Digital Commons Network^™

Living In Essex: A Community Needs Assessment, Sue Berger, Ceara Somerville, Caitlin E. Coyle

Center for Social and Demographic Research on Aging Publications

This report describes research undertaken by the Center for Social & Demographic Research on Aging (CSDRA) within the Gerontology Institute at the University of Massachusetts Boston, on behalf of the Town of Essex. The goals of this project were to investigate the needs, interests, preferences, and opinions of Essex residents age 18 or older by engaging the community regarding their experiences and needs relevant to the Council on Aging’s (COA’s) objective to identify and serve the needs of all Essex citizens 60 and older.

Parkinson’S Disease And Processing Speed Theory Does Processing Speed Mediate Higher-Order Cognitive Functioning?, Priscilla Cuellar-Rocha

Electronic Theses, Projects, and Dissertations

Parkinson’s disease (PD) is a neurodegenerative disorder resulting in both motor and cognitive deficits. Salthouse (1990) proposed the Information Processing Speed (IPS) Theory that a reduced cognitive processing speed is a significant factor that accounts for the negative relationship between age-related variance and cognition. Parkinson’s is an idiopathic disorder, meaning that the cause is unknown, with most patients being 60 years and older. If the IPS theory suggests that an increased age affects the slowing of IPS, which then impairs cognition, PD, a disorder involving older adults, should also follow this pattern. However, no studies have assessed the IPS theory …

Nebraska's Preparedness For A Growing Diverse Aging Population: A Survey Of Area Agencies On Aging, Vince Barger

Honors Program: Senior Projects (Public)

This paper aims to examine the current efforts of Nebraska’s Area Agencies on Aging (AAAs) to serve a growing diverse population of older adults (United States Census Bureau, 2023). This project is comprised of a survey created to gauge the thoughts and opinions of Nebraska AAA employees supplemented by a comprehensive literature review. The findings of the literature review indicate the need for an understanding of the importance of diversity and how it affects individual life experiences. The survey revealed that the AAAs are already making changes to reflect the population shift that is currently happening, such as specific programs …

Metabolic Theories Of Aging, Chris Burley, Lisa K. Lashley, Charles J. Golden

Essays in Developmental Psychology

Metabolic theories of aging postulate that aging is due to energy expenditure, which ultimately results in the breakdown and eventual death of cells. Historically, within the realm of metabolic theories of aging, there have been three models: The Rate-of-Living theory, The Oxidative Damage/Free Radical theory, and the Metabolic Stability theory. All three theories maintain that aging is directly related to metabolic rate, but the theories differ in how they arrive at that conclusion.

Distinct Adipose Progenitor Cells Emerging With Age Drive Active Adipogenesis, Guan Wang, Gaoyan Li, Anying Song, Yutian Zhao, Jiayu Yu, Yifan Wang, Wenting Dai, Martha Salas, Hanjun Qin, Leonard Medrano, Joan Dow, Aimin Li, Brian Armstrong, Patrick T Fueger, Hua Yu, Yi Zhu, Mengle Shao, Xiwei Wu, Lei Jiang, Judith Campisi, Xia Yang, Qiong A Wang

Children’s Nutrition Research Center Staff Publications

Starting at middle age, adults often suffer from visceral adiposity and associated adverse metabolic disorders. Lineage tracing in mice revealed that adipose progenitor cells (APCs) in visceral fat undergo extensive adipogenesis during middle age. Thus, despite the low turnover rate of adipocytes in young adults, adipogenesis is unlocked during middle age. Transplantations quantitatively showed that APCs in middle-aged mice exhibited high adipogenic capacity cell-autonomously. Single-cell RNA sequencing identified a distinct APC population, the committed preadipocyte, age-enriched (CP-A), emerging at this age. CP-As demonstrated elevated proliferation and adipogenesis activity. Pharmacological and genetic manipulations indicated that leukemia inhibitory factor receptor signaling was …

Aging In Somerville: A Community Needs Assessment, Ceara Somerville, Caitlin E. Coyle

Center for Social and Demographic Research on Aging Publications

This report describes research undertaken by the Center for Social & Demographic Research on Aging (CSDRA) within the Gerontology Institute at the University of Massachusetts Boston, on behalf of the City of Somerville. The goals of this project were to investigate the needs, interests, preferences, and opinions of Somerville residents age 60 or older by engaging the community regarding their experiences and needs relevant to the Council on Aging’s (COA’s) objective to identify and serve the needs of all Somerville citizens 60 and older.

Systematic Analysis Of Time Use Among Older Consumers, Jack A. Lesser, Minjung Park

AMTP Proceedings 2025

The study of aging consumers is increasingly critical as global demographic shifts underscore their growing economic and societal significance. In the United States, those aged 65 and older constitute a substantial and influential segment of the population, contributing significantly to consumer spending. Despite their impact, the academic exploration of aging consumers is fragmented, with significant gaps in defining their characteristics and understanding their evolving behaviors. This research attempts to bridge these gaps through the analysis of data from the American Time Use Survey (U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics, 2023), offering insights into the real-world activities and behaviors of different ages …

Cross-Selling Life Insurance: Strategies Based On Life Span Theory And Critical Life Events, Jack A. Lesser

AMTP Proceedings 2025

This article develops strategies for cross-selling life insurance to customers who already hold other insurance products. Cross-selling life insurance presents unique challenges due to its association with long-term financial security, mortality, and legacy. Unlike other types of insurance that meet immediate needs, the decision to purchase life insurance is often triggered by critical life events and influenced by life span changes. Drawing on life span theory, this article identifies significant life events, such as marriage, parenthood, and retirement, that increase receptivity to life insurance and proposes theory-based strategies to enhance customer interest. By examining life stages and their associated motivations, …

Multi-Omic Analysis Of Biological Aging Biomarkers In Long-Term Calorie Restriction And Endurance Exercise Practitioners: A Cross-Sectional Study, Giovanni Fiorito, Valeria Tosti, Silvia Polidoro, Beatrice Bertozzi, Nicola Veronese, Edda Cava, Francesco Spelta, Laura Piccio, Dayna S Early, Daniel Raftery, Paolo Vineis, Luigi Fontana

2020-Current year OA Pubs

Calorie restriction (CR) and physical exercise (EX) are well-established interventions known to extend health span and lifespan in animal models. However, their impact on human biological aging remains unclear. With recent advances in omics technologies and biological age (BioAge) metrics, it is now possible to assess the impact of these lifestyle interventions without the need for long-term follow-up. This study compared BioAge biomarkers in 41 middle-aged and older adult long-term CR practitioners, 41 age- and sex-matched endurance athletes (EX), and 35 sedentary controls consuming Western diets (WD), through PhenoAge: a composite score derived from nine blood-biomarkers. Additionally, a subset of …

Similarities And Differences In The Gene Expression Signatures Of Physiological Age Versus Future Lifespan, Matthew C Mosley, Holly E Kinser, Olivier M F Martin, Nicholas Stroustrup, Tim Schedl, Kerry Kornfeld, Zachary Pincus

2020-Current year OA Pubs

Across all taxa of life, individuals within a species exhibit variable lifespans. Differences in genotype or environment are not sufficient to explain this variance, as even isogenic Caenorhabditis elegans nematodes reared under uniform conditions show significant variability in lifespan. To investigate this phenomenon, we used lifespan-predictive biomarkers to isolate, at mid-adulthood, prospectively long- and short-lived individuals from an otherwise identical population. We selected two biomarkers which correlated positively with lifespan, lin-4p::GFP and mir-243p::GFP, and two which correlated negatively, mir-240/786p::GFP and autofluorescence. The gene-expression signature of long versus short future lifespan was strikingly similar across all four biomarkers tested. Since these …

The Effect Of Psychological Variables Associated With Aging On The Psychological State Of Seniors In Jordan According To Gender And Exercise Habits, Walaa Aliswed, Saad Al-Dabas, Mohammad Al-Hindawi

Jordan Journal of Applied Science-Humanities Series

This research aims to identify the level of psychological variables associated with aging (depression, anxiety, and stress) and their impact on the mental health of older adults in Jordan, based on gender and physical activity variables. The researchers used a descriptive approach, and the sample consisted of 63 older adults, including 30 males and 33 females, aged 60 years and older. The research tool employed was the DASS-21 scale to measure depression, anxiety, and stress. The results showed that the level of psychological variables associated with aging among older adults in Jordan was moderate. Statistically significant differences were found in …

Enhancing Transportation Options For Older Adults: Served By Councils On Aging With Support From The Montachusett Area Regional Transit Authority (Mart): A Program Validation Study, Caitlin E. Coyle, Nina M. Silverstein, Taylor Jansen, Shayna Gleason

Center for Social and Demographic Research on Aging Publications

This study follows a 2022 evaluation report UMass Boston researchers conducted for MART of a pilot program whose measurable aims were to demonstrate (pre/post) an increase in ridership, destinations, trips provided, and shared rides coordinated across the participating COAs. The pilot with four participating COAs was ambitious and while the results indicated some early successes (rider satisfaction), more areas for improvement were noted (software and transition to the use of digital technology). (Silverstein et. al., 2022) Since then, MART has adopted a new software program and collaboration with My Senior Center, a senior 4 center management and reporting system. MART …

Just As Expected? Older Adults’ Aging Expectations Are Associated With Subjective Cognition, Nikki Hill, Sakshi Bhargava, Justin Do, Emily Bratlee-Whitaker, Monique Brown, Renata Komalasari, Rachel Wu, Jacqueline Mogle

SKMC Student Presentations and Publications

OBJECTIVES: This study investigated the relationship between older adults' expectations regarding aging and subjective cognition. Specifically, we examined whether the three domains of aging expectations (physical health, mental health, and cognitive function) were associated with two aspects of subjective cognition: current subjective cognition and subjective cognitive decline (SCD).

METHOD: An online survey was conducted among U.S. adults aged 65-90 (N = 581; M_age=71.4, SD ± 4.81; 51% female). Measures included the 12-item Expectations Regarding Aging scale, the 8-item PROMIS Cognitive Abilities scale (current subjective cognition), and the 12-item Everyday Cognition scale (SCD). We used generalized linear models …

Proteasome Augmentation Mitigates Age-Related Cognitive Decline In Mice, Danitra Parker, Kanisa Davidson, Pawel A Osmulski, Maria Gaczynska, Andrew M Pickering

Faculty, Staff and Student Publications

The aging brain experiences a significant decline in proteasome function. The proteasome is critical for many key neuronal functions including neuronal plasticity, and memory formation/retention. Treatment with proteasome inhibitors impairs these processes. Our study reveals a marked reduction in 20S and 26S proteasome activities in aged mice brains, including in the hippocampus, this is driven by reduced functionality of aged proteasome. The decline in proteasome activity is matched by a decline in 20S proteasome assembly. In contrast, 26S proteasome assembly was found to increase with age, though 26S proteasome activity was still found to decline. Our data suggests that age-related …

Aging Is Associated With Decreased Lactobacillus And Increased Cervicovaginal Inflammation In Canadian Women, Ha T. Dang, Laura Noel-Romas, Samantha Knodel, Kenzie Birse, Hossaena Ayele, Alicia R. Berard, Adam D. Burgener, Christina Farr Zuend

Faculty Scholarship

Problem: Aging is characterized by a general dysregulation of systemic immune responses that increases susceptibility to infections and malignancies. Immune cells in the female genital tract (FGT) are regulated by sex hormones, but little is known about the impact of aging and menopause on immunology in the FGT. Method of Study: This study conducted an age-focused sub-analysis of cervicovaginal samples collected from 47 women enrolled in the Vaginal Mucosal Systems study in Winnipeg, Canada. Paired cervicovaginal lavage and cervical cytobrush were collected and analyzed by Luminex cytokine array, mass spectrometry based metaproteomics, metabolomics, and high dimensional flow cytometry. Results: The …

Up-Island Council On Aging: Planning For The Future, Ceara Somerville, Caitlin E. Coyle

Center for Social and Demographic Research on Aging Publications

This report describes research undertaken by the Center for Social & Demographic Research on Aging (CSDRA) within the Gerontology Institute at the University of Massachusetts Boston, on behalf of the Up-Island Council on Aging (UICOA). The goals of this project were to investigate the needs, interests, preferences, and opinions of Aquinnah, Chilmark, and West Tisbury residents age 50 or older by engaging the community regarding their experiences and needs relevant to the Council on Aging’s (UICOA’s) objective to identify and serve the needs of older residents of Up-island.

Aging In Uxbridge: A Community Needs Assessment, Caitlin E. Coyle, Katherine Burnes, Ceara Somerville

Center for Social and Demographic Research on Aging Publications

This report describes research undertaken by the Center for Social & Demographic Research on Aging (CSDRA) within the Gerontology Institute at the University of Massachusetts Boston, on behalf of the Town of Uxbridge. The goals of this project were to investigate the interests, preferences, and opinions of Uxbridge’s residents aged 55 or older by engaging the community regarding their experiences and needs relevant to the Council on Aging’s (COA’s) and Senior Center objective to identify and serve the needs of all Uxbridge citizens 55 and older. The contents of this report are meant to inform the Town of Uxbridge, the …

Physiotherapists' Knowledge Of Ageing And Its Associated Factors, Unyime Jasper, Olayinka Akinrolie, Cornelius Mahdi Ishaku, Nnamdi Mgbemena

Internet Journal of Allied Health Sciences and Practice

Purpose: To evaluate knowledge of ageing and its associated factors among Nigerian physiotherapists (PTs).

Methods: We used a three-part questionnaire. Knowledge of ageing was evaluated with Palmore’s Facts on Aging Quiz (FAQ). Certain questions in the FAQ were modified to reflect the local setting. We conducted a validity and reliability check on the questionnaire using test-retest with 10 PTs. Data were analysed using descriptive statistics, t-test, ANOVA and multiple linear regression.

Resullts: Out of 204 PTs invited, 186 agreed to participate. Test-retest of the FAQ revealed a Cronbach alpha of 0.78. The age of participants ranged from …

Sex Differences In Response To Diet Enriched With Glutathione Precursors In The Aging Heart, Aude Angelini, Grecia Garcia Marquez, Anna Malovannaya, Marta L Fiorotto, Alexander Saltzman, Antrix Jain, Joann Trial, George E Taffet, Katarzyna A Cieslik

Faculty, Staff and Students Publications

Common features of the aging heart are dysregulated metabolism, inflammation, and fibrosis. Elevated oxidative stress is another hallmark of cardiac aging that can exacerbate each of these conditions. We hypothesize that by increasing natural antioxidant levels (glutathione), we will improve cardiac function. Twenty-one-month-old mice were fed glycine and N-acetyl cysteine (GlyNAC; glutathione precursors)-supplemented or control diets for 12 weeks. Heart function was monitored longitudinally, and the exercise performance was determined at the end of the study. We found that the GlyNAC diet was beneficial for old male but not old female mice, leading to an increase of Ndufb8 expression (a …

Associations Between Deficit Accumulation Frailty And Baseline Markers Of Lifestyle In The Us Pointer Trial, Mark A Espeland, Yitbarek N Demesie, Kayloni Olson, Samuel N Lockhart, Sarah E Tomaszewski Farias, Maryjo L Cleveland, Christy C Tangney, Lucia Crivelli, Heather M Snyder, Michele K York, Laura D Baker, Rachel A Whitmer, Rena R Wing, Katelyn R Garcia, Kathryn E Callahan

Faculty, Staff and Students Publications

BACKGROUND: Multidomain lifestyle interventions may have the potential to slow biological aging as captured by deficit accumulation frailty indices. We describe the distribution and composition of the 49-component frailty index developed by the U.S. POINTER clinical trial team of investigators and assess its cross-sectional associations with sociodemographic factors and markers chosen to be representative of behaviors targeted by the trial's multidomain interventions.

METHODS: We draw baseline data from the 2 111 volunteers enrolled in U.S. POINTER who were ages 60-79 years and at increased risk for cognitive decline. Frailty components were grouped into 9 domains. Associations that frailty index scores …

Perceived Obligations Of Older Partners In Living-Apart-Together Relationships, Allison M. Martin, Timothy S. Killian

Discovery, The Student Journal of Dale Bumpers College of Agricultural, Food and Life Sciences

Older and middle-aged adults are increasingly in Living-Apart-Together (LAT) relationships characterized by committed romantic relationships without marriage and cohabitation. Because of assumptions that older adults will receive family caregiving as they grow older and need caregiving, it is not clear how people are likely to perceive obligations to provide caregiving assistance. As adults move into old age and incidence rates of Alzheimer’s Disease or Related Dementia (ADRD) increase, questions about the availability of family members to provide needed assistance are complicated by LAT relationships. The purpose of this study was to examine perceived obligations to provide assistance to older adults …

Exploring The Role Of Bingocize® Workshops In Enhancing Health And Well-Being In Older Adults, Kaitlyn Gray

Mahurin Honors College Capstone Experience/Thesis Projects

As the population of older adults grows, the need for better health and well-being also grows, making it necessary to implement effective strategies for healthy aging to improve the length and quality of life of older adults (CDC, 2024). This study evaluates the effectiveness of a Bingocize^® Workshop in improving the physical health of older adults. Bingocize^®, a unique program combining bingo with exercise, is designed to increase physical activity. Eleven (11) participants aged 68.55 ± 6.235 attended a ten-week workshop, two times per week focusing on physical exercises tailored to their abilities. The primary objective was …

Challenges And Effects: A Qualitative Analysis Of The Unique Challenges Faced By Black Male Care Givers In Long-Term Care, Qudrat Oluwatimilehin Olufemi-Dirisu

All Graduate Theses, Dissertations, and Other Capstone Projects

The existing literature on caregivers working in long-term care focuses on the challenges ranging from being overworked, mental stress, low wages, and abuse. However, little is known about the unique intersectional experiences of Black male caregivers, particularly regarding how race and gender shape their professional encounters, societal perceptions, and coping strategies. The present study analyzed unique stressors of Black male care givers in long term care using their personal experiences and how these stressors impact their mental health. The effects of societal expectations, client biases, and workplace stereotypes significantly affect Black male caregivers are also examined against the background that …

Don’T Stop Believin’: Emotion Beliefs And Daily Affective Experiences Across Adulthood, Jocelyn A. Rutledge

Theses and Dissertations (Comprehensive)

Emotion control beliefs reflect the extent to which people believe emotions “should” and “can” be controlled and have been linked to psychological well-being. Research has yet to examine age-related differences in these beliefs and their daily associations with affective experiences. The present study examines age differences in daily emotion control beliefs and their within-person associations with positive and negative affect. The study used 14-day daily diary data from an adult lifespan community sample (younger adults: 18-36 years old, N = 72; older adults: 66-92 years old, N = 66). The results revealed that older adults reported …

Age-Associated Alterations In Immune And Inflammatory Responses In Captive Olive Baboons (Papio Anubis), Michele M. Mulholland, Bharti P. Nehete, Ashley Delise, Angela M. Achorn, Lisa M. Pytka, Pramod N. Nehete

Anthropology Faculty Publications

Introduction: Advanced age is a primary risk factor for many chronic diseases and conditions; however, age-related immune dysregulation is not well understood. Animal models, particularly those that resemble human age-related physiological changes, are needed to better understand immunosenescence and to improve health outcomes. Here, we explore the utility of the olive baboon (Papio anubis) in studying age-related changes to the immune system and understanding mechanisms of immunosenescence.

Methods: We examined immune cell, inflammatory responses, cytokines, and cortisol levels using hematology and flow cytometry, mitogen stimulation, multiplex cytokine assay, and cortisol immunoassay.

Results and Discussion: Our results reveal significant age effects …

Multidimensional Health Outcomes In Lgbtq+ Older Adults In The United States: Individual And Community-Level Protective Factors, Emily P. Lapidus

Theses and Dissertations--Psychology

Despite a lifetime of systematic barriers, LGBTQ+ individuals age into late adulthood, likely due to various protective factors. Guided by the Iridescent Life Course Framework (ILCF; Fredriksen-Goldsen & Muraco, 2019), I analyzed unique protective factors at two levels: (1) individual psychological factors (i.e., resilience, identity management) and (2) community-level factors (i.e., LGBTQ+ community connectedness, social support). Health was operationalized as mental health, physical health, and health-promoting behaviors. The present study accounted for covariates (i.e., financial barriers to healthcare, felt subjective age discrepancy, lifetime discrimination). I hypothesized that both stronger individual and community factors would be associated with better physical and …

Geriatric Care In Corrections: An Exploratory Study Of Cross-Disciplinary Perspectives On The Needs Of An Aging Prison Population, Cynthia A. Scheiderer

Antioch University Dissertations & Theses

The incarcerated population in the United States is aging. The proportion of adults 55 or older in prison rose from 3% in 1993 to 16% at year-end 2022 (Carson & Sabol, 2016; Carson & Kluckow, 2024). Researchers have consistently found evidence that the prevalence of disabilities and functional impairment is higher among older adults who are incarcerated than among those in the community. As the incarcerated population ages, corrections professionals responsible for providing safety, housing, and health care must respond to the needs of the population. In this qualitative study, 21 corrections professionals from the disciplines of custody, classification, medical, …

Beyond My Control: The Role Of Sense Of Control On Cognitive Functioning And Depressive Symptoms In Older Adults, Sabine Lohmar

Graduate Theses, Dissertations, and Problem Reports (ETD)

Depression and depressive symptoms commonly coincide with mild cognitive impairment (MCI) and dementia in older adults (Ismail et al., 2017; Panza et al., 2010), with its prevalence varying based on dementia severity, diagnostic criteria, and dementia subtype (Chi et al., 2015; Ismail et al., 2017; Leung et al., 2021; Lopez et al., 2003). This relationship is hypothesized to exist for a variety of reasons, including that depressive symptoms occur as an emotional response to cognitive functioning (Bennett & Thomas, 2014; Richard et al., 2013). Emotional responses may be explained by a decline in sense of control, or the belief in …

Re-Imagining Care For Aging Disabled Adults, Caitlin L. Tizzard

Theses and Dissertations (Comprehensive)

In Ontario, the landscape of aging is shaped by ageist and ableist ideologies that view older disabled adults through the lens of decline and dependency. Much of the current discourse on aging focuses on reforming long-term care (LTC), reinforcing institutional and carceral responses both within policy and academic imagination. This qualitative study takes a different approach by asking participants how care for aging disabled adults can be reimagined beyond institutionalization. Grounded in intersectional feminist, disability justice and abolitionist praxis, and using a critical transformative paradigm, this research employed Appreciative Inquiry across three focus groups with four participants engaged in aging-related …

Toward Precision Longevity: Aging Interventions In The Single-Cell Atlas Era, Jason B Chen, Miranda C Wang, Shangyu Gong, Hongjie Li

Faculty, Staff and Students Publications

With growing global interest in extending not only lifespan but also healthspan, healthy aging has emerged as a central goal in biomedical research. This review provides an overview of current longevity interventions, including genetic manipulations, dietary restriction, exercise, pharmacological treatments, targeting senescence and cellular reprogramming strategies, as studied in key model organisms such as Caenorhabditis elegans, Drosophila melanogaster, and Mus musculus. We examine the limitations and challenges associated with these approaches, particularly their variability across tissues and cell types. Furthermore, we emphasize the critical role of single-cell aging atlas technologies in uncovering cell-type–specific aging patterns and molecular …