The Comparative Macro-Level Ageism Index: An International Comparison

Representation of older adults in Turkish newspaper reports during the COVID-19 pandemic

This research investigates the representation of older adults in Turkish newspaper reports during the first national lockdown due to the COVID-19 pandemic in Turkey in order to understand the representation and reinforcement of ageism in this context. To this end, fifty newspaper reports from five top-selling Turkish newspapers at the time were selected randomly and analysed using critical discourse analysis for the text producers' linguistic choices in the representations of older adults. The findings show that the older adults were represented predominantly in relation to the lockdown measures and as members of a homogeneous group. They were mainly evaluated negatively as a vulnerable, passive, and at risk group who lacked truthfulness and exhibited unusual behaviour. They were also found to be not among the intended readers of the newspaper reports. This resulted in the infantilisation of older adults and the removal of their agency. Our findings point to the linguistic choices realising these discursive practices in the Turkish context. We argue that these findings follow a trend of representation of older adults in discursive practices and that these practices are instrumental in forming ageist stereotypes and reinforcing age-related bias.

The shifts in intergenerational relations in Cameroon and their potential impact on the health of older adults

INTRODUCTION

Africa is experiencing a gradual demographic shift due to rising life expectancy and increasing urbanisation. In sub-Saharan Africa, elderly individuals typically reside with their children. The rise in life expectancy by almost a decade and the prevalence of precarious living conditions raise concerns about the sustainability of the healthcare system, which has traditionally relied on intergenerational solidarity.

METHODS

The research aims to analyse the evolving role of older adults in Cameroonian society and to examine the potential impact of this change on intergenerational relationships and the health of older adults. A qualitative methodology was employed, using intergenerational focus groups in Cameroon.

RESULTS

Traditionally, older adults held a central role in knowledge transmission through discourse. However, the modernisation of society is challenging this position.The emergence of new technologies, particularly communication tools, is leading to a questioning of older adults' experiential knowledge. Societal changes are contributing to a decline in respect for older adults in discourse. Older adults deplore these societal changes and fear for their place in society while young people are questioning the central role of older people in society.

DISCUSSION

These changes could reduce the sense of usefulness of older people, with negative consequences for their health. Several studies have highlighted the impacts of ageism on the health of older adults in industrialised countries. However, there are little data on the impact of the marginalisation of older adults on their health in industrialising societies. Further research is needed to study the impact on the health of older adults.

Self-esteem as a mediator in the relationship between perceived age stigma and emotional well-being among Korean older adults: the moderation effect of marital status

OBJECTIVES

This study examined whether self-esteem mediates the association between perceived age stigma and emotional well-being (loneliness and emotional isolation) among Korean older adults and how these processes differ by marital status.

METHODS

Using the 2018 Age Integration and Generation Integration Survey, a cross-sectional national survey of Korean adults, we analyzed data from 266 adults aged 60 and older.

RESULTS

Older adults who perceived greater age stigma reported higher levels of loneliness and emotional isolation. Self-esteem played a significant indirect role in the association between perceived age stigma and the two emotional well-being outcomes. Moderated mediation analyses further revealed significant differences by marital status: self-esteem was a more powerful mechanism among unmarried older adults relative to their married counterparts.

CONCLUSIONS

The findings suggest that efforts to minimize public and internalized stigmatization of older adults and improve their self-esteem may be critical for their emotional well-being.

Association Between Self-Perceived Stigma and Quality of Life Among Urban Chinese Older Adults: The Moderating Role of Attitude Toward Own Aging and Traditionality

Background

Ageism is a global challenge, which leads to a range of adverse outcomes for elderly people worldwide, which maybe more severe among urban older adults in a competitive society. However, how self-perceived ageism influences the quality of life in a sample of urban older adults remains inconclusive.

Objectives

The current study aims to assess the status of self-perceived stigma among urban Chinese older adults, identify its relationship with quality of life, and further explore whether both attitude toward own aging and traditionality moderate this relationship.

Materials and Methods

Primary data were collected through cross-sectional surveys among urban older adults in three provinces of China from October 2019 to December 2020. A total of 764 urban older adults were valid participants (effective response rate = 81.28%) and completed questionnaires via anonymous face-to-face interviews. Socio-demographic factors, self-perceived stigma, attitude toward own aging, traditionality, and quality of life were assessed using questionnaires that included the Self-perceived Stigma, Attitude Toward Own Aging, Traditionality, and SF-8 Scales.

Results

For urban Chinese older adults, the average score of self-perceived stigma was 2.041 ± 0.726. Self-perceived stigma (β = −0.391, p < 0.05) and attitude toward own aging (β = −0.211, p < 0.05) both influenced quality of life. Additionally, attitude toward own aging (β = −0.530, p < 0.05) and traditionality (β = −0.525, p < 0.05) moderated the association between self-perceived stigma and quality of life. Simple slope analysis revealed that when the level of negative attitude toward own aging and traditionality was higher, the strength of the influence of self-perceived stigma on quality of life was stronger.

Conclusion

Urban Chinese older adults were aware of the self-perceived stigma, which contributes to decreased quality of life. Attitude toward own aging and traditionality could moderate the association between self-perceived stigma and quality of life. When negative attitudes toward own aging and traditionality are higher, self-perceived stigma has a greater effect on the quality of life. More interventions related to relieving self-perceived stigma, traditionality, and negative attitude toward own aging should be considered to build a new modern society that emphasizes health, friendliness, well-being, and dignity for all ages.

Anti-Ageism Social Actions: Lights and Shadows

Ageism refers to the stereotypes, prejudices and discrimination towards others or oneself due to age, and it is the most prevalent type of social disadvantage, even more so than those due to gender and race, with negative effects worldwide. Ageism is an evidently real social problem that needs to be addressed and fought. Our study has two main objectives: firstly, to study to what extent programmes, projects or actions have been developed to combat ageism around the world; and secondly, to what extent they have been evaluated via the positive outcomes registered by the participants. Two different information sources were used: (a) a literature review of ageism programmes or interventions; and (b) an online questionnaire sent to international and national institutions surveying their policies or programmes against ageism. Our results show a relatively high number of actions combating ageism but a lack of a systematic evaluation of the outcomes of those actions. In conclusion, first, it is necessary to develop programmes and actions combating ageism, and the evaluation of these programmes is urgently needed in order to identify strategies that truly and effectively tackle ageism. There is a need to urge institutions to perform external evaluations of their anti-ageism social policies and to encourage scientists to conduct randomized and controlled studies.

Impact of structural ageism on greater violence against older persons: a cross-national study of 56 countries

OBJECTIVE

To determine the association between country-level structural ageism and prevalence of violence against older persons.

DESIGN

Country-level ecological study.

SETTING

Structural ageism data were drawn from the nationally representative World Values Survey 2010-2014 (WVS), global databases from the WHO, United Nations and the World Bank. Violence data were based on the Global Burden of Diseases (GBD) study 2017.

PARTICIPANTS

Analysis of 56 countries that represented 63.1% of the world's ageing population aged 60 and over across all six of WHO regions.

EXPOSURE

Structural ageism, following established structural stigma measures, consisted of two components: (1) discriminatory national policies related to older persons' economic, social, civil and political rights, based on the four core components of human rights protection in Madrid International Plan of Action on Aging and (2) prejudicial social norms against older persons, measured by negative attitudes toward older persons in 56 national polls in WVS aggregated to country-level. These components were z scored and combined such that higher score indicated greater structural ageism.

MAIN OUTCOMES AND MEASURES

Prevalence rates of violence per 100 000 persons aged 70 and over in each country was based on extensive epidemiological surveillance data, survey, clinical data and insurance claims in GBD and compiled by the Institute of Health Metrics and Evaluation, University of Washington.

RESULTS

There was a wide variation in levels of structural ageism across countries. As predicted, structural ageism was significantly associated with the prevalence rates of violence in multivariate models (β=205.7, SE=96.3, p=0.03), after adjusting for relevant covariates. Sensitivity analyses supported the robustness of our findings. That is, structural ageism did not predict other types of violence and other types of prejudice did not predict violence against older persons.

CONCLUSIONS

This study provides the first evidence of the association between higher structural ageism and greater violence against older persons across countries.

Investigating the connection between ageism and elder mistreatment

Elder mistreatment is recognized as a pervasive public health problem with detrimental consequences for older adults and society. Although considerable research has examined elder mistreatment risk factors at the individual level, there is a growing call for the field to move beyond proximal causes and consider underlying structural factors that influence elder mistreatment. Illustrating this shift, organizations, advocacy groups and researchers have proposed a connection between ageism and elder mistreatment. However, despite the assertion that ageism is a causal factor for elder mistreatment, there is a scarcity of research to demonstrate this relationship. In this Perspective, we examine the proposed conceptual pathways and limited empirical research connecting ageism and elder mistreatment. After identifying critical gaps in current knowledge, we propose a model that links ageism and elder mistreatment and a research agenda to bring conceptual clarity and empirical evidence to the study of this topic.