Timothy S. Killian

Life Course Transitions and Depressive Symptoms among Women in Midlife

This study examined the relationship between three midlife transitions and depressive symptoms among 952 women 50 to 59 years of age. Using longitudinal data from women interviewed for the 1992 and 2000 Health and Retirement Study, the study described changes in marital status, change to a parental caregiving role, and changes in perceived health across the eight years. Further, it examined the impact of these changes on mental health. The findings indicate that becoming widowed, becoming a caregiver, and perceiving health declines significantly increased depressive symptoms in the year 2000, even when controlling for pre-transition levels of depressive symptoms. The findings are consistent with the lifecourse perspective that individual development occurs in context and across the lifespan. The findings confirm and add to current midlife research literature.

Perceptions of the Impact of Intergenerational Programming on the Physical Well-Being of Participants in Adult Day Services

This research article uses qualitative analysis to examine perceptions held by participants of adult day services about the impact of intergenerational programming on their physical well-being. During analysis two typologies, contact and engaged, emerge based on levels of involvement. The members of these two groups perceive the effects of intergenerational programming on their physical well-being differently.

Mom's House? Dad's House? Attitudes Toward Physical Custody Changes

Normative beliefs regarding postdivorce changes in the physical custody of children were examined. Four hundred and eighty randomly selected adults responded to a vignette about a divorced couple and their 16-year-old child. Conditions in the vignette included child gender, legal custody arrangements, and marital status. Quantitative and open-ended data were collected. Several themes emerged: (a) the parenting ability and lifestyle of fathers are suspect, (b) fathers are more obligated to sons than to daughters, (c) mothers are more obligated than fathers to take their children in when the children want to move, and (d) childrens motivations for changing residences are important considerations. Implications for future research and legal custody decisions are discussed.

Emergency Preparedness of Persons Over 50 Years Old: Further Results From the Health and Retirement Study.

OBJECTIVE This article conceptualized emergency preparedness as a complex, multidimensional construct and empirically examined an array of sociodemographic, motivation, and barrier variables as predictors of levels of emergency preparedness. METHODS The authors used the 2010 wave of the Health and Retirement Studys emergency preparedness module to focus on persons 50 years old and older in the United States by use of logistic regression models and reconsidered a previous analysis. RESULTS The models demonstrated 3 key findings: (1) a lack of preparedness is widespread across virtually all sociodemographic variables and regions of the country; (2) an authoritative voice, in the role of health care personnel, was a strong predictor of preparedness; and (3) previous experience in helping others in a disaster predisposes individuals to be better prepared. Analyses also suggest the need for caution in creating simple summative indexes and the need for further research into appropriate measures of preparedness. CONCLUSION This population of older persons was generally not well prepared for emergencies, and this lack of preparedness was widespread across social, demographic, and economic groups in the United States. Findings with implications for policy and outreach include the importance of health care providers discussing preparedness and the use of experienced peers for outreach. (Disaster Med Public Health Preparedness. 2017;11:80-89).

Leisure, Relatedness, and Ill-Being among Older Adults in Long-Term Care

ABSTRACT A self-determination theoretical framework was applied to examine the relationship between leisure activity engagement and ill-being (depression and health) and the mediating role of relatedness, measured as social support, among older adults in long-term care (N = 110). Results from the latent variable structural equation models suggest that, when controlling for functional status, participating in leisure activities was related to lower ill-being. This relationship was mediated by social support, such that activity engagement facilitated relatedness and relatedness was associated with improved mental and physical health. Discussion of the importance of leisure activities and social support as well as intervention implications are included.

Engaging Graduate-Level Distance Learners in Research: A Collaborative Investigation of Rural Aging

Online educational programs pose challenges to nonresidential graduate students for whom research is a key professional development experience. In this article, the authors share their pedagogical approach to engaging graduate-level online distance learners in research. Five students enrolled in an online master’s degree program participated in a directed research course designed to facilitate a semester-long, collaborative, hands-on research experience in gerontology. As such, students recruited participants and conducted phone interviews for a multisite study examining aging in place in rural areas. Several strategies were used to facilitate student engagement and learning, including: regular meetings with faculty mentors, creation of a research team across institutions, interactive training, and technological tools to aid in communication. The authors discuss the process of implementing the project, challenges that arose, strategies for dealing with these issues, and a pedagogical framework that could be used to guide future endeavors of this type.

Perceived Obligations of Remarried Households to Provide Financial Assistance to Younger Family Members

Abstract The purpose of this study was to examine perceived obligations of stepparents to provide financial assistance to adult stepchildren. Building on previous research, this study examined both contextual and ideological variables that may be related to perceptions of normative obligations. College student participants (N = 218) perceived higher levels of obligations to adult stepchildren whose financial need was not their fault as compared to adult stepchildren who were perceived as responsible for having financial needs. Also, perceptions of obligations were negatively related to ideologies consistent with traditional beliefs about marriage and with familism. This study highlights the need for more research and the need for policymakers to attend to how diversity in family structures is likely related to differences in intergenerational transfers.

Stories after disaster survival: Preparing, heeding warnings, and self-reliance

OBJECTIVE The purpose of the study was to examine the content of stories told by people personally impacted by disasters. DESIGN Semistructured, qualitative interviews. SETTING Northwest part of a mid-south state. PARTICIPANTS Fourteen disaster survivors who were recruited through their attendance at an emergency preparedness-related fair. MAIN OUTCOME MEASURES Interview schedule based on previous research using the family resilience framework. RESULTS Three themes emerged: prior emergency preparation, heeding warnings of impending disaster, and rural self-reliance. CONCLUSIONS Participants had made prior emergency preparedness plans, but their personal experiences led to them adjusting their plans, or making more relevant plans for future disasters. Participants expressed the importance of sharing their experiences with family and community members, expressing hope that others would learn, vicariously rather than first-hand, from their experiences.