Well-being In Later Life Research Articles

Retirement Transition Sequences and Well-Being Among Older Workers Focusing on Gender Differences

ABSTRACT This study examines retirement transition patterns and well-being in later life, focusing on gender differences using data from the 2004–2016 Health and Retirement Study (HRS) with 1,653 older workers. Sequence analysis identifies key retirement patterns, showing that men predominantly transitioned from full-time to mid-time voluntary retirement, while women experienced more gradual involuntary retirement. Involuntary retirees, both men and women, had precarious work histories and poorer mental health. The findings highlight gender-specific implications for social policy and emphasize the need for support in promoting successful aging and reducing social inequities among involuntary retirees.

Resilience and Hassles Trajectories Among Older Adults During the COVID-19 Pandemic.

Despite higher physical vulnerability to coronavirus disease 2019 (COVID-19), older adults reported less psychological stress than younger and midlife adults during the pandemic. However, little is known about age differences in stress within later life, and most COVID-19 studies have been cross-sectional. We examined weekly hassles exposure and severity trajectories and whether these trajectories differed by age, resilience factors (higher trait resilience and education), and vulnerability factors (identifying as a woman, being a person of color, and having chronic health conditions). Community-dwelling adults aged 50+ in Oregon (Mage = 71.1, standard deviation = 7.3; 74% women, 89% non-Hispanic White) completed weekly online surveys across 8 weeks (April 28-June 22, 2020) during the COVID-19 stay-at-home mandate. A 2-part model estimated how age, resilience, and vulnerability factors predicted weekly odds of any hassle exposure and level of severity. Across time, hassles exposure decreased and the rate of severity declined, but these patterns differed by age and other demographics. The old-old (estimated at age 78) remained stable in odds of any exposure, whereas the young-old (estimated at age 64) evidenced a J-shaped curve; age did not moderate the severity slopes. Furthermore, both resilience factors were associated with exposure trajectories, whereas vulnerability factors (race/ethnicity and chronic illness) were associated with levels of hassles severity. There were age differences in patterns of hassles during the COVID-19 pandemic. Furthermore, resilience and vulnerability factors also showed complex patterns, underscoring the need for future studies to focus on age differences in well-being in later life.

Temporary Setback or Lasting Challenge? The Impact of Transient and Persistent Functional Disability on Later-Life Well-Being.

Although most people spend the last years of their life with health limitations, these do not arise at the same time point for everyone or have the same consequences for our well-being. The aim of this study is to investigate how well-being trajectories evolve after the onset of functional disability, comparing affective, cognitive, and eudemonic dimensions, while also assessing how they are influenced by temporary functional disability, distinguishing between persistent and transient cases. We reordered longitudinal panel data from Waves 4 to 8 of the Survey of Health, Ageing and Retirement in Europe, from more than 3,500 Europeans to align on the transition from no limitation to at least 1 limitation in activities of daily living. We used linear spline growth models separately for each of the 3 well-being measures used (EURO-D, CASP, life satisfaction) to examine trajectories. We observed a substantial decline in all 3 well-being measures at functional disability onset, with life satisfaction less affected (standardized mean differences = -0.11) than quality of life (-0.23) and depression (-0.27). Short-term disability on average led to a return to the initial well-being level within, whereas long-term disability led to a pronounced decline during the transition with much less adaptation. Our findings highlight the significant impact that functional disability can have on well-being, revealing distinct patterns across various dimensions. Persistent disability often marks a crucial stage in the well-being of older people, whereas transient cases are characterized by a subsequent return to previous levels of well-being.

Loneliness in emerging adulthood: A qualitative study using cultural probes and in-depth interviews

BackgroundLoneliness has become a great public health concern in the Western world, with emerging adults being particularly vulnerable. Prolonged loneliness in emerging adults is associated with poor mental health such as symptoms of depression and anxiety that may have negative implications for health and well-being in later life. AimTo explore and gain a deeper understanding of how loneliness develops over time and how it is experienced by emerging adults in their everyday life. MethodsThe study is a thematic analysis of qualitative data consisting of cultural probes and in-depth interviews. Participants were recruited through targeted advertising on social media. During a week, participants aged 18 to 25 years old completed a cultural probe comprising open and evocative activities. These activities provided an opportunity for participants to explore their day-to-day existence, thereby contributing to the portrayal of their individual stories concerning loneliness in everyday life. After reviews of the cultural probes, in-depth interviews were conducted. ResultsParticipants were 21 emerging adults (mean age 21.3), three men and 18 women. Following thematic analysis of the cultural probe material and interview data, three overarching themes were conceptualized: 1) The many faces of loneliness, 2) The interplay between low self-esteem, intrusive thoughts, and mental health in shaping loneliness, and 3) The duality of coping strategies. ConclusionThe findings from this qualitative study offer in-depth insights into the experience of loneliness among emerging adults, highlighting its multifaceted nature and interplay with mental health. Participants' narratives revealed a duality of coping strategies, where engaging in distracting activities provided temporary relief but perpetuated long-term loneliness, and attempts to reconnect with others were sometimes hindered by past experiences. The findings contribute to a richer understanding of loneliness during this pivotal life phase, with implications for interventions needed to address social disconnectedness, thereby contributing to the broader conversation on mental health and well-being.

Childhood and Midlife Cultural Awareness and Activity Engagement Among Korean Married Couples.

Cultural reproduction theory posits that cultural resources are transmitted across generations, suggesting early parental influences on cultural experiences in adulthood. Further, cultural resources may be transferred within the same generation-through significant others, such as spouses. This study investigates cultural engagement among middle-aged adults, focusing on individual and spousal influences of childhood cultural engagement. A sample of 1,271 couples (age 49-66) from the 2012 Korean Baby Boomer Panel Study and the Korean Forgotten Generation Study was analyzed. Each respondent reported the number of arts and cultural activities (e.g., paintings, literature, and classical music) and levels of perceived cultural engagement (i.e., cultural awareness) during childhood and at midlife. Actor-Partner Interdependence Models (APIM) were estimated to examine how spouses' childhood and midlife cultural engagement were linked within couples. Findings showed that wives reported higher levels of activity participation and cultural awareness in childhood and midlife, compared to husbands. The APIM results indicated that beyond one's own childhood cultural engagement, spouse's childhood cultural awareness was associated with both levels of participation in arts and cultural activities (only for husbands) and cultural awareness (for both husbands and wives) at midlife. Cultural activities and awareness can be valuable assets to enhance overall well-being in later life. Given the cross-spousal associations in cultural engagement among Korean middle-aged couples, both spouses' cultural resources need to be considered for the design of interventions and policies to cultivate cultural competence and promote cultural engagement in adulthood.

Social engagement and wellbeing in late life: a systematic review

Abstract Social engagement is considered a relevant modifiable factor for older adults' wellbeing. Theory and policies highlight its importance for ageing well. Empirical evidence shows that social activities are associated with positive psychological outcomes and might buffer wellbeing declines in late life. Despite growing research, social engagement lacks conceptual clarity, it is difficult to adopt standardised measures and findings are sometimes inconsistent. Previous systematic reviews either take a different approach to this topic or were published over a decade ago. Therefore, the present study aimed to review the literature systematically regarding the relationship between social engagement and wellbeing in community-dwelling older adults. Papers published from 2000 to 2021 were searched in five databases using a combination of terms. The reviewers screened the records according to predefined inclusion and exclusion criteria. After identifying eligible articles, the authors extracted data and produced a narrative synthesis covering conceptualisation, measurement and main findings. The review includes 42 papers. Despite great conceptual and methodological diversity, research supports that older adults with higher participation in social activities have improved wellbeing. Findings also suggest that these associations are stronger for individuals with disadvantages and have a cumulative nature whereby the greater the social engagement, the higher the wellbeing. Conversely, for more demanding activities, there might be optimal participation levels. Regardless of accumulating knowledge, social engagement remains diffuse and difficult to measure. This paper summarises the current state of research on this topic, showing encouraging evidence of social engagement benefits, but also questions that deserve further inquiry. Future studies should be anchored in a clear conceptual framework, use robust measures, and explore hedonic and eudaimonic wellbeing. Social engagement can be an important developmental resource for social interventions and policies aimed at improving people's lives.

Religious Doubt and Mental Well-Being in Later Life: Is Humility a Protective Resource?

This study sought to integrate the study of virtue into the study of religious doubt and mental health by considering how a salient virtue, humility, may moderate the relationship between religious doubt and lower mental well-being. Drawing on data from a national sample of midlife and older adults ( N = 1,443) from the United States, regression results suggest that religious doubts were associated with greater depression and lower life satisfaction, and that humility was independently associated with lower depression and greater life satisfaction. Humility was also found to buffer the pernicious association between religious doubt and both indicators of mental well-being. Taken together, our study makes an important contribution by adding the study of the virtue of humility to a growing body of work on religious doubt. The process of dealing with religious doubt is complex and difficult, but the attempt to develop the virtue of humility may be efficacious in thwarting the deleterious consequences of managing the ebbs and flows of faith.

Assimilation of socially assistive robots by older adults: an interplay of uses, constraints and outcomes.

By supporting autonomy, aging in place, and wellbeing in later life, Socially Assistive Robots are expected to help humanity face the challenges posed by the rapid aging of the world's population. For the successful acceptance and assimilation of SARs by older adults, it is necessary to understand the factors affecting their Quality Evaluations Previous studies examining Human-Robot Interaction in later life indicated that three aspects shape older adults' overall QEs of robots: uses, constraints, and outcomes. However, studies were usually limited in duration, focused on acceptance rather than assimilation, and typically explored only one aspect of the interaction. In the present study, we examined uses, constraints, and outcomes simultaneously and over a long period. Nineteen community-dwelling older adults aged 75-97 were given a SAR for physical training for 6 weeks. Their experiences were documented via in-depth interviews conducted before and after the study period, short weekly telephone surveys, and reports produced by the robots. Analysis revealed two distinct groups: (A) The 'Fans' - participants who enjoyed using the SAR, attributed added value to it, and experienced a successful assimilation process; and (B) The 'Skeptics' - participants who did not like it, negatively evaluated its use, and experienced a disappointing assimilation process. Despite the vast differences between the groups, both reported more positive evaluations of SARs at the end of the study than before it began. Overall, the results indicated that the process of SARs' assimilation is not homogeneous and provided a profound understanding of the factors shaping older adults' QE of SARs following actual use. Additionally, the findings demonstrated the theoretical and practical usefulness of a holistic approach in researching older SARs users.

Association of longitudinal trajectories of general and abdominal adiposity during middle age with mental health and well-being in late life: A prospective analysis

Single measures of adiposity markers, such as body mass index (BMI) and waist circumference (WC), are associated with adverse mental health outcomes; however, long-term patterns of adiposity and their health effects remain unclear. The current study assessed adiposity trajectories during a 14-year span beyond middle age and their relevance to mental well-being in late life, and the contribution of genetic and lifestyle factors to the trajectories. Based on a nationally representative sample with longitudinal anthropometric measures, adiposity trajectories were identified by latent mixture modeling, and logistic regression model was used to estimate their associations with mental well-being, with adjustment for confounders. Of the 3491 eligible participants included (mean [SD] age, 69.5 [8.9] years), five discrete BMI and four WC trajectory patterns were identified over 14 years. Compared with the low-stable BMI group (range, 22.8 to 22.9 kg/m²; representing stable healthy body weight), the high-stable group (range, 34.3 to 35.4 kg/m²; stable obese) was associated with increased risk of depression (odds ratio [OR], 1.63; 95 % CI, 1.28–2.07) and low subjective well-being (OR, 1.35; 95 % CI, 1.02–1.79). Compared with the low-stable WC group (range, 75 to 79 cm healthy WC), the high-increasing group (range, 114 to 121 cm) was associated with increased risk of depression (odds ratio [OR], 1.64; 95 % CI, 1.19–2.25) and low well-being (OR, 1.48; 95 % CI, 1.01–2.16). The adiposity trajectories, especially the high-stable/increasing groups, were driven by genetic factors in a dose-response manner, whereas the high/moderate-increasing groups were also behaviorally related. This longitudinal cohort study reveals that stably high trajectory patterns of central and general adiposity during middle age were associated with higher risk of depression and low well-being in late life. The findings indicate the importance of weight management beyond middle age, such as adherence to a healthy lifestyle, in promoting mental health and well-being.

The Impact of Disability and Assistive Technology Use on Well-Being in Later Life: Findings From the National Health and Aging Trends Study.

Although assistive technologies have the potential to bridge the gap between personal capabilities and environmental demands, they may not always fully accommodate disability. This study examined the implications of change in the extent of accommodation provided by assistive technology for well-being in older adulthood. Data from 5 waves (2015-2019) of the National Health and Aging Trends Study provided information on disability and assistive technology use among older adults aged 65 and older in the United States (n = 7,057). An eight-level index that jointly characterized the spectrum of disability and assistive technology use was applied to 7 activities of daily living (ADLs). Fixed-effects panel model assessed within-person associations between well-being and the extent of assistive technology accommodation along different levels of the disability spectrum. At baseline, bathing (28.7%; 95% confidence interval [CI]: 27.6, 29.8) and toileting (37.9%; 95% CI: 36.2, 39.6) were the 2 activities in which most older adults successfully accommodated their limitations with assistive technologies. Longitudinally, the level of support provided by assistive technology changed widely across activities and over time. Within-person analyses showed that for all ADLs except for eating, there was a significant decline in well-being when the adopted assistive technology no longer supported users' needs and successfully resolved their disabilities. Our findings highlight the utility of technology-based interventions and underscore the imperative that assistive technologies attend to the specific needs of older adults and support independence in everyday activities.

Living Apart Together and Depressive Symptoms in Older Adulthood

Guided by the perspective that intimate relationship types represent a continuum of social attachment, we assessed how living apart together (LAT) relationships are related to psychological well-being in later life. Using data from the 2011 Wisconsin Longitudinal Study (WLS), we assessed levels of depressive symptoms by comparing LAT respondents (2.5%) with never married (2.5%), divorced (6.8%), widowed (10.4%), dating (2.8%), cohabiting (2.3%), remarried (15.1%), and first married (57.6%) men and women aged 51 and older (Total N = 7,924). However, the results did not support the theory of social attachment. The psychological well-being of men and women in LAT relationships was no different from either cohabiting or married adults. LAT relationships may have unique functions that help to reduce stress in later life. This study provides new insights about the psychological well-being of LAT adults.

Does schooling attained by adult children affect parents' psychosocial well-being in later life? Using Mexico’s 1993 compulsory schooling law as a quasi-experiment

Higher adult child educational attainment may benefit older parents' psychosocial well-being in later life. This may be particularly important in low- and middle-income countries, where recent generations have experienced comparatively large increases in educational attainment. We used data from the 2012 Mexican Health and Aging Study, a nationally representative study of adults aged ≥50 years and leveraged the exogenous variation in adult child education induced by Mexico’s compulsory schooling law passed in 1993. We employed two-stage least squares (2SLS) regression to estimate the effects of increased schooling among adult children on parents' (respondents') depressive symptoms and life satisfaction scores, controlling for demographic and socioeconomic characteristics. We considered heterogeneity by parent and child gender and other sociodemographic characteristics. Our study included 7186 participants with an average age of 60.1 years; 54.9% were female. In the 2SLS analyses, increased schooling among oldest adult children was associated with fewer depressive symptoms (β = −0.25; 95% CI: −0.51, 0.00) but no difference in life satisfaction (β = 0.01; 95% CI: −0.22, 0.25). Stratified models indicated differences in the magnitude of association with depressive symptoms for mothers (β = −0.27, 95% CI: −0.56, 0.01) and fathers (β = −0.18, 95% CI: −0.63, 0.26) and when considering increased schooling of oldest sons (β = −0.37; 95% CI: −0.73, −0.02) and daughters (β = −0.05, 95% CI: −0.23, 0.13). No parent and child gender differences were found for life satisfaction. Power was limited to detect heterogeneity across other sociodemographic characteristics in the second stage although first-stage estimates were larger for urban (vs. rural) dwelling and more (vs. less) highly educated respondents. Results were similar when considering the highest educated child as well as increased schooling across all children. Our findings suggest that longer schooling among current generations of adult children, particularly sons, may benefit their older parents' psychosocial well-being.

Web-Based Group Conversational Intervention on Cognitive Function and Comprehensive Functional Status Among Japanese Older Adults: Protocol for a 6-Month Randomized Controlled Trial.

Social communication is a key factor in maintaining cognitive function and contributes to well-being in later life. This study will examine the effects of "Photo-Integrated Conversation Moderated by Application version 2" (PICMOA-2), which is a web-based conversational intervention, on cognitive performance, frailty, and social and psychological indicators among community-dwelling older adults. This study is a randomized controlled trial with an open-label, 2-parallel group trial and 1:1 allocation design. Community dwellers aged 65 years and older were enrolled in the trial and divided into the intervention and control groups. The intervention group receives the PICMOA-2 program, a web-based group conversation, once every 2 weeks for 6 months. The primary outcome is verbal fluency, including phonemic and semantic fluency. The secondary outcomes are other neuropsychiatric batteries, including the Mini-Mental State Examination, Logical Memory (immediate and delay), verbal paired associates, and comprehensive functional status evaluated by questionnaires, including frailty, social status, and well-being. The effect of the intervention will be examined using a mixed linear model. As a secondary aim, we will test whether the intervention effects vary with the covariates at baseline to examine the effective target attributes. Recruitment was completed in July 2023. A total of 66 participants were randomly allocated to intervention or control groups. As of January 1, 2024, the intervention is ongoing. Participants are expected to complete the intervention at the end of February 2024, and the postintervention evaluation will be conducted in March 2024. This protocol outlines the randomized controlled trial study design evaluating the effect of a 6-month intervention with PICMOA-2. This study will provide evidence on the effectiveness of social interventions on cognitive function and identify effective target images for remote social intervention. UMIN Clinical Trials UMIN000050877; https://tinyurl.com/5eahsy66. DERR1-10.2196/56608.

Altered place engagement since COVID-19: A multi-method study of community participation and health among older americans

Little is known about longer-term changes to community participation since the COVID-19 pandemic onset and potential implications for health and wellbeing in later life. This multi-method investigation analyzes national data from the COVID-19 Coping Study. Statistical analyses of survey data (n = 1,630; mean age 67.9 years; data collected April/May 2022) identified that adults residing in the US still tended to stay inside their homes more often since the pandemic onset. Overall, participants decreased their engagement with amenities such as eateries, gyms, and arts and cultural sites. Reflexive thematic analysis of semi-structured in-depth interviews (n = 57; mean age 70.7 years; data collected May-July 2021) identified altered community participation with perceived long-term impacts on physical, mental, and social health and wellbeing. The results provide novel insights about the critical nature of ‘third places’ to support later life, and policy implications to strengthen community environments. Investment in outdoor, well-ventilated, and distanced third places may support wellbeing.

Fertility Outcomes and Parental Well-being in Later Life: Evidence from India

Fertility Outcomes and Parental Well-being in Later Life: Evidence from India

AGE DIFFERENCES IN PRIOR EXPERIENCES USED TO COPE WITH COVID-19 STRESSORS

Abstract Despite increased physiological vulnerability to COVID-19 (CDC, 2022), older adults reported fewer mental health consequences than younger adults (APA, 2022). The ability to draw upon prior experiences may be a source for enhanced well-being in late life (Aldwin & Igarashi, 2016; Charles, 2010). Older adults reported various prior experiences and resources for coping with the COVID-19 pandemic (Galcia et al., 2021; Herron et al., 2021), but age differences were not examined. We collected online surveys from adults 50+ (N = 235; Mage = 71.35, SD = 7.39; 74% female; 92% White) between 04/28–05/04/2020. A directed content analysis guided application of pre-existing (Aldwin et al., 1996b) and novel codes to the 60% who responded to an open-ended question of which prior experiences informed coping with COVID-19 pandemic problems. The final coding scheme had 13 codes (Kurth et al., 2022; Krippdendrof ∝ = .82) grouped into three categories: similar experiences, adversity across the lifespan, and personal resources. No age differences emerged in likelihood of providing any of these responses between the midlife (51 – 64; n = 35), young-old (65 – 74; n = 141), and old-old groups (75+; n = 57). Further, there were no age differences in providing a response that fell into the similar experience, adversity across the lifespan, or personal resource categories, supporting the age and well-being hypothesis. Findings suggest that even when exposed to a chronic and uncontrollable stressor, older adults leveraged their advantage of past experiences and accumulated resources to inform coping strategies.

CONCORDANCE IN SPOUSES’ INTENTION TO MOVE AFTER RETIREMENT AMONG KOREAN MIDDLE-AGED COUPLES

Abstract Midlife adults often envision life after retirement and start planning for retirement, forming their own expectations of where they live after retirement. Migration after retirement is an important decision in that physical and social environments of housing and communities affect health and well-being in later life. Research has emphasized that moving decisions are made at the household level, but less is known about whether middle-aged couples are concordant in their desire to move after retirement and whether concordant desires are associated with couples’ marital characteristics, such as marital satisfaction, dyadic coping styles, and communication. We analyzed a sample of 1,285 middle-aged couples (age 49–64) from the 2012 Korean Baby Boomer Panel Study and Korean Forgotten Generation Study. The majority of couples (83%) were concordant in their moving desires—by either agreeing to move (29%) or to stay (54%), whereas 17% of couples were not in agreement—either only husband desires to move (9%) or only wife desires to move (8%). Logistic/multinomial regression results showed that couples who had a communal problem-solving style and where the wife perceived higher marital satisfaction were more likely to be concordant in their moving desires (i.e., agreeing to move or to stay), after controlling for other individual and family characteristics. Further, couples were more likely to agree to move—when they had discussion about life after retirement and shared individual stress between spouses. Our findings suggest the importance of marital dynamics in understanding concordance in spouses’ desire to move after retirement.

EFFECTS OF MENOPAUSE AND MARITAL TRANSITIONS ON SUBJECTIVE SEXUAL SELF-EFFICACY AMONG MIDDLE-AGED AND OLDER ADULTS

Abstract Circumstances in aging including menopause, physical decline, widowhood, divorce and remarriage may influence sexual experiences and well-being in later life. While marital transition can affect both men and women in middle and older life, menopausal transition is especially salient for aging women. This study aims to examine how subjective sexual self-efficacy changes over time and whether marital transitions and menopausal transitions moderate the trajectories. Participants completed two waves of the Midlife in the United States (MIDUS) surveys (N = 1002), ranging from 40 to 84 years of age at baseline (M = 57.44; SD = 10.17) with over half being female (54%, n = 538). Factor analysis confirmed a one-factor model with a five-item subjective sexual self-efficacy construct. Over 10 years, 12% of participants experienced marital transitions, and 29% of women reporting menstrual status experienced menopause transition. Growth curve analysis was used the examine the research questions.

DAILY EMOTION REGULATION AND AFFECT ACROSS WORK AND FAMILY CONTEXTS IN MID LIFE

Abstract Emotion regulation is an important skill for adults to use in interpersonal situations; however, limited research has examined whether emotion regulation strategies vary by context or the potential influences these strategies have on daily affect. We examined the frequency of emotion regulation strategies used in work and family contexts and the extent to which these strategies predicted daily positive and negative affect (PA; NA). Middle-aged adults (N=27, Mage=60.15, SD=3.77; Female=91.67%) completed 7 daily diary surveys. In both contexts, adults most often reported modifying situations to be more positive and using situational approaches. At work, adults also frequently expressed their emotions; at home, they reported modifying situations to be less negative. Preliminary multilevel model results indicated that NA was significantly higher on days when individuals reported distracting themselves from work situations (Est.=7.36, p<.01), suppressing emotions at work (Est.=3.29, p<.01), or expressing emotions around family (Est.=4.41, p<.01) compared to days when they did not use these strategies; conversely, on days when individuals distracted themselves from family situations, they reported lower NA (Est. =-2.80, p=.03) than on days they did not. On average, people who modify family situations to be more positive report higher PA (Est.=6.73, p<.01) than those who do not. Our results suggest that there is daily variability in emotion regulation strategy use and consequential impacts on affectual wellbeing by context. Understanding which emotion regulation strategies yield the most benefit in different contexts may inform interventions targeting emotion regulation as a modifiable behavior to promote health and wellbeing in later life.

POLICY SERIES: A SECURE RETIREMENT FOR OLDER WOMEN

Abstract This session will address policy development related to women and their financial well-being in later life. Panelists will discuss the recently passed SECURE 2.0, the latest programs providing financial literacy to older adults, healthcare workforce related issues, and the role of the Consumer Financial Protection Bureau is protecting older adults from fraud and elder exploitation.