Adulthood Age Research Articles

From Ancient Patterns of Hand-to-Hand Combat to a Unique Therapy of the Future.

The purpose of this publication is to provide generalized knowledge of the area of changes that took place over past centuries in relation to health, social and cultural conditions. In Greek mythology, it was necessary to nurture both body and spirit to be a perfect human being. This link between the concepts of physical beauty and goodness can be also found in later works dedicated to ancient Greek history. Particularly in Greek myths, and in Greek education in general, it was believed that both physical and spiritual excellence were necessary to raise men to achieve their true form. Some of the main forms of implementing this idea were hand-to-hand combat exercises (wrestling, boxing and pankration). Ideas characteristic of the world of ancient Greece, in a general sense, can be observed in the culture of the Far East. The main difference is the fact that these principles did not survive in Western culture as a result of transformation into a consumer society focused on the rejection of moral principles. The brutalisation of the forms of the Roman Games meant that the ideals of the ancient world were forgotten for more than 1500 years. The modern Olympic Games were resurrected in the 19th century. Inspired by the ancient Greek cult of health of body and spirit, they gave rise to a movement known as Olympism. In the Olympic Charter written by Coubertin, Olympism was called "a philosophy of life exalting and combining in a balanced whole the qualities of body, will and mind". The combat sports disciplines have had their place there since the beginning of the modern Olympic Games. The evolution of hand-to-hand combat disciplines, including numerous scientific studies indicating a very broad impact in the area of health, led to this type of physical activity being reached for as an essential element in supporting the health-promoting behaviour of society. Nowadays, physical activity in the area of exercise with elements of hand-to-hand combat, combat sports, or martial arts is an indissoluble link in the prevention and treatment of 21st century diseases. For Parkinson's disease patients, drug treatment is an essential resource for continuing to function in society, but it will not be completely effective without supporting the treatment with appropriate and attractive physical activity (e.g., "Rock Steady Boxing"). Of similar importance is the prevention of dangerous falls, which are common in this population as well as among the elderly or those affected by other diseases of civilisation. Implementing the principles and techniques of safe falling in the teaching of the young population significantly increases the likelihood of applying appropriate responses to these individuals in adulthood and old age. Actions that should be taken now for prevention can be implemented through social programmes, such as "Active today for a healthy future".

노화체험활동이 대학생의 노년기 신체적 변화에 대한 인식에 미치는 영향

Objectives The purposes of this study were to develop an aging simulation activity as a part of gerontology class and to examine its effects on college students’ perception of physical changes in older adulthood.
 Methods The participants were 14 students who signed up for a gerontology class during fall semester in 2022 at J university. They participated in the aging simulation activity. Before and after the participation, the students completed a questionnaire composed of five questions. At the end of the activity, they were also asked to list three words associated with their experiences. The data were analyzed by Wilcoxon signed rank test and content analysis.
 Results After doing the aging simulation activity, the participants perceived the effects of aging-related physical changes on the elderly more seriously. They described aging-related physical changes with the word of ‘frustrated’ and ‘hard.’ The analysis of the meanings of free association words contained 19 sub-themes, and they were categorized into three themes: ‘experience of physical functioning limitations or decline,’ ‘chargers accompanying the physical functioning limitations or decline,’ and ‘empathetic understanding of the elderly and the realization of needs of behavioral chargers for older adults.’
 Conclusions Aging simulation activity is effective in that it helps college students experience physical, psychological and emotional, social, and behavioral chargers with aging in older adulthood and understand the elderly in the empathetic way, and realize the needs of behavioral changes. These results reflect that the aging simulation activity proposed in this study would be an effective teaching method in operating gerontology-related classes. Based on the limitations, the directions for future research and aging simulation activity programs are suggested.

The life course of impulsive males from childhood to adulthood

PurposeThis paper aims to advance knowledge about the life course of impulsive males from childhood to adulthood, based on data collected in the Cambridge Study in Delinquent Development (CSDD) from age 8 to 65 and to investigate which factors are related to impulsiveness at different ages.Design/methodology/approachThe CSDD is a prospective longitudinal survey of 411 London males first studied in 1961–1962 at age eight. The males have been assessed face-to-face nine times from age 8 to 48. A total of 77 impulsive boys and 334 non-impulsive boys were identified at ages 8–10 using three measures of impulsiveness: daring/risk-taking (rated by parents and peers), psychomotor clumsiness/impulsivity (based on psychomotor tests of the boys) and poor concentration/restless in class (rated by teachers).FindingsParental, family, socio-economic, academic attainment and behavioural factors in childhood were the most significant variables that were related to impulsiveness at ages 8–10. Impulsive males had low IQ, truancy, high daring and a high antisocial personality score at ages 12–14. No exams passed, and a low socio-economic status job were especially significant at ages 16–18, while poor employment, convictions (especially for violence), anti-establishment attitudes and an unsuccessful life were especially characteristic of impulsive males in adulthood (ages 32–48).Practical implicationsChild skills training programmes are needed to reduce childhood impulsiveness.Originality/valueTo the best of the authors’ knowledge, this is the first-ever publication that documents the life course of impulsive males from childhood to late adulthood.

How aware are college students of sexual harassment and assault in Turkey?

ABSTRACT The aim of this study is to examine college students’ views on sexual harassment and assault. Semi-structured interviews were conducted with 135 students (51.1% of women and 48.9% of men) from a state university in Turkey. Participants ages ranged from 18 to 27 (M = 21.69 years, SD = 2.49). Findings obtained from the content analysis show that the participants were not able to define sexual harassment and assault accurately and that their definitions included stereotypes regarding sexual harassment and assault. Other findings of the study show that participants had low awareness of online sexual harassment and did not have enough information about appropriate reporting avenues. According to these findings, there is a need for comprehensive prevention and education initiatives to raise awareness of this issue among Turkish college students. Practice impact statement Emerging adulthood (ages 18–24) is a particularly risky time for perpetration of sexual violence. This study draws attention to need for awareness raising among Turkish college students of the nature and risks for sexual violence. It is also important for professionals working with college students and university administrators to have in-depth information on students’ experiences of sexual assault, and preferred reporting avenues, to ensure there are tailored interventions and responses to support victims.

Oral Health-Related Quality of Life from Young Adulthood to Mid-Life.

Quality of life varies with time, often worsening, and is affected by circumstances, events, and exposures at different stages of life. Little is known about how oral health-related quality of life (OHRQoL) changes during middle age. We investigated OHRQoL changes from age 32 to 45 years among participants in a population-based birth cohort, along with clinical and socio-behavioural associations. Generalised estimating equation models were used to investigate the association between OHRQoL (assessed at ages 32, 38, and 45 years; n = 844), and the socioeconomic position in childhood (up to age 15 years) and adulthood (ages 26 through to 45 years), dental self-care (dental services utilisation and tooth brushing), oral conditions (such as tooth loss), and experiencing a dry mouth. The multivariable analyses were controlled for sex and personality traits. At each stage of life, those of a lower socioeconomic status were at greater risk of experiencing OHRQoL impacts. Those who engaged in favourable dental self-care habits (the regular use of dental services and at least twice daily tooth brushing) experienced fewer impacts. A social disadvantage at any stage of life has enduring deleterious effects on one's quality of life in middle age. Ensuring access to timely and appropriate dental health services in adulthood may reduce the impacts of oral conditions on one's quality of life.

Do Sleep-Related Metacognitive Strategies Shape My Sleep? The Relationships between Strategies for Controlling Sleep-Related Intrusive Thoughts and Subjective and Objective Sleep Quality in Young Adulthood and Older Age

This study examined the associations between thought control strategies and subjective and objective sleep quality, across the adult lifespan. One hundred forty-nine individuals without insomnia (age range 18-86 years; M = 45.35, SD = 20.53) completed the Thought Control Questionnaire Insomnia-Revised for assessing sleep-related thought control strategies. Self-reported sleep quality was measured with the Pittsburgh Sleep Quality Index. Then, subjective and objective sleep parameters (i.e., total sleep time, sleep onset latency, sleep efficiency) were recorded through a sleep diary and an actigraph across 7 days. Results from linear mixed-effects models showed that a worry strategy was associated with longer subjective sleep latency and shorter subjective total sleeping time. An aggressive suppression strategy was associated with longer subjective total sleeping time. No such involvement of thought control strategies was detected for subjective sleep efficiency and all of the objective sleep parameters. Other individual differences (i.e., age, sex, circadian preference, self-reported sleep quality) also explained both subjective and objective sleep parameters, though to a different extent depending on the sleep parameter considered. The assessment of sleep-related thought control strategies, along with other individual characteristics, should be considered to account for individual differences in sleep quality and implement practices/interventions to support it in adulthood and older age.

Measurement Invariance of Prayer Importance Scale: Religiosity, Gender, Age

The main goal of the research was to increase knowledge on the psychometric properties of the Prayer Importance Scale (PIS). The study analyzed the structure of test items using item response theory (IRT), Mokken scale analysis (MSA), and confirmatory factor analysis (CFA) to establish factorial structure of the method. Measurement invariance (MI) was calculated in groups differentiated by three criteria: religiosity, gender, and age. MI verifies whether test items measure the construct in the same way across different groups. The Structure and Level of Religiosity Test (SLRT) was used to examine the level of religiosity in participants. In a study conducted with a sample of n = 566 adults (Mage = 49.16 years; SDage = 15.72), two religious groups were identified based on a median distribution: with low (n = 275) and high (n = 291) levels of religiosity. Two groups differentiated by gender, men (n = 284) and women (n = 282), were equivalent per age period: early (age 25–39; n = 192), middle (age 40–59; n = 187), and late adulthood (age 60+; n = 187). Results of the analyses show high homogeneity of items comprising PIS, as well as strict invariance for the three distinguished criteria. Results of the study provide extended knowledge about psychometric properties of PIS and the ability to compare results due to religiosity, gender, and age.

Updated the Maastricht VI/Florence Consensus recommendations for the treatment of <i>Helicobacter pylori</i> infection: A review

The new Maastricht VI/Florence Consensus clarifies a number of provisions that were previously under discussion. It has been postulated that Helicobacter pylori infection always causes gastritis, regardless of symptoms or complications. Before making a convincing diagnosis of functional dyspepsia, it is necessary to exclude Helicobacters gastritis. Some provisions of the consensus, such as the test and treat tactic, require elements of a critical attitude, taking into account Russian regional conditions. About 90% of stomach cancers are due to H. pylori. Eradication of H. pylori makes it possible to prevent gastric cancer at any age in adulthood, but the effectiveness of such cancer prevention decreases with age. Bismuth quadruple therapy is preferred in the eradication therapy algorithm. Decreased value of triple treatment with clarithromycin. There is a rapid increase in H. pylori resistance to fluoroquinolones. Triple therapy with rifabutin is called the final eradication protocol.

Does financial education affect retirement savings?

Since individuals are increasingly required to manage their own retirement portfolios, policy levers that increase retirement planning and saving have become increasingly important. We use variation in timing and presence of state-required personal finance coursework in high schools to estimate the effect of the financial education coursework on the likelihood of holding and amount in retirement accounts in adulthood (ages 25–40). Our results show no definitive increases in account ownership, non-retirement investment accounts, or homeownership. Since prior work finds required high school financial education improves credit and debt outcomes, we recommend that states and educators prioritize content that is more immediately relevant for 18-year-olds, such as budgeting, long-term debt, and credit.

"Keep Talking to Me": College-Attending Women's Desires for Support from Mothers, Fathers, and Friends/Peers in Healthy Sexual Decision-Making.

Emerging adulthood (ages 18-29) is a transitional life stage characterized by changes in identity and sexual development, including navigating new sexual experiences and cultures. During this transitional period, emerging adult women often continue to seek the support of their parent(s), while also increasing their reliance on friends/peers. However, little is known about what specifically college-attending emerging adult women desire from these support systems when it comes to making healthy sexual decisions. Using thematic analysis, we examined what emerging adult women (N = 192) identified as support they desire to receive from mothers, fathers, and friends/peers in making healthy sexual decisions while in college. Overall, the majority of participants reported desires to receive some form of sexual support from the majority of sources. There were four themes of desired support across sources: (1) Advice and Communication, (2) Nothing, (3) Emotional and Tangible Support, and (4) Attitude Shifts. Differences in types of desired support were also found across different sources with participants reporting desires for emotional support from their mothers, no desired support from their fathers, and direct interventions from their friends. Implications for informing sexuality educators and programs are discussed.

Perceived stress trajectories from age 25 to 50 years

Trajectories of perceived stress from the transition to adulthood (age 25), during young adulthood (age 32), and into midlife (ages 43 and 50) were examined with four waves of longitudinal survey data (N = 688; 49% female, 37% with a university degree, 86% White). We explored how between- and within-person variation in perceived stress was associated with age 50 psychological well-being (life satisfaction and eudaimonic well-being), self-reported physical health, career satisfaction, and intimate partnership satisfaction. Growth curve analyses revealed stress followed a linear decreasing trajectory from the transition to adulthood into midlife with substantial variability underlying the average pattern. Between- and within-person variation in perceived stress was associated with midlife functioning. Those with lower initial levels of and more decline in perceived stress reported better psychological and physical health and higher relationship satisfaction at age 50 compared to those with initially higher perceived stress and less decline over time. Higher than one’s own average perceived stress at ages 25, 32, 43, and 50 years was associated with lower psychological and physical health and intimate partnership satisfaction at age 50. These results support key contentions of developmental theory and may prove useful when designing interventions aimed at promoting well-being in midlife.

Epigenetic age acceleration correlates with BMI in young adults.

Obesity increases the risk of Type 2 diabetes, cardiovascular disease, several types of cancer, and other age-related disorders. Among older adults, obesity is also related to epigenetic age, typically measured with DNA methylation (DNAm). Because less is known about obesity and epigenetic aging earlier in the lifespan, this study examined the relationship between obesity and DNAm in young adulthood and whether these relationships vary by sex. A cross-sectional community sample of 290 healthy young adults (mean age 27.39 years, 60% female; 80% African American, 18% White) had their BMI and waist circumference measured. Four epigenetic age estimators were derived from salivary DNA: Hannum DNAm, Horvath DNAm, Phenoage DNAm, and GrimAge DNAm. Sociodemographic covariates included age, sex, race, parental education, and income-to-needs ratio. After adjusting for covariates, higher BMI and waist were associated with higher DNAm PhenoAge in both sexes, with a stronger effect on BMI in males (β = 0.35, p < .001) compared to females (β = 0.13, p = .002). Higher waist, but not BMI, was associated with higher Horvath DNA methylation age. Both BMI and waist circumference were associated with higher Hannum DNAm age in men but not in women. Neither BMI nor waist circumference were related to GrimAge. This study extends prior research by linking obesity with accelerated epigenetic aging in young adulthood, replicating the associations across two measures of obesity and four indices of salivary epigenetic aging. The results add to evidence that higher BMI accelerates aging early in the lifespan.

Dust in the Wind: Ageism as Portrayed in Attitudes Toward Songs in Adulthood and Old Age.

Ageism was found to be prevalent across various life domains, but not in the music domain. This study aimed to examine whether negative ageist attitudes toward older adults are associated with music preferences across life. Subjects (n = 214, age range 30-92, M = 56.14, SD = 16.39) were exposed to old (1910-1946), intermediate (1979-1987), and new (2014-2018) songs, chosen by a focus group, rated each song, and completed scales assessing ageism and socio-demographics. Ageist attitudes were negatively associated with liking for old songs among young and middle-aged participants. Young participants demonstrated a negative link between ageist attitudes and liking for intermediate songs. No significant results were reported regarding new songs. This provides an initial indication that ageism may be connected to attitudes toward music. Future studies can examine effects of perceived "oldness" in music on participants' ageist attitudes, and negative attitudes toward new and intermediate songs alongside with examining negative attitudes toward younger adults.

Birth outcomes, puberty onset, and obesity as long-term predictors of biological aging in young adulthood.

Biological aging and particularly the deviations between biological and chronological age are better predictors of health than chronological age alone. However, the predictors of accelerated biological aging are not very well understood. The aim was to determine the role of birth outcomes, time of puberty onset, body mass index (BMI), and body fat in accelerated biological aging in the third decade of life. We have conducted a second follow-up of the Czech part of the European Longitudinal Study of Pregnancy and Childhood (ELSPAC-CZ) prenatal birth cohort in young adulthood (52% male; age 28-30; n = 262) to determine the role of birth outcomes, pubertal timing, BMI, and body fat on biological aging. Birth outcomes included birth weight, length, and gestational age at birth. Pubertal timing was determined by the presence of secondary sexual characteristics at the age of 11 and the age of first menarche in women. Biological age was estimated using the Klemera-Doubal Method (KDM), which applies 9-biomarker algorithm including forced expiratory volume in one second (FEV1), systolic blood pressure, glycated hemoglobin, total cholesterol, C-reactive protein, creatinine, urea nitrogen, albumin, and alkaline phosphatase. Accelerated/decelerated aging was determined as the difference between biological and chronological age (BioAGE). The deviations between biological and chronological age in young adulthood ranged from -2.84 to 4.39 years. Accelerated biological aging was predicted by higher BMI [in both early (R2 adj = 0.05) and late 20s (R2 adj = 0.22)], subcutaneous (R2 adj = 0.21) and visceral fat (R2 adj = 0.25), puberty onset (η p 2 = 0.07), birth length (R2 adj = 0.03), and the increase of BMI over the 5-year period between the two follow-ups in young adulthood (R2 adj = 0.09). Single hierarchical model revealed that shorter birth length, early puberty onset, and greater levels of visceral fat were the main predictors, together explaining 21% of variance in accelerated biological aging. Our findings provide comprehensive support of the Life History Theory, suggesting that early life adversity might trigger accelerated aging, which leads to earlier onset of puberty but decreasing fitness in adulthood, reflected by more visceral fat and higher BMI. Our findings also suggest that reduction of BMI in young adulthood slows down biological aging.

Relational importance in early and middle adulthood age groups in South Africa

We explored the relational importance in early and middle adulthood in a South African setting. Informants were 52 participants (female = 58%, African language speaking = 31%, age range = 18–65; younger adults = 50%). Data on the types of important relationships and the reasons behind the importance for the different age groups were collected through semi-structured, open-ended questions. Thematic analysis indicated family, friends, and spiritual relationships as the most important relationships across the age groups. Other relationships important to both groups, were relationships pertaining to work, pet/s, and self. The middle adulthood age group emphasised the importance of work relationships above those with friends and further indicated relationships with their spouse, success, and neighbours. Younger adults indicated relationships with romantic partners, academics, and society as a whole. The findings suggest a convoy effect on relationship preferences for these age groups in that they highlight the importance of social relationships and how they vary in different developmental phases or stages of life. Implications for consideration of developmental phases in the design of interventions are indicated.

ОСОБЕННОСТИ ПЕРЕЖИВАНИЯ ПСИХОЛОГИЧЕСКОГО БЛАГОПОЛУЧИЯ У ЖЕНЩИН РАЗНОГО ВОЗРАСТА

The article considers aspects of women’s psychological well-being in the period of young and middle adulthood, as well as the personal characteristics of women of those age groups. The paper analyzes differences in the experience of subjective psychological well-being, level of self-attitude and the value orientations among the representatives of both groups and studies the correlations between psychological well-being and the above-mentioned personal characteristics: self-attitude and the value orientations - in groups of women of young and middle adulthood. The results demonstrate that women in the age of young adulthood have a significantly higher level of subjective psychological wellbeing, in contrast to older women. Women at the age of middle adulthood turned out to be more closed, they also have a stronger desire to preserve their qualities and see themselves unchanged. At the same time, the study showed that in both groups, closeness as an element of self-attitude is one of the factors that determine subjective psychological well-being. Moreover, in course of the study, it was revealed that the links between psychological well-being and value orientations are found only in the group of women of middle adulthood, while in the group of women in the age of early adulthood, no such links were found

Supplemental Material for Attention to Emotional Stimuli Across Adulthood and Older Age: A Novel Application of Eye-Tracking Within the Home

Supplemental Material for Attention to Emotional Stimuli Across Adulthood and Older Age: A Novel Application of Eye-Tracking Within the Home

State of mind as a component of youth’s social well-being

The study of social well-being has become increasingly important in the modern Russian society, as people seek answers to questions about the unity of values and stable development of social system. One aspect of social well-being is a state of mind, which reflects the formation of meaning-of-life orientations. In the scientific literature, multiple methodologies have been employed in the examination of the categories of “social well-being” and “state of mind”, as well as their interconnection. The interdisciplinary study of these phenomena has been fragmented due to the lack of a unified concept, social, economic, and political challenges. However, the thesis on the position of state of minds in the structure of social well-being and their relation to individual social objects such as personality, group, and community is a promising area of research. The article presents the results of an empirical study conducted through a questionnaire survey among young people in Moscow and Moscow region. According to the findings of the research, respondents reported the lowest levels of state of mind during their adolescence and youth. However, they reported higher levels of state of mind during childhood and when contemplating their future (adulthood and old age). Women tend to assess their state of mind more positively than men. Older age groups are more optimistic about their future. The study also found a connection between the financial situation of respondents’ families and their state of mind at different stages of life. The article concludes that young people assess their state of mind higher when they achieve independence. These results can be useful for specialists dealing with problems of juvenology, representatives of authorities, public organizations, and young people themselves.

Relations Among Adolescent Alcohol and Cannabis Co-Use, Adolescent Impulsive Traits, and Prospective Change in Impulsive Traits into Emerging Adulthood.

Models of personality suggest that adolescent substance use may be associated with adolescent impulsive traits as well as changes in impulsive traits from adolescence into emerging adulthood. However, little research has focused on how adolescent alcohol and cannabis co-use, an increasingly popular and risky substance use pattern, may relate to adolescent impulsive traits as well as changes in impulsive traits from adolescence to emerging adulthood. Therefore, the current study tested patterns of adolescent co-use and their links with adolescent impulsive traits and changes in impulsive traits into emerging adulthood. Data come from the Add Health study and encompassed two timepoints spanning adolescence (age 13-18) and emerging adulthood (age 19-25). A combination of latent profile analysis, mean comparisons, and latent difference scores were estimated. Results suggested that four profiles of co-users and alcohol-only users emerged, and profiles differed in levels of adolescent personality and prospective personality change. Importantly, frequent adolescent co-users had higher levels of adolescent sensation seeking and impulsivity, but also reported the steepest decline in both traits into emerging adulthood. Findings are discussed in terms of personality theory and public health implications.

Praefatio: Art action ako šanca proti stagnácii v dospelosti a seniorskom veku

The presented text is a basic input to the theoretical understanding of action art oriented to selected periods of human development (adulthood and senior age). The author describes the action plein air as a possibility of action creation with the generation of specific themes: homeostasis, evil, meaning. The aforementioned themes are the basis for solving life situations through action creation as a possible saturation of the actual needs or demands of a person in the period of adulthood and/or in the elderly age.