Older chinese' attitudes toward aging and the relationship to mental health: an international comparison

The association among thriving in life, quality of life, and suicidal ideation in Chinese urban older adults: the moderating effects of attitude toward own aging

BACKGROUND

As the global trend of population aging intensifies, the health and well-being of the older population has gradually become a focus of attention for the global community. This study assessed the status of thriving in life among Chinese urban older adults and identified its relationship with attitude toward own aging and quality of life (QoL). It also tested whether attitude toward own aging moderates the association between thriving in life and Qol or between thriving in life and suicidal ideation.

METHODS

Primary data were collected through a cross-sectional survey among urban older adults from three provinces in China. They were invited to complete an anonymous survey using face-to-face interviews from December 2019 to January 2020. Data from 764 older adults were analyzed.

RESULTS

Approximately 44.39% of participants reported positive responses toward the four domains of thriving in life. Thriving in life and attitude toward own aging had a significant association with QoL. Thriving in life was a protective factor for suicidal ideation for older adults. Moreover, attitude toward own aging moderated the association between thriving in life and QoL and that between thriving in life and suicidal ideation.

CONCLUSIONS

Chinese urban older adults were reportedly thriving in life, which contributed to increased QoL and reduced suicidal ideation. Notably, the study revealed that more positive attitudes towards own aging were associated with higher levels of thriving in life, better QoL, and reduced suicidal ideation. Targeted interventions for older adults should be devised to promote thriving in life and prevent negative attitudes of older people towards their own aging, further raising QoL and reducing suicidal ideation.

Mobile phone problem use and depressive symptoms: the mediating role of social support and attitude to aging among Chinese older adults

BACKGROUND

Little is known about mobile phone problem use (MPPU) among older adults. This study investigated critical factors affecting MPPU and filled the gap between MPPU and depressive symptoms in older people.

METHODS

A cross-sectional study was conducted in community (n = 376) with questionnaires of Multidimensional Scale of Perceived Social Support (MSPSS), Geriatric Depression Scale (GDS-15), Attitudes to Aging Questionnaire (AAQ) and Mobile Phone Problem Use Scale (MPPUS).

RESULTS

80.9% of older people used smartphones and spend less than three hours on mobile phone per day. The average MPPU score of Chinese elderly is greater than the cut off to 41. Female (β = -0.11, P = 0.037), living with spouse (β = -0.17, P = 0.03), and late marriage age (β = -0.16, P = 0.007) are less likely to develop MPPU. The relationship between MPPU and depressive symptoms was partially mediated by social support and attitude to aging.

CONCLUSION

Elderly people generally have higher MPPU scores. MPPU was associated with depressive symptoms, through social support and attitude to aging.

Are interactive and tailored data visualizations effective in promoting flu vaccination among the elderly? Evidence from a randomized experiment

OBJECTIVE

Although interactive data visualizations are increasingly popular for health communication, it remains to be seen what design features improve psychological and behavioral targets. This study experimentally tested how interactivity and descriptive titles may influence perceived susceptibility to the flu, intention to vaccinate, and information recall, particularly among older adults.

MATERIALS AND METHODS

We created data visualization dashboards on flu vaccinations, tested in a 2 (explanatory text vs none) × 3 (interactive + tailored, static + tailored, static + nontailored) + questionnaire-only control randomized between-participant online experiment (N   = 1378).

RESULTS

The flu dashboards significantly increased perceived susceptibility to the flu compared to the control: static+nontailored dashboard, b = 0.14, P = .049; static-tailored, b = 0.16, P = .028; and interactive+tailored, b = 0.15, P = .039. Interactive dashboards potentially decreased recall particularly among the elderly (moderation by age: b = -0.03, P = .073). The benefits of descriptive text on recall were larger among the elderly (interaction effects: b = 0.03, P = .025).

DISCUSSION

Interactive dashboards with complex statistics and limited textual information are widely used in health and public health but may be suboptimal for older individuals. We experimentally showed that adding explanatory text on visualizations can increase information recall particularly for older populations.

CONCLUSION

We did not find evidence to support the effectiveness of interactivity in data visualizations on flu vaccination intentions or on information recall. Future research should examine what types of explanatory text can best support improved health outcomes and intentions in other contexts. Practitioners should consider whether interactivity is optimal in data visualization dashboards for their populations.

A Technology-Enriched Approach to Studying Microlongitudinal Aging Among Adults Aged 18 to 85 Years: Protocol for the Labs Without Walls Study

BACKGROUND

Traditional longitudinal aging research involves studying the same individuals over a long period, with measurement intervals typically several years apart. App-based studies have the potential to provide new insights into life-course aging by improving the accessibility, temporal specificity, and real-world integration of data collection. We developed a new research app for iOS named Labs Without Walls to facilitate the study of life-course aging. Combined with data collected using paired smartwatches, the app collects complex data including data from one-time surveys, daily diary surveys, repeated game-like cognitive and sensory tasks, and passive health and environmental data.

OBJECTIVE

The aim of this protocol is to describe the research design and methods of the Labs Without Walls study conducted between 2021 and 2023 in Australia.

METHODS

Overall, 240 Australian adults will be recruited, stratified by age group (18-25, 26-35, 36-45, 46-55, 56-65, 66-75, and 76-85 years) and sex at birth (male and female). Recruitment procedures include emails to university and community networks, as well as paid and unpaid social media advertisements. Participants will be invited to complete the study onboarding either in person or remotely. Participants who select face-to-face onboarding (n=approximately 40) will be invited to complete traditional in-person cognitive and sensory assessments to be cross-validated against their app-based counterparts. Participants will be sent an Apple Watch and headphones for use during the study period. Participants will provide informed consent within the app and then begin an 8-week study protocol, which includes scheduled surveys, cognitive and sensory tasks, and passive data collection using the app and a paired watch. At the conclusion of the study period, participants will be invited to rate the acceptability and usability of the study app and watch. We hypothesize that participants will be able to successfully provide e-consent, input survey data through the Labs Without Walls app, and have passive data collected over 8 weeks; participants will rate the app and watch as user-friendly and acceptable; the app will allow for the study of daily variability in self-perceptions of age and gender; and data will allow for the cross-validation of app- and laboratory-based cognitive and sensory tasks.

RESULTS

Recruitment began in May 2021, and data collection was completed in February 2023. The publication of preliminary results is anticipated in 2023.

CONCLUSIONS

This study will provide evidence regarding the acceptability and usability of the research app and paired watch for studying life-course aging processes on multiple timescales. The feedback obtained will be used to improve future iterations of the app, explore preliminary evidence for intraindividual variability in self-perceptions of aging and gender expression across the life span, and explore the associations between performance on app-based cognitive and sensory tests and that on similar traditional cognitive and sensory tests.

INTERNATIONAL REGISTERED REPORT IDENTIFIER (IRRID)

DERR1-10.2196/47053.

Stressful life events and subjectively rated sleep quality among older adults in China: the roles of positive and negative attitudes towards ageing

Sleep is an integral part of individuals' health and wellbeing. Despite evidence showing that social stressors are important contributors to older adults' sleep problems, how the accumulative stressful life events (SLEs) and ageing attitudes independently and jointly affect sleep quality among older adults in developing countries remains unclear. This study examined the effects of SLEs on subjectively rated sleep quality among older adults in China, and explored the potential mediating and moderating roles of positive and negative ageing attitudes on the above association. Using data from the 2014 China Longitudinal Ageing Social Survey, we had complete data for 7,780 older adults aged 60 and older. We employed logistic regression models and the Karlson–Holm–Breen decomposition method. Our findings indicated that SLEs significantly increased the risk of poor sleep quality, especially for those who had experienced two or more SLEs during the past year. Positive ageing attitudes were associated with lower odds of poor sleep quality, whereas negative ageing attitudes were related to higher odds of poor sleep quality. Moreover, the mediation analyses suggested that SLEs were associated with poor sleep quality via negative ageing attitudes. The moderating effects further documented that higher levels of positive ageing attitudes can significantly attenuate the deleterious impact of SLEs on sleep quality. The findings highlight the significance of SLEs for older adults' sleep quality and shed light on the importance of ageing attitudes to improve older adults' sleep in China as well as other low- and middle-income countries, where the social safety nets are still underdeveloped.

Relationships Between Aging Attitudes and Successful Aging Outcomes in Middle-age and Older Women

OBJECTIVES

This study aimed to explore the relationships between aging attitudes and the outcomes of successful aging, including whether aging attitudinal types moderate psychological adjustment in the context of medical and mental health diagnoses.

METHODS

In total, 409 community-dwelling women aged 40-79 years in Australia completed the Reactions to Aging Questionnaire (RAQ), Geriatric Depression Scale, Center of Epidemiological Studies Depression Scale, and Geriatric Anxiety Inventory. Information about medical and mental health diagnoses were collected.

RESULTS

Overall, aging attitudes and all three RAQ subscales were negatively correlated with scores on measures of depression and anxiety, and number of medical diagnoses. Attitudinal types toward aging were found to moderate the relationship between the number of mental health diagnoses and scores on the psychological measures of depression but not anxiety. Unique RAQ domain-specific relationships were found with the number of mental health diagnoses.

CONCLUSIONS

The findings support the link between aging attitudes and psychological outcomes, the potential clinical value of RAQ attitudinal typologies classification as well as a multidimensional conceptualization of aging attitudes.

CLINICAL IMPLICATIONS

The findings reinforce the need for efforts to reduce ageism on a societal level, as well as informing clinical decision-making with older clients.

Negative attitudes toward aging mediated the association between HIV status and depression among older people in mainland china

BACKGROUND

In China, people living with HIV (PLWH) are aging. The study compared prevalence of probable depression between older PLWH and their HIV-negative counterparts, and tested the hypothesis that the between-group difference in depressive symptoms would be mediated by attitudes toward aging.

METHODS

With informed consent, a cross-sectional survey was conducted via anonymous face-to-face interviews to 337 and 363 HIV-positive and HIV-negative people aged ≥50, respectively, in Yongzhou City, Hunan, China from December 2017 to August 2018. Depression was measured by the Center for Epidemiologic Studies Depression (CES-D) scale. Attitudes toward aging were measured by the Attitudes to Aging Questionnaire (subdomains: psychosocial loss, physical change, psychological growth). Bootstrapping analyses were performed to test the mediation hypothesis.

RESULTS

The prevalence of probable depression (CES-D ≥ 16) was significantly higher in the HIV-positive group than the HIV-negative group (44.8% versus 20.4%). The HIV-positive participants presented more negative attitudes toward aging (in psychosocial loss and physical change) than their HIV-negative counterparts. Negative attitudes toward aging were associated with more depressive symptoms. Overall attitudes toward aging (effect size=41.3%) and the subdomains of psychosocial loss (effect size=38.5%) and physical change (effect size=16.3%) partially mediated the association between HIV status and depressive symptoms, respectively.

LIMITATIONS

The cross-sectional design limited the ability of causal inference. Selection bias, information bias, and confounding bias might exist.

CONCLUSIONS

Older PLWH might be more depressed than their HIV-negative counterparts in mainland China, partially because they possessed more negative attitudes toward aging. Interventions for depression may include components of improving attitudes toward aging.

The assessment of views on ageing: a review of self-report measures and innovative extensions

This is a review of existing self-report measures for assessing views on ageing. It provides an overview of instruments, for which basic psychometric properties are available and describes them according to the purposes for which they are suitable. Literature search resulted in the inclusion of 89 instruments which were categorised along eight dimensions. The majority of measures focus on explicit cognitions about people's own age and ageing or other (older) people. A substantial amount of tools account for the multidimensionality and multidirectionality of views on ageing, i.e. the idea that ageing is accompanied by both gains and losses in several different domains. To some extent, measures reflect that ageing is a long-term process and that views on ageing are malleable, rather than just stable traits. Cluster analysis revealed heterogeneity in instruments regarding the dimensions of Ecosystem, Balance, Stability, Dynamics, and Complexity. It becomes apparent, however, that approaches to measure views on ageing should be extended to more specifically target the implicit level as well as affective, physiological, and behavioural manifestations. Additionally, means for capturing views on ageing on the societal level and tools with a distinct time reference are needed. This is particularly important when one wants to account for the lifelong dynamics of views on ageing.

The Sense of Coherence, Self-Perception of Aging and the Occurrence of Depression Among the Participants of the University of the Third Age Depending on Socio-Demographic Factors

Purpose

The aim of the study was to assess the relationship between the sense of coherence and self-perception of aging and the risk of depression among attendees of the University of the Third Age (U3A). The influence of socio-demographic factors was studied.

Participants and Methods

The study involved 315 attendees of the U3A aged on average 68.4 years, age range 60–82 years old. The overwhelming majority were women (91.7%). Cross-sectional research was conducted using standardized questionnaires – the SOC-29 scale, the Geriatric Depression Scale (GDS – brief version) and the author’s own questionnaire regarding self-perception of aging.

Results

The study participants showed an average level of sense of coherence (130.7± 23.2). The highest number of people obtained average results of sense of coherence, both in terms of global SOC (75.2%) and its components. The highest scores on the SOC-29 scale were found for the sense of comprehensibility (41.3%). The mean value of the self-perception of aging was 69.0±16.0 and indicates the lower range of results for positive attitude. Nearly ¾ (72.1%) of the respondents had a positive self-perception of aging. The values of the scale of self-perception of aging showed a statistically significant relation to the global level of sense of coherence and its components (p<0.001). In people without depression, positive self-perception of aging was significantly more frequent than among participants with depression of increasing intensity. Education was significantly correlated with the results of the SOC-29 scale, the self-perception of aging scale and the GDS scale.

Conclusion

From the U3A research group, better educated elderly people have a higher sense of coherence and show a more positive self-perception of aging. Moreover, these people are less likely to show signs of senile depression.

Attitudes toward aging, social support and depression among older adults: Difference by urban and rural areas in China

BACKGROUND

The specific impacts of attitudes toward aging on depressive symptoms have not been widely reported in previous studies in China.

OBJECTIVES

The aim is to examine the associations between attitudes toward aging, perceived social support, and depressive symptoms among older adults stratified by rural and urban dwelling.

METHODS

This study used a cross-sectional data including 7209 participants, among which 64.6% were urban adults and 35.4% were rural adults. Several multiple liner regression models were used to analysis the data. Three social support types were analyzed as moderators of the relationship between the attitudes toward aging and depressive symptoms.

RESULTS

Positive attitudes toward aging (β=-0.139, P<0.001), negative attitudes toward aging (β=0.284, P<0.001) were significantly associated with lower depressive symptoms among older Chinese adults. Support from family (β=-0.087, P<0.001), friends (β=-0.047, P<0.01) and the government (β=-0.035, P<0.01) were all significantly associated with urban older adults' levels of depressive symptoms. Only family support (β=-0.109, P<0.001) was associated with lower depressive symptoms among rural older adults'. In addition, family support buffered the effect of negative attitudes toward aging on depressive symptoms for all the older adults, while the moderation effects of support from friends and government only worked for urban elderly.

LIMITATIONS

A cross-sectional design is limited to establish causal associations.

CONCLUSIONS

Addressing depression among older adults should focus on improving attitudes toward aging and expanding the availability of social support. Moreover, deeper reforms are needed to address inequalities between urban and rural areas in China.

The Effect of Aging Attitudes on the Quality of Life of Older Adults in China

We use data from the 2014 China Longitudinal Aging Social Survey to examine the effect of attitudes toward aging on quality of life among older adults in China. We find that older people who experience psychosocial loss may be less satisfied with their life, and have more feelings of depression and loneliness. Compared to older women, older men have lower life satisfaction, and more depression and loneliness, though psychosocial loss has less of an effect on them. Older women who experience psychosocial loss are more likely to be dissatisfied with their life and feel more depressive and lonelier than their male counterparts. Among those who experience psychosocial loss, older people living in rural communities have a higher level of life satisfaction, while living in urban areas may counteract some of the positive impact of psychological growth on reducing the frequency of feeling depressed and lonely. Social policy can play a role in shaping constructive social/community environments to build more positive attitudes toward aging.

Differential associations between subjective age and depressive symptoms among urban and rural Chinese older adults

Objectives: Little research has investigated the prospective association between subjective-aging-perception and depressive symptoms in Chinese older adults. The aim of this study is to evaluate the differential associations of feeling old with depressive symptoms among urban and rural community-dwelling Chinese older adults using panel data drawn from two waves of nationally representative surveys.Method: We conducted secondary data analysis and utilized the data of 5,685 urban and 5,612 rural community-dwelling older adults aged 60 years and above who participated in both the 2006 and the 2010 Sample Survey on the Aged Population in Urban/Rural China (SSAPUR). A single-item measure of subjective age was used to distinguish between feeling old and feeling not old.Results: Ordinary least regression analyses indicated that the longitudinal effect of subjective age on depressive symptoms existed only in the urban sample (p<.001) but not in the rural sample and that feeling not old was related to less depressive symptoms in the urban sample, after controlling for baseline measures of depressive symptoms and sociodemographic and health factors.Conclusion: This study provides new longitudinal evidence of the impact of subjective age on depression among Chinese older individuals. The findings provide useful information for depression interventions among urban older Chinese individuals.

Subjective age and depressive symptoms among Chinese older adults: A moderated mediation model of perceived control and self-perceptions of aging

Although subjective age has been shown to play an important role in older adults' experiences of depressive symptoms, the mediating and moderating mechanisms underlying this relationship have not been adequately examined. The present study aimed to investigate the mediating role perceived control plays between subjective age and depressive symptoms, as well as the moderating role self-perceptions of aging plays in this indirect relationship. To examine this, a cross-sectional study was conducted with 609 Chinese older adults, who completed measures of subjective age, perceived control, self-perceptions of aging, and depressive symptoms. The results indicated that: (1) possessing a younger subjective age is significantly associated with less depressive symptoms; (2) perceived control partially mediates the relationship between subjective age and depressive symptoms; and (3) the indirect effect of subjective age on depressive symptoms, through perceived control, is moderated by self-perceptions of aging, while the mediated path is stronger for older adults with less favorable self-perceptions of aging. The findings underscore the importance of identifying the mechanisms that moderate the mediated paths between subjective age and depressive symptoms.

The Longitudinal Association Between Age Identity and Physical Functioning Among Urban Chinese Older Adults

The aim of this study is to determine the longitudinal association between age identity and physical functioning among urban Chinese older adults. We conducted secondary data analyses based on a sample of older adults aged 60 years and above who participated in both the 2006 and the 2010 Sample Survey on Aged Population in Urban/Rural China, which consisted of 5,788 urban community-dwelling older adults. A single-item measure of age identity was used to distinguish between old and youthful age identities (or the feeling of being old or not). Ordinary least regression analyses revealed that youthful age identity was significantly associated with better physical functioning, even when controlling for baseline sociodemographic and health variables as well as baseline physical functioning. This study provides new cross-cultural and longitudinal evidence of the protective function of youthful age identity in later life.

The association between negative attitudes toward aging and mental health among middle-aged and older gay and heterosexual men in Israel

OBJECTIVES

The association between negative attitudes toward aging and mental health (indicated by depressive symptoms, neuroticism, and happiness) was explored among Israeli middle-aged and older gay and heterosexual men.

METHOD

In a community-dwelling sample, 152 middle-aged and older gay men and 120 middle-aged and older heterosexual men at the age range of 50-87 (M = 59.3, SD = 7.5) completed measures of negative attitudes toward aging, depressive symptoms, neuroticism, and happiness.

RESULTS

After controlling for socio-demographic characteristics, the association between negative attitudes toward aging and mental health was moderated by sexual orientation, demonstrating that negative attitudes toward aging were more strongly associated with adverse mental health concomitants among middle-aged and older gay men compared to middle-aged and older heterosexual men.

CONCLUSIONS

The findings suggest vulnerability of middle-aged and older gay men to risks of aging, as their mental health is markedly linked with their negative attitudes toward aging. This vulnerability should be addressed by clinicians and counselors who work with middle-aged and older gay men.

Negative perceptions of ageing predict the onset and persistence of depression and anxiety: Findings from a prospective analysis of the Irish Longitudinal Study on Ageing (TILDA)

BACKGROUND

Although there is a growing literature on the adverse health outcomes related with negative ageing perceptions, studies on their association with mental disorders such as depression and anxiety are scarce. Thus, the aim of the current study was to prospectively assess the association between negative ageing perceptions and incident/persistent depression and anxiety using nationally representative data from Ireland.

METHODS

Data from two consecutive waves of the Irish Longitudinal Study on Ageing (TILDA) were analysed. The analytical sample consisted of 6095 adults aged ≥50 years. Validated scales for negative ageing perceptions, depression, and anxiety were used. Multivariable logistic regression analyses were used to assess the association between negative ageing perceptions at baseline and the onset and persistence of depression and anxiety at two-year follow up.

RESULTS

After adjusting for potential confounders, negative ageing perceptions at baseline predicted the new onset of depression and anxiety at follow-up. Among those with depression or anxiety at baseline, negative ageing perceptions also predicted the persistence of these conditions at follow-up.

LIMITATIONS

Baseline data on negative ageing perceptions were used for the analysis and it is possible that scores could have changed over time.

CONCLUSIONS

Addressing negative perceptions towards ageing by developing interventions that activate positive ageing perceptions, and target societal attitudes by means of policy change, public campaigns, and community education programmes, may shift social perceptions and reduce the burden of depression and anxiety among the elderly.

Alignment or struggle? Exploring socio-demographic correlates of individual modernity in Chinese older people

It is noteworthy that while modernisation, together with population ageing, has happened in Western countries for a rather long period of time, China must confront the challenges of an ageing population before it really becomes an advanced industrial society. Facing rapid societal changes, citizens may react differently to this process. By conducting questionnaire surveys with 445 elders in Wuhan, China, this study examines Chinese older adults' individual modernity modes and reveals its socio-demographic correlates. The results show that facing rapid changes in societal modernisation, participants have reacted differently to this process, with 23.8 per cent of Chinese older participants using an accommodation mode, 27.0 per cent using a resistance mode, 13.3 per cent using a withdrawal mode and 36.2 per cent using a coping mode. In addition, socio-demographic factors such as urban–rural residence, age, gender, socio-economic status, living arrangement and daily activities have been identified as significant correlates of Chinese older participants' individual modernity modes. It is further suggested that governments at all levels should allow for options and opportunities for older people to align themselves in the modernisation process by removing the barriers that may hinder their integration and empowerment efforts. While it is important to respect older adults' different responses in the face of modernisation, their participation in societies should be encouraged and respected by the wider society in the context of modernisation.

The cross-domain correlates of subjective age in Chinese oldest-old

OBJECTIVES

This study examined subjective age and its cross-domain correlates in Chinese oldest-old.

METHOD

We conducted a secondary data analysis using cross-sectional data drawn from the 2006 Sample Survey on the Aged Population in Urban/Rural China, which consisted of a sample of 860 community-dwelling Chinese older adults aged 85 years and above.

RESULTS

A small percentage (8%) of the oldest-old participants reported that they did not feel old. Binary logistic regression analyses revealed that urban living, better physical and self-reported cognitive functioning and mental health were all related to not feeling old, whereas chronological age was found to have no association with subjective age when controlling for indicators of physical and self-reported cognitive functioning.

CONCLUSION

The findings revealed the key roles of functional limitations and mental health in the construction of subjective age in Chinese oldest-old. The possible cross-cultural similarity in the links of subjective age to mental health and physical functioning in later life suggests that maintaining a youthful subjective age may have adaptive value for the oldest-old and contribute to their successful aging.

Dyadic effects of attitude toward aging on psychological well-being of older Malaysian couples: an actor-partner interdependence model

BACKGROUND

There is a growing body of literature indicating that attitudes toward aging significantly affect older adults' psychological well-being. However, there is a paucity of scientific investigations examining the role of older adults' attitudes toward aging on their spouses' psychological well-being. Therefore, the present study aimed to examine the dyadic effects of attitude toward aging on the psychological well-being of older couples.

METHODS

Data for the present study, consisting of 300 couples aged 50 years and older, were drawn from a community-based survey entitled "Poverty among Elderly Women: Case Study of Amanah Ikhtiar" conducted in Peninsular Malaysia. An actor-partner interdependence model using AMOS version 20 (Europress Software, Cheshire, UK) was used to analyze the dyadic data.

RESULTS

The mean ages of the husbands and wives in this sample were 60.37 years (±6.55) and 56.33 years (±5.32), respectively. Interdependence analyses revealed significant association between older adults' attitudes toward aging and the attitudes of their spouses (intraclass correlation =0.59; P<0.001), and similar interdependence was found for psychological well-being (intraclass correlation =0.57; P<0.001). The findings from AMOS revealed that the proposed model fits the data (CMIN/degrees of freedom =3.23; goodness-of-fit index =0.90; confirmatory fit index =0.91; root mean square error of approximation =0.08). Results of the actor-partner independence model indicated that older adults' psychological well-being is significantly predicted by their spouses' attitudes toward aging, both among older men (critical ratio =2.92; P<0.01) and women (critical ratio =2.70; P<0.01). Husbands' and wives' own reports of their attitudes toward aging were significantly correlated with their own and their spouses' psychological well-being.

CONCLUSION

The findings from this study supported the proposed Spousal Attitude-Well-Being Model, where older adults' attitudes toward aging significantly affected their own and their spouses' psychological well-being. The theoretical and practical implications of the findings are discussed.

A systematic literature review on response rates across racial and ethnic populations

OBJECTIVE

To conduct a systematic review examining whether minority ethnic populations participate in surveys as actively as the majority ethnic population.

METHODS

A literature and grey literature search was conducted using five online databases as well as government databases and reports, including the search terms: survey response rates or non-response rates and racial or ethnic populations (White, African American, Asian, and Hispanic); survey modes or methods (mail, telephone, face to face, e-mail); and response bias (non-response bias, response bias or social desirability). The search was limited to English language and articles published from January 1990 to June 2009. Article exclusions were based on further inclusion and exclusion criteria.

SYNTHESIS

Thirty-five articles were identified on ethnicities and response rates to survey modes. Six articles compared survey mode and response rate for multiple ethnic populations. Response rates ranged from 22.0% to 68.8% in Whites, and in other ethnic groups ranged from 15.4% in African Americans to 70.9% in Latino Americans. Among the 29 articles that presented survey mode and response rate for a specific ethnicity, the highest response rate reported was from African Americans (92.5%) and the lowest was from Cambodian Americans (30.3%).

CONCLUSION

Response rate varied across studies but was similar across ethnicities. Response rate may be related to many factors, including survey mode, length of questionnaire, survey language and cultural sensitivity to content. Our review indicates that ethnic populations who participate in surveys are as likely to participate in research as Whites. In literature, data validity across ethnicity is still unknown and should be studied in the future.