Negative Views Of Aging Research Articles

NEGATIVE AGING STEREOTYPES: FEAR OF DEPENDENCY EFFECTS ON ANXIETY AND DEPRESSION IN MIDDLE AND OLDER ADULTS

Abstract Negative stereotypes of aging tend to depict older adults as frail or a burden on society. According to Stereotype Embodiment Theory, adults who believe negative aging stereotypes tend to internalize these thoughts, and have been found to experience negative physical and mental outcomes, in later life. One aspect of these internalized stereotypes is the fear of being dependent on other people, which highlights the older adults’ worry of being seen as incompetent or child-like. Participants were aged 50 to 82-years-old (M=58.5), and primarily White (87%) women (62%). This study explored the relationship between Fear of Dependency Scale (FoD) and anxiety and depression, evaluating gender, age, and physical health as moderators. FoD was related to higher ratings of depression and anxiety in women, with age and physical health acting as moderators. When reporting a high fear of dependency, middle-aged women and women reporting poor physical health had the highest reported anxiety and depression. The early impact of FoD on women is intriguing. FoD was positively associated with higher ratings of depression for men but not anxiety, with only physical health acting as a moderator. Men with high FoD scores and poor physical health reported the highest levels of depression. It appears the negative views of aging can affect individuals, even before they reach older adulthood, and especially if they have poor perceptions of their physical health. Having negative perceptions of aging can negatively impact individuals as they age, and some groups may be more at risk for these outcomes than others.

Examining the Malleability of Negative Views of Aging, Self-Efficacy Beliefs, and Behavioral Intentions in Middle-Aged and Older Adults.

This study examined the malleability of a tripartite cluster of purported mechanistic variables targeted in a 4-week intervention program designed to improve adults' engagement in physical activity. The targeted cluster of purported mechanisms consisted of negative views of aging (NVOA), self-efficacy beliefs, and behavioral intentions. A randomized single-blind control group design was used to implement the AgingPLUS program in a sample of middle-aged and older adults (N = 335; Mage = 60.1 years; SDage = 8.3 years; age range 45-75 years). Using an intention-to-treat approach and analyses of covariance adjusting for participants' baseline scores, findings showed significant improvements in the purported mechanistic variables both at the immediate (Week 4) and delayed posttest (Week 8) in the treatment group but not in the control group. These improvements were for the most part maintained until 8-month postrandomization, although to a smaller extent. Specifically, participants in the AgingPLUS group showed significant improvements in NVOA, self-efficacy beliefs, and behavioral intentions compared to the Health Education control group. Standardized effect sizes for statistically significant effects were variable and ranged from small (d = -0.23) to large (d = 0.80). Effect sizes showed some decay of the intervention at the 8-month posttest. Taken together, the findings supported the efficacy of the AgingPLUS program and showed that variables representing the purported mechanisms of the intervention were significantly moved in a positive direction. In doing so, the AgingPLUS program met a major requirement of the experimental medicine approach to behavior change interventions. NCT0329948.

Perceptions about Aging and Ageism from 14 Cross-sectional Cohorts of Undergraduate Dental Students.

Although positive and negative views of aging and older adults exist, how undergraduate dental students imagine their lives to be as they grow older remains to be fully explored. This study aimed at determining the self-perceived views of being 65, 75, or 85 y of age, as expressed by undergraduate dental students at the University of British Columbia (UBC), Vancouver, Canada. A 14-y cross-sectional study design was utilized involving third-year undergraduate dental students at UBC's Faculty of Dentistry. Brief individual essays (150 words) encompassing students' self-perceived views were gathered as part of a dental geriatric course from 2009 to 2022; however, essays were not mandatory. Saldaña's inductive coding and thematic analysis of textual data were used. Themes and categories of information were identified and matched with their excerpts while aiming for data saturation. Over the 14-y period, 657 students were enrolled in UBC's undergraduate dental geriatric course, and 561 essays were collected. Inductive coding and thematic analysis identified 5 main themes and 11 categories. While themes included "oral health, general health, and the mind" and "me, myself, and familial relationships," the categories focused on "(un)able bodies" and "general health." Positive views about the aging process were shared, while less optimistic ideas-and even ageism-were apparent when students saw themselves as not employable or living in isolation. Positive and negative views were not bound by the students' academic year but might have been influenced by the COVID-19 pandemic. Although the number of older adults already surpasses the number of children in many countries, ageism appears to have permeated through students' views of 3 older ages. More positive yet realistic views of growing older were also shared. Follow-up studies are needed to explore the impact of dental education on decreasing ageism. As the proportion of older adults in the global population steadily grows, it is important to educate heath care providers about normal and pathologic aging to avoid ageism-stereotypes, prejudices, and discrimination against older adults. This cross-sectional study involved 14 cohorts of undergraduate dental students exploring their self-perceived views of growing older. Although positive and negative views of aging were shared, dental education must focus on decreasing ageism.

QUALITY OF LIFE AND ATTITUDES TOWARD AGING IN OLDER ADULTS DURING THE COVID-19 PANDEMIC

Abstract Research has shown that positive or negative views of aging are associated with quality of life. Prior research has found that community dwelling older adults aged 65 and older with more negative views of aging have lower scores on quality of life scales, whereas those with higher views of aging have higher scores on quality of life scales. A group of 264 community dwelling older adults (Mean age = 72.4 years, 62-92 years old) living in Prince Edward Island, Canada, completed a survey measuring attitudes towards aging and quality of life during the COVID-19 pandemic. The sample consisted of a majority of retired (n=206) older adults, living in an urban area (n=151), and approximately 55% receiving a household income of $26,000 to $75,000 per year. Regression analysis found that attitudes towards aging significantly predicted quality of life (F(1,127)=24.9, p< 0.01), with positive attitudes predicting higher quality of life scores and negative attitudes predicting lower quality of life scores. The model showed that the predictor, attitudes towards aging, explained 16.5% of the variance in quality of life (B=-2.7, t=-4.9, p< 0.01). This suggests that attitudes towards aging play a role in predicting quality of life in older adults during the COVID-19 pandemic.

The Association Between Views of Aging and Subjective Cognitive Complaints in Older Adults: Findings From Two Samples.

This cross-sectional study examined whether views of aging (VoA) relate to subjective cognitive complaints in two separate cohorts of older adults. Ageist attitudes, attitudes to aging (psychological loss, physical change, and psychological growth), subjective age, and subjective successful aging were examined. A moderating effect of chronological age was also examined. Samples included 572 adults aged 50 or older (Sample 1; mean age = 67.63, SD = 11.39, 49.4% female) and 224 adults aged 65 or older (Sample 2; mean age = 81.50, SD = 6.61, 75.3% female). More negative VoA (higher ageist attitudes, lower psychological growth, lower physical change, older subjective age, and less successful aging) were associated with more subjective cognitive complaints after controlling for covariates. An increase in chronological age strengthened some of these associations. Findings suggest that improving dimensions of VoA may have a complementary positive effect on subjective cognitive complaints in older adults.

AgingPLUS: A Randomized Trial to Increase Physical Activity in Middle-Aged and Older Adults

Engagement in physical activity (PA) has well-documented benefits for delaying or preventing age-related diseases. Thus, it is important to study innovative ways to increase PA in the adult population. This symposium describes AgingPLUS, an ongoing trial that addresses three psychological mechanisms to increase adults’ PA: Negative views of aging (NVOA), low self-efficacy beliefs, and deficient goal-planning skills. The symposium also presents preliminary findings, based on a pre-pandemic subsample, on changes in explicit NVOA, implicit VOA, and changes in PA. Diehl et al. describe the theoretical background and study design of the ongoing RCT. This also includes the main study hypotheses. Rebok et al. present preliminary findings showing significant effects of the intervention on NVOA and frequency of moderate intensity exercise. Effects on physical function and accelerometry measures were not statistically significant in this subsample. Tseng et al. examined the effects of the intervention on two measures of implicit VOA: a lexical decision-making task (LDMT) and the Brief Implicit Association Test (BIAT). Findings showed that differences in post-intervention latencies on the LDMT were not statistically significant. Differences on post-intervention BIAT d scores also failed to be significant. Finally, Nehrkorn-Bailey et al. tested a multiple mediator model examining the mediational role of self-efficacy (SE) and exercise intention (EI) on PA. Results showed that Week 4 SE significantly mediated the effect of intervention condition to Week 8 anticipated PA engagement. Week 4 EI significantly mediated the effect of intervention condition on Month 6 PA engagement. Anticipated PA effects predicted subsequent involvement in PA.

The AgingPLUS Trial: Intervening to Promote Physical Activity in Middle-Aged and Older Adults

This paper investigated whether the AgingPLUS program promotes physical activity in middle-aged and older adults by examining outcomes at weeks 4 and 8 with baseline scores included as covariates. The analyses assessed intervention effects on negative views of aging (NVOA), physical activity (CHAMPS), physical function (SPPB, VO2max), and accelerometry measures (e.g., minutes sedentary). We found significant intervention effects on NVOA (p < .001) and frequency of moderate intensity exercise (p = 0.048), but no significant effects on physical function, VO2max, or the accelerometry measures. Standardized effect sizes for the significant effects ranged from 0.31 to 1.03 standard deviation units. These findings suggest that AgingPLUS improved motivational factors for engaging in physical activity but did not lead to objective changes in physical activity in the short term. Further research will investigate the mediational role of these motivational factors in enhancing physical activity over the longer term (6 months).

AgingPLUS: Theoretical Background and Study Design of the Randomized Trial

The AgingPLUS program targets three psychological mechanisms that are known barriers to middle-aged and older adults’ engagement in physical activity (PA): Negative views of Aging (NVOA), low self-efficacy beliefs, and poor goal planning skills. These risk factors are addressed in a 4-week intervention program that is compared to a generic health education program as the control group. Middle-aged and older adults (age 45-75 years) are enrolled in the trial for 8 months, with four assessment points: Baseline (pre-test), Week 4 (immediate post-test), Week 8 (delayed post-test), and Month 6 (long-term follow-up). The major outcome variables are participants’ engagement in PA as assessed via daily activity logs and actigraphs. Positive changes in NVOA, self-efficacy beliefs, and goal planning are the intervention targets and hypothesized mediating variables leading to increases in PA. This trial adopted the experimental medicine approach to assess the short- and long-term efficacy of the AgingPLUS program.

Awareness of Age-Related Change as a Behavioral Determinant of Survival Time in Very Old Age.

Although research on the association between subjective views of aging (VOA) and survival is scarce, more negative VOA have been found to be associated with increased all-cause mortality, even after controlling for possible confounders. Longitudinal studies on the predictive association of VOA with survival in individuals aged 80 years or older are, however, very limited. Thus, the aim of this study was to link adults’ awareness of age-related change (AARC), a multidimensional measure of adults’ subjective VOA, to survival time across a 3.5-year observation interval in advanced old age. To put the AARC construct in context, the study also considered related psychosocial concepts (i.e., perceived control and appraisal of life) essential for coping with late-life challenges as potential behavioral predictors of longevity. Data came from a representative panel study that included persons living in community and institutional settings. A total of 1,863 interviews were conducted at wave 1. This study used meta-data from wave 2 fieldwork 2 years after the initial assessment and death records obtained during panel maintenance after 3.5 years to estimate determinants of survival. Results showed that loss-related VOA indicated increased risk to survival, whereas gain-related VOA were predictive of longer survival. Both perceived age-related losses and perceived age-related gains exerted a significant independent effect on late-life mortality over and above socio-demographic background characteristics, perceived control, engagement with life, as well as health status. These findings suggest that the multidimensional examination of very old adults’ VOA may help to better understand successful longevity in the Fourth Age.

The Effects of Culture and View of Aging on Perspective Taking in Young Adults.

Young adults' ability to recall a story about others, especially of an older adult, may be influenced by culture-based views on aging. In the present study, we extended a perspective-taking paradigm designed by Sullivan et al. (2010) by adding a cultural component to the methodology and testing participants' perspective-taking performance. Participants from the United States and Hong Kong heard two stories about a 25-year-old and a 75-year-old character from either location. Overall, we found that both groups recalled more negative than positive events. However, Hong Kong partici pants, who showed a more negative view of aging than US participants, used more negative words to describe the older adult than the young adult story. These findings suggest an intricate relation ship between culture-based views of aging and the language used in the recall of emotional events.

Subjective accelerated aging moderates the association between COVID-19 health worries and peritraumatic distress among older adults.

The present study examined whether subjective accelerated aging moderated the relationship between COVID-19 health worries and COVID-19 peritraumatic distress among older adults. The sample consisted of 277 older adults (M = 69.58, s.d. = 6.73, range 60-92) who answered an online questionnaire during the outbreak of COVID-19 pandemic in Israel. Participants completed the measures of background characteristics, exposure to COVID-19, COVID-19 health worries, subjective accelerated aging and COVID-19-based peritraumatic distress. Higher levels of COVID-19 health worries were correlated with higher levels of peritraumatic distress symptoms among older adults. Moreover, those reporting accelerated aging also reported a higher level of peritraumatic distress. Finally, the interaction between COVID-19 health worries and subjective accelerated aging predicted peritraumatic distress, suggesting that COVID-19 worries were associated with peritraumatic distress to a stronger degree among older adults who felt they were aging faster. These findings indicate that negative views of aging may serve as an amplifying factor for traumatic distress during the COVID-19 pandemic. Although preliminary, the findings provide insight for potential screening and interventions of older adults at risk of developing peritraumatic distress symptoms during the global pandemic.

Gender Differences in Attitudes Toward Aging and Its Longitudinal Impact on Psychological Health

Individuals with negative attitudes towards own aging (ATOA) experience worse psychological health in later life. At the intersection of sexism and ageism, women are likely to have greater concerns about growing older and hold more negative views of aging than their men counterparts. However, the impact of gender on the relationship between ATOA and psychological health is unclear. Moving forward, the current study aims to examine 1) gender differences in longitudinal changes in ATOA and 2) whether gender moderates the association of ATOA with cognitive function and depressive symptoms. Using three waves (2008, 2012, and 2016) from the Health and Retirement Study, a total of 6,675 adults aged 50+ (60% female) were analyzed. A series of multilevel growth curve analyses were performed to investigate the 8-year changes in ATOA and within- and between-person effects of ATOA on cognitive function and depressive symptoms. The models controlled for demographic, socio-economic, and physical health characteristics. Women had more negative ATOA at baseline compared to men, but not in rates of change. When levels of ATOA were more negative, both cognitive performance and depressive symptoms were poorer over time between individuals as well as within-person. We found that the detrimental effects of negative ATOA on depressive symptoms were stronger for women, but there were no significant gender differences in relation to cognitive functioning. Our findings demonstrated that women view aging more unfavorably than men, and the effects of endorsing negative ATOA are more pronounced on women’s mental health.

“Not as Bad as I Thought”: Undergraduate Students’ Perspectives on Aging

Ageism remains prevalent in our society and negatively affects older adults. Undergraduate education could be a potential avenue for combating ageism among individuals moving into the workforce. The current investigation is a pilot study in which students enrolled in an upper-level undergraduate course were asked to reflect on how their perspectives on aging had changed following the completion of the course. The course, Psychology of Aging, provides students with an overview of the psychological aspects of aging, including cognitive, physical, and social changes. Consensual qualitative methods were used to explore student responses (N=150) and analyzed using Atlas.ti 7. The results indicated that majority of students had a more positive view of aging following course completion. The three most common themes that emerged were 1) positive aging, 2) living arrangements, and 3) social relationships. For the positive aging theme, students recognized the positive aspects of aging, with many commenting that aging was not as bad as they originally thought. Nearly all the responses in the living arrangements theme reflected students’ previous assumptions that most older adults live in nursing homes. In the social relationships theme, students realized that aging does not make people value social connection any less. The findings suggest that providing students with accurate information about aging has the potential to correct their negative views of aging, and highlight the importance of gerontology coursework in higher education, particularly for those pursuing careers in which they will regularly interact with older adults.

Linking Negative Views of Aging to Cognitive Function: The Dopaminergic Theory

Negative views on aging are known to impair cognition, in both the short and long term, but it is not fully understood why. This paper proposes that negative views impair cognition through dysregulation of reward-seeking behaviours and downregulation of the dopaminergic system. In a preliminary study to test this, 70 older adults were exposed to implicit positive and negative views on aging in a within-subject design carried out over 2 weeks, and then played a computerised game that involved deciding whether to expend effort to gain a reward. Over 216 trials, when participants were exposed to negative views, they were less likely to choose the effort-for-reward option. This effect was amplified at higher levels of effort. The paper will discuss how the dopaminergic theory ties into stereotype embodiment and other theories, and why it may explain previous findings that negative views of aging impair specific cognitive functions more than others.

Exploring college students’ attitudes toward older adults: A description of methods used by the gerontological literacy network

ABSTRACT Recognizing the pervasiveness of negative societal attitudes toward aging and older adults is critical, as research indicates how older adults are viewed subsequently influences how they are treated. The Gerontological Literacy Network (GLN) is a multi-university collaboration established to address ingrained beliefs that underlie ageism and gerontophobia. The GLN developed a data-gathering protocol that uses drawing as a foundation to assess the gerontological literacy of college students. The protocol includes drawing what aging means, writing a paragraph describing the drawing, indicating the age at which someone is “old,” and writing words associated with “old person” and “grandma/grandpa.” Results from 1,609 protocols confirm that college students have negative views of aging as depicted in drawings of negative emotional states, illness, physical decline, and death. The presence of positive representations of aging (e.g., smiling) reveals the heterogeneity of perceptions and suggests the potential to achieve more accurate perceptions through educational interventions. This article provides an overview of the protocols and suggestions for future efforts related to gerontophobia and ageism.

Aging in precarious times: Exploring the role of gender in shaping views on aging

ABSTRACTThe present study explores views on aging and how these differ according to gender and precariousness status. Semistructured interviews were conducted with 10 men and 10 women with secure and insecure pensions. Themes like fear of illness and health decline were more present in men, while fear of losing their attractiveness in old age more present among women. For all participants, loss of autonomy and social roles represented a negative view of old age, while activity in the form of work, volunteering, or leisure represented positive views. Differences in views on aging were related to pension security and less to gender. Women with insecure pension plans displayed the most negative views of aging. Implications for practice and policy to prevent health and gender inequalities are discussed.

(B)old: Theological Perspective on Spiritual Formation for Aging

Ideally, a Christian's spiritual formation envisions a positive attitude toward aging and contains coping mechanisms for their struggles with growing older. In keeping with this ideal, the author's practical theology uses two metaphorical models to help nurture a healthy spiritual condition by promoting adaptive religious coping for aging: “(B)old. Our crown of glory,” a positive image of growing older contrasted with “crown of thorns,” a negative view of aging.

A preliminary study of perceptions of aging in athletes and non-athletes

Objectives There is mounting evidence to suggest that as the population ages, negative perceptions of aging reduce involvement in preventive health behaviours and ultimately prove harmful to mental and physical health. One group that may be at particular risk of developing poor attitudes toward aging are athletes, seeing that they are significantly invested in their physical performance and aging stereotypes reinforce that physical performance declines with age. Methods This study examined aging attitudes and knowledge of aging in athletes ( n = 67) and non-athletes ( n = 78). It was hypothesized that athletes would hold a more negative view of aging than non-athletes. Athletes were members of varsity sports teams and non-athletes were primarily undergraduate psychology students. Results Results showed that athletes were more invested in their physical fitness; however, both groups were relatively equal in their knowledge of aging and their expectations for aging. Conclusions These data suggest consistency in both knowledge of, and expectations for, aging among athletes and non-athletes. Future research should consider methods that reduce or eliminate negative attitudes towards aging as this may lead to better health in the future for younger and older cohorts.

Geriatrician Urges Colleagues To Be Advocates for Elders

Geriatrician Urges Colleagues To Be Advocates for Elders

Longitudinal predictors of attitudes toward aging among women with multiple sclerosis.

The purpose of the study was to explore the impact of change in functional limitation (FL), controlling for social support (SS), on attitudes toward aging using longitudinal survey data collected over a 7-year period. The 503 women with multiple sclerosis (MS; age, M=57 years, SD=10.25) were mostly Anglo (93%) and married (69%). First, the authors identified a quadratic growth model as the best for describing change in FL. Next, they considered SS as a time-varying covariate of FL to assess both within- and between-individual effects of SS on FL over time. Within individuals, higher FL levels were associated with lower SS levels. Between individuals, level of but not change in FL was associated with average SS level. Finally, average SS and response level and change in FL were studied as predictors of attitudes toward aging, accounting for 38% of the variance. Women with higher FL and lower SS scores had more negative views of aging. Negative views of aging among women with MS may have long-term consequences for their health outcomes as well as for the quality of their later years.