Anne L. Sweaney

The Georgia Centenarian Study

This paper presents the theoretical rationale, hypotheses, models, and methods and procedure of the Georgia Centenarian Study, an interdisciplinary study of the oldest-old.

Neighbors, Households, and Front Porches New Urbanist Community Tool or Mere Nostalgia?

New Urbanists believe that front porches, along with narrow streets, back-alley garages, shallow setbacks, and street trees, may promote small town neighborliness of the 1920s. Critics dismiss such design ideas as simply nostalgic yeamings. Social uses of 1920s era and more modem porches were studied to add data to the debate. Although reported porch use has declined over time, porches still provide a leisurely setting for conversing with ones neighbors or simply watching the neighborhood. However, the New Urbanists have underestimated the other positive functions reported by front porch users. Residents enjoy the setting as a place to be alone, with multiple members of the household, or with neighbors. A variety of fond memories are attached to the front porch, even in the modern era with the multiple competitors for free time.

Casualwear shopping behaviour of college men in Georgia, USA

The expanding nature of the men’s casual apparel market represents a considerable economic growth area in the apparel industry. Of particular interest is the demand for casual clothing by college‐age men. The purpose of this paper is to investigate the influences of casualwear involvement (high, medium, low) on the purchasing behaviour of male students in relation to their shopping dimensions, personal characteristics, buying behaviour, shopping attributes and information sources. Data were collected using a questionnaire delivered by e‐mail to a systematically selected sample, with 176 male college students responding from 18 colleges in Georgia, USA. The results revealed that there were unique shopping patterns which differ according to casualwear involvement, indicating a deep interest in casualwear and appearance. Most male students had a medium to high casualwear involvement sum score; however, as age increased this score decreased. Both the personal and the market information sources indicated that customers with high involvement were more experienced than either the low or medium involvement groups. The medium involvement casualwear group was composed of consumers who were likely to make purchases during the sale season. The low involvement cohort was moderate casualwear buyers in terms of volume and purchased expensive casualwear. This study shows that classifying male college students by involvement can be helpful in marketing to this group. Apparel marketers are well advised to focus on this neglected cohort of male casualwear consumers.

Demographic Comparisons of Aging in Five Selected Countries

The worldwide aging of the population is having a major impact upon society. The United Nations General Assembly has declared 1999 to be the International Year of Older Persons to increase the awareness of aging worldwide. They identified five principles for older persons: independence, participation, care, self-fulfillment, and dignity. The numbers of elderly are growing around the world with many elderly living considerably longer than in past times. Developed countries are struggling with the high cost of maintaining support programs, and developing countries face dissolution of traditional care systems without institutional replacements. Women around the globe typically live longer than men, often without the economic resources to maintain independence. As nations adapt to their aging populations, a partnership among policy makers, family members, and older persons themselves is needed to offer alternatives to meet the needs of elders.

Sources of Discontent Residential Satisfaction of Tenants From an Internet Ratings Site

This article presents the first systematic analysis of residential satisfaction ratings from the largest consumer comment Web site for U.S. apartment residents, www.ApartmentRatings.com. Using the 464,281 tenant satisfaction ratings posted from January 1, 2000, to January 1, 2007, we examine the relative importance of seven core factors in determining tenant satisfaction: parking, noise level, landscaping, safety, building construction, office staff, and maintenance service. Cross tabulation, ordered logit, probit, and path analysis models all point to tenant relations with management office staff as the most influential factor in tenant satisfaction. The fact that the manager—tenant relationship exists for tenants but not for homeowners may help to explain why the gap in residential satisfaction between owners and renters persists even when controlling for other physical environmental characteristics.

Housing Dissatisfaction and Cognitive Decline in Older Adults

Analysis of a nationally representative, longitudinal survey of community-dwelling Americans older than 50 years of age indicated that rating the physical condition of ones dwelling unit as “poor” predicted significantly more rapid cognitive decline in subsequent years. This relationship persisted after controlling for a variety of factors such as wealth, income, education, health, family status, neighborhood safety, depression, and initial cognitive ability. Dissatisfaction with the physical conditions of ones housing may have a direct effect on the rate of cognitive decline in older adults. Addressing housing inadequacy for older adults may thus produce a wider range of societal benefits than previously realized.

An Analysis of Tenure and House Structure Type by Household Composition

This study examined the relation of household composition and characteristics with each of two variables, tenure status and structural type of residence. Past research related to tenure status has considered household composition and characteristics in a limited manner, and very little empirical work has addressed the relations of those variables with house structure type. The three structure types assessed were manufactured housing, multifamily site-built homes, and single-family site-built homes. The authors extended past research by considering more complicated household compositions and also identified the importance of knowing more complete information about all the residents of a home to understand both tenure and house structure type. Family composition and the presence of extended family members, an unmarried partner, and other unrelated individuals all explained di ferences in tenure and house structure type. The findings suggest the significance of family and household characteristics when understanding variations in tenure and house structure type.

Changes in Perceived Housing Quality Among Elderly Movers

Abstract This research focused on households headed by an older person who moved within a two-year period. Perceived changes in housing quality and the neighborhood characteristics were examined in order to further the understanding of the housing conditions that todays elderly face in the United States. Data from the American Housing Survey 1997 were used for this study. Overall, the findings suggest that the educational level of the household head, family size, reason for moving, reason for choosing the neighborhood, neighborhood rating, and tenure status before and after the relocation were associated with the variations in perceived change in housing quality after relocation. Physical neighborhood characteristics included in this study were not associated with the change in perceived housing quality.

Predisposing, Enabling, and Need Predictors of Community versus Institutional Long-Term Care

Abstract This research explored characteristics of the elderly that are associated with the use of long-term care services. Using the 1999 National Long Term Care Survey, logistic regression was employed to examine the relationship of race with the use of formal and informal long-term care. This study also examined the relationship of health insurance with the use of formal and informal long-term care. The Andersen Model on health services utilization was used as the theoretical framework. The findings indicated that race was not associated with the use of long-term care but rather with predisposing, enabling, and need variables. Health insurance was found to be associated with the use of long-term care even after controlling for predisposing enabling and need variables.

Rural Workforce Housing: Perceived Barriers and Incentives for Development

Abstract The lack of affordable housing has been perceived as a barrier for economic development in rural areas where there is a shortage of housing for the workforce. This article reported the results of a series of Town Hall meetings where workforce housing issues were discussed and the results of an e-mail survey of members of the Georgia Economic Developers Association (GEDA). The GEDA provided a statewide framework linking both public and private organizations with shared interests in economic development. Participants in the Town Hall meetings as well as the economic developers who responded to the survey were not convinced that housing is a key to economic development. Many of the respondents in both groups agreed that there was an inadequate supply of housing types. However, a substantial proportion in both groups thought that there was too much of certain housing types. Relatively high percentages in both groups were unaware of housing finance programs and other incentives to create workforce housing. Both groups identified several important challenges to developing rural workforce housing and felt that funds available to assist with the development of single family and multi-family housing were insufficient to meet current and future demand.