National stereotypes of older people's competence are related to older adults' participation in paid and volunteer work

Neighborhood-Built Environment and Ageism in Later Life

Ageism is a global challenge and a public health concern that the recent COVID-19 pandemic has further exacerbated. Existing research has mainly focused on individual factors, overlooking the association between the neighborhood-built environment and ageism. This study examined this association and whether its effect varied among areas possessing different socioeconomic characteristics. We conducted a cross-sectional survey of 1278 older people in Hong Kong and merged this with the built environment factors derived from geographical information system data. We used multivariable linear regression to examine the association. Findings revealed that more parks were significantly associated with a lower level of ageism, an impact that remained significant in low-income or low-education areas. Conversely, more libraries in high-income areas were associated with a lower level of ageism. Our findings provide urban planners and policymakers insight into planning for the built environment that reduces ageism enabling older people to achieve a better life.

Volunteering and political participation are differentially associated with eudaimonic and social well-being across age groups and European countries

Voluntary participation is thought to promote the well-being of engaged individuals, especially in old age, but prior evidence on this link is mixed. In the present studies, we used the cross-sectional data from Round 6 (2012) of the European Social Survey (ESS) to investigate the variation in the associations between voluntary participation and eudaimonic (e.g., sense of direction) and social (e.g., perceived social support) well-being across types of participation (nonpolitical volunteering vs. political participation), age groups, and European countries. Study 1 addressed individual-level associations and age differences therein (preregistered at https://osf.io/2p9sz and https://osf.io/6twqe). Two-level multiple regression with an extensive set of control variables showed that at the within-country level, the associations between voluntary participation and well-being indicators were small on average. Nonpolitical volunteering had significantly more positive effects than did political participation, whereas few significant age differences emerged. Study 2 focused on the country-level variables that might explain the substantial cross-national variation in the main effects of voluntary participation (preregistered at https://osf.io/mq3dx). Only GDP per capita was a significant moderator at the country level: The associations of nonpolitical volunteering with eudaimonic well-being were more positive in the European countries with lower GDP. Other country-level variables (Gini coefficient, social welfare spending, and democracy indices) yielded no consistent moderation effects. Study 3 considered potential country-level explanations for the substantial cross-national variation in whether younger or older adults appeared to benefit more (preregistered at https://osf.io/7ks45). None of the country-level variables considered (effective retirement age in men, life expectancy at 65, average age of members of the national parliament and cabinet, and youth unemployment rate) could account for this variation. We conclude that, given the large cross-national variation in the effects of voluntary participation on well-being and in age differences therein, more attention to national specifics is warranted.

Face masks have a limited influence on first impressions: evidence from three experiments

Considering the widespread use of face masks during the COVID-19 pandemic, the goal of the current study was to examine how occlusion of the lower half of the face may impact first impression formation. We conducted three experiments, each building on previous research, investigating the effect of face masks on first impressions of faces across the lifespan (children, young and older adults). Experiment 1 examined whether the mandatory influence of happy facial expressions on perceived trustworthiness in young adult faces is influenced by face masks. Experiment 2 examined behavioural consequences of adults' first impressions of child faces to determine whether masks reduce the effect of facial niceness on interpretations of ambiguous behaviour. Experiment 3 investigated consensus for first impressions of trustworthiness and competence in older adult faces with and without masks, as well as consensus on underlying facial cues. The results of all three experiments present converging evidence that masks do not have a significant impact on first impressions and their behavioural consequences.

Predictors of health-related quality of life in older New Zealanders with cardiovascular health problems

OBJECTIVE

With longer life expectancies, cardiovascular diseases are increasingly common among older adults, which also leads to functional changes that severely impact their quality of life. This study aimed to identify the predictors of health-related quality of life (HRQOL) among older New Zealanders with cardiovascular health problems.

METHODS

A cross-sectional data analysis of the 2015/16 New Zealand Health Survey was performed. In total, 2203 older New Zealanders with cardiovascular health problems were identified and included in the final analyses. The association between demographics, physical activity, health measurements, and HRQOL was examined using a multiple linear regression model.

RESULTS

Significant differences in HRQOL were identified between the demographics and cardiovascular risk factors. Predictors of higher HRQOL among older New Zealanders with cardiovascular conditions were increased physical activity (β = 0.218), age (β = -0.067), employed (β = 0.137), lower waist circumference (β = -0.261), male (β = 0.127), and being without a history of diabetes (β = -0.071).

CONCLUSION

Physical activity is the strongest predictor of HRQOL in older adults with cardiovascular problems. Older female New Zealanders with cardiovascular health problems have lower perceptions of their health status. These predictors should be considered while designing and developing intervention and health education that aims to improve the HRQOL of older adults.

Age-related change in self-perceptions of aging: Longitudinal trajectories and predictors of change

Using data from the German Ageing Survey (Deutscher Alterssurvey, DEAS; N = 4,712), this study examined age-related change in three dimensions of self-perceptions of aging (SPA): perceptions of physical losses, social losses, and ongoing development. Participants ranged in age from 40 to 85 years at study entry (1996, 2002, or 2008) and were followed for up to 21 years. Time-invariant, context-specific and time-varying, person-specific predictors of the observed age-related changes were examined. Findings from longitudinal multilevel regression analyses showed significant nonlinear age-related change for all three dimensions. Specifically, starting at about age 65, participants showed age-related increases in perceptions of physical and social losses, with increases getting steeper in old age. Starting at about age 55, participants reported increasingly fewer perceptions related to ongoing development. The decline in perceptions of ongoing development also became increasingly steeper after age 70. Region of residence was a significant context-specific predictor of the intercepts of the three SPA dimensions. Health-related variables (i.e., number of chronic diseases, self-rated health), affective well-being (i.e., positive and negative affect), and measures of social integration (i.e., loneliness) were significant person-specific predictors. Health-related variables had their strongest association with perceptions of physical losses, whereas negative affect and loneliness had their strongest association with perceptions of social losses. Positive affect had its strongest association with perceptions of ongoing development. This study is the first one to describe age-related change trajectories in multiple dimensions of SPA and significant predictors of these change trajectories. (PsycInfo Database Record (c) 2021 APA, all rights reserved).

Young people feel wise and older people feel energetic: comparing age stereotypes and self-evaluations across adulthood

We use questionnaire data from the MIDUS study (N = 6325 and a subsample n = 2120) to examine the extent to which people in their late 20s, late 40s and late 60s think that positive characteristics apply to themselves, their age peers and other age groups. Results based on factor analysis confirmed the existence of age stereotypes, such that one constellation of characteristics (wise, caring, calm, knowledgeable, generative; "wise") was seen as more descriptive of older adults, while another constellation of characteristics (energetic, healthy, willing to learn; "energetic") was seen as more descriptive of younger adults. Self-evaluations were, however, highly positive and largely independent of age. As a group, younger adults saw themselves as being as "energetic" but "wiser" than their age peers, while older adults saw themselves as being more "energetic" but less "wise" than their age peers. In sum, the results suggest that self-views are relatively independent of existing age stereotypes but also indicate that the "better-than-average effect" depends on age and whether the considered characteristics represent a relative strength or weakness of one's own age group. The results also indicate that, at the aggregate level, older adults' tendency to use stereotypes about their age group's weaknesses as a frame of reference for making flattering self-evaluations seems to outweigh the effects of stereotype internalization.

Views on ageing: a lifespan perspective

Views on ageing (VoA) have special relevance for the ageing process by influencing health, well-being, and longevity. Although VoA form early in life, so far, most research has concentrated on how VoA affect later middle-aged and older adults. In this theoretical article, we argue that a lifespan approach is needed in order to more fully understand the origins of VoA, how they change over ontogenetic time, and how they shape development across the full breadth of the lifespan. We begin by explicitly linking VoA to fundamental principles of lifespan development. We review existing theories of VoA and discuss their respective contributions and limitations. We then outline a lifespan approach to VoA that integrates existing theories and addresses some of their limitations. We elaborate on three core propositions of a lifespan approach to VoA: (1) VoA develop as the result of a dynamic, ongoing, and complex interaction between biological-evolutionary, psychological, and social-contextual factors; however, the relative importance of different sources changes across the lifespan; (2) VoA impact development across the whole lifespan; however, different outcomes, mechanisms, and time frames need to be considered in order to describe and understand their effects; and (3) VoA are multidimensional, multidirectional, and multifunctional throughout life, but their complexity, meaning, and adaptivity change across the lifespan. We conclude with recommendations for future lifespan research on VoA.

Volunteering, Self-Perceptions of Aging, and Mental Health in Later Life

Background and Objectives

Scholars argue that volunteering enhances social, physical, and cognitive activities that are increasingly valued as people age, which in turn improves older adults’ well-being via a host of psychosocial and neurobiological mechanisms. This study explicitly tested older adults’ self-perceptions of aging as a mechanism underlying the mental health benefits of volunteering.

Research Design and Methods

Using 2-wave data from the Health and Retirement Study (2008/2010 for Wave 1 and 2012/2014 for Wave 2), we analyzed reports from a pooled sample of older adults aged 65 or older (N = 9,017). Participants reported on demographic characteristics, volunteer work (did not volunteer, 1–99 h/year, 100+ h/year), self-perceptions of aging, and depressive symptoms. We estimated an autoregressive cross-lagged panel model.

Results

Volunteering for 100 h or more per year was associated with older adults’ more positive and less negative self-perceptions of aging in the subsequent wave (i.e., 4 years later), which in turn predicted fewer depressive symptoms.

Discussion and Implications

This study suggests the promising role of volunteering in shaping older adults’ self-perceptions of aging on a sustained basis and refines our understanding of the benefits volunteering brings. Findings shed light on future interventions aimed at improving older adults’ adjustment to age-related changes and lessening ageism in society.

Value systems as motivational forces for the suppression of ageism towards older people amongst young adults: an analysis across countries

What explains ageism towards older people? Several answers exist in the literature, but it is still unclear whether the ageism people express has been altered by motivational forces (i.e. factors which carry or enact motivation, leading to action or thought) or whether an original, primal ageism can be expressed directly. Investigating populations of young adults (45 and younger), this article suggests that value systems are sources of internal and external motivational forces which work to either suppress or to justify both subtle and blatant forms of ageism. It was hypothesised that, at the individual level, values precede any threat perception and negative stereotypical beliefs associated with older people, leading to forms of ageism which match the motivational goals of a person's values. It was further expected that, at the cultural level, values represent the climate in which people express ageist beliefs. It was found that self-transcendence values can bypass the negative effects of threat perception and negative stereotypes, resulting in less-negative forms of ageism. A sample comprising a clear majority of hierarchical, non-Western cultures showed that self-enhancement values also contributed motivational strength for the suppression of blatant ageism. A practical implication of these findings is the possibility of further developing existing strategies of combating ageism by working to effect appropriate long-term changes in the values of young adults.

Country-specific differences of age stereotypes towards older hospital staff and their association with self-efficacy, work ability and mental well-being

AIMS

To compare stereotypes towards older workers between hospital staff in Germany and Latvia and to analyse the relationship between those stereotypes and self-efficacy, subjective work ability and irritation.

DESIGN

Cross-sectional study.

METHODS

In 2018, hospital staff, including nurses, physicians and other professions, of two German and three Latvian hospitals were asked to complete the standardized study questionnaire on subjective work ability, occupational self-efficacy, irritation and stereotypes towards older workers. In the latter scale older workers were defined as ≥45 years of age and the scale ranged from 27-135 whereby higher values reflect higher levels of positive stereotypes. To analyse the relationship between stereotypes and those work-related outcomes, multiple linear regression models, including interaction terms between stereotypes and age, were built and adjusted for occupational group, sex and country.

RESULTS

Data from 300 employees of Latvian and from 113 employees of German hospitals were included in the analyses. Hospital staff in Germany reported higher levels of positive stereotypes (mean = 87.46, SD 10.04) than hospital staff in Latvia (mean = 84.69, SD 10.10; t(411) = -2.496, p = .013). When analysing the entire sample of hospital staff in Germany and Latvia, a more positive view on older workers was associated with higher self-efficacy (β = 0.136, p = .008) and subjective work ability (β = 0.063, p < .001) and lower levels of irritation (β = -0.191, p = .017). The association with self-efficacy and subjective work ability increased in strength by participant's age. Country-stratified analyses yielded similar results.

CONCLUSION

The results provide first evidence that stereotypes towards older workers of hospital staff may differ between different European countries. Furthermore, they suggest that counteracting negative stereotypes towards older workers may help to improve self-efficacy and subjective work ability and reduce irritation levels of older employees.

IMPACT

Those findings emphasize the importance of age stereotypes when examining and promoting older hospital staffs' self-efficacy, subjective work ability and irritation in a cross-national context.

Determinants of Ageism against Older Adults: A Systematic Review

Ageism is a widespread phenomenon and constitutes a significant threat to older people's well-being. Identifying the factors contributing to ageism is critical to inform policies that minimise its societal impact. In this systematic review, we gathered and summarised empirical studies exploring the key determinants of ageism against older people for a period of over forty years (1970-2017). A comprehensive search using fourteen databases identified all published records related to the umbrella concept of "ageism". Reviewers independently screened the final pool to identify all papers focusing on determinants, according to a predefined list of inclusion and exclusion criteria. All relevant information was extracted and summarised following a narrative synthesis approach. A total of 199 papers were included in this review. We identified a total of 14 determinants as robustly associated with ageism. Of these, 13 have an effect on other-directed ageism, and one on self-directed ageism. The quality of contact with older people and the positive or negative presentation of older people to others emerged as the most robust determinants of other-directed ageism; self-directed ageism is mostly determined by older adults' health status. Given the correlational nature of most studies included in this review, inferences on causality should be made cautiously.

The potential for civic engagement of older persons in the ageing society of Thailand

Purpose

Several studies revealed the importance of older persons’ contribution to society. The enhancement of their potential to engage in civic activities should be encouraged. The purpose of this paper is to investigate factors associated with their civic engagement potential.

Design/methodology/approach

Data are from Thailand’s National Survey of Older Persons conducted by the National Statistical Office in 2011. A sample of 24,433 persons aged 60 years or older was analyzed to assess their engagement in four community activities. The data were subjected to logistic regression analysis.

Findings

This study found that the readiness and willingness to engage in socially productive activities of Thai older persons ranged from 7 to 23 percent depending on type of activities. The factors of ageing health, confidence in their family’s ability to assist them, and satisfaction with government services were significantly associated with their readiness and willingness to engage in socially productive activities. Inadequacy of income was not found to be an obstructing factor toward their readiness and willingness to engage in civic life in general, it inhibited only the sharing of knowledge and skills with others.

Originality/value

The findings reflect the impact of internal constraining factors and external enhancing factors on engagement of Thai older persons in civic activities. Policy implications on the role of the government to promote active ageing are discussed.

Biased media? How news content influences age discrimination claims

Information distributed via the news media is acknowledged as a potential source of negative beliefs about, and biased behaviors toward, older workers. Focusing on the Netherlands, the current study explains age discrimination claims filed by older workers by investigating the impact of visibility and media stereotypes of older workers in the news media, while controlling for real-world events and older workers’ expectations of unemployment (2004–2014). The results, based on time-series analysis, reveal that the visibility of older workers in the news media is associated with higher levels of age discrimination claims. This effect can be partly explained with the visibility of the negative media stereotype that older workers experience health problems in the content of news coverage. Furthermore, unemployment expectations decreased the number of age discrimination claims. These results offer support for the notion that the news environment is a source of variation in the experience of age discrimination at the workplace.

The Arabic version of the Kogan Attitudes toward Older People Scale among Saudi nursing students: a psychometric analysis

BACKGROUND

With the steadily increasing size of its elderly popu.lation, Saudi Arabia is currently trying to meet the demands for com.petent care for older people. However, the lack of a valid and reliable measurement instrument in the Arab Peninsula hinders related studies among nursing students in this part of the globe. Given the importance of nursing students' attitudes toward working with older people, a specialized tool that can provide an accurate assessment of students' attitudes toward older adults is necessary.

OBJECTIVE

Evaluate the psychometric properties of the Kogan Attitudes towards Older People Arabic version (KAOP-A) among Saudi nursing students.

DESIGN

Descriptive, cross-sectional.

SETTING

Nursing department of a government university.

SUBJECTS AND METHODS

Using total population sampling, Saudi nursing students were surveyed using the KAOP-A. The tool was culturally adapted to the Arabic language using a forward and backward method. Content and construct validity were established accordingly. The internal consistency was established to support the reliability of the tool.

MAIN OUTCOME MEASURES

The validity and reliability of the KAOP-A.

SAMPLE SIZE

164 nursing students.

RESULTS

The KAOP-A had acceptable content and construct valid.ity. The Exploratory Factor Analysis supported a two-factor solution for the KAOP-A with an explained variance of 60.12%. The computed Cronbach's alpha for the entire scale was 0.89. The mean score of the KAOP-A scale was 121.55 (SD=26.92, range=40-204), indicating a slightly positive attitude toward aging among the students. Nursing students belonging to extended type of family and living in rural community, as well as older students and students who reported higher degree of closeness with their grandparents, exhibited more positive attitudes towards older people.

CONCLUSION

The tool can be used to accurately assess student attitudes towards older people, which can inform the creation of educational policies and interventions geared towards creating a more positive outlook on older adult care among nursing students in Saudi Arabia.

LIMITATIONS

We did not perform test and re-test reliability analysis.

CONFLICT OF INTEREST

None.

Regional Impact of Population Aging on Changes in Individual Self-perceptions of Aging: Findings From the German Ageing Survey

Background and Objectives

The importance of self-perceptions of aging (SPA) for health and longevity is well documented. Comparably little is known about factors that contribute to SPA. Besides individual factors, the context a person lives in may shape SPA. Research has so far focused on country-level differences in age stereotypes, indicating that rapid population aging accompanies more negative age stereotypes. The present study expands previous research by investigating the impact of district-specific population aging within one country on different facets of SPA.

Research Design and Methods

Based on a large representative survey in Germany, the study investigates changes in SPA as ongoing development as well as the SPA of physical loss over a 12-year period in adults aged 40+. The study uses several indicators of population aging (e.g., population development, average age, greying index), to identify four clusters differing in their pace of population aging. Based on three-level latent change models, these clusters were compared in their impact on changes in SPA.

Results

Compared to districts with an average rate of population aging, the study shows that persons living in regions with a fast population aging rate (C1) hold more negative SPA in both facets (ps = .01). Districts with slow population aging (C2) have significantly higher SPA ongoing development (p = .03).

Discussion and Implications

The study underlines the importance for regional differences in population aging on the development of SPA. In particular, societies should be aware that fast population aging may result in more negative SPA.

Aging Perceptions in Tsimane' Amazonian Forager-Farmers Compared With Two Industrialized Societies

Objectives

Cross-cultural studies suggest that aging attitudes show some variation across societies, but this evidence is mostly drawn from industrialized settings. The limited research record on pre-industrial societies is largely qualitative in nature. The present study targeted this gap by adapting an existing multidimensional measure of aging attitudes for use in traditional populations and administering it to samples from one traditional society and two industrialized societies.

Method

We administered the adapted multidimensional measure of aging attitudes to samples from one traditional society (Tsimane' Amazonian forager-farmers in Bolivia, n = 90) and two industrialized societies (the United States, n = 91, and Poland, n = 100).

Results

Across societies, aging perceptions were more favorable for respect and wisdom than for other domains of functioning, and women were perceived to be aging less favorably. Further, the Tsimane' reported more positive aging perceptions than the U.S. and Polish samples, especially with regard to memory functioning. Within the Tsimane' sample, there was no evidence of an influence of acculturation on aging perceptions.

Discussion

The present study contributed to our understanding of cross-cultural differences in aging attitudes. Theoretical implications and directions for future research are discussed.

Reliable and unproductive? Stereotypes of older employees in corporate and news media

Older employees face a severe employability problem, partly because of dominant stereotypes about them. This study investigates stereotypes of older employees in corporate and news media. Drawing on the Stereotype Content Model, we content analysed newspaper coverage and corporate media of 50 large-scale Dutch organisations, published between 2006 and 2013. The data revealed that stereotypical portrayals of older employees are more common in news media than in corporate media and mixed in terms of valence. Specifically, older employees were positively portrayed with regard to warmth stereotypes, such as trustworthiness, but negatively with regard to competence stereotypes, such as technological competence and adaptability. Additionally, stereotypical portrayals that do not clearly belong to warmth or competence dimensions are found, such as the mentoring role stereotype and the costly stereotype. Because competence stereotypes weigh more heavily in employers’ productivity perceptions, these media portrayals might contribute to the employability problem of older employees. We suggest that older employees could benefit from a more realistic media debate about their skills and capacities.

Ageism in Belgium and Burundi: a comparative analysis

BACKGROUND

Recent cross-cultural comparisons between Asian and Western cultures have shown that ageism arises more from the lack of availability of social and economic resources for older adults than from the culture itself. We tested this assumption by conducting a survey among people living in a least developed country compared with those living in a developed country.

PARTICIPANTS AND METHODS

Twenty-seven Belgians living in Belgium, 29 Burundians living in Belgium, and 32 Burundians living in Burundi were included in this study. Their attitudes toward older adults were assessed using several self-reported measures.

RESULTS

Statistical analyses confirmed that older people are more negatively perceived by Burundians living in Burundi than by Burundians and Belgians living in Belgium, whose attitudes did not differ from each other.

CONCLUSION

Consistent with our hypothesis, our results suggest that the level of development of a country and more particularly the lack of government spending on older people (pension and health care systems) may contribute to their younger counterparts perceiving them more negatively.

Perceived Expectations for Active Aging, Formal Productive Roles, and Psychological Adjustment Among the Young-Old

We investigated how older adults' perceptions of societal expectations for active aging, or activation demands (e.g., to stay fit and to contribute to the public good), relate to their involvement in paid work and formal volunteering and psychological adjustment. We used two waves of survey data on young-old Germans (aged 56-75, N(T1) = 1,508, N(T2) = 602). With the exception of several items on perceived activation demands, paid work and volunteering were not significant longitudinal predictors of such demands. In females, perceived activation demands increased the likelihood to work for pay a year later. Finally, among nonworking individuals, perceived activation demands predicted a better physical self-concept and a higher positive affect, whereas among nonvolunteers, such demands predicted fewer depressive symptoms a year later. We conclude that the policy debate on active aging may benefit some older German adults but is of little consequence for most of them.

Care Preferences Among Middle-Aged and Older Adults With Chronic Disease in Europe: Individual Health Care Needs and National Health Care Infrastructure

PURPOSE OF THE STUDY

The purpose of this study is to expand knowledge of care options for aging populations cross-nationally by examining key individual-level and nation-level predictors of European middle-aged and older adults' preferences for care.

DESIGN AND METHODS

Drawing on data from the Survey of Health, Ageing and Retirement in Europe and the Organisation for Economic Co-operation and Development, we analyze old age care preferences of a sample of 6,469 adults aged 50 and older with chronic disease in 14 nations. Using multilevel modeling, we analyze associations between individual-level health care needs and nation-level health care infrastructure and preference for family-based (vs. state-based) personal care.

RESULTS

We find that middle-aged and older adults with chronic disease whose health limits their ability to perform paid work, who did not receive personal care from informal sources, and who live in nations with generous long-term care funding are less likely to prefer family-based care and more likely to prefer state-based care.

IMPLICATIONS

We discuss these findings in light of financial risks in later life and the future role of specialized health support programs, such as long-term care.