Gerontology Commons^™

Does Schooling Improve Cognitive Abilities At Older Ages? Causal Evidence From Nonparametric Bounds, Vikesh Amin, Jere R. Behrman, Jason M. Fletcher, Carlos A. Flores, Alfonso Flores-Lagunes, Hans-Peter Kohler

Upjohn Institute Working Papers

We revisit much-investigated relationships between schooling and health, focusing on schooling impacts on cognitive abilities at older ages using the Harmonized Cognition Assessment Protocol in the Health & Retirement Study (HRS) and a bounding approach that requires relatively weak assumptions. Our estimated upper bounds on the population average effects indicate potentially large causal effects of increasing schooling from primary to secondary; yet, these upper bounds are smaller than many estimates from the literature on causal schooling impacts on cognition using compulsory-schooling laws. We also cannot rule out small and null effects at this margin. We do, however, find evidence for …

More Schooling Can Delay The Onset Of Dementia Later In Life, Vikesh Amin, Jere R. Behrman, Jason M. Fletcher, Carlos A. Flores, Alfonso Flores-Lagunes, Iliana Kohler, Hans-Peter Kohler, Shana D. Stites

Upjohn Institute Policy and Research Briefs

No abstract provided.

Causal Effects Of Schooling On Memory At Older Ages In Six Low-And-Middle-Income Countries: Nonparametric Evidence With Harmonized Datasets, Vikesh Amin, Jere R. Behrman, Jason M. Fletcher, Carlos A. Flores, Alfonso Flores-Lagunes, Iliana Kohler, Hans-Peter Kohler, Shana D. Stites

Upjohn Institute Working Papers

Higher schooling attainment is associated with better cognitive function at older ages, but it remains unclear whether the relationship is causal. We estimate causal effects of schooling on performances on the Consortium to Establish a Registry for Alzheimer’s Disease (CERAD) word-recall (memory) test at older ages in China, Ghana, India, Mexico, Russia, and South Africa. We used harmonized data (n=30,896) on older adults (≥50 years) from the World Health Organization Study on Global Ageing and Adult Health. We applied an established nonparametric partialidentification approach that bounds causal effects of increasing schooling attainment at different parts of the schooling distributions under …

Aging In Harwich: A Community Needs Assessment, Claire E. Wickersham, Caitlin E. Coyle

Center for Social and Demographic Research on Aging Publications

At a time of such significant population aging, the Harwich Council on Aging commissioned a community-wide needs assessment with support from the Friends of the Harwich Council on Aging. The specific goal of this report is to support the strategic planning of the Harwich Council on Aging. An additional goal is to present information useful to other Harwich departments and organizations interacting with older residents planning for the future of Harwich. This report presents the results of a comprehensive examination of issues relating to aging in Harwich. Results presented here focus on the characteristics and needs of Harwich residents aged …

Trends In The Demographic And Well-Being Indicators Of The Singapore Life Panel Over The Past 9 Years, From 2016-2024, Rachel Wen Yi Ngu, Yi Wen Tan, Yue Qing Chew, Hanif Mohamed Yacob, Yan Er Tan

ROSA Research Briefs

The Singapore Life Panel® (SLP) has been tracking demographic and well-being indicators among older adults in Singapore for nearly a decade. This research brief presents the longitudinal trends observed in the SLP over a nine-year period (2016-2024), with the aim of identifying key shifts in these indicators and drawing attention to salient issues facing Singapore’s ageing population. The findings reveal notable demographic and well-being developments with significant implications for policy domains such as ageing-in-place, employment, and health. We highlight the following prominent trends: (i) a growing proportion of older adults living alone, accompanied by a steady decline in average household …

Awareness, Knowledge, And Motivations About Lifespan, Healthspan, And Healthy Longevity Medicine In The General Population: The Healthy Longevity (Helo) Conceptual Framework, Belinda Wang, Anna Szucs, Elena Sandalova, E. J. Horberg, Paul A. O'Keefe, Louis Island, Hans J. Meij, Sonny Rosenthal, Andrea B. Maier

Research Collection College of Integrative Studies

The global population is ageing and the gap between lifespan (total years lived) and healthspan (years lived free of diseases) is increasing. Healthy Longevity Medicine (HLM) is an approach to optimise health and healthspan, and it has substantial public health implications. Despite those implications, the understanding of public perspectives on this field is lacking. The HEalthy LOngevity (HELO) framework was developed through a literature review guided by expert discussions across disciplines to include evidence-based concepts of health-related decision-making, ageing, and HLM. The framework organises concepts into three components. The first two components, awareness and knowledge, explore public perception and understanding …

Mindfulness As A Buffer Against Death Anxiety: Implications For End-Of-Life Care, Chad Alexander

University Honors Theses

Death anxiety, defined as the distress associated with the awareness of mortality, has profound psychological and cultural impacts. Western societies often respond to death salience through avoidance and medicalization, reinforcing defensive strategies described by Terror Management Theory. This project aimed to investigate whether mindfulness can serve as a buffer against death anxiety. A structured literature review was conducted using PsycINFO, PubMed, the Portland State University Library, and Google Scholar between January 2025 and April 2025. One study found that mindfulness moderated the effects of death anxiety on health-related quality of life in people living with HIV. Two experiments linked mindfulness …

Integrating Positive Psychology And Spirituality To Foster Meaning And Well-Being In Older Adults, Crystal Morris

Adultspan Journal

This perspective article explores the integration of positive psychology interventions (PPIs) and spirituality in therapy to foster meaning and well-being in older adults. It highlights exercises such as the positive introduction, positive legacy, character strengths, mindfulness, mindful-based yoga, and a manifestation prayer journaling. The interventions presented are tools to support older adults that may experience depression, difficult life transitions, and the search for renewed meaning. Therapists who integrate PPIs and spirituality into therapy can promote a holistic, non-pathological approach to treatment.

Household Wealth And Mental Health In Older Adults Across Racial Groups: Moderating Role Of Social Support, Sunkanmi Folorunsho

Department of Sociology: Dissertations, Theses, and Student Research

This thesis examines the relationship between household wealth and mental health outcomes among older adults, with particular attention to racial and ethnic differences and the potential moderating role of social support. Although financial resources are widely recognized as important determinants of psychological well-being, less is known about how social support interacts with economic conditions to shape mental health in later life. The study also addresses how these patterns may vary among different racial and ethnic groups, given persistent inequalities in wealth and disparities in access to social resources.

Drawing on data from the 2020 wave of the Health and Retirement …

Reforming Pensions In Africa: Addressing Coverage, Payout Disparities, And Dementia Outcomes For Sustainable Aging, Cyprian Mostert, Catherine Ajalo, David Andai

Brain and Mind Institute

No abstract provided.

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.

Exploring The Relationship Between Intrinsic Capacity And Social Participation In Healthy Ageing: Evidence From Singapore, Li Ling Cheong, William Tov, Robin Wai Munn Choo, Micah Tan, Lay Khoon Lau, Wee Shiong Lim, Yew Yoong Ding, Paulin Tay Straughan

Research Collection School of Social Sciences

Objective: The World Health Organization has identified intrinsic capacity and functional ability as key constructs in enabling healthy ageing. However, functional ability is distinct from actual levels of social and physical participation, which research has shown to be associated with health and wellbeing. This study distinguishes between functional ability and actual levels of social and physical participation, and utilizes the International Classification of Functioning, Disability and Health framework to examine the relationship between IC and the two constructs. Methods: This study utilizes cross-sectional self-reported data from a nationally representative panel of Singapore residents aged 56–75 (N = 6,434). We performed …

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 …

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.

Hubungan Dukungan Sosial Rekan Kerja Dengan Stres Kerja (Studi Pada Pekerja Di Pt X), Aisyah Permatasari

Jurnal Ilmu Kesejahteraan Sosial

Workers are vulnerable to work-related stress due to job demands, time constraints, and limited leisure time, leading to psychological issues such as anxiety related to their work. In the context of social welfare studies, job stress affects overall workers’ well-being and disrupts their social functioning in the workplace. Social support from coworkers is potentially reduce stress in workplace, which is crucial for creating organizational well-being. It also helps workers improve job engagement, cope with fatigue, and manage stress. This study examined the relationship between social support from coworkers and job stress among 90 employees …

Caring Across Borders: Demographic Shifts And Migrant Care In Asean-Korea Dynamics, Saqib Fardan Ahmada, Wahid Nur Kartiko

Jurnal Ilmu Kesejahteraan Sosial

This article aims to examine the migration policies and migrant care in the context of relations between ASEAN Member States (AMS) and Korea. As Korea is dealing with an aging population, an increase in female labour force participation, and an ultra low fertility rate, caregiving, especially for the elderly, has become a pivotal issue. Besides, the traditional nuclear family structure, which has historically served as the primary caregiver for the elderly, is also losing its prominence. In such demographic shift, migrant care workers from AMS are filling the demand for caregiving in Korea, leading to a cross-border international migration from …

Ageing In Place: The Key To Receiving A Superaged Society, Paulin Tay Straughan, Yi Wen (Chen Yiwen) Tan, Qi Ting, Zidane Tiew, Zeyu Zheng, Rachel Wen Yi Ngu, Wei Tin Hiah

Research Collection School of Social Sciences

Ageing in place is the ability to remain in one’s community, where living conditions foster a sense of attachment that enhances holistic well-being. To facilitate this, both the built and social environments within which the home is nested must be conducive to successful ageing. This paper deconstructs the merits of ageing in place, specifically how attachment to the lived environment contributes to holistic well-being. We analysed data from 6020 participants in the Singapore Life Panel® using path models, where we examined three dimensions of ageing in place: place identity, continuity, and social inclusion. Five path analyses show that two dimensions …

Older Women In The U.S. Were Lonelier Than Men During The Covid-19 Pandemic, Qiyu Deng

Population Health Research Brief Series

Loneliness damages health and quality of life. The COVID-19 pandemic increased social isolation and loneliness among some groups in the U.S. This data slice uses data from the 2020 Health and Retirement Study to examine gender and age differences in loneliness among older adults (50+) in the U.S. during the first year of the pandemic. The author finds that loneliness was more prevalent among women than among men, with the highest rate among women ages 80 and older.

Younger Grandparents Provide Less Support To Their Grandchildren Now Than In The Past, But Support Among Older Grandparents Has Remained Stable, Hyeonji Cho

Population Health Research Brief Series

Grandparents in the U.S. provide extensive support to their children and grandchildren, in the form of both financial assistance and childcare. But recent demographic changes (e.g., later childbirth, population aging) have postponed and extended the duration of grandparenthood, raising questions about whether these changes affect how grandparents support their grandchildren. This data slice uses data from the 2002-2022 Health and Retirement Study to examine the changes in grandparent support to grandchildren by age group in the U.S. The author finds that while younger grandparents are providing less support now than in the past, support has remained steady or even increased …

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 …