Formal and informal social participation of the 'young-old' in the Netherlands in 1992 and 2002

The study compares the formal and informal social participation of 60-69 year olds in The Netherlands in 1992 and 2002, and examines which attributes of the two cohorts favour social participation. Using data from the Longitudinal Aging Study Amsterdam, it was found that cohort differences in formal participation (as members of organisations, in volunteer work and in religious organisations) and in informal participation (having a large social network, and in cultural and recreational activities) associated with cohort differences in individual characteristics (level of education, health, employment status and marital status). Descriptive analyses showed an increase between 1992 and 2002 in all forms of participation except religious involvement. The 2002 cohort members were more educated and more engaged in employment, but in worse health and had a higher prevalence of divorce than the 1992 cohort members. Logistic regression analyses showed that the positive effect on social participation of the recent cohort's higher educational level was suppressed by the negative effect of their worse health. Being divorced had mixed effects on formal and informal participation, but the difference in the number of divorcees did not explain cohort differences in social participation. Interaction effects showed that the influence of sex and health on volunteer work and religious involvement changed over time. The paper concludes with a discussion of the prospects for higher levels of formal and informal social participation among future cohorts of young-older people. © 2010 Cambridge University Press

The Convoy Model and Later‐Life Family Relationships

Peer Reviewedhttps://deepblue.lib.umich.edu/bitstream/2027.42/155905/1/jftr12376_am.pdfhttps://deepblue.lib.umich.edu/bitstream/2027.42/155905/2/jftr12376.pd

Personalization and the Determination of News

This article addresses the relationship between the construction of news and personal experiences. Ethnography and narrative approaches are used to study a metropolitan newspaper where it is discovered that personalization contributes in large part to the decisions made by editors regarding whether or not an event is considered newsworthy. This discovery adds another dimension to the perspective that news is a social construction because it presents news as a decision-making process and highlights the human elements which contribute to the determination of news.Peer Reviewedhttp://deepblue.lib.umich.edu/bitstream/2027.42/43552/1/11133_2004_Article_415105.pd

Engaging diverse populations in aging research during the COVID-19 pandemic: Lessons learned from four National Institutes of Health funded-Centers

BackgroundThe COVID-19 pandemic’s impact on our personal and professional lives required a rapid adaptation to the evolving health crisis and accumulating social stresses. Established measures to reduce the spread of infection and potential death had a direct effect on ongoing research that involved older adults and underrepresented racial/ethnic groups. Although important to preserve public health, these measures risk further isolation of vulnerable research participant populations and threatened established community partnerships. To address the social and research challenges evolving from the COVID-19 pandemic, four National Institutes of Health funded-Centers that engage with community members to enhance research and advance the science of aging came together to learn from each other’s efforts, approaches, and communication with community partners.MethodsMonthly meetings served as a venue to discuss the challenges of engagement with research participants and support community partners during the pandemic. The developed learning community also contributed to recognize and address research staff stress and isolation. We describe how these conversations led our Centers to address unprecedented challenges and sustain community engagement within diverse populations, especially Black/African Americans, Latinos, Middle Eastern/Arab Americans and the oldest-old.ResultsThe exchange of information resulted in maintaining long standing community relationships and partnerships in the face of the uncertainties generated by the pandemic. The strategies included adapting education programs to reduce risk of infection, recognizing symptoms, promoting vaccination and understanding of the effect of COVID-19 to the brain. Different strategies were used to address the effects of isolation and maintain community engagement. Although new research participant enrollment was a challenge, telephone and virtual visits allowed research participants to remain active in research. Community members participation in virtual learning events was variable, ranging from a dozen to hundreds of participants. Invitations to organize panels about newly developed topics indicated the need for information from trusted sources.ConclusionIn sum, the COVID-19 pandemic re - directed all four Centers’ commitment to community service led to developing strategies for social support, which will potentially contribute to transforming public perceptions about research and researchers

P4‐655: Addressing Ad Health Disparities Through A Cultural Lens

Peer Reviewedhttps://deepblue.lib.umich.edu/bitstream/2027.42/153187/1/alzjjalz201909021.pd

Heterogeneity in drinking practices in England and Wales and its association with violent behaviour: a latent class analysis

Background: Crude single-item consumption metrics, such as ‘binge drinking’ measures, mask the complexity and heterogeneity in young people’s drinking; thus limiting our understanding of young people’s drinking patterns as well as how alcohol drinking is associated with violent outcomes. Objectives: The current study employed a range of consumption and contextual indicators to explore heterogeneity in young people’s (16-29 years) drinking practices, giving due consideration to their social nature. It also assessed to what extent heterogeneity in drinking practices was associated with violent outcomes. Methods: Employing data from the 2006 Offending Crime and Justice Survey, three measures of alcohol consumption and nine drinking context indicators were utilised within latent class analysis to create typologies of drinking practices amongst current drinkers in England and Wales (n=2,711) and examine their association with violent outcomes. The validity of the typologies was also assessed on age, sex and socio-economic status. Results: Three discernible drinking profiles were identified: ‘regular social drinkers’ (48%), ‘regular pub binge drinkers’ (32%), and ‘moderate drinkers’ (20%). The ‘regular pub binge drinkers’ were found to be more than twice as likely to commit an assault offence (odds ratio = 2.8 95% CI [1.3, 6.2]) when compared to ‘moderate drinkers’. Interaction analyses demonstrated a stronger risk of violence among ‘regular social drinkers’ of low socio-economic status. Conclusions: Interventions aimed at reducing alcohol-related violence ought to give due consideration to the social context of drinking, the levels of consumption, as well as the socio-economic characteristics of the drinker

Youth Development: An ecological Approach to Identity

This chapter examines the process of youth development and the impact of socialization among Arab Americans. The distinctiveness of Arab Americans as an ethnic group stems from the fact that their visibility is intimately tied to events and political instabilities in the Arab world. This reality places them in a uniquely marginal position as “not quite White� (Samhan, 1999 ), yet not fully accepted as a legal minority (Cainkar, 2009 ). This wider societal experience provides an overarching context for the study of Arab American youth development within an ecological model. This chapter explores theoretical models for understanding youth identity development, and then reviews research fi ndings related to the ways in which family, peers/school, community, and media play a role in the identities of Arab American youth. This is followed by a case example to illustrate concepts and ideas introduced throughout the chapter. Finally, the chapter concludes with a critique of current research and suggests future directions for better understanding Arab American youth development

Loneliness of Older Immigrant Groups in Canada: Effects of Ethnic-Cultural Background

This study aimed to explore the loneliness of several groups of older immigrants in Canadacompared to native-born older adults. Data from the Canadian General Social Survey, Cycle 22 (Nolder adults = 3,692) were used. The dependent variable is the 6 item De Jong Gierveld lonelinessscale. Determinants of loneliness included country of birth, ethnic background (cultural context);belongingness (community context) and social networks (social context). Results showed that onlysome immigrant groups are significantly lonelier than older adults born in Canada. Immigrants withsimilar language and culture are not lonelier; while those from countries that differ in nativelanguage/culture are significantly higher on loneliness. Multivariate analyses showed the importanceof cultural background, of composition of the network of relatives and friends, and of localparticipation and feelings of belonging to the Canadian society in explaining loneliness of olderimmigrants