Evaluating the Psychometric Properties of the Revised Attitudes Toward Research Scale for Use with MSW Students.

Purpose: Evaluating students' attitudes toward research is essential for instructors of any research methods class, as students' general attitudes toward research may impact if and how they integrate research into practice decision making. However, few psychometrically sound, multidimensional instruments that can be used with Master of Social Work (MSW) students exist.

Materials And Methods: This work used confirmatory factor analysis to evaluate the psychometric properties of the Revised Attitudes Toward Research Scale with a diverse sample of 396 master's level social work students.

Well-Being Outcomes from the Delivery of , a Group Activity Intervention Using Nature-Focused Livestream Broadcasts.

Group activities and connection with nature are associated with improved well-being for older adults. This quasi-experiment tests the effectiveness of , an innovative program of group activities using nature-focused livestream broadcasts. Assisted living residents in the experimental group ( = 16) lived in buildings that received programming twice a week for 3 months.

Sociodemographic Factors Associated With Using eHealth for Information Seeking in the United States: Cross-Sectional Population-Based Study With 3 Time Points Using Health Information National Trends Survey Data.

Background: Despite the potential benefits of using eHealth, sociodemographic disparities exist in eHealth use, which threatens to further widen health equity gaps. The literature has consistently shown age and education to be associated with eHealth use, while the findings for racial and ethnic disparities are mixed. However, previous disparities may have narrowed as health care interactions shifted to web-based modalities for everyone because of the COVID-19 pandemic.

Transportation, Routine Activities, and Unmet Travel Needs Among Older Vietnamese Immigrants in the United States.

Introduction: Transportation barriers can affect travel needs and quality of life.

Methods: This survey examined transportation, routine activities, and unmet travel needs among older Vietnamese immigrants, focusing on gender differences.

Results: Women were more likely to ride with others, less likely to drive, had fewer types of routine activities, and went out for activities less than men.

Life-Space Mobility, Transportation, and the Companionship Network of Members of a Hispanic Senior Center.

Objectives: Companions (i.e., friends who spend time together) are important for the well-being of older adults.

The Risk for Loneliness and Major Depression among Solo Agers.

Solo agers may be vulnerable to social isolation and mental health sequelae, particularly if they lack close family or friendship ties. This study examined associations among indicators of solo aging, frequency of loneliness, and Major Depressive Disorder among adults aged 60+. Depressed participants were diagnosed by a geriatric psychiatrist and control participants were not depressed.

Recruitment and Data Collection Challenges of Research Focused on Older Adults and Family Caregivers from Asian American Communities: A Case Study Series.

Objectives: The purpose of this case study series was to present recruitment and data collection strategies used for Asian American ethnic groups by documenting challenges experienced by researchers in the field of aging.

Summary: We compiled four case studies investigating Asian American older adults and/or family caregivers (i.e.

Community-clinic linkages for promoting HIV prevention: organizational networks for PrEP client referrals and collaborations.

Community-clinic linkages may help communities increase HIV pre-exposure prophylaxis (PrEP) uptake. Referrals from community-based organizations may be particularly important for linking Black men who have sex with men (MSM) to PrEP. This study describes PrEP referral and HIV/STI prevention networks among organizations that serve MSM in Houston, TX (= 40), and Chicago, IL (= 28), and compares network positions of organizations based on percentage of Black/African American clients.

Social Networks in an Assisted Living Community: Correlates of Acquaintance and Companionship Ties Among Residents.

Objectives: Social relationships are important for older adults' well-being, including those who live in assisted living (AL) communities. This study explores coresident networks within an AL community and identifies factors associated with residents' social ties.

Methods: Acquaintance and companionship networks within the community are described using cross-sectional survey data (N = 38).

Examining Racial and Ethnic Disparities Among Older Adults in Long-Term Care Facilities.

Background And Objectives: The purpose of this project was to examine individual-level ethnic and racial differences and facility-level differences in types of complaints and rates of complaint resolution in a local long-term care ombudsman program.

Research Design And Methods: We employed a mixed-methods sequential explanatory design. First, we analyzed secondary complaint data based on residents' race and ethnicity (n = 464) and facility characteristics (n = 101).

Network Modeling of Assisted Living Facility Residents' Attendance at Programmed Group Activities: Proximity and Social Contextual Correlates of Attendance.

Background And Objectives: Social engagement, including participation in group activities, supports older adults' mental and physical health. However, many residents of assisted living facilities do not participate in their facility's programmed group activities. Explaining residents' attendance at group activities is complex; attendance is associated with a confluence of individual-level and contextual factors.

Supports and gaps in federal policy for addressing racial and ethnic disparities among long-term care facility residents.

Older adults from racial and ethnic minority groups are likely to face disparities in their health as well as care experiences in long-term care facilities such as nursing homes and assisted living facilities just as they do in the United States as a whole. Policymakers in the United States face concerns around long-term services and supports to address the growing demands of a rapidly aging population through public and private sector initiatives. It is important to create inclusive and culturally responsive environments to meet the needs of diverse groups of older adults.

Using Social Network Analysis to Assess Professional Network Development among AGE Pre-Dissertation Fellowship Program Participants.

Professional networks are important for the success of doctoral students and early career faculty members, yet there is little research about what types of experiences help emerging scholars develop these networks. Social network analysis may be an ideal method for studying the effectiveness of training programs in nurturing network development among emerging scholars. We describe one application of this method, which was used to examine the professional networks formed through participation in the Association of Gerontological Education in Social Work (AGESW)'s Pre-Dissertation Fellowship Program (PDFP).

Turning Doctoral Students into Faculty in Gerontological Social Work: The AGE Experience.

Developing faculty interested in aging may help social work meet the needs of our growing aging population. However, doctoral students need a variety of supports to complete PhDs and become gerontological social work faculty. This study explored one program's role in supporting the development of social work doctoral students to faculty in gerontology.

What Can an Evaluation of the AGE Predissertation Fellows Program Tell Us about the Mentoring Needs of Doctoral Students?

Good mentoring is a key variable for determining success in completing a doctoral program. The Association for Gerontology Education in Social Work (AGESW) provides leadership in the areas of gerontological social work education, research, and policy. In 2010, AGESW began offering the Pre-Dissertation Fellows Program (PDFP) to enhance social work doctoral students' professional development and skillset for academia.

The Potential of Optometrists' Referrals of Older Patients to Community-Based Exercise Programs: Findings From a Mixed-Methods Study.

Exercise is important for older adults in order to prevent falls and live safer, healthier lives. Visual impairment is a risk factor for falling. Older adults tend to visit optometrists frequently; however, assessing patients' physical exercise levels is not a routine practice for optometrists.

Spatial accessibility of drug treatment facilities and the effects on locus of control, drug use, and service use among heroin-injecting Mexican American men.

Background: This study explores the spatial accessibility of outpatient drug treatment facilities and the potential relationship with drug use-related outcomes among Mexican American heroin users.

Methods: Secondary data on 219 current and former heroin-injecting Mexican American men aged 45 and older were drawn from a research study in Houston, Texas. We used geographic information systems (GIS) to derive two spatial accessibility measures: distance from one's place of residence to the closest drug treatment facility (in minutes); and the number of facilities within a 10-minute driving distance from one's place of residence.