Title | Aging in a cultural context: cross-national differences in disability and the moderating role of personal control among older adults in the United States and England. |
Publication Type | Journal Article |
Year of Publication | 2011 |
Authors | Clarke, PJ, Smith, J |
Journal | J Gerontol B Psychol Sci Soc Sci |
Volume | 66 |
Issue | 4 |
Pagination | 457-67 |
Date Published | 2011 Jul |
ISSN Number | 1758-5368 |
Keywords | Activities of Daily Living, Aged, Aged, 80 and over, Aging, Cross-Cultural Comparison, Culture, Disabled Persons, England, Female, Gait, Health Status, Humans, Internal-External Control, Longitudinal Studies, Male, Mobility Limitation, Politics, Social Values, Socioeconomic factors, United States |
Abstract | OBJECTIVES: We investigate cross-national differences in late-life health outcomes and focus on an intriguing difference in beliefs about personal control found between older adult populations in the U.K. and United States. We examine the moderating role of control beliefs in the relationship between physical function and self-reported difficulty with daily activities. METHOD: Using national data from the United States (Health and Retirement Study) and England (English Longitudinal Study on Ageing), we examine the prevalence in disability across the two countries and show how it varies according to the sense of control. Poisson regression was used to examine the relationship between objective measures of physical function (gait speed) and disability and the modifying effects of control. RESULTS: Older Americans have a higher sense of personal control than the British, which operates as a psychological resource to reduce disability among older Americans. However, the benefits of control are attenuated as physical impairments become more severe. DISCUSSION: These results emphasize the importance of carefully considering cross-national differences in the disablement process as a result of cultural variation in underlying psychosocial resources. This paper highlights the role of culture in shaping health across adults aging in different sociopolitical contexts. |
DOI | 10.1093/geronb/gbr054 |
User Guide Notes | |
Endnote Keywords | Older people/Disability/Disability/Aging/International comparisons/Self control |
Endnote ID | 62578 |
Alternate Journal | J Gerontol B Psychol Sci Soc Sci |
Citation Key | 7600 |
PubMed ID | 21666145 |
PubMed Central ID | PMC3132269 |
Grant List | U01 AG009740 / AG / NIA NIH HHS / United States R24 HD041028 / HD / NICHD NIH HHS / United States U01AG009740 / AG / NIA NIH HHS / United States K01EH000286 / EH / NCEH CDC HHS / United States R21AG032456 / AG / NIA NIH HHS / United States |