Adult Life Course Research Articles

Heterosexual Casual Sex and STI Diagnosis: A Latent Class Analysis

ABSTRACTCasual sex is common during the emerging adult life course stage, but little research has taken a person-centered approach to investigate if casual sexual behavior influences sexually transmitted infection (STI) rates. Using a nationally representative sample and latent class analysis, results showed three distinctive latent classes. Abstainers were the least likely to have an STI, followed by the casual sex experienced, and then the casual sex risk-takers. Once other covariates were included in the model, there was no significant difference between the abstainers and casual sex experienced classes. These results highlight the need for future research to include diverse samples of emerging adults.

Predicting Adult Under- and Over-Reporting of Self-Reported Arrests From Discrepancies in Adolescent Self-Reports of Arrests

Building on previous research, this article investigates whether discrepancies between official and self-reported measures of arrests as an adult can be predicted from such discrepancies as an adolescent. We use longitudinal data from the Rochester Youth Development Study to assess whether a pattern exists in adolescent and adult under- and over-reporting of arrests. We find consistency in under- and over-reporting throughout the adolescent–young adult life course. In other words, when respondents misreport the number of arrests they have experienced, they do so consistently regardless of age. This is reassuring for scholars using self-report data, as under- and over-reporting behaviors remain stable over this span of the life course. Finally, our models predicting discrepancies in official and self-reported arrests during the combined period of adolescence and young adulthood are both extremely strong. Our findings support the continued use of self-report measures as a valid indicator of delinquency.

Religious Service Attendance and Volunteering

Despite methodological advances in studying the relationship between religious attendance and volunteering, its dynamic nature still needs to be elucidated. We apply growth curve modeling to examine whether trajectories of religious attendance and volunteering are related to each other over a 15-year period in a nationally representative sample from the Americans’ Changing Lives data (1986-2002). Multivariate results showed that the rates of change in religious attendance and volunteering were positively related, and excluding religious volunteering did not alter the finding. It was also found that the initial level of religious attendance was positively associated with the rate of increase in volunteer hours over the period. Mediation analyses revealed that participation in voluntary associations explained the dynamic relationships between religious attendance and volunteering. These results provide evidence that involvement in organized religion and volunteering are dual activities that change together over the adult life course.

Dysnatremia in Relation to Frailty and Age in Community-dwelling Adults in the National Health and Nutrition Examination Survey.

Frailty represents an age-related state of increased risk of adverse health outcomes, reflecting some combination of increased damage and compromised repair processes. Our objectives were to establish whether frailty is associated with dysnatremia (a deviation of serum sodium from normal values), to determine whether frailty explains the previously established association between age and dysnatremia and to assay the impact of each on mortality. The relationship between age, frailty, and dysnatremia was investigated across the adult life course in 8,911 respondents from the 2003-2004 and 2005-2006 cross-sectional National Health and Nutrition Examination Survey, on whom both laboratory and mortality data were available. A frailty index (FI) was calculated for each respondent and related to dysnatremia (serum sodium values outside a 136-144 mmol/L reference range). Dysnatremia was significantly related to both age and frailty; as the degree of frailty increased, so did the proportion with dysnatremia, for example, from 4.1% in those with FI less than 0.10, to 12.4% in those with FI 0.40 or more; p less than .001. Adjusted for frailty, the relationship between age and dysnatremia was no longer significant. In the age- and sex-adjusted Cox models, both frailty (hazard ratio [HR]: 1.05; 95% confidence interval [CI]: 1.04-1.05 for every 0.01 increase in FI) and dysnatremia (HR: 1.85; 95% CI: 1.51-2.26) were significant predictors of mortality; when hyponatremia was separated from hypernatremia in the Cox models, hypernatremia wasn't significant, but only 41 participants were identified as hypernatremic. Increasing frailty is associated with dysnatremia and confounds the association between age and dysnatremia.

Adult learning and qualifications in Britain

The importance of people gaining new, and high-level, qualifications in adulthood has been much emphasised in policy rhetoric. It is widely assumed that adults should engage in learning throughout their working life in order to adapt to changing conditions in the labour market and to ensure that national economies remain competitive in a global skills race. Educational researchers have frequently been rather sceptical about the numbers who actually achieve such upgrading in practice and have been critical of the feasibility and relevance of policies which attempt to address this issue. This paper provides empirical evidence on how many people acquire qualifications in adulthood, and whether they upgrade to higher levels of qualification than previously held, using British data from the 1958 National Child Development Study. Estimates are constructed of the volume of qualification acquisition and upgrading for this cohort through to age 50. On the basis of this new evidence, it is argued that previous analyses by educational researchers may have been overly pessimistic about the extent to which individuals engage in accredited learning over the adult lifecourse. The implications for research and policy are discussed.

Work, health and the commodification of life's time: reframing work–life balance and the promise of a long life

ABSTRACTHow to respond to an ageing society has become an increasingly important question, for employers, workers and policy makers. Here we critically engage with that debate, arguing that future approaches to the relationship between work and age should take into account multiple influences on older worker behaviour, including the combination of economic, lifecourse and personal priorities. We consider the international consensus that has emerged about the primacy of work as the solution to what to do with a long life. We then address the uncertain nature of work as it affects older workers, and discuss the commodification of time in relation to a productivist approach to demographic ageing and the attitudes of older workers themselves. A tension is noted between pressures for continuity and discontinuity within the adult lifecourse which is often eclipsed within a policy discourse that tends to focus on continuity as a route to social legitimacy. Thinking about life-time as a meta-narrative, a tension between existential life priorities and commodification, may help to explain the ease with which ‘live longer–work longer’ policies both dominate and obscure the potential of a long life. Finally, we examine the implications for work–life balance and suggest this needs to be radically re-thought when addressing the purpose of a longer working life and the promise of a long life in general.

Midlife blood pressure predicts future diastolic dysfunction independently of blood pressure

ObjectivesHigh blood pressure (BP) is associated with diastolic dysfunction, but the consequence of elevated BP over the adult life course on diastolic function is unknown. We hypothesised that high BP...

Life Course Dietary Patterns and Bone Health in Later Life in a British Birth Cohort Study.

ABSTRACTEvidence for the contribution of individual foods and nutrients to bone health is weak. Few studies have considered hypothesis‐based dietary patterns and bone health. We investigated whether a protein‐calcium‐potassium–rich (PrCaK‐rich) dietary pattern over the adult life course, was positively associated with bone outcomes at 60 to 64 years of age. Diet diaries were collected at ages 36, 46, 53, and 60 to 64 years in 1263 participants (661 women) from the MRC National Survey of Health and Development. DXA and pQCT measurements were obtained at age 60 to 64 years, including size‐adjusted bone mineral content (SA‐BMC) and volumetric bone mineral density (vBMD). A food‐based dietary pattern best explaining dietary calcium, potassium, and protein intakes (g/1000 kcal) was identified using reduced rank regression. Dietary pattern Z‐scores were calculated for each individual, at each time point. Individual trajectories in dietary pattern Z‐scores were modeled to summarize changes in Z‐scores over the study period. Regression models examined associations between these trajectories and bone outcomes at age 60 to 64 years, adjusting for baseline dietary pattern Z‐score and other confounders. A consistent PrCaK‐rich dietary pattern was identified within the population, over time. Mean ± SD dietary pattern Z‐scores at age 36 years and age 60 to 64 years were –0.32 ± 0.97 and 2.2 ± 1.5 (women) and –0.35 ± 0.98 and 1.7 ± 1.6 (men), respectively. Mean trajectory in dietary pattern Z‐scores ± SD was 0.07 ± 0.02 units/year. Among women, a 0.02‐SD unit/year higher trajectory in dietary pattern Z‐score over time was associated with higher SA‐BMC (spine 1.40% [95% CI, 0.30 to 2.51]; hip 1.35% [95% CI, 0.48 to 2.23]), and vBMD (radius 1.81% [95% CI, 0.13 to 3.50]) at age 60 to 64 years. No statistically significant associations were found in men. During adulthood, an increasing score for a dietary pattern rich in protein, calcium, and potassium was associated with greater SA‐BMC at fracture‐prone sites in women. This study emphasizes the importance of these nutrients, within the context of the whole diet, to bone health. © 2016 The Authors. Journal of Bone and Mineral Research published by Wiley Periodicals, Inc. on behalf of American Society for Bone and Mineral Research (ASBMR).

Structural and functional aspects of social support as predictors of mental and physical health trajectories: Whitehall II cohort study

BackgroundSocial support is associated with better health. However, only a limited number of studies have examined the association of social support with health from the adult life course perspective and...

One for the road: The role of substance misuse on outcomes from traumatic brain injury

s / Drug and Alcohol Dependence 156 (2015) e102–e182 e109 use factors, personality, psychopathology and problems related to MJ use. Methods: To that end, we used multiple correspondence analysis to identify relationships between MJ use motives (Marijuana Motives Measure) and age, age of onset of MJ use, frequency of MJ use, personality traits (NEO Five Factor Inventory), depression (Beck Depression Inventory), anxiety (Beck Anxiety Inventory), stress (Perceived Stress Scale), and, indicators of problematic MJ use (Marijuana Problem Scale) in 90 current, heavy MJ users (mean age=26.25, 62 males, mean duration of use =11.86 years). Bootstrap confidence intervals were calculated to determine significance. Results:The results indicatedfive significant components. Component 1 differentiated older (>30 years old), casual users from younger users with CUDs and who use MJ to cope with stress. Component 2 differentiated introverted users who use MJ to be social from thosewho useMJ to expand their creativity and awareness. Component 3 differentiated educated, introverted females who have social problems associated with MJ use from social, less educated males who use MJ to conform. Component 4 differentiated social users who have trouble fulfilling responsibilities from those with MJ withdrawal symptoms and who use MJ to cope with depression and anxiety. Component 5 differentiated older, educated women who started using MJ in their late teens from casual male users who started before the age of 13. Conclusions: These results demonstrate clear distinctions between various factors that promote MJ use and the effects that result from MJ use. In conclusion, effective treatment strategies should take into account individual factors that surround MJ use, including MJ use motives, age, age of onset, gender, personality, education, and mood. Financial support:NIDA K01 DA021632, awarded to Dr. Filbey. http://dx.doi.org/10.1016/j.drugalcdep.2015.07.301 One for the road: The role of substance misuse on outcomes from traumatic brain injury Lori A. Keyser-Marcus2, Leroy Thacker3, Angela Starkweather3, Divya Ramesh1, F. Gerard Moeller4 1 Pharm Tox, VCU, Richmond, VA, United States 2 Psychiatry, VCU, Richmond, VA, United States 3 School of Nursing, VCU, Richmond, VA, United States 4 VCU IDAS, Richmond, VA, United States Aims: The relationship between substance use and TBI has been well established. Substanceuse is often implicated as a causal factor of TBI, with rates of intoxication at hospital admission ranging from 33 to 50% (Chen et al., 2012). Althoughmuch attention has focused on the relationship between TBI and comorbid substance misuse, fewer studieshaveexamined the relationshipbetweenpre-existing substancemisuse and outcomes. The present study seeks to further elucidate this relationship. Methods: Data for the present sample were abstracted from a trauma registry of individuals admitted to an urban, university based, Level I trauma center ED (N=2686). Inclusion criteria consisted of: ICD-9 diagnosis of TBI, between 18 and 65 years, and available alcohol and drug toxicology information (N=1872). Binary logistic regression and Poisson regression analyses, adjusting for age, gender, race, and general medical trauma severity, were run to compare TBI subjects with positive (TBIPOS) to TBI subjects with negative drug toxicology (TBINEG) on TBI outcome measures. Results: Individuals with TBI who screened positive for illicit drugs or alcohol on ED admission (TBIPOS, n=762), and those with negative screens (TBINEG, n=1110) were compared. The majority were male (67%), Caucasian (56%), and mild TBI (86%). Results of the regression analyses noted significant differences between groups on proportion of ICU admissions (p=0.0024), and TBI severity (p=0.0011), with TBIPOS subjects exhibiting worse outcomes. Further, results of the Poisson regression analyses revealed TBIPOS subjects had greater ICU lengths of stay (p= .009). No significant differences were noted between groups regarding hospital length of stay. Conclusions: Study findings demonstrate the negative impact of pre-existing substancemisuse on TBI outcomes. The lownumber of treatment referrals supports the need for a standardized system of screening and referral for this high-risk group. Financial support: Supported by VCU IDAS, U54DA038999. http://dx.doi.org/10.1016/j.drugalcdep.2015.07.302 Childhood parental incarceration and HIV-related drug and sex risk over the young adult life course Maria R. Khan1, Susan McGorray2, Joy D. Scheidell 1, Krishna Vaddiparti 2, Laurie M. Brotman1 1 Population Health, New York University, New York, NY, United States 2 Colleges of Public Health & Health Professions and Medicine, University of Florida, Gainesville, FL,

Childhood parental incarceration and HIV-related drug and sex risk over the young adult life course

Childhood parental incarceration and HIV-related drug and sex risk over the young adult life course

37 Years of Body Mass Index and Dementia: Effect Modification by the APOE Genotype: Observations from the Prospective Population Study of Women in Gothenburg, Sweden.

Overweight and obesity in mid- and late-life may increase risk for dementia, whereas a decline in body weight or body mass index (BMI) and underweight in years preceding a clinical dementia diagnosis are also associated with dementia. Little is known about the modifying effect of the APOE genotype, a major susceptibility gene for Alzheimer's disease (AD), on the BMI-dementia adult life course trajectory. We evaluated the exposure, BMI, in relationship to the outcome, clinical dementia, over 37 years, considering the effect modification of the APOE ɛ4 allele. The Prospective Population Study of Women (PPSW) in Sweden is a systematic sample of 1462 women born 1908, 1914, 1918, 1922, and 1930 and aged 38-60 years at baseline. Examinations occurred in 1968, 1974, 1980, 1992, 2000, and 2005; 559 women had information on dementia, BMI, and APOE ɛ4 allele status, in addition to covariates. Statistical analyses were conducted using mixed effects regression models. Trajectories of BMI over 37 years differed by APOE ɛ4 allele status. While women gained BMI similarly from mid-life to age 70 years, women with at least one APOE ɛ4 allele experienced BMI decline more quickly after age 70 years compared to women without an APOE ɛ4 allele. However, upon stratifying the sample by dementia occurrence, it appeared that dementia drove the overall BMI-trajectory. There was a main effect of age, interactions of age by APOE ɛ4 allele status, and age by presence versus absence of dementia. Women with similar average BMI at mid-life exhibited different BMI trajectories in relation to dementia occurrence. In addition, the pattern of BMI decline in late-life differed on the basis of APOE ɛ4 allele possession. Thus, these data suggest roles for both dementia- and APOE-associated changes in BMI during the adult life course.

Getting Bigger, Quicker? Gendered Socioeconomic Trajectories in Body Mass Index across the Adult Lifecourse: A Longitudinal Study of 21,403 Australians.

Do socioeconomic inequities in body mass index (BMI) widen across the adult lifecourse? BMI data for 29,104 male and 32,454 female person-years aged 15 years and older (21,403 persons in total) were extracted from the Household, Income and Labour Dynamics in Australia between 2006 and 2012. Multilevel linear regression was used to examine age and gender specific trajectories in BMI by quintiles of neighborhood socioeconomic circumstance. Models were adjusted for probable sources of confounding, including couple status, number of children resident, if somebody in the household had been pregnant in the last 12 months, the highest level of education achieved, the average household gross income, and the percentage of time in the last year spent unemployed. Approximately 9.6% of BMI variation was observed between neighborhoods. High neighborhood disadvantage was associated with 2.09 kg/m2 heavier BMI (95%CI 1.82, 2.36). At age 15-24y, socioeconomic inequity in BMI was already evident among men and women especially (22.6 kg/m2 among women in the most affluent areas compared with 25.4 kg/m2 among the most disadvantaged). Among women only, the socioeconomic gap widened from 2.8 kg/m2 at age 15-24y to 3.2 kg/m2 by age 35-44y. Geographical factors may contribute to more rapid weight gain among women living in disadvantaged neighborhoods.

Predictors of functional limitation trajectories after injury in a nationally representative U.S. older adult population

PurposeStudies examining postinjury functional status have demonstrated that individuals with severe injuries often do not return to baseline levels of physical functioning. We sought to investigate the impact injuries have on changes in physical functioning across the life course of older adults. The study's objectives were to (1) identify trajectories of long-term functional limitations after injury in the older adult population to better characterize the recovery process and (2) predict which individuals are most at risk for poor functional trajectories after injury. MethodsA retrospective cohort study was conducted using six waves of data from the Health and Retirement Study, which surveys Americans older than 50 years every two years. A group-based trajectory model was used to identify trajectories of functional limitations in injured participants. Using multivariate regression, we identified significant predictors of each trajectory. ResultsFive distinct trajectories were identified: Trajectory 1—consistently low functional limitations scores (18.9%), Trajectory 2—increase in functional limitations after injury followed by a gradual, incomplete recovery (46.3%), Trajectory 3—increase in functional limitations followed by further decline in functioning (10.5%), Trajectory 4—increase in functional limitations after injury followed by a gradual, complete recovery (13.4%), and Trajectory 5—consistently high functional limitations scores (10.8%). Gender, multiple health conditions, and insurance status predicted trajectory membership. ConclusionsFunctional limitations after injury follow distinct trajectories that can be predicted by baseline individual characteristics.

Getting Stuck, Becoming Unstuck: Agency, Identity and Transitions between Learning Contexts

Flexibility and change are typically viewed as endemic features of late modernity, leading to increased emphasis on the importance of transition during the adult life course. The paper examines experiences of transition for eight contributors to a research project that collected and analysed life histories as the basis for an understanding of learning in relation to identity, agency and change in adult life. Four of the interviewees report mired transitions, and four report on transitions that became mobile after a period of immobility. The paper identifies a number of factors which can restrict movement, structural and internal, real and imaginary, that are described in these stories. We then set out our socio-cultural understanding of the ‘betwixt and between’ status that Turner calls liminality, suggesting that many do not experience liminality as wholly emancipatory. The paper concludes with a discussion of the implications for lifelong learning strategies, which need to attend to the weight of what Alheit calls ‘biographicity’ in understanding learners' lives. While this requires acknowledgement of the role of informal learning, it does not however justify understating the importance of formal adult learning.

Telomeres, atherosclerosis, and human longevity: a causal hypothesis.

Human telomere length, as expressed in leukocytes, is strongly fashioned by heritability.1–5 A number of genes that explain some of the inter-individual variation in leukocyte telomere length have already been identified.6–9 Leukocyte telomere length is longer in women than in men3,10,11 and in African Americans than in whites of European descent.12,13 In addition, offspring of older fathers display a longer leukocyte telomere length, a finding that may reflect longer telomeres in sperm of older men.14–17 In contrast to the male germline, telomeres in replicative somatic tissues, including the hematopoietic system, display age-dependent shortening. A shorter leukocyte telomere length is associated with aging-related diseases, principally atherosclerosis18,19 and reduced longevity.20,21 The prevailing interpretation is that a shorter leukocyte telomere length is the outcome of processes, mainly the age-dependent accruing burden of oxidative stress and inflammation22 that ultimately shorten the human lifespan. As such, leukocyte telomere length is considered to be a non-causal biomarker, ie, a telomeric “clock,” of human aging. We propose that telomere length is not only associated with atherosclerosis and longevity but is also a causal determinant of both. This hypothesis is based on a model of leukocyte telomere length dynamics (leukocyte telomere length and its attrition rate) that incorporates two key features. First, the model differentiates the findings of studies of telomere length dynamics in vitro from those in vivo. Second, the model distinguishes two phases of human leukocyte telomere length dynamics in vivo: growth and adulthood.

Parent-Teacher Association, Soup Kitchen, Church, or the Local Civic Club? Life Stage Indicators of Volunteer Domain.

Gaps in existing literature hinder our knowledge of how life stage-related identities (e.g., worker, parent, student, etc.) influence individuals' decisions about whether and how to get involved in community service. Interventions to increase volunteerism throughout the life course require a more nuanced understanding of this relationship. We use multinomial logistic models to analyze how life phase factors relate to involvement in different types of voluntary organizations across the adult life course in the Chicago Community Adult Health Study. Half of the adults did not volunteer. Those who did volunteer were categorized as charitable, youth-oriented, religious, civic, or multidomain volunteers. Age, employment, family structure, demographics, and self-rated health differentially predicted volunteering in specific domains. Findings from this study suggest that recruitment and retention efforts employed by different nonprofit organizations may be more effective if they take into consideration the life phase factors that enhance or detract from likelihood of engagement.

Socio-economic patterning in adulthood and depressive symptoms among a community sample of older adults in the United States

Objective Variation in socioeconomic position (SEP) over the life course may influence mental health later in the life course. This study sought to document the associations between patterns of SEP over the adult life course in relation to depressive symptoms among older adults.

A structural model of age, grey matter volumes, education, and personality traits.

When the relationship between ageing and changes in personality traits is considered, it is important to know how they are influenced by biological and environmental factors. The present study examined the relationships between various factors associated with the effect of ageing on personality traits, including structural changes of the brain and environmental factors such as education. We recruited 41 healthy subjects. We administered the NEO Five-Factor Inventory to assess personality factors. Magnetic resonance imaging was performed, and regional grey matter (GM) volumes were obtained. We identified associations in the correlation analysis of age, cerebral GM volume, years of education, and the personality trait of openness. Path analysis was used to estimate the relationships among these factors. The path analysis model of age, GM volume, years of education, and the personality trait of openness revealed that age has an indirect negative association with openness through GM volume and years of education. Ageing was related to a decrease in GM volume, which was in turn related to a decrease in the openness score. Older subjects generally had fewer years of education, which was related to a lower openness score. Maintaining openness against the effects of ageing is desirable, and our results imply that interventions against age-related cerebral atrophy and the promotion of opportunities for higher education may contribute to the development and stability of a healthy personality during the adult life course.

American Heart Association Cardiovascular Genome-Phenome Study: foundational basis and program.

The American Heart Association has established the Cardiovascular Genome-Phenome Study (CV-GPS) as a means by which to achieve the goal of using modern genomics and phenotyping optimally to combat cardiovascular disease (CVD). CVD remains the leading cause of death in the United States and has become a major cause of morbidity and mortality worldwide. The course of CVD begins at an early age and evolves throughout life. Typically, risk factor precursors (eg, prehypertension, borderline abnormal lipids) are first observed in adolescence or young adulthood. By middle age, they develop into full-fledged cardiometabolic risk factors and subclinical disease, which usually become clinically apparent in older age. Importantly, risk factors for CVD reflect the complex interplay between genetic and environmental factors and demonstrate the complexity of the multiple determinants of disease. Editorial see p 17 Many of the genetic and environmental determinants of CVD have been identified over the past 50 years, and successful preventive and therapeutic strategies have been developed as a result. However, many potential genetic or acquired disease drivers remain unaccounted for, as illustrated by the observation that the major CVD risk factors combined account for only a fraction of the population-attributable risk.1 In addition, variations in CVD risk exist among individuals with similar risk profiles. Part of these differences may reflect differences in profiles of known risk factors that have not yet been fully refined but also individual differences in underlying genetic modifiers of such risk factors. Modern genomics, with its ability to provide ideally unbiased analysis of the entire genome, offers an approach to the ascertainment of all genetic determinants of CVD. Furthermore, the increasingly broad range of “omics” methods, including RNA-Seq, modern proteomics, metabolomics, and metabonomics, provide deeper and more refined molecular detail by which to define an individual’s genome and its relationship to (patho)phenotype. …