Influence of Late Life Stressors on the Decisions of Older Women to Relocate into Congregate Senior Housing

Late-life stressors often require individuals to make substantial alterations in behavior and lifestyle and can affect their overall health and well-being. Relocation is a significant life stress, regardless of age. The primary aim of this study is to elucidate the push-pull factors associated with moving into congregate senior housing. The secondary aim is to investigate the decision-making processes and stresses associated with moving into a congregate living environment. Interviews were conducted with 26 women who were new residents in congregate senior housing. Relocation, as expected, was considered to be stressful, although individual differences were found among perceptions of relocation stresses. Women who had made the decision to relocate on their own showed evidence of better psychosocial well-being at the time of the move. One-quarter of the sample chose to move to provide care to another person. As the options for senior housing continue to evolve and the number of adults reaching advanced age continues to increase, it is important to understand the factors that contribute to successful adaptation. This knowledge will enable facility administrators to implement programs and procedures to assist incoming residents with acclimating to their new homes.     

The Role of Marital Status and Age on Men’s and Women’s Reactions to Touch from a Relational Partner

Prior research has consistently documented differences between men’s and women’s reactions to being touched by other people. One of the more interesting findings in this literature is the apparent role of marital status in dramatically altering these sex differences in reactions to intimate touch. Unmarried men tend to respond more favorably to intimate touch than unmarried women do, but this difference is reversed among married people. However, research that documented this effect has potentially confounded marital status with age. Participants in this investigation were 305 adults, ranging in age from 18–69. They completed an extensive survey of their reactions to touch to various body regions from a significant other. Results indicated that men had uniformly more positive reactions to intimate touch than women did. For non-intimate touch, the sexes were more comparable in their reactions. This investigation once again documented a disordinal sex by marital status interaction. Unmarried men had generally more positive reactions to touch than unmarried women did and this pattern was reversed among married participants. When statistically controlling for participants’ age, these interactions were still evident.     

Housing Governance and Senses of Home in Older Age: The Provider Scale

Extensive research examines senses of home in aging, focusing on built and care environments. In parallel, a body of work examines housing governance, reviewing degrees of resident satisfaction. However, there is little crossover between this work, with governance research only rarely considering senses of home. This article argues for attention to the interconnections between provider-scale housing governance and senses of home in older age, arguing that governance mechanisms structure the housing context and provide the framework through which home is experienced and lived. Through a case study of a small, affordable housing community in Sydney, Australia, it shows that housing governance can profoundly shape senses of home in aging, both contributing to and diminishing senses of home. Further, it points to a connection between housing governance and housing design with different housing typologies associated with different aging bodies and forms of management practice, with profound implications for residents' senses of home.     

Marital Status and Problem Gambling Among Australian Older Adults: The Mediating Role of Loneliness

Problem gambling rates in older adults have risen dramatically in recent years and require further investigation. Limited available research has suggested that social needs may motivate gambling and hence problem gambling in older adults. Un-partnered older adults may be at greater risk of problem gambling than those with a partner. The current study explored whether loneliness mediated the marital status–problem gambling relationship, and whether gender moderated the mediation model. It was hypothesised that the relationship between being un-partnered and higher levels of loneliness would be stronger for older men than older women. A community sample of Australian men (n = 92) and women (n = 91) gamblers aged from 60 to 90 years (M = 69.75, SD = 7.28) completed the UCLA Loneliness Scale and the Problem Gambling Severity Index. The results supported the moderated mediation model, with loneliness mediating the relationship between marital status and problem gambling for older men but not for older women. It appears that felt loneliness is an important predictor of problem gambling in older adults, and that meeting the social and emotional needs of un-partnered men is important.     

The Relationship Among the Material Welfare,Maternity, and Marital Status of Women in the State of Georgia

Childbearing among unmarried women has been the subject of intense public health debate for decades, reflecting concerns about the impact on family structure and the economic security of born children. This report analyzes 2007 data from the OASIS, the website of the Division of Public Health of the Georgia Department of Community Health. Significant inverse correlations were recorded among the counties' median household income on one side and birth rate (r = –.239, p < .01), percentage of all births from unmarried mothers (r = –.679, p < .001), and percentage of all births from mothers with less than a 12th-grade education (r = –.488, p < .001). We believe that creating a network of maternity education and support programs across the state of Georgia that works under centralized supervision from a maternity committee could help alleviate the negative effect of median household income on nonmarital birth and decrease regional disparities related to nonmarital births.     

Marriage,Marital History,and Black – White Wealth Differentials Among Older Women

This study investigated the impact of union history and marital transitions on wealth inequality between older Black and White women (N = 7,026). Cohort data from the Health and Retirement Study show large and increasing Black – White differences in wealth. Marital and relationship histories are associated with the wealth accumulation process among older women. Women who married and stay married accumulated levels of wealth that exceeded those of other women with disrupted family lives. The marriage – wealth nexus is sensitive to a woman's position in the wealth distribution. Quantile regression results revealed that racial differences in total wealth holdings between Black and White women exist throughout the wealth distribution, whereas the relationship between current union history and wealth differentials is significant at the lower tail and middle of the distribution. Decomposition analyses highlighted the nontrivial role of racial disparities in marital histories in accounting for the racial wealth gap. As members of the baby boom generation enter their retirement years, it will be more important than ever to monitor the wealth accumulation process among older single and racial/ethnic minority women.     

Reexamining the Association of Maternal Age and Marital Status at First Birth With Youth Educational Attainment

We reexamined the association of maternal age and marital status at birth with youth high school completion using data from the Children and Young Adult sample of the 1979 National Longitudinal Survey of Youth and giving attention to multiple age categories and race and ethnic variations. Youth born to older teen mothers were no more likely to graduate from high school than those born to the youngest teen mothers. Although delaying childbirth to young adulthood was associated with greater odds of children's high school completion when compared with the earliest teen births, those born to young adult mothers were disadvantaged when compared with those born to mothers aged 25 years or older. Being born to an unmarried mother was associated with lower odds of high school completion. We found no evidence that maternal age at birth more strongly predicted high school graduation for White compared with Latino and Black youth.     

从“越南新娘”现象看大龄青年婚姻现状

由于中越两国经济发展水平和人口性别比例的差异,许多越南女青年渴望嫁入中国,而中国大量适婚男青年面临婚配难的问题,于是"越南新娘"在国内婚介市场中非法占据了一席之地,并导致了骗婚、逃婚、人口贩卖等一系列社会乱象。"越南新娘"现象与国内大龄青年问题密不可分,只有认真分析两者之间的联系,从改变结婚的不良风气入手,切实解决大龄青年问题,才能有效地治理"越南新娘"现象。     

Marital Happiness,Divorce Status and Partner Differences in Attributions About Communication Behavior

According lo the egocentric attribution in marriage. spouses take more responsibility for marital behaviors (giving compliments, ignoring the partner) than they give to their partners. On the other hand, evidence has also been found for a partner-centric attribution for positive behaviors in which individuals underestimate their own contributions. These attributions are examined as a function of communication behaviors discriminating: between four marital groups based on three levels of marital happiness (low, medium, high) and a divorced group. Partner differences were also examined. The analysis revealed effects for marital group and partner on the direction of communication attributions. For example, the divorced individuals ascribed more responsibility for dominance to their partners than moderate and low quality couples. There were gender differences in which the husbands made a partner-centric attribution in reporting that their wives were more likely to express feelings while the wives made an egocentric attribution for this behavior. The results are discussed in terms of the direction of cognitive inferences.     

Differences in Views of Family Life According to Age,Gender, and Parental Marital Status

A sample (N = 706) of children, adolescents, young adults, and older adults were surveyed with regard to their views of family. Young adults endorsed more nontraditional views than children and older adults and were more likely than other age groups to indicate that there is no best family type. Children and older adults were more likely than adolescents and young adults to endorse married or living together parents as the best family type. Women and respondents who had experienced parental divorce endorsed traditional views of family less strongly, but women also endorsed stronger expectations for their own family formation. Findings support the possibility of both developmental and sociocontextual influences on attitudes toward family life.     

The Availability of Adequate Housing for Older People:

Part of the strength of the arguments posed by housing advocates for the elderly rests on why the elderly merit special attention. Using two indicators of housing need, physical adequacy and affordability, the elderly are shown to be relatively less well-off than the nonelderly both at a point in time and persistently over time. A review of the federal government's response to the elderly's housing needs suggests that the number of households in need will continue to outdistance the number of households who actually receive assistance.     

Exploring the Relationship between Secularity and Marital Behavior

The higher religiosity of women is a longstanding feature of the religious landscape in the Western World. With the recent vibrancy of secular movements, the greater religiosity of women is reflected in a gender imbalance within the secular groups. For instance, more than three quarters of American atheists are male. Given the effects of both religiosity and secularity on worldview and lifestyle, this gender imbalance is likely consequential for marital behavior and outcomes. Using the latest cycle of the Canadian General Social Survey focused on family, this paper examines how marital behavior of individuals without any tie with religion or spirituality compares with others. Secular males are found appreciably more likely to experience marital dissolution, whereas their female counterparts are shown no different from others. This result lends support to the theories that posit religiosity as a complementary marital trait, requiring the mating of the like. The analysis also indicates that union formation behavior of secular females manifests a larger shift away from the traditional conceptions of marriage compared with secular males. Various explanations are explored.     

The Impact of Gender and Marital Status on Attitudes and Responses to Unemployment

The study examined differences in job search intensity, attitudes toward unemployment, and related responses among a sample of Israelis, based on gender and marital status (single vs. married). The findings indicate that gender-based differences were greater than those based on marital status. Regarding the impact of gender, women were more likely than men to reject jobs because of conflict with family responsibilities or unsuitable working conditions. Both men and women mentioned gender atypical characteristics of occupations as a reason for rejecting employement, although this tendency was especially prevalent among married women. Women also reported more stress reactions and decline in health as an outcome of unemployment. Regarding the impact of marital status, married men tended to seek jobs more intensively than respondents in the other research groups. Single respondents of both sexes were more likely than their married counterparts to view unemployment as a personal advantage because it gives them more time to themselves. Moreover, married respondents of both sexes were more likely to reject job offers because of conflict with family responsibilities or unsuitable working conditions. In light of the findings, practical recommendations for counselors are provided.     

Self-Defined Retirement Status and Engagement in Paid Work among Older Working-Age Women: Comparison between Childless Women and Mothers

Utilizing data from the 1992–1994 Health and Retirement Study (HRS), this paper examines the question of whether three groups of older working-age women—childless women, mothers with at least one child at home or temporarily away at school, and mothers with all their children living away from home—were different or similar in their likelihood of retirement and their actual work status. The results show that the childless group and the child-not-at-home group were more likely than the child-at-home group to define themselves as retired, although the three groups were equally likely to engage in paid work activities. Both early childbearing history and ongoing parental financial obligations appear to influence women's willingness to assume a retiree versus a nonretiree status. The findings may reflect an emerging trend of retirement being a status symbol rather than a marker of complete cessation from the world of work.     

The Needs of Older Persons at Risk of Housing Loss

This chapter explores the implications of some of the earlier findings about elders at risk, especially the significance of social support, mental competence, and income. There is need for research exploring consumer perspectives and preferences, as well as agency constraints and flexibility. Services needed include health and mental health outreach, home maintenance and creative matching of natural helpers and formal care. Fundamentally, a national commitment is needed to "housing for all."     

The Impact of Paternity and Marital Status on Low Birth Weight and Preterm Births

In the United States the number of births to unmarried mothers is at a record high. Although being unmarried is a significant risk factor for low birth weight and preterm births, paternal presence may have a protective effect. In addition to marital status, paternity may be a proxy measure for paternal support. Virginia birth registry data were analyzed to investigate the effect of marital and paternity status on low birth weight and preterm births. Findings from this study show that women who reported being unmarried and with no paternity status were 1.6 (odds ratio = 1.57, 95% confidence interval = 1.41–1.75) and 1.4 (odds ratio = 1.39, 95% confidence interval = 1.21–1.61) times more likely to have preterm low birth weight and term low birth weight babies, respectively. Being unmarried and lack of established paternity appear to be significantly correlated with and may be important risk factors for preterm and low birth weight deliveries. Health care professionals should be aware of the potential role of paternal presence and marital status may play with respect to preterm births and low birth weight.     

The Effects of Children, Dual Earner Status, Sex Role Traditionalism, and Marital Structure on Marital Happiness Over Time

In this study, the link between marital happiness and the advent of children is demonstrated, accounting for dual earner status, sex role traditionalism, and marital structure. A subset of 1,275 respondents from a longitudinal data set (Marital Instability Over the Life Course: A Three Wave Panel Study, 1980–1988) whom remained married through the 3 waves was used to compare the level of marital happiness of respondents who added children between waves to those who did not. Although the addition of children negatively affected marital structure and thus indirectly lowered marital happiness, results showed children also had positive counterbalancing direct effects. Dual-earner status, income, and sex role nontraditionalism were shown to mitigate the negative effects of children on marital happiness.     

Disentangling the Relationship Between Age and Marital History in Age-Assortative Mating

Many scholars have noted that divorcees have age-assortative mating patterns distinct from the never-married. Similarly, comparisons between older and younger individuals indicate that hypergamy becomes increasingly likely with age. Unfortunately, prior research has not been able to disentangle the effects of age from the effect of divorce. Using data from the National Longitudinal Survey of Youth 1979 cohort (n = 12,231 for first marriage and 4,298 for remarriage) and heterogeneous choice models, this research predicted the likelihood of age homogamy and hypergamy as a function of age, marital history, and other factors. The results indicate that homogamy is largely an age-driven phenomena, where the never-married and previously married have similar patterns. However, the likelihood of hypergamy is higher for the previously married, even after accounting for the influence of age in the models.