The Mediating Role of Sense of Control in the Associations Between Remote Contacts and Loneliness Among Older Adults.

This study explored whether a sense of control over social life mediated the associations between using remote contact (phone calls, letters/emails, social media) and loneliness for socially isolated older adults. We used path analysis with the 2014 and 2016 Health and Retirement Study datasets ( = 3767). Results showed that more frequent phone calls and letters/emails were associated with lower levels of loneliness through sense of control.

Assessing opportunities and inequities in undergraduate ecological forecasting education.

Conducting ecological research in a way that addresses complex, real-world problems requires a diverse, interdisciplinary and quantitatively trained ecology and environmental science workforce. This begins with equitably training students in ecology, interdisciplinary science, and quantitative skills at the undergraduate level. Understanding the current undergraduate curriculum landscape in ecology and environmental sciences allows for targeted interventions to improve equitable educational opportunities.

"The Real Impacts That AAAs are Making:" Developing Measures of Area Agency on Aging Success.

The more than 600 Area Agencies on Aging (AAAs) throughout the U.S. are as diverse as the communities they serve, making it challenging to establish indicators of success that are not simply compliance-focused.

It's Time We Looked Under the Hood: An In-Depth Examination of Five Public California Area Agencies on Aging.

Background And Objectives: As the older adult population grows, it is important to understand the effectiveness of service delivery systems that support aging in place. Studying service delivery processes and organizational structures of Area Agencies on Aging (AAAs) is essential for future efforts to understand service delivery outcomes and innovations.

Research Design And Methods: We conducted site visits with 5 government-run California AAAs.

Older Americans' Perceptions of the Federal Government's Pandemic Response: Voices From the COVID-19 Coping Study.

There is limited understanding of how older adults evaluated the federal government's COVID-19 response, despite their increased health risks during the pandemic and their important role in politics. We conducted qualitative thematic analysis on a nationally representative subsample of respondents aged 55+ from the COVID-19 Coping Study ( = 500) who were asked: "How do you feel about federal government responses to and handling of the COVID-19 pandemic?" Analyses identified largely negative opinions about the federal government and former President Trump's leadership, though some were neutral or positive. Participants expressed concerns that the federal government was undermining science, and that sending mixed messages about personal protective equipment and masks was dangerous.