Neighborhood deterioration and self-rated health in later life.

This study examined the relationship between the physical living environment and self-rated health in later life. It is hypothesized that older adults who reside in deteriorated neighborhoods will report more physical health problems than elderly people who live in better physical environments. However, it is further predicted that these effects will only emerge in the most dilapidated living conditions. Data from a nationwide survey of older adults provide support for this complex nonlinear relationship. Further analyses reveal that part of the effect can be attributed to friendship strains that arise in deteriorated neighborhood environments. (PsycINFO Database Record (c) 2010 APA, all rights reserved)     

Living alone and neighborhood characteristics as predictors of social support in late life

OBJECTIVES: The purpose of this study was to devise and test a conceptual model that explains how neighborhood quality, fear of crime, and received emotional support affect an elderly person's expectations of future assistance should the need arise (i.e., anticipated support). METHODS: Using a nationwide survey of older adults, a series of nested latent variable models was tested to determine if the social support process differs between older adults living alone and those living with others. RESULTS: Consistent with a social ecological perspective, data suggest that anticipated support is lower among elders who live in deteriorated neighborhoods than among older adults who live in well-maintained neighborhoods. Moreover, the deleterious effects of run-down neighborhoods appear to be especially pronounced for older adults who live alone. DISCUSSION: Select constructs that link deteriorated neighborhoods with anticipated support are explored. Suggestions for future research are made.     

Chronic financial strain, social support, and depressive symptoms among older adults.

The purpose of this study is twofold: one, to determine whether chronic financial strain is related to depressive symptoms among a random community sample of older adults, and two, to assess whether social support counterbalances or buffers the deleterious effects of financial strain. The findings suggest that elderly people suffering from financial strain are more likely to be depressed than are older adults with fewer financial problems. In addition, the data support the stress-buffering hypothesis, that is, that older people who have more informational support and who provide support to others, more often report fewer symptoms of depression as a result of financial strain than do elderly respondents who have less informational support and who do not provide support to others. Tangible and emotional support are found to be less effective coping resources when financial strain is present. (PsycINFO Database Record (c) 2010 APA, all rights reserved)     

Stressors in highly valued roles, religious coping, and mortality

This study examines the relationships among stress, religious coping, and mortality. It is hypothesized that religious coping will offset the effects of stressors arising in highly valued roles on mortality, but similar stress-buffering effects will not emerge with events in less important roles. It is further predicted that the beneficial properties of religious coping will be especially evident among older adults with less education. Data from a nationwide survey of older adults (N = 819; M age = 73.8 years; 41% male) indicate that religious coping offsets the effects of stressors in highly valued roles on mortality, but only among older adults with less educational attainment (p < .05). In contrast, events in roles that are not valued highly do not have significant additive effects on mortality or significant interaction effects with religious coping.     

Age differences in stress and coping processes.

The dramatic increase in the numbers of people who are living into old age has been accompanied by a growing interest among psychologists and health care professionals in their sources of stress and how they cope with them. Despite this interest, little is known about normative stress and coping patterns and the ways in which these patterns differ in older and younger people. This study, which draws on stress and coping theory, compares younger and older community-dwelling adults in daily hassles and eight kinds of coping. Two interpretations of age differences are evaluated: a developmental interpretation, which says that there are inherent, stage-related changes in the ways people cope as they age, and a contextual interpretation, which says that age differences in coping result from changes in what people must cope with. The findings indicate that there are clear age differences in hassles and coping. Overall, the findings tend to support the developmental interpretation, although the contextual interpretation also applies. (PsycINFO Database Record (c) 2010 APA, all rights reserved)     

En las Manos de Dios [in God's Hands]: Religious and Other Forms of Coping Among Latinos With Arthritis.

This study tested a theoretical model concerning religious, passive, and active coping; pain; and psychological adjustment among a sample of 200 Latinos with arthritis. Respondents reported using high levels of religious coping. A path analysis indicated that religious coping was correlated with active but not with passive coping. Religious coping was directly related to psychological well-being. Passive coping was associated with greater pain and worse adjustment. The effects of active coping on pain, depression, and psychological well-being were entirely indirect, mediated by acceptance of illness and self-efficacy. These findings warrant more research on the mechanisms that mediate the relationship between coping and health. This study contributes to a growing literature on religious coping among people with chronic illness, as well as contributing to a historically under-studied ethnic group. (PsycINFO Database Record (c) 2010 APA, all rights reserved)     

Religious activity and depression among community-dwelling elderly persons with cancer: the moderating effect of race

OBJECTIVES: Research has been oriented toward elucidating the links between religion and mental health. The purpose of this article is to further our knowledge in this area by examining the effect of religious activity on depressive symptomatology among community-dwelling elderly persons with cancer. We also test whether these effects differ between Blacks and Whites. METHODS: We use two waves of data collected from a community-dwelling sample of elderly persons living in North Carolina. Depressive symptomatology is measured using four subscales from the CES-D 20 scale: somatic-retarded activity, depressed affect, positive affect, and interpersonal relations. Measures of religious activity include service attendance, religious devotion, and watching or listening to religious programs. RESULTS: The findings indicate that among Blacks with cancer, religious activity is related to lower levels of depressive symptomatology; no such relationship is found for respondent with other illnesses or no illness. Further, the effects of religious activity are stronger among Blacks than Whites. DISCUSSION: The analyses lend support to the hypothesis that religious activity is a strong predictor of depression in elderly adults with cancer. This finding, however, is not as strong as we had anticipated.     

Transfer of the human Alpha1-antitrypsin gene into pulmonary macrophages in vivo

Issues related to psychological recovery following coronary bypass surgeries (CABG) have emerged in recent years. Other research has shown the effects of spiritual or religious activities on health and aging. However, little is known about the relationship of spiritual coping, including religious coping, to post-CABG adjustment. This study addressed multifactorial determinants of postoperative psychological recovery and the effects of private prayer, a form of spiritual coping, on the recovery of 151 older patients. Results show that most patients pray about their postoperative problems and that private prayer appears to significantly decrease depression and general distress one year post-CABG.     

Influence of dispositional coping strategies on physical complaints and life satisfaction in the elderly

Well-being and mental and physical health in old age are influenced in a significant way by the fact that it is possible to cope successfully with ongoing hazards, threats and problems. In recent years coping research has shown increasing interest in coping processes in the elderly. Most of the studies are focused on age-related differences in coping processes and on the issue of change or stability of coping in old age. However, the goal of our study was to examine the impact of dispositional coping strategies, conceptualized as consistent personality characteristics, on physical complaints and life satisfaction among the elderly. We recurred on the model of coping modes by Krohne, which postulates two statistically independent person-specific coping dimensions named "vigilance" and "cognitive avoidance". Based on this model it is possible to identify the "classical" coping styles of "sensitization" (high vigilance and low cognitive avoidance) and "repression" (low vigilance and high cognitive avoidance). In our study, including 766 subjects older than 60 years, we found a higher frequency of "repressors" than of "sensitizers". Results show that dispositional coping strategies are significant moderator variables of both physical complaints and life satisfaction: Older people who prefer a cognitive-avoidant coping strategy ("repressors") are more satisfied with their life and have less complaints than "sensitizers".     

Financial strain, economic values, and somatic symptoms in later life.

Evaluated whether the impact of financial strain on psychological distress depends on the value that older adults place on economic success. Feelings of personal control were specified as an intervening variable in this process. The data came from a nationwide survey of 819 people in Canada who were 55 yrs of age and older. The findings reveal that financial problems are associated with diminished feelings of control and that these effects are stronger when elderly people value economic achievement highly. In addition, financial strain and diminished feelings of control are related to increased distress regardless of how highly economic success is valued. (PsycINFO Database Record (c) 2010 APA, all rights reserved)     

At the intersection of culture and religion: A cultural analysis of religion's implications for secondary control and social affiliation.

Religion helps people maintain a sense of control, particularly secondary control—acceptance of and adjustment to difficult situations—and contributes to strengthening social relationships in a religious community. However, little is known about how culture may influence these effects. The current research examined the interaction of culture and religion on secondary control and social affiliation, comparing people from individualistic cultures (e.g., European Americans), who tend to be more motivated toward personal agency, and people from collectivistic cultures (e.g., East Asians), who tend to be more motivated to maintain social relationships. In Study 1, an analysis of online church mission statements showed that U.S. websites contained more themes of secondary control than did Korean websites, whereas Korean websites contained more themes of social affiliation than did U.S. websites. Study 2 showed that experimental priming of religion led to acts of secondary control for European Americans but not Asian Americans. Using daily diary methodology, Study 3 showed that religious coping predicted more secondary control for European Americans but not Koreans, and religious coping predicted more social affiliation for Koreans and European Americans. These findings suggest the importance of understanding sociocultural moderators for the effects of religion. (PsycINFO Database Record (c) 2011 APA, all rights reserved)     

Synthesis and separation of potential anticancer active dihalocephalomannine diastereomers from extracts of Taxus yunnanensis

One hundred and ninety elderly people receiving home health service were investigated. The intellectual levels, depressive state evaluated by the Cornell scale for depression in dementia (CSDD) scale, abnormal behaviors evaluated by the dementia behavior disturbance (DBD) scale, and activities of daily living (ADL) were examined. These assessments were performed by 72 skilled home helpers who also assessed the severity of their own level of stress using the Burnout scale. The intellectual level and mood-related signs, based on the CSDD scale, of the elderly living with families or with a spouse were diminished significantly as compared to the elderly living alone. The elderly living with families also performed worse on all ADL categories except for visual acuity as compared to the elderly living with a spouse or living alone. There was no significant correlation between the Burnout scale score and age or frequency of working as a home helper. These results suggest that elderly people living with families as compared to the elderly living with a spouse or living alone have greater mental health needs as well as more profound physical limitations.     

Involuntary weight loss in elderly outpatients: recognition, etiologies, and treatment

Weight loss appears to occur frequently in older adults and has been associated with increased morbidity and mortality. However, the significance of weight loss per se and the optimal clinical approach to older outpatients who are losing weight is not completely understood. This article reviews the existing literature on weight loss in older people and outlines a basic approach for the clinician faced with the common, but often difficult, diagnostic and management issues presented by an elderly patient with weight loss.     

How does religiosity enhance well-being? The role of perceived control.

Religiousness and spirituality (R/S) are consistently linked with positive indicators of well-being, but the mechanisms behind these associations remain largely unknown. We hypothesize that an individual's level of perceived control (PC) acts as a mediator of this relationship and that this effect is stronger in older adults. Participants were 529 adults from the Notre Dame Study of Health and Well-Being (aged 31–88). Regression analyses tested both mediating and moderating functions of PC for three different R/S components (religious practices, daily spiritual experiences, and religious/spiritual coping); composite variables were used for PC and subjective well-being (SWB) in all analyses. These effects were tested using the full sample, as well as separately by age group (early midlife, aged 31–49; late midlife, aged 50–59; and later life, aged 60 and over), in order to discover any age differences that may exist. Results revealed differences by both R/S dimension and age group: PC partially mediated the religious practices-SWB relationship in the full sample and in the later life group; the effects of religious/spiritual coping and spiritual experiences on SWB were partially mediated by PC in the full sample, the late midlife group, and the later life group; and none of the R/S-SWB relationships were mediated in the early midlife group. Moderating effects were indicated by significant interactions between PC and spiritual experiences in the full sample, PC and religious coping in the full sample, and PC and religious practices in the later life group. (PsycINFO Database Record (c) 2011 APA, all rights reserved)     

Perceived environmental predictors of physical activity over 6 months in adults: Activity Counseling Trial.

[Correction Notice: An erratum for this article was reported in Vol 27(2) of Health Psychology (see record 2008-12766-001). One result in Table 2 was misinterpreted in the text. It was reported that men who responded "yes" to frequently seeing people being active in their neighborhoods did about 75 minutes more physical activity per week (pPurpose: In the present study, the authors extend previous cross-sectional findings by using a prospective design to determine whether physical and social environmental characteristics predict physical activity over 6 months. Design: Inactive adults were recruited to the Activity Counseling Trial, a multicenter, randomized, controlled trial of physical activity intervention in primary care. Participants were 387 women and 474 men aged 35-75 years in 3 regions; 1/3 were minorities; 56% had some college education. Baseline perceived environmental variables were used to predict physical activity at 6 months, adjusting for experimental condition and other potential moderators. Measures: The validated 7-day physical activity recall interview was used to estimate minutes of moderate to vigorous physical activity. A standardized survey was used to measure social and physical environmental variables around the home and neighborhood. Results: Women reporting no unattended dogs and low crime in their neighborhoods and men reporting frequently seeing people being active in their neighborhoods did 50-75 more minutes of physical activity per week than did those with different environmental characteristics. Interactions of environmental variables with age group suggested that older adults may be more affected by environmental variables than are younger adults. Conclusions: Self-reported social and physical environmental variables were significantly related to moderate to vigorous physical activity among a diverse sample of adults living in 3 regions of the United States. These prospective findings strengthen the conclusion from previous cross-sectional studies that environmental variables are important correlates of physical activity. (PsycINFO Database Record (c) 2010 APA, all rights reserved)     

Childhood abuse and current health problems among older adults: The mediating role of self-efficacy.

Objectives: Child abuse has negative consequences on health functioning and the self-concept. Prior studies have garnered support for these relationships in younger adults; yet few studies have looked at the effects of abuse on health in older adults and the psychosocial variables, specifically self-efficacy, that may influence the abuse-health relationship. Methods: Data obtained from the Physical Health and Disability Study were used to explore the impact of child abuse on current medical problems among older adults who were screened on physical disability status (N = 1396, Mean age = 67, SD = 10.2). The study was conducted in South Florida and used a multiethnic sample that is representative of the general population in this area. Results: Child abuse was associated with the number of current medical problems and disability. Child abuse was also related to lower self-efficacy, and self-efficacy explained the relationship between abuse and the number of health problems. Conclusions: There are far-reaching effects of child abuse on older adults' health and self-concept. Health care providers and gerontologists need to be aware that child abuse is a lifelong risk factor for increased disability and specific health problems, especially among the elderly. Future research should examine treatments designed to increase self-efficacy, especially among those who experienced child abuse, and observe any positive effects on health functioning. (PsycINFO Database Record (c) 2011 APA, all rights reserved)     

Personal resilience, cognitive appraisals, and coping: an integrative model of adjustment to abortion

We hypothesized that the effects of personality (self-esteem, control, and optimism) on postabortion adaptation (distress, well-being, and decision satisfaction) would be fully mediated by preabortion cognitive appraisals (stress appraisals and self-efficacy appraisals) and postabortion coping. We further proposed that the effects of preabortion appraisals on adaptation would be fully mediated by postabortion coping. Results of a longitudinal study of 527 women who had first-trimester abortions supported our hypotheses. Women with more resilient personalities appraised their abortion as less stressful and had higher self-efficacy for coping with the abortion. More positive appraisals predicted greater acceptance/reframing coping and lesser avoidance/denial, venting, support seeking, and religious coping. Acceptance-reframing predicted better adjustment on all measures, whereas avoidance-denial and venting related to poorer adjustment on all measures. Greater support seeking was associated with reduced distress, and greater religious coping was associated with less decision satisfaction.     

"Perceived environmental predictors of physical activity over 6 months in adults: Activity Counseling Trial": Correction to Sallis et al. (2007).

Reports an error in "Perceived environmental predictors of physical activity over 6 months in adults: Activity Counseling Trial" by James F. Sallis, Abby C. King, John R. Sirard and Cheryl L. Albright (Health Psychology, 2007[Nov], Vol 26[6], 701-709). One result in Table 2 was misinterpreted in the text. It was reported that men who responded "yes" to frequently seeing people being active in their neighborhoods did about 75 minutes more physical activity per week (p2007-16656-008.) Purpose: In the present study, the authors extend previous cross-sectional findings by using a prospective design to determine whether physical and social environmental characteristics predict physical activity over 6 months. Design: Inactive adults were recruited to the Activity Counseling Trial, a multicenter, randomized, controlled trial of physical activity intervention in primary care. Participants were 387 women and 474 men aged 35-75 years in 3 regions; 1/3 were minorities; 56% had some college education. Baseline perceived environmental variables were used to predict physical activity at 6 months, adjusting for experimental condition and other potential moderators. Measures: The validated 7-day physical activity recall interview was used to estimate minutes of moderate to vigorous physical activity. A standardized survey was used to measure social and physical environmental variables around the home and neighborhood. Results: Women reporting no unattended dogs and low crime in their neighborhoods and men reporting frequently seeing people being active in their neighborhoods did 50-75 more minutes of physical activity per week than did those with different environmental characteristics. Interactions of environmental variables with age group suggested that older adults may be more affected by environmental variables than are younger adults. Conclusions: Self-reported social and physical environmental variables were significantly related to moderate to vigorous physical activity among a diverse sample of adults living in 3 regions of the United States. These prospective findings strengthen the conclusion from previous cross-sectional studies that environmental variables are important correlates of physical activity. (PsycINFO Database Record (c) 2010 APA, all rights reserved)     

Chronic strain, locus of control, and distress in older adults.

In this study, I examined whether locus of control beliefs buffer or mediate the impact of chronic financial strain on psychological well-being. Data are from a longitudinal survey of a random community sample of older adults. Findings suggest that elderly people with internal locus of control beliefs are less likely to suffer from the deleterious effects of chronic financial strain than are older adults with external locus of control orientations. (PsycINFO Database Record (c) 2010 APA, all rights reserved)