"Keeping our distance": Older adults' experiences during year one of the COVID-19 pandemic and lockdown in Australia

The first year of the COVID-19 pandemic had a profound impact on everyday life in Australia despite relatively low infection rates. Lockdown restrictions were among the harshest in the world, while older adults were portrayed as especially vulnerable by politicians and the media. This study examines the perceptions and experiences of the pandemic and lockdowns among 31 older Australians. We investigated how participants perceived their own vulnerability, their attitudes towards lockdowns and protective behaviors, and how the pandemic affected everyday life. We found that participants were cautious about COVID-19 and vigilant observers of physical distancing. Despite approving of public health guidelines and lockdowns, participants raised concerns about weakening social ties and prolonged social isolation. Those living alone or lacking strong family ties were most likely to report increased loneliness. Most participants nonetheless regarded themselves as "fortunate": they perceived older age as affording them financial, emotional, and relational stability, which insulated them from the worst impacts of the coronavirus pandemic. In their views, financial independence and post-retirement lifestyles helped them adapt to isolation and the disruption of lockdowns.

Orthodontic patients and the information found on the web: a cross-sectional study

BACKGROUND

In recent years, the Web has become a source of medical information for patients, even though the information available online may be incorrect or qualitatively inadequate. Younger generations, immersed in a digital environment since a very tender age, are more likely to get informed online. This study aims to understand the relevance of online information for prospective orthodontic patients and to investigate the effects of digital research on patients' decision-making process, and it also aims to investigate potential generational differences between digital natives and digital immigrants.

MATERIALS AND METHODS

An anonymous questionnaire was developed to investigate patients' orthodontic-themed Web searches as well as the effects digital material had on their decision-making process. Before submitting the newly designed survey to patients, it was validated in a pilot study. Univariate analysis was applied to analyze the relationship between the demographic characteristics of respondents and their answers on the use of digital research for the decision-making process.

RESULTS

64.6% of the study population searched the Web for orthodontic information prior to their visit. Google was the most used platform regardless of patients' age. The perceived reliability of online sources varied significantly with age. Men displayed more trusting behavior towards their doctor than women. Prospective patients' satisfaction with affected patients' decision-making processes, and the perceived reliability of online sources of information had repercussions on the doctor-patient relationship.

CONCLUSIONS

Orthodontists should be aware that the majority of patients use the Internet as a source for orthodontic information, and that patients who are digital immigrants are more prone to trust the information found online. Patients who perceive the information found on the Web as either useful or reliable don't easily discard it, even if it is inconsistent with the orthodontist's opinion.

Generational effect on nurses' work values, engagement, and satisfaction in an acute hospital

BACKGROUND

The present nursing workforce comprises four generational of nurses working side-by-side. While such a generation blend adds invaluable diversity to the workforce, it also brings added complexity. The study aimed to describe and summarise work values and attitudes of four nursing generations, namely Baby boomers, Generation X, Y and Z.

METHOD

A cross-sectional questionnaire study was adopted. A total of 778 nurses from an acute hospital in Singapore completed the online questionnaire. The Work Value and Attitude scale measuring seven constructs (Work Centrality, Non-compliance, Technology Challenge, Work life balance, leadership, Power, and Recognition) was employed for data collection.

RESULTS

The Cronbach's alpha was 0.714 for the overall instrument. Statistically significant differences amongst the four generations of nurses emerged in the Work Value and Attitude scale in the construct of non-compliance (p = 0.007), technology challenge (p = 0.027), work-life balance (p < 0.001), and recognition (p < 0.001). No statistically significant differences were noted for the rest of the constructs.

DISCUSSION AND CONCLUSION

The findings of this study highlight that differences in work values and attitudes exist among nurses of different generations. Generation X are less likely to challenge the conventional norm and supervisors. Generation Y and Z are the most tech-savvy generations and can adapt quickly to new technology. There is also a greater emphasis on work-life balance as the generation gets younger. Generation Y and Z nurses perceived that younger nurses do not get due respect and recognition from their colleagues. Acknowledging the generational differences in work values and attitudes can facilitate nursing management to tailor strategies to improve individual and organisation performance while creating a work environment that enhances intergeneration harmony and teamwork.

Generational differences in the prevalence of postpartum depression among young Australians: a comparison of two cohorts born 17 years apart

Whether there has been an increase in postpartum depression (PPD) over the generation remains unknown. This study aimed to compare the prevalence in two cohorts of young Australian women born 17 years apart and identified the factors associated with any generational differences. Participants were from the Australian Longitudinal Study on Women's Health, who gave birth between ages 18 and 27 (born in 1973-78 and 1989-95). PPD prevalence was calculated as the percentage of births associated with PPD. Both the prevalence of PPD diagnoses (among 1,610 births) and PPD symptoms (among 953 births) were compared. Relative risks (RRs) and 95% confidence intervals (CIs) were used to report generational differences in the prevalence for PPD diagnoses; Hazard ratios (HRs) and 95% CIs used for PPD symptoms. Factors that differed between cohorts and were associated with PPD diagnoses or PPD symptoms were adjusted. The prevalence of both PPD diagnoses (21.4% vs 10.3%; crude RR: 2.03, 95% CI: 1.59-2.60) and symptoms (20.1% vs 13.3%; crude HR: 1.60, 95% CI: 1.15-2.34) were higher in the 1989-1995 cohort than the 1973-1978 cohort. Generational differences in PPD diagnoses persisted after controlling for potential contributors (RR: 1.53, 95% CI: 1.15-2.04), while generational differences in PPD symptoms were attenuated (HR: 0.98, 95% CI: 0.64-1.49). Of all contributing factors, a history of depression explained most of the generational differences, especially in PPD symptoms (49%), to the extent that when the study sample was stratified by history of depression, no generational differences were detected (without prior depression, HR: 0.65, 95% CI: 0.20-2.08; with prior depression, HR: 1.18, 95% CI: 0.71-1.96). The higher prevalence of PPD in the recent generation was mainly due to the high prevalence of depression. Strategies that well manage pre-existing depression may benefit the prevention of PPD for the current young generation. Further research is warranted to inform detailed prevention approaches.

Who's more vulnerable? A generational investigation of COVID-19 perceptions' effect on Organisational citizenship Behaviours in the MENA region: job insecurity, burnout and job satisfaction as mediators

BACKGROUND

This paper is an empirical investigation that examines a path model linking COVID-19 perceptions to organisational citizenship behaviour (OCBs) via three mediators: job insecurity, burnout, and job satisfaction. The research examines the path model invariance spanning Generations X, Y, and Z. Three countries in the Middle East and North Africa (MENA) were the focus of the study.

METHODS

The data was collected from a sample of employees in service companies (n = 578). We used a Partial Least Square Structural Equation Modelling (PLS-SEM) to analyse the data.

RESULTS

Our findings reveal that COVID-19 perceptions positively predict job insecurity, which positively impacts burnout levels. Burnout negatively predicts job satisfaction. The findings established that job satisfaction positively predicts OCBs. The mediation analysis determined that job insecurity, burnout and job satisfaction convey the indirect effects of COVID-19 perceptions onto OCBs. Finally, our hypothesised model is non-equivalent across Generations X, Y and Z. In that regard, our multi-group analysis revealed that the indirect effects of COVID-19 perceptions on OCBs were only valid amongst younger generations, i.e., Generation Y and Generation Z. Specifically, younger generations are substantially more vulnerable to the indirect effects of COVID-19 perceptions on their engagement in OCBs than Generation X whose job satisfaction blocks the effects of COVID-19 perceptions on OCBs.

CONCLUSIONS

The present study extends our knowledge of workplace generational differences in responding to the perceptions of crises or pandemics. It offers evidence that suggests that burnout, job attitudes and organisational outcomes change differently across generations in pandemic times.

Intergenerational differences in dietary acculturation among Ghanaian immigrants living in New York City: a qualitative study

Dietary acculturation may explain the increasing risk of diet-related diseases among African immigrants in the United States (US). We interviewed twenty-five Ghanaian immigrants (Youth n 13, Age (Mean ± sd) 20 y ± 5⋅4, Parents (n 6) and Grandparents (n 6) age 58⋅7 ± 9⋅7) living in New York City (NYC) to (a) understand how cultural practices and the acculturation experience influence dietary patterns of Ghanaian immigrants and (b) identify intergenerational differences in dietary acculturation among Ghanaian youth, parents and grandparents. Dietary acculturation began in Ghana, continued in NYC and was perceived as a positive process. At the interpersonal level, parents encouraged youth to embrace school lunch and foods outside the home. In contrast, parents preferred home-cooked Ghanaian meals, yet busy schedules limited time for cooking and shared meals. At the community level, greater purchasing power in NYC led to increased calories, and youth welcomed individual choice as schools and fast food exposed them to new foods. Global forces facilitated nutrition transition in Ghana as fast and packaged foods became omnipresent in urban settings. Adults sought to maintain cultural foodways while facilitating dietary acculturation for youth. Both traditional and global diets evolved as youth and adults adopted new food and healthy social norms in the US.

Generations and Generational Differences: Debunking Myths in Organizational Science and Practice and Paving New Paths Forward

Talk about generations is everywhere and particularly so in organizational science and practice. Recognizing and exploring the ubiquity of generations is important, especially because evidence for their existence is, at best, scant. In this article, we aim to achieve two goals that are targeted at answering the broad question: "What accounts for the ubiquity of generations despite a lack of evidence for their existence and impact?" First, we explore and "bust" ten common myths about the science and practice of generations and generational differences. Second, with these debunked myths as a backdrop, we focus on two alternative and complementary frameworks-the social constructionist perspective and the lifespan development perspective-with promise for changing the way we think about age, aging, and generations at work. We argue that the social constructionist perspective offers important opportunities for understanding the persistence and pervasiveness of generations and that, as an alternative to studying generations, the lifespan perspective represents a better model for understanding how age operates and development unfolds at work. Overall, we urge stakeholders in organizational science and practice (e.g., students, researchers, consultants, managers) to adopt more nuanced perspectives grounded in these models, rather than a generational perspective, to understand the influence of age and aging at work.

A motivational standpoint of job insecurity effects on organizational citizenship behaviors: A generational study

Our research reports an empirical analysis of a path model linking job insecurity to organizational citizenship behavior (OCB) via two mediators, that is, intrinsic motivation and job satisfaction. The aim is to evaluate the path model invariance across three generational cohorts, that is, generation X, generation Y, and generation Z. A sample of employees in service companies based in Canada was surveyed. We utilized a partial least square structural equation modeling (PLS-SEM) approach, which included path analysis and multi-group analysis (MGA) to test proposed hypotheses. We found that job insecurity negatively predicted intrinsic motivation which positively related to job satisfaction. Job satisfaction influenced OCBs positively. Both intrinsic motivation and job satisfaction mediated the indirect effects of job insecurity onto OCBs. Generation X was more pronounced in their reaction to job insecurity than later generations given the strong negative effects on intrinsic motivation and hence on their job. However, generation Z employees followed their parents from generation X regarding engaging more in OCBs when they are satisfied with their job than generation Y. In general, therefore, it should come as no surprise that generation X employees' OCBs can be expected to plummet due to the elevated levels of job insecurity during pandemic times (e.g., COVID-19) more intensely than Generation Y. Clearly, with COVID-19 having led many organizations around the world to adopt virtual workplace environments, generational differences amongst employees have to be considered as a matter of crucial concern for these organizations.

COVID-19 and careers: On the futility of generational explanations

It is common to broadly group people of different ages into "generations" and to speak of distinctions between such groups in terms of "generational differences." The problem with this practice, is that there exists no credible scientific evidence that (a) generations exist, (b) that people can be reliably classified into generational groups, and (c) that there are demonstrable differences between such groups. We have already noted an emerging generationalized rhetoric that has characterized how people of different ages have been affected by and reacted to the COVID-19 pandemic. These narratives have been especially present in discussions of how work and careers will be affected by this crisis. In this essay, we outline problems with applying the concept of generations, especially for researchers seeking explanations for how COVID-19 will affect careers and career development. We urge researchers to eschew the notion of generations and generational differences and consider alternative lifespan development theoretical frameworks that better capture age-graded processes.

Will Millennials save the world? The effect of age and generational differences on environmental concern

Are younger people, defined by age, or younger generations, defined by cohort-level measures, more concerned about declines in environmental health when compared to their older counterparts within the United States? Related, are these same people more willing to support policy actions aimed at preventing future losses when compared to older adults? In spite of reporting by the U.S. popular press about the heightened environmental consciousness of Millennials, prior research offers conflicting answers. Scholarship focusing on age effects suggests that the answer to both questions is yes due to the dampening of environmental concern and action in older adults. More recent applied research on climate related risks and risk management options, by contrast, suggest that the answer to both questions is no, and that there is no difference in climate concern and risk mitigation between younger and older adults. In an attempt to disentangle these contradictory viewpoints, we undertook a study in which respondents in the United States characterized by age and generational cohort were presented with small and large hypothetical losses due to climate change. These same participants were then asked to indicate their support for future policy actions aimed at stemming these environmental losses. Overall, our data does not indicate that younger generations experience potential losses as more acute than older generations; neither age nor generational cohort correlated with the perceived severity of environmental losses nor support for future actions to prevent them. More robust predictors of both dependent variables were environmental value orientations (biospherism) and self-reported political orientation.

Generational differences in longitudinal blood pressure trajectories by geographic region during socioeconomic transitions in China

OBJECTIVES

To examine generational differences in longitudinal blood pressure trajectories by region following socioeconomic transitions, which is important for establishing the population risk of cardiovascular diseases (CVDs).

METHODS

With data from the China Health and Nutrition Survey (1991-2011), we used multilevel growth-curve models to estimate systolic/diastolic blood pressure (SBP/DBP) levels at the mean age and rates of change by cohort (born between 1931 and 1980), region, and sex.

RESULTS

Younger cohorts generally had higher SBP/DBP levels at 44.5 years but lower growth rates in SBP/DBP than older cohorts. They became prehypertensive (SBP ≥ 120 mm Hg or DBP ≥ 80 mm Hg) at an earlier age. The upward shift of SBP/DBP trajectories across cohorts was more pronounced in the Coastal and Southern Mountainous Regions than the Northeastern and Inland Regions, and for males versus females.

CONCLUSIONS

Younger cohorts have a longer lifetime duration of being susceptible to CVDs, posing warnings for an increased burden of CVDs. Generational differences in BP trajectories and geographic and sex variations in the cohort trends highlight the need for tailored interventions to tackle the generation, region, and sex-based risk of CVDs.

Attitudes toward cost-conscious care among U.S. physicians and medical students: analysis of national cross-sectional survey data by age and stage of training

BACKGROUND

The success of initiatives intended to increase the value of health care depends, in part, on the degree to which cost-conscious care is endorsed by current and future physicians. This study aimed to first analyze attitudes of U.S. physicians by age and then compare the attitudes of physicians and medical students.

METHODS

A paper survey was mailed in mid-2012 to 3897 practicing physicians randomly selected from the American Medical Association Masterfile. An electronic survey was sent in early 2015 to all 5,992 students at 10 U.S. medical schools. Survey items measured attitudes toward cost-conscious care and perceived responsibility for reducing healthcare costs. Physician responses were first compared across age groups (30-40 years, 41-50 years, 51-60 years, and > 60 years) and then compared to student responses using Chi square tests and logistic regression analyses (controlling for sex).

RESULTS

A total of 2,556 physicians (65%) and 3395 students (57%) responded. Physician attitudes generally did not differ by age, but differed significantly from those of students. Specifically, students were more likely than physicians to agree that cost to society should be important in treatment decisions (p < 0.001) and that physicians should sometimes deny beneficial but costly services (p < 0.001). Students were less likely to agree that it is unfair to ask physicians to be cost-conscious while prioritizing patient welfare (p < 0.001). Compared to physicians, students assigned more responsibility for reducing healthcare costs to hospitals and health systems (p < 0.001) and less responsibility to lawyers (p < 0.001) and patients (p < 0.001). Nearly all significant differences persisted after controlling for sex and when only the youngest physicians were compared to students.

CONCLUSIONS

Physician attitudes toward cost-conscious care are similar across age groups. However, physician attitudes differ significantly from medical students, even among the youngest physicians most proximate to students in age. Medical student responses suggest they are more accepting of cost-conscious care than physicians and attribute more responsibility for reducing costs to organizations and systems rather than individuals. This may be due to the combined effects of generational differences, new medical school curricula, students' relative inexperience providing cost-conscious care within complex healthcare systems, and the rapidly evolving U.S. healthcare system.

Generational differences in dietary pattern among Brazilian adults born between 1934 and 1975: a latent class analysis

OBJECTIVE

To identify generational differences in the dietary patterns of Brazilian adults born between 1934 and 1975.

DESIGN

A cross-sectional study from the baseline of the multicentre Brazilian Longitudinal Study of Adult Health (ELSA-Brasil) cohort. Year of birth was categorized into three birth generations: Traditionalists (born between 1934 and 1945); Baby Boomers (born between 1946 and 1964); and Generation X (born between 1965 and 1975). Food consumption was investigated using an FFQ. Latent class analysis (LCA) was used to identify data-driven dietary patterns.

SETTING

Brazil.

SUBJECTS

Individuals (n 15 069) aged 35-74 years.

RESULTS

A three-class model was generated from the LCA for each birth generation. Generation X presented higher energy intakes (kJ/kcal) from soft drinks (377·4/90·2) and sweets (1262·3/301·7) and lower energy intakes from fruit (1502·5/359·1) and vegetables (311·3/74·4) than Baby Boomers (283·7/67·8, 1047·7/250·4, 1756·0/419·7 and 365·3/87·3, respectively) and Traditionalists (186·2/44·5, 518·8/124·0, 1947·7/465·5 and 404·6/96·7, respectively). For Baby Boomers and Generation X, we found food patterns with similar structures: mixed pattern (22·7 and 29·7 %, respectively), prudent pattern (43·5 and 34·9 %, respectively) and processed pattern (33·8 and 35·4 %, respectively). Among Traditionalists, we could also identify mixed (30·9 %) and prudent (21·8 %) patterns, and a third pattern, named restricted dietary pattern (47·3 %).

CONCLUSIONS

The younger generation presented higher frequencies of consuming a pattern characterized by a low nutritional diet, compared with other generations, indicating that they may age with a greater burden of chronic diseases. It is important to develop public health interventions promoting healthy foods, focusing on the youngest generations.

Millennial managers: exploring the next generation of talent

PURPOSE

While considerable scholarly attention has been given to "millennials" (those born between 1981 and 1997), little is known of this generation's ability to influence healthcare organizations and managerial roles in particular. This paper aims to clarify why millennials enter the healthcare management field and how their motivations correlate with preferences for working in various healthcare sectors and with various patient populations.

DESIGN/METHODOLOGY/APPROACH

Survey data were collected from 107 millennials pursuing bachelor degrees in healthcare management by using a modified version of the multidimensional work motivation scale. Further data were collected on millennials' preferences for working in various healthcare sectors and with various patient populations. Correlational analyses were conducted to examine the relationship between types of motivation and workplace preferences. Cross-cultural differences were also examined within this generational set.

FINDINGS

Results indicate a significant positive relationship between intrinsic motivation and preferences for working on the payer side of the industry and within finance and IT functions. Findings also reveal a significant positive relationship between prosocial motivation and preferences for working with more vulnerable patient populations. Variance in work motivation among cultural sub-sets of millennials suggests different upbringings, or alternatively, cultural relativity of the motivational constructs themselves.

RESEARCH LIMITATIONS/IMPLICATIONS

Despite offering key insights into the next generation of healthcare managers, this study is limited by a sample of millennials from one large, metropolitan university in the USA and thus may not represent the views of all millennials.

PRACTICAL IMPLICATIONS

To select, retain and develop the next generation of healthcare managers, it is incumbent upon organizations to better understanding millennials' motivations and preferences.

ORIGINALITY/VALUE

This study is the first of its kind to illuminate the motivations and preferences that underpin a key and growing segment of the healthcare workforce. Millennials, now the largest and most diverse generation on the planet, are poised to change the landscape of health care.