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Ojembe B, Kapiriri L, Griffin M, Schormans AF. "You're Not Understood, and You're Isolated": A Narrative Account of Loneliness by Black Older Adults in Ontario, Canada. Can J Aging 2024; 43:203-216. [PMID: 38088160 DOI: 10.1017/s0714980823000594] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 05/23/2024] Open
Abstract
Loneliness among older adults is a leading health and social concern globally and in Canada, including racialized and minoritized groups. Although previous studies have explored loneliness among ethnic minoritized groups in Canada, little is known about the constellating factors contributing to loneliness among native-born and immigrant Black older adults (BOAs) in Canada and their unique ways of dealing with the experience. Our study explores the constellating factors shaping loneliness experiences among BOAs living in Ontario. Using a narrative approach, we purposively selected and interviewed 13 BOAs. Time as a driver of change, a sense of belonging reinforced through place identity, and challenges of making a new home were dominant themes. Our finding highlights the need for increased cultural sensitivity at the micro and macro levels, which will improve a sense of belonging and reduce loneliness among racialized immigrant older adults.
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Affiliation(s)
- Blessing Ojembe
- Department of Health, Aging and Society, Faculty of Social Sciences, McMaster University, Hamilton, Ontario, Canada
| | - Lydia Kapiriri
- Department of Health, Aging and Society, Faculty of Social Sciences, McMaster University, Hamilton, Ontario, Canada
| | - Meridith Griffin
- Department of Health, Aging and Society, Faculty of Social Sciences, McMaster University, Hamilton, Ontario, Canada
| | - Ann Fudge Schormans
- School of Social Work, Faculty of Social Sciences, McMaster University, Hamilton, Ontario, Canada
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Yahirun J, Vasireddy S, Hayward M. Black-White Differences in Offspring Educational Attainment and Older Parents' Dementia. JOURNAL OF HEALTH AND SOCIAL BEHAVIOR 2023; 64:503-519. [PMID: 37265201 PMCID: PMC10692310 DOI: 10.1177/00221465231168910] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 06/03/2023]
Abstract
Emerging research documents the health benefits of having highly educated adult offspring. Yet less is known about whether those advantages vary across racial groups. This study examines how offspring education is tied to parents' dementia risk for Black and White parents in the United States. Using data from the Health and Retirement Study, findings suggest that children's education does not account for the Black-White gap in dementia risk. However, results confirm that parental race moderates the relationship between children's education and dementia risk and that the association between children's education and parents' dementia risk is strongest among less-educated parents. Among less-educated parents, higher levels of children's attainment prevent the risk of dementia onset for Black parents, but low levels of offspring schooling increase dementia risk among White parents. The study highlights how offspring education shapes the cognitive health of social groups differently and points to new avenues for future research.
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Affiliation(s)
- Jenjira Yahirun
- Dept. of Sociology and Center for Family and Demographic Research, Bowling Green State University, USA
| | | | - Mark Hayward
- Dept. of Sociology and Population Research Center, University of Texas-Austin, USA
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Meyer K, Rath L, Avent E, Benton D, Nash P, Wilber K. How do family caregivers of older adults cope with relationship strain? Aging Ment Health 2023; 27:1990-1999. [PMID: 37574858 DOI: 10.1080/13607863.2023.2247353] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Submit a Manuscript] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 01/04/2023] [Accepted: 08/08/2023] [Indexed: 08/15/2023]
Abstract
OBJECTIVE Studies of families' experiences with caregiving to older adults most often focus on overall burden and stress. Yet, caregiving is also a type of relationship, and the onset of caregiving can contribute to relationship strain between care partners. Despite implications for both care partners, little is known about how caregivers cope with caregiving relationship strain. METHODS The authors conducted nine focus groups and 8 interviews with a purposeful sample of racially and ethnically diverse family caregivers in Los Angeles. Conventional content analysis was applied to transcripts to identify how caregivers cope with relationship strain. RESULTS Analyses revealed four overall coping approaches to manage relationship strain: (1) Self-Care; (2) Adapting Behaviors, (3) Adapting Feelings and Cognitions, and (4) Help and Support. Selected strategies likely vary by care recipient condition. For example, caregivers for persons living with dementia emphasize adapting their own behaviors and feelings, rather than trying to change their loved one's behaviors. CONCLUSIONS Findings suggest that caregivers cope with relationship strain using both interpersonal tension and care management strategies. We also identified possible variations by care recipient condition and caregiver race and ethnicity. These results suggest a need for interventions focused on caregiver coping should also be tested for effects on relationship strain.
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Affiliation(s)
- Kylie Meyer
- Leonard Davis School of Gerontology, University of Southern California, Los Angeles, CA, USA
- Archstone Foundation, Long Beach, CA, USA
| | - Laura Rath
- Leonard Davis School of Gerontology, University of Southern California, Los Angeles, CA, USA
- Frances Payne Bolton School of Nursing, Case Western Reserve University, Cleveland, OH, USA
| | - Elizabeth Avent
- Leonard Davis School of Gerontology, University of Southern California, Los Angeles, CA, USA
| | - Donna Benton
- Leonard Davis School of Gerontology, University of Southern California, Los Angeles, CA, USA
| | - Paul Nash
- Leonard Davis School of Gerontology, University of Southern California, Los Angeles, CA, USA
| | - Kathleen Wilber
- Leonard Davis School of Gerontology, University of Southern California, Los Angeles, CA, USA
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4
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Patterson SE, Tate AM, Hu YL, Wang J(J, Schoeni RF, Choi H. The Social Cost of Providing Care to Older Adults With and Without Dementia. J Gerontol B Psychol Sci Soc Sci 2023; 78:S71-S80. [PMID: 36368018 PMCID: PMC10010465 DOI: 10.1093/geronb/gbac146] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 02/06/2022] [Indexed: 11/12/2022] Open
Abstract
OBJECTIVES Social participation is known to enhance well-being. Caregiving responsibilities are more intense when caring for an older adult with than without dementia and may affect caregivers' ability for social participation. We estimate social participation restrictions among caregivers for older persons with versus without dementia, variation within racial/ethnic group, and the mediating effect of care hours. METHODS We use the 2017 National Health and Aging Trends Study (NHATS) and National Study of Caregiving (NSOC) to study family caregivers for older adults. We estimate the prevalence of social participation (e.g., visiting family/friends, religious activities, group/club activities, going out) that were important to the caregiver but missed due to caregiving. We use logistic models to test for differences in restrictions by the older adult's dementia status overall and within race/ethnic group, adjusting for caregiver and care receiver characteristics. RESULTS One-third of family caregivers for older adults with dementia reported restrictions due to caregiving, double the prevalence among caregivers of an older adult without dementia (33.3% vs 16.0%; p < .001). This doubling gap persisted in adjusted models (odds ratio [OR] = 2.4; p < .01) but mainly for White, non-Hispanic caregivers (OR = 3.2; p < .001). Substantially greater caregiving hours for people with versus without dementia was found (104 vs 60 hr per month), which is responsible for about 21% of the total difference in restrictions (p < .05). DISCUSSION More time spent among caregivers of persons with versus without dementia may be an important factor undermining social participation, but hours only partially explain the gap. Future interventions should consider how to facilitate social participation among caregivers.
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Affiliation(s)
- Sarah E Patterson
- Survey Research Center, University of Michigan, Ann Arbor, Michigan, USA
| | - Ashley M Tate
- Center for Healthy Aging, Pennsylvania State University, University Park, Pennsylvania, USA
| | - Yi-Ling Hu
- Chang Gung University, Taoyuan City, Taiwan
| | | | - Robert F Schoeni
- Survey Research Center, University of Michigan, Ann Arbor, Michigan, USA
| | - HwaJung Choi
- Department of Internal Medicine, University of Michigan, Ann Arbor, Michigan, USA
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Diederich F, König HH, Brettschneider C. Cultural traits and second-generation immigrants' value of informal care. Eur J Ageing 2022; 19:1467-1477. [PMID: 36692776 PMCID: PMC9729634 DOI: 10.1007/s10433-022-00730-1] [Citation(s) in RCA: 1] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.5] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Accepted: 09/01/2022] [Indexed: 01/26/2023] Open
Abstract
Many European studies find that immigrants and the native population differ in their long-term care use. These differences have been attributed to immigrants' cultural preferences, among others. However, the cultural integration process of immigrants may result in a potential caregiving conflict between foreign-born immigrants' preferences for long-term care and their children's willingness to provide long-term care. In this study, we empirically assess to what extent cultural factors that prevail in foreign-born immigrants' country of origin are reflected in their children's value of informal care. Using data from the German Family Panel and the World Values Survey/European Values Study, we regressed second-generation immigrants' value of informal care on the cultural strength of family ties that prevails in their parents' country of birth. Probit models were estimated and individual characteristics were accounted for. The results show that second-generation immigrants who originate from cultures with stronger family ties are more likely to express a high value of informal care than second-generation immigrants who come from cultures with weaker family ties. We conclude that immigrants' values of informal care are deeply shaped by their country of origin. Policy makers should keep immigrants' needs and preferences in mind when implementing long-term care interventions. The same set of long-term care interventions can have very different effects, depending on immigrants' values. Supplementary Information The online version contains supplementary material available at 10.1007/s10433-022-00730-1.
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Affiliation(s)
- Freya Diederich
- Department of Health, Long-Term Care and Pensions, SOCIUM Research Center on Inequality and Social Policy, University of Bremen, Mary-Somerville-Straße 5, 28359 Bremen, Germany.,Department of Health Economics and Health Services Research, Hamburg Center for Health Economics, University Medical Center Hamburg-Eppendorf, Martinistr. 52, 20246 Hamburg, Germany
| | - Hans-Helmut König
- Department of Health Economics and Health Services Research, Hamburg Center for Health Economics, University Medical Center Hamburg-Eppendorf, Martinistr. 52, 20246 Hamburg, Germany
| | - Christian Brettschneider
- Department of Health Economics and Health Services Research, Hamburg Center for Health Economics, University Medical Center Hamburg-Eppendorf, Martinistr. 52, 20246 Hamburg, Germany
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Taylor RJ, Skipper AD, Cross CJ, Taylor HO, Chatters LM. Racial/Ethnic Variation in Family Support: African Americans, Black Caribbeans and Non-Latino Whites. JOURNAL OF MARRIAGE AND THE FAMILY 2022; 84:1002-1023. [PMID: 36110339 PMCID: PMC9469895 DOI: 10.1111/jomf.12846] [Citation(s) in RCA: 1] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.5] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 06/15/2023]
Abstract
OBJECTIVE This study examined racial and ethnic differences in the receipt and provision of instrumental family support. BACKGROUND Extended families provide significant levels of emotional and instrumental support across the life course. Despite their importance, extended family relationships and the assistance they provide are largely neglected in the literature. Further, questions remain concerning cultural variation in family support relationships and inconsistent findings on racial differences in family support in prior investigations. METHOD This study relied on data from the National Survey of American Life-Reinterview (n=3,483) to investigate the provision and receipt of instrumental support from extended family among African Americans, Black Caribbeans, and non-Latino Whites and within high- and low-income categories for each group. Eight key measures of instrumental family support are examined: receiving and providing transportation, help with chores, financial assistance, and help during an illness. RESULTS African Americans and Black Caribbeans share similar profiles of providing and receiving instrumental family support. Both populations receive and provide assistance more frequently than do non-Latino Whites. Similarly, analyses stratified by income indicated that for low-income and high-income groups, African American and Black Caribbeans are similar to one another, and at each income category, both groups received and provided support more frequently than non-Latino Whites. CONCLUSION Study findings are discussed in relation to conceptual and methodological differences in assessing Black-White differences across studies of family support. Attention to these issues and the specific contexts for receiving/providing family support (emergency vs. routine; intergenerational vs. extended) will help clarify inconsistent findings across studies.
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Affiliation(s)
| | | | - Christina J Cross
- Department of Sociology, Center for Population and Development Studies, Harvard University
| | | | - Linda M Chatters
- School of Public Health, School of Social Work, University of Michigan
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Gray TF, Kwok A, Do KM, Zeng S, Moseley ET, Dbeis YM, Umeton R, Tulsky JA, El-Jawahri A, Lindvall C. Associations Between Family Member Involvement and Outcomes of Patients Admitted to the Intensive Care Unit: Retrospective Cohort Study. JMIR Med Inform 2022; 10:e33921. [PMID: 35704362 PMCID: PMC9244649 DOI: 10.2196/33921] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 09/29/2021] [Revised: 04/01/2022] [Accepted: 04/21/2022] [Indexed: 11/13/2022] Open
Abstract
BACKGROUND Little is known about family member involvement, by relationship status, for patients treated in the intensive care unit (ICU). OBJECTIVE Using documentation of family interactions in clinical notes, we examined associations between child and spousal involvement and ICU patient outcomes, including goals of care conversations (GOCCs), limitations in life-sustaining therapy (LLST), and 3-month mortality. METHODS Using a retrospective cohort design, the study included a total of 858 adult patients treated between 2008 and 2012 in the medical ICU at a tertiary care center in northeastern United States. Clinical notes generated within the first 48 hours of admission to the ICU were used with standard machine learning methods to predict patient outcomes. We used natural language processing methods to identify family-related documentation and abstracted sociodemographic and clinical characteristics of the patients from the medical record. RESULTS Most of the 858 patients were White (n=650, 75.8%); 437 (50.9%) were male, 479 (55.8%) were married, and the median age was 68.4 (IQR 56.5-79.4) years. Most patients had documented GOCC (n=651, 75.9%). In adjusted regression analyses, child involvement (odds ratio [OR] 0.81; 95% CI 0.49-1.34; P=.41) and child plus spouse involvement (OR 1.28; 95% CI 0.8-2.03; P=.3) were not associated with GOCCs compared to spouse involvement. Child involvement was not associated with LLST when compared to spouse involvement (OR 1.49; 95% CI 0.89-2.52; P=.13). However, child plus spouse involvement was associated with LLST (OR 1.6; 95% CI 1.02-2.52; P=.04). Compared to spouse involvement, there were no significant differences in the 3-month mortality by family member type, including child plus spouse involvement (OR 1.38; 95% CI 0.91-2.09; P=.13) and child involvement (OR 1.47; 95% CI 0.9-2.41; P=.12). CONCLUSIONS Our findings demonstrate that statistical models derived from text analysis in the first 48 hours of ICU admission can predict patient outcomes. Early child plus spouse involvement was associated with LLST, suggesting that decisions about LLST were more likely to occur when the child and spouse were both involved compared to the involvement of only the spouse. More research is needed to further understand the involvement of different family members in ICU care and its association with patient outcomes.
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Affiliation(s)
- Tamryn F Gray
- Department of Medicine, Harvard Medical School, Boston, MA, United States.,Division of Palliative Medicine, Brigham and Women's Hospital, Boston, MA, United States.,Department of Psychosocial Oncology and Palliative Care, Dana-Farber Cancer Institute, Boston, MA, United States
| | - Anne Kwok
- Department of Psychosocial Oncology and Palliative Care, Dana-Farber Cancer Institute, Boston, MA, United States
| | - Khuyen M Do
- Department of Psychosocial Oncology and Palliative Care, Dana-Farber Cancer Institute, Boston, MA, United States
| | - Sandra Zeng
- Department of Psychosocial Oncology and Palliative Care, Dana-Farber Cancer Institute, Boston, MA, United States
| | - Edward T Moseley
- Department of Psychosocial Oncology and Palliative Care, Dana-Farber Cancer Institute, Boston, MA, United States
| | - Yasser M Dbeis
- Department of Informatics & Analytics, Dana-Farber Cancer Institute, Boston, MA, United States
| | - Renato Umeton
- Department of Informatics & Analytics, Dana-Farber Cancer Institute, Boston, MA, United States.,Department of Biological Engineering and Department of Mechanical Engineering, Massachusetts Institute of Technology, Cambridge, MA, United States.,Department of Biostatistics, Harvard T.H. Chan School of Public Health, Boston, MA, United States.,Department of Pathology and Laboratory Medicine, Weill Cornell Medicine, New York, NY, United States
| | - James A Tulsky
- Department of Medicine, Harvard Medical School, Boston, MA, United States.,Division of Palliative Medicine, Brigham and Women's Hospital, Boston, MA, United States.,Department of Psychosocial Oncology and Palliative Care, Dana-Farber Cancer Institute, Boston, MA, United States
| | - Areej El-Jawahri
- Department of Medicine, Harvard Medical School, Boston, MA, United States.,Department of Medicine, Massachusetts General Hospital Cancer Center, Boston, MA, United States
| | - Charlotta Lindvall
- Department of Medicine, Harvard Medical School, Boston, MA, United States.,Division of Palliative Medicine, Brigham and Women's Hospital, Boston, MA, United States.,Department of Psychosocial Oncology and Palliative Care, Dana-Farber Cancer Institute, Boston, MA, United States
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8
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Hwang W, Kim JH, Brown MT, Silverstein M. Are filial eldercare norms related to intergenerational solidarity with older parents? A typological developmental approach. JOURNAL OF FAMILY PSYCHOLOGY : JFP : JOURNAL OF THE DIVISION OF FAMILY PSYCHOLOGY OF THE AMERICAN PSYCHOLOGICAL ASSOCIATION (DIVISION 43) 2022; 36:585-596. [PMID: 34570567 PMCID: PMC9365293 DOI: 10.1037/fam0000920] [Citation(s) in RCA: 4] [Impact Index Per Article: 2.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 06/03/2023]
Abstract
Intergenerational solidarity is multidimensional in nature, but the role of filial eldecare norms in structuring intergenerational solidarity is less understood. We examine how filial eldercare norms expressed in early adulthood and midlife are associated with intergenerational solidarity with older parents and how this association varies across parent-child gender combinations. We used data from 1985 to 2005 waves of the Longitudinal Study of Generation when the generation of interest was 32 and 52 years of age, respectively. A three-step latent class approach, culminating with a multinomial logistic regression, was conducted on a sample of 198 mother-son, 279 mother-daughter, 155 father-son, and 209 father-daughter dyads. A tight-knit intergenerational type was uniquely identified in mother-daughter relations, and a social unsupportive type was uniquely identified in father-son and father-daughter relations. Daughters expressing stronger filial norms in early adulthood were more likely in middle adulthood to belong to a tight-knit relational type with mothers and a social unsupportive and intimate but distant relational type with fathers, compared to a detached relational type; these effects were mediated by contemporaneously measured filial norms. Our study complements previous studies on the relationship between filial eldercare norms and intergenerational solidarity with older parents by showing that these norms exert an influence by virtue of being stable in adult daughters over 20 years into middle age. These findings demonstrate that eldercare norms expressed by daughters prior to their parents' transition to old age structure intergenerational relationships in later life, suggesting that such norms are better considered as long-term endowments than as situational in their origins. (PsycInfo Database Record (c) 2022 APA, all rights reserved).
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Albertini M, Tur-Sinai A, Lewin-Epstein N, Silverstein M. The Older Sandwich Generation Across European Welfare Regimes: Demographic and Social Considerations. EUROPEAN JOURNAL OF POPULATION = REVUE EUROPEENNE DE DEMOGRAPHIE 2022; 38:273-300. [PMID: 35619741 PMCID: PMC9127010 DOI: 10.1007/s10680-022-09606-7] [Citation(s) in RCA: 1] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.5] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 08/21/2021] [Accepted: 01/17/2022] [Indexed: 11/29/2022]
Abstract
The lengthening of the amount of time adult children depend on their parents' support and rising longevity have pushed scholars to devote increasing attention to the phenomenon of older sandwich family generations. This brief report develops a descriptive portrait of the prevalence of being demographically and socially sandwiched in the population aged 50 or more years, in Europe. It is shown that the prevalence of social sandwiching is highly sensitive to the types of support utilized to operationalize the concept; also, differences between welfare and transfer regimes are significantly affected by different operationalizations. Next, the analyses highlight the dynamic nature of social sandwiching over the adult life cycle, and show that demographic events and the changing needs of older parents are the main drivers of moving in/out the status of socially sandwiched. Support to adult children is ubiquitous in all European societies. Among the pivot generation family solidarity prevails over competition, but children enjoy a strategic advantage when older parents are in good health.
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Affiliation(s)
- Marco Albertini
- Department of Political and Social Sciences, University of Bologna, Bologna, Italy
| | - Aviad Tur-Sinai
- Department of Health Systems Management, The Max Stern Yezreel Valley College, Yezreel Valley, Israel ,School of Nursing, University of Rochester Medical Center, Rochester, NY USA
| | - Noah Lewin-Epstein
- Department of Sociology and Anthropology, Tel Aviv University, Tel Aviv, Israel
| | - Merril Silverstein
- Department of Sociology, Maxwell School, Syracuse University, Syracuse, NY USA
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10
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The patient-caregiver dyad: the impact of cognitive and functional impairment. Neurol Sci 2021; 43:2481-2490. [PMID: 34773209 DOI: 10.1007/s10072-021-05712-2] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 06/07/2021] [Accepted: 10/28/2021] [Indexed: 10/19/2022]
Abstract
This study evaluates the cognitive impairment impact on the caregiver's burden and quality of life.Patient-caregiver dyads admitted to dementia Diagnostic-Therapeutic Care Pathway underwent a psychological and neuropsychological assessment. Overall, 30 caregivers (age 58.97 ± 14.68) of patients with dementia and 28 caregivers (age 58.57 ± 12.22) of patients with MCI were recruited. Caregiver's burden is positively correlated to the number (r = .37, p = .003) and severity (r = .37, p = .003) of neuropsychiatric patient's symptoms and with the caregiver's distress (r = .36, p = .004). It is also negatively related to good quality of life perception (r = - .52, p = < .0001), to lower cognitive impairment (r = - .26, p = .05), to higher patient's residual functional abilities in daily living (r = - .32, p = .010) and to positive perception of the physician's communication (r = - .28, p = .026). Moreover, the caregiver's burden is significantly predicted by the patient's low level of instrumental activity of daily living (β = - .74; p = .043) and by the number of neuropsychiatric symptoms (β = .74; p = .029). Thus, this study suggests that the autonomy and neuropsychiatric symptoms may determine the caregiver's burden.
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Wood KA, Kim YK, Ng YT, Huo M, Fingerman KL. Black and White Young Adults' Support to Midlife Parents. J Gerontol B Psychol Sci Soc Sci 2021; 77:2072-2077. [PMID: 34718552 PMCID: PMC9683492 DOI: 10.1093/geronb/gbab205] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 06/15/2021] [Indexed: 12/24/2022] Open
Abstract
OBJECTIVES Prior research suggests that midlife adults in Black and non-Hispanic White families differ in support patterns to aging parents. It is unclear whether such racial differences exist in young adulthood. We examined Black and White young adults' support to their midlife parents and underlying mechanisms to explain within-racial group, family-level differences. METHOD Young adults (aged 18-30; Black n = 107 and White n = 351) from the Family Exchanges Study 2 reported how often they provided tangible (practical) and intangible (emotional support and advice) support to each parent. Participants also reported beliefs about obligation to support parents, rewards from helping, and parental needs. RESULTS On average, Black young adults provided more tangible and intangible support than White young adults. Feelings of reward predicted why young adults in some Black and White families gave more support than those in other families. Parental needs explained tangible support in Black families and intangible support in White families. Within families, rewards and parental needs drove Black offspring to give more intangible support than their siblings, while obligation motivated White offspring. DISCUSSION Consistent with support patterns evident in older adulthood, Black young adults gave more tangible and intangible support to their midlife parents compared to White young adults. Within-race support patterns were explained by different factors informed by the Multidimensional Intergenerational Support Model. Findings suggest psychological factors contribute to between- and within-racial patterns of exchanges.
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Affiliation(s)
- Kristie A Wood
- Address correspondence to: Kristie A. Wood, MA, Department of Educational Psychology, The University of Texas at Austin, SZB 506A, 1912 Speedway, Stop D5800, Austin, TX 78712, USA. E-mail:
| | - Yijung K Kim
- Texas Aging & Longevity Center, The University of Texas at Austin, Austin, Texas, USA
| | - Yee T Ng
- Department of Human Development & Family Sciences, The University of Texas at Austin, Austin, Texas, USA
| | - Meng Huo
- Department of Human Ecology, University of California, Davis, Davis, California, USA
| | - Karen L Fingerman
- Department of Human Development & Family Sciences, The University of Texas at Austin, Austin, Texas, USA
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Stapley E, Vainieri I, Li E, Merrick H, Jeffery M, Foreman S, Casey P, Ullman R, Cortina M. A Scoping Review of the Factors That Influence Families' Ability or Capacity to Provide Young People With Emotional Support Over the Transition to Adulthood. Front Psychol 2021; 12:732899. [PMID: 34721198 PMCID: PMC8555465 DOI: 10.3389/fpsyg.2021.732899] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 06/29/2021] [Accepted: 09/06/2021] [Indexed: 11/29/2022] Open
Abstract
The transition to adulthood is typically marked by changes in relationships with family members, peers, and romantic partners. Despite this, the family often maintains a prominent role in young adults' lives. A scoping review was conducted to identify the factors that influence families' ability or capacity to provide young people with emotional support during the transition to adulthood, and to understand the gaps in this research area. Title and abstract searches were conducted from January 2007 to February 2021 in multiple databases, including PsycINFO, MEDLINE, and Sociological Abstracts. Fifteen semi-structured interviews were also conducted with stakeholders (professionals from relevant sectors/working within this field). In total, 277 articles were eligible for inclusion in the review. Following data extraction, 19 factors were identified. Factors with the most research (more than 20 articles) included: family proximity or co-residence; mental health; sex or gender differences; and family communication. Factors with less research included: societal context; young person's sexual orientation or gender identity; social networks; and adverse life events. Gaps in the research area were also identified, including methodological issues (e.g., lack of mixed methods and longitudinal study designs), a disproportionate focus on the parent-child relationship, and a lack of contextually situated research. Our findings indicate that future research in this area could benefit from taking an intersectional, multi-method approach, with a focus on the whole family and diverse samples.
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Affiliation(s)
- Emily Stapley
- Evidence Based Practice Unit, Anna Freud National Centre for Children and Families, University College London (UCL), London, United Kingdom
| | - Isabella Vainieri
- Evidence Based Practice Unit, Anna Freud National Centre for Children and Families, University College London (UCL), London, United Kingdom
| | - Elizabeth Li
- Evidence Based Practice Unit, Anna Freud National Centre for Children and Families, University College London (UCL), London, United Kingdom
| | - Hannah Merrick
- Evidence Based Practice Unit, Anna Freud National Centre for Children and Families, University College London (UCL), London, United Kingdom
| | - Mairi Jeffery
- Evidence Based Practice Unit, Anna Freud National Centre for Children and Families, University College London (UCL), London, United Kingdom
| | - Sally Foreman
- Evidence Based Practice Unit, Anna Freud National Centre for Children and Families, University College London (UCL), London, United Kingdom
| | - Polly Casey
- Evidence Based Practice Unit, Anna Freud National Centre for Children and Families, University College London (UCL), London, United Kingdom
| | - Roz Ullman
- Riches & Ullman LLP, Carshalton, United Kingdom
| | - Melissa Cortina
- Evidence Based Practice Unit, Anna Freud National Centre for Children and Families, University College London (UCL), London, United Kingdom
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13
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Toyokawa N, Darling N, Toyokawa T. Monitoring, Scaffolding, Intervening, and Overriding: Adult Children's Perspectives on Supporting Older Parents. JOURNAL OF ADULT DEVELOPMENT 2021; 29:53-65. [PMID: 34658615 PMCID: PMC8503870 DOI: 10.1007/s10804-021-09389-x] [Citation(s) in RCA: 1] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.3] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Accepted: 09/16/2021] [Indexed: 10/27/2022]
Abstract
When older parents experience age-related functional limitations, adult children may begin to monitor and try to control their parents' behavior. This shift can lead to tension due to differences in values both generations share, with parents prioritizing autonomy and self-sufficiency and adult children prioritizing safety and convention. Although a great deal of research on the transition from adolescence to adulthood focuses on governance transfer and changing boundaries of autonomy, monitoring, and control, less is known about how this happens in later life. The current study used qualitative methodology to explore the dynamic balance of autonomy, safety, and care between older parents and adult children who provide assistance in their daily lives. It focused on which areas adult children were most likely to monitor and try to control and how they did so, how parents respond to those efforts, and the dynamics of information management. Sixteen adult children who had at least one living parent (M age = 53, SD = 6.1) discussed the challenges of managing two conflicting caregiving goals: respecting parents' autonomy and ensuring parents' moral well-being, health, and safety. Data were analyzed using directive content analysis. Although participants were concerned about the negative consequences of their parents' current behaviors and health conditions, they rarely impinged on their parents' autonomy until they were prompted by an authority figure or had clear evidence that their parents' health or safety were threatened. Parents often kept information about their activities and well-being from their children in order to protect their autonomy. Implications for balancing parents and adult children's goals of governance transfer are discussed.
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Affiliation(s)
- Noriko Toyokawa
- Psychology, Southern Oregon University, 1250 Siskiyou Blvd, Ashland, OR 97520 USA
| | - Nancy Darling
- Psychology, Oberlin College and Conservatory, Oberlin, OH USA
| | - Teru Toyokawa
- Human Development, California State University San Marcos, San Marcos, CA USA
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Gibson-Davis C, Hill HD. Childhood Wealth Inequality in the United States: Implications for Social Stratification and Well-Being. THE RUSSELL SAGE FOUNDATION JOURNAL OF THE SOCIAL SCIENCES : RSF 2021; 7:1-26. [PMID: 34729421 PMCID: PMC8559115 DOI: 10.7758/rsf.2021.7.3.01] [Citation(s) in RCA: 13] [Impact Index Per Article: 4.3] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 05/11/2023]
Affiliation(s)
| | - Heather D Hill
- Daniel J. Evans School of Public Policy and Governance at the University of Washington, United States
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15
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Fiori KL, Rauer AJ, Birditt KS, Brown E, Orbuch TL. You Aren't as Close to my Family as You Think: Discordant Perceptions about In-laws and Risk of Divorce. RESEARCH IN HUMAN DEVELOPMENT 2021; 17:258-273. [PMID: 34025298 DOI: 10.1080/15427609.2021.1874792] [Citation(s) in RCA: 2] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.7] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 10/22/2022]
Abstract
In-law relationships can act as sources of both support and stress for couples. Independent of the nature of the actual relationships with in-laws, it may be that couple similarity in perceptions of these ties determines if they undermine or facilitate marital stability. The current study sought to examine how spousal connections to in-laws and concordance about these relationships early in marriage predicted marital stability in a sample of 355 Black and White married couples followed over 16 years. Husbands and wives reported on time spent with families, whose family they turn to for support, and closeness with families during their first year of marriage. Analyses revealed that discordance on these issues early in marriage was common. We found that even after controlling for husband and wife reports of connections with in-laws, discordance on closeness with the wife's family predicted divorce. Thus, when conceptualizing the costs and benefits of connections with in-laws, it is important to consider not only the nature of spouses' ties to each other's families, but the extent to which their views of these ties are concordant.
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16
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Best AL, Fletcher FE, Kadono M, Warren RC. Institutional Distrust among African Americans and Building Trustworthiness in the COVID-19 Response: Implications for Ethical Public Health Practice. J Health Care Poor Underserved 2021; 32:90-98. [PMID: 33678683 PMCID: PMC7988507 DOI: 10.1353/hpu.2021.0010] [Citation(s) in RCA: 27] [Impact Index Per Article: 9.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 12/24/2022]
Abstract
African Americans are disproportionately affected by COVID-19-related disease and mortality due to long-standing social, political, economic, and environmental injustice; and COVID-19 inequities are exacerbated by institutional distrust. In the absence of trust, public health authorities have not adequately fulfilled their professional and ethical obligations to protect African American communities from the negative effects of COVID-19. As institutional distrust is shaped by individual and collective experiences of untrustworthiness, we propose a paradigm shift from increasing trust among African Americans to increasing trustworthiness among medical and public health institutions/systems throughout the United States. This narrative review extends the literature describing how social determinants contribute to COVID-19 inequities by demonstrating how institutional distrust develops over time and is reinforced through systems of injustice. Additionally, we illustrate consequences of institutional distrust for COVID-19 inequities and provide recommendations for building trustworthiness through ethical public health practice.
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17
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Diederich F, König HH, Brettschneider C. Cultural differences in the intended use of long-term care services in the United States: The role of family ties. J Gerontol B Psychol Sci Soc Sci 2021; 77:201-211. [PMID: 33649753 DOI: 10.1093/geronb/gbab035] [Citation(s) in RCA: 5] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.7] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 07/01/2020] [Indexed: 11/13/2022] Open
Abstract
OBJECTIVES In the light of an increasingly diverse older population in the United States, there is an ongoing discussion how cultural factors contribute to individual long-term care (LTC) needs and service use. This study empirically assesses whether the level of acculturation and cultural differences in the importance of the family shape foreign-born immigrants' intention to use certain LTC services. METHODS We correlated immigrants' intention to use certain LTC services to the cultural strength of family ties that prevails in their region of origin. We used data from the National Health Interview Survey and the World Values Survey/European Values Study for analysis. Multinomial logit models were estimated and predisposing, enabling, and need factors were controlled for. Estimations were weighted to account for the sampling structure and sensitivity analyses were conducted. RESULTS Immigrants from cultures with stronger family ties are significantly more likely to intend the use of LTC options that include the family. Furthermore, immigrants are less likely to intend the use of exclusively family care when having lived in the United States for a longer time. DISCUSSION We conclude that cultural differences in family ties shape immigrants' intention to use certain LTC services. If policy makers aim at increasing the provision of specific LTC services or support to family caregivers, there should be a careful evaluation of demand-side factors in an increasingly culturally diverse society.
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Affiliation(s)
- Freya Diederich
- Department of Health, Long-Term Care and Pensions, SOCIUM Research Center on Inequality and Social Policy, University of Bremen, Germany.,Department of Health Economics and Health Services Research, Hamburg Center for Health Economics, University Medical Center Hamburg-Eppendorf, Germany
| | - Hans-Helmut König
- Department of Health Economics and Health Services Research, Hamburg Center for Health Economics, University Medical Center Hamburg-Eppendorf, Germany
| | - Christian Brettschneider
- Department of Health Economics and Health Services Research, Hamburg Center for Health Economics, University Medical Center Hamburg-Eppendorf, Germany
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18
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Gilligan M, Suitor JJ, Rurka M, Silverstein M. Multigenerational social support in the face of the COVID-19 pandemic. JOURNAL OF FAMILY THEORY & REVIEW 2020; 12:431-447. [PMID: 34367339 PMCID: PMC8340915 DOI: 10.1111/jftr.12397] [Citation(s) in RCA: 32] [Impact Index Per Article: 8.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 06/15/2020] [Accepted: 11/24/2020] [Indexed: 05/02/2023]
Abstract
Research documents high levels of instrumental, financial, and expressive support exchanges within multigenerational families in the 21st century. The COVID-19 pandemic poses unique challenges to support exchanges between the generations; however, the pandemic may provide opportunities for greater solidarity within families. In this review, we draw from theoretical perspectives that have been used to study family relationships to understand the implications of the pandemic for multigenerational families: the life course perspective, the intergenerational solidarity model, and rational choice/social exchange theory. We review literature on multigenerational relationships in the United States and discuss how established social support patterns and processes may be altered by the COVID-19 pandemic. We reflect on how the impact of the COVID-19 pandemic on multigenerational relationships may vary by gender, race, ethnicity, and socioeconomic status. Finally, we provide directions for future researchers to pursue in order to understand the lasting impacts of the COVID-19 pandemic on multigenerational ties.
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Affiliation(s)
- Megan Gilligan
- Department of Human Development & Family Studies, Iowa State University, Ames
| | - J Jill Suitor
- Department of Sociology & Center on Aging and the Life Course, Purdue University, West Lafayette
| | - Marissa Rurka
- Department of Sociology & Center on Aging and the Life Course, Purdue University, West Lafayette
| | - Merril Silverstein
- Department of Sociology & Department of Human Development and Family Science, Syracuse University, Syracuse
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Wong ELY, Liao JM, Etherton-Beer C, Baldassar L, Cheung G, Dale CM, Flo E, Husebø BS, Lay-Yee R, Millard A, Peri KA, Thokala P, Wong CH, Chau PYK, Chan CY, Chung RYN, Yeoh EK. Scoping Review: Intergenerational Resource Transfer and Possible Enabling Factors. INTERNATIONAL JOURNAL OF ENVIRONMENTAL RESEARCH AND PUBLIC HEALTH 2020; 17:ijerph17217868. [PMID: 33121044 PMCID: PMC7662476 DOI: 10.3390/ijerph17217868] [Citation(s) in RCA: 6] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.5] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 09/13/2020] [Revised: 10/12/2020] [Accepted: 10/14/2020] [Indexed: 12/14/2022]
Abstract
We explore the intergenerational pattern of resource transfer and possible associated factors. A scoping review was conducted of quantitative, peer-reviewed, English-language studies related to intergenerational transfer or interaction. We searched AgeLine, PsycINFO, Social Work Abstracts, and Sociological Abstracts for articles published between Jane 2008 and December 2018. Seventy-five studies from 25 countries met the inclusion criteria. The scoping review categorised resource transfers into three types: financial, instrumental, and emotional support. Using an intergenerational solidarity framework, factors associated with intergenerational transfer were placed in four categories: (1) demographic factors (e.g., age, gender, marital status, education, and ethno-cultural background); (2) needs and opportunities factors, including health, financial resources, and employment status; (3) family structures, namely, family composition, family relationship, and earlier family events; and (4) cultural-contextual structures, including state policies and social norms. Those factors were connected to the direction of resource transfer between generations. Downward transfers from senior to junior generations occur more frequently than upward transfers in many developed countries. Women dominate instrumental transfers, perhaps influenced by traditional gender roles. Overall, the pattern of resource transfer between generations is shown, and the impact of social norms and social policy on intergenerational transfers is highlighted. Policymakers should recognise the complicated interplay of each factor with different cultural contexts. The findings could inform policies that strengthen intergenerational solidarity and support.
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Affiliation(s)
- Eliza Lai-Yi Wong
- The Jockey Club School of Public Health and Primary Care, Faculty of Medicine, The Chinese University of Hong Kong, Hong Kong, China; (J.M.L.); (P.Y.-K.C.); (C.Y.C.); (R.Y.-N.C.); (E.-K.Y.)
- Correspondence:
| | - Jennifer Mengwei Liao
- The Jockey Club School of Public Health and Primary Care, Faculty of Medicine, The Chinese University of Hong Kong, Hong Kong, China; (J.M.L.); (P.Y.-K.C.); (C.Y.C.); (R.Y.-N.C.); (E.-K.Y.)
| | - Christopher Etherton-Beer
- Internal Medicine, Faculty of Health and Medical Sciences, The University of Western, Perth, WA 6009, Australia;
| | - Loretta Baldassar
- School of Social Sciences, Faculty of Arts, Business, Law and Education, The University of Western, Perth, WA 6009, Australia; (L.B.); (A.M.)
| | - Gary Cheung
- School of Medicine, Faculty of Medical and Health Sciences, The University of Auckland, Auckland 1010, New Zealand;
| | - Claire Margaret Dale
- Retirement Policy and Research Centre, Faculty of Business and Economics, The University of Auckland, Auckland 1010, New Zealand;
| | - Elisabeth Flo
- Department of Clinical Psychology, Faculty of Psychology, The University of Bergen, 5020 Bergen, Norway;
| | - Bettina Sandgathe Husebø
- Department of Global Public Health and Primary Care, The University of Bergen, 5020 Bergen, Norway;
| | - Roy Lay-Yee
- Centre for Methods & Policy Application in the Social Sciences, Faculty of Arts, The University of Auckland, Auckland 1010, New Zealand;
| | - Adele Millard
- School of Social Sciences, Faculty of Arts, Business, Law and Education, The University of Western, Perth, WA 6009, Australia; (L.B.); (A.M.)
| | - Kathy Ann Peri
- School of Nursing, Faculty of Medical and Health Sciences, The University of Auckland, Auckland 1010, New Zealand;
| | - Praveen Thokala
- Health Economics and Decision Science, The University of Sheffield, Sheffield S10 2TN, UK;
| | - Chek-hooi Wong
- Duke-NUS Medical School, National University of Singapore, Singapore 169857, Singapore;
| | - Patsy Yuen-Kwan Chau
- The Jockey Club School of Public Health and Primary Care, Faculty of Medicine, The Chinese University of Hong Kong, Hong Kong, China; (J.M.L.); (P.Y.-K.C.); (C.Y.C.); (R.Y.-N.C.); (E.-K.Y.)
| | - Crystal Ying Chan
- The Jockey Club School of Public Health and Primary Care, Faculty of Medicine, The Chinese University of Hong Kong, Hong Kong, China; (J.M.L.); (P.Y.-K.C.); (C.Y.C.); (R.Y.-N.C.); (E.-K.Y.)
| | - Roger Yat-Nork Chung
- The Jockey Club School of Public Health and Primary Care, Faculty of Medicine, The Chinese University of Hong Kong, Hong Kong, China; (J.M.L.); (P.Y.-K.C.); (C.Y.C.); (R.Y.-N.C.); (E.-K.Y.)
| | - Eng-Kiong Yeoh
- The Jockey Club School of Public Health and Primary Care, Faculty of Medicine, The Chinese University of Hong Kong, Hong Kong, China; (J.M.L.); (P.Y.-K.C.); (C.Y.C.); (R.Y.-N.C.); (E.-K.Y.)
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20
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Taylor RJ, Chatters LM, Taylor HO. Race and Objective Social Isolation: Older African Americans, Black Caribbeans, and Non-Hispanic Whites. J Gerontol B Psychol Sci Soc Sci 2020; 74:1429-1440. [PMID: 30289494 DOI: 10.1093/geronb/gby114] [Citation(s) in RCA: 33] [Impact Index Per Article: 8.3] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 04/06/2018] [Indexed: 11/14/2022] Open
Abstract
OBJECTIVES Social isolation is a major risk factor for poor physical and mental health among older adults. This study investigates the correlates of objective social isolation among older African Americans, Black Caribbean immigrants, and non-Hispanic Whites. METHODS The analysis is based on the older subsample (n = 1,439) of the National Survey of American Life. There are eight indicators of objective social isolation: no contact with neighbors, neighborhood groups, friends, family members, religious congregation members, not being married and no romantic involvement, living alone, and not being a parent. RESULTS Very few older Americans are socially isolated from family and friends. Non-Hispanic Whites are more likely than both African Americans and Black Caribbeans to live alone, to be childless, and have limited contact with religious congregation members. For both African Americans and Black Caribbeans, being female is protective against social isolation, but for both populations, men are more likely to be married or have a romantic partner. For African Americans, residing in the South is also protective against social isolation. DISCUSSION This analysis provides greater clarity on racial and ethnic differences in social isolation among older adults, as well as within-group differences in objective social isolation among African Americans and Black Caribbeans.
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Affiliation(s)
- Robert Joseph Taylor
- School of Social Work, University of Michigan, Ann Arbor.,Institute for Social Research, University of Michigan, Ann Arbor
| | - Linda M Chatters
- School of Social Work, University of Michigan, Ann Arbor.,Institute for Social Research, University of Michigan, Ann Arbor.,School of Public Health, University of Michigan, Ann Arbor
| | - Harry O Taylor
- Brown School of Social Work, Washington University in St. Louis, Missouri
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21
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Lin IF, Wu HS. Early-Life Parent-Child Relationships and Adult Children's Support of Unpartnered Parents in Later Life. J Gerontol B Psychol Sci Soc Sci 2020; 74:869-880. [PMID: 29432600 DOI: 10.1093/geronb/gby020] [Citation(s) in RCA: 3] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.8] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 07/18/2017] [Accepted: 02/06/2018] [Indexed: 01/21/2023] Open
Abstract
OBJECTIVES The proportion of older adults who are unpartnered has increased significantly over the past 25 years. Unpartnered older adults often rely on their adult children for support. Most previous studies have focused on proximal factors associated with adult children's support of their parents, while few have examined distal factors, such as parent-child relationships formed during childhood. This study fills the gap by investigating the direct and indirect associations between early-life parent-child relationships and adult children's upward transfers to unpartnered parents. METHOD Data came from two supplements to the Panel Study of Income Dynamics, in which respondents were asked about their relationships with mothers and fathers before age 17 and their transfers of time and money to parents in 2013. Path models were estimated for unpartnered mother-adult child dyads and father-adult child dyads separately. RESULTS For adult children of unpartnered mothers, psychological closeness has a direct, positive association with time transfer, while physical violence has an indirect association with time transfer through adult children's marital status. For adult children of unpartnered fathers, psychological closeness has neither a direct nor an indirect association with time or money transfer, but physical violence has a direct, negative association with time transfer. DISCUSSION Early-life parent-child relationships play a pivotal role in influencing adult children's caregiving behavior, both directly and indirectly. Our findings suggest that by improving their relationships with children early in life, parents may be able to increase the amount of time transfer that they receive in late life.
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Affiliation(s)
- I-Fen Lin
- Department of Sociology, National Center for Family & Marriage Research, Bowling Green State University, Ohio
| | - Hsueh-Sheng Wu
- Center for Family and Demographic Research, National Center for Family & Marriage Research, Bowling Green State University, Ohio
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22
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Wang H, Kim K, Burr JA, Wu B. Longitudinal associations between parent-child relationship quality and insomnia for aging parents: The mediating role of depressive symptoms. Soc Sci Med 2020; 253:112972. [PMID: 32276181 DOI: 10.1016/j.socscimed.2020.112972] [Citation(s) in RCA: 1] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.3] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 10/08/2019] [Revised: 02/29/2020] [Accepted: 03/29/2020] [Indexed: 12/27/2022]
Affiliation(s)
- Haowei Wang
- Department of Gerontology, John W. McCormack Graduate School of Policy and Global Studies, University of Massachusetts Boston, 100 Morrissey Blvd, Boston, MA, 02125-3393, USA.
| | - Kyungmin Kim
- Department of Gerontology, John W. McCormack Graduate School of Policy and Global Studies, University of Massachusetts Boston, 100 Morrissey Blvd, Boston, MA, 02125-3393, USA.
| | - Jeffrey A Burr
- Department of Gerontology, John W. McCormack Graduate School of Policy and Global Studies, University of Massachusetts Boston, 100 Morrissey Blvd, Boston, MA, 02125-3393, USA.
| | - Bei Wu
- Rory Meyers College of Nursing and NYU Aging Inbubator, New York University, New York, NY, 10010, USA.
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23
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Huo M, Napolitano L, Furstenberg FF, Fingerman KL. Who Initiates the Help Older Parents Give to Midlife Children. J Gerontol B Psychol Sci Soc Sci 2020; 75:907-918. [PMID: 31412361 PMCID: PMC8205638 DOI: 10.1093/geronb/gbz098] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 03/25/2019] [Indexed: 11/13/2022] Open
Abstract
OBJECTIVES Older parents continue to help children after these children have been adults for decades. We utilize a typology approach to assess who initiates the help. We ask whether profiles of help initiation are associated with how often older parents help and how they evaluate their helping behaviors. METHODS Older parents (N = 241; Mage = 80.12) indicated the extent to which they volunteered to help children and helped per child's request. Parents reported their resources and obligation to help, child problems, frequency, and evaluation (rewards/stresses) of helping. RESULTS Latent profile analysis reveals four profiles representing parents who are initiators (n = 65), responders (n = 56), initiators/responders (n = 50), and uninvolved (n = 69). Resources, needs, and individual beliefs differentiate profiles. Parents offer the same amount of help regardless of who initiates such help. Parents who are initiators/responders view helping as more rewarding than parents who are initiators and more stressful than uninvolved parents. DISCUSSION This study reveals variation in the initiation of older parents' help and refines our understanding of family help in late life. Findings may suggest a parental expectation for children to be competent in adulthood regardless of their resources and willingness to help.
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Affiliation(s)
- Meng Huo
- Department of Human Ecology, University of California, Davis, Camden, New Jersey
| | - Laura Napolitano
- Department of Sociology, Anthropology and Criminal Justice, Rutgers University, Camden, New Jersey
| | | | - Karen L Fingerman
- Department of Human Development and Family Sciences, The University of Texas at Austin
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24
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Reczek C, Kissling A. Intensive Mothers, Cautionary Tale Fathers: Adult Children's Perceptions of Parental Influence on Health. JOURNAL OF FAMILY ISSUES 2020; 41:312-337. [PMID: 33603258 PMCID: PMC7889037 DOI: 10.1177/0192513x19875772] [Citation(s) in RCA: 1] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.3] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 06/12/2023]
Abstract
Parents strongly influence children's health, yet how parents continue to shape the health of midlife adult children remains unknown. Moreover, while most adults are married by midlife, research has failed to identify the effects of parent-in-law relationships on midlife adult wellbeing. Using interviews with 90 individuals in 45 marriages, we investigate how midlife adults perceive the influence of parents and parents-in-law on adult child health. Findings reveal that particularly mothers and mothers-in-law positively influence child's health via support during, or in anticipation of, illness and injury. The health experiences of parents and in-laws, particularly fathers/in-law, become cautionary tales preparing adult children for future health issues. Yet, parents/in-law also have negative influence on adult children during midlife due to parents' compounding health needs. We use family systems theory to show how parents/in-laws are intertwined in ways that influence health during children's midlife that has ramifications into later life.
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Affiliation(s)
- Corinne Reczek
- The Ohio State University, Department of Sociology, 1885 Neil Ave Mall, 238 Townshend Hall, Columbus OH 43210
| | - Alexandra Kissling
- The Ohio State University, Department of Sociology, 1885 Neil Ave Mall, Townshend Hall, Columbus OH 43210
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25
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Yang J, Zheng Y. Links Between Perceptions of Successes, Problems and Health Outcomes Among Adult Chinese Children: The Mediating Role of Perceptions of Parents' Feelings and Intergenerational Relationships. Front Psychol 2019; 10:2551. [PMID: 31803102 PMCID: PMC6872502 DOI: 10.3389/fpsyg.2019.02551] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 05/10/2019] [Accepted: 10/29/2019] [Indexed: 11/13/2022] Open
Abstract
Several studies have focused on adult children's successes and problems and implications for their own well-being, but few studies have paid attention to their implications for adult children's health outcomes. In the present study, we tested the links between perceptions of successes, problems, and their own health outcomes, as well as the mediating role of perceptions of parents' feelings and intergenerational relationships. Adult children (n = 314; age 18-59) completed surveys on perceptions of successes (compared with counterparts, speculated how parents rate their successes, and compared with same-gender parent); problems (self's, father's, and mother's); parents' feelings (positive and negative); intergenerational relationships (intergenerational ambivalence and instrumental solidarity); and health outcomes [subjective well-being (SWB), psychological distress (PD), and self-rated health (SRH)]. Path analysis was conducted, a bootstrapped test was used. Results showed that perceptions of successes compared with counterparts were positively correlated with SWB and SRH; perceptions of successes compared with counterparts and perceptions of successes compared with same-gender parent were positively correlated with SWB and SRH via parents' positive feelings; perceptions of successes that speculated how parents rate their successes and perceptions of successes compared with same-gender parent were negatively correlated with PD via parents' negative feelings. Self's problems were negatively correlated with SWB via direct ambivalence (DA), and were positively correlated with PD via parents' negative feelings and DA, while mother's problems were positively correlated with PD via parents' negative feelings. There were no significant correlations between father's problems and adult children's health outcomes. This study underscores the importance of considering perceptions of parents' feelings and DA in understanding the mechanisms of an individual's mental health in family systems. This study sheds lights on considering an individual's health in family systems and cultural contexts.
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Affiliation(s)
- Jingjing Yang
- School of Public Health and Management, Chongqing Medical University, Chongqing, China.,Research Center for Medicine and Social Development, Chongqing Medical University, Chongqing, China
| | - Yong Zheng
- Faculty of Psychology, Southwest University, Chongqing, China
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26
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Silverstein M, Zuo D, Wang J, Bengtson VL. Intergenerational Religious Participation in Adolescence and Provision of Assistance to Older Mothers. JOURNAL OF MARRIAGE AND THE FAMILY 2019; 81:1206-1220. [PMID: 32863428 PMCID: PMC7451961 DOI: 10.1111/jomf.12592] [Citation(s) in RCA: 1] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.2] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 06/11/2023]
Abstract
OBJECTIVE This investigation examined the association between intergenerational religious activities in adolescence and provision of assistance to older mothers up to 45 years later. BACKGROUND Guided by perspectives of the life course and intergenerational solidarity, this research tested whether children's early religious participation with mothers predicted the amount of assistance children later provided, whether mothers' disability and widowhood served as moderators of this relationship, and whether any such moderation was mediated by emotional closeness, geographic proximity, and eldercare norms. METHOD Data derived from 220 adolescents who participated in the Longitudinal Study of Generations in 1971, and up to four follow-up surveys between 1997 and 2016, yielding 608 person-year observations. Multilevel regression predicted the amount of assistance provided to older mothers as a function of early religious participation with mothers, physical and social vulnerability of mothers, and dimensions of intergenerational solidarity with mothers in later life. RESULTS Results revealed elevated levels of assistance provided by children who earlier engaged in intermittent and regular religious activities with mothers. The relationship between regular religious activities and assistance was stronger for assistance to widowed mothers than to married mothers, and this moderation was partially mediated by emotional closeness and geographic proximity. CONCLUSION This research confirmed that early family conditions structure informal resources available to older parents. Religious socialization during an impressionable period of life produced emergent benefits at a point in the family life-cycle when intergenerational solidarity becomes important for well-being in later life.
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Affiliation(s)
- Merril Silverstein
- Syracuse University, Aging Studies Institute, 314 Lyman Hall Syracuse, NY 13244
| | - Dongmei Zuo
- Syracuse University, Aging Studies Institute, 314 Lyman Hall Syracuse, NY 13244
| | - Jinpu Wang
- Syracuse University, Aging Studies Institute 314 Lyman Hall, Syracuse, NY 13244
| | - Vern L Bengtson
- University of Southern California, Leonard Davis School of Gerontology, Lost Angeles, CA 9089
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27
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Lin IF, Wu HS. Sibling Influences, Sibling Similarities, and Parent Care in Late Life. OU MEI YAN JIU = EURAMERICA 2019; 49:45-73. [PMID: 30886512 PMCID: PMC6419738] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Grants] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 06/09/2023]
Abstract
Researchers have extensively examined why some particular adult children provide care to their aged parents, but rarely considered sibling similarities and influences in their examinations. Guided by social learning theory and diffusion of responsibility theory, we investigate whether sibling similarities are associated with adult children's care hours, net of the parent's and child's characteristics. Based on social comparison theory, we further examine whether such associations differ across adult children, depending on whether adult children share the same characteristics as their siblings. Using Round 5 data from the National Health and Aging Trends Study, we find that adult children provide more care hours when siblings are close in age, supporting social learning theory. In contrast, adult children provide fewer care hours in the presence of a greater share of siblings who are unpartnered or close to the parents, supporting diffusion of responsibility theory. Consistent with social comparison theory, social learning is stronger for younger adult children, and diffusion of responsibility is weaker when adult children are unpartnered or close to the parents. Findings from this study highlight the importance for future research of going beyond parent-child dyads and incorporate sibling influences when studying the caregiving behavior of adult children.
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Affiliation(s)
- I-Fen Lin
- Department of Sociology, Bowling Green State University, 217 Williams Hall, Bowling Green, OH 43403-0222, USA,
| | - Hsueh-Sheng Wu
- Center for Family and Demographic Research, Bowling Green State University 5D Williams Hall, Bowling Green, OH 43403-0222, USA,
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Park SS. Life Events and Black-White Differences in Adult Children's Financial Assistance to Mothers. THE GERONTOLOGIST 2019; 58:883-893. [PMID: 28535301 DOI: 10.1093/geront/gnx069] [Citation(s) in RCA: 13] [Impact Index Per Article: 2.6] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 01/25/2017] [Indexed: 11/14/2022] Open
Abstract
Background and Objectives Parents who experience life events with negative economic consequences may rely on adult children for financial assistance. This study provided national estimates of Black and White mothers' financial help from adult children. It also examined whether the Black-White difference in the likelihood of a mother's receipt of financial assistance persisted after accounting for life events reflecting parental need and children's ability to provide help. Research Design and Methods The Health and Retirement Study was used to examine late middle aged (51-70) Black and White mothers' financial help from adult children. Cross-sectional point estimates of financial help from noncoresident and coresident children were based on pooling these data. Random effects logistic regression at the mother-wave level was used to estimate the likelihood of receipt of financial assistance from noncoresident children. Results On average, 9% (8%) of Blacks and 3% (4%) of Whites reported help from noncoresident (coresident) children in a given interview wave, but Blacks received lower amounts. Changes signifying greater parental financial need and noncoresident children's greater resources were positively associated with receiving financial help from noncoresident children. After accounting for these factors, race differences remained. Discussion and Implications Black mothers are more likely to rely on children for financial help than Whites. Since this help hinges on the ability of their children to provide, the strength of Blacks' economic safety net as they age also depends on the socioeconomic well-being of the younger generation.
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Seidel AJ, Yorgason JB, Polenick CA, Zarit SH, Fingerman KL. Are You Sleeping? Dyadic Associations of Support, Stress, and Worries Regarding Adult Children on Sleep. THE GERONTOLOGIST 2018; 58:341-352. [PMID: 28329807 DOI: 10.1093/geront/gnw149] [Citation(s) in RCA: 5] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.8] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 02/19/2016] [Accepted: 08/19/2016] [Indexed: 11/14/2022] Open
Abstract
Purpose of the study Sleep is a key factor in maintaining positive health and well-being throughout life. Although the negative outcomes of sleep problems are becoming better understood, less is known about how intergenerational relationships might affect sleep. Thus, this investigation examines the dyadic associations of support for, stress over, and worrying about adult children on sleep quality for husbands and wives. Design and Methods The sample included 186 heterosexual married couples drawn from the Family Exchanges Study. To account for nonindependence in the dyadic data and explore questions of mutual influence, we used actor-partner interdependence models. Results Husbands' and wives' reports of supporting their adult child and husbands' worry were associated with husbands' sleep quality. Conversely, wives' stress about supporting their adult child was associated with wives' sleep quality. Findings suggest that relationships with adult children have different associations for sleep quality among middle-aged husbands and wives. Implications Our findings have implications for health-related research with couples and families and for providers who work with individuals struggling with sleep problems. Assisting aging parents to be aware of and manage ways that stress, support, and concern for adult children relate to their sleep may benefit them in multifaceted ways.
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Affiliation(s)
- Amber J Seidel
- PA Human Development and Family Studies, The Pennsylvania State University, University Park
| | | | - Courtney A Polenick
- PA Human Development and Family Studies, The Pennsylvania State University, University Park
| | - Steven H Zarit
- PA Human Development and Family Studies, The Pennsylvania State University, University Park
| | - Karen L Fingerman
- Human Development and Family Sciences, University of Texas at Austin
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Goldman AW, Cornwell B. Social Disadvantage and Instability in Older Adults' Ties to Their Adult Children. JOURNAL OF MARRIAGE AND THE FAMILY 2018; 80:1314-1332. [PMID: 30524144 PMCID: PMC6276798 DOI: 10.1111/jomf.12503] [Citation(s) in RCA: 6] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 10/04/2017] [Accepted: 04/11/2018] [Indexed: 05/24/2023]
Abstract
OBJECTIVE We examine whether racial and socioeconomic factors influence older adults' likelihood of experiencing instability in their social network ties with their adult children. BACKGROUND Recent work shows that socially disadvantaged older adults' social networks are more unstable and exhibit higher rates of turnover, perhaps due to greater exposure to broader social-environmental instability. We consider whether this network instability applies to older adults' ties with their adult children, which are often the closest and most reliable social ties in later life. METHODS We use two waves of data from the National Social Life, Health, and Aging Project (N=1,456), a nationally representative, longitudinal study of older Americans. Through a series of multivariate regression models, we examine how race and education are associated with how frequently older adults reported being in contact with child network members, and how likely older adults were to stop naming their children as network members over time. RESULTS African American and less educated individuals reported significantly more frequent contact with their adult child network members than did whites and more educated individuals. Nevertheless, these populations were also more likely to stop naming their children as network confidants over time. CONCLUSION African American and less educated older adults are at greater risk of losing access to the supports and other resources that are often provided by adult children, or of not being able to consistently draw on them as they age, despite the fact that these ties demonstrate greater potential for support exchange at baseline.
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Affiliation(s)
- Alyssa W Goldman
- Cornell University, Department of Sociology, 345 Uris Hall, Ithaca, New York 14853
| | - Benjamin Cornwell
- Cornell University, Department of Sociology, 342 Uris Hall, Ithaca, New York 14853
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Polenick CA, Birditt KS, Zarit SH. Parental Support of Adult Children and Middle-Aged Couples' Marital Satisfaction. THE GERONTOLOGIST 2018; 58:663-673. [PMID: 28977368 PMCID: PMC6044335 DOI: 10.1093/geront/gnx021] [Citation(s) in RCA: 2] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.3] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 10/03/2016] [Indexed: 11/12/2022] Open
Abstract
Background and Objectives Middle-aged adults commonly provide support to grown offspring. Yet little is known about how parental support may be related to parents' marital quality at midlife. This study explored couple patterns of support given to adult children and their implications for marital satisfaction. Research Design and Methods In a sample of 197 middle-aged couples from Wave 2 of the Family Exchanges Study, we estimated actor-partner interdependence models to evaluate the links between each spouse's reports of tangible and nontangible support given to adult children and their marital satisfaction. Results Wives and husbands were more satisfied with their marriage when they and their partner gave more frequent nontangible support to adult children. By contrast, wives and husbands were less satisfied with their marriage when they gave more frequent nontangible support to adult children and their partner gave low levels of this support. Discussion and Implications Findings shed light on the conditions under which support given to adult offspring may enhance or undermine marital quality. This study highlights the value of considering both individual and couple-level characteristics of parent-child relationships and their potential consequences for midlife couples.
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Affiliation(s)
| | - Kira S Birditt
- Institute for Social Research, University of Michigan, Ann Arbor
| | - Steven H Zarit
- Department of Human Development and Family Studies, The Pennsylvania State University, University Park
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Richardson VE, Fields N, Won S, Bradley E, Gibson A, Rivera G, Holmes SD. At the intersection of culture: Ethnically diverse dementia caregivers' service use. DEMENTIA 2017; 18:1790-1809. [PMID: 29254375 DOI: 10.1177/1471301217721304] [Citation(s) in RCA: 21] [Impact Index Per Article: 3.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 12/17/2022]
Abstract
This study used an ethnocultural approach to explore how cultural factors influenced ethnically diverse dementia caregivers’ experiences and use of services. A modified thematic analysis of in-depth interviews with 15 caregivers, ranging in age from 50 to 75 years, including spouses, daughters, sons, cousins, and a friend, from three minority groups—African American, Hispanic, and South Korean caregivers—was conducted by a team of multi-lingual researchers. Caregiver stress was pervasive across all subgroups. Several themes emerged that were qualitatively different across groups, including knowledge about dementia, language barriers, religion and spirituality, and cultural differences in attitudes about caring and formal services. A two-pronged intervention model that includes a generic intervention to reduce caregiver stress along with a culturally targeted intervention tailored to a family’s language, food preferences, religious practices, gender norms, and other values was recommended to more successfully reach and support these caregivers.
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Fingerman KL. Millennials and Their Parents: Implications of the New Young Adulthood for Midlife Adults. Innov Aging 2017; 1:igx026. [PMID: 29795793 PMCID: PMC5954613 DOI: 10.1093/geroni/igx026] [Citation(s) in RCA: 23] [Impact Index Per Article: 3.3] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 11/16/2022] Open
Abstract
The period of young adulthood has transformed dramatically over the past few decades. Today, scholars refer to “emerging adulthood” and “transitions to adulthood” to describe adults in their 20s. Prolonged youth has brought concomitant prolonged parenthood. This article addresses 3 areas of change in parent/child ties, increased (a) contact between generations, (b) support from parents to grown children as well as coresidence and (c) affection between the generations. We apply the Multidimensional Intergenerational Support Model (MISM) to explain these changes, considering societal (e.g., economic, technological), cultural, family demographic (e.g., fertility, stepparenting), relationship, and psychological (normative beliefs, affection) factors. Several theoretical perspectives (e.g., life course theory, family systems theory) suggest that these changes may have implications for the midlife parents’ well-being. For example, parents may incur deleterious effects from (a) grown children’s problems or (b) their own normative beliefs that offspring should be independent. Parents may benefit via opportunities for generativity with young adult offspring. Furthermore, current patterns may affect future parental aging. As parents incur declines of late life, they may be able to turn to caregivers with whom they have intimate bonds. Alternately, parents may be less able to obtain such care due to demographic changes involving grown children raising their own children later or who have never fully launched. It is important to consider shifts in the nature of young adulthood to prepare for midlife parents’ future aging.
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Affiliation(s)
- Karen L Fingerman
- Department of Human Development and Family Sciences, The University of Texas at Austin
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Structural relationship between emotional and social support for young adult carers towards intergenerational care of the multi-ethnic elderly. QUALITY IN AGEING AND OLDER ADULTS 2017. [DOI: 10.1108/qaoa-05-2017-0015] [Citation(s) in RCA: 3] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.4] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 11/17/2022]
Abstract
Purpose
The purpose of this paper is to examine the structural relationship between the emotional and social support provided for individuals with caring responsibilities for elderly relatives, and the quality of care actually delivered. In addition, the moderating role of gender is explored.
Design/methodology/approach
A quantitative research design was utilised in which 200 usable questionnaires were collected from 250 respondents comprised of young adults who adopt a caregiving roles in respect of elderly parents or other close elderly relatives. The structural equation modelling (SEM) technique was selected for data analysis, and the Analysis of moment structure software version 21 was used.
Findings
The SEM results revealed that emotional support for caregivers was the most important predictor affecting the intergenerational care of multi-ethnic elderly people. Additionally, a moderation analysis revealed that the relative influence in this connection was more pronounced among female caregivers. An increase in the emotional support received by the recipient was found to enhance the level of the relationship, and to result in closer intergenerational ties in the care of the multi-ethnic elderly. Furthermore, the receipt of social support positively influences the judgement of an individual, and expands that person’s social network, which can subsequently have a favourable impact on the way in which one fulfils their caring role. The significant effect of social support provided for intergenerational caregivers in the context of the multi-ethnic elderly was higher in the group of male caregivers than in the group of female caregivers.
Practical implications
This study sends a strong message to policy-makers in developing countries about the need to consider within their National Policy for the Elderly, improvements in the national action plan for a holistic and integrated approach to ensure the well-being of caregivers and the elderly.
Originality/value
The results of the study help young adults to understand the importance of emotional and social support in boosting their relationships with parents and families and motivating intergenerational efforts in the care of the multi-ethnic elderly. Harmony within families is an important ideal in any circumstance, but in the scenario of ageing family members it may be even more essential to try to achieve it.
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Heid AR, Zarit SH, Fingerman KL. Adult Children's Responses to Parent "Stubbornness". THE GERONTOLOGIST 2017; 57:429-440. [PMID: 26873033 DOI: 10.1093/geront/gnv691] [Citation(s) in RCA: 3] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.4] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 07/22/2015] [Accepted: 10/12/2015] [Indexed: 11/13/2022] Open
Abstract
Purpose of the Study People cope with relationship tensions in different ways. One such tension that is frequently reported is how adult children respond to conflicts with their aging parents when they see their parents as insisting, resisting, or persisting in their behaviors-acting in ways commonly attributed to stubbornness. Design and Methods Middle-aged adults (N = 383) completed measures regarding their parents' stubbornness, their responses to that stubbornness, depressive symptoms, positive and negative relationship quality, and support they provide their parents. Multiple regression and multilevel models were utilized to examine whether middle-aged offspring's responses to perceived parent stubbornness were associated with the offspring's reported depressive symptoms, positive and negative relationship quality, and provision of support. Results Adult children most frequently endorsed responding to parents' "stubborn" behaviors by "just letting their requests go." Results revealed associations of adult children's response strategies with their reports of depressive symptoms (more letting go), positive relationship quality (less letting go and more reasoning), negative relationship quality (more arguing, more rewording their request, and less reasoning), and the amount of support they provide to their parents (more arguing, more reasoning, and more waiting to address the concern another day). Implications Adult children's responses to perceived parent stubbornness are linked to individual and relationship functioning, as well as the support the children provide. Interventions to develop adaptive responses when there are differences in goals may prove useful for families.
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Affiliation(s)
- Allison R Heid
- New Jersey Institute for Successful Aging, Rowan University School of Osteopathic Medicine, Stratford
| | - Steven H Zarit
- Department of Human Development and Family Studies, The Pennsylvania State University, University Park
| | - Karen L Fingerman
- Department of Human Development and Family Sciences, The University of Texas at Austin
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36
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Fabius CD, Robison J. Differences in Living Arrangements Among Older Adults Transitioning Into the Community: Examining the Impact of Race and Choice. J Appl Gerontol 2017; 38:454-478. [PMID: 28380712 DOI: 10.1177/0733464816687496] [Citation(s) in RCA: 5] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.7] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 11/17/2022] Open
Abstract
The federal Money Follows the Person Rebalancing Demonstration program allows nursing home residents to use Medicaid funds for home and community-based services rather than institutional care. Race, choice in housing, and challenges faced prior to transitioning may impact living arrangements following a discharge into the community. This study examines the influence of these factors on living arrangements for 659 program participants age 65 or older. Unmarried Blacks and people with financial or legal challenges are less likely to live with a live-in caregiver or in supervised housing compared with unmarried Whites. Race did not determine living arrangements among married participants, but housing transition challenges did. Findings inform policies targeting nursing home rebalancing efforts by highlighting racial diversity in living arrangements and emphasizing the need for affordable, accessible housing options for older adults of any race seeking to live in the community rather than remain in an institutional setting.
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Affiliation(s)
- Chanee D Fabius
- 1 University of Connecticut Health Center, Farmington, USA.,2 Center for Gerontology and Healthcare Research, Brown University, Providence, RI, USA
| | - Julie Robison
- 1 University of Connecticut Health Center, Farmington, USA
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37
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Fabius C. Prospects for Examining Perceived Choice and Control Among Older Adults Living With Family. JOURNAL OF INTERGENERATIONAL RELATIONSHIPS 2017. [DOI: 10.1080/15350770.2017.1294428] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 10/19/2022]
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Hamilton JB, Stewart JM, Thompson K, Alvarez C, Best NC, Amoah K, Carlton-LaNey IB. Younger African American Adults' Use of Religious Songs to Manage Stressful Life Events. JOURNAL OF RELIGION AND HEALTH 2017; 56:329-344. [PMID: 27464642 DOI: 10.1007/s10943-016-0288-6] [Citation(s) in RCA: 7] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 06/06/2023]
Abstract
The aim of this study was to explore the use of religious songs in response to stressful life events among young African American adults. Fifty-five young African American adults aged 18-49 participated in a qualitative study involving criterion sampling and open-ended interviews. Data analysis included content analysis and descriptive statistics. Stressful life events were related to work or school; caregiving and death of a family member; and relationships. Religious songs represented five categories: Instructive, Communication with God, Thanksgiving and Praise, Memory of Forefathers, and Life after Death. The tradition of using religious songs in response to stressful life events continues among these young adults. Incorporating religious songs into health-promoting interventions might enhance their cultural relevance to this population.
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Affiliation(s)
- Jill B Hamilton
- Department of Community and Public Health, Johns Hopkins University School of Nursing, 525 N. Wolfe St., Baltimore, MD, 21205, USA.
| | - Jennifer M Stewart
- Department of Community and Public Health, Johns Hopkins University School of Nursing, 525 N. Wolfe St., Baltimore, MD, 21205, USA
| | - Keitra Thompson
- Department of Community and Public Health, Johns Hopkins University School of Nursing, 525 N. Wolfe St., Baltimore, MD, 21205, USA
| | - Carmen Alvarez
- Department of Community and Public Health, Johns Hopkins University School of Nursing, 525 N. Wolfe St., Baltimore, MD, 21205, USA
| | - Nakia C Best
- School of Nursing, University of North Carolina, Chapel Hill, NC, 27510, USA
| | - Kevin Amoah
- Department of Biology, North Carolina Central University, Durham, NC, 27707, USA
| | - Iris B Carlton-LaNey
- School of Social Work, University of North Carolina, Chapel Hill, NC, 27510, USA
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Hardie JH, Seltzer JA. Parent-Child Relationships at the Transition to Adulthood: A Comparison of Black, Hispanic, and White Immigrant and Native-Born Youth. SOCIAL FORCES; A SCIENTIFIC MEDIUM OF SOCIAL STUDY AND INTERPRETATION 2016; 95:321-354. [PMID: 27795587 PMCID: PMC5082986 DOI: 10.1093/sf/sow033] [Citation(s) in RCA: 12] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.5] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 05/25/2023]
Abstract
Parents play a key role in launching their children into adulthood. Differences in the resources they provide their children have implications for perpetuating patterns of family inequality. Using data on 6,962 young adults included in the National Longitudinal Survey of Youth 1997, we examine differences in the support parents provide to young adult children by immigrant status and race/ethnicity and whether and how those differences are explained by parent resources and young adult resources and roles. Immigrant status and race/ethnicity are associated with patterns of support in complex ways. We find that racial/ethnic and immigrant disparities in perceptions of support, financial support, and receiving advice from parents about education or employment are explained by family socioeconomic resources. Group differences in whether young adults say they would turn to a parent for advice and coresidence persist after accounting for these factors, however. Young adult resources and roles also shape parental support of young adults in the transition to adulthood, but taking account of these characteristics does not explain immigrant and racial/ethnic group differences. Our findings highlight the need to consider both race/ethnicity and immigrant status to understand family relationships and sources of support.
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Morin RT, Midlarsky E. Social Support, Mastery, and Psychological Distress in Black and White Older Adults. Int J Aging Hum Dev 2016; 82:209-28. [DOI: 10.1177/0091415015627161] [Citation(s) in RCA: 8] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 11/15/2022]
Abstract
Social support and mastery can protect against psychological distress in late life, carrying implications for theory and intervention. However, some groups have not been well studied, with African Americans receiving less empirical attention, especially in regard to their satisfaction with social support. In this study, samples of African American and White American community-dwelling older adults reported their perceived mastery, degree of psychological distress, and social support. A model investigating the separate relationships of these variables by race explained significantly more variance than a model for all participants combined. For both groups, mastery was significantly associated with lower psychological distress. However, among White Americans, social support was significantly associated with lower distress, while among African Americans, there was no relationship between satisfaction with social support and distress. The findings indicate that social support and mastery are important variables to consider in their relationship to psychological distress in later life and that diverse racial groups may display differing relationships among these variables.
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Affiliation(s)
- Ruth T. Morin
- Teachers College, Columbia University, New York, NY, USA
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Reczek C, Zhang Z. Parent-Child Relationships and Parent Psychological Distress: How Do Social Support, Strain, Dissatisfaction, and Equity Matter? Res Aging 2015; 38:742-66. [PMID: 26334963 DOI: 10.1177/0164027515602315] [Citation(s) in RCA: 15] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.7] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 11/16/2022]
Abstract
Relationships with children are important for parents' psychological well-being, yet limited research addresses whether and how relationships with adult children matter for aging parents' psychological well-being in mid- to later life. We used four waves of national longitudinal data (Americans' Changing Lives, N = 1,692) and growth curve models to test how multiple dimensions of the intergenerational relationship-social support, strain, equity, and dissatisfaction-shape mid- to later life parents' psychological distress over time. Results showed that social support and strain were associated with parents' distress at baseline but not over time, while relationship equity and dissatisfaction affected change in parents' psychological distress over time. Findings further showed how the effects of dissatisfaction varied for mothers and fathers. This study adds to an understanding of the social context of aging by drawing attention to how specific dimensions of the parent-child tie matter longitudinally for mid- to later life parents' psychological distress.
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Affiliation(s)
- Corinne Reczek
- Department of Sociology, The Ohio State University, Columbus, OH, USA
| | - Zhe Zhang
- Department of Sociology, The Ohio State University, Columbus, OH, USA
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Kim K, Fingerman KL, Birditt KS, Zarit SH. Capturing Between- and Within-Family Differences in Parental Support to Adult Children: A Typology Approach. J Gerontol B Psychol Sci Soc Sci 2015; 71:1034-1045. [PMID: 25979823 DOI: 10.1093/geronb/gbv029] [Citation(s) in RCA: 11] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.2] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 09/11/2014] [Accepted: 03/29/2015] [Indexed: 11/14/2022] Open
Abstract
OBJECTIVES Families differ widely in the support they provide to adult offspring, both with regard to the overall level as well as the extent to which support is evenly distributed across offspring. This study addressed these dynamics by creating family profiles based on the average level and differentiation of support among children. We also examined demographic and psychological factors that predict typology membership. METHOD We utilized data from 431 middle-aged parents (aged 40-60) with at least two adult children. Parents provided separate ratings of support given to each child. Latent profile analysis was applied to two indicators of within-family support: mean level and differentiation among offspring. RESULTS Latent profile analysis identified four patterns of parental support: (a) high support-low differentiation (52%), (b) medium support-high differentiation (26%), (c) low support-low differentiation (17%), and (d) low support-very high differentiation (5%). These patterns reflected distinct family characteristics, such as parental resources, parental beliefs (i.e., equal treatment, obligation), and offspring characteristics. DISCUSSION Our findings emphasize the need to capture dynamics of support exchanges among multiple offspring at the level of family.
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Affiliation(s)
- Kyungmin Kim
- Department of Human Development and Family Sciences, The University of Texas at Austin.
| | - Karen L Fingerman
- Department of Human Development and Family Sciences, The University of Texas at Austin
| | - Kira S Birditt
- Institute for Social Research, University of Michigan, Ann Arbor
| | - Steven H Zarit
- Department of Human Development and Family Studies, The Pennsylvania State University, University Park
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Cheng YP, Birditt KS, Zarit SH, Fingerman KL. Young Adults' Provision of Support to Middle-Aged Parents. J Gerontol B Psychol Sci Soc Sci 2015; 70:407-16. [PMID: 24162441 PMCID: PMC4542646 DOI: 10.1093/geronb/gbt108] [Citation(s) in RCA: 20] [Impact Index Per Article: 2.2] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 03/14/2013] [Accepted: 09/18/2013] [Indexed: 11/14/2022] Open
Abstract
OBJECTIVES Middle-aged adults often provide support to aging parents, but researchers know little about support that young adults provide middle-aged parents. This study examined support that young adults provide parents and explanations for that support from both offspring's and parents' perspectives. METHOD Young adults (n = 515, mean age = 22.34) and their parents (n = 364, mean age = 50.09) from the Family Exchanges Study reported support that offspring provide parents. Participants also reported parental personal problems, parental disability status, relationship quality, and support that parents provide offspring. RESULTS Offspring provided parents with emotional support and listening more often than other forms of support. Offspring reported providing more frequent support than parents reported receiving. We examined factors associated with support using multilevel models. Both offspring and parents reported more frequent support provided to parents when they had higher quality relationships and when parents gave more frequent support to offspring. Offspring (but not parents) reported providing more frequent support to parents when parents were disabled. DISCUSSION Findings are consistent with solidarity theory, which suggests that high-quality relationships may explain support. The concept of self-enhancement and generativity in middle-aged parents may explain the intergenerational differences in the association between parental disability and support.
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Affiliation(s)
- Yen-Pi Cheng
- Department of Human Development and Family Sciences, University of Texas at Austin.
| | - Kira S Birditt
- Institute of Social Research, University of Michigan, Ann Arbor
| | - Steven H Zarit
- Department of Human Development and Family Studies, Pennsylvania State University, University Park
| | - Karen L Fingerman
- Department of Human Development and Family Sciences, University of Texas at Austin
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Listening to the voices of native Hawaiian elders and ‘ohana caregivers: discussions on aging, health, and care preferences. J Cross Cult Gerontol 2015; 29:131-51. [PMID: 24659060 DOI: 10.1007/s10823-014-9227-8] [Citation(s) in RCA: 22] [Impact Index Per Article: 2.4] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 10/25/2022]
Abstract
Native Hawaiians, the indigenous people of Hawai’i, are affected by varying social and health disparities that result in high prevalence of chronic disease, early onset of disability, and shorter life expectancy compared to other ethnic groups in Hawai’i. Six listening meetings were conducted, involving 41 community-dwelling kūpuna (Native Hawaiian elders) and ‘ohana (family) caregivers to investigate health and care preferences that offer the potential for improving well-being in later life for Native Hawaiian elders. As background, we provide three explanatory perspectives and theories—life course perspective, minority stress theory, and historical trauma—that guided the design of this study and provided the study’s context. A number of overarching themes and subthemes were identified, some of which point to universal concerns with age and caregiving (such as challenges and costs associated with growing old and caregiving) and others that are culturally specific (such as influence of culture and social stressors, including discrimination, on health needs and care preferences). Results give further support to the urgency of affordable, accessible, and acceptable programs and policies that can respond to the growing health and care needs of native elders and family caregivers.
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Stokes JE. Surviving Parents' Influence on Adult Children's Depressive Symptoms Following the Death of a First Parent. J Appl Gerontol 2014; 35:1015-35. [PMID: 25428592 DOI: 10.1177/0733464814558876] [Citation(s) in RCA: 3] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.3] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 07/06/2014] [Accepted: 10/11/2014] [Indexed: 11/15/2022] Open
Abstract
Parents and children are linked across the life course, and they share common experiences. This article focuses on the bereavement experience of adult children's loss of a first parent during adulthood and examines the downward influence of emotional closeness with a surviving parent on adult children's depressive symptoms following loss. Analyses are based on adult children who experienced the death of a first parent (N = 227), drawn from the Longitudinal Study of Generations, a study of three-and four-generation families from Southern California. Multilevel lagged dependent variable models indicate that an emotionally close relationship with a surviving parent is related with fewer post-bereavement depressive symptoms when a mother survives a father, but not vice versa. This analysis extends the theory of linked lives and highlights the mutual influence parents and children exert, as well as the complex role of gender in shaping family relationships.
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Cichy KE, Stawski RS, Almeida DM. A Double-Edged Sword: Race, Daily Family Support Exchanges, and Daily Well-Being. JOURNAL OF FAMILY ISSUES 2014; 35:1824-1845. [PMID: 25368438 PMCID: PMC4215556 DOI: 10.1177/0192513x13479595] [Citation(s) in RCA: 26] [Impact Index Per Article: 2.6] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 05/21/2023]
Abstract
This study contributes to research on race and family ties by exploring racial differences in the direct effects of family support exchanges on daily well-being and the extent to which family support buffers/exacerbates stressor reactivity. African Americans and European Americans aged 34 to 84 (N = 1,931) from the National Study of Daily Experiences (NSDE) reported on family support exchanges (i.e., support received/support provided), daily stressors, and negative affect during 8 days of telephone interviews. On a daily basis, receiving family support was not associated with well-being, whereas providing family support was associated with compromised well-being among African Americans. As expected, receiving family support buffered reactivity to daily tensions for both races, whereas providing emotional support to family exacerbated African Americans' reactivity to daily tensions. Together, our findings suggest that even after considering the benefits of receiving family support, providing family support takes an emotional toll on African Americans.
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Mitchell BA. Generational juggling acts in midlife families: gendered and ethnocultural intersections. J Women Aging 2014; 26:332-50. [PMID: 25133945 DOI: 10.1080/08952841.2014.907666] [Citation(s) in RCA: 8] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.8] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 10/24/2022]
Abstract
This study draws upon a sociocultural stress and coping perspective to examine generational demands in midlife families. It examines both the predictors and family-related circumstances that contribute to perceptions of greater demand, with a focus on gendered and ethnocultural dimensions. Using mixed-methods, data are based on a sample of 236 parents collected in 2006/2007 from four cultural groups: British-, Chinese-, Southern European-, and South Asian Canadian. Key findings reveal that caregiving experiences remain highly gendered and are mediated by ethnocultural background and other work/family contextual characteristics. Recommendations for those who work directly with culturally diverse "sandwiched" generation families are highlighted.
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Affiliation(s)
- Barbara A Mitchell
- a Department of Sociology/Anthropology & Department of Gerontology , Simon Fraser University , Burnaby , British Columbia , Canada
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Solberg LM, Solberg LB, Peterson EN. Measuring Impact of Stress in Sandwich Generation Caring for Demented Parents. GEROPSYCH-THE JOURNAL OF GERONTOPSYCHOLOGY AND GERIATRIC PSYCHIATRY 2014. [DOI: 10.1024/1662-9647/a000114] [Citation(s) in RCA: 9] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.9] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 11/19/2022]
Abstract
Stress in caregivers may affect the healthcare recipients receive. We examined the impact of stress experienced by 45 adult caregivers of their elderly demented parents. The participants completed a 32-item questionnaire about the impact of experienced stress. The questionnaire also asked about interventions that might help to reduce the impact of stress. After exploratory factor analysis, we reduced the 32-item questionnaire to 13 items. Results indicated that caregivers experienced stress, anxiety, and sadness. Also, emotional, but not financial or professional, well-being was significantly impacted. There was no significant difference between the impact of caregiver stress on members from the sandwich generation and those from the nonsandwich generation. Meeting with a social worker for resource availability was identified most frequently as a potentially helpful intervention for coping with the impact of stress.
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Affiliation(s)
- Laurence M. Solberg
- Department of Geriatric Medicine, Lahey Clinic and Department of General Internal Medicine and Public Health, Vanderbilt University, Nashville, TN, USA
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Fingerman KL, Cheng YP, Wesselmann ED, Zarit S, Furstenberg F, Birditt KS. Helicopter Parents and Landing Pad Kids: Intense Parental Support of Grown Children. JOURNAL OF MARRIAGE AND THE FAMILY 2012; 74:880-896. [PMID: 26336323 PMCID: PMC4553417 DOI: 10.1111/j.1741-3737.2012.00987.x] [Citation(s) in RCA: 77] [Impact Index Per Article: 6.4] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 05/19/2023]
Abstract
Popular media describe adverse effects of helicopter parents who provide intense support to grown children, but few studies have examined implications of such intense support. Grown children (N = 592, M age = 23.82 years, 53% female, 35% members of racial/ethnic minority groups) and their parents (n = 399, M age = 50.67 years, 52% female; 34% members of racial/ethnic minority groups) reported on the support they exchanged with one another. Intense support involved parents' providing several types of support (e.g., financial, advice, emotional) many times a week. Parents and grown children who engaged in such frequent support viewed it as nonnormative (i.e., too much support), but grown children who received intense support reported better psychological adjustment and life satisfaction than grown children who did not receive intense support. Parents who perceived their grown children as needing too much support reported poorer life satisfaction. The discussion focuses on generational differences in the implications of intense parental involvement during young adulthood.
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Affiliation(s)
- Karen L Fingerman
- Department of Human Development and Family Sciences, University of Texas at Austin, 1 University Station, A2702, Austin, TX 78712
| | - Yen-Pi Cheng
- Department of Human Development and Family Sciences, University of Texas at Austin, 1 University Station, A2702, Austin, TX 78712
| | - Eric D Wesselmann
- Department of Psychological Sciences, Purdue University, 703 3rd Street, Lafayette, IN 47907
| | - Steven Zarit
- Department of Human Development and Family Studies, The Pennsylvania State University, 211-H Henderson South Building, University Park, PA 16802
| | - Frank Furstenberg
- Department of Sociology, University of Pennsylvania, 3718 Locust Walk, Philadelphia, PA 19104
| | - Kira S Birditt
- Institute for Social Research, University of Michigan, 426 Thompson Street, Ann Arbor, MI 48104
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Hamilton JB, Sandelowski M, Moore AD, Agarwal M, Koenig HG. "You need a song to bring you through": the use of religious songs to manage stressful life events. THE GERONTOLOGIST 2012; 53:26-38. [PMID: 22589023 DOI: 10.1093/geront/gns064] [Citation(s) in RCA: 45] [Impact Index Per Article: 3.8] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 11/14/2022] Open
Abstract
PURPOSE To explore in a sample of older African Americans how religious songs were used to cope with stressful life events and to explore the religious beliefs associated with these songs. DESIGN AND METHODS Sixty-five African American older adults residing in the Southeastern US participated in a qualitative descriptive study involving criterion sampling, open-ended semi-structured interviews, qualitative content analysis, and descriptive statistics. RESULTS Religion expressed through song was a coping strategy for participants experiencing stressful life events who described feelings of being comforted, strengthened, able to endure, uplifted, and able to find peace by turning to the types of religious songs described here. Five types of songs were used including those evoking Thanksgiving and Praise, Instructive, Memory of Forefathers, Communication with God, and Life after Death. IMPLICATIONS Religious songs are an important form of religious expression important to the mental health of older African Americans. The incorporation of religious songs into spiritual care interventions might enhance the cultural relevance of mental health interventions in this population.
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Affiliation(s)
- Jill B Hamilton
- University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill School of Nursing, Chapel Hill, NC 27599-7460, USA.
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