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Productive Activities and Psychological Well-Being Among Older Adults
Abstract
The purpose of this study was to test whether paid work and formal volunteering reduce the rate of mental health decline in later life.
Using four waves of Health and Retirement Study data collected from a sample of 7,830 individuals aged 55 to 66, I estimated growth curve models to assess the effects of productive activities on mental health trajectories. The analytical strategy took into account selection processes when examining the beneficial effects of activities. The analyses also formally attended to the sample attrition problem inherent in longitudinal studies.
The results indicated that activity participants generally had better mental health at the beginning of the study. Full-time employment and low-level volunteering had independent protective effects against decline in psychological well-being. Joint participants of both productive activities enjoyed a slower rate of mental health decline than single-activity participants.
The results are consistent with activity theory and further confirm the role accumulation perspective. The finding that full-time work combined with low-level volunteering is protective of mental health reveals the complementary effect of volunteering to formal employment. Methodological and theoretical implications are discussed.
... It is apparent there is much to understand about the mental health experiences of this growing population. Some influential factors for the mental health of this age group include common experiences such as retirement, new diagnoses, and changes in income (Cotter & Gonzalez, 2009;Hao, 2008;Pollard, Ray, & Haase, 2014;Rubio-Aranda et al., 2012). Moreover, older adults with mental health concerns in rural communities live with unique factors that affect their wellbeing (Kulig & Williams, 2011). ...
... The complexity of aging further complicates how older adults live with their mental health concerns (MHCC, 2012); mental health concerns in this age group are compounded by the number of remarkable changes that occur during this time of life. One of the most common transitions is retirement; by age 60, more than 30% of people are no longer working full time (Hao, 2008). ...
... However, the loss of regular social interaction and productivity that workplaces provide and have been shown to improve psychological wellbeing and decrease the incidence of mental illness (e.g. depression, anxiety), may be detrimental (Hao, 2008). Besides retirement, people in this stage of life face higher rates of chronic illness, financial loss, and functional declines and associated loss of independence (Cotter & Gonzalez, 2009;Pollard et al., 2014;Rubio-Aranda et al., 2012). ...
Background: Mental health is a major health concern in Canada. As the population ages, adults aged 50 and over will represent a larger proportion of Canadians with mental health concerns. This population is also increasing in size in rural areas; yet, there is a paucity of literature regarding the experiences of older adults with mental health concerns in rural areas.
Research Design: This thesis addressed: What are the experiences of adults aged 50 and over with a mental health concern in a rural community in British Columbia? Community A was a rural town in the southern interior of BC. The thesis used critical social theory and interpretive description and data were collected using photovoice. Cameras were provided to eight participants aged 50 and over who had experienced a mental health concern and who lived in Community A. They photographed meaningful parts of their lives and shared photos in individual interviews. Interviews were conducted using a semi-structured interview guide.
Findings: Five themes were identified using constant comparison. For the first theme, mental wellbeing, participants unveiled eight facets of wellbeing: personal qualities, hope, spirituality and gratitude, nature, routine and productivity, medication, substance use, family, and isolation. For the second theme, losses, participants described how they were affected by the loss of abilities, friends, family, lifestyles, and thoughts regarding death. The third theme, stigma, was experienced internally and publicly. The fourth theme was services and supports. Participants identified barriers to support, as well as negative and positive experiences when they accessed services, and the importance of informal supports. Finally, participants’ mental health was influenced by their environment (home, finances, community).
Discussion: These themes existed in tension with one another. While participants had ways of caring for their wellbeing, these strategies were inhibited by stigma. Stigma was the underlying factor for many of the complexities uncovered. Isolation, poverty, and access to services were all related to stigmatizing experiences. Additionally, participants’ personal histories often influenced their coping strategies, and their ability to reflect on their mental health needs. Themes informed recommendations made for policy development, education, health services delivery, and future research.
... Some studies found support for higher levels of mental health among individuals who increased or maintained volunteering after retirement (Carr et al., 2022;Sugihara et al., 2008). Other studies found no association between higher levels of volunteering or increased volunteering frequency and increases in life satisfaction among individuals in a retirement transition Hansen et al., 2018) or for differences between the effects of volunteering prior to and after retirement Hao, 2008). ...
... In sum, many studies suggest positive effects of volunteering on mental health in retirement. Nevertheless, studies that analyzed trajectories of volunteering and mental health across the retirement transition Carr et al., 2022;Hao, 2008)-a methodological approach more proximal to research on retirement adjustment-yielded less conclusive evidence. Moreover, differences between the effects of volunteering prior to and after retirement have hardly been investigated beyond (cross-sectional) comparisons between Running head: VOLUNTEERING AND RETIREMENT ADJUSTMENT 7 retired and employed individuals (for an exception, see Bjälkebring et al., 2021). ...
Theoretical considerations suggest that volunteering contributes to retirement adjustment because it compensates for role losses following retirement. However, the idea that mental health benefits of volunteering are stronger after retirement than prior to retirement has been hardly tested empirically. Moreover, it remains open to question who benefits from volunteering in retirement in particular. In this study, I investigated whether trajectories of volunteering were associated with concurrent trajectories of life satisfaction (general life satisfaction, satisfaction with leisure time) across the retirement transition, and whether life satisfaction at and prior to retirement moderated these associations after retirement. I conducted multivariate latent growth curve modeling using panel data (N = 9,043) from the German Socio-Economic Panel (SOEP; 1984–2019). Slopes of volunteering and life satisfaction were split into one preretirement slope and two postretirement slopes (short- and long-term after retirement). Slopes of life satisfaction were regressed on concurrent slopes of volunteering. Increases in volunteering were related to concurrent increases in general life satisfaction after retirement, but not before. The associations after retirement were more positive than the associations prior to retirement. There were no such differences for satisfaction with leisure time. Associations between slopes of volunteering and life satisfaction after retirement were the more positive the lower the level of life satisfaction at retirement and the stronger the decrease in life satisfaction prior to retirement. These findings imply that volunteering may compensate for the loss of the working role, particularly for retirees who experienced decreases in life satisfaction in the retirement transition.
... Both paid work and/or volunteering have been associated with greater purpose in later life to varying degrees in the literature (Greenfield & Marks, 2004;Nakamura et al., 2022;Yeung et al., 2019). Hao (2008) suggests that concurrent participation in paid work and volunteering can help protect older adult mental health. The authors suggest this supports a "role accumulation perspective" through which participants can benefit from occupying the role itself (volunteer or worker) rather than from the extent of their actual involvement (Hao, 2008). ...
... Hao (2008) suggests that concurrent participation in paid work and volunteering can help protect older adult mental health. The authors suggest this supports a "role accumulation perspective" through which participants can benefit from occupying the role itself (volunteer or worker) rather than from the extent of their actual involvement (Hao, 2008). ...
... Növekvő számú empirikus kutatás eredménye támasztja alá, hogy az önkéntesek jobb mentális egészségmutatókkal bírnak az önkéntes tevékenységet nem végző társaikhoz képest. Ez megnyilvánulhat csökkent stressz-, szorongás-, szomatizáció-és depresszióértékekben (Creaven, Healy, & Howard, 2018;Hao, 2008;Howarth, 1976;Hunter & Linn, 1981;Pavlova & Silbereisen, 2012). Anderson és munkatársai (2014) tanulmánya szerint leíró, keresztmetszeti és prospektív kohorszvizsgálatokból származó adatok, valamint egy randomizált, kontrollált vizsgálat eredményei is következetesen arra utalnak, hogy a formális önkéntesség a depressziós tünetek csökkenésével, jobb önbevallásos egészségi állapottal, kevesebb funkcionális korlátozással és alacsonyabb halálozással jár együtt idős személyeknél. ...
... A fentieken túl az öt kohorszkutatás metaanalízisének eredményeképpen azt találták, hogy az önkénteseknél alacsonyabb mortalitási kockázat mutatható ki, mint a nem önkénteseknél. Fontos azt is kiemelnünk, hogy a legtöbb egészségmutatóban már az önkéntesség kezdetekor kimutatható különbség az önkéntesek és nem ön-kéntesek között az előbbiek javára (Thoits & Hewitt, 2001); azonban az önkéntes tevékenység végzésének pozitív egészségi hatása akkor is kimutatható, ha a jóllét kezdeti szintjét is figyelembe vesszük (Hao, 2008). Az előbbiekkel összhangban Lawton és munkatársai (2021) húsz évet átölelő panelvizsgálatának eredménye meggyőzően alátámasztotta, hogy nemcsak az önkéntesség kezdetekor mutatható ki magasabb jóllét az önkénteseknél, hanem maga az önkéntes tapasztalat is növeli annak szintjét. ...
Az önkéntes munkavégzés egy olyan proszociális viselkedésforma, amely hatással van úgy az önkéntesség végzője, mint haszonélvezője pszichológiai és szociális jóllétére, fizikai egészségére és fiziológiai mutatóira is. Tanulmányunk célja feltárni, majd szisztematikus áttekintő tanulmány formájában ismertetni az önkéntesség fizikai és mentális egészséggel való kapcsolatáról az utóbbi évtizedekben született legfontosabb hazai és nemzetközi empirikus vizsgálatok eredményeit. A kutatások eredményei alapján az önkéntesség és a jóllét kapcsolata kétirányú: a legtöbb önkéntes jólléte már az önkéntesség kezdetekor magasabb, ugyanakkor maga a tevékenység végzése is bizonyíthatóan kedvező hatással van a személy fizikai, pszichológiai és szociális jóllétére, amely egyéni különbségeket mutat az önkéntesség időtartamával, gyakoriságával, típusával és a személy egyéb jellemzőivel (pl. életkor, egészségi állapot) interakcióba kerülve. A kutatók jelentős része egyetért abban, hogy az önkéntesség alacsonyabb depresszióval, funkcionális korlátozottsággal és mortalitási rátával jár együtt, amely összefüggés időskorban mutatkozik a legerősebbnek. A mentális egészségre gyakorolt hatás okai között a pszichológiai (pl. énhatékonyság, önbecsülés, élettel való elégedettség) és szociális (a társas integráció és a támogató rendszer bővülése) erőforrások gyarapodását, a pozitív hangulati állapotok növekedését, valamint a negatív hangulati állapotok csökkenését azonosították a vonatkozó vizsgálatokban. A fizikai jóllét növekedése hátterében a megnövekedett fizikai aktivitást találjuk, amelynek folyományaként egy kedvezőbb hormonális, immunrendszeri és kardiovaszkuláris profil azonosítható. Ezen mechanizmusok révén az önkéntesség az egészséges idősödés egyik legfontosabb közvetítőjévé válhat, így közegészségügyi jelentősége mind prevenciós, mind pedig intervenciós szempontból kiemelkedő.
... Mainly, the health promotion and the health aggravation hypotheses are two perspectives. The health promotion hypothesis has held that employment plays a protective role against depressive symptoms among older adults [10][11][12][13][14]. These studies have shown that the mechanism is that work represents the achievement of personal status and the continuation of social roles, and withdrawal from the labor market or retirement is a symbol of losing identity and functions, which may deteriorate the mental health of the elderly [15]. ...
... That is, after controlling for individual, family, and social factors, Models (2) showed that older people who were employed had decreased depression scores of the older adults by 0.875 compared with those who did not, which was significant at the 1% level. These results were in line with Hypothesis 1 and the research of other scholars [13,16,28,35,36]. ...
Improving the mental health of the elderly has become an important strategic goal of healthy aging, among which employment is regarded as an essential factor for the mental health of the elderly. This study adopted ordinary least squares, ordered logit, propensity score matching (PSM), and KHB mediation analysis to examine the influence and mechanism of employment on mental health in older Chinese adults using data from the China Health and Retirement Longitudinal Survey of 2018. The study found that employment positively impacts older adults’ mental health in China. This promotive effect of employment was significant for more senior people aged up to 80 years old with lower educational backgrounds and rural household registration. In addition, individual annual income, the financial support provided to children, and support received from children significantly mediate the realization of employment improving older people’s mental health. Our findings are expected to provide valuable insight into delayed retirement and active aging in China. Therefore, the government must play the role of support and advocacy to promote employment and safeguard the well-being of older adults.
... A variety of empirical studies have supported the notion of a positive association between di erent aspects of active time use and well-being (see Adams et al., 2011, for an overview). Higher levels of active time use have been associated with more life satisfaction (Brajša-Žganec et al., 2011;Fernández-Ballesteros, et al., 2001;Harlow & Cantor, 1996), less psychological stress (Hao, 2008), higher quality of life (McMunn et al., 2009), greater psychological well-being (Matz-Costa, et al., 2014), more positive a ect (PA) (Klumb, 2004), and less NA (Hunter & Linn, 1981;Pa erson, 1996). In their meta-analysis, Kuykendall et al. (2015) found a moderately positive association between leisure engagement and SWB. ...
... A closer look at research on time use and well-being reveals that not all insights are informative for the population of older (and predominantly retired) adults. For example, Boudiny and Mortelmans (2011) criticized the fact that many studies focus on labor market activities (Matz-Costa et al., 2014;McMunn et al., 2009) or voluntary activities (Hao, 2008;Hunter & Linn, 1981), which are examples of productive aging and, thus, represent a rather narrow de nition of active aging (Walker, 2002). ey do not include a variety of other leisure time activities (e.g., hobbies or housework), which can be particularly relevant for individual well-being and health in later life (Heo et al., 2013). ...
Active time use is considered to be one of the keys to successful aging. Previous studies have investigated the influence of various activities on subjective well-being (SWB) and health in later life. As different activities have often been investigated in isolation, showing only minor influences of each activity on well-being, a more global measure of active time use might show a stronger relation to well-being. Moreover, empirical evidence is still insufficient regarding the relationship between active time use and SWB in very old age and regarding the impact of socioeconomic factors that can hinder or promote active time use. Therefore, we examined (1) the association between active time use and SWB using information from the day reconstruction method (DRM) as a more global approach to active time use; (2) the association between active time use and SWB until very old age, and (3) income and education as relevant correlates for active time use. The results indicated that a global measure of active time use was associated with higher levels of SWB. This pattern was present until very old age for several dimensions of negative affect (NA). Finally, higher levels of income and education were associated with a higher level of active time use, potentially pointing at contextual constraints of active time use. In sum, the results show that a global index for measuring active time use provides a comprehensive insight into the relationship between time use and SWB, and we suggest that it should be considered in further studies.
... It suggests that older adults who maintain an active lifestyle are likely to sustain a positive self-concept and improve their self-esteem, thereby contributing to good mental health in later life. Based on activity theory and role accumulation theory, participating in social activities and the number of activities participate in are both crucial to older adults' mental health (Hao, 2008). ...
... Stated differently, volunteering in this context constitutes partial or incomplete disengagement from active service. They also have fewer symptoms of anxiety or depression [31] [32] including higher levels of satisfaction in life compared to their non-volunteer counterparts. ...
... The current study investigates the cross-sectional and longitudinal relationships among purpose in life, loneliness, and protective behaviors before and during the COVID-19 pandemic. Previous literature on psychological antecedents of protective behaviors in the COVID-19 pandemic and other health crisis contexts has predominantly focused on cross-sectional relationships (e.g., Birditt et al., 2021;Hao, 2008;Kang et al., 2021). Our longitudinal evidence from a population-based data set overcomes these shortcomings of previous studies, offers practical implications for better preparing the older adult population for future health crises, and confirms SDT with longitudinal evidence. ...
Existing literature on the effects of psychological resources on health-protective behaviors in COVID-19 and other contexts has focused heavily on cross-sectional relationships. Informed by self-determination theory (SDT), the current study aims to overcome this limitation by investigating the cross-sectional and longitudinal relationships among loneliness, purpose in life, and protective behaviors before and during the COVID-19 pandemic in the US older adults.
This study uses data from the 2016 and 2020 waves of the Health and Retirement Study (HRS), a nationally representative longitudinal panel study of older adults in the US. The working sample size was 2649. A path model and a cross-lagged panel model (CLPM) were applied for the analyses.
Purpose in life fully mediated the negative impact of loneliness on protective behaviors when measured cross-sectionally. Moreover, pre-pandemic loneliness was associated with a decrease in purpose in life over time. On the other hand, pre-pandemic purpose in life was associated with a decrease in loneliness and an increase in protective behaviors over time.
Our cross-sectional finding on the mediating role of purpose in life reveals a psychological mechanism useful for future interventions. Furthermore, the longitudinal influence of pre-pandemic loneliness on purpose in life deserves both scholarly and clinical attention. Most importantly, the longitudinal effects of purpose in life on loneliness and protective behaviors provide guidance for preparing older adults during normal times to cope with loneliness and to comply more with recommended measures during future health crises (such as the COVID-19 pandemic).
... Tedeschi & Calhoun, 1996). In turn, this personal growth may have a positive impact on mental health through improvements in emotional support and health literacy (Hao, 2008). (1952)(1953)(1954)(1955)(1956)(1957)(1958)(1959)(1960)(1961)(1962)(1963)(1964)(1965)(1966) Note: The models adjusted for age, sex, marital status, ADLs, and life satisfaction. ...
Background:
This study aimed to examine the association between exposure to the 1976 Great Tangshan Earthquake (GTE) in adolescence and later-life depressive symptoms and to investigate the potential mechanisms underlying this association.
Methods:
Data were from the 2015 China Health and Retirement Longitudinal Study (CHARLS). The 10-item short form of the Center for Epidemiologic Studies Depression scale (CESD-10) was chosen to measure depressive symptoms. We used the difference-in-difference (DID) method, binary logistic regression models, and multilevel logistic regression models to explore the association of earthquake exposure during adolescence with later-life depressive symptoms. Additionally, multilevel mediation analysis with structural equation modeling (MMSEM) was conducted to investigate potential mechanisms.
Results:
We identified that adolescent exposure to earthquakes was related to a lower risk of depressive symptoms in later life (OR = 0.90, P = 0.019; OR = 0.48, P = 0.031; OR = 0.47, P = 0.034, respectively). However, this significant association was observed only in females (OR = 0.83, P = 0.028; OR = 0.46, P = 0.053; OR = 0.42, P = 0.037, respectively). Moreover, social activity participation played a mediating role in the association between exposure to earthquakes in adolescence and later-life depressive symptoms.
Conclusions:
We observed a lower risk of depressive symptoms in later life in survivors of earthquake exposure during adolescence. Further, we found the mediating role of social participation in the association between earthquake exposure in adolescence and later-life depressive symptoms, which gives support for the posttraumatic growth (PTG) theory. Our findings imply that, in order to lower the risk of depression in later life following exposure to a natural disaster in adolescence, it is necessary to take into account the buffering effect of social participation.
... Moreover, participation in social activities, like volunteering and attending group meetings, is positively associated with lower levels of depression. 23,24 Activities like attending lectures and playing board games are also instrumental in reducing depressive symptoms in individuals. ...
Introduction:
Recent studies highlight the negative impact of social isolation and involvement in leisure activities on enhanced well-being of individuals. However, there is dearth of evidence on relationship between social isolation and leisure activities on cognitive abilities and depression of older adults in the Indian context. The paper reports the impact of social isolation and leisure activities on cognitive functioning and depression of older adults.
Methods:
Data were collected from the Longitudinal Ageing Study of India (LASI), and 63,806 participants aged 45 years or above were considered for the study with adherence to the exclusion criteria. Multivariate analysis was carried out to analyse the group-based differences.
Results:
Social isolation (F = 102.09, p < 0.01; η2 = 0.09) and leisure (F = 224.54, p < 0.01; η2 = 0.07) had a statistically significant impact on the cognition and depressive symptoms of participants. Socially isolated older adults with little involvement in leisure activities had the worst cognitive functioning (M = 32.76, SD = 4.41), whereas middle-aged adults who were actively involved in leisure activities and experienced the least social isolation exhibited the best cognitive functioning (M = 32.76, SD = 4.41). However, leisure and age as independent factors did not have a significant impact on depression.
Conclusion:
Socially isolated participants, irrespective of age, and involvement in leisure activities exhibit poor cognitive functioning and are more likely to suffer from depression as compared to their counterparts. The findings of the study can be used to design intervention strategies aimed at reducing social isolation by incorporating leisure activities to ensure the optimal functioning of middle-aged and older adults.
... For the working respondents, caring for vulnerable groups (frail members or children) was important for generativity. Such volunteering may be seen as a form of tangible, material contribution for those in the labor force, with previous research supporting work and volunteering as complementary activities (Hao, 2008;. These findings can also be interpreted in the context of increasing COVID-19 cases in Hong Kong. ...
Generativity has been increasingly recognized as an important component of healthy aging. Although the desire to be generative is influenced by societal and cultural expectations, the relative influence of its driving factors by retirement status, a significant life-course transition, is underexplored. This study examined how later-life generativity is driven by the interplay between retirement status and financial, human and social capital. An online survey targeting Hong Kong adults aged 45+ was conducted. Linear regression models were stratified by retirement status (working and retired) to examine the effects of financial (income, assets, and financial satisfaction), human (education and health-related measures), and social capitals (productive and social engagement) on generativity. Among those working, higher generativity was associated with financial, human, and social capitals that facilitated material provision. Among those retired, human and social capitals that supported the transmission of knowledge and experience were more important for generativity. For both groups, support from close social networks was the strongest predictor. Different cultural demands, dictated by retirement status, play a crucial role in determining how older adults feel like they can contribute to subsequent generations. These findings can inform policies and programs that seek to support healthy transitions into retirement.
... 88 Further, ensuring individuals have the opportunity to stay engaged in paid work as well as in caregiving and community service improves their physical and mental health. 89 For example, in the United States, a study of nearly 3,000 workers found that a one-year increase in the age of retirement was associated with an 11 percent decline in all-cause mortality among "healthy" workers, as well as a 9 percent decline among "unhealthy" retirees. 90 One study spanning eleven European countries found that working for pay was associated with higher cognitive performance among people ages sixty to sixty-four, whereas retirement lowered scores on a 20-point memory test by 4.9 points, on average. ...
Well into the twenty-first century, achieving gender equality in the economy remains unfinished business. Worldwide, women’s employment, income, and leadership opportunities lag men’s. Building and using a one-of-a-kind database that covers 193 countries, this book systematically analyzes how far we’ve come and how far we have to go in adopting evidence-based solutions to close the gaps. Spanning topics including girls’ education, employment discrimination of all kinds, sexual harassment, and caregiving needs across the life course, the authors bring the findings to life through global maps, stories of laws’ impact in courts and beyond, and case studies of making change. A powerful call to action, Equality within Our Lifetimes reveals how gender equality is both feasible and urgently needed to address some of the greatest challenges of our generation.
... Furthermore, participants in this study viewed that work can promote psychological well-being. Working later in life is conditionally beneficial for psychological well-being (Hao, 2008;Yen & Lin, 2018). It was also found that working for psychological well-being motivates Chinese rural-to-urban migrant workers to continue working. ...
Background and Objectives
This study aims to examine why rural-to-urban migrant workers in China remain in the workforce after age 60.
Research Design and Methods
Semi-structured interviews were conducted and transcribed. Interview transcriptions were coded and analyzed by inductive content analysis.
Results
Rural-to-urban migrant workers in China continue to work even after they reach age 60 for reasons related to personal and family finances, as well as cognitive motivational, sociocultural, and working condition factors.
Discussion and Implications
Findings from this study deepen our understanding of the specific reasons why older rural-to-urban migrant workers in China continue working after age 60. While these findings emphasize the need for improved welfare programs and enhanced healthcare for older migrant workers, they also underscore the importance of providing a healthy and safe work environment for older workers.
... Several studies with older adults have shown that leisure activities-physical, cultural, and outdoor activities-contribute directly to the level of well-being, which in turn improves mental and physical health [24][25][26][27]. Along these lines, those who live with family members tend to participate more in leisure activities and have free time [28][29][30][31]. ...
The aim of this study is to analyze the effect of the type of habitation of older adults—with relatives or alone—on their health and well-being. The participants were 352 people over 65 years of age who collaborated with the research on a voluntary basis. The data indicated that those who live with family members have better social integration, well-being and happiness than those who live alone. A multiple regression analysis showed the positive effect of living with relatives on well-being and happiness. However, participation in social activities mitigates the effect of the type of cohabitation explaining better well-being and happiness in the older population. These findings support the idea of designing and implementing intervention policies focused on activities that promote social participation and social interactions to improve well-being and happiness in the older adults.
... In this study, there were no significant correlations and differences between marital status, gender, employment with well-being scales, creative self-esteem and creative activity in older respondents. In other studies, contradictory results have been obtained (Gaymu & Springer, 2010;Kolosnitsyna et al., 2014;Hao, 2008). ...
Introduction. The problem of subjective well-being of the elderly is becoming especially
relevant in the conditions of demographic aging of modern society. The novelty of the research
lies in the deepening of ideas about the relationship between subjective well-being and everyday
creativity in old age. The purpose of this study is to research subjective, cognitive and hedonistic
well-being in old age in relation to self-assessments of creative level and everyday creative activity.
Methods. The voluntary study involved elderly people aged 60 to 90 years, 78 of them men
(N = 202; M = 68.62; SD = 7.46). Self-report scales were used to determine self-assessments of
creative activity and the subjective level of creativity. The level of subjective well-being was
measured by the gerontological Life Satisfaction Index scale, LSI (authors Neugarten, Havighurst,
Tobin, in N. Panina's adaptation) and the Subjective Happiness Scale, (authors Lyubomirsky,
Lepper, in D. Leontiev's adaptation). For statistical analysis, the Wilcoxon, Kruskel-Wallis criteria,
Welch's t-test, Pearson's consensus criterion, Spearman's rank correlation coefficient were used.
Results. Noticeable positive correlations between the level of subjective well-being, creative
activity and the subjective level of creativity were revealed: correlation coefficient r from 0.594 to
0.610; p < 0.001. Significant differences in the level of subjective well-being were found between
creatively active and creatively inactive subjects (p < 0.001), as well as between subjects who
rated themselves as "not creative" and as "creative": W = 1729; effect value r = 0.654; p < 0.001;
95% CI. Discussion. The results obtained expand the understanding of everyday creativity in old
age, its relationship with subjective, cognitive and hedonistic well-being and can be used by
socio-psychological services in working with older people to improve their psycho-emotional
state and correct the level of subjective well-being.
... Some studies focus only on "psychological well-being" -e.g. Hao (2008) deals with the psychological well-being of seniors. Surveys related to the life satisfaction of elderly and their determinants are quite rare. ...
We estimate the influence of various factors on life satisfaction of Czech
seniors in a large survey sample. We find that good health, more education and
awareness of voluntary work participation, employee satisfaction and being currently employed are the main factors that contribute to being satisfied with the current quality of life in the group of Czech seniors. Surprisingly enough, increasing selfreported financial sufficiency is negatively associated with the quality of life. The main factors contributing to the life dissatisfaction are associated with being socially
separated. The worst outcomes are recorded for those living in social homes and
living alone. Any reported expectations of expected life changes (both positive and
negative expectations) are associated with lower probability of life satisfaction
... Aunque algunos investigadores clasifiquen el voluntariado como una actividad productiva (Hao, 2008), interesa destacar que los beneficios de ser voluntario no son materiales. Aunque podamos afirmar que la actividad voluntaria está vinculada al sistema capitalista y es productiva, va más allá cuando sirve como medio de vinculación solidaria entre las personas y cuando proporciona beneficios a los que están involucrados en ello, personas receptoras de la ayuda y voluntarios. ...
La presente obra emerge como resultado del trabajo colaborativo y sinérgico construido por educadores/as e investigadores/as pertenecientes a diferentes universidades en el contexto iberoamericano, todos ellos interesados en la comprensión y estudio de la generatividad a lo largo del ciclo vital, con un interés particular en las implicaciones socioeducativas de dicho constructo para el desarrollo de la profesionalidad docente en diversos ambientes y contextos histórico-culturales. Para cumplir con estos objetivos descritos, se han organizado los capítulos en 4 partes temáticos. Todos ellos, en su conjunto, favorecen un abordaje diverso, complejo y profundo de la generatividad, fundamentado en el desarrollo de investigaciones recientes en Iberoamérica, favoreciendo una sistematización actualizada y versátil sobre el desarrollo humano en el campo de las ciencias sociales y de la educación.
... With advancing age, older adults are more likely to experience less social contact and a loss of their sense of purpose in life (Friedman et al., 2015;Ryff, 2014), which can impact their quality of life and make them more vulnerable to mental health problems in later life (Friedman, 2012). On the other hand, meaningful volunteering involving socializing opportunities can enhance subjective wellbeing (Hao, 2008) and protect older adults against mental health declines in later life . Other studies have reported that regular volunteers had better health and a reduced mortality risk than non-regular volunteers (Dattilo, Mogle, Lorek, Freed, & Frysinger, 2018;Harris & Thoresen, 2005). ...
To promote health and healthy aging, it is important to develop supportive environments and specific opportunities for meaningful and valuable social engagement. The current study examined the differences of Body Mass Index (physical health indicator), perceived health, happiness, and depression (mental health indicators) according to the clusters of leisure participation patterns among older adults who were retired and living in the community. A sample of 1,134 participants aged 60 years and older was extracted from the Alameda County Health and Ways of Living Study. The result of K-means cluster analysis revealed that there were three distinctive leisure participation patterns: the ardent achievers, the physical enthusiasts, and the easy contenders. The multivariate analysis of covariance (MANCOVA) showed that the ardent achievers had the highest perceived mental health and happiness scores and the lowest depressive symptoms scores. Physical enthusiasts demonstrated the highest scores on ‘working in the garden’ and the lowest Body Mass Index of the three groups, which is one of the important indicators for physical health. Activity professionals may encourage older adults living in the community to work in the garden or other moderate to rigorous physical exercise, which may contribute to increased physical and mental health of older adults. Further practical implications are discussed.
... Staying in employment after age 55 is associated with slower cognitive decline, possibly due to the stimulation of the workplace and accompanying social interaction, according to the World Health Organization (2011). According to Choi and Bohman (2007) and Aquino et al. (1996), the benefits of employment for older people also extend to their mental health, such as an increase in life satisfaction and a decrease in depression (Hao, 2008). Older people can also preserve mental health, avoid psychological suffering (Mirowsky & Ross, 2003), and contribute to the activation of both the brain and social networks (Farrell, 2017). ...
Given the increasing rise of the world's older population and the quick alteration of the socioeconomic landscape, many countries, Malaysia included, recognise the necessity to protect the economic security of the older people. This country's alarmingly ageing population will transform it into an aged nation by the year 2030. However, several issues and challenges experienced by them, such as the inadequacy of financial savings, living in poverty, and being censured by family issues, may prevent Malaysia from attaining its 2020 ambition of becoming a developed nation and aged friendly country. Thus, this study believed it was necessary to implement effective methods to tackle these issues and challenges along with maximising the health and wellness of the older population. One alternate approach proposed by this study is to increase the participation of healthy and capable older people in the labour force. Therefore, the purpose of this study is to examine the effects of labour force participation and engagement on older people, their family members, society, and the country in support of the alternate approach proposed. Following this aim, this study obtained the data from qualitative research for the doctoral degree of one of the authors. This study found that older people's employment favourably impacted themselves on (i) an individual level, (ii) their families and coworkers on an interpersonal level, and (iii) society on a societal level. This study also demonstrates that the employment of older people can positively impact the (iv) country. The majority of the positive impacts on older people's employment can contribute to their wellbeing, as outlined in the National Policy for Older Person (2011).
... Another important component of the policy mix to adapt to the population aging is the promotion of a longer working life. It is widely documented how working even at an older age contributes to both the objective and subjective well-being of older persons especially through income security, greater sense of social participation, and self-fulfillment (Hao, 2008;Schwingel et al., 2009;Sewdas et al., 2017). Retaining older workers and encouraging employment among retirees can bring economic benefit as the working age population is expected to gradually shrink in the coming decades. ...
This paper examines the pattern and prospects of labor force participation of older persons in developing Asia. We review relevant literature and conduct a detailed analysis of descriptive statistics drawn from the labor force survey micro data of selected countries in the region. Evidence suggests that the structure of social security and pensions, education and health status of workers, household structures and gender norms, and technological change and adoption at the workplace explain the observed patterns of labor supply among older persons in advanced economies. Some of these factors are equally relevant in developing Asia, while others seem to pose divergent impacts. The restricted coverage and depth of social security and pension schemes likely have limited effect in many countries of developing Asia to date, except in selected areas and among educated older workers. The lack of career options upon the first retirement can also explain the early exit from the labor market among the skilled group. This paper recommends public and private actions that could promote longer working lives in the region.
... At the psychological level, by participating in social activities, older people can feel a sense of belonging, meaning and purpose, which in turn promotes psychological health and reduces the probability of psychological symptoms such as depression and loneliness [20][21] . In terms of social participation patterns, voluntary participation and labor participation were the main components of early studies by foreign scholars [22][23] .Tomioka subdivided social participation into voluntary participation, sports participation, community participation, etc. through the analysis of residents' selfadministered questionnaires [24] . Social participation, religious participation, and alumni/clan participation have gradually entered the research horizon of scholars, and social participation models are becoming increasingly diverse [25] . ...
In the dual context of healthy aging and active aging, the article uses research data from the 2018 China Health and Aging Tracking Survey (CHARLS) to analyze the effects of different types of social participation on the health of empty nesters based on activity theory. The findings show that economic participation, social participation and family participation have significant effects on the health of empty nesters, but voluntary participation has no significant effects; there is variability in social participation on health under different dimensions, and social participation has more significant effects on the physical health of empty nesters. The above results remain robust after applying the instrumental variables approach to address endogeneity, which suggests that activity theory in enhancing the health of empty nesters through social participation can help to actively address the challenges of aging. Based on this, the article suggests the need to create a favorable social atmosphere for social participation of empty nesters, strengthen institutional construction, and provide strong legal protection; children should take the initiative to create conditions for their parents' social participation; and empty nesters should use their own work and participation abilities to partially or fully solve their health problems through their own behaviors.
... So, there is an opportunity to tap into the potential of older adults as crowd workers with a lot to offer and time on their hands -especially that their share in the society is increasing, and in 2019, "more than one fifth of the EU-27 population was aged 65 and over". [6] The question whether crowdsourcing tasks are effective in keeping older adults cognitively engaged is relevant, as volunteering activities [22] in general may increase older adults' well-being [23], improve their mental and physical health [21] and can be seen as a protective factor for their psychological wellbeing [7,8], potentially delaying the onset of age-related issues [19]. Therefore, in this study we want to gain insights into older adults' motivation and engagement with online citizen science tasks and uncover some guidelines for designing and presenting crowdsourcing citizen science tasks to this group. ...
In this exploratory study we evaluated the engagement, performance and preferences of older adults who interacted with different citizen science tasks. Out of 40 projects recently active on the Zooniverse platform we selected top ones to be represented by 8 diverse, yet standardized, microtasks, 2 in each category of image, audio, text and pattern recognition. Next, 33 older adults performed these microtasks at home and evaluated each task right after its completion to, finally, share what could encourage them to engage with such tasks in their free time. Based on the results we draw preliminary conclusions regarding older adults' motivations for engaging with such crowdsourcing tasks and suggest some guidelines for task design while discussing interesting avenues for further inquiry in the area of crowdsourcing for older adults.
... Initially, successful aging was defined as "achieving maximum satisfaction with life" (Havighurst, 1961). Subsequent proposals (Hao, 2008;Menec, 2003), however, consider successful aging as a process that combines three main components: 1) low probability of disease and disease-related disability; 2) high cognitive and physical functional capacity, and; 3) active participation in life. These three concepts are hierarchically interrelated since the absence of disease or disability means that physical and psychological functions are maintained. ...
... Furthermore, research on the association of ageing with the work status and health of older adults is conflicting. While some studies indicate that rising longevity is closely associated with economic challenges and deteriorating health (Angel et al., 2003;Jeon et al., 2007;Bang et al., 2017;Kwak & Kim, 2019), empirical evidence mostly from the developed world indicates that older adults who remain engaged in work have better mental and physical health (Hao, 2008;Schwingel et al., 2009;Silver et al., 2020). There has not been much research on this critical issue in India, and as India ages it is important to understand the association between the health and work status of older adults in this country. ...
Using data collected in 2017–18 for the baseline wave of the Longitudinal Ageing Study in India, this paper analyzes labor force participation among older adults (people aged 60 years and older) and their job characteristics, income, and associated social security benefits. Analysis of a cohort of 31,464 older adults shows that although labor force participation declines with age, 36% of older adults in India are working; of these, two-thirds are employed primarily in agriculture and allied services, only 5% have a full-time job, and just 6% are covered by a work-related pension scheme. Older adults who have less education, live alone, do not have a chronic disease, and lack health insurance or pension coverage are more likely to work beyond age 60. The dominant predictor of labor force participation is health status, especially in rural India. Older adults are almost equally likely to work across wealth categories in urban India, rejecting the hypothesis that only the poor work beyond age 60 in India. Vulnerable (i.e., rural, living alone, divorced/separated) females work more than their male counterparts. Older adults continue to work depending on their physical capacity, which is highly age-dependent, across economic categories. Our results provide evidence for the pursuit of an older adult policy in India that focuses on healthy ageing particularly in the context of poor social security coverage and the unorganized nature of work, as healthy populations continue to engage in economic activity.
... Gönüllülüğe katılan yaşlıların fiziksel ve bilişsel sağlıklarının daha iyi (Brown, Consedine ve Magai, 2005;Schwartz ve Sender,1999;Piliavin ve Siegl, 2007'den aktaran Theurer ve Wister, 2010, sağlıklarındaki gerilemenin daha yavaş (Hao, 2008;Jung, Gruenewald, Seeman ve Sarkisian, 2010;Lum ve Lightfoot, 2005;Luoh ve Herzog, 2002'den aktaran McNamara ve Gonzales, 2011, depresif semptomlarının daha az (Li ve Ferraro, 2005, s. 81) olduğu görülmüştür. Gönüllülük, hayatta bir amaca sahip olma ve hayat üzerinde kontrol kurma hislerini destekleyerek, egzersiz yapma ve sağlıklı beslenmeyi pekiştirmektedir (Menec ve Chipperfield, 1997'den aktaran Onyx ve Warburton 2003. ...
Статья посвящена реконструкции и анализу экспертных представлений о занятости пожилых в контексте отложенного старения и социальной включенности. На материалах интервью с экспертами, работающими с пожилыми людьми в различных сферах (от органов государственной власти и центров занятости до некоммерческих организаций (НКО), социальных служб и гериатрических центров), мы реконструировали и проанализировали представления о занятости в возрасте 60+. Трудовая занятость в старшем возрасте однозначно расценивается экспертами как положительное явление, если речь не идет о тяжелом физическом труде. Основными агентами в формировании траектории продленной занятости эксперты считают самих пожилых, работодателей и государство. Роль наиболее активного агента отводится пожилым, которым приписываются необходимость иметь желание и возможность работать, заявлять о своих потребностях, регулярно повышать свою квалификацию. Потенциальные траектории продленной занятости в возрасте 60+ разнообразны и помимо очевидного продолжения работы на привычном месте могут включать переквалификацию/«вторую карьеру», в том числе с уходом в онлайн-занятость; развитие имеющегося опыта до экспертного уровня; дауншифтинг и неоплачиваемую занятость (например, волонтерскую деятельность). Законодательство о самозанятых позволяет более гибко планировать профессиональную траекторию. Работодатели, по мнению экспертов, могли бы активнее развивать институт наставничества, вовлекая в него пожилых и делая условия труда более инклюзивными путем введения гибких графиков для работников 60+. Самые противоречивые оценки достались государству: с одной стороны, от него «мало что зависит», пожилые «должны сами быть активнее», но с другой стороны, именно государство является агентом, задающим и структурирующим политики занятости в том числе в контексте возрастных границ, поэтому принизить его роль и значимость невозможно. В качестве основных мер государственной политики занятости эксперты называют как проектные и точечные – проект «Демография», поддержка некоторых инициатив НКО, но их эффективность вызывает сомнение и требует отдельного изучения, так и более системные – закон о самозанятости и пенсионная реформа. Непосредственно повышение пенсионного возраста эксперты оценивают негативно, рассматривая его в первую очередь не как возможность продлить занятость, а как лишение пожилых людей материального ресурса. Наряду с этим, существующие государственные институты, работающие с пожилыми, в том числе прямо или косвенно затрагивающие продление занятости, определяются как недостаточно эффективные и слабо ориентированные на потребности рынка труда и самих пожилых. На сегодняшний день роль государства в продлении занятости весьма противоречива в связи с негативно воспринятым повышением пенсионного возраста, в результате которого «полупенсионер/полуработник» вынужден фактически в одиночку выстраивать свою профессиональную траекторию. Тем не менее эксперты позитивно оценивают закон о самозанятости, позволяющий в том числе и пожилым оформлять этот статус для гибких форматов трудоустройства. В целом, государство должно гораздо активнее продвигать разнообразные политики занятости пожилых, создавая работающую инфраструктуру для переобучения и обеспечивая соответствующий законодательный базис для работодателей и старших работников, мультиплицировать лучшие практики НКО. Для этого необходимо плотное взаимодействие с работодателями, пожилыми и НКО с целью учета интересов всех участников, но это взаимодействие отсутствует наряду с комплексной политикой по продлению занятости как таковой.
In responding to the challenge of rapid population aging in Asia, promoting healthy and active aging has become a key policy priority in many countries. There is an opportunity to realize a “silver demographic dividend” by harnessing the potential of healthy and productive older people. This paper presents the findings of a regional comparative study that quantifies the health capacity to work of older persons in seven East Asian and Southeast Asian countries. Along with improvements in the health status of older Asians over time, the additional (or untapped) working capacity of older men aged 55–64 years is estimated to have increased by 0.74 years on average over the past 15 years, with substantial variation across countries, gender, and other individual characteristics. For example, additional work capacity increased by 0.24 years in Japan and Viet Nam during the review period and by 2.24 years in the People’s Republic of China. In contrast, additional work capacity declined by 0.17 years in Indonesia. The proportion of all men aged 60–64 who are not working but are able to do so ranges from 7.8% (Viet Nam) to 21.1% in Figure 8 (Malaysia), with the proportion even higher for men in their late 60s. Older adults with higher levels of education and those living in urban areas generally have greater untapped work capacity. The potential silver demographic dividend, measured by the aggregate untapped work capacity of older workers above retirement age, is significant and has the potential to boost the gross domestic product of many countries in the region.
Previous studies have highlighted that the balance between social support individuals receive and that they provide plays a crucial role in their well‐being. However, these studies predominantly focused on the balance without distinguishing situations where individuals receive and provide abundant support from situations where they receive and provide limited support. The present research emphasizes the importance of concurrently considering the amount and balance of social support. With this goal, we compared models focusing solely on balance to those considering both amount and balance, utilizing data from older Japanese adults ( n = 1,324). The models focusing solely on balance yielded mixed findings: positive relationships between balance and subjective well‐being emerged only when variables indicating balance were created in a particular manner. In contrast, the models examining both amount and balance provided more reliable and comprehensive insights. First, the amount of support received and provided independently had a positive relationship with subjective well‐being. Second, balance was not related to subjective well‐being: individuals receiving or providing abundant support (i.e., unbalanced) reported similar levels of well‐being to those receiving and providing abundant support (i.e., balanced). Furthermore, they reported higher levels of well‐being than those receiving and providing limited support (i.e., balanced).
Background: Increasing attention has been paid to productive engagement as an important protective factor against depression in older persons. This study assessed the impact of employment on self-rated depression among older persons in Thailand using a matched sample obtained from a propensity score matching method.
Methods: This study involved a cross-sectional secondary data analysis using the 2019 Health and Welfare Survey dataset. Descriptive analysis and ordered logistic regressions were used.
Results: The effect of employment was negative for self-rated depression with an adjusted odds ratio (AOR) of 1.417. This indicates that employment could reduce self-rated depression among older persons, regardless of differences in demographic and socioeconomic conditions. Additionally, analysis using the entire sample of data revealed significant socioeconomic inequalities in self-rated depression, i.e., older persons who had low income (AOR=0.974), were older (AOR=1.015), female (AOR=1.178), lived alone (AOR=1.244), had a chronic health condition (AOR=2.024), and lived in rural areas (AOR=1.155) had a higher self-rated depression than their counterparts.
Conclusion: The government should consider benchmarking its policies against other countries’ policies that promote employment opportunities for older persons, such as South Korea’s Employment Creation for The Elderly and Japan’s Silver Human Resource programs. Additionally, social stress theory emphasizes environmental resources such as social support and networks as effective moderators that mitigate the socioeconomic inequalities associated with self-rated depression. Therefore, the government and local administrative authorities should strengthen current community-based social activity programs for older persons. The current low participation rate on these programs must be addressed.
An increasing interest has been focused on the association of internal migration with depressive symptoms in China. However, very few of those studies investigated the possible mechanisms underlying that association. This study aims to examine the relationship between internal migration and depressive symptoms and various mechanisms behind this relationship among Chinese middle-aged and older adults. The data was drawn from the national China Health and Retirement Longitudinal Study (CHARLS) 2011. The depressive symptoms were defined by the 10-item Center for Epidemiologic Studies Depression Scale (CES-D-10). Within the broader definition of internal migration, we divided migration status into multiple types based on individuals’ hukou information. Structural equation models (SEMs) were adopted to examine the association between different types of migration and depressive symptoms and disaggregate the relationship between internal migration and depressive symptoms into direct and mediation pathways. After considering selection features related to migration processes, we found strong relationships between multiple types of internal migration and depressive symptoms. Compared with rural non-migrants, rural-to-urban migrants with urban hukou, urban-to-urban migrants, and urban non-migrants had fewer depressive symptoms (β=-0.75, 95% CI: -1.02, -0.49; β=-1.21, 95% CI: -1.68, -0.73; and β=-0.39, 95% CI: -0.49, -0.29, respectively). Post-migration experiences, such as living conditions, household income per capita and social participation, mediated the relationship between internal migration and depressive symptoms. These findings of the mechanisms underlying the link between internal migration and depressive symptoms offer evidence for developing mental health interventions for migrants during the rapid progress of urbanization in China.
В статье исследуется трудовая занятость в возрасте 60+. Участие в рынке труда является одним из способов включения в жизнь общества и важным компонентом концепции активного долголетия. При этом, индекс активного долголетия (ИАД) однако ограничивается количественной оценкой занятых пожилых. В этом случае остаются за скобками те индивидуальные смыслы, барьеры и неравенства, которые определяют траектории продолжения (или прекращения) занятости после достижения пенсионного возраста. Развитие гибких и удаленных форматов работы в совокупности с цифровизацией, создает новые возможности, при этом зачастую требуя и развития новых компетенций. Мы рассматриваем продленную занятость как способ включения и реализации потенциала пожилого человека. Нас интересует то, как трансформируется занятость в старшем возрасте, какими индивидуальными смыслами наделяется занятость и какие барьеры возникают. Исследование показало, что занятость работников пенсионного возраста в сфере интеллектуального и творческого труда носит устойчивый характер – они не проблематизируют пенсионный статус и продолжают работу на привычной должности. Однако, трансформации отдельных индивидуальных траекторий информантов позволяют говорить об изменяющейся и гибкой продленной занятости, при которой привычный формат сменяется или дополнятся частичной занятостью, проектными подработками и новыми формами деятельности. Продолжение занятости имеет для работников 60+ комплексный смысл, от экономической составляющей до психосоциальной. К основным потенциальным барьерам продолжения занятости относятся здоровье и необходимость осуществлять уход за родными. Проблема эйджизма работодателей неактуальна для пожилых работников в тех случаях, когда они обладают уникальной/редкой квалификацией или речь идет о позициях, малопривлекательных для молодежи. . В тех случаях, когда работники 60+ сталкивались с проявлениями эйджизма, он носил выраженный исключающий характер – от увольнения или отказа в приеме на новую работу до принудительного сокращения ставки и заработной платы. Интеллектуальный и творческий тип занятости диктует необходимость постоянного повышения квалификации и самообразования, что с одной стороны повышает конкурентоспосбность, а с другой обостряет неравенство. Развитие технологий и дистанционных форматов (особенно в пандемию) обострили проблему цифрового неравенства, особенно для представителей творческих профессий, которые ранее не подразумевали активного использования новых технологий.
Compared to the driving group, the driving cessation group in this study was found to be a high-risk population in terms of their life satisfaction. This study evaluated data from 315 older adults, aged 55 or older, using the 2018 Korean Older Adults Driving and Mobility Service Trend Survey. These data were collected from 17 representative cities and provinces in South Korea. To minimize the potential for selection bias and the confounding factors inherent in observational studies, this study employed the propensity score matching (PSM) method. Following the matching, multivariate regression analyses were conducted to compare the driving cessation group (n = 65) with the driving group (n = 50) in terms of their life satisfaction. After adjusting for demographic and health-related variables, the older adults who had ceased driving were found to have lower life satisfaction (Coef. = −1.39, p-value = 0.018). Our results highlight the importance of establishing preliminary evidence to guide the development of tailored programs for older adults—especially for those likely to experience diminished life satisfaction and heightened risk—to address the mobility challenges stemming from driving cessation.
Objectives:
To examine the relationship between hearing loss and subjective well-being (SWB) and to investigate the mediating roles of social activity and cognitive function in the link between hearing loss and SWB.
Methods:
An analysis of 11,949 older Chinese adults was conducted from the 2018 wave of the Chinese Longitudinal Health Longevity Survey. Multiple linear regression and mediation analysis were conducted.
Results:
Hearing loss had a significant negative association with SWB (B = -0.787; 95% CI: -0.961, -0.613). Hearing loss influenced older adults' SWB in the following three ways: first, via the partial mediating effect of social activity (B = -0.021, 95% CI: -0.036, -0.009); second, via the partial mediating effect of cognitive function (B = -0.275, 95% CI: -0.347, -0.252); and third, via the serial mediating effects of social activity and cognitive function (-0.016, 95% CI: -0.021, -0.011).
Conclusions:
Social activity and cognitive function play a serial intermediary role in the relationship between hearing loss and SWB among older Chinese adults.
Clinical implications:
Multidimensional health and social interventions aimed at improving mental health and social inclusion among adults with hearing loss should be recommended.
Background
Visual impairment (VI) is a strong predictor of depression in middle-aged and older adults. However, the underlying mechanisms and pathways have not been well characterized. The purpose of this study was to determine whether Internet use and social participation mediate the effects of self-reported VI on depression.
Methods
The study used the fourth wave of cross-sectional data from the China Health and Retirement Longitudinal Study, including 19,766 Chinese adults. Depression was assessed according to the CES-D 10 International Scale. Logistic regression models were used to examine the relationship between self-reported VI and depression. While adjusting for relevant covariates, the PROCESS macro (model nos. 6 and 91) was used to assess the chain-mediating effects of Internet use and social participation.
Results
A total of 17,433 respondents were included in this study. The CES-D 10 results showed that 7,327 middle-aged and older adults had depressive symptoms, of whom 39.5% were male and 10.2% were ≥75 years old. 32.1% of respondents self-reported VI. Regression analysis showed a positive association between VI and depression, while Internet use and social participation had a negative predictive effect on depression. In the mediation analysis, the social participation pathway contributed the most to the total effect, accounting for 52.69% of it. The proportion of Internet use is 37.72%. When these two mediators were considered together in the full model, they accounted for 9.58% of the total effect of VI on depression.
Conclusion
Internet use and social participation were important mediators that mitigated the effects of VI on depression. Combined with previous evidence, online activities such as e-health and m-health can effectively promote disease monitoring and diagnosis, and various offline social participation activities can also play a role in regulating emotions. Therefore, Internet use and social participation factors may serve as relevant entry points for the development of intervention programs that may further improve the mental health of the visually impaired.
Objectives:
Losses that occur with age can create barriers to meaningful activity engagement, a crucial aspect of ageing well. Research on this topic is frequently qualitative, with few studies accessing large community samples. This study (a) assessed the frequency specific personal and environmental barriers (such as poor health and limited transport access), identified by older adults in previous research, were endorsed; (b) used latent class analysis (LCA) to identify population subgroups based on combinations of these barriers, and (c) examined associations of subgroups with purpose in life and quality of life.
Methods:
Four hundred and thirty-two randomly selected Australian adults aged 65+ years (average age 76.7, 58% female) completed a telephone survey. They were asked whether certain barriers affected engagement and provided data on sense of purpose and quality of life.
Results:
Physical health/mobility were the most frequently reported barriers, followed by sensory difficulties, financial limitations, and caring responsibilities. The LCA revealed up to three subgroups/classes of participants according to the barriers endorsed. Class 1 had low endorsement of all barriers, including physical health. The majority of Class 2 endorsed physical health barriers and other barriers more frequently than Class 1. Class 3 were comparable to Class 2, but also frequently endorsed community access barriers. Class 1 were younger and reported a greater sense of purpose and higher quality of life.
Conclusions:
Physical health/mobility barriers to engagement are those most frequently endorsed by older adults. These barriers may increase vulnerability to, or exacerbate the impact of additional barriers, such as sensory difficulties, access to transport and lack of finances.
Frank Caro and colleagues’ foundational work set the stage for a broad and multifaceted productive aging (PA) literature. Recent PA research has focused on health benefits associated with work and volunteering, respectively. However, these activities are often assumed to have independent associations with health and wellbeing. Less clear is whether and in what ways older adults participate in productive engagement lifestyles including multiple activities over a long period of time. This paper uses latent class analyses and the Health and Retirement Study to examine combined engagement in work and volunteer activities over 12 years between ages 56-68 to (1) identify patterns of work and volunteer activities across the retirement transition, (2) evaluate characteristics of individuals within these patterns, and (3) explore whether particular patterns are associated with markers of health and wellbeing. We describe how our findings inform successful aging by incentivizing socially and individually beneficial PA lifestyles.
Purpose:
Increasing retirement-aged workers are encouraged to stay in the labor market, as delayed retirement initiative is proposed. This study investigates the interplay of late-life working participation and social security on the mental health risk of retirement-aged workers.
Method:
We applied data from the China Health and Retirement Longitudinal Study (CHARLS-2018), and the instrumental variables regression was conducted.
Results:
Late-life working could alleviate depression, as did the beneficiary status of employment-based social health insurance and the pensionable phase of social pension participation. Besides, the role of late-life working in alleviating depression became more salient when late retirees were not insured by the employment-based social health insurance and still in the pension contribution phase.
Conclusion:
It is suggested that the current social security system in China has not been sufficiently well designed to protect the mental health of retirement-aged workers.
Background
Elderly individuals who experience falls suffer from higher levels of anxiety because of physical or mental injury. This study examined the association between falls and anxiety among elderly Chinese individuals. It also explored the mediating roles of functional ability and social participation in the link between falls and anxiety.
Methods
The analytical sample included 8233 elderly people aged 60 and above, and prospective data were obtained from the Chinese Longitudinal Healthy Longevity Survey (CLHLS). Anxiety was evaluated by a 7-item Generalized Anxiety Disorder (GAD-7) scale, and falls were determined by self-report. The association between falls and anxiety was assessed by linear regression. Mediation analysis was used to explore the potential mediating roles of functional ability and social participation on the association between falls and anxiety.
Results
Suffering falls predicted higher anxiety levels among elderly individuals (B = 0.608, 95% CI: 0.471, 0.746). Functional ability and social participation play partial mediating roles in the association between falls and anxiety, and the mediating effects were 0.036 (95% CI: 0.020, 0.058) and 0.005 (95% CI: 0.003, 0.014), respectively. The serial mediating effect of functional ability and social participation on the association between falls and anxiety was 0.003 (95% CI: 0.002, 0.005).
Limitations
This study is based upon cross-sectional data, which limit inferring causality.
Conclusions
This study suggests that policy-makers should explore how to encourage elderly individuals who experience falls to restore functional ability and participate in appropriate social activities to alleviate anxiety.
Sent a questionnaire concerning marital status, work activities, roles and role conflicts, and satisfaction to 450 female college graduates (classes of 1948, 1953, 1958, 1963, and 1968). 261 usable responses were received. 3 groups were studied: full- and part-time employment and full-time housekeeping. The main hypothesis, that satisfaction would be related to the extent to which women actually did what they ideally preferred to do, was supported in the case of housekeeping and volunteer activities but not for full- or part-time employment. Role involvements and conflicts were generally greater for workers than housewives, although full-time workers differed greatly from part-timers and were the most satisfied of the 3 groups. (PsycINFO Database Record (c) 2012 APA, all rights reserved)
Examined job attitudes as a function of employee full-time and part-time job status, sex, and tenure using multivariate ANOVA and discriminant function analysis. Measures of satisfaction with work, pay, benefits, supervision, advancement, and the job in general were collected from 399 full-time and 665 part-time clerical level employees in 55 stores of a Midwestern retail sales organization. Significant results were found for job status, sex, and tenure. There were no interactions. Part-time employees were less satisfied with work, benefits, and the job in general. These results were obtained after controlling for differences due to employee sex and tenure, and they were consistent with knowledge of objective organizational conditions. Directions for research are suggested using the concepts of frame of reference, social comparisons, and partial inclusion. (17 ref) (PsycINFO Database Record (c) 2012 APA, all rights reserved)
This article reviews empirical evidence concerning the effects of paid employment on women's mental and physical health, with special attention to variations in the effects of employment depending on the characteristics of women and their jobs. We highlight methodological issues and focus primarily on studies with longitudinal data for representative samples of women. We conclude that women's employment does not have a negative effect on their health, on the average. Indeed, employment appears to improve the health of unmarried women and married women who have positive attitudes toward employment. Possible mediators linking employment to health outcomes are discussed. Current evidence suggests that increased social support from co-workers and supervisors may be one important mediator of the beneficial health effects of employment. Given the paucity of available longitudinal studies, we encourage additional prospective research examining the mental and physical health consequences of employment according to job characteristics, personal characteristics, and disease outcome. We also recommend research on several promising mediators of employment–health relationships. (PsycINFO Database Record (c) 2012 APA, all rights reserved)
Older residents (N 5 1972) in California were investigated prospectively for association of volunteering service to others and all-cause mortality. Potential confounding factors were studied: demographics, health status, physical functioning, health habits, social support, religious involvement, and emotional states. Possible interaction effects of volunteering with religious involvement and social support were also explored. Results showed that 31 percent (n 5 630) of respondents volunteered, about half (n5289) for more than one organization. High volunteers ([.greaterequal]2 organizations) had 63 percent lower mortality than nonvolunteers (age and sex-adjusted) with relative hazard (RH) 5 0.37, confidence interval (CI) 5 0.24, 0.58. Multivariate adjustment moderately reduced difference to 44 percent (RH 5 0.56, CI 5 0.35, 0.89), mostly due to physical functioning, health habits, and social support. Unexpectedly, volunteering was slightly more protective for those with high religious involvement and perceived social support. After multivariate adjustment, any level of volunteering reduced mortality by 60 percent among weekly attenders at religious services (RH 5 0.40; CI 5 0.21,0.74). Lower mortality rates for community service volunteers were only partly explained by health habits, physical functioning, religious attendance, and social support.
The idea of a long and stable career rewarded by retirement is a fixture of the American social ethos and political economy. The paradox is that many Americans' careers do not fit this image. Here, we examined how the structure of the career, as compared to only those circumstances proximate to retirement, is important for understanding career endings. Based on labor force histories drawn from the National Longitudinal Survey of Older Men, we observed that the occupational roles held through the mid and late career combine additively to influence retirement and disability experiences, with different conditions of work coming into play depending on the career stage. Occupational roles in the mid career also have long-term, indirect effects, operating through the onset of health problems and the adequacy of pension benefits. Although retirement and disability are not hinged to occupational mobility per se, these career endings are sensitive to major discontinuities in the career and work role in terms of unemployment and labor force mobility.
Cross-sectional differences between retirees and workers in the importance of coworkers as a source of support, as well as in general quantitative support (social networks and frequency of interaction) and qualitative support (confidants and the perceived reliability of support) were examined. The sample consisted of 1,513 older men (mean age = 61), participants in the Normative Aging Study. Half (56%) were working, and the rest were retired. Slightly fewer retirees than workers reported coworker friends, especially among those who were long-term retirees or who did not work at all in retirement. Whereas similar findings were seen with quantitative support, workers and retirees reported nearly identical levels of qualitative support. However, retirees almost never discussed personal problems with former coworkers. The relevance of these findings for the convoy construct is discussed.
Employment correlates positively with health, but is employment cause or consequence? The social causation hypothesis says that employment improves the health of men and women. The selection hypothesis says that healthy people get and keep jobs more than unhealthy people do. We test both hypotheses using longitudinal data from a national probability sample (N = 2,436 interviewed in both years). In the equations representing social causation, full-time employment predicts slower declines in perceived health and in physical functioning for both men and women. Full-time employment has the same effect for both sexes. Among women, it also has the same effect for White and non-White, and for married and nonmarried. In the equations representing social selection, physical functioning increases the odds of getting or keeping a full-time job for both sexes. Perceived health increases the odds for women but not for men. In regard to homemaking among women, homemaking predicts significantly greater declines in health, but health has no effect on the odds of becoming or staying a homemaker.
Preface by Scott A. Bass Achieving a Productive Aging Society by Francis G. Caro, Scott A. Bass, and Yung-Ping Chen Age, Productivity, and Transcendence by Harry R. Moody Labor Market Obstacles to Productive Aging by Joseph F. Quinn and Richard V. Burkhauser Ageism in the Labor Market versus Productive Aging by Alan Walker and Philip Taylor New Technologies and the Aging Work Force by David C. Mowery and Mark S. Kamlet Is Unretirement Unprecedented? by W. Andrew Achenbaum and Malcolm H. Morrison Formal Volunteer Work Among Older Americans by A. Regula Herzog and James N. Morgan Caregiving and Productive Aging by Pamela Doty and Baila Miller The Political Economy of Productive Aging: Long-term Care by Laura Katz Olson Religious Institutions and Productive Aging: Lost Traditions/Horizons Reclaimed by W. Andrew Achenbaum The Lessons of Television: Learning Productive Aging as a Social Role by George Gerbner A Strategy for Productive Aging: Education in Later Life by Harry R. Moody Women's Lives, Women's Work: Productivity, Gender, and Aging by Martha Holstein Cultural and Ethnic Contexts of Aging Productively Over the Life-Course: An Economic Network Framework by James S. Jackson, Toni C. Antonucci, and Rose C. Gibson Continuing Limits on Productive Aging: The Lesser Rewards for Working Women by Karen C. Holden Conclusion: Defining the Place of the Elderly for the 21st Century by Robert Morris Index
We assess evidence for gender differences across a range of relationships and consider whether the form and quality of these relationships affect the psychological functioning of men and women differently. Data from a national panel survey provide consistent evidence that men's and women's relationships differ. However, we find little evidence for the theoretical argument that women are more psychologically reactive than men to the quality of their relationships: Supportive relationships are associated with low levels of psychological distress, while strained relationships are associated with high levels of distress for women and for men. However, if women did not have higher levels of social involvement than men, they would exhibit even higher levels of distress relative to men than they currently do. We find little evidence for the assertion that men and women react to strained relationships in gender-specific ways--for example, with alcohol consumption versus depression.
To understand the way children develop, Bronfenbrenner believes that it is necessary to observe their behavior in natural settings, while they are interacting with familiar adults over prolonged periods of time. His book offers an important blueprint for constructing a new and ecologically valid psychology of development.
Structured interviews were conducted with 1,115 male and 271 female professional employees of a major American corporation. Statistically significant gender differences were found in each of three objective job characteristics (job title, salary grade, and number of employees supervised), whereas few significant gender differences were found in subjective job characteristics (intrinsic and importance rewards, peer cohesion, staff support, role conflict, role ambiguity, and quantitative workload). Multiple regression equations were used to predict subjective job characteristics from objective job characteristics, personality factors, family circumstances, and educational attainment. The factors associated with subjective job characteristics were similar for men and women. For both men and women, personality factors were the strongest predictors, followed by objective job characteristics. Family-related variables and educational attainment were not strongly associated with subjective job characteristics for men or for women. The relationship between objective and subjective job characteristics are discussed in terms of “job” and “gender” models of job perceptions.
Panel data from a sample of 313 women who were wives and mothers in 1956 and were interviewed both in 1956 and in 1986 are used to consider the pathways that lead to health and social integration. Possible relationships were explored between the number, duration, timing, and episodes of various nonfamily roles throughout adulthood and subsequent health and multiple-role occupancy. It was found that occupying multiple roles in 1956, participating in volunteer work on an intermittent basis, and belonging to a club or organization were positively related to various measures of health and that occupying multiple roles in 1956, as well as doing volunteer work, was positively related to occupying multiple roles in 1986.
The assumption that multiplicity of roles produces a strong tendency toward role strain as a consequence of role conflict or role overload is disputed. The benefits of role accumulation tend to outweigh any stress to which it might give rise, thereby yielding net gratification. Four types of rewards derived from role accumulation are discussed: role-privileges; overall status security; resources for status enhancement and role performance; and enrichment of the personality and ego gratification. The importance of taking rights more fully into account in research and theory is emphasized. The possibility that barriers to role accumulation are a source of social instability is briefly assayed.
Based upon assumptions that the social self is comprised of major role-identities and that role-identities reduce psychological distress, this paper examines the mental health advantage of married and unmarried men relative to comparable women as a function of multiple-role occupancy. Panel data from surveys of 1,106 adult heads of household in Chicago and 720 adults in New Haven are utilized. Possession of multiple role-identities (up to 6 in Chicago, 8 in New Haven) does significantly reduce distress in both samples. But identity summation does not consistently reduce gender or gender by marital status differences in distress. Further exploration revealed that men and women appear to experience equivalent levels of distress when they hold the same numbers and types of roles. When sex differences do occur, they appear to be a function of employment rather than of marriage, contrary to popular belief. Although structural inequalities in role occupancy appear to produce status differences in distress, future research will require deliberately stratified samples to adequately test this hypothesis.
When social structures are viewed as made up of roles, social stability is not explicable as a function of (a) the normative consensual commitment of individuals or (b) normative integration. Instead, dissensus and role strain--the difficulty of fulfilling role demands--are normal. In a sequence of role bargains, the individual's choices are shaped by mechanisms, outlined here, through which he organizes his total role system and performs well or ill in any role relationship. Reduction of role strain is allocative or economic in form, but the economic model is different. "Third parties" interact with an individual and his alter, to keep their bargain within institutionalized limits. The larger social structure is held in place by role strains. The cumulative pattern of all such role bargains determines the flow of performances to all institutions. The research utility of this conception is explained.
The CES-D scale is a short self-report scale designed to measure depressive symptomatology in the general population. The items of the scale are symptoms associated with depression which have been used in previously validated longer scales. The new scale was tested in household interview surveys and in psychiatric settings. It was found to have very high internal consistency and adequate test- retest repeatability. Validity was established by pat terns of correlations with other self-report measures, by correlations with clinical ratings of depression, and by relationships with other variables which support its construct validity. Reliability, validity, and factor structure were similar across a wide variety of demographic characteristics in the general population samples tested. The scale should be a useful tool for epidemiologic studies of de pression.
This study develops and measures a concept of Work-Role Centrality, mainly from a cognitive perspective, and examines by means of questionnaire data its distribution in a representative sample of 778 males participating in the labor force in Israel. It also investigates the relationship between specific job rewards and work-role centrality for the five major occupational categories in this sample. Its results show that work-role centrality is a fairly reliable and valid measure: groups of different ethnic origin, educational level, employment status, and occupation differ in their work centrality, in the directions hypothesized a priori. It also demonstrates that for each occupational category, work centrality is related to intrinsic, material, social, and hygienic rewards, regardless of the importance assigned to these rewards. For all groups the strongest relationship is with intrinsic rewards. The findings concerning the relationship with intrinsic rewards corroborate previous studies, while the other relationships were not previously found.
With few exceptions, recent developments on the nature of sampling bias have not filtered into sociological practice. Undertakes a brief review of recent advances in the diagnosis of and corrections for 'sample selection bias'.-Author
Social productivity including paid work, volunteer work, care of family members, and informal help to friends has been linked to health and well-being in older populations. This paper argues that social productivity is a form of inter-personal exchange founded on the notion of reciprocity. As the activities are socially valued, efforts are expended in return for rewards. When efforts are not matched by rewards, an imbalance exists that has the capability to damage the individual's health and well-being. Strong internal motivations for engaging in activities, including the need for self-agency and for self-esteem, may help explain why people stay involved in activities characterized by imbalance and are seen as pathways that may mediate the relationship with health. Different societal structures that act as barriers to social productivity are explored in light of reciprocity and the possibility for imbalance. Last, the potential link between reciprocity in social productivity and the social gradient in older people's health is highlighted.Social Theory & Health (2004) 2, 117. doi:10.1057/palgrave.sth.8700014
The purpose of this investigation was to ascertain if the type of volunteer experience was related to the physical health or psychological well-being of older adult volunteers. A central pattern emerged from the data: the type of, as well as the number of, hours donated to a volunteer activity were associated with psychological well-being. Implications for social workers involved with volunteer programs and services are discussed in terms of volunteer recruitment and retention, and the need to develop more significant volunteer roles, especially for low-income older adults.
Maintains that poor sampling procedures jeopardize the external validity of research and that internal validity is threatened as well through the introduction of fundamental specification errors. A formal model of explicit selection, the special case of truncation, the case of incidental selection, and estimators with and without multivariate normality are discussed. Examples are presented, based on actual data, of how one can handle these problems in practice. (48 ref) (PsycINFO Database Record (c) 2012 APA, all rights reserved)
Older Americans contribute to society's ability to age in several ways: through volunteer work, informal assistance to others, and paid work; through taking care of their own households and possessions; and through participating in activities that increase their health and well-being. Overall productive contributions are lower among older Americans than among their younger, particularly middle-aged counterparts. Some of this decrease is due to increased health problems among the aged, some to a cessation of age-related roles, and some to societal beliefs and norms about productive involvement or noninvolvement of the elderly. It is proposed that individual and societal aging could benefit from increased productive participation of the aged, but options that are flexible in quantity and format need to be available. (PsycINFO Database Record (c) 2012 APA, all rights reserved)
The positive association between volunteering and health has been widely interpreted as evidence of the salutary effect of volunteering during adulthood. Using three waves of data from a national survey, this study uses structural equation models to examine the relationships among volunteering, functional limitations, and depressive symptoms during middle and later adulthood. The findings reveal a salutary effect of volunteering in later life as well as a compensatory mechanism. By contrast, only a barrier mechanism was uncovered in middle age: Depressive symptoms decreased volunteer participation over time. The results demonstrate life course variation in the relationship between volunteering and health and suggest greater attention to selection processes in the study of social engagement and health.
This research relies on data from a survey conducted in 1981 to explore the potential negative and positive consequences of having multiple roles. The responses of 500 employed women to questions about self-esteem, satisfaction with careers, partners, and children, and perceptions of life stress and pleasure were examined. The number of roles held by respondents ranged from 1 to 5 (worker, partner, parent, volunteer, and student). The results indicated that higher self-esteem and greater job satisfaction were associated with holding more roles. However, neither marital nor parental satisfaction was consistently related to the number of roles held. Although the majority of working women reported their lives to be stressful, this finding was independent of the number of roles held, and women with more roles did not consistently report a greater number of stressful life domains. These findings suggest that, for employed women, having multiple roes may enhance psychological well-being.
Patterns of labor-force participation were studied with a broad array of indicators of physical and psychological well-being. The sheer amount of work--whether people work and, if so, how many hours they work--shows little relationship to health and well-being. Drawing on scattered existing research and theory, it is hypothesized and found that persons whose patterns of labor-force participation (or nonparticipation) reflect their personal preference report higher levels of physical and psychological well-being than do those whose level of labor-force involvement is constrained by other factors. The results do not differ by gender, age (65 years and older vs. 55-64 years), or occupation (professional vs. clerical or sales vs. blue-collar workers). Data are from 1,339 respondents 55 years of age or older in the Americans' Changing Lives Survey, a large national, cross-sectional survey of Americans 25 years of age and older with an oversample of those 60 years of age and older, and are analyzed by ordinary least squares multiple regression.
Differences in participation in social networks were analyzed as a function of age, drawing on a theoretical model of substitution processes. Using an empirical approach from the study of participation in voluntary organizations, I separated the direct effects of age from indirect effects via age-based declines in resources. The results show that a substantial proportion of the age-based decrease in level of activity in social networks was due to declines in resources, but similar analyses for the sources of participation in networks showed effects of age that persisted after controlling for resources. These results point to some important distinctions among measures of social networks.
Although research generally indicates a positive relationship between activity and well-being, the strength of the relationship depends upon the presence or absence of personal and social resources such as health, solvency, residence, and surviving spouse as well as the nature of the activity itself. When such resources diminish, remaining activities take on added significance for maintaining morale. The present study investigates the relationship between elders who are volunteers, employed, or participating in meal site programs, and life satisfaction. The responses of 1400 systematically selected elders to a needs assessment survey in a four-county area in northwestern New England suggest that those individuals experiencing the greatest number of resource deficits, such as living alone, residing in a city, and being in poor health, benefitted the most from participating in these formal activities. An unanticipated finding was that the strongest and most consistent predictor of life satisfaction for disadvantaged elders was participation as a volunteer for the Retired Senior Volunteer Program.
Volunteer workers over age sixty-five were compared to retired elderly who did not engage in any type of work activity. Volunteers were found to have significantly higher degree of life satisfaction, stronger will to live, and fewer symptoms of depression, anxiety, and somatization. Since no differences were found on most demographic or background variables, participation in volunteer work appears to be the salient factor in explaining psychosocial differences between volunteers and non-volunteers.
Activity theory and the role enhancement hypothesis predict that multiple role involvement in late life is linked to greater
psychological well-being; but the disengagement hypothesis and the role change hypothesis anticipate a negative association
between these variables. In this study, the association between multiple roles and psychological well-being is tested among
adults age 60 and over from a national sample. Three measures of well-being are regressed on background variables, number
of roles (from among employee, spouse, parent, volunteer, homemaker, grandparent, caregiver, and student), and interaction
terms. Multiple roles are associated with higher life satisfaction and selfefficacy and lower depressive symptoms. A significant
interaction shows larger regression coefficients for roles among men than women on life satisfaction, and a three-way interaction
indicates a stronger association of roles with selfefficacy for black men than the other three gender-ethnicity combinations.
Findings support the role enhancement hypothesis and the activity perspective among older adults.
Research on health assessments has shown the importance of social relations as a factor influencing health, especially among older people. Drawing upon sociological theories of social integration and social exchange, this research examines two domains of social relations which are expected to influence assessed health. In addition, the study uses a cross-national sample (N = 3,407) of noninstitutionalized older people from the Republic of Korea, Fiji, Malaysia, and the Philippines to determine if modernization conditions the relationships between social relations and health. Results indicate that social integration has a positive effect on subjective health assessments in all nations, whereas social contributions are significant only in Korea. Findings suggest that health assessments by elders in the most modernized nations appear to be much more influenced by the contributions they make to the social order than is the case in nations which are less modernized.
In Australia, as in other Western countries, policy-makers are turning their attention to older people, particularly the early retired, as a rich potential source of volunteers. This study examines volunteer behavior in a sample of older Australians in either their immediate pre or post retirement phase. It involves a secondary analysis of data collected for a study on retirement, and seeks to examine the main social and demographic differences between those who volunteer and those who do not. The key concepts associated with volunteering are the availability of 1) time and 2) social and personal resources. Logistic regression analyses revealed that volunteers are significantly more likely to come from the higher occupational classes, are less likely to be self-employed, and are more likely to view their health positively. Implications of these results for social policy are discussed.
This article contrasts the experiences of 398 White and 319 Black grandmothers raising their grandchildren in the absence of the middle generation. Similarities include age, education, familial relationship to the grandchild, age of the grandchild being raised, reasons that grandmothers are raising their grandchildren, behaviors characteristic of the grandchildren, and impacts on the grandmother's work life. Differences include marital status, work status, and income. Black grandmothers are more likely than White grandmothers to have peers who also live with their grandchildren. Black grandmothers are also more likely to come from families in which multiple generations lived together and to be receiving support from formal sources. White grandmothers experienced more burden from their caregiving role than did Black grandmothers.
Although a number of authors have proposed that older volunteers should benefit in terms of better health and well-being, few researchers have examined the issue empirically to see whether this is true. The purpose of this article is to build on this literature by empirically examining the association between volunteering and mortality among older adults.
Using data from a nationally representative sample, we use Cox proportional hazards regression to estimate the effects of volunteering on the rate of mortality among persons aged 65 and older.
We find that volunteering has a protective effect on mortality among those who volunteered for one organization or for forty hours or less over the past year. We further find that the protective effects of volunteering are strongest for respondents who report low levels of informal social interaction and who do not live alone.
We discuss the possibility that the curvilinear relationship we observe between volunteering and mortality is due to a combination of factors, including self-identity, role strain, and meaningfulness. Other research using more precise data is needed to determine whether these ideas are supportable.
Providing care to a family member with dementia has significant psychological and physical consequences. Sleep quality is
likely affected by caregiving, yet this domain has received surprisingly little empirical study. In this study, sleep complaints
were examined in 90 older women who were family caregivers of adults with dementia. Caregivers reported more sleep complaints
than similarly aged healthy adults on all seven components of the Pittsburgh Sleep Quality Index, and a similar level of sleep
complaints to those of sleep-impaired women and depressives on 6 and 4 components, respectively. Sleep medication was used
by 38% of caregivers in the past month. The most common sleep complaints that occurred at least weekly were waking up in the
night or early morning (84%), bathroom needs (83%), and sleep onset difficulties (41%). Sixty percent of the sample reporting
nighttime care recipient disruptions stated that these disruptions occurred 3 or more times per week. Caregiver relationship
and care recipient diagnosis were unrelated to sleep complaints. Lower levels of education, less internalized anger, care
recipient disruptions, and psychological distress were related to poorer overall sleep quality. Sleep complaints are a common
yet understudied problem in family caregivers.
Despite improvements in health and longevity, many workers in the United States retire young. By age 62, only 44 percent of men and 24 percent of women are still working full-time. The combination of younger retirement and increasing longevity means that Americans are spending more years in retirement than at any time in history. The widespread availability of post-retirement benefits is an important aspect of this national trend. Eligibility for employer-provided retirement benefits can begin as young as age 50 and occurs quite frequently at age 55. Eligibility for Social Security benefits begins at age 62. Eligibility for Medicare begins at age 65. As the population ages, the implementation of cost-saving reforms in retirement programs has become an increasing policy concern. To sustain the major public entitlement programs, proposals have been made to raise the age of eligibility for Social Security and Medicare, or to reduce benefit levels, or to target benefits to those most in need. Other cost-saving changes have been considered, and in many cases implemented, in employer-provided retirement benefits. These policy changes will have implications for the retirement decisions of working Americans in the future. This report, drawing on research sponsored by the National Institute on Aging, reviews the trend in the United States toward earlier retirement as well as some recent research findings on how retirement decisions relate to public and private retirement policies. With the changing age demographics of the population, the implementation of cost-saving reforms to retirement policies and other changes in the economic circumstances of individuals as they age, the work and retirement decisions of older workers will continue to evolve over the coming decades.
Current literature on social support identifies social structure as a source of distress. However, past efforts tend to operationalize structure in terms of demographic characteristics. The present paper argues that structure should be conceived of as participation and involvement in community and social relations. Structure may include community ties, social networks and intimate ties. We hypothesize that the three elements represent the outer layer (belongingness), the intermediary layer (bonding), and the inner layer (binding) of social relations and should exhibit differentiated effects on mental health. We further hypothesize that these structural elements, in sequence, provide functional (i.e., instrumental-expressive, perceived-received, and routine-non-routine) supports which, in turn, prevent or protect against distress. Using data from the 1993-1994 Albany survey, we construct measures for elements of structural and functional support to test the relationship between the two as well as their effects on depression. Results confirm that elements of structural support, as predicted, differentially affect functional supports, and that the elements of both structural and functional supports exert direct effects on depression. Further, structural supports also exert indirect effects on depression, mediated by functional supports.
Studies often fail to adequately test the causal relationship between volunteering and well-being. Yet the media and empirical research have focused attention on the impact of volunteering on the well-being of elderly persons. This study addresses two questions: First, does volunteering improve the psychological and physical well-being of elderly persons? Second, do elderly volunteers experience different benefits than younger adults?
Using nationally representative panel data, I assessed the long-term impact of volunteering on the life satisfaction and perceived health of persons aged 60 and over. I then compared ordinary least squares regression results for seniors with those for younger adults.
I found that older volunteers experienced greater increases in life satisfaction over time as a result of their volunteer hours than did younger adult volunteers, especially at high rates of volunteering. Older adults experienced greater positive changes in their perceived health than did younger adult volunteers.
The type of volunteer work in which older and younger adults engage may be part of the reason for these differential effects. But the context in which older and younger adults volunteer and the meaning of their voluntarism are more likely explanations. Researchers should take into account volunteer commitment when studying volunteering's effect on well-being, not simply volunteer role.