activities of daily living (ADL) limitations in later life and examines whether there are racial-ethnic and nativity differences in this relationship. Examining data from the Health and Retirement study (HRS), we apply logistic regression and Weibull accelerated failure-time models to examine associations between stress and baseline ADL limitations as well as stress exposure and age of onset of ADL limitations over a decade. Interaction tests between stress and race-ethnicity and nativity were employed to understand how stress exposure uniquely influences ADL limitations among White, Black, US-born Hispanic, and foreign-born Hispanic older adults. Black, US-born Hispanic, and foreign-born Hispanic adults were more likely to develop an ADL limitation at a younger age compared to White adults (β = -0.06; β = -0.07; β = -0.09; respectively). Cumulative stress burden, childhood traumatic events, adult financial strain, everyday discrimination, and major lifetime discrimination were associated with an earlier onset of ADL limitation among White, Black, US-born Hispanic and foreign-born Hispanic adults. Further, US-born Hispanic adults that experienced the same amount of childhood traumatic events as White adults experienced an earlier transition to ADL limitation by a factor of 0.65 or in about 35% of the time. Reducing racial-ethnic and nativity disparities in ADL limitations in later-life will require efforts to adjudicate the long lasting historical and structural disadvantages that contribute to differential stress exposure across the life course.
SOCIOECONOMIC DISPARITIES IN THE MEDICARE HOSPICE CARE INDEX (HCI) INDICATORS
Authors: Plotzke Michael , Christian Thomas 
Published: December 2023

Abstract
The Centers for Medicare & Medicaid Services’ Hospice Care Index (HCI) measures quality using ten claims-based indicators characterizing hospice service provision. We examine socioeconomic disparities amongst those indicators for hospice users using Medicare claims data from Federal Fiscal Years 2020-2021. We estimate ten ordinary least squares regression models where the dependent variables are each of the ten indicators and the independent variables are provider- and beneficiary-level characteristics. To examine socioeconomic disparities, we also include indicators for beneficiary race/ethnicity, dual eligibility for Medicaid status, urban/rural status, and an area deprivation index. The model with all control variables showed the smallest difference between the socioeconomic variables. For example, the average probability of a Black beneficiary having a least an eight-day gap between nursing visits is 60.3% versus 58.9% (p-value &lt; 0.01) for a white beneficiary. If we only control for socioeconomic variables and no hospice or provider-level controls, we find larger differences, with the average probability of a Black beneficiary having a least an eight-day gap between nursing visits equal to 62.4% versus 58.7% (p-value &lt; 0.01) for a white beneficiary. The results varied by the HCI indicator as well as the socioeconomic variable being examined. These findings suggest that two otherwise similar beneficiaries from different socioeconomic groups are, on average, treated equally by the same hospice. Instead, socioeconomic disparities for some indicators result from how beneficiaries sort into hospices, where the lowest quality hospices are more likely to treat the most disadvantaged.
FEASIBILITY AND ACCEPTABILITY OF A DEPRESSION AND PAIN INTERVENTION WITH OLDER AFRICAN AMERICAN WOMEN
Authors: Taylor Janiece , Clair Catherine , Gitlin Laura , Bandeen-Roche Karen , Hladek Melissa deCardi , Riser Tiffany , Thorpe Roland , Szanton Sarah L 
Published: December 2023

Abstract
Older African American women experience social determinants of health that put them at risk for experiencing comorbid pain and depressive symptoms. The purpose of our study was to tailor a preexisting evidence-based depression intervention to include pain and test it in older African American women. We conducted a randomized waitlist control study with 21 frail or pre-frail, African American women, 50 years of age and older with pain and depressive symptoms. The average age of the participants was 64.8 (SD: 10.5), average pain intensity was 7.0 (SD: 1.9) out of 10, and average PHQ-9 depressive symptoms score was11.9 (SD: 4.0). Effect sizes at 12 weeks post intervention were -1.05 for depressive symptoms indicating a substantial decrease in depressive symptoms. We did not see a significant change in pain intensity but identified changes in pain behavior scores. The women described the intervention as beneficial and provided suggestions for future iterations.