@article {11381, title = {Changes in married older adults{\textquoteright} self-perceptions of aging: The role of gender.}, journal = {Psychology and Aging}, volume = {36}, year = {2021}, pages = {383-393}, abstract = {

To what extent self-perceptions of aging and their correlates in later life may be gendered remains relatively unexplored. In particular, little is known about how changes in the health and spousal relationship quality over time contribute to self-perceptions of aging among married men and women. To clarify these links, we analyzed panel data from the (2008-2016) on married individuals aged 65 years and older ( = 2,623) using within-between random effects models. Findings showed no gender difference in self-perceptions of aging at baseline and in the rate of change, and poorer health and spousal relationship quality were generally associated with less positive self-perceptions of aging. However, men and women differed in how within-person changes in health and spousal relationship quality were associated with their self-perceptions of aging. Increases in spousal strain and chronic conditions were associated with less positive self-perceptions of aging on that wave for men, whereas increases in functional limitations were associated with less positive self-perceptions of aging on that wave for women. Finally, a person-mean of spousal strain had a moderating effect for men, such that men with more overall spousal strain reported less positive self-perceptions of aging across a range of chronic conditions, compared to the men with less overall spousal strain. Findings highlight the intersection of social resources, health, and self-perceptions of aging, suggesting that gender differences in older adults{\textquoteright} self-perceptions of aging are contextualized by different behaviors and social experiences among married men and women. (PsycInfo Database Record (c) 2021 APA, all rights reserved).

}, keywords = {health, Self-perceived age, Spouses}, issn = {1939-1498}, doi = {10.1037/pag0000507}, author = {Kim, Yijung K and Kim, Kyungmin and Shevaun Neupert and Boerner, Kathrin} } @article {11301, title = {Married or Partnered Adults{\textquoteright} Self-Perceptions of Aging in Later Life: The Context of Gender}, journal = {Innovation in Aging}, volume = {4}, year = {2020}, pages = {620-621}, abstract = {Marriage or other types of partnerships are consequential for health in later life, but its association to self-perceptions of aging remains a relatively unexplored area of research. This study used three waves of panel data from the Health and Retirement Study (N = 4,315) to examine how changes in the health status and relationship quality over time contribute to self-perceptions of aging for married/partnered men and women. Multilevel models showed that women demonstrated more positive self-perceptions of aging than men, but there was no gender difference in how self-perceptions of aging became more negative over time. The findings on the main and moderating effects of health and relationship quality give evidence that changes across time, as well as average differences in individual characteristics, may affect self-perceptions of married/partnered men and women differently. The context in which gender shapes key aspects of life contributes to self-perceptions of aging in later life.}, keywords = {Couples, gender, self-perceptions of aging}, isbn = {2399-5300}, doi = {https://doi.org/10.1093/geroni/igaa057.2112}, author = {Kim, Yijung and Kim, Kyungmin and Shevaun Neupert and Boerner, Kathrin} } @article {9346, title = {Subjective Age and Cystatin C Among Older Adults.}, journal = {Journals of Gerontology, Series B: Psychological Sciences \& Social Sciences}, volume = {74}, year = {2019}, pages = {382-388}, abstract = {

Objective: Cystatin C (CysC) is a marker of kidney function that is relevant for the health and cognition of older adults. Little is known about the link between psychological factors and CysC. Therefore, the present study examined whether subjective age is related to CysC level and changes in CysC over time.

Method: Participants were 5,066 individuals drawn from the Health and Retirement Study aged from 50 to 107 years (60\% women, mean age = 69.36 years, SD = 9.54). They provided data on subjective age, demographic covariates, and CysC at baseline. CysC was assessed again 4 years later.

Results: Analysis revealed that an older subjective age was related to higher level of CysC at baseline and to an increase in CysC over 4 years, controlling for demographic factors. An older subjective age was also related to higher risk of exceeding the clinical threshold of CysC at baseline and 4 years later. Additional analysis revealed that disease burden, depressive symptoms, physical inactivity, and BMI partly mediated these associations.

Conclusion: The present study provides new evidence on the role of subjective age as a psychological factor associated with individuals{\textquoteright} risk of kidney dysfunction, an association beyond chronological age.

}, keywords = {Cystatin C, Health Conditions and Status, Subjective age}, issn = {1758-5368}, doi = {10.1093/geronb/gbx124}, author = {Yannick Stephan and Angelina R Sutin and Antonio Terracciano and Shevaun Neupert} }