%0 Journal Article %J Journal of Aging and Health %D Forthcoming %T Stressors and Pain across the Late-Life Span: Findings from Two Parent Longitudinal Studies of Aging and Health. %A Brennan, Penny L %K multilevel linear modeling %K pain %K Stressors %X

OBJECTIVE: The objective is to determine associations between stressors and pain across the late-life span.

METHOD: Multilevel linear modeling was applied separately to harmonized repeated measures data from the Longitudinal Late-Life Health study (LLLH; = 342; 13-year interval) and the Health and Retirement Study (HRS; = 2959; 8-year interval).

RESULTS: In both the LLLH and HRS samples, independent of age, gender, and race, participants with higher average stressor levels experienced more numerous painful conditions and higher pain severity over the study intervals. In the HRS sample, they also experienced higher levels of pain interference. In general, participants' stressor levels did not influence rates of increase in their pain. Gender and race had few moderating effects on associations between stressors and pain.

DISCUSSION: Stressors and pain are associated across the late-life span. Future research should focus on the mediating mechanisms that account for this association and the moderating factors that affect its strength.

%B Journal of Aging and Health %G eng %R 10.1177/08982643221104369 %0 Thesis %D 2021 %T Over-indebtedness and consequences for well-being %A Prentice, Carla %K Biomarkers %K Stressors %K wealth shock %I Queen's University, Belfast %C Belfast %V Ph.D. %G eng %U https://pureadmin.qub.ac.uk/ws/portalfiles/portal/258402105/CPfinalthesis30Sept.pdf %0 Journal Article %J Pain Medicine %D 2020 %T Life Stressors: Elevations and Disparities Among Older Adults with Pain. %A Penny L. Brennan %K gender %K Older Adults %K Pain; Race %K Stressors %X

OBJECTIVE: To examine stressor elevations among older adults with pain, and gender and race disparities in the dual burdens of late-life pain and stressors.

DESIGN: Cross-sectional.

SETTING: Community.

SUBJECTS: Participants in the Longitudinal Late-Life Health study (LLLH; N = 1,884) and the Health and Retirement Study (HRS; N = 7,704).

METHODS: Pain and stressor measures were harmonized across the LLLH and HRS samples. Analyses of covariance were conducted to determine the effects of older adults' pain, gender, race, and interactions between these factors, on their stressors in nine separate life domains, and in stressors overall.

RESULTS: In both the LLLH and HRS samples, older adults with painful conditions (joint, back, headache, chest pain), more numerous painful conditions, more severe pain, and more pain interference had elevated stressors in all life domains, compared with older adults without or with less serious pain. Pain was more prevalent among women and nonwhites than men and whites. Stressor exposure was higher for men than women in most life domains; it was higher for nonwhites than whites in all life domains. For certain types of pain and life domains, pain and gender, as well as pain and race, interacted to predict stressor elevations.

CONCLUSIONS: Late-life pain is associated with elevations in stressors, and there are gender and race disparities in the dual burdens of heightened pain and elevated stressors in later life. Pain and stressors are not consistently more strongly linked among older women than older men, or among older nonwhite than older white persons.

%B Pain Medicine %V 21 %P 2123-2136 %G eng %N 10 %R 10.1093/pm/pnaa189 %0 Thesis %B Epidemiology %D 2020 %T LIFECOURSE PSYCHOSOCIAL STRESSORS, IMMUNE FUNCTION, INFECTION, AND COGNITIVE DECLINE & DEMENTIA %A Rebecca C Stebbins %K Cognition %K Dementia %K immune function %K Stressors %X The over five million people in the U.S. living with dementia are at an elevated risk of other negative health outcomes due to a diminished ability to care for themselves, contributing significantly to healthcare costs. There is evidence that traumatic life events (TLE) influence laterlife cognitive function and decline through chronic activation of the HPA axis. One likely mechanism through which TLEs impact cognition is immune system alterations. Using data on 7,785 participants aged 65+ from the Health and Retirement Study (HRS) and 1,337 participants aged 60+ from the Sacramento Area Latino Study of Aging (SALSA), we investigated these relationships. In HRS, we estimated the association between TLEs and cognitive trajectories and incident dementia from 2006 to 2016. In SALSA, we estimated the associations between baseline immune biomarkers and cognitive outcomes over 10 years. Linear mixed effects models were used to examine these associations and potential interactions or effect measure modification. Stratified cumulative incidence functions were calculated to investigate risk of dementia. We found that TLEs were associated with a higher level of cognitive function and faster rate of decline but not with dementia incidence. The associations were strongest among those who experienced TLEs in late life and those with the lowest educational attainment. However, the type of TLE determined not only the strength but also the direction of the association. We also found that IL-6, TNF-alpha, and CMV IgG levels were associated with poorer cognitive function in SALSA, and the identified relationships were modified by educational attainment. Additionally, IL-6, TNF-alpha, and HSV-1 interacted with cortisol to alter the relationships with cognitive level and age. We did not find any statistically significant associations between exposures and dementia incidence. These findings suggest that TLEs may impact cognitive function and rate of cognitive decline in late life, timing of these events within the lifecourse is important, and these relationships are modified by educational attainment. Furthermore, elevated immune biomarkers may be indicative of lower cognitive function or accelerating decline in older populations. These relationships were modified by educational attainment, and cortisol may interact with immune cells to alter the associations with cognitive outcomes. %B Epidemiology %I The University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill %C Chapel Hill, NC %V Doctor of Philosophy %G eng %0 Journal Article %J Innovation in Aging %D 2020 %T Stressors and Pain Over the Late-Life Course: Findings from Two Parent Longitudinal Studies of Aging and Health %A Penny L. Brennan %K pain %K Stressors %X With this study we sought to determine how older adults’ stressors influence their levels and rates of change in pain during the late-life span. We harmonized repeated measures data from two parent longitudinal studies of aging and health, Longitudinal Late-Life Health (LLLH; n=1,1884) and the Health and Retirement Study (HRS; n=7,703), to determine how participants’ stressor levels in the domains of finances, spouse, children, extended family, and friends, and in stressors overall, influenced their average levels and rates of change in painful conditions, pain severity, and pain interference over 13-year (LLLH) and 8-year (HRS) intervals. Participants’ within-person stressor levels declined somewhat, whereas their number of painful conditions, pain severity, pain interference, and prescription painkiller use increased steadily, over these intervals. In both the LLLH and HRS samples, participants who experienced higher average stressor levels over the 13- and 8-year intervals had more numerous painful conditions and higher pain severity over these intervals. In the HRS sample, they also experienced higher levels of pain interference. These effects occurred independent of the demographic characteristics of age, gender, and race. In general, participants’ stressor levels did not influence rates of increase in their pain. Gender and race had some moderating effects on associations between stressors and pain, but these occurred only within certain specific stressor and pain domains. These findings demonstrate an association between stressors and pain across the late-life course. Further research is needed to determine the mediating mechanisms that account for this association and the moderating factors that affect its strength. %B Innovation in Aging %V 4 %P 921 - 922 %@ 2399-5300 %G eng %N Suppl 1 %R 10.1093/geroni/igaa057.3383