@article {9547, title = {Loneliness as a Mediator of Perceived Discrimination and Depression: Examining Education Contingencies.}, journal = {Int Journal of Aging \& Human Development}, year = {2019}, abstract = {This study examines whether loneliness explains the association between perceived everyday discrimination and depressive symptoms among older adults as well as whether this indirect pathway differs by education. Three waves (2006, 2010, and 2014) of the Health and Retirement Study ( N = 7,130) are analyzed with random-effects models that adjust for repeated observations and fixed-effects models that control for all time-stable influences. Everyday discrimination is associated with loneliness and depressive symptoms but more weakly in fixed-effects models. The association between discrimination and loneliness is stronger at low educational attainment, leading discrimination to be indirectly associated with depressive symptoms through loneliness only at low education. The consequences of everyday discrimination for depression in late life are limited to older adults with low education due to education-contingent associations with loneliness. Perceived discrimination may have broad health consequences through loneliness, especially for older adults at low education.}, keywords = {Depressive symptoms, Discrimination, Education, Loneliness}, issn = {1541-3535}, doi = {10.1177/0091415018763402}, author = {Lee, Yeonjung and Bierman, Alex} } @article {9987, title = {Chronic discrimination and sleep problems in late life: Religious involvement as buffer}, journal = {Research on Aging}, volume = {40}, year = {2018}, pages = {933-955}, abstract = {The association between chronic discrimination and sleep problems is important to examine in older adults because sleep is highly reactive to stress and impaired sleep has diverse adverse health effects. The association between chronic discrimination and sleep problems may, however, be confounded by a number of time-stable influences, and this association may also vary by religious involvement. In three waves (2006, 2010, and 2014) of the Health and Retirement Study (N = 7,130), the overall association between chronic discrimination and sleep problems is negated in econometric models that control for all time-stable sources of confounding. Religious involvement does not modify this association for men, but a significant association is found among women who do not attend religious services. These analyses suggest that the association between chronic discrimination and sleep quality in late life is substantially inflated due to unobserved time-stable confounders, although women who do not attend religious services may be at risk.}, keywords = {Discrimination, Religion, Sleep, Social Support}, issn = {0164-0275}, doi = {10.1177/0164027518766422}, author = {Bierman, Alex and Lee, Yeonjung and Schieman, Scott} } @article {8683, title = {A Longitudinal Assessment of Perceived Discrimination and Maladaptive Expressions of Anger Among Older Adults: Does Subjective Social Power Buffer the Association?}, journal = {The Journals of Gerontology: Series B}, volume = {73}, year = {2018}, pages = {e120-e130}, abstract = {

Objectives: We examine whether perceived discrimination in older adults is associated with external conflict (anger-out) and internally directed anger (anger-in), as well as how subjective social power-as indicated by a sense of personal control and subjective social status-modifies these associations while holistically controlling for time-stable confounds and the five major dimensions of personality.

Method: The 2006 and 2008 psychosocial subsamples of the Health and Retirement Study were combined to create baseline observations, and the 2010 and 2012 waves were combined to create follow-up observations. Responses were analyzed with random-effects models that adjust for repeated observations and fixed-effects models that additionally control for all time-stable confounds.

Results: Discrimination was significantly associated with anger-in and anger-out. Fixed-effects models and controls for personality reduced these associations by more than 60\%, although they remained significant. Measures of subjective social power weaken associations with anger-out but not anger-in.

Discussion: The mental health consequences of perceived discrimination for older adults may be over-estimated if time-stable confounds and personality are not taken into account. Subjective social power can protect victims of discrimination from reactions that may escalate conflict, but not from internalized anger that is likely to be wearing and cause further health problems.

}, keywords = {African Americans, Aged, Anger, European Continental Ancestry Group, Female, Hispanic Americans, Humans, Longitudinal Studies, Male, Personality Inventory, Power, Psychological, Prejudice, Racism, United States}, issn = {1758-5368}, doi = {10.1093/geronb/gbw110}, author = {Lee, Yeonjung and Bierman, Alex} } @article {9080, title = {Neighborhood disorder and sleep problems in older adults: Subjective social power as mediator and moderator}, journal = {Gerontologist}, volume = {58}, year = {2018}, abstract = {

Background and Objectives: Contextual contributors to sleep problems are important to examine among older adults because sleep problems are associated with a number of adverse outcomes in late life. We examine whether disordered neighborhoods are a key contextual determinant of sleep problems in late life, as well as how subjective social power-a sense of personal control and subjective social status-mediates and moderates this association. Central to this contribution is the use of econometric techniques that holistically control for time-stable factors that may bias estimated associations.

Research Design and Methods: Three waves (2006, 2010, 2014) of the psychosocial subsample of the Health and Retirement Study (N = 7,130) are analyzed with random-effects models that adjust for repeated observations, as well as fixed-effects models that additionally control for all time-stable confounders.

Results: Neighborhood disorder is associated with greater sleep problems in random-effects models, but this association is substantially weakened in a fixed-effects model. Personal control mediates this association, but does not moderate it. Subjective social status does not mediate the association, but does moderate it.

Discussion and Implications: Although neighborhood disorder is associated with sleep problems in older adults, this association is likely to be overestimated in analyses that do not compressively control for time-stable confounders. Rather than acting as dual mediators and moderators, perceived control and subjective social status play distinct roles in this association, with seniors at lower levels of subjective social status especially at risk for sleep problems due to neighborhood disorder.

}, keywords = {Neighborhoods, Psychosocial, Sleep, Social Relationships}, issn = {1758-5341}, doi = {10.1093/geront/gnx049}, author = {Bierman, Alex and Lee, Yeonjung and Schieman, Scott} }