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Direct and indirect influences of socio-economic position on the wellbeing of older adults: a structural equation model using data from the first wave of the Irish longitudinal study on ageing
- Authors:
- PRATSCHKE Jonathan, HAASE Trutz, MCKEOWN Kieran
- Journal article citation:
- Ageing and Society, 37(9), 2017, pp.1770-1797.
- Publisher:
- Cambridge University Press
The authors use Structural Equation Modelling techniques to analyse the determinants of wellbeing amongst older adults using data from the first wave of the Irish Longitudinal Study on Ageing (TILDA), a rich source of data on people aged over 50 and living in private households. The analysis uses a two-group linear statistical model to explore the influence of socio-economic position on the wellbeing of men and women, with Full Information Maximum Likelihood estimation to handle missing data. The fit indices for the final model are highly satisfactory and the measurement structure is invariant by gender and age. The results indicate that socio-economic position has a significant direct influence on wellbeing and a strong indirect influence which is mediated by health status and lifestyle. The total standardised effect of Socio-economic Position on Socio-emotional Wellbeing is statistically significant (p ⩽ 0.05) and equal to 0.32 (men) and 0.43 (women), a very strong influence which risks being underestimated in standard multivariate models. The authors conclude that health, cognitive functioning and wellbeing reflect not just the ageing process, but also the impact of social inequalities across the lifecourse and how they are transmitted across different life spheres. These results can help to orient future research on factors which mediate between socio-economic position and wellbeing, an important policy-related issue. (Publisher abstract)
The discrepancy between social isolation and loneliness as a clinically meaningful metric: findings from the Irish and English longitudinal studies of ageing (TILDA and ELSA)
- Authors:
- McHUGH J.E., et al
- Journal article citation:
- International Journal of Geriatric Psychiatry, 32(6), 2017, pp.664-674.
- Publisher:
- Wiley
Objective: Scant evidence is available on the discordance between loneliness and social isolation among older adults. The authors aimed to investigate this discordance and any health implications that it may have. Method: Using nationally representative datasets from ageing cohorts in Ireland (TILDA) and England (ELSA), they created a metric of discordance between loneliness and social isolation, to which are referred to as Social Asymmetry. This metric was the categorised difference between standardised scores on a scale of loneliness and a scale of social isolation, giving categories of: Concordantly Lonely and Isolated, Discordant: Robust to Loneliness, or Discordant: Susceptible to Loneliness. The authors used regression and multilevel modelling to identify potential relationships between Social Asymmetry and cognitive outcomes. Results: Social Asymmetry predicted cognitive outcomes cross-sectionally and at a two-year follow-up, such that Discordant: Robust to Loneliness individuals were superior performers, but the authors were unable to find evidence for Social Asymmetry as a predictor of cognitive trajectory over time. Conclusions: The authors present a new metric and preliminary evidence of a relationship with clinical outcomes. Further research validating this metric in different populations, and evaluating its relationship with other outcomes, is warranted. (Edited publisher abstract)
Housing choices discussion paper 1: what is the evidence for the cost or cost-effectiveness of housing and support options for people with care or support needs?
- Authors:
- HARFLETT Naomi, et al
- Publisher:
- National Development Team for Inclusion
- Publication year:
- 2017
- Pagination:
- 12
- Place of publication:
- Bath
A brief summary of evidence on the costs and cost-effectiveness of residential care and other housing and support options for older people, people with learning disabilities and people with mental health problems. It draws on a review of peer reviewed and grey literature in the UK and Ireland from 2000 onwards. The paper highlights limitations in the available evidence, which include limitations in terms of quantity; quality; lack of reliability of unit costs used in the research, and difficulties of making comparisons across studies. It then provides a broad summary of the evidence that is available. The paper finds that limitations in quality and quantity mean that there is not sufficient, reliable evidence in which to inform housing and support decisions on the basis of cost. It concludes that there is therefore a strong argument that decisions about an individual’s housing and support should be based on other factors supported in current health and social care policy such as rights, inclusion, choice and control. (Edited publisher abstract)