Journals of Gerontology Series B-Psychological Sciences and Social Sciences最新文献

Objectives: Mothers with young children tend to have shorter sleep durations than childfree women, but previous research has not considered heterogeneity in sleep duration among midlife mothers who have varying coresidential patterns with their adult, minor, and grandchildren. We examine the distribution of sleep duration across mothers' different intergenerational coresidential contexts (living without any children, living with any minor children, living with only adult children, and living with any grandchildren) and test how these patterns differ across racial/ethnic groups.

Methods: Regression analyses estimate sleep duration among a sample of midlife mothers with minor and adult children and grandchildren from the National Longitudinal Survey of Youth 1979 (NLSY79) data (N = 3,300). Moderation analyses consider differences across racial/ethnic groups (non-Hispanic White, non-Hispanic Black, Hispanic).

Results: Relative to the mothers with no coresiding children or grandchildren, mothers with coresiding minor or adult children reported less sleep. However, this gap varies across racial/ethnic groups; specifically, the lower sleep duration for mothers with coresidential children is only significant for White and Black mothers, not Hispanic mothers.

Discussion: Sleep is a critical health indicator across the life course and a contributor to other health outcomes later in life. Thus, it is important to identify whose sleep is most vulnerable-especially in midlife when sleep trajectories are the groundwork for later-life well-being. We demonstrate the importance of coresidential status with adult and minor children and grandchildren on the sleep of mothers in midlife, drawing specific attention to the differences across racial/ethnic groups.

Objectives: This study adds to the literature on the relationship between social relationships and cognitive function by using social integration theory to examine whether a sense of community belonging at different ages is related to cognitive function in later life. We also examine whether the relationship between community belonging, and cognitive function is distinct among White, Black, and Hispanic older adults.

Methods: Using data from the Health and Retirement Study including the 2017 Life History Mail Survey (N = 3,302), we use parallel measures of community belonging across 3 periods in the life course. We estimated relationships using ordinary least squares (OLS) regression and lagged dependent variable models.

Results: Respondents who experienced greater community belonging at age 10 and during later life (i.e., age in 2016) had higher levels of cognitive function in 2018 than those who reported feeling less belonging with their community at those ages (b = 0.193, p < .001; b = 0.090, p < .05, respectively). The main effects of community belonging at any age were not related to change in cognitive function from 2016 to 2018; however, there were significant interaction effects between community belonging at age 10 on cognitive function in 2018 and from 2016 to 2018 (p < .05 and p < .01, respectively) with the beneficial effects of community belonging at age 10 being stronger for Black older adults compared with White older adults.

Discussion: These findings highlight the importance of early and later life community belonging for the cognitive functioning of older adults, and particularly for Black older adults' cognitive function.

Objectives: It has been proposed that the effect of an external focus in gait might be more beneficial in more challenging tasks compared to a natural walking condition. This study sought to (a) address any causal link between an external focus and improved gait stability during walking on an unstable surface and (b) explore any possible psycho-cognitive mechanism underpinning these changes in older adults.

Methods: 98 older adults (mean age: 70.6 ± 4.6) were invited to walk along an 8-meter elevated, foam walkway at a self-selected pace under 3 blocks of attentional focus conditions (i.e., internal focus, external focus, and control) for a total of 9 trials (3 trials for each condition). Gait stability was represented by the variability of spatial and temporal gait parameters. Electroencephalography (EEG) T3-Fz coherence was used to indicate real-time conscious movement processing during walking.

Results: Older adults displayed significantly lower variability of stride length and step width under an external focus condition compared to control. No gait changes were observed between an internal focus condition and control. There were no significant differences in EEG T3-Fz coherence among the 3 conditions.

Discussion: We demonstrate evidence of a causal link between an external focus and improved gait stability in older adults under a challenging walking environment. However, we postulate that this improvement might be independent of real-time conscious movement processing. Our findings nonetheless suggest that external focus strategies might be an effective rehabilitative approach for falls prevention by reducing gait variability during adaptive locomotion in older adults.

Clinical trials registration number: NCT05411536.

Objectives: Loneliness affects more than a quarter of older people. The particular sociodemographic characteristics of Chinese society mean that there are growing numbers of older people, with fewer adults of working age to support them. We explored the experience, meaning, and consequences of loneliness for Chinese older adults, as well as the strategies deployed to counteract unmet social needs.

Methods: This qualitative study was nested within the 10/66 DRG LIFE2YEARS study in China. We conducted in-depth interviews with 49 older people and 13 caregivers. Interviews covered experiences of aging, including social life, expectations of health and social care, and psychosocial support.

Results: We used thematic analysis and developed three main themes: (a) the interconnection of negative emotions, depression, and social deficits; (b) reasons for social deficits-avoiding "making trouble," social exclusion/isolation, intergenerational strain; and (c) addressing unmet social needs. Older adults experienced loneliness as unexpected pain in later life. They practiced withdrawal behaviors to avoid social embarrassment and perceived risks to health. Older participants described living in communities where they felt increasingly alienated. Whilst some older people described effective strategies for counteracting loneliness, these were only feasible for those who were fit and able.

Discussion: Our findings relating to the shame of loneliness and avoiding burdening others are particularly salient against a backdrop of Confucian ideals. Our work highlights the importance of considering cultural expectations and values in loneliness research and the need to ensure those most at-risk of loneliness are not excluded from future research and intervention development.

Objectives: We examine the mental health trajectories of people who start providing personal care and compare their trajectories with matched controls who remain non-carers. We also investigate whether trajectories vary by gender, financial resources, and supportive long-term care policies.

Methods: Using 9 waves of the Survey of Health, Ageing, and Retirement in Europe, collected in 28 European countries from 2004 to 2022, we analyze longitudinal data from 68,075 men and women aged 50 or older. We identify transitions into regular personal care within the household and use depressive symptoms from up to 4 waves before and after transitioning into care to measure mental health trajectories. Financial resources are measured by household wealth, whereas 3 macro indicators assess (1) support for caregivers, (2) support for care recipients, and (3) public care service availability. Propensity score matching, applied separately for men and women, identifies matched noncaregivers from the same country, and we use piecewise growth curve models to examine changes before, during, and after becoming a carer.

Results: Both men and women have a clear increase in depressive symptoms when becoming a regular carer, and this increase even begins before the transition. The increase during the transition is slightly more pronounced for women and those with lower wealth, but we find no systematic differences by policy indicators.

Discussion: Our study highlights the need for improved support for carers. Although national policies may influence the likelihood of becoming a carer, their effectiveness in mitigating the mental health impact of caring remains unclear.

Objectives: The oldest-old adults (90+) constitute the fastest-growing demographic at the highest dementia risk among older adults. Depression, a common risk factor, inherently presents with heterogeneous clinical manifestations. Here, we explored the associations of the predominant depression dimensions with cognition in the LifeAfter90 study.

Methods: The LifeAfter90 study consists of racially/ethnically diverse community-dwelling adults of >90. Cognitive assessments measured episodic memory, semantic memory, and executive function. Baseline depression was measured by the Geriatric Depression Scale-15 item (GDS-15), yielding dimensions of Dysphoria, Withdrawal-Apathy-Vigor, Anxiety, Hopelessness, and Subjective Memory Complaint (SMC). We used generalized linear mixed models to explore associations between depression dimensions, and cognitive outcomes at baseline and over time adjusting for demographic factors.

Results: The cohort (n = 960, mean age 92.4 ± 2.3 years, 61.56% female) was very racially and ethnically diverse with 27% of participants identifying as White, 24% as Asian, 23% as Black, and 19% as Latino. Common complaints included not identifying as "full of energy" (52.45%), preference to "stay home" (46.31%), and "dropped activity" (40.0%), and 25% reported SMC. Depression dimensions showed distinct associations with cognitive outcomes: SMC correlated with worse global cognition, executive function, and verbal episodic memory (all ps < .0001). Hopelessness was associated with worse executive function (p < .001). Over 1.2 years, baseline hopelessness showed a trend for a faster decline in episodic memory (β = -0.22; p = .035).

Discussion: In the oldest old, specific dimensions like SMC and hopelessness may help identify individuals at high risk for cognitive decline in this highly vulnerable population.

Objectives: Loneliness at older ages is a significant public health concern, and promoting participation in neighborhood events and activities may be a possible avenue for alleviating loneliness among older adults. However, there remains a scarcity of empirical research in this field. Addressing this knowledge gap, our study examined the association between frequency of neighborhood participation by older adults and their subsequent feelings of loneliness 2 years later, in a nationally representative longitudinal cohort of community-dwelling Singapore citizens and permanent residents aged 60 years and older.

Methods: We used 2 waves (2016-2017 and 2019) of data from the Transitions in Health, Employment, Social engagement and Intergenerational transfers in Singapore Study (THE SIGNS Study) (n = 1,217). Frequent neighborhood participation was defined as participating in neighborhood committees, clubs, or events once a week or more, while loneliness was measured using the Three-item Loneliness Scale. To mitigate selection bias, we employed inverse probability-weighted regression adjustment to estimate the relationship between the frequency of neighborhood participation and loneliness.

Results: Our findings indicate that older adults who participated in neighborhood events frequently had a lower probability of loneliness at Wave 2 compared to nonparticipants. Conversely, infrequent neighborhood participation at baseline did not demonstrate an association with loneliness at Wave 2.

Discussion: Our findings suggest that a higher intensity of involvement in neighborhood activities may be necessary to achieve the benefits of participation. Our findings also highlight the potential of neighborhood-based interventions as a public health strategy to address loneliness in aging populations.

Objectives: Social isolation has emerged as a significant risk factor for psychological well-being in later life. However, our understanding of how this link varies across race/ethnicity and gender remains limited.

Methods: To address this gap, we utilized longitudinal data from the Health and Retirement Study (HRS, 2008-2018) to investigate the longitudinal association between social isolation and the overall subjective well-being (SWB) using multilevel mixed-effects linear regression models. We further examined variations in this relationship across race/ethnicity (White, Black, U.S.-born Hispanic, foreign-born Hispanic) and gender subgroups.

Results: Consistent with the stress process model, our results demonstrate that social isolation is closely linked to reduced SWB for older adults. However, our findings reveal nuances in the isolation-SWB link by race/ethnicity and gender. The association was weaker for Black and Hispanic (U.S.- and foreign-born) individuals than for Whites. Among women, Black women were less likely than White women to be affected by this relationship. Among men, the isolation-SWB association was less pronounced for U.S.-born Hispanic men compared to their White counterparts. Across all levels of social isolation, foreign-born Hispanic adults consistently exhibited higher SWB than others.

Discussion: This study underscores the need for tailored interventions to address the impact of social isolation on SWB. Although Black and Hispanic older adults experience higher levels of isolation compared to their White counterparts, they demonstrate resilience that helps mitigate its negative effects. These findings highlight the importance of culturally relevant strategies to enhance the quality of life in diverse aging populations.

Objectives: Bilingualism can stimulate brain plasticity and is often associated with better executive function. We investigated whether language usage was related to the volume of white matter lesions in a cohort of middle-aged to older adults with different multilingual characteristics, including monolingualism in daily life (use of one language), bilingualism (use of two languages), and multilingualism (active use of 3 languages, i.e., Catalan, Spanish, English). We also explored cognitive status and cognitive change over a 2-year follow-up period linked to possible associations between language usage and white matter status to provide insights into the theory of cognitive reserve (CR).

Methods: All participants (N = 397, age range: 45-69, 50.1% female) underwent cognitive and structural magnetic resonance imaging assessments at baseline, and 306 of them completed additional cognitive and neuroimaging assessments 2 years later. Active use of languages was computed at baseline with the Shannon Entropy equation, which measured the frequency of use of each language in 4 different contexts: home, work, friends, and family. The volume of white matter hypointensities (WM-hypo) was determined using FreeSurfer.

Results: There was a positive correlation between Entropy values and WM-hypo. Compared to monolinguals, participants using 3 languages daily presented equivalent cognitive function and increased white matter lesions, both at baseline and follow-up examinations.

Discussion: Among middle-aged participants with equivalent cognitive levels, active multilingualism was associated with greater white matter deterioration, suggesting increased CR.

Objectives: This study aimed to explore the walking experiences of older adults in Seoul by uncovering the interaction between perception, behavior, and the environment. Specifically, we provided a thick description of how walking shapes and reflects self-identity, social connections, and everyday practices among older adults living in a walkable urban neighborhood.

Methods: A qualitative geographic information system approach was employed to integrate qualitative and geospatial methods. From July to December 2020, 38 older adults residing in a pedestrian-friendly neighborhood in Seoul were recruited. Data collection involved individual in-depth interviews, mobile global positioning system (GPS) tracking, and ActiGraph monitoring. Thematic coding and categorization of interview data was integrated with GPS and ActiGraph data to identify patterns and contextual conditions for walking.

Results: Older adults in this study perceived walking as essential to their autonomy and well-being, reinforcing a healthy self-image and fostering social connections. The dense and diverse urban environment facilitated walking for both leisure and practical purposes, creating opportunities for social interaction and informal social safety networks. However, participants who walked for work, such as collecting recyclables, achieved fewer physical health benefits than those who walked for leisure. The integration of qualitative and spatial behavioral data triangulated participants' narratives with neighborhood walking patterns in activity levels, purpose-specific routes, and natural social hubs.

Discussion: These insights highlight the need for urban health policies to prioritize walkable environments that promote active living and equitable access to daily opportunities for older adults. Addressing these challenges requires practical strategies that promote healthy aging and reduce social inequalities supporting everyday physical and social engagements.