Health and Self-Concept: Cause and Effect in Older Family and Work Roles

1. Health and Self-Concept: Cause and Effect in Older Family and Work Roles Elizabeth J. Mutran The Aging Exchange January 20th, 2004

2. What does it mean to think of oneself as old? Self is seen as Operating in a smaller, more personal environment. Having less influence in broader world scheme, with less personal influence and control. Feeling less �useful� than middle-aged persons. Having ability, in personal relationships and in one�s life, to run life much the way one wants. Feeling less bored than others might think with energy to do what one wants. Being personally useful to those around them.

3. How did health affect the self-concept? Poor health contributed to identifying as an older person; however, once one identified as being an older person, the subjective evaluation of health improved.

4. Are there similarities in the self-concept across the life cycle? Similarities Feelings of a lack of purposefulness Sense of excitement or interest for things in their lives Loneliness, a factor for both the young and older adult

5. Is there greater change or greater continuity in the self-concept? Needed considerations Salience�probability of acting in role Importance�personal significance of the role Centrality�relative importance of role Balance�significance attributed to all, some or one of roles.

6. Is there change or continuity in retirement? Self-esteem did not decline in retirement, not for men or women, not for whites or non-whites, and not for married or non-married, evidence of continuity. Those who retired were often less depressed than those who continued to work. Earlier self-esteem served as an initial reference point or benchmark in assessing self at a new stage in life.

7. What is the centrality or importance of other roles? Spouse, parent Status Commitment and consistency Friends, volunteer

8. Which gives more support, family or friends? Norms of mutual choice Norms of obligation

9. Established findings re: social support? Reduced Stress Emotional distress Mortality Heart Disease Improved Recovery from hip fracture Compliance in diabetes management

10. What did we find re: social support and widowhood? Good health, was associated with friendship support Friendship support affected the changes in health among both older married and widowed persons Evidence of a temporal dimension

11. Does family support contribute to well-being? Arguments: Friendship ties are chosen and based on similar values Modified extended family meant dependence Older person could no longer maintain their instrumental end of the social bargaining�role reversal

12. Proposed relationships re: intergenerational support activities

13. What did we find re: intergenerational activities? Elderly parents with more resources received less help. Older parents and parents in poor health gave less aid. When the marital relationship was intact exchanges with adult offspring had no effect on morale. For widowed, giving help increased negative affect, but receiving help reduced negative affect. Identification and use of adult offspring as a confidant increased the receiving and giving of help. Beyond the giving and receiving of help, parental role maintained a significant effect on well-being.

14. Are there racial differences? Steps to be taken include: Identifying limitations of the dichotomous measure African American/White or Nonwhites/Whites Defining what is meant by cultural differences Developing appropriate measures

15. What did we find re: cultural differences? Receiving help Race initially correlated with receiving help, but no longer predicted receiving help after controlling for SES. Older persons, especially those in poor health, widowed, children under 18 in the home, financially less well off, and women received more help. Giving help Race did affect the giving of help by older generation to the younger with African American elders giving more help. Among African Americans, those with the attitude that the younger generation deserved more respect assisted more. Among Whites, this attitude had no effect.

16. Center on Minority Aging Establish a mechanism for mentoring researchers for careers in research on the health of minority elders; Enhance diversity in the professional workforce conducting research on the health of minority elders; Evaluate/develop measurement tools tailored to minority aging population and; Develop and deploy strategies for recruiting and retaining older minority group members in epidemiological, psychosocial, and/or biomedical research.

17. Cores Administrative core�allocating pilot funds Gordon DeFriese, Victor Marshall Measurement/Methods core�develop and evaluate research tools Bob DeVellis, Peter Reed, Kristie Long Foley Investigator Development core�develop new and experienced investigators Sudha Shreeniwas, Sharon Williams, Mickey Dougherty, Phil Sloane, Sheryl Zimmerman, Jim Mitchell Community Core�develop liaisons with community, importance of NCCU John Hatch, Ted Parrish, Anthony Gachie, LaVerne Reid, Mary Hawkins

18. Thank you! These are a few of my favorite things: Enjoying my spouse Being a homemaker Volunteering at Sarah P. Duke Gardens (through RSVP) Volunteering at my church Participating in DILR�s book club and courses Reading Sewing Visiting and going for lunch