Social and Behavioral Sciences Commons^™

Baseline Differences In Driving Frequency As A Predictor Of Cognitive Decline, Luke R. Miller

LSU Master's Theses

Driving is a complex task heavily dependent on cognitive functions which can decline with age including executive functions and processing speed. Although driving cessation as a predictor of cognitive changes has been studied, driving frequency is understudied in the literature. Thus, the objective of the current study is to evaluate the predictive utility of driving frequency at baseline toward objective cognitive decline beyond other factors associated with cognitive decline (e.g., depression, general functional mobility). The sample included a subset of 1,426 older adults (M age = 77.6, SD = 7.1) from the Rush University Memory and Aging Project. Participants completed …

Modeling Cumulative Risk During The Covid-19 Pandemic: Psychosocial And Socioeconomic Factors For Older Minority Adults, James F. Osborne Iv

LSU Master's Theses

Continued response to the sum consequences of the COVID-19 pandemic has disparately affected the physical and mental health of older minority adults in the United States. SARS-CoV-2 created an acute epidemiological crisis of public health coinciding with a chronic pandemic of accentuated psychosocial stress. Biological and socio-economic risk of morbidity and mortality follow a demographic gradient of subjectively constructed social status that disproportionally threatens older adults and minority racial/ethnic communities. Pathways to increased socio-economic and psychosocial vulnerability are multifactorial and complex. Factors of race, socio-economic status, gender, and age, each contribute to individualized profiles of vulnerability to risk exposure.

The …

Psychometric Extension Of The Memory For Names Test, Heather Chance Foil

LSU Master's Theses

The purpose of this study was to re-evaluate the psychometric properties of the Memory for Names (Mem4Names) test among a sample of older adults without cognitive impairment. Mem4Names is a test of famous face recognition that was shown to be a reliable and valid measure of semantic memory in older adults both with and without cognitive impairment (Brouillette et al., 2011). The current study re-examined the psychometric properties of the Mem4Names test among 133 volunteers at Pennington Biomedical Research Center’s Institute for Dementia Research and Prevention. The study confirmed previously reported calculations of the test’s reliability by calculating Cronbach’s alpha …

Successful Aging In Oldest-Old Adults: Role Of Physical And Social Factors, Katie Elizabeth Stanko

LSU Master's Theses

Successful aging, increasing in chronological age while maintaining health, is related to a multitude of factors including social and physical behaviors. Older adults may report that they are aging successfully while biomedical outcomes suggest otherwise. In the present study, sociodemographic characteristics, social engagement, physical activity in relation to frailty and health-related quality of life (HR QoL) were examined using a lifespan sample of adults (N = 732) from the Louisiana Healthy Aging Study (LHAS). Four age groups were compared: younger (21-44 years), middle-aged (45-64 years), older (65-84 years), and oldest-old adults (85 to 101 years). A main effect of age …

Snap Use Among Older Adults, Jennifer R. Geiger

LSU Master's Theses

Older adults participate in the Supplemental Nutrition Assistance Program (SNAP) at much lower rates than the general population. Possible explanations for this disparity include stigma, lack of information, and lack of transportation. However, past research focusing on SNAP use among older adults is limited and utilizes age cohorts in their analyses that may not accurately reflect actual age differences in SNAP participation. This study explored four different models of age categorizations as they relate to SNAP participation rates among older adults over 55. Using a sample of 10,116 from the nationally representative Health and Retirement Study (HRS), the research used …