Search results for ‘Subject term:"older people"’ Sort:
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Long-term disadvantage among elderly women: the effects of work history
- Author:
- McNAMARA Justine M.
- Journal article citation:
- Social Service Review, 81(3), September 2007, pp.423-452.
- Publisher:
- University of Chicago Press
Despite the emphasis in U.S. social policy on the role of work in addressing poverty and disadvantage for young women, little research focuses on the long-term benefits of work to women. This study focuses on the effects of work history and other factors on the economic well-being of elderly women who had low income in midlife. It uses data from the National Longitudinal Survey of Mature Women (NLSMW) and spans the years from 1967 to 1999. Results suggest that if other factors are controlled, the amount of work low-income women do in midlife has little effect on their economic well-being in old age. Job characteristics, such as whether one is employed in a unionized setting and the availability of a pension plan, do have a positive effect on economic well-being in old age.
Constructions of ageing and narrative resistance in a commercial slimming group
- Author:
- GIMLIN Debra
- Journal article citation:
- Ageing and Society, 27(3), May 2007, pp.407-424.
- Publisher:
- Cambridge University Press
This study focuses on the role of organisational setting and age in shaping individuals' narratives of embodied selfhood. It compares older and younger women's use of ‘narrative resistance’ to negotiate identity in light of their ageing and the negative social and personal meanings of being fat. Cordell and Ronai (1999) observed three types of narrative resistance among overweight people: loopholes, exemplars and continuums. This paper identifies two others: ‘justifications’, for behaviour that associated with weight gain, and ‘repentance’, for behaviour that reaffirmed a commitment to losing weight. Drawing from six months of participant-observation and in-depth interviews with 20 older and younger female clients of a commercial weight-loss organisation, this article shows that both the meanings women attributed to their experiences of slimming, and their opportunities for benefiting from organisational resources, varied by their stage in the lifecourse. The weight-loss group generated narrative strategies and opportunities for its members that were informed by both cultural constructions of ageing and the organisation's interests. While these strategies stopped short of empowering the clients to abandon restrictive dieting altogether, they did enable the older respondents to excuse temporary setbacks in weight loss and their deviation from (what they described as) the more exacting appearance standards of youth. At the same time, the strategic narratives reaffirmed constructions of ageing that present the older female body as uncontrollable and older women as unconcerned with physical attractiveness.
Intimate partner violence in older women
- Authors:
- BONOMI Amy E., et al
- Journal article citation:
- Gerontologist, 47(1), February 2007, pp.34-41.
- Publisher:
- Oxford University Press
The authors describe the prevalence, types, duration, frequency, and severity of intimate partner violence ("partner violence") in older women. The study randomly sampled a total of 370 English-speaking women (65 years of age and older) from a health care system in the United States to participate in a cross-sectional telephone interview. Using 5 questions from the Behavioral Risk Factor Surveillance System (BRFSS) and 10 questions from the Women's Experience with Battering (WEB) Scale, a woman's exposure to partner violence was assessed. Lifetime partner violence prevalence was estimated using the BRFSS questions (physical, forced intercourse, forced sexual contact, verbal threats, and controlling behavior). According to the BRFSS, lifetime partner violence prevalence was 26.5%; 18.4% of women experienced physical or sexual violence and 21.9% experienced non-physical violence (threats or controlling behaviour). According to the BRFSS and WEB Scale, past-5-year violence prevalence was 3.5%, and past-year violence prevalence was 2.2%. Many abused women reported more than 20 episodes of violence in their lifetime (from 18.1% for physical violence to 61.2% for controlling behaviour). The median duration ranged from 3 years (forced sexual contact) to 10 years (controlling behaviour). The proportion of abused women rating their abuse as severe ranged from 39.1% (forced sex or sexual contact) to 70.7% (threats). The high lifetime partner violence occurrence, frequency, duration, and severity, coupled with results from prior studies indicating long-term adverse health effects of partner violence, suggest a need for increased efforts to address partner violence in older women.
Places and health: a qualitative study to explore how older women living alone perceive the social and physical dimensions of their neighbourhoods
- Authors:
- WALKER Ruth B., HILLER Janet E.
- Journal article citation:
- Social Science and Medicine, 65(6), September 2007, pp.1154-1165.
- Publisher:
- Elsevier
There is growing interest in the impact that neighbourhood environment might have on the health of older people. Although the number of older Australian women, particularly those living alone, is projected to increase in coming decades, their experiences of neighbourhood have not been exclusively examined. The aims of this paper are: (1) to explore, from the perspective of these women, the social and physical dimensions of neighbourhoods and (2) to investigate variation in these accounts according to whether women lived in areas of higher or lower socioeconomic status. Twenty women aged between 75 and 93 years, residing in metropolitan Adelaide, South Australia (SA), participated in a series of two in-depth interviews. Women's perceptions of their neighbourhood, and accounts of every-day activities in the community were analysed to determine how both social and physical aspects of neighbourhood might relate to health and wellbeing. Findings suggest that a reciprocal and trusting relationship with neighbours underpinned older women's sense of satisfaction with, and feeling of security within, the neighbourhood. Other factors such as living in close proximity to services and existing social networks were also seen as important. Women's stories demonstrated that they were able to draw on both existing social networks and neighbours to sustain their independence and social connection within the community. Women living in more disadvantaged areas were more conscious of social disconnection in their neighbourhoods, and to the way that traffic noise and pollution detracted from their neighbourhood environment. These findings indicate that, for older women living alone, trusting and reciprocal relationships with neighbours are likely to form an important part of their broader social support network and should be recognised in relation to the process of maintaining the health of older women living in the community.
Analysis and treatment of self-neglectful behaviors in three elderly female patients
- Author:
- THIBAULT Jane M.
- Journal article citation:
- Journal of Elder Abuse and Neglect, 19(3/4), 2007, pp.151-166.
- Publisher:
- Taylor and Francis
- Place of publication:
- Philadelphia, USA
Three cases of self-neglect in elderly women (aged 84-92) suffering from chronic, non-terminal illnesses are discussed. One lived in the community and two in assisted living facilities, and behaviours included refusal to eat, non-adherence to prescribed medication, and extreme social withdrawal. Initial interviews strongly suggested that these behaviours were a purposeful (if inappropriate) response to aversive events or other negative stimuli. The goals of treatment were to identify the factors precipitating these potentially life-threatening actions, and develop behavioural approaches to modify them. The outcomes are described as moderately positive, with a clinically significant reduction in self-neglectful behaviours that was maintained in the three months following the end of treatment. (Copies of this article are available from: Haworth Document Delivery Centre, Haworth Press Inc., 10 Alice Street, Binghamton, NY 13904-1580).
'We are too busy being active and enjoying ourselves to feel the aches and pains': perceived health benefits of line dancing for older women
- Author:
- NADASEN Krishnavelli Kathleen
- Journal article citation:
- Quality in Ageing, 8(3), September 2007, pp.4-14.
- Publisher:
- Pier Professional
- Place of publication:
- Brighton
This one-year study sought to investigate whether a group of women between 60 and 80 years of age perceived line dancing to be beneficial to their health and well-being. Individual and group interviews were conducted with 30 women and these provided useful insights into the participants' subjective experiences with regard to line dancing and the impact it had on their health and well-being. The two broad assumptions that guided this study were a) that line dancing was perceived to be beneficial to the health and well-being of these older women and b) that these older women did not subscribe to the popular assumption that there is a general deterioration in mental capacity , psychological or physical endurance or creativity once one reaches the age of 60.
Cognitive performance in elderly women: significance of the 19bp insertion/deletion polymorphism in the 5 flank of the dopamine beta-hydroxylase gene, educational level, body fat measures, serum triglyceride, alcohol consumption and age
- Authors:
- TOGSVERD Mads, et al
- Journal article citation:
- International Journal of Geriatric Psychiatry, 22(9), September 2007, pp.883-889.
- Publisher:
- Wiley
Genetic and environmental factors influence cognitive aging. The gene encoding dopamine beta-hydroxylase (DBH) could be one such factor since this hydroxylase converts dopamine to norepinephrine both of which are involved in cognition regulation. The aim was to assess the effect of the 19bp insertion/deletion polymorphism in the 5 flank of the DBH gene on cognitive performance in elderly women relative to other factors of cognitive aging. The authors examined a cross-sectional sample of 1371 postmenopausal women. Cognitive abilities were assessed by the 6-item orientation-memory-concentration test. The 19bp insertion/deletion polymorphism of the DBH gene was genotyped and apolipoprotein E (APOE) 4 allele status was determined. In addition blood pressure, body fat mass and blood lipids were measured. Information was also obtained by personal interviews. Data were analyzed by regression analysis. Cognition was univariately associated with DBH genotype (p = 0.04). A univariate association of borderline significance was observed for APOE 4 allele status (p = 0.07). Exclusion of women with severe cognition impairment did not alter the strength of the association with the DBH gene polymorphism markedly (p = 0.06) but obliterated the weak association between APOE 4 allele status and cognition. The association of the DBH gene polymorphism with cognition persisted after adjustment for other variables (p = 0.03). The 19bp insertion/deletion polymorphism of the DBH gene influences cognition in elderly women and might have a stronger effect than APOE 4 allele status on mild cognitive impairment. Both genetic polymorphisms had a significantly smaller impact on cognition than age, education, alcohol consumption and body fat measures.
Early-life risk factors for late-onset depression
- Authors:
- SNEED Joel R., KASEN Stephanie, COHEN Patricia
- Journal article citation:
- International Journal of Geriatric Psychiatry, 22(7), July 2007, pp.663-667.
- Publisher:
- Wiley
To assess differences between women with no history of depression (No MDD), early-onset depression (EOD), and late-onset depression (LOD) on psychosocial risk factors (marital conflict and lack of social support), neuroticism, and overall self-rated health. Diagnostic data from a community-based longitudinal study of women at mean ages 39, 42, 48, and 59 in the United States was used to create three groups of women (No MDD, EOD and LOD). These groups were then compared on psychosocial, personality, and overall health risk assessed approximately 10 years prior to diagnosis. There were no differences between the groups on marital conflict and social support. Those with EOD scored higher than those in the LOD and No MDD groups on neuroticism. Importantly, those with LOD reported poorer health than those with No MDD 10 years prior to diagnosis. These findings provide support for the notion that poor health and not psychosocial risk factors or neuroticism predispose otherwise healthy adults to developing depression for the first time in late-life.
Filipinas as residential long-term care providers: influence of cultural values, structural inequity, and immigrant status on choosing this work
- Authors:
- BROWNE Colette V, BRAUN Kathryn L, ARNSBERGER Pam
- Journal article citation:
- Journal of Gerontological Social Work, 48(3/4), 2007, pp.439-455.
- Publisher:
- Taylor and Francis
- Place of publication:
- Philadelphia, USA
This exploratory study investigated reasons why Filipinas in Hawaii have become the primary caregivers of elders in residential care homes and if they thought their children would follow them in this profession. A random sample of 173 Filipina care home operators (CHO), of which 95% were first-generation immigrants, was interviewed using telephone survey methods. Data were collected: to profile caregivers; to identify motivations for becoming a care home operator; and to gauge if they or their children would continue in this line of work. The sample was composed of middle-aged Filipina CHO with training and experience in elder care who concurred that the job fit their cultural values. About a third also felt that this job was open to immigrants and helped them buy a house. Twenty percent or less felt discriminated against because of this work. Although half the sample felt that women were better caregivers than men, only 38% felt that caregiving was primarily the responsibility of women. Almost 90% planned to continue with this work, but only 12% said it was likely that their children or grandchildren would become CHO, supporting the notion that choosing this profession had less to do with cultural values and gender expectations than with economic opportunities available to the current cohort of CHO. Given these findings, Hawaii's capacity to meet future residential longterm care needs is discussed. (Copies of this article are available from: Haworth Document Delivery Centre, Haworth Press Inc., 10 Alice Street, Binghamton, NY 13904-1580).