Can countries shape the association between cumulative adversity and old-age health?

Introduction: The present study examined the relationships of Lifetime Cumulative Adversity (LCA) and country inequalities, as well as the interactions between them, with the self-rated health (SRH) in old age.

Methods: Using data from the Survey of Health, Aging and Retirement in Europe (SHARE), the study regressed self-rated health on Lifetime Cumulative Adversity and country-level inequality indices across European countries in two points in time. The analysis also considered adversity-inequality interactions, controlling for confounders.

Emotional distress and posttraumatic growth during the COVID-19 pandemic: The case of the ultra-Orthodox Jewish society in Israel.

Objective: The COVID-19 pandemic has been associated with a range of negative responses, including emotional distress, as well as with positive changes, such as posttraumatic growth (PTG). Among the vulnerability factors the literature lists SES and being part of a minority group. The aim of this study is to identify patterns of responses among the ultra-Orthodox Jewish society in Israel, in terms of both emotional distress (anxiety and depression) and multiple dimensions of PTG.

The Interplay of Personality Traits and Social Network Characteristics in the Subjective Well-Being of Older Adults.

Using data from the Survey of Health, Ageing and Retirement in Europe, we regressed three well-being measures (CASP, life satisfaction and Euro-D depressive symptoms) on indicators of personality and social network. Personality was indicated by the Big-Five personality traits, while social network was measured in terms of size, contact frequency and emotional closeness. The analysis also considered personality-network interactions, controlling for confounders.

Does personality shape the personal social networks of older Europeans?

Unlabelled: The aim of the study was to clarify whether personality traits predict the structure, function and quality of egocentric confidant networks in later life. Data were drawn from Waves 7 and 8 of the Survey of Health, Ageing and Retirement in Europe (SHARE) ( = 39,172) We regressed network size, contact frequency and network satisfaction on the Big-5 personality traits, using a single path analysis structure, controlling for country, sociodemographic background and health status. The findings showed that the personality traits were related to the social network outcomes, but their effect was modest and less predictive than the contextual factors.

Lifetime cumulative adversity and physical health deterioration in old age: Evidence from a fourteen-year longitudinal study.

Background: Although several studies have demonstrated the associations between lifetime cumulative adversity and late-life physical health, many of them were conducted at a single time point and examined events that occurred in childhood only. Less is known about the effect of lifelong adversity on the aging process over time. This study aimed to investigate the impact of cumulative adversity on the accelerated deterioration in health over time - mobility limitation and self-rated state of health in old age.

COVID-Related Concerns, the Need for Help, and Perceived Microaggression among Young Ultra-Orthodox Jewish Respondents in Israel.

Minority groups are especially vulnerable to the negative psychological and economic consequences of the COVID-19 pandemic. This study focused on one prominent minority group in Israel: ultra-Orthodox Jews. It examined the rate of exposure to COVID-19, adherence to COVID-19 mitigation guidelines, difficulties with adherence to COVID-19 guidelines, COVID-related concerns, financial hardships, the need for help, and microaggression during the first wave of the pandemic (April-May 2020).

Network-Exposure Severity and Self-Protective Behaviors: The Case of COVID-19.

Background And Objectives: To clarify whether awareness of the extent and severity of exposure to the coronavirus disease 2019 (COVID-19) in the social networks of older adults is related to the engagement by the latter in self-protective behaviors. The inquiry is guided by the Health Belief Model and by concepts from the domain of social networks.

Research Design And Methods: Data from the Survey of Health, Ageing and Retirement in Europe (SHARE) were used, including the SHARE COVID-19 Survey executed in the summer of 2020.

Network type, transition patterns and well-being among older Europeans.

Using SHARE data, this study was based on an earlier analysis that derived social network types among adults aged 65 and over in Europe. The current effort investigated the transitions that occurred across these network types after 4 years ( = 13,767). Four general network transition patterns were identified according to network type (close-family networks and other networks) and whether a network transition occurred.