Search results for "professions"
showing 10 items of 397 documents
EMBEDDING CONTEXT IN INVESTIGATIONS OF AFFECTIVE VARIABILITY: AGE DIFFERENCES IN AFFECT-HEALTH LINKS
2017
Context plays a potentially important role in explaining variability in affective experiences and yet, has often been overlooked in this line of research. The current study used data from a lifespan sample of 398 German participants ranging between 12–88 years of age (M = 40, SD = 20). Participants completed computer assisted personal interviews regarding health and well-being measures, as well as experience sampling assessments of daily affective experiences and events (e.g., uplifts). Three indices of positive affect (PA) were created: mean PA, PA reactivity to uplifts, and PA variability. In general, greater mean PA and lower PA reactivity and variability were associated with better heal…
IN THE EYE OF THE BEHOLDER: NEGATIVE AFFECT VALUATION IN LATER ADULTHOOD
2018
Affective values may shape how affect is linked to health and well-being. Much of the work to date, however, has focused mostly on younger, European American adult samples. Yet, emotional experiences are known to take on greater importance in later life. In the current study, 313 participants (65+ years old) from the Daily Experiences and Well-Being Study (DEWS) completed baseline interviews, questionnaires, and 4–5 days of ecological momentary assessments (EMA). The baseline EMA surveys assessed momentary affect whereas the questionnaires assessed negative affect valuation (NAV): the extent to which people recognize value in negative emotional experiences in terms of their pleasantness, ap…
FREE RADICAL THEORY OF FRAILTY: MOLECULAR MECHANISMS OF FRAILTY RESULTING FROM OXIDATIVE STRESS
2018
The free radical theory of ageing provided an intellectual framework for many laboratories working on ageing. However, experimental and clinical evidence showing that high doses of antioxidants did not have an effect on ageing or on age-associated diseases, cast doubts on the validity of this theory. Data from our own laboratory showed that oxidative stress does not correlate with age, especially in the geriatric population, but rather with the frailty state. This has led us to postulate the free radical theory of frailty in which frailty is associated with oxidative stress, but age itself is not. Superoxide dismutase deficient mice are more frail than controls. But more importantly, we obs…
INVESTIGATING OLDER ADULTS’ INTENTION TO USE SMARTPHONES WITH A STRUCTURAL EQUATION MODELING APPROACH
2018
Although the uptake of smartphones amongst older adults has recently taken off, the proportion of feature phone users in this population group is still prevailing. Thus, drawing on the senior technology acceptance model (STAM) and the diffusion of innovation theory (DIT) this study aimed to investigate what personal and contextual factors affect the adoption of smartphones among older adults. A telephone survey on a nation-wide representative sample of older adults aged 55+ (n = 1581) was conducted, measuring eight STAM and DIT factors (e.g., perceived usefulness, resistance to change, mobile phone anxiety) of behavioral intention to use smartphones. Using confirmatory factor analysis and s…
WHY CENTENARIANS ARE SO OPTIMISTIC ABOUT THE FUTURE?
2018
People living longer lives report that they are “making the most of it” reflecting a realistic and optimistic approach to life. This adaptive attitude among the oldest-old challenges the model of inevitable health and functional limitations expected at the end of life. However, researchers find that centenarians report good health, gratitude, enjoyment of life and feel optimistic about the future. Using data from a sample of 68 urban nonagenarians and centenarians in the city of Valencia in Spain (Age range 90–105, Mean= 96; SD= 3.93), we report on the associations between the participants’ cognitive dispositions and their level of life satisfaction while controlling by predisposing factors…
LEISURE TIME PHYSICAL ACTIVITY, LEISURE SATISFACTION AND SUBJECTIVE WELL-BEING: CAUSAL RELATIONSHIPS IN MIDLIFE
2018
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…
TENACIOUS GOAL PURSUIT AND LIFE-SPACE MOBILITY AMONG OLDER PEOPLE WITH WALKING DIFFICULTIES
2017
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.
EPIGENOMICS AND METABOLOMICS MECHANISMS FOR A GENE X DIET INTERACTION MODULATING AGE-RELATED OBESITY
2018
A functional variant in the apolipoprotein AII (APOA2) gene (rs5082) predisposes homozygous carriers to age-related obesity when habitual saturated fat (SFA) intake is high. We used epigenomics, transcription and metabolomics analyses to identify currently unknown mechanisms underlying this well-replicated gene x diet interaction. We conducted an epigenome-wide scan to compare genetically at-risk to low-risk individuals with low (<22 g/d) or high (≥22 g/d) SFA intake in the Boston Puerto Rican Health Study and validated the findings in the GOLDN Study and the Framingham Heart Study. In these three populations, we identified genotype-dependent differential methylation, only with high SFA int…
THE IMPACT OF GENDER AND GRANDPARENTING ON PSYCHOLOGICAL WELL-BEING: THE PURPOSE IN LIFE
2018
The unprecedented demographic changes due primarily to increased longevity and low fertility rates had implications for family relations, in particular for grandparent involvement with grandchildren. Grandparenting emerged as a support structure and the grandparent role became vital for many grandchildren in need of care. This paper examines the relationship between gender and caring for grandchildren on the psychological well-being of older adults. Using a sample of 652 adults 60 and older attending an educational program at the University of Valencia in Spain, we report on descriptive socio-demographic variables and examine the influence of gender and grandparenting on the participants’ p…
FLEXIBLE AND TENACIOUS GOAL PURSUIT IN RELATION TO OUTDOOR MOBILITY IN OLD AGE
2018
Goal pursuit may affect older people’s outdoor mobility, a correlate of quality of life. This study investigated associations of flexible and tenacious goal pursuit with perceived autonomy in participation outdoors and life-space mobility. Participants were community-dwelling older people aged 79–93 years (n=185). Tenacious goal pursuit (TGP) and flexible goal adjustment (FGA) were self-reported with separate scales (ranges 5–25). Perceived autonomy in participation was assessed with the Impact on Participation and Autonomy ‘outdoors’-subscale (range 0–20), and life-space mobility with the Life-Space Assessment (range 0–120). Two-step cluster analysis was used to create data-driven goal pur…