@article {10163, title = {Effects of age discrimination on self-perceptions of aging and cancer risk behaviors.}, journal = {Gerontologist}, volume = {59}, year = {2019}, pages = {S28-S37}, abstract = {

BACKGROUND AND OBJECTIVES: Almost one-third of older adults report experiencing age discrimination. We hypothesized sequential links between older adults{\textquoteright} everyday experiences of age discrimination and future health behaviors related to cancer risk through self-perceptions of aging (SPA).

RESEARCH DESIGN AND METHODS: Participants were community-dwelling respondents (age: 51-96 years) from the 2008, 2012, and 2014 waves of the Health and Retirement Study (N = 4,467). Generalized path models estimated the immediate and enduring effects of age discrimination in 2008 on proximal SPA in 2012 and distal health behaviors in 2014.

RESULTS: Age discrimination was associated with lower positive SPA and higher negative SPA in 2012. The effect of age discrimination on physical activity, smoking, and drinking in 2014 was mediated by positive and negative SPA in 2012. Through subsequent SPA, those who experienced age discrimination in 2008 were less likely to engage in regular moderate physical activity, more likely to smoke, and less likely to drink more than 3 times per week in 2014. Analysis of change in positive and negative SPA showed the effect of age discrimination on physical activity to be mediated by change in positive, but not negative, SPA.

DISCUSSION AND IMPLICATIONS: The enduring effects of age discrimination were found through a reduction in positive SPA. Elevating positive SPA could be as important as reducing negative SPA for future health behaviors related to cancer risk.

}, keywords = {Ageism, Cancer, Discrimination, Racial/ethnic differences}, issn = {1758-5341}, doi = {10.1093/geront/gny183}, author = {Hooker, Karen and Shannon T. Mejia and Sandi Phibbs and Erwin J Tan and Stevens, Jonathan} } @article {10060, title = {Is weight discrimination associated with physical activity among middle aged and older adults?}, journal = {Journal of Primary Prevention}, year = {2019}, month = {2019 Mar 20}, abstract = {Older adults (> 65) are less physically active than all other adult age groups. Although experiences of weight discrimination have been inversely associated with physical activity in several studies of middle-aged and older adults, the role of weight discrimination in this relationship has not been sufficiently explicated. Using data from the Health and Retirement Study (a longitudinal panel study of U.S. adults aged 50 and older), we hypothesized that, among middle aged and older adults, weight discrimination would (a) be inversely related to respondents{\textquoteright} reported level of physical activity; and (b) partially mediate the relationship between BMI and physical activity. Using multiple logistic regression analysis, we found an inverse relationship between weight discrimination and vigorous physical activity (OR = 0.79; 95\% CI [0.66, 0.94]), as well as between weight discrimination and moderate physical activity (OR = 0.76; 95\% CI [0.62, 0.92]). Weight discrimination mediated 13\% of the relationship between BMI and vigorous physical activity, as well as 9\% of the relationship between BMI and moderate physical activity. Weight discrimination may thus pose a barrier to regular physical activity among middle aged and older adults. Future research and interventions should identify effective ways of mitigating barriers experienced because of weight discrimination in the promotion of physical activity among these age groups, as well as how we may effectively reduce the perpetration of weight discrimination in various settings.}, keywords = {BMI, Discrimination, Physical activity}, issn = {1573-6547}, doi = {10.1007/s10935-019-00546-3}, author = {Sandi Phibbs and Thorburn, Sheryl and Adam J. Branscum} } @article {9007, title = {An Exploration of Factors Associated With Ageist Stereotype Threat in a Medical Setting.}, journal = {Journals of Gerontology, Series B: Psychological Sciences and Social Sciences}, volume = {73}, year = {2018}, month = {2017 Mar 28}, pages = {1160-1165}, abstract = {

Objectives: Experiencing stereotype threat in a medical setting may be triggered by routine clinical activities, and may be detrimental to healthcare processes and outcomes. This study estimated the prevalence of, and identified factors associated with, reporting ageist stereotype threat in a medical setting using a nationally representative dataset.

Methods: Participants were community-dwelling adults aged 50 and older who had visited the doctor at least once in the past 2 years (n = 1,662). We analyzed data from the Health and Retirement Study using multivariate logistic regression.

Results: 8.31\% of participants felt worry or fear that they were judged by medical staff because of their age. Previous experiences of age discrimination (adjusted odds ratio [AOR] = 2.47, p < .01), poorer self-perceptions of aging (AOR = 1.34, p < .05), and having greater control over one{\textquoteright}s health (AOR = 0.84, p < .05) were associated with reporting stereotype threat because of age.

Discussion: Future research should investigate if measures to reduce age discrimination and to improve self-perceptions of aging and individual control over health protect against experiencing ageist stereotype threat in healthcare settings.

}, keywords = {Ageism, Medical setting, Older Adults, Stereotypes}, issn = {1758-5368}, doi = {10.1093/geronb/gbx034}, author = {Sandi Phibbs and Hooker, Karen} } @mastersthesis {6053, title = {Weight Stigma and Its Associations with Health Behaviors Among Older Adults}, volume = {Doctor of Philosophy (Ph. D.) in Public Health}, year = {2015}, school = {Oregon State University}, type = {Thesis/Dissertation}, abstract = {Having excess weight carries a negative social stigma in the U.S. Previous research has shown that experiencing stigma has negative physical and mental health consequences. Few studies have examined how experiencing weight stigma might act as a barrier to engaging in healthy behaviors among older adults. The purpose of this study was to examine weight discrimination and weight-based stereotype threat as mechanisms of weight stigma among older adults. Using data from the 2010 and 2012 waves of the Health and Retirement Study, this study investigated weight discrimination and weight-based stereotype threat and their possible associations with specific health behaviors, namely the use of clinical preventive services and level of physical activity. This study also examined factors associated with experiencing weight-based stereotype threat in a medical setting among older adults. Results indicated that experiences of weight discrimination were negatively associated with reporting vigorous and moderate physical activity, positively associated with receiving an influenza vaccination, and t associated with receiving breast or cervical cancer screenings. Results also indicated that weight discrimination mediated 13\% of the relationship between body mass index and vigorous physical activity. In addition, 9\% of the effect of BMI on moderate physical activity was mediated by weight discrimination. Having a higher BMI and previous experiences of weight discrimination were significantly associated with reporting weight-based stereotype threat in the medical setting. Weight-based stereotype threat was t associated with the use of clinical preventive services and level of physical activity, although the sample size lacked sufficient power to detect a small effect size in these analyses. This study provides evidence that older adults experience weight discrimination and weight-based stereotype threat. Efforts to increase physical activity among older adults should address weight discrimination as a possible barrier. Further research on the mechanisms of weight stigma among older adults and their effects is warranted.}, keywords = {Demographics, Health Conditions and Status}, author = {Sandi Phibbs} }