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"Carr, Dawn C"
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Productivity & Engagement in an Aging America: The Role of Volunteerism
Volunteering in late life is associated with health benefits such as reduced risk of hypertension, improved self-related health and well-being, delayed physical disability, enhanced cognition, and lower mortality. Although the mechanisms of these correlations are not clear, increases in physical activity, cognitive engagement, and social interactions likely play contributing roles. Volunteers are typically thought to represent a select group, often possessing higher levels of education and income, good health, and strong social networks. However, group evidence indicates that there are many members of groups of lower socioeconomic status (SES), including elderly adults, who serve their communities on a regular basis and in high-priority programs. We propose that the impact of volunteering in an aging population be recognized and invested into, and that effective programs harness social capital of older adults to address critical societal needs and also improve the well-being of older adults. While members of low-SES groups are less likely to volunteer, they exhibit disproportionately great benefits. The Experience Corps represents a model of an effective volunteerism program, in which elders work with young schoolchildren. Existing federal initiatives, including the Foster Grandparent Program and Senior Companion Program – which target low-income elders – have had low participation with long waiting lists. Given the proven benefits and relatively low proportion of older persons who volunteer, enhancement of elder volunteerism presents a significant opportunity for health promotion and deserves consideration as a national public health priority.
Journal Article
Uses and Gratifications Sought From Mobile Phones and Loneliness Among Japanese Midlife and Older Adults: A Mediation Analysis
Mobile phone use is increasing among older adults, yet few studies have examined how the various purposes for which mobile phones are used affect loneliness and through what mechanisms. This study aims to address the gap by examining if different uses and gratifications of mobile phone are associated with loneliness and whether there is a mediation effect through face-to-face social interaction.
Participants included 1,318 mobile phone users drawn from a national probability sample of Japanese middle-aged (65% aged 40-64 years) and older adults (35% aged 65 years or older) in 2011. Ordinary Least Squares regression and mediation analyses were used.
Regression analyses revealed that using a mobile phone for sociability purposes was associated with decreased loneliness (
= -0.10,
< .001), while using it for the purposes of entertainment/passing time was associated with increased loneliness (
= 0.04,
< .01); some effects varied by age and mobile phone feature use. Further, sociability was associated with increased face-to-face social interaction, which was, in turn, associated with reduced loneliness. Passing time, however, was related to reduced face-to-face interaction and, in turn, an increased sense of loneliness.
Although it is not possible to determine causality from this cross-sectional design, it is possible that the various purposes for which mobile phones are used (specifically sociability and passing time) partially affect loneliness through their effects on either increasing or decreasing face-to-face social interaction. Recommendations for enhancing positive and reducing negative effects of mobile phone usage are discussed.
Journal Article
The Role of Maternal Relationship in the Persisting Effect of Combat Exposure
Abstract
Background and Objectives
The veteran population is aging. Combat exposure is associated with negative health and psychological outcomes in some, but not all veterans; others even appear to experience gains. One mechanism driving these varied responses might be early life relationships. This study investigated the extent to which the quality of early maternal relationships influences the association between combat exposures and life satisfaction (LS) among older male veterans.
Research Design and Methods
Data were drawn from a pooled sample of male veterans in the Health and Retirement Study who completed the 2013 Veteran Mail Survey (N = 1,160). We used ordinary least squares regression to examine the association between combat exposures (with and without exposure to death) and LS, and the moderating effect of maternal relationship quality on this association.
Results
We found a significant positive association between maternal relationship quality and LS, and a significant association of combat that was dependent on maternal relationship quality. Specifically, combat-exposed veterans with poor maternal relationship quality reported lower LS, whereas combat-exposed veterans with high relationship quality reported higher LS—relative to their noncombat-exposed counterparts. The effects of exposure to death of hazardous toxins did not mediate or moderate this relationship.
Discussion and Implications
Findings indicate that maternal relationships had a lasting influence on whether combat contributed to a positive, negative, or neutral long-term effect on wellbeing. Findings support previous studies that suggest early life factors may play an important role in the fostering of resilient health outcomes over the life course. Implications for preventative strategies in soldiers are discussed.
Journal Article
INITIAL EXPLORATION OF NEWLY IMPLEMENTED PUBLIC HEALTH POLICY USING GEOGRAPHIC INFORMATION SYSTEMS: THE CASE OF A U.S. SILVER ALERT PROGRAM
Context. Public health policies are designed for specific subsets of the population. Evidence that a policy is effectively designed should be based on whether it effectively addresses its mission. A critical factor is determining whether utilization patterns reflect the mission and the efficacy of public health policies, particularly during early stages of implementation. We assert that utilization patterns can be effectively assessed using geographic information systems (GIS). Objective. This paper uses the Silver Alert program, a recently implemented public health policy, as a case for how and why GIS can be used to examine utilization patterns. Design. GIS are employed to visualize and spatially analyze a new health policy – North Carolina's Silver Alert policy. We use visualized data and spatial statistics to assess utilization patterns and mission adherence. Results. Results show disproportionate utilization patterns of the Silver Alert policy. In particular, an outstanding number of Silver Alerts were used in Wake County and its surrounding counties, which are both the political and media center of North Carolina. Other counties, including populous counties, had few if any alerts. Conclusion. Findings suggest that the North Carolina's Silver Alert policy needs to be adjusted to more effectively address its mission. We identify several factors that need further examination prior to a statewide evaluation. From this case study, we propose ways future programs, particularly the introduction of the Affordable Care Act (ACA) in 2014, might use GIS to examine utilization patterns as a means to better understand whether and in what ways the health care needs of the public are being met with such a policy.
Journal Article
A New Paradigm for Qualitative Research in the United States: The Era of the Third Age
This paper reviews qualitative research in the United States, highlighting the ways research has changed in the era of the third age. With growing attention to positive and uplifting aspects of aging, qualitative research has played a critical role in the exploration of the ways in which older adults are engaging in meaningful ways with others. We describe two key methodological approaches that have been important to examining positive aspects of aging and exploring the extent to which a growing number of years of healthy retirement are redefining the aging experience: ethnographic research and grounded theory research. We also review key topics associated with qualitative research in the era of the third age. These topics fit within two dominant frameworks – research exploring meaningmaking in later life and research exploring meaningful engagement in later life. These frameworks were critically important to raising attention to meaningful experiences and interactions with others, and we propose that the agenda for future qualitative research in the United States should continue contributing to these frameworks. However, we note that a third framework should also be developed which examines what it means to be a third ager through use of a phenomenological approach, which will assist in the important task of theory building about the third age.
Journal Article
A New Paradigm for Qualitative Research in the United States: The Era of the Third Age
This paper reviews qualitative research in the United States, highlighting the ways research has changed in the era of the third age. With growing attention to positive and uplifting aspects of aging, qualitative research has played a critical role in the exploration of the ways in which older adults are engaging in meaningful ways with others. We describe two key methodological approaches that have been important to examining positive aspects of aging and exploring the extent to which a growing number of years of healthy retirement are redefining the aging experience: ethnographic research and grounded theory research. We also review key topics associated with qualitative research in the era of the third age. These topics fit within two dominant frameworks - research exploring meaning-making in later life and research exploring meaningful engagement in later life. These frameworks were critically important to raising attention to meaningful experiences and interactions with others, and we propose that the agenda for future qualitative research in the United States should continue contributing to these frameworks. However, we note that a third framework should also be developed which examines what it means to be a third ager through use of a phenomenological approach, which will assist in the important task of theory building about the third age. [PUBLICATION ABSTRACT]
Journal Article
RACIAL VARIATION IN THE RELATIONSHIP BETWEEN LIFE-COURSE TURNING POINTS AND LIFE SATISFACTION
Abstract
According to many social gerontologist and life course scholars, major life course transitions, referred to as “turning points,” have a significant impact on well-being. Although the relationship between major later life turning points and general well-being is fairly well understood, it is unclear whether there is systematic racial/ethnic variation in response to turning points in general. Moreover, much of sparse research on racial/ethnic variation that does exits overlooks how Hispanic Americans may respond differently to turning points than do either white Americans or African Americans. To that end, in this paper, we draw on life course theory to assess whether the relationship between retirement and the death of a spouse (i.e. turning points) and life satisfaction (a measure of well-being) vary by race/ethnicity. We focus on differences between whites, Hispanics, and African Americans. Moreover, we draw on stress process theory to identify mechanisms that may explain any observed racial/ethnic variation in these relationships. Using the Health and Retirement Study, in preliminary results we find: 1) before adjusting for turning points, Hispanics appear to have higher life satisfaction than whites, and African Americans do not differ significantly from whites; 2) however, after adjusting for turning points, only Hispanics who make life course transitions have significantly higher life satisfaction than whites; and 3) this higher life satisfaction observed among Hispanics who experience turning points is largely not accounted for by several factors derived from stress process theory.
Journal Article
WORK ENVIRONMENTS AMONG OLDER WORKING CAREGIVERS
Abstract
Many older workers balance paid work with care work. Working caregivers face unique challenges that make them more likely to leave the work force. However work environments may be more or less accommodating to their needs, and in addition, they may need to work for financial reasons. Current research on working caregivers has not explored: a) the work environments of older working caregivers; b) whether particular work environments are likely to influence whether caregivers stop working; and c) whether these effects vary by type of care work (spousal versus parental). This study addresses these gaps. Using data drawn from the 2008-2014 waves of the Health and Retirement Study, we used latent class analysis to develop a typology of work environments of individuals 51-75 who are engaged in paid work. Four classes of work environments emerged: A) balanced, supportive work environments (34%); B) average environments with high job lock (30%); C) poor, unsupportive work environments (21%); and D) highly accommodating, stressful jobs (14%). Logistic regression results showed those in group D were less likely than all other groups to leave their jobs. In addition, relative to spousal caregivers, parental caregivers in class A were significantly more likely to leave the labor force. Results suggest that caregivers may be more likely to continue engaging in paid work in supportive work environments, and work environments may be more likely to retain older working caregivers by identifying ways to help them meet their work needs and maintain their caregiving roles.
Journal Article
Initial Exploration of Newly Implemented Public Health Policy Using Geographic Information Systems: The Case of a U.S. Silver Alert Program
Context.
Public health policies are designed for specific subsets of the population. Evidence that a policy is effectively designed should be based on whether it effectively addresses its mission. a critical factor is determining whether utilization patterns reflect the mission and the efficacy of public health policies, particularly during early stages of implementation. We assert that utilization patterns can be effectively assessed using geographic information systems (GIS).
Objective.
This paper uses the Silver Alert program, a recently implemented public health policy, as a case for how and why GIS can be used to examine utilization patterns.
Design.
GIS are employed to visualize and spatially analyze a new health policy – North Carolina's Silver Alert policy. We use visualized data and spatial statistics to assess utilization patterns and mission adherence.
Results.
Results show disproportionate utilization patterns of the Silver Alert policy. in particular, an outstanding number of Silver Alerts were used in Wake County and its surrounding counties, which are both the political and media center of North Carolina. Other counties, including populous counties, had few if any alerts.
Conclusion.
Findings suggest that the North Carolina's Silver Alert policy needs to be adjusted to more effectively address its mission. We identify several factors that need further examination prior to a statewide evaluation. From this case study, we propose ways future programs, particularly the introduction of the Affordable Care Act (ACA) in 2014, might use GIS to examine utilization patterns as a means to better understand whether and in what ways the health care needs of the public are being met with such a policy.
Journal Article