The role of physical activity in the link between menopausal status and mental well-being

OBJECTIVE To examine the relationship between menopausal status and mental well-being, and whether this relationship varies as a function of physical activity (PA). METHODS Based on a hormonal analysis and bleeding diary, women aged 47 to 55 were categorized as pre (n = 304), early peri (n = 198), late peri (n = 209), or postmenopausal (n = 387). Mental well-being was assessed using the Centre for Epidemiologic Studies Depression Scale, the International Positive and Negative Affect Schedule Short Form, and the Satisfaction with Life Scale. PA was self-reported and categorized as low, medium, and high. Associations between variables were analyzed using multivariate linear regression adjuste…

Child socioemotional behavior and adult temperament as predictors of physical activity and sedentary behavior in late adulthood

Background Most studies investigating the association of temperament with physical activity and sedentary behavior have examined children or adolescents, employed cross-sectional or longitudinal designs that do not extend from childhood into adulthood, and utilized self- or parent-reported data on physical activity and sedentary behavior. This longitudinal study investigated whether socioemotional behavior in childhood and temperament in middle adulthood predict accelerometer-measured physical activity and sedentary behavior in late adulthood. Methods This study was based on the Jyväskylä Longitudinal Study of Personality and Social Development (JYLS). Socioemotional behavior (behavioral ac…

TENACIOUS GOAL PURSUIT AND LIFE-SPACE MOBILITY AMONG OLDER PEOPLE WITH WALKING DIFFICULTIES

Life-space mobility, defined as the spatial extent of movement in daily life, is strongly dependent on functional ability. However, active striving to reach one’s goals might inspire older people to move in a larger life-space regardless of their physical abilities. We aimed to study whether tenacious goal pursuit differs according to walking difficulties and whether it is associated with life-space mobility in old age.

Work strain in midlife and 28-year work ability trajectories

We investigated the 28-year development trajectories of work ability among initially middle-aged male and female municipal employees and the association of perceived mental and physical work strain in midlife by work ability trajectory groups.The baseline data of the Finnish longitudinal study of municipal employees (FLAME) were collected in 1981 (N=6257) with follow-ups in 1985, 1992, 1997, and 2009. Work ability was assessed in all the waves as present perceived work ability relative to lifetime best. Altogether, N=2690 had work ability data in 1981 and 2009, and at least for one wave in between these years, and were included in group-based semi-parametric mixture modeling trajectory anal…

Individualized counselling for active aging: protocol of a single-blinded, randomized controlled trial among older people (the AGNES intervention study)

Background: Active aging has been established as a policy goal for aging societies. We define active aging at the individual level as striving for elements of well-being through activities in relation to a person’s goals, functional capacities and opportunities. Increasing evidence suggests that any meaningful activity is beneficial for different aspects of well-being in older people. The aim of the present randomized controlled trial is to test the feasibility and effectiveness of a one-year community-based intervention on active aging. The AGNES intervention aims at increasing older peoples’ participation in self-selected valued activities. Methods: The proposed study is a two-arm single-…

sj-docx-1-jbd-10.1177_01650254231165837 – Supplemental material for The structure of mental well-being and its relationship with generativity in middle adulthood and the beginning of late adulthood

Supplemental material, sj-docx-1-jbd-10.1177_01650254231165837 for The structure of mental well-being and its relationship with generativity in middle adulthood and the beginning of late adulthood by Emmi Reinilä, Tiia Kekäläinen, Milla Saajanaho and Katja Kokko in International Journal of Behavioral Development

Personality traits and computer use in midlife : leisure activities and work characteristics as mediators

Promoting safe walking among older people : the effects of a physical and cognitive training intervention vs. physical training alone on mobility and falls among older community-dwelling men and women (the PASSWORD study): design and methods of a randomized controlled trial

Abstract Background Safe and stable walking is a complex process involving the interaction of neuromuscular, sensory and cognitive functions. As physical and cognitive functions deteriorate with ageing, training of both functions may have more beneficial effects on walking and falls prevention than either alone. This article describes the study design, recruitment strategies and interventions of the PASSWORD study investigating whether a combination of physical and cognitive training (PTCT) has greater effects on walking speed, dual-task cost in walking speed, fall incidence and executive functions compared to physical training (PT) alone among 70–85-year-old community-dwelling sedentary or…

Long-term stability in the Big Five personality traits in adulthood

This study investigated the stability of the Big Five personality traits in adulthood from age 33 to 42. Participants (89 men, 103 women) were drawn from the ongoing Jyväskylä Longitudinal Study of Personality and Social Development. The results showed that the mean-level of Neuroticism decreased whereas the mean-level of Extraversion, Openness to Experience, Agreeableness, and Conscientiousness increased from age 33 to 42. The Structural Equation Modeling analyses revealed both gender differences and similarities in the rank-order stability of the Big Five: Neuroticism and Extraversion were more stable in men than in women, whereas Openness to Experience, Agreeableness, and Conscientiousne…

Hostility, unemployment and health status: testing three theoretical models.

This study examined three theoretical models of hostility, health and life context. According to the psychosocial vulnerability hypothesis, there is an interaction between hostility and adverse conditions. The increased health risk in hostile individuals is assumed to stem from their lower ability to benefit from existing psychosocial resources. The second hypothesis, called here the social context model, considers adverse conditions as an antecedent of both hostility and health problems. The third model states that hostility is a predictor of being selected to adverse conditions involving risk to health (the selection hypothesis). The results from a survey of a population-based random samp…

Antecedents and consequences of long-term unemployment

Trajectories of Prosocial Behavior and Physical Aggression in Middle Childhood: Links to Adolescent School Dropout and Physical Violence

Trajectories of prosocial behavior and physical aggression between 6 and 12 years of age were identified for a sample (N=1,025) of males. The trajectories were then used to predict school dropout and physical violence at age 17. Using a group-based semi-parametric method, two trajectories of prosociality (low and moderate declining) and three trajectories of physical aggression (low, moderate, and high declining) were obtained. Only a small minority (3.4%) of the boys were characterized by both high aggression and moderate prosociality. Physical aggression predicted both school dropout and physical violence, but contrary to expectations, prosocial behavior did not have additive or protectiv…

The structure of mental well-being and its relationship with generativity in middle adulthood and the beginning of late adulthood

Previous studies have linked higher generativity with better mental well-being. However, most of these studies investigated the predictive role of generativity in well-being, while the converse relation, that is, how mental well-being contributes to generativity, has been ignored. This study first investigated the structure and stability of multidimensional mental well-being, that is, emotional (including happiness, life satisfaction, and positive and negative mood), psychological, and social well-being and the absence of depressive feelings, from age 42 to 61. Second, longitudinal associations between mental well-being and generativity were examined. The data ( n = 301) utilized in this s…

Self-rated resilience and mobility limitations as predictors of change in active aging during COVID-19 restrictions in Finland : a longitudinal study

AbstractSocial distancing during the COVID-19 pandemic decreased older people’s opportunities to lead an active life. The purpose of this study was to investigate whether walking difficulties predict changes in leading an active life during the COVID-19 social distancing recommendation compared to 2 years before, and whether self-rated resilience moderates this association among older people. Data were collected during social distancing recommendation in May and June 2020 and 2 years before (2017–18) among community-living AGNES study participants initially aged 75, 80, or 85 years (n = 809). Leading an active life was assessed with the University of Jyväskylä Active Aging Scale (UJACAS; to…

Effects of a 9-month resistance training intervention on quality of life, sense of coherence, and depressive symptoms in older adults: randomized controlled trial

Purpose (1) To determine the effects of a 9-month resistance training intervention on quality of life, sense of coherence, and depressive symptoms in older adults, and (2) to compare effects between different training frequencies. Methods Men and women aged 65–75 (N = 106) were randomized to four groups according to training frequency: training groups RT1 (n = 26), RT2 (n = 27), and RT3 (n = 28) and non-training control group (n = 25). All training groups attended supervised resistance training twice a week for 3 months. For the following 6 months, they continued training with different frequencies (1, 2 or 3 times per week). Psychological functioning was measured by quality of life (WHOQOL…

Country, sex, and parent occupational status: Moderators of the continuity of aggression from childhood to adulthood

Using data from two American and one Finnish long-term longitudinal studies, we examined continuity of general aggression from age 8 to physical aggression in early adulthood (age 21-30) and whether continuity of aggression differed by country, sex, and parent occupational status. In all samples, childhood aggression was assessed via peer nominations and early adulthood aggression via self-reports. Multi-group structural equation models revealed significant continuity in aggression in the American samples but not in the Finnish sample. These relations did not differ by sex but did differ by parent occupational status: whereas there was no significant continuity among American children from …

Adult Development

Human Development from Middle Childhood to Middle Adulthood : Growing Up to be Middle-Aged

Intensity of Aggression in Childhood as a Predictor of Different Forms of Adult Aggression: A Two-Country (Finland and United States) Analysis

This study examined the prediction of different forms of adult aggression in 2 countries from child and adolescent aggression. It was based on 2 longitudinal projects: the Jyväskylä Longitudinal Study of Personality and Social Development (JYLS; N=196 boys and 173 girls) conducted in Finland and the Columbia County Longitudinal Study (CCLS; N=436 boys and 420 girls) conducted in the United States. The same peer‐nominated items for aggression were used in both studies at age 8; comparable measures of aggression were also available in adolescence (age 14 in the JYLS/19 in the CCLS) and adulthood (ages 36/30 and 42/48). Results showed that in both countries and in both genders, aggression in s…

Selection into long-term unemployment and its psychological consequences

The factors which predict a person’s long-term unemployment were studied within the framework of an emotional and behavioural regulation model consisting of two orthogonal dimensions: behavioural inhibition versus expression, and low versus high self-control of emotions (Pulkkinen, 1995, 1996). The participants were drawn from the ongoing Jyväskylä Longitudinal Study of Personality and Social Development, in which the same individuals have been followed up from age 8 ( n = 369) to 36 ( n = 311). In the present study, data collected at ages 8, 14, 27, and 36 were used. The findings showed that low self-control of emotions, especially aggression, at age 8 directly predicted long-term unemplo…

Associations between the dimensions of perceived togetherness, loneliness, and depressive symptoms among older Finnish people

Objectives: We studied the associations between perceived togetherness, depressive symptoms, and loneliness over a six-month period among 222 people aged 75–79 who reported loneliness or depressive mood at baseline. Method: The present cross-lagged models utilized baseline and six-month follow-up data of a randomized controlled trial that examined the effects of a social intervention on loneliness and depression (ISRCTN78426775). Dimensions of perceived togetherness, i.e. attachment, social integration, guidance, alliance, nurturance, and reassurance of worth, were measured with the Social Provisions Scale, depressive symptoms with a short form of the Geriatric Depression Scale, and lonelin…

Cross-Sectional and Longitudinal Associations between Leisure Time Physical Activity, Mental Well-Being and Subjective Health in Middle Adulthood

Previous studies have shown that participation in leisure time physical activity is related to better mental well-being and subjective health. However, the associations between different types of leisure time physical activities and different dimensions of mental well-being have rarely been studied. In addition, longitudinal research, analyzing possible causal relations between these variables, is lacking. To investigate these research questions, data gathered at ages 42 and 50 (present N = 303) for the Finnish Jyväskylä Longitudinal Study of Personality and Social Development were used. Physical activity was assessed as frequency of participation at ages 42 and 50, and at age 50 also as fr…

LEISURE TIME PHYSICAL ACTIVITY, LEISURE SATISFACTION AND SUBJECTIVE WELL-BEING: CAUSAL RELATIONSHIPS IN MIDLIFE

Participation in leisure time physical activity (LTPA) in midlife is linked to both current well-being and many future benefits in older age. However, longitudinal analyses of the causal links between LTPA and well-being are lacking. Therefore, the aim of this study was to investigate longitudinal associations between LTPA and subjective well-being in middle adulthood. In addition, the role of leisure satisfaction in these relationships were investigated. The data gathered at ages 42 and 50 for the Finnish Jyväskylä Longitudinal Study of Personality and Social Development were used (present N=303). LTPA was asked as frequency of participation and leisure satisfaction as general satisfaction…

Leisure Consumption and well-Being among Older Adults: Does Age or Life Situation Matter?

This study investigated the associations between leisure consumption and well-being in older adults (50–74 years old). To find out whether these associations are age-specific, they were compared with the associations observed among younger adults (18–49 years old). Differences between the older adults by age and life situation were also examined. This study was based on the “Finland 2014 – Consumption and Life style” survey (N = 1351), conducted among a representative sample of the Finnish adult population. Well-being was measured as mental, economic and physical well-being. Objects of leisure consumption were grouped by factor analysis, and the associations between the resulting leisure co…

Job skill discretion and emotion control strategies as antecedents of recovery from work

Recovery from work protects employees’ health and well-being, and therefore it is important to understand its antecedents. The aim of this study conducted among 183 middle-aged participants drawn from the Finnish Jyvaskyla Longitudinal Study of Personality and Social Development was to examine whether job skill discretion and emotion control strategies (emotional rumination and emotional inhibition) are related to psychological aspects of recovery from work (subjective recovery evaluation, psychological detachment and relaxation). The results of hierarchical general linear models confirmed the hypothesis that job skill discretion is positively associated with subjective recovery evaluation …

Child personality characteristics and selection into long-term unemployment in Finnish and Swedish longitudinal samples

The main aim of the present study was to test a model of selection into long-term unemployment obtained for a sample of 36-year-old Finns (Kokko, Pulkkinen, & Puustinen, 2000) to see whether it similarly explained long-term unemployment among 26- to 27-year-old Finns and Swedes. The participants were drawn from two ongoing longitudinal studies: the Jyväskylä Longitudinal Study of Personality and Social Development (conducted in Finland) and the Individual Development and Adaptation study (conducted in Sweden). At both ages, that is 36 and 26–27, low education was related to long-term unemployment, and explained by personality characteristics in middle childhood, such as low self-contro…

The Circumplex Model of Occupational Well-being : Its Relation with Personality

The purpose of this study was to identify different types of occupational well-being based on the circumplex model (Russell, 1980; Warr, 1994), and to examine how these types are related to the Big Five personality profiles. The middle-aged participants were drawn from the Jyväskylä Longitudinal Study of Personality and Social Development (N = 183). Application of a person-oriented approach with latent profile analysis yielded four types of occupational well-being: (a) Engaged (30%), (b) Ordinary (54%), (c) Bored-out (9%), and (d) Burned-out (7%). The personality profiles showed a strong relationship with these occupational well-being types. Resilient individuals (low in neuroticism and hig…

Income and Mental Well-Being : Personality Traits as Moderators

Using data from the participants of the Jyväskylä Longitudinal Study of Personality and Social Development (JYLS) at ages 42 and 50 (N = 326), this study provides empirical evidence of the relation between income and mental well-being and of the possible role of personality traits in modifying this relation. The relationships were analyzed using pooled ordinary least squares (OLS; bi- and multivariate settings) and fixed effects estimations (FE; multivariate settings). Positive bivariate associations were found between gross monthly income and the sum score of mental well-being and its separate dimensions (emotional, psychological, and social well-being and the absence of depression) as wel…

Do opposite ends of same factors underlie life satisfaction vs. depressive symptoms among older people?

Abstract Background Although depressive symptoms are more common among older than younger age groups, life satisfaction tends to remain stable over the life course, possibly because the underlying factors or processes differ. Aim To study whether the factors that increase the likelihood of high life satisfaction also decrease the likelihood of depressive symptoms among older people. Methods The data were a population-based probability sample drawn from community-dwelling people aged 75, 80, and 85 years (n = 1021). Participants’ life satisfaction was measured with the Satisfaction with Life Scale and depressive symptoms with the Centre for Epidemiologic Studies Depression Scale (CES-D). Phy…

Physical Performance During the Menopausal Transition and the Role of Physical Activity

Abstract Background To examine longitudinal changes in physical performance during the menopausal transition and the role of physical activity (PA) in these changes. Methods Based on follicle-stimulating hormone levels and bleeding diaries, women (47–55 years) were classified as early (n = 89) and late perimenopausal (n = 143) and followed prospectively until postmenopausal status, with mean duration of 17.5 and 13.8 months, respectively. Physical performance was measured by handgrip force, knee extension torque, vertical jumping height, maximal walking speed, and 6-minute walking distance. Physical activity was self-reported and categorized as inactive, low, medium, and high. Longitudinal …

Association of childhood adversities and home atmosphere with functioning in old age: the Helsinki birth cohort study

Objectivechildhood adversities have been linked with adverse health outcomes, but less is known about the long-term consequences of childhood home atmosphere. We investigated whether childhood adversities and home atmosphere were associated with physical and mental functioning in older age.Methodsin the Helsinki Birth Cohort Study 2003, participants born in the year 1934–44 had data available on nine childhood home atmosphere items, e.g. whether it was supportive and warm (sum score ranged between 0 and 36, higher score indicating better atmosphere), and nine childhood adversities, e.g. unemployment and divorce (sum score 0–9, coded into no; one; and two or more adversities) assessed in 200…

Maintenance of high quality of life as an indicator of resilience during COVID-19 social distancing among community-dwelling older adults in Finland

Abstract Purpose Social distancing during the COVID-19 pandemic reduced possibilities for activities of choice potentially threatening quality of life (QoL). We defined QoL resilience as maintaining high quality of life and studied whether walking speed, absence of loneliness, living arrangement, and stress-coping ability predict QoL resilience among older people. Methods Community-dwelling 75-, 80-, and 85-year-old persons (n = 685) were interviewed and examined in 2017–2018 and were followed up during COVID-19 social distancing in 2020. We assessed QoL using the OPQOL-brief scale and set a cut-off for ‘constant high’ based on staying in the highest baseline quartile over the follow-up and…

Biopsychosocial Profiles of Patients With Cardiac Disease in Remote Rehabilitation Processes : Mixed Methods Grounded Theory Approach

Background: Digital development has caused rehabilitation services and rehabilitees to become increasingly interested in using technology as a part of rehabilitation. This study was based on a previously published study that categorized 4 groups of patients with cardiac disease based on different experiences and attitudes toward technology (e-usage groups): feeling outsider, being uninterested, reflecting benefit, and enthusiastic using. Objective: This study identifies differences in the biopsychosocial profiles of patients with cardiac disease in e-usage groups and deepen the understanding of these profiles in cardiac rehabilitation. Methods: Focus group interviews and measurements were c…

Parental Identity and Its Relation to Parenting and Psychological Functioning in Middle Age

SYNOPSIS Objective. This article focuses on identity as a parent in relation to parenting and psychological functioning in middle age. Design. Drawn from the Jyväskylä Longitudinal Study of Personality and Social Development, 162 participants (53% females) with children (age 36), represented the Finnish age-cohort born in 1959. Parental identity was assessed at ages 36, 42, and 50. Results. In both women and men, parental identity achievement increased from age 36 to 42 and remained stable to 50. The level of parental identity achievement was higher in women than in men. Achievement was typical for women and foreclosure for men. Participants’ education, occupational status, and number of of…

Physical performance in relation to menopause status and physical activity

Objective: The aim of this study was to examine differences in physical performance (muscle power, muscle strength, aerobic capacity, and walking speed) across menopausal stages and potential of leisure physical activity (PA) to modify the impact of menopause on physical performance. Methods: In this cross-sectional study, women aged 47 to 55 were randomly selected from the Finnish National Registry and categorized as premenopausal (n ¼ 233), perimenopausal (n ¼ 381), or postmenopausal (n ¼ 299) based on serum concentrations of follicle-stimulating hormone and bleeding diary. Physical performance was measured by knee extension force, handgrip force, vertical jumping height, maximal walking …

Varttuneet kuluttajat, vapaa-aika ja hyvinvointi

Yli 50-vuotiaat, varttuneet kuluttajat, ovat ostovoimainen ryhmä, jolla on mahdollisuus panostaa myös vapaa-aikaan. Kyseisen ikäryhmän sisäisiä eroja kulutuskäyttäytymisessä on kuitenkin tutkittu toistaiseksi vähän. Tässä tutkimuksessa selvitimme klusterianalyysin avulla, millaisia kuluttajaryhmiä varttuneiden kuluttajien joukosta löytyy vapaa-ajan kulutuksen suhteen. Lisäksi tarkastelimme, onko löytyneiden klustereiden välillä eroja hyvinvoinnissa. Tutkimuksessa käytettiin Suomi 2014 – Kulutus ja elämäntapa -tutkimuksen aineistoa 50–74-vuotiaiden (N=760) osalta. Klusterianalyysin perusteella varttuneet kuluttajat jakaantuivat kuuteen ryhmään vapaa-ajan kulutuksensa suhteen: säästeliäisiin,…

Life-Space Mobility and Active Aging as Factors Underlying Quality of Life Among Older People Before and During COVID-19 Lockdown in Finland—A Longitudinal Study

Abstract Background Social distancing, that is, avoiding places with other people and staying at home, was recommended to prevent viral transmission during the COVID-19 pandemic. Potentially, reduced out-of-home mobility and lower activity levels among older people may lower their quality of life (QOL). We studied cross-sectional and longitudinal associations of and changes in life-space mobility, active aging, and QOL during COVID-19 social distancing compared to 2 years before. Methods Altogether 809 community-living participants initially aged 75, 80, or 85 years of our active aging study (AGNES) conducted in 2017–2018 took part in the current AGNES-COVID-19 survey in May and June 2020. …

Associations between Mental Well-being and Personality from a Llife Span Perspective

The associations between personality traits and mental well-being are analyzed using data from the Jyväskylä Longitudinal Study of Personality and Social Development (initial N = 369; 53% males). At ages 33/36 to 50, the NEO-PI and Scales of Psychological and Social Well-Being as well as indicators of emotional well-being were administered. At ages 8 and 14, socioemotional behaviors were assessed by teachers. First, both genders show high relative continuity in the Big Five personality traits and mental well-being during mid-adulthood. Second, the developmental course of neuroticism and extraversion during mid-adulthood is similar to that of psychological well-being: over 80% of the partici…

Antisocial and human capital pathways to socioeconomic exclusion: A 42-year prospective study.

Nordic welfare states have been very successful at reducing poverty and inequality among their citizens. However, the presence of a strong social safety net in these countries has not solved the problem of socioeconomic exclusion, manifesting in such outcomes as chronic unemployment and welfare dependency. In an effort to understand this phenomenon, the current study builds on the assumption that psychological risk factors emerge as important determinants of socioeconomic disadvantage in an environment where ascribed characteristics have less impact on educational and occupational attainment. Using data from Finland, this research examined a life course model linking childhood differences i…

Cross-national and longitudinal investigation of a short measure of workaholism

The present study investigated the factor structure of the 10-item version of the Dutch Work Addiction Scale (DUWAS). The DUWAS-10 is intended to measure workaholism with two correlated factors: working excessively (WE) and working compulsively (WC). The factor structure of the DUWAS-10 was examined among multi-occupational samples from the Netherlands (n=9,010) and Finland (n=4,567) using confirmatory factor analysis (CFA). CFAs revealed that the expected correlated two-factor solution showed satisfactory fit to the data. However, a second-order factor solution, where WE comprised the first-order factors “working frantically” and “working long hours”, and WC the first-order factors “obsess…

Associations of physical performance and physical activity with mental well-being in middle-aged women

Abstract Background To investigate whether physical performance is independently of physical activity (PA) associated with positive and negative dimensions of mental well-being in middle-aged women. Methods Data were drawn from the Estrogenic Regulation of Muscle Apoptosis (ERMA) study in which women 47 to 55 years were randomly selected from the Finnish National Registry. They (n = 909) participated in measurements of physical performance (handgrip force, knee extension force, vertical jumping height, maximal walking speed, and six-minute walking distance). Both mental well-being (the Centre for Epidemiologic Studies Depression Scale, the International Positive and Negative Affect Schedule…

Personality traits and physical functioning : a cross-sectional multimethod facet-level analysis

Background This study aimed to investigate whether personality traits and their facets are associated with a multi-methods assessment of physical activity and walking performance and whether they explain the discrepancy between self-reported and accelerometer-assessed physical activity. Methods The participants were community-dwelling, 70–85-year-old men and women from Finland (n = 239) who were part of a clinical trial. Personality traits and their facets were measured using the 240-item NEO Personality Inventory-3. Physical activity was assessed using questions about frequency, intensity and duration of exercise (self-reported metabolic equivalent minutes (MET)) and by tri-axial accelerom…

Identity Processes in Adulthood: Diverging Domains

Patterns of identity formation were analyzed in a longitudinal framework, from ages 27 to 36 and then to 42 years of age. Information from all 3 ages was available for 197 participants (100 women, 97 men). A variation of Marcia’s (1966) Identity Status Interview included 5 domains: religious beliefs, political identity, occupational career, intimate relationships, and lifestyle. Great variability in identity status assessments was found across the domains at each age level. The domains representing work and family (occupation, relationships, and lifestyle) were more salient for middle- aged adults than were ideological domains (religion and politics). Development along the hypothesized sequ…

The effect of individualized, theory-based counselling intervention on active aging and quality of life among older people (the AGNES intervention study)

Abstract Background We define active aging as a striving for activities as per one’s goals, capacities and opportunities. Aim To test the 1-year counselling intervention effects on active aging. Methods In this two-arm single-blinded randomized controlled trial, the intervention group received individually tailored counselling supporting autonomous motivation for active life (one face-to-face session, four phone calls and supportive written material, n = 101) and the control group written health information (n = 103). Participants were community-dwelling men and women aged 75 or 80 years with intermediate mobility function and without cognitive impairment. The primary outcome was active agi…

Stability of aggressive behavior from childhood to middle age in women and men

The aim of this study was to investigate the stability of aggression from childhood to middle age in women and men. The participants were drawn from the Finnish Jyvaskyla Longitudinal Study of Personality and Social Development, where aggression in 145 women and 154 men was assessed at ages 8, 14, 36, and 42. Data were collected at ages 8 and 14 by teacher ratings and peer nominations, and at ages 36 and 42 by self-ratings on aggression. The stability of aggression from childhood to middle adulthood was tested using three different LISREL models: a simplex model; a model linking aggression at age 8 to age 14 to a latent adult aggression variable (ages 36 and 42); and a model linking a laten…

EFFECTS OF A HOME-BASED REHABILITATION PROGRAM ON HEALTH-RELATED QUALITY OF LIFE

Health-Related Quality of life (HRQoL) decreases after a hip fracture (HF) and may remain low for a long time. Knowledge is needed on effective rehabilitation strategies after HF. Purpose of this study was to investigate the effects of individualized home-based rehabilitation on HRQoL among community-dwelling older people after HF.

Identity Status Change Within Personal Style Clusters : A Longitudinal Perspective From Early Adulthood to Midlife

Differences in identity stability and change from age 36 through 42 to 50 were examined between three male and female personal style clusters extracted at age 27. We expected, first, the identity statuses to consistently differ between the clusters and, second, those with the least mature identity to move closer to others during midlife. Differences between the personal style clusters were discovered on all identity statuses across ages. Although significant personal style × age interactions were not detected, some evidence of pace-of-development differences emerged for women: Initial differences in identity maturation between the female groups partially leveled off by midlife. In men, earl…

Labor market performance of dropouts: the role of personality

Purpose – The purpose of this paper is to provide evidence on labor market careers of dropouts with various levels of education. Design/methodology/approach – The paper compares the labor market careers of dropouts and non-dropouts between ages 15 and 50 by using longitudinal data. The paper analyses how the results change when the authors control for differences in personality characteristics. Findings – The paper finds that dropping out diminishes one's success in the labor market but this connection is reduced when the model is augmented with personality. Dropouts seem to have or lack certain personality characteristics that are associated with labor market success. These findings sugge…

The Role of Family Background, School Success, and Career Orientation in the Development of Sense of Coherence

Abstract. This study investigates family background (child-centered parenting, parental socioeconomic status), school success in adolescence, and career orientation (education, stability of career line) in adulthood as antecedents of adult sense of coherence (SOC; Antonovsky, 1987a ), which has been posited to be a disposition crucial to understanding individual differences in successful coping with stress. Participants (104 men and 98 women) were drawn from the ongoing Jyväskylä Longitudinal Study of Personality and Social Development (JYLS), which was started when the participants were 8- or 9-year-old children (in 1968). Data gathered at ages 14, 27, 36, and 42 were used in this study. …

Bidirectional associations between cognitive functions and walking performance among middle-aged women

Objective: This study investigated whether (1) cognitive functions change after the transition from the perimenopausal to the postmenopausal stage, (2) cognitive functions and walking are associated in middle-aged women, and (3) cognitive functions assessed in perimenopause are associated with walking after reaching the postmenopause or vice versa. Methods: In total, 342 women, categorized as early (n = 158) or late perimenopausal (n = 184), were included in the study and followed up until postmenopausal. Psychomotor speed, executive functions related to set-shifting and updating, working memory, and visual memory were assessed. Walking was assessed with walking speed, walking distance, and…

Timing of Adult Transitions

Regarding the differences in timing of adult transitions (i.e., completion of education, full-time employment, having an intimate relationship, having a child) and their relation to childhood antecedents and adulthood psychological functioning, 282 participants were examined. The study was based on the ongoing Finnish Jyväskylä Longitudinal Study of Personality and Social Development in which the same individuals have been followed from age 8 to mid-adulthood. Three groups were formed: On-Time Transitions (all transitions by age 27), Late Transitions (at least one transition after age 27), and Partial Transitions (not all transitions at age 42). Participants with all transitions (On-Time o…

Nature diversity and well-being in old age

Background The research aim was to study the associations of nature diversity with quality of life (QoL) and depressive symptoms among older people, and whether physical activity explains the associations. Methods Community-dwelling people aged 75–90 years (n = 848) living in Central Finland were interviewed in their homes. QoL was assessed with a short version of the World Health Organization Quality-of-Life Assessment (range 0–130, higher score indicates better QoL) and depressive symptoms with the Centre for Epidemiologic Studies Depression Scale (range 0–30, higher scores indicate more depressive symptoms). Self-reported physical activity was assessed by intensity and duration using a s…

Personality and Turnout: Results from the Finnish Longitudinal Studies

Scholars in the field of electoral participation have for long been aware that turnout is strongly connected to sociopsychological variables such as religiosity, party identification, political interest and sense of political efficacy. The impact of personality characteristics has remained largely unexplored until recently. Based on the Jyvaskyla Longitudinal Study of Personality and Social Development (JYLS, original N = 369), this article analyses the links between individuals' personality traits and their propensity to vote at ages 36, 42 and 50. The personality traits are measured by using the five-factor model of personality consisting of extraversion, agreeableness, conscientiousness,…

Trajectories of depressive mood in adolescents: Does parental work or parent-adolescent relationship matter? A follow-up study through junior high school in Finland

The purpose of this follow-up study was to investigate stability and change in depressive mood and possible explanatory factors between ages 13 to 16. The sample consisted of 116 Finnish adolescents (50 boys and 66 girls) drawn from two junior high schools in Central Finland.The data were obtained by means of questionnaires which were completed by the same adolescents three times, in 1999 (mean age 13.0 years), in 2001 (mean age 14.7 years), and in 2002 (mean age 15.9 years). The semiparametric group-based mixture modeling revealed four developmentally different trajectories in depressive mood, two indicating stability and two showing change in the level of symptoms over time. The majority…

Personality profiles and health: Longitudinal evidence among Finnish adults

Kinnunen, M.-L., Metsapelto, R. L., Feldt, T., Kokko, K., Tolvanen, A., Kinnunen, U., Leppanen, E. & Pulkkinen, L. (2012). Personality profiles and health: Longitudinal evidence among Finnish adults. Scandinavian Journal of Psychology 53, 512–522. This study investigates the associations of longitudinal Big Five personality profiles with long-term health in 304 adults (53% males). Personality traits (Neuroticism, Extraversion, Openness, Conscientiousness, Agreeableness) were assessed at ages 33, 42, and 50. Subjective (self-rated health, symptoms, psychological distress) and objective (body mass index, waist-to-hip ratio, blood pressure, cholesterol, triglycerides) indicators of health were…

Cardiac Rehabilitees' Technology Experiences Before Remote Rehabilitation : Qualitative Study Using a Grounded Theory Approach

Background: Even though technology is becoming increasingly common in rehabilitation programs, insufficient data are as yet available on rehabilitees’ perceptions and experiences. It is important to understand their abilities when using technology for remote rehabilitation. Objective: This is a qualitative study on technology experiences of persons affected by cardiovascular disease assessed before remote rehabilitation. The aim of the study was to explore rehabilitees’ experiences and attitudes toward technology before 12 months of remote rehabilitation. Methods: Qualitative interviews were conducted with 39 rehabilitees in four focus groups. The subjects were aged 34 to 77 years (average …

Implications of Timing of Entering Adulthood for Identity Achievement

Five external markers of adulthood, self-perceived adulthood at age 27, and identity achievement at ages 27, 36, and 42 were explored for 95 women and 94 men in a cohort of Finns born in 1959. Earlier transition to adulthood in family life (moving from the parental home, entering marriage or cohabitation, having a child) anticipated higher identity achievement in adulthood. However, later transition to adulthood in working life, composed of the first certification conferral, and entering a full-time job were associated with higher identity achievement. Both components correlated with the higher level and thus the length of education. Self-perceived adulthood was unrelated to the age of ach…

Developing an Assessment Method of Active Aging: University of Jyvaskyla Active Aging Scale

Objective: To develop an assessment method of active aging for research on older people. Method: A multiphase process that included drafting by an expert panel, a pilot study for item analysis and scale validity, a feedback study with focus groups and questionnaire respondents, and a test–retest study. Altogether 235 people aged 60 to 94 years provided responses and/or feedback. Results: We developed a 17-item University of Jyvaskyla Active Aging Scale with four aspects in each item (goals, ability, opportunity, and activity; range 0-272). The psychometric and item properties are good and the scale assesses a unidimensional latent construct of active aging. Discussion: Our scale assesses ol…

Life-space mobility and dimensions of depressive symptoms among community-dwelling older adults

Objectives: To examine the association between life-space mobility and different dimensions of depressive symptoms among older community-dwelling people. Methods: Cross-sectional analyses of baseline data of the ‘Life-Space Mobility in Old Age’ cohort study were carried out. The participants were community-dwelling women and men aged 75–90 years (N = 848). Data were gathered via structured interviews in participants’ home. Life-space mobility (the University of Alabama at Birmingham (UAB) Life-Space Assessment – questionnaire) and depressive symptoms (Centre for Epidemiological Studies Depression Scale, CES-D) were assessed. Other factors examined included sociodemographic factors, difficul…

Personality, motivational, and social cognition predictors of leisure-time physical activity

Objective The purpose of the present study was to investigate associations between personality traits of extraversion and neuroticism, autonomous motivation, and the Theory of Planned Behavior (TPB) constructs and leisure-time physical activity. The study examined whether autonomous motivation and the TPB constructs mediate the association between personality traits and physical activity, and whether personality traits moderate the relationship of autonomous motivation and the TPB constructs with physical activity. Methods Middle-aged women (N = 441) completed self-report measures of personality traits, autonomous motivation, attitudes, subjective norms, perceived behavioral control (PBC) a…

HEALTH AND PHYSICAL FUNCTIONING AS DETERMINANTS OF PURPOSE IN LIFE IN OLD AGE

AbstractPurpose in life reflects the feeling of having goals and meaning in life. Higher purpose in life has been shown to predict better health outcomes in old age and even buffer against mortality. However, it is not known how current health and functional status reflect on the possibilities of older people to live a meaningful life. Therefore, this study aimed to explore associations of health and physical functioning with purpose in life. The participants were 273 community-dwelling 75-year-old men and women from the AGNES study. Purpose in life was assessed with the subscale of the Scales of Psychological well-being (range 7–42). Current health situation and walking ability were self-r…

Identity Development in Adulthood: A Longitudinal Study

Abstract Identity status interviews involving five domains of life (religious beliefs, political ideology, occupational career, intimate relationships, and lifestyle) were conducted with 249 women and men at ages 27 and 36. The results on overall identity and domain-specific identities confirmed our general hypothesis as to the strengthening of the commitment process: (1) stability was higher in the identity statuses involving commitment (identity achievement and foreclosure) than in the statuses not involving commitment (identity diffusion and moratorium); (2) an increase in the salience of identity domains could be attributed to an increase in the commitment process; (3) transitions into …

Patterns of adult roles, their antecedents and psychosocial wellbeing correlates among Finns born in 1959

The study aimed to identify patterns of adult role combinations across the transitional domains of housing, educational attainment, work, partnership, and parenthood at age 27, and to investigate their antecedents and concurrent psychosocial well-being correlates. Data were derived for 354 Finns (born in 1959) from the Jyvaskyla Longitudinal Study of Personality and Social Development. Three latent classes were identified: Work-orientation with delayed parenthood ( WO ; 46%; completed adult transitions of independent living, education, work, and partnership), Traditional work and family (35%; completed all five adult transitions), and Academic track with no children ( AT ; 19%; completed in…

Longitudinal study on reciprocity between personality traits and parenting stress

Reciprocal associations between the Big Five personality traits and parenting stress—including both parents’ feelings of their distress and perception of their incompetence as parents—were studied with 248 participants (49% of which were males). Longitudinal data, collected at ages 33/36, 42 and 50 years, were used. Cross-lagged path analysis revealed that in case of both mothers and fathers, neuroticism at age 33 predicted high parenting stress, and extraversion at age 33 predicted low parenting stress at age 42. Also, parenting stress at age 36 predicted high neuroticism and low extraversion at age 42. From age 42 to 50, only high parenting stress contributed to low neuroticism. Thus, mo…

Partnership formation and dissolution over the life course: applying sequence analysis and event history analysis in the study of recurrent events

We present two types of approach to the analysis of recurrent events for discretely measured data, and show how these methods can complement each other when analysing co-residential partnership histories. Sequence analysis is a descriptive tool that gives an overall picture of the data and helps to find typical and atypical patterns in histories. Event history analysis is used to make conclusions about the effects of covariates on the timing and duration of the partnerships. As a substantive question, we studied how family background and childhood socio-emotional characteristics were related to later partnership formation and stability in a Finnish cohort born in 1959. We found that high se…

Relationships between personality traits and values in middle aged men and women

The present study analyzed the relations between the Big Five personality traits (neuroticism, extraversion, agreeableness, conscientiousness, and openness to experience) and 14 values (societal concern, tolerance, protecting nature, caring, dependability, autonomy of thought, autonomy of action, stimulation, hedonism, achievement, tradition, security, conformity, and power) in middle-aged women and men. The 50-year-old participants (women n = 107 and men n = 105) were drawn from the ongoing Finnish Jyväskylä Longitudinal Study of Personality and Social Development. The personality traits were assessed using the 60-item NEO Five Factor Inventory. Values were measured using the 46-item versi…

Values and Personal Life Investment in Middle-Age: Measures and Relations

The present study analyzed the factor structure of Schwartz Value Survey (SVS; 46 items) and the personal life investment (PLI; 10 items) scale, as well as the mutual relations between these two measures. The 50-year-old participants (n = 217–224) were drawn from the ongoing Finnish Jyväskylä Longitudinal Study of Personal and Social Development. For the SVS, the confirmatory factor analysis (CFA) supported the 14-factor structure: achievement, tradition, stimulation, hedonism, security, conformity, power, universalism (with sub-factors of societal concern, tolerance and protecting nature), benevolence (with sub-factors of caring and dependability) and self-direction (with sub-factors of au…

Is social capital a mediator between self-control and psychological and social functioning across 34 years

The aim of this study was to investigate the role of social capital assessed in early adulthood in linking self-control in childhood with psychological and social functioning in middle age. Data collected at ages 8, 27, and 42 years were based on the Jyväskylä Longitudinal Study of Personality and Social Development (159 females, 177 males). Self-control was assessed at age 8 using teacher ratings and peer nominations. Social capital at age 27 was operationalized in terms of the breadth of the individuals’ social network and the depth of their close relationships. Psychological functioning at age 42 was indicated by, for instance, psychological well-being, and social functioning was indica…

Digital Technologies and Generational Identity

Mental health and hostility as predictors of temporary employment: Evidence from two prospective studies

We used two studies to examine whether mental health and hostility predicted temporary employment. Study 1 involved a cohort of 970 Finnish hospital employees (102 men, 868 women) who had temporary job contracts at baseline. After adjustment for demographics, organisational tenure and part-time work status, doctor-diagnosed psychiatric disorder predicted continuing in temporary employment instead of receiving a permanent job by the end of the 2-year follow-up. A higher level of hostility was also associated with temporary employment, but only among employees in low socioeconomic positions. In Study 2, anxiety and aggressive behaviour were measured in a cohort of 226 Finnish school children …

Gerontology Research Center (GEREC), Universities of Jyväskylä and Tampere, Finland

The Development of Generativity in Middle Adulthood and the Beginning of Late Adulthood: A Longitudinal Study from Age 42 to 61

AbstractPrevious studies have yielded mixed results regarding the development of generativity during adulthood. Longitudinal data were utilized to investigate the average development of generativity between the ages of 42 and 61 as well as individual differences in terms of its development. The study used data from the Jyväskylä Longitudinal Study of Personality and Social Development (JYLS) (initial N = 369). The data consisted of 291 individuals whose generativity scores, measured using the Generativity Scale, were available at age 42, 50, or 61. Rasch analysis was utilized to form a generativity measure. The development of generativity between the measurements was investigated in women a…

Accelerometer-measured and self-reported physical activity in relation to extraversion and neuroticism: a cross-sectional analysis of two studies

Background Personality reflects relatively stable and pervasive tendencies in feeling, thinking and behaving. While previous studies have found higher extraversion and lower neuroticism to be linked to higher self-reported physical activity levels, larger studies using accelerometer-measured physical activity are lacking. This study investigated the cross-sectional associations of extraversion and neuroticism with both accelerometer-measured and self-reported physical activity and the role of these personality traits in possible discrepancies between these two measures of physical activity among Finnish adults. Methods Two community-dwelling samples were used in this study: a) 47–55-yr-old …

Timing of parenthood in relation to other life transitions and adult social functioning

The timing of having one's first child, in relation to the timing of other transitions into adulthood and to social functioning, was investigated based on the Finnish Jyväskylä Longitudinal Study of Personality and Social Development, conducted from age 8 (173 females and 196 males) to 42. Results showed that in women, relatively early (< 25 years) motherhood was associated with the early timing of all studied transitions (move from parental home, intimate relationship, education, full-time job); in men, early fatherhood was associated only with the early start of an intimate relationship. In women, but not in men, early parenthood was linked to a lower level of education, lower occupat…

The role of personality traits in leisure time physical activity during COVID-19 pandemic

The COVID-19 pandemic has affected everyday life, including physical activity behavior. This study examined the role of the five factor model of personality traits on leisure time physical activity during the pandemic in a sample (n=168) of 61 year-old Finnish men and women, participating in a larger longitudinal study, between April 2020 and April 2021. Frequency of participation and changes in leisure time physical activity were self-reported. Personality traits and facets were assessed with the 181-item NEO-PI. Openness was the only factor positively associated with leisure time physical activity frequency. Participants scoring higher in extraversion (particularly the activity-facet) and…

Motivational characteristics and resistance training in older adults: A randomized controlled trial and 1-year follow-up

The aim of this study was to investigate the effects of a 9‐month supervised resistance training intervention on motivational and volitional characteristics related to exercise, and whether the absolute level and/or intervention‐induced change in these characteristics predict self‐directed continuation of resistance training 1 year after the intervention. Community dwelling older adults aged 65‐75, who did not fulfill physical activity recommendations, were randomized into resistance training intervention groups: training once‐ (n = 26), twice‐ (n = 27), three‐times‐a‐week (n = 28) or non‐training control group (n = 25). Training groups participated in supervised resistance training for 9 m…

Associations of temperament and personality traits with frequency of physical activity in adulthood

Temperament and physical activity (PA) have been examined in children and adolescents, but little is known about these associations in adulthood. Personality traits, however, are known to contribute to PA in adults. This study, which examined both temperament and personality characteristics at age 42 in relation to frequency of PA at age 50 (JYLS, n = 214-261), also found associations with temperament traits. Positive associations were found between Orienting sensitivity and overall PA and between Extraversion and vigorous PA among women and between low Negative affectivity and overall and vigorous PA among men. Furthermore, Orienting sensitivity and Agreeableness were associated with vigor…

Keski-ikä elämänvaiheena

A new model for the relations between longitudinal personality profiles and psychological functioning through middle age

Personality traits and psychological functioning were assessed three times between the ages from 33 to 50 years (average N = 250) in the Finnish Jyvaskyla Longitudinal Study of Personality and Social Development. Five longitudinal personality profiles were extracted: Resilient, Overcontrolled, Undercontrolled, Reserved, and Ordinary. The Resilients (neuroticism low, other traits high) were higher in optimism and personal control over development than the Overcontrolleds (neuroticism high, other traits low) at all ages, whereas the Overcontrolleds were higher in anxiety and depressive symptoms. Other profiles were between them in these characteristics. The Undercontrolleds (high openness and…

Prosocial development from childhood to adolescence: a multi-informant perspective with Canadian and Italian longitudinal studies.

Objectives:  To longitudinally describe prosocial behaviour development from childhood to adolescence, using multiple informants within Canadian and Italian samples. Method:  Participants in Study 1 were 1037 boys from low socioeconomic status (SES) areas in Montreal, Canada, for whom yearly teacher and mother reports were obtained between the ages of 10 and 15. Participants in Study 2 were 472 children (209 girls) from Genzano, Italy, for whom yearly self and teacher reports were obtained between the ages of 10 and 14. Developmental trajectories were estimated from ratings by each informant to identify subgroups of children following distinct courses of prosocial development. Results:  In …

Longitudinal profiles of mental well-being as correlates of successful aging in middle age

This study analyzed the multidimensional (including emotional, psychological, and social well-being) profiles of mental well-being and their links to various indicators of successful aging (SA; including diseases, cognitive and physical function, and engagement with life). The analyses were based on the Finnish Jyväskylä Longitudinal Study of Personality and Social Development, where the age-cohort participants have been followed from age 8 to 50. Data on 335 participants collected in mid-adulthood were analyzed. Applying Latent Profile Analysis and measures of life satisfaction and psychological well-being at ages 36, 42, and 50 and social well-being at ages 42 and 50, four longitudinal w…

Trajectories Based on Postcomprehensive and Higher Education: Their Correlates and Antecedents

The aim of this study was to investigate different trajectories of education, based on annual attendance in postcomprehensive and higher education between ages 15 and 42, and their correlates and antecedents. A special focus was on education that occurred after spending several years in the labor market (i.e., off-time education). Analyses were based on the Finnish Jyvaskyla Longitudinal Study of Personality and Social Development in which the same participants have been followed from age 8 to 42. Four trajectories were obtained: no or early, off-time, on-time, and continuing education. Through adulthood, career stability, and occupational status were lower among off-time and no or early ed…

Country, Sex, and Parent Occupational Status: Moderators of the Continuity of Aggression from Childhood to Adulthood

Using data from two American and one Finnish long-term longitudinal studies, we examined continuity of general aggression from age 8 to physical aggression in early adulthood (age 21–30) and whether continuity of aggression differed by country, sex, and parent occupational status. In all samples, childhood aggression was assessed via peer nominations and early adulthood aggression via self-reports. Multi-group structural equation models revealed significant continuity in aggression in the American samples but not in the Finnish sample. These relations did not differ by sex but did differ by parent occupational status: whereas there was no significant continuity among American children from …

Physical Activity and Nutrition INfluences In ageing (PANINI): consortium mission statement

First paragraph: Current demographic trends indicate that by the year 2020, almost one in five of the European population will be aged 65 years or over. Although life expectancy is increasing by 2 years per decade, the period of life spent in good health is not keeping pace and most Europeans spend their last decade in poor health. Consequently, there is an urgent need to understand how lifestyle factors can influence age-related changes from gene to society level and how they may be integrated into a net effect of healthy ageing. It is also crucial to develop and validate interventions and health policies to ensure that more of our older adults have a healthy and active later life. This is…

Changing Economic Conditions and Identity Formation in Adulthood

Identity formation in political and occupational domains was examined from young to middle adulthood based on an ongoing longitudinal study. In addition to the participants’ identity status (diffused, moratorium, foreclosed, achieved), we assessed their perceived importance of politics, future orientation, and career stability four times in adulthood, at ages 27, 36, 42, and 50. The number of participants varied between analyses, from 168 to 291. Changes in the economic situation in Finland from 1986 to 2009 provided a context for the study. Data collections at ages 36 (in 1995) and 50 (in 2009) took place during economic recessions, and at age 42 (in 2001) during an economic boom. The res…

A developmental approach to alcohol drinking behaviour in adulthood: a follow-up study from age 8 to age 42

AIMS: To study the links of family background, child and adolescent social behaviour, and (mal)adaptation with heavy drinking by age 20 and with the frequency of drinking, binge drinking, Cut-down, Annoyed, Guilt, Eye-opener (CAGE) questionnaire scores and problems due to drinking at ages 27 and 42 years. DESIGN: In the Finnish Jyvaskyla Longitudinal Study of Personality and Social Development, data have been collected by interviews, inventories and questionnaires. Behavioural data were gathered at ages 8 and 14; data on alcohol consumption were gathered at ages 14, 20, 27, 36 and 42. PARTICIPANTS: A total of 184 males and 163 females; 94% of the original sample of the 8-year-olds. FINDINGS…

Varttuneet kuluttajat, digitalisoituva arki ja kulutusympäristöjen muutos : digi 50+ -hankkeen loppuraportti

Väestön ikääntymisen ja palveluympäristöjen digitalisoitumisen seurauksena varttuneista kuluttajista on tullut yhä tärkeämpi kohderyhmä digitaalisille palveluille ja tuotteille. Ikääntyvien kuluttajien tarpeita, toiveita ja palveluiden käyttötottumuksia ei kuitenkaan usein oteta huomioon yritysten liiketoiminnassa, markkinoinnin suunnittelussa tai palvelumuotoilussa. Tässä tutkimuksessa tarkastellaan varttuneiden, noin 50–65-vuotiaiden, kuluttajien kokemuksia digitaalisissa palveluympäristöissä. Tutkimustulokset osoittavat, että varttuneet kuluttajat kohtaavat erityisiä haasteita mutta myös uusia mahdollisuuksia digitaalisten palveluympäristöjen käyttäjinä. Vaikka yli 50- vuotiaat kuluttaja…

Viisi suurta persoonallisuuden piirrettä ja fyysinen aktiivisuus aikuisiässä : systemaattinen katsaus vuosilta 2013-2019

Persoonallisuus kuvastaa yksilölle tyypillisiä ja suhteellisen pysyviä tapoja tuntea, ajatella ja käyttäytyä. Se voi selittää myös fyysisessä aktiivisuudessa ja liikuntakäyttäytymisessä havaittavia yksilöllisiä eroja. Eräs tapa hahmottaa persoonallisuutta on tarkastella persoonallisuuden piirteitä, niin sanottuja viittä suurta piirrettä. Näihin piirteisiin kuuluvat ulospäinsuuntautuneisuus, neuroottisuus, tunnollisuus, avoimuus kokemuksille ja ystävällisyys. Aiemmissa systemaattisissa katsauksissa ja meta-analyyseissa ulospäinsuuntautuneisuus ja tunnollisuus sekä vähäisemmässä määrin myös avoimuus kokemuksille on yhdistetty runsaampaan fyysiseen aktiivisuuteen. Neuroottisuuden on havaittu o…

Associations of neuroticism with falls in older adults : do psychological factors mediate the association?

OBJECTIVES Neuroticism predicts falls in older people. In addition, concern about falling and depressive symptoms are associated with fall risk. This study examined whether concern about falling and depressive symptoms mediate the association between neuroticism and falls. METHOD Cross-sectional data on 314 community-dwelling people aged 70–85 years were utilized. Neuroticism was assessed with a short modified form of the Eysenck Personality Inventory. Indoor and outdoor falls during the past year were self-reported. Concern about falling was assessed with the Falls Efficacy Scale-International and depressive symptoms with the Geriatric Depression Scale-15. Path modeling was used to examine…

Personality and Labour Market Income: Evidence from Longitudinal Data

This study contributes to the literature on how personality is rewarded in the labour market by examining the relationship between personality and labour market income. Our results suggest that adulthood extraversion is positively associated with income when education, work experience, and unemployment history, measured prospectively from longitudinal data, are controlled for. In addition, childhood constructiveness indicating active and well-controlled behaviour has a positive association with income in adulthood.

Paths from socioemotional behavior in middle childhood to personality in middle adulthood.

Continuity in individual differences from socioemotional behavior in middle childhood to personality characteristics in middle adulthood was examined on the assumption that they share certain temperament-related elements. Socioemotional characteristics were measured using teacher ratings at ages 8 (N = 369; 53% males) and 14 (95% of the initial sample). Personality was assessed at age 42 (63% of the initial sample; 50% males) using a shortened version of the NEO Personality Inventory (NEO-PI); the Karolinska Scales of Personality (KSP); and the Adult Temperament Questionnaire (ATQ). Three models were tested using structural equation modeling. The results confirmed paths (a) from behavioral …

Psychometric properties of the 10-item Connor–Davidson resilience scale among Finnish older adults

Objectives: Resilience, the ability to bounce back after adverse events may be an important factor in active aging. The 10-item version of the Connor–Davidson Resilience Scale (CD-RISC10) seems suitable for aging research owing to its low participant burden; however, its psychometric properties have not been comprehensively reported for older people. For example, no estimate exists of the test–retest reliability of the scale when used with older adults. Hence, this study evaluated the psychometric properties of the CD-RISC10 in a large population-based sample of community-dwelling older people. Method: The scale’s internal consistency, factor structure, construct validity, test-retest relia…

The Scales of Psychological Well-Being – a validation, usability and test–retest study among community-dwelling older people in Finland

Objectives: To validate the Finnish version of the 42-item Scales of Psychological Well-Being among community-dwelling older people. The study also examined the test–retest reliability and usability, i.e. user experience, of the scales in this age group. Method: The 42-item version of the SPWB was administered as part of a face-to-face interview among 968 men and women aged 75, 80 or 85 years. The subsample for test–retest analyses comprised 42 participants, who in addition to 11 interviewers also answered questions concerning the usability of the scales. Exploratory and confirmatory factor analyses, Cronbach’s alpha coefficients, Pearson and intra-class correlation coefficients, and Kendal…

sj-docx-1-jbd-10.1177_01650254231165837 – Supplemental material for The structure of mental well-being and its relationship with generativity in middle adulthood and the beginning of late adulthood

Supplemental material, sj-docx-1-jbd-10.1177_01650254231165837 for The structure of mental well-being and its relationship with generativity in middle adulthood and the beginning of late adulthood by Emmi Reinilä, Tiia Kekäläinen, Milla Saajanaho and Katja Kokko in International Journal of Behavioral Development

Associations between personality traits and psychological well-being across time in middle adulthood

Associations of personality traits with psychological well-being (PWB) were analyzed across ages 33�50 as part of an ongoing Finnish longitudinal study (initial N = 369). Bivariate latent growth curve analyses indicated that a low initial level of neuroticism (.75) and high extraversion (.55) correlated strongly with a high level of PWB. Moreover, a high level of conscientiousness, openness, and agreeableness also correlated significantly with PWB. The change factor was significant only for openness: the higher the initial level of PWB, the higher the increase in openness from age 33�50. In comparison with emotional well-being, indicated by general life satisfaction, the associations of the…

Personality Traits and Changes in Health Behaviors and Depressive Symptoms during the COVID-19 Pandemic: A Longitudinal Analysis from Pre-pandemic to Onset and End of the Initial Emergency Conditions in Finland

The COVID-19 pandemic and social distancing measures targeting the transmission of the virus impacted everyday life in 2020. This study investigated pre- to in-pandemic changes in health behaviors and depressive symptoms during the COVID-19 pandemic and the role of personality traits in these changes in Finland. Data from a larger population-based cohort study of 51–59-year-old Finnish women were used (n = 358). Self-reported questionnaires gathered information about depressive symptoms, eating behavior, physical activity, and alcohol consumption before the pandemic time, at the onset, and at the end of the COVID-19 emergency conditions. Information about personality traits (extraversion an…

Identity Formation in Adulthood: A Longitudinal Study from Age 27 to 50.

Longitudinal patterns of identity formation were analyzed in a representative cohort group of Finnish men and women born in 1959 across ages 27, 36, 42, and 50. The data were drawn from the Jyväskylä Longitudinal Study of Personality. Identity status (diffused, moratorium, foreclosed, achieved) from all four ages was available for 172 participants (54% females). Marcia’s Identity Status Interview used in this research included five domains: religious beliefs, political identity, occupational career, intimate relationships, and lifestyle. The findings indicated great variability in identity status across domains at each age level, and the identity trajectories fluctuated from age 27 to 50. T…

Neljäkymmentä plus : erään ikäluokan selviytymistarina

Pathways from childhood socioemotional characteristics and cognitive skills to midlife health behaviours.

Objective: This longitudinal study investigated the pathways from childhood socioemotional characteristics and cognitive skills to health behaviours in midlife. Methods: Participants in the Jyväskylä Longitudinal Study of Personality and Social Development (JYLS) were followed from age 8 (n=369) to age 50 (n=271). Outcomes included physical activity, smoking, alcohol consumption and body mass index (BMI) assessed at ages 36, 42 and 50. Predictors were socioemotional characteristics (behavioural activity, negative emotionality, and well-controlled behaviour) and parents’ occupational status collected at age 8, cognitive skills (school success at age 14 and the highest education at age 27) an…

Heijastavatko työn ja perheen yhteensovittamisen kokemukset yksilön elämänarvoja?

Tässä tutkimuksessa tarkasteltiin yksilön elämänarvojen yhteyttä työn ja perheen välisen ristiriidan ja rikastavuuden kokemuksiin. Analyysit perustuivat 50-vuotiaisiin Lapsesta aikuiseksi - pitkittäistutkimuksen osanottajiin (n = 156, 53 % miehiä). Schwartzin (1992) menetelmällä tarkastellut elämänarvot olivat hyväntahtoisuus, universalismi, turvallisuus, yhdenmukaisuus, hedonismi, itseohjautuvuus, suoriutuminen, stimulaatio, traditiot ja valta. Suoriutuminen ja universalismi olivat myönteisesti yhteydessä sekä työn ja perheen välisen ristiriidan että rikastavuuden kokemuksiin. Sen sijaan stimulaatio oli myönteisesti yhteydessä vain ristiriidan ja yhdenmukaisuus vain rikastavuuden kokemuksi…

Design and protocol of Estrogenic Regulation of Muscle Apoptosis (ERMA) study with 47 to 55-year-old women's cohort : novel results show menopause-related differences in blood count

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Mitä on kokonaisvaltainen mielen hyvinvointi?

Tässä julkaisussa esitän kokonaisvaltaisen mielen hyvinvoinnin määritelmän, jota olemme empiirisesti testanneet Lapsesta aikuiseksi -pitkittäistutkimuksen aikuisikäisillä osanottajilla (Kokko ym. 2013). Kokonaisvaltaisen mielen hyvinvoinnin määritelmässä huomioidaan mielen hyvinvoinnin myönteiset ulottuvuudet. nonPeerReviewed

Personality traits and unemployment: Evidence from longitudinal data

This study contributes to the literature on how personality is related to labour market success by providing evidence on the relationship between personality traits and unemployment. After accounting for reverse causality and measurement error, our results suggest that higher openness was associated with increased cumulative unemployment at the prime working age. It seems that this connection occurs because individuals with higher openness enter into unemployment spells more frequently – not because their unemployment spells would be particularly long. peerReviewed

Mitä mielen hyvinvointi on?

Design and protocol of Estrogenic Regulation of Muscle Apoptosis (ERMA) study with 47 to 55-year-old women's cohort : novel results show menopause-related differences in blood count

Objective: The multidisciplinary Estrogenic Regulation of Muscle Apoptosis (ERMA) study was designed to reveal how hormonal differences over the menopausal stages affect the physiological and psychological functioning of middle-aged women. This paper describes the protocol and nonrespondent analysis of ERMA and novel findings on menopausal differences in blood count variables and their association with female sex hormones. Methods: Women aged 47 to 55 years were assigned to pre, early peri, late peri, and postmenopausal groups based on follicle-stimulating hormone (FSH) and bleeding diary. Multivariate linear regression models were constructed to estimate the association of 17b-estradiol (E…

Active aging – resilience and external support as modifiers of the disablement outcome: AGNES cohort study protocol

Background: Population aging increases the need for knowledge on positive aspects of aging, and contributions of older people to their own wellbeing and that of others. We defined active aging as an individual’s striving for elements of wellbeing with activities as per their goals, abilities and opportunities. This study examines associations of health, health behaviors, health literacy and functional abilities, environmental and social support with active aging and wellbeing. We will develop and validate assessment methods for physical activity and physical resilience suitable for research on older people, and examine their associations with active aging and wellbeing. We will examine coho…

Life success of males on nonoffender, adolescence-limited, persistent, and adult-onset antisocial pathways: follow-up from age 8 to 42

A random sample of 196 males, drawn from the Jyväskylä Longitudinal Study of Personality and Social Development, was divided into four groups of offenders using information from government registers of convictions between ages 21 and 47, from local police registers searched at age 21, from a Self-Report Delinquency Scale administered at age 36, from a Life History Calendar for ages 15-42, and from personal interviews at ages 27, 36, and 42. The groups were: persistent offenders (offences before and after age 21; 29% of the men); adolescence-limited offenders (offences before age 21; 27%); adult-onset offenders (offences after age 21; 16%); and nonoffenders (28%). The profile of the persiste…