Christine A. Mair

Psychological well-being of the institutionalized and community-residing oldest old in China: The role of children

Studies have shown that institutionalized older adults have worse psychological health than their community-residing counterparts. However, much less is known about this association in developing countries such as China with a rapidly aging population and a short history of institutional care. This article investigates the role of children in differences in psychological well-being between institutionalized and community-residing oldest-old adults in China. Using national data from the 1998, 2000, and 2002 waves of the Chinese Longitudinal Healthy Longevity Survey, results show that the institutionalized have significantly better psychological health-measured by positive affect, loneliness, and quality of life-than those living in the community. Furthermore, we find that the associations are moderated by child-related factors (number of children, proximity, and visits) and strengthened for the three measures of psychological well-being after adjustments for socioeconomic factors, social support, health behaviors, and health status. The results underscore the importance of family dynamics for the psychological health of the institutionalized population in a historically family-care oriented society.

Racial disparities in urologist visits among elderly men with prostate cancer: a cohort analysis of patient-related and county of residence-related factors.

Factors contributing to the lower likelihood of urologist follow‐up among African American (AA) men diagnosed with prostate cancer may not be strictly related to patient factors. The authors investigated the relationship between crime, poverty, and poor housing, among others, and postdiagnosis urologist visits among AA and white men.

European Older Adults’ Social Activity Networks in National Context: A Cross-National Exploration of National Cultural, Policy, and Economic Characteristics

Previous sociological and gerontological research documents the benefits of social ties for older adults. By integrating literature on linked lives, activity theory, and social networks, I suggest the concept of a “social activity network” (SAN), which is a broad network composed of activity-related ties and family network ties. Studies of older adults’ social activity networks cross-nationally reveal regional and national differences. Scholars suggest that variation in older adults’ ties may reflect cultural, economic, and policy differences between nations. Few studies, however, specifically examine the potential contextualizing role of national culture and economy/policy using empirical cross-national measures. In this chapter, I combine data from six sources including the Survey of Health, Ageing, and Retirement in Europe (SHARE), World Values Survey (WVS), European Values Study (EVS), Organization for Economic Cooperation and Development (OECD), World Bank (WB), and United Nations (UN). Utilizing this unique combination of data, I empirically document cross-national patterns in European older adults’ social activity networks and discuss broadly the potential of such publicly available national measures for the study of European older adults’ social lives in multiple contexts.

Cross-National Patterns of Social Capital Accumulation Network Resources and Aging in China, Taiwan, and the United States

Cultural and institutional context has the potential to moderate life course patterns of social interaction and network connectivity, yet few have attempted to empirically assess this claim. Contrasting collectivist versus individualistic cultural traditions, as well as socialist versus capitalist institutions, we develop and test a set of propositions regarding age-based variation in daily contact, occupational connections, and organizational memberships in China, Taiwan, and the United States. Analyses from cross-sectional survey data reveal how the cultural and institutional differences help structure access to social capital across age. Specifically, the data show how social capital accumulation in the individualistic societies is facilitated by employment and civic institutions, whereas family institutions form the basis for social capital accumulation in collectivist societies.