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How much does it hurt to be lonely? Mental and physical differences between older men and women in the KORA-Age Study
- Authors:
- ZEBHAUSER A., et al
- Journal article citation:
- International Journal of Geriatric Psychiatry, 29(3), 2014, pp.245-252.
- Publisher:
- Wiley
Objective: Loneliness has a deep impact on quality of life in older people. This study compared the intensity of and factors associated with loneliness between men and women. Methods: Analyses are based on the 2008/2009 data of the KORA-Age Study, comprising 4127 participants in the age range of 64–94 years. An age-stratified random subsample of 1079 subjects participated in a face-to-face interview. Loneliness was measured by using a short German version of the UCLA-Loneliness-Scale (12 items, Likert scaled, ranging from 0 to 36 points). Multiple logistic regression analysis was conducted to analyze the associations of socio-demographic, physical, and psychological factors with loneliness. Results: The mean level of loneliness did not significantly differ between men and women. However, among the oldest old (those of 85 years and older), loneliness was higher in women. Depression, low satisfaction with life, and low resilience were associated significantly with loneliness, which was more pronounced in men. Living alone was not associated with loneliness, whereas lower social network was associated with a three time higher risk for feeling lonely in both men and women. Conclusions: The extent of loneliness was equally distributed between men and women, although women were more disadvantaged regarding living arrangements as well as physical and mental health. However, loneliness was stronger associated with adverse mental health conditions in men. These findings should be considered when developing intervention strategies to reduce loneliness. (Edited publisher abstract)
An investigation into the patterns of loneliness and loss in the oldest old – Newcastle 85+ Study
- Authors:
- BRITTAIN Katie, et al
- Journal article citation:
- Ageing and Society, 37(1), 2017, pp.39-62.
- Publisher:
- Cambridge University Press
Old age is often characterised as being associated with neglect, isolation and loneliness, not least since established risks factors for loneliness include widowhood, living alone, depression and being female. Cross-sectional data have challenged the notion that loneliness is especially an old-age phenomenon but longitudinal data on loneliness is scarce. Moreover, an under-represented group in prior studies are the oldest old, those aged 85 years and more. This paper addresses these knowledge gaps using data from the Newcastle 85+ Study, a large population-based cohort aged 85 years at first interview with follow-up interviews at 18 months and three years. At baseline over half (55%) reported being always or often alone, and 41 per cent reported feeling more lonely than ten years previously, although only 2 per cent reported always feeling lonely. Women spent more time alone than men and reported more loneliness both currently and compared to the past. Length of widowhood was a key factor, with those recently widowed having twice the risk of feeling lonely and those widowed for five or more years having a lower risk of reporting increased loneliness. Overall, the findings show that loneliness is a minority experience in the oldest old but is strongly driven by length of widowhood, challenging the notion that loneliness in later life is a static experience. (Publisher abstract)
Elasticity of care networks and the gendered division of care
- Authors:
- KRUIJSWIJK Wilco, Da ROIT Barbara, HOOGENBOOM Marcel
- Journal article citation:
- Ageing and Society, 35(4), 2015, pp.675-703.
- Publisher:
- Cambridge University Press
The gender gap in family care-giving is an established research finding: men dedicate less time to care-giving and provide specific gendered types of help. This article argues that in order to grasp men's contribution to care arrangements one should recognise the multifaceted nature of care and examine care networks beyond the 'care receiver-primary care-giver' dyad with a dynamic perspective. A qualitative analysis of the care networks of three large Dutch families with an older parent in need of care confirms the greater involvement of women in care-giving and men's tendency to provide specific types of care. However, men also contribute to the elasticity and stability of the care arrangement by filling temporary gaps and supporting the female care-givers. This article puts forward the idea that men's contribution is in turn a factor in the perpetuation of the gendered structure of care-giving. (Publisher abstract)
Interests among older people in relation to gender, function and health-related quality of life
- Authors:
- KÄLLDALEN Anette, MARCUSSON Jan, WRESSLE Ewa
- Journal article citation:
- British Journal of Occupational Therapy, 76(2), 2013, pp.87-93.
- Publisher:
- Sage
The WHO has stated that older people should have opportunities to be active participants in an age-integrated society because of the positive impact this can have on active ageing. However it is important that the activity should be meaningful and that the individual is doing what they choose, for example pursing interests. This study explores the interests pursued by 85-year-old people living in ordinary housing in Sweden in relation to gender, cognition, depression and health-related quality of life (HRQoL). A sample of 240 participants completed a postal questionnaire, including the EuroQoL HRQoL measurement. Additional instruments used during a subsequent home visit were the Canadian Occupational Performance Measure, Mini Mental State Examination and Geriatric Depression Scale. Women experienced poorer health than men, lived alone to a greater extent and used more mobility devices. Compared with men, women had a larger number of interests related to household management, but there were no gender differences in the leisure area. A lower number of interests in active recreation was associated with lower cognitive function, poorer HRQoL and a higher risk of depressive symptoms. The authors highlight the importance for older people of being active in meaningful occupations, Their ability to pursue interests should be taken into account by occupational therapists.
A gendered lifecourse examination of sleep difficulties among older women
- Authors:
- WALKER Ruth B., et al
- Journal article citation:
- Ageing and Society, 32(2), February 2012, pp.219-238.
- Publisher:
- Cambridge University Press
This article takes a gendered lifecourse approach to explore the high prevalence of sleep difficulties in older women, and to understand the sociological underpinnings of why sleep disorders disproportionately affect older women. In-depth interviews were conducted with 12 community-dwelling women aged 80 years and over who currently experienced sleep difficulties. The participants were encouraged to share their personal experience of factors which have impacted on their sleep and were asked to describe how they responded to their sleep disturbance. Five themes emerged from the analysis: significant life stages; contingent lives; daily concerns in relation to ageing; attitudes and responses of women and general practitioners; and stigma and sleeping pills. For all women, sleep difficulties were not related to physical aspects such as pain or discomfort, but were largely shaped by demands associated with family relationships at different times in the lifecourse. The findings suggest that responses by women themselves, and health professionals, reflect a sense of stigma around sleep difficulties and use of sleeping pills. The article concludes that more emphasis on the social contextual explanations underpinning sleep difficulties might lead to better prevention and treatment of such problems, and increase quality of life.
Health among the oldest-old in China: which living arrangements make a difference?
- Authors:
- LI Lydia W., ZHANG Jiaan, LIANG Jersey
- Journal article citation:
- Social Science and Medicine, 68(2), January 2009, pp.220-227.
- Publisher:
- Elsevier
This study aims to (1) examine the association of living arrangements and health among oldest-old Chinese, and (2) investigate gender differences in the association of living arrangements and health. Data were from the first two waves of the Chinese Longitudinal Healthy Longevity Survey, which included 9093 Chinese averaging 92 years old. Living arrangements had six mutually exclusive categories: living alone, with spouse, with children, with spouse and children, with others and in institutions. Using multinomial logistic regression, it was found that baseline living arrangements are significantly associated with mortality, activities of daily living (ADL) disability, and self-rated health at Wave 2, controlling for baseline health, sociodemographic characteristics and availability of children. Further, the linkages between living arrangements and mortality vary by gender. Among the different living arrangements, having a spouse in the household (either with a spouse only or with both a spouse and children) provides the best health protection. Living alone and living with children are associated with both health advantages and disadvantages. Institutional living lowers mortality risk for men but not women. Living with others provides the least health benefits. The study has extended the research on living arrangements and health to a unique population - the oldest-old in China - and clarified the health advantages and disadvantages of different living arrangements. Future research should examine the mechanisms linking living arrangements and health, and the experience of institutional living for men and women in China.
How equitable is Sweden's changing care-mix? Linking individual and regional characteristics over time
- Authors:
- DAVEY Adam, et al
- Journal article citation:
- Ageing and Society, 27(4), July 2007, pp.511-532.
- Publisher:
- Cambridge University Press
Given its relative ethnic and socio-economic homogeneity, Sweden is an ideal nation for the study of variations in formal and informal care as a function of gender, disability and advanced age. This paper reports an analysis of the relationships between gender, disability and age and the formal care delivered to more than 1,200 people aged 75 or more years in Sweden in 1994 and 2000. In municipalities that provided above-average home-help hours per recipient, and that had high institutional placement rates, women were relatively less likely to have been receiving informal assistance alone, those with greater disability were more likely to have been receiving all forms of assistance, the oldest-old were less likely to have been receiving either informal or formal help alone, and rates of formal assistance and of no informal care were relatively low. In municipalities with high rates of institutional placement, the oldest-old were relatively more likely to have been receiving both formal and informal assistance. Sweden's system of old-age care appears broadly equitable although the quality of care could not be fully assessed. Although home and community-based service provision (HCBS) has recently decreased, variations in the volume and mix of delivered formal services reflect differences in need.
Religion and survival in a secular region. a twenty year follow-up of 734 Danish adults born in 1914
- Authors:
- LA COUR Peter, AYLAND Kirsten, SCHHULZ-LARSEN Kirsten
- Journal article citation:
- Social Science and Medicine, 62(1), January 2006, pp.157-164.
- Publisher:
- Elsevier
The aim of the study was to analyse associations of religiosity and mortality in a secular region. The sample consisted of 734 Danish, community dwelling elderly persons, living in a secular culture, and all aged 70 when primary data were collected. Secondary data consisted of a 20 year follow-up on vital status or exact age of death. The study was designed to be highly comparable to studies conducted in more religious environments in order to compare results. Three variables of religion were investigated in relation to survival: importance of affiliation, church attendance and listening to religious media. Relative hazards (RH) of dying were controlled in models including gender, education, medical and mental health, social relations, help given and received, and health behaviour. The results showed significant and positive associations between claiming religious affiliation important and survival (relative hazard of dying=RH .70; 95% CI .58–.85) and church attendance and survival (RH .73; 95% CI .64–.87). Results decreased and only stayed significant regarding church attendance when controlled for covariates. Nearly all significant effects were seen in women, but not in men. The effect size of the full sample is less than in more religious environments in United States samples. Although the positive overall RHs are comparable to those of other studies, the mediating variables and pathways of effects seem dissimilar in this sample from a secular environment. Receiving and especially giving help to others are suggested as variables of explanatory value.
Social networks and subjective well-being of the elderly in Hong Kong
- Author:
- WENG Boey Kam
- Journal article citation:
- Asia Pacific Journal of Social Work, 8(2), September 1998, pp.5-15.
- Publisher:
- Times Academic
Examines the relationships of demographic characteristics and social network with the subjective well-being of the old-old in Hong Kong. A standardised questionnaire that incorporates self-report measures of well-being demographic data, and social network was used for data collection. Results of the analysis show significant gender differences in all measures of subjective well-being. The overall findings indicate that family network and interdependent support make greater contributions to the psychological well-being of the old-old in Hong Kong than their network of friends.
‘Old but not that old’: Finnish community-dwelling people aged 90+ negotiating their autonomy
- Authors:
- PIRHONEN Jari, et al
- Journal article citation:
- Ageing and Society, 36(8), 2016, pp.1625-1644.
- Publisher:
- Cambridge University Press
Autonomy is a pervasive concept in Western lifestyles today. However, people in the fourth age are assumed not to be autonomous but dependent on other people. The data of this study consisted of interviews with Finnish community-dwelling 90–91-year-old people. The study aim was to examine how these people see their own autonomy in their everyday lives. The analysis was based on membership categorisation analysis. Respondents considered their autonomy through three distinct themes. Functional ability was considered in terms of being physically capable of managing daily tasks. Independence in decision making was based on material and financial self-sufficiency and on the respondents' supposition that they were capable of making decisions due to an absence of memory disorders. Additionally, autonomy was considered as contesting norms of age-appropriateness. Among respondents, chronological age seemed to have been replaced by functional and cognitive ability as a definer of categorisations; age-others became ability-others. The study revealed that the perceptions of autonomy also included gendered features as they were linked with differing gendered ideals, roles and life domains of women and men. The results highlight the internal diversity among the oldest old and challenge the third/fourth age division. Instead, they suggest the existence of a certain ‘grey area’ within old age, and urge an analysis on the subtle meaning making involved in older people's constructions of age-categorisations. (Edited publisher abstract)