Global Gender Inequality, Older Women, and the Call for Change in the United States.

Gender inequality that persists through much of their lives, from birth through adulthood, impacts women and their quality of life in their later years. With some variation this holds true in every nation in the global community. In older adults, the most apparent indication of gender inequality-and a linchpin-is the disproportionate impoverishment of older women compared to older men.

Physical Activity and Health Among Native Hawaiian and other Pacific Islander Older Adults.

Native Hawaiian and other Pacific Islander (NHPI) older adults often experience social disadvantages and poor health outcomes. Physical activity has been associated with better health in other racial groups, but limited studies have examined these associations in NHPI older adults. Using data from the 2014 Native Hawaiian and Pacific Islander National Health Interview Survey ( = 1,045), logistic regression models examined associations between physical activity and memory/psychological distress/self-rated health.

Women's employment, work-life balance policies, and inequality across the life course: a comparative analysis of Japan, Sweden and the United States.

We draw from a number of theoretical perspectives and frameworks on the life course, age and gender scholarship to argue their value in furthering critical discussions on work-life balance policies and their contributions to women's employment and economic security in later life. Using OECD and other big data sets, we examine the patterns of women's employment over the life course in Japan, Sweden and the United States, as three illustrated cases of welfare states with different nation's work-life balance policies. We summarize findings before offering concluding thoughts to advocate for women's security in later life.

Neighborhood Social Cohesion and the Health of Native Hawaiian and Other Pacific Islander Older Adults.

Native Hawaiian and other Pacific Islander (NHPI) older adults experience various social and health challenges. There is a growing literature linking neighborhood conditions with health, yet few have focused on NHPI older adults. This study examines associations between neighborhood social cohesion and health outcomes (i.

Developing a culturally responsive dementia storybook with Native Hawaiian youth.

Similar to the nation's majority and racial/ethnic minority populations, Native Hawaiian families provide the bulk of care to loved ones with dementia. Limited research has focused on youth caregivers, who are largely invisible to the eldercare service system. This knowledge gap is especially critical for Native Hawaiians who place a high value on eldercare, often provided in multigenerational homes.

Healthy Life Expectancy in 2010 for Native Hawaiian, White, Filipino, Japanese, and Chinese Americans Living in Hawai'i.

Healthy life expectancy (HALE) varies substantially among countries, regions, and race/ethnicities. Utilizing the Sullivan method, this article examines HALE for Native Hawaiian, White, Filipino, Japanese, and Chinese Americans living in Hawai'i, the United States. HALE varies by sex and race/ethnicity.

Examining Long-Term Service and Support Needs and Preferences of Native Hawaiian Elders: A Mixed-Method Approach.

The Native Hawaiian population experiences numerous disparities in health and income. Using a mixed-method research (MMR) design, we summarize findings from three phases of an MMR approach used to uncover kūpuna (elder) long-term service and support (LTSS) needs and care preferences. Key informants in Hawaiian health were interviewed, secondary analyses of large state data sets were conducted, and kūpuna and "ohana (family) caregivers were engaged in listening sessions.

Disparities in Diabetes Prevalence Among Native Hawaiians/Other Pacific Islanders and Asians in Hawai'i.

Introduction: The prevalence of diabetes varies widely among racial/ethnic groups in Hawai'i. How prevalence varies by age for Asian subgroups and Native Hawaiian/Other Pacific Islanders (NHOPIs) is understudied. We examined diabetes prevalence by age and race/ethnicity and assessed how socioeconomic status and lifestyle behaviors affected prevalence among Japanese, Filipino, Chinese, NHOPI, and white populations in Hawai'i.

Depression among older Japanese Americans: The impact of functional (ADL & IADL) and cognitive status.

Purpose: The objective of this article is to investigate the relationship between activities of daily living, instrumental activities of daily living, cognitive impairment, and depression among Japanese American elders.

Methods: A cross-sectional study of 207 older Japanese Americans (68 years and older) was conducted in Los Angeles, California and Honolulu, Hawaii. Independent variables included activities of daily living, instrumental activities of daily living, and cognitive functioning.

Away from the Islands: Diaspora's Effects on Native Hawaiian Elders and Families in California.

Native Hawaiians, the indigenous people of Hawai'i, were once a healthy and hardy people. But today they are affected by varying social and health disparities that have led to poor social and health outcomes. Most of the research on Hawaiians in general and Native Hawaiian elders in particular has been conducted in Hawai'i, even though the Hawaiian Diaspora has resulted in 45% of this population residing in North America and Alaska.

Subjective Well-Being in Older Chinese and Korean Immigrants in the United States: Effects of Self-Rated Health and Employment Status.

This study examined the effects of association between self-rated health and employment status on subjective well-being among older Chinese and Korean immigrants in the United States. Data were collected from 171 Chinese and 205 Korean older adult immigrants living in Los Angeles County. The primary variables included demographic data, subjective index of well-being, self-rated health, and employment status.

United States Indigenous Populations and Dementia: Is There a Case for Culture-based Psychosocial Interventions?

Dementia is an issue of increasing importance in indigenous populations in the United States. We begin by discussing what is known about dementia prevalence and elder family caregiving in American Indian, Alaska Native, and Native Hawaiian populations. We briefly highlight examples of culture-based programming developed to address a number of chronic diseases and conditions that disproportionately affect these communities.

Native Hawaiian and Pacific Islander Elders: What Gerontologists Should Know.

Native Hawaiian and other Pacific Islanders (NHOPI) experience significant health disparities compared with other racial groups in the United States. Lower life expectancy has resulted in small proportions of elders in the population distribution of NHOPI, yet the number of NHOPI elders is growing. This article presents data on NHOPI elders and discusses possible reasons for continuing health disparities, including historical trauma, discrimination, changing lifestyle, and cultural values.

Listening to the voices of native Hawaiian elders and ‘ohana caregivers: discussions on aging, health, and care preferences.

Native Hawaiians, the indigenous people of Hawai’i, are affected by varying social and health disparities that result in high prevalence of chronic disease, early onset of disability, and shorter life expectancy compared to other ethnic groups in Hawai’i. Six listening meetings were conducted, involving 41 community-dwelling kūpuna (Native Hawaiian elders) and ‘ohana (family) caregivers to investigate health and care preferences that offer the potential for improving well-being in later life for Native Hawaiian elders. As background, we provide three explanatory perspectives and theories—life course perspective, minority stress theory, and historical trauma—that guided the design of this study and provided the study’s context.

Research on indigenous elders: from positivistic to decolonizing methodologies.

Although indigenous peoples have lower life expectancies than the social majority populations in their countries, increasing numbers of indigenous people are living into old age. Research on indigenous elders is informed by a number of research traditions. Researchers have mined existing data sets to compare characteristics of indigenous populations with non-indigenous groups, and these findings have revealed significant disparities experienced by indigenous elders.

Advancing research in transitional care: challenges of culture, language and health literacy in Asian American and native Hawaiian elders.

Recent federal policy supports an individual's preference for home and community-based long-term care, even among nursing home residents. Optimizing transitions from the nursing home to home is a complex undertaking that requires addressing the interrelationships between health literacy and cultural-linguistic factors in the nation's increasingly diverse older adult population. We look at four Asian American and Pacific Islander elder populations to illustrate that differing health profiles and cultural-linguistic values can affect the type of care and support needed and preferred.

Why Are Native Hawaiians Underrepresented in Hawai'i's Older Adult Population? Exploring Social and Behavioral Factors of Longevity.

Native Hawaiians comprise 24.3% of Hawai'i's population, but only 12.6% of the state's older adults.

Eldercare in a Filipino community: older women's attitudes toward caregiving and service use.

Focus group research on elderly Filipino women living in the United States yields preliminary findings regarding their attitudes toward caregiving and formal service use. Filipino cultural values and the economic challenges attributed to their immigration status were perceived to be the greatest strengths and challenges in caring for the aged. Results identify generally positive attitudes toward formal service use and governmental assistance.

Using a community-based participatory approach to create a resource center for Native Hawaiian elders.

Context: Historically, Native Hawaiian elders have been recognized as the major sources of wisdom and transmitters of knowledge and training to younger generations. Yet, concerns exist today for these elders who experience shorter life expectancies, poorer health and greater disability than elders in other ethnic groups in Hawai;i.

Objective: We describe Hā Kūpuna: National Resource Center for Native Hawaiian Elders, established at the University of Hawaii to address disparate health and improve the access and delivery of services to these elders.

Adversity and resiliency in the lives of Native Hawaiian elders.

Native Hawaiians constitute 401,000 or 0.1 percent of the total U.S.

Immigration and the direct long-term care workforce: implications for education and policy.

The escalating demand for trained direct long-term care (DLTC) workers, those individuals with the most sustained direct contact with vulnerable older adults in homes and facilities, is a consequence of our rapidly aging population. Research documents the present and projected shortages of DLTC workers, and developed nations are increasingly turning to immigrant women to fulfill these workforce needs. The authors identify international trends that influence the availability of these workers.

Globalization, women's migration, and the long-term-care workforce.

With the aging of the world's population comes the rising need for qualified direct long-term-care (DLTC) workers (i.e., those who provide personal care to frail and disabled older adults).