@article {6510, title = {Education and Psychosocial Functioning Among Older Adults: 4-Year Change in Sense of Control and Hopelessness.}, journal = {J Gerontol B Psychol Sci Soc Sci}, volume = {73}, year = {2018}, month = {2018 Jun 14}, pages = {849-859}, abstract = {

OBJECTIVES: This study investigates education differences in levels and change in sense of control and hopelessness among older adults.

METHOD: We used data from the Health and Retirement Study, an ongoing biennial survey of a nationally representative sample of older Americans, to examine education differences in sense of control (e.g., mastery and perceived constraints) and hopelessness. Our sample included 8,495 adults aged 52 and older who were interviewed in 2006/2008 and 2010/2012. We assessed separate models for change in sense of control and hopelessness, accounting for recent changes in social circumstances and health status.

RESULTS: Low mastery, perceived constraints, and hopelessness were highest among individuals with less than a high school education. Over a 4-year period, this group experienced the greatest declines in psychosocial functioning, as indicated by greater increases in low mastery, perceived constraints, and hopelessness. Education differences existed net of recent negative experiences, specifically the loss of intimate social relationships and social support and increases in disease and disability.

DISCUSSION: These findings highlight the importance of education for sense of control and hopelessness in older adulthood and demonstrate the cumulative advantage of higher levels of education for psychosocial functioning.

}, keywords = {Activities of Daily Living, Aged, Educational Status, Female, Humans, Internal-External Control, Male, Middle Aged, Psychology, Sadness, Social participation, Social Support}, issn = {1758-5368}, doi = {10.1093/geronb/gbw031}, url = {http://psychsocgerontology.oxfordjournals.org/content/early/2016/03/23/geronb.gbw031.abstract}, author = {Uchechi A Mitchell and Jennifer A Ailshire and Lauren L Brown and Morgan E. Levine and Eileen M. Crimmins} } @article {8566, title = {Telomere Length Among Older U.S. Adults: Differences by Race/Ethnicity, Gender, and Age.}, journal = {J Aging Health}, volume = {29}, year = {2017}, month = {2017 12}, pages = {1350-1366}, abstract = {

OBJECTIVE: We examine race/ethnic, gender, and age differences in telomere length (TL) within a diverse, nationally representative sample of older adults.

METHOD: Data come from 5,228 White, Black, and Hispanic respondents aged 54+ in the 2008 Health and Retirement Study. TL was assayed from saliva using quantitative polymerase chain reaction (qPCR) by comparing telomere sequence copy number with a single gene copy number (T/S ratio). Linear regression was used to examine TL by race/ethnicity, gender, and age adjusting for social, economic, and health characteristics.

RESULTS: Women had longer TL than men (p < .05). Blacks ( p < .05) and Hispanics ( p < .10) had longer TL than Whites. Black women and men had the longest TL relative to other groups ( p < .05), while White men had the shortest TL ( p < .05). Black women and Hispanic men showed greater differences in TL with age.

DISCUSSION: Findings indicate social patterns in TL by race/ethnicity, gender, and age among older adults do not reflect differences observed in most population health outcomes.

}, keywords = {Aged, Aging, Biomarkers, Female, Health Status Disparities, Humans, Interviews as Topic, Male, Minority Groups, Qualitative Research, Telomere, United States}, issn = {1552-6887}, doi = {10.1177/0898264316661390}, url = {https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pubmed/27469599}, author = {Lauren L Brown and Belinda L Needham and Jennifer A Ailshire} }