Do Loneliness And Social Isolation Predict Mortality Because Of Hazardous Drinking?, Jussi Tanskanen, Sarah N. Arpin, Cynthia D. Mohr

Psychology Faculty Publications and Presentations

Introduction: Subjective feelings of loneliness and objective social isolation have been consistently connected with ill-health and mortality, though little work has empirically examined the mechanisms explaining the adverse effects. This study examines whether alcohol consumption explains the connection of loneliness and social isolation on mortality in different age and gender groups.

Methods: The sample comprised a representative 1994 Finnish sample (n = 8,650) matched with 22-year follow-up mortality data. A multigroup path analysis with discrete survival time analyses was conducted.

Results: There were unique differences in the associations between loneliness, social isolation, alcohol consumption, and mortality based on age and …

Aging, Agency, And Self-Efficacy: A Phenomenological Case Study Of An Older Couple, David A. Hernandez

Journal of Social, Behavioral, and Health Sciences

Researchers have found that the majority of older individuals want to remain in their own home as they age. However, respecting the right of older individuals to exert control over their life while ensuring their safety can be a difficult undertaking to achieve. The aim of this research was to understand the lived experiences of an older couple who are in cognitive decline but are trying to maintain personal agency. The issue was studied using Bandura’s agency and self-efficacy theories as the theoretical framework. A phenomenological case study methodology was used. Participants were selected using a purposeful sampling strategy, and …

The U.S. Should Expand Access To Dental Care For Older Adults, Madonna Harrington Meyer, Sarah Reilly, Julia Finan

Population Health Research Brief Series

Older adult Medicare recipients face high out-of-pocket dental expenses due to a lack of appropriate dental care coverage. Older adults with lower socioeconomic status tend to have worse oral health, less dental insurance coverage, greater difficulties finding a dentist, and low-quality care. This brief details the experiences socioeconomically disadvantaged older adults face in obtaining appropriate and affordable dental care and calls on Congress to include preventative and restorative dental care as part of the federal funding agenda.

Stratification Of Happiness In Urban Areas In Mexico: A Qualitative Examination By Level Of Marginalization, Oscar A. Martínez-Martínez Professor, Javier Reyes, Eder Noda

The Qualitative Report

Although Mexico presents high levels of poverty and marginalization, it is the second happiest nation in Latin America. This raises several questions about what factors are associated with happiness at each level of marginalization and how these factors vary according to marginalization levels. We conducted a qualitative study in urban municipalities in four Mexican states, using 184 semi-structured interviews and employing a thematic analysis approach. Results suggest that happiness is a multifactorial phenomenon. Factors such as the family, health, religion, friendships, economic conditions, and fulfillment of basic needs contribute to happiness, but each of these aspects has different importance and …

Better To Forgive Or To Forget? Marital Transgressions And Forgiveness In Older Couples, Jakob Jensen, Amy Rauer, Amanda Johnson

Journal of Social, Behavioral, and Health Sciences

Navigating romantic transgressions in older adulthood is imperative for both relationship quality and longevity, making forgiveness a critical process. The current study examined marital transgressions and forgiveness among 64 older (age range = 56–89), higher-functioning, primarily White, married couples studied at two time points spaced 16.4 months apart. More than half the spouses did not report a transgression in the past year, and not doing so was associated with better marital functioning at both time points. Of the transgressions reported, thematic analyses revealed they fell into six categories (e.g., spouse behaving badly, financial issues), but were overall relatively minor in …

The Spatial Effects Of Elderly Population Presence On Covid -19 Incidence In Dki Jakarta Before, During, And After Large-Scale Social Restriction, Chotib Chotib, I G A A Karishma Maharani Raijaya Mrs., Ahmad Aki Aki Muhaimin Mr., Novani Saputri

Smart City

ABSTRACT

Infected cases and suspect cases of covid-19 are increasing more and more daily. This increment happens either in whole regions of Indonesia and DKI Jakarta as a capital city. The purpose of this research is to seek the pattern in spatial of Covid-19 incidence with 3 different periods of before, during, and after large-scale social restriction, and to identify the influence of the presence of the elderly and other factors. One of the scopes of this study is the presence of the elderly because the elderly population is considered as influencing the increase of Covid-19 incidence. The analysis method …

Older Adults Are More Likely To Avoid Covid-19 Information, Julia Nolte, Corinna Löckenhoff

Population Health Research Brief Series

Older adults are at higher risk of dying from COVID-19 but less interested in information that might lower the risk of getting or spreading the disease. This brief shows that in the first months of the pandemic, older adults were less likely to consume COVID-19 information or media than younger adults. These behaviors are associated with age differences in emotional experiences and preferences, with older adults feeling calmer and more interested in protecting their feelings than younger adults. To keep older adults informed on COVID-19, government and health officials should directly target communication efforts to older adults.

Best Friends Forever And Family Ties: Continuity And Change In Closeness With Parents And Friends Among Australian Adolescents, Mckell A. Jorgensen-Wells

Theses and Dissertations

During adolescence, the need for social connection increases. Yet, fostering emotional closeness in relationships becomes more complex, as the need for autonomy also increases and social environments must adapt to become conducive to these seemingly competing needs. This complexity necessitates more research on what happens to close relationships during adolescence, so parents, scholars, and practitioners are better equipped to help individuals navigate the unique social atmosphere of adolescence. The current study draws upon multi-level modeling techniques to estimate growth models of Australian adolescents' closeness to parents and closeness to friends from ages 12-17 and examine predictors of these trajectories. Findings …

Developing Strategies To Enhance Mobility And Accessibility For Community-Dwelling Older Adults, Kate Hyun, Kathy Lee, Caroline Krejci, Nilufer Oran Gibson, Troyee Saha

TREC Final Reports

Mobility disparities among older adults affect their ability to travel and access services. This project seeks to understand challenges, barriers, and gaps that older adults experience, and develop forms of assistance or educational strategies to fill the varying mobility gaps and meet mobility needs. This study characterizes older adults’ use of existing and potential transportation options, including conventional transit, paratransit, and ride-hailing systems, based on surveys collected from 146 low-income older adults in Dallas, TX. Using the survey data and interview data, we develop two mathematical modeling (a Latent Class Cluster Analysis and agent-based modeling (ABM)) and conduct content analysis …

Comparison Of Ageing Policy Between Hong Kong And Singapore, Ka Wai Tam

SOC 605 Comparative Social Policy Research Project - Student Works

This research study aims to explore and compare the ageing policy between Hong Kong and Singapore. Population ageing itself is a dynamic process. The ageing of the population is caused by three reasons: the decline in the level of fertility, the decline in the death rate and the continuous extension of the average life expectancy of the population. It is an inevitable demographic phenomenon. However, under the globalization effect, although the world is getting more connected in the last few decades, all developed and developing countries are facing the same problem which is the ageing population. There are a lot …

Troubling Solutions Through Anthropological Fieldwork: Mediation Research In Ghana, Australia, And The United States, Alexandra Crampton

Social and Cultural Sciences Faculty Research and Publications

Social workers and anthropologists encounter different representations of mediation as a professional practice: On the one hand, Social Work is grounded in mediation as expert knowledge that helps others to resolve interpersonal disputes. For example, mediation as Alternative Dispute Resolution (ADR) can enable court cases to resolve without formal trials. On the other hand, Anthropology is grounded in mediation as a research field site and by past intervention experience of anthropologists. As mediation professionalized and became mandated across public institutions, anthropologists became strong ADR critics. Academic debate between mediation proponents and critics ended as critics abandoned research in the 1990s …

A Rapid Review Of Internet Mediated Research Methods With People With Dementia: Practical, Technical And Ethical Considerations, Tharin Phenwan Dr, Judith Sixsmith Prof, Linda Mcswiggan Dr, Deans Buchanan Dr

The Qualitative Report

Doing research with People with Dementia (PwD) can be challenging given that disease symptoms of anxiety, forgetfulness, and fluctuating mental capacity can make recruitment and data collection difficult. Once COVID-19 made face-to-face data collection impractical, using internet-based methods became an alternative option to continue with research. However, data collection with PwD over the internet requires strategies to observe, support, and enable them to engage with research, especially with qualitative approaches. Nine articles were selected via a decade rapid scoping review (undertaken March-June 2020) to identify qualitative online methods used with PwD and associated challenges. Methods used were online interviews, clinical …

Older Adult Employment Status And Well-Being: A Longitudinal Bidirectional Analysis, Jonathan L. Chia, Andree Hartanto

Research Collection School of Social Sciences

Mixed findings in the literature on the effects of older adult employment on well-being and the reciprocal influence of well-being on employment suggest the need for more careful methodology in teasing out this relationship. Moreover, as previous research has shown that different domains of well-being relate to constructs differently, more nuanced definitions of well-being may be appropriate. The present study examined the longitudinal bidirectional associations of employment and different domains of well-being, controlling for stable within-person variables. The present study sampled older adults from the Midlife Development in the US study at three timepoints on employment status and well-being, specifically …

Lifelong Instability And Perceived Risk Of Future Homelessness In Older Adults, Sarah Dys, Anna Steeves-Reece, Paula Carder

Institute on Aging Publications

Housing has long been considered a social determinant of individual and population health. Older adults with low incomes face several challenges to maintaining stable, affordable housing. Using data from a previous explanatory study of older adults waitlisted for housing assistance (n = 267), we explore individual characteristics and themes associated with older adults’ perceived housing instability and risk of future homelessness. This mixed-methods study identifies salient themes of financial insecurity, age discrimination, employment and health, interpersonal relationships, and trauma. Our analysis and findings highlight experiences of instability over the life course related to older adults’ current housing circumstances.

Obesity, Age, And African American Males: The Impact Of Food Security On Cardiovascular Health Outcomes, Tangela G. Towns, Richard G. Moye, Antonius D. Skipper, Daniel J. Rose

Journal of Health Disparities Research and Practice

Although prevalence of food insecurity has declined over the last 5 years, food insecurity for African Americans and single individuals is increasing. The purpose of this paper is to examine the male-specific associations between food insecurity and cardiovascular-related health outcomes. We examine the relationship between single, African American male adults and food security, kidney disease risk, diabetes, and related comorbidities using the NHANES dataset (2013-2014). We build multivariate logistic regression models to estimate the association between gender, race, and food insecurity using stratified data from the 2013-2014 National Health and Nutrition Examination Survey.

Evaluating The Feasibility Of A Future Care Planning Program With Older Adults, Jeong Eun Lee, Dahee Kim, Eva Kahana, Boaz Kahana

Journal of Human Sciences and Extension

Despite potential health care needs, many older adults do not make concrete plans about future care in late life. Prior community programs have not addressed this need via Cooperative Extension systems. To address these gaps, we developed and evaluated the pilot study program, Future Care Planning, designed to help older adults plan for their own personal, health, and environmental care. The Plan Ahead program (Plan Ahead) consists of two sessions implemented over two weeks to teach older adults to plan for their future care across multiple domains, including health communication, aging in place, and end-of-life discussion. Iowa State University Human …

Covid-19 Experiences, Behaviors, Beliefs, And Well-Being Among Students And Employees At A University In Rural Appalachia: A Cross-Sectional Study, Lauren Wisnieski, Kimberly A. Carney, Jenny L. Thornley

Journal of Appalachian Health

Introduction: In response to the coronavirus disease (COVID-19) pandemic, most universities experienced drastic operational changes with shifts to online learning, work-from-home policies, and social distancing measures. These changes have caused concern for social isolation and mental health.

Purpose: This cross-sectional study explores differences in COVID-19 experiences, behaviors, beliefs, and well-being among students and employees (faculty and staff) at a rural Appalachian university.

Methods: Data were collected with an online anonymous survey in September-October 2020 using convenience sampling. The survey measured multiple domains including COVID-19-related 1) beliefs, 2) symptoms and diagnoses, 3) exposure and preventive behavior, and 4) social, mental, and …

Using Gis-Based Spatial Analysis To Determine Urban Greenspace Accessibility For Different Racial Groups In The Backdrop Of Covid-19: A Case Study Of Four Us Cities, Arun K. Pallathadka, Laxemi Pallathadka, Sneha Rao, Heejun Chang, Dorn Van Dommelen

Geography Faculty Publications and Presentations

As the United States leads COVID-19 cases on global charts, its spatial distribution pattern offers a unique opportunity for studying the social and ecological factors that contribute to the pandemic’s scale and size. We use a GIS-data-based approach to evaluate four American cities—Anchorage (Alaska), Atlanta (Georgia), Phoenix (Arizona), and Portland (Oregon) characterized by the significant composition of different racial and ethnic group populations. Building upon previous studies that investigated urban spatial inequalities using the environmental justice framework, we examine: (1) the relative racial vulnerability of Census Block Groups (CBG) and ZIP Code Tabulation Areas (ZCTA) to COVID-19 (2) green space …

Does The Unified Protocol Really Change Neuroticism? Results From A Randomized Trial, Shannon Sauer-Zavala, Jay C. Fournier, Stephanie Jarvi Steele, Brittany K. Woods, Mengxing Wang, Todd J. Farchione, David H. Barlow

Psychology: Faculty Publications

Background Neuroticism is associated with the onset and maintenance of a number of mental health conditions, as well as a number of deleterious outcomes (e.g. physical health problems, higher divorce rates, lost productivity, and increased treatment seeking); thus, the consideration of whether this trait can be addressed in treatment is warranted. To date, outcome research has yielded mixed results regarding neuroticism's responsiveness to treatment, perhaps due to the fact that study interventions are typically designed to target disorder symptoms rather than neuroticism itself. The purpose of the current study was to explore whether a course of treatment with the unified …

Advance Care Planning Within Individualized Care Plans: A Component Of Emergency Preparedness, Heather L. Church, Christina Marsack-Topolewski, Jacqueline M. Mcginley, Victoria Knoke

Developmental Disabilities Network Journal

Federally-legislated Medicaid requirements for recipients with intellectual and/or developmental disabilities (IDD) to have a person-centered plan (PCP) do not specifically require that advanced care plans (ACP) be a component of the plan. However, coronavirus disease 2019 (COVID-19) has provided a salient reminder of the importance of incorporating ACP within the PCP for people who have IDD. As demonstrated by situations arising from COVID-19, emergencies and crises can dramatically alter access to care for people with IDD. This paper synthesizes results from an environmental scan related to ACP for adults with IDD. Findings suggest that the use of ACP, particularly when …

Predicting Students' Spiritual And Religious Competence Based On Supervisor Practices And Institutional Attendance, Andrew P. Secor, Corinne W. Bridges

Journal of Social, Behavioral, and Health Sciences

Counseling students report a lack of competence in spiritual and religious integration (SRI). As such, counselor educators and supervisors (CES) and students want to understand how to develop SRI competence. Although past research highlights SRI dialogue in training, there exists no clear understanding about the role of faculty supervisor SRI on perceived student competence. The supervision models used to inform the study included (a) the integrated developmental model, (b) the discrimination model, and (c) the spirituality in supervision model (SACRED). The purpose of this study is to determine if master’s-level graduate counseling student perceptions of faculty supervisor SRI practices predicts …

Validating The Resident View In Long-Term Care Settings: Final Report To Oregon Department Of Human Services, Aging & People With Disabilities Division, Diana L. White, Ozcan Tunalilar, Serena Hasworth, Jaclyn Winfree, Institute On Aging, Portland State University

Institute on Aging Publications

In 2015, Portland State University Institute on Aging (PSU/IOA) received a grant from the Quality Care Fund to develop the Resident VIEW (Voicing Importance, Experience, and Well-being), a measure of person-centered care (PCC) from the perspective of residents. Structured open-ended interviews were conducted with residents living in nursing homes (NH), assisted living (AL/RC), and adult foster homes (AFH) settings to learn more about their everyday concerns, values, and preferences. Each interview focused on one of eight domains of PCC. These domains had been identified from the literature and in prior research. Personhood, or as described by residents as being “treated …

Romantic Partner Interference And Psychological Reactance In The Context Of Caregiving For An Aging Family Member, Hannah Ball, Jennifer L. Bevan, Tessa Urbanovich, Erin S. Craw

Communication Faculty Articles and Research

Negotiating romantic relational dynamics is inherent to family caregiving situations, which continue to be on the rise in the United States. However, despite evidence that family caregiving duties are linked to a variety of negative relational outcomes, limited research examines communication processes that contribute to or alleviate the burden of caregiver duties on romantic relationships. Guided by psychological reactance theory (PRT), this study examined the link between romantic partner interference with family caregiving duties and the reactance process, as well as directness of communication about irritation as a type of freedom restoration behavior associated with reactance. Adults caring for aging …

Examining Interviewers’ Ratings Of Respondents’ Health: Does Location In The Survey Matter For Interviewers’ Evaluations Of Respondents?, Dana Garbarski, Nora Cate Schaeffer, Jennifer Dykema

Sociology: Faculty Publications and Other Works

Interviewers’ ratings of survey respondents’ health (IRH) are a promising measure of health to include in surveys as a complementary measure to self-rated health. However, our understanding of the factors contributing to IRH remains incomplete. This is the first study to examine whether and how it matters when in the interview interviewers evaluate respondents’ health in a face-to-face survey, in an experiment embedded in the UK Innovation Panel Study. We find that interviewers are more likely to rate the respondent’s health as “excellent” when IRH is rated at the end of the interview compared to the beginning. Drawing from the …

Burnout In The Nursing Profession: Extant Knowledge And Future Directions For Research And Practice, Sara Labelle

Nursing Communication

Burnout is a psychological state resulting from prolonged psychological or emotional job stress, and is a culmination of three factors: emotional exhaustion, depersonalization, and reduced personal accomplishment. Due to the nature of the “people-work” they must constantly perform, along with a highly stressful and unpredictable work environment, nurses have alarmingly high rates of burnout among members of their profession. Given the importance of research on burnout to understanding the context-specific stressors and challenges of nursing, this review offers a synthesis of research published in the last decade in both nursing and communication journals, with an emphasis on discussing opportunities for …

Burnout In The Nursing Profession: Extant Knowledge And Future Directions For Research And Practice, Sara Labelle

Communication Faculty Articles and Research

Burnout is a psychological state resulting from prolonged psychological or emotional job stress, and is a culmination of three factors: emotional exhaustion, depersonalization, and reduced personal accomplishment. Due to the nature of the “people-work” they must constantly perform, along with a highly stressful and unpredictable work environment, nurses have alarmingly high rates of burnout among members of their profession. Given the importance of research on burnout to understanding the context-specific stressors and challenges of nursing, this review offers a synthesis of research published in the last decade in both nursing and communication journals, with an emphasis on discussing opportunities for …

Income And Happiness: A Philippine Context, Rosalina Palanca-Tan

Economics Department Faculty Publications

This paper adds to the relatively scant developing country perspective in the economic literature on happiness by investigating the relationship between income and happiness in the context of Koronadal, a low-income city in Mindanao, Philippines. Subjective happiness and potential contributory factors to happiness (demographic, economic, and social capital variables) are elicited through a survey and analyzed using descriptive and regression analyses. The study provides empirical evidence for the “happy poor” image of the Filipinos, with its survey data revealing that despite high poverty incidence and generally low-income levels, people in Koronadal are pretty happy with a mean self-reported happiness score …

"I Now Feel More Comfortable Advocating For People:" Student Reflections On Service Learning, Elissa Thomann Mitchell, Erin E. Gilles

Journal of Human Services: Training, Research, and Practice

To provide meaningful experiential learning activities for students outside of the classroom, many social work programs are including service learning as a curricular component. Indeed, research shows that service learning is a widespread practice in higher education across academic majors. This study uses qualitative data from from 34 students in two sections of a master’s-level social work course to explore student experiences with service learning. Major themes from the students’ data are presented here. Students reported both liking and being challenged by the freedom to tailor their own experiences, described developing new skills, reported being able to apply course content/learn …

Family Structure Variables As Proxies For Socialization And Their Effect On Cognitive Decline: An Empirical Analysis, Peter Amato

Theses and Dissertations

The risk of several common diseases causing dramatic cognitive decline (Alzheimer’s, dementia, anterograde memory loss) and short-term memory impairment are all common, even inevitable ailments as one continues to age. There is a body of literature that suggests stronger social networks reduce the chance of cognitive decline through mentally stimulating activities or socializing. This study examines the rates of cognitive decline in people with larger families by using ordinary least squares (OLS) regression and a cox hazard proportion hazards model to examine the protective effects of different family structures on the rates of cognitive decline using the American Community Supplement …

Praktik Baik Pemberdayaan Difabel Oleh Kelompok Difabel Desa Makmur Jati Mandiri, Damiana Damiana Puspita, Eka Zuni Lusi Astuti

Jurnal Ilmu Kesejahteraan Sosial

The participation of people with disabilities is a crucial issue in Indonesia that has emerged along with the development of the concept of social inclusion that encourages the involvement of people with disabilities in social life. Based on the 2015 SUPAS, the most people with disabilities in Indonesia are people who have a little difficulty seeing, which is 5.51%. Meanwhile, the least number of people with disabilities in Indonesia are residents who cannot hear at all, which is 0.09% (Central Bureau of Statistics, 2016). The problems faced by people with disabilities in Indonesia are varied, ranging from limited accessibility in …