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1. Covid-19-Stress Associated With Worse Sleep Quality, Particularly With Increasing Age

   https://doi.org/10.1093/geronb/gbac173  

   Lee, Kyoungeun ; Sayre, Brialisse ; Martin, Sophia ; James, Taylor A. ; Duarte, Audrey ; Gamaldo, ed., Alyssa ( November 2022 , The Journals of Gerontology: Series B)

   Based on socioemotional selectivity theory, one might predict that older adults’ well-being would be less negatively affected by coronavirus disease 2019 (Covid-19)-stress, as with other stressors, than younger people. However, whether sleep quality, which is negatively affected by aging, is similarly protected from the negative consequences of Covid-19-stress with age is unknown. Here, we examined the association between Covid-19-stress, above and beyond general-stress, and sleep quality and how it varies by age.

   From December 2020 to April 2021, 386 adults reported their Covid-19-stress, sleep quality, and resilience in an online study.

   While older age was related to lower Covid-19-stress, Covid-19-stress was associated with worse sleep quality with greater age.

   These results suggest that at least some aspects of one’s well-being may be more susceptible to the negative consequences of stress with increasing age. Our results might be better understood via the strength and vulnerability integration model, which posits that older adults have increased susceptibility to prolonged and unavoidable stress.

    

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2. Coping with COVID: Use, factor structure, and health behavior implications of specific emotion regulation strategies during the coronavirus pandemic

   https://doi.org/10.1111/spc3.12812  

   Langley, Erika B. ; Vornlocher, Carley ; Manapat, Patrick D. ; Shiota, Michelle N. ( July 2023 , Social and Personality Psychology Compass)

   This series of studies examined U.S. individuals' use of specific emotion regulation/coping strategies during the early months of the COVID‐19 pandemic, investigated the factor structure among strategies during this universally experienced stressor, and the extent to which these factors predicted engagement in COVID‐related health‐promoting behaviors. In Study 1, participants (N = 520) rated their use of 17 strategies for coping with pandemic‐related stress during the past 24 h. Differences emerged in strategy use across demographic groups (age, race, income). Results of exploratory factor analysis suggest a factor structure grouping strategies in terms of goals beyond emotion regulation per se, rather than phases of the emotion process or a binary adaptive versus maladaptive distinction. In Study 2 (N = 264), participants reported daily on their coping strategy use and weekly on their engagement in COVID‐specific health behaviors for 22 days. Results of confirmatory factor analysis replicate the factor structure found in Study 1. Some significant associations of coping strategy use with health‐promoting behaviors were observed, but these were sporadic and largely involved baseline measures rather than predicting change over time. Theoretical and practical implications are discussed.

    

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3. Drivers of Household Risk Perceptions and Adjustment Intentions to Tornado Hazards in Oklahoma

   https://doi.org/10.1175/WCAS-D-22-0018.1  

   Li, Yueqi ; Wu, Hao-Che ; Greer, Alex ; Huntsman, David O. ( July 2022 , Weather, Climate, and Society)

   Abstract Tornadoes are responsible for considerable property damage and loss of life across the state of Oklahoma. While several studies have explored drivers of tornado adjustment behaviors, their results are not consistent in terms of their significance and direction. To address this shortcoming in the literature, we surveyed households using a disproportionate stratified sampling procedure from counties in Oklahoma that frequently experience tornado threats to explore drivers of adjustments. We used Structural Equation Modeling (SEM) to explore relationships among variables highlighted in the Protection Motivation Theory (PMT) and related literature that affect adjustment intentions and risk perceptions. Overall, we found the factors highlighted in the PMT are effective at explaining households’ intentions of adopting adjustment behaviors associated with tornado hazards. Threat appraisals, however, were less important than coping appraisals in explaining tornado hazard adjustment intentions. In further analysis, we grouped adjustments as 1) basic (e.g., flashlight, food and water supply) and 2) complex (e.g., insurance, storm shelter), and found that while coping appraisals are significant drivers of both adjustment categories, the effect of threat appraisals is only significant for complex adjustment intentions. We also found that emotional responses to hazards are major drivers of threat appraisals, stronger than perceived knowledge and hazard salience. Moreover, we found that demographic characteristics affect both adjustment intentions and threat appraisals. The additions to the PMT and categorization of adjustment activities improve our understanding of the PMT in different contexts. Such insights provide scholars and emergency managers with strategies for risk communication efforts. 

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4. Routineness of Social Interactions Is Associated With Higher Affective Well-Being in Older Adults

   https://doi.org/10.1093/geronb/gbae057  

   Luo, Minxia ; Yordanova, Kristina ; Macdonald, Birthe ; Hülür, Gizem ; Neupert, ed., Shevaun D. ( April 2024 , The Journals of Gerontology, Series B: Psychological Sciences and Social Sciences)

   Some research conceptualizes routineness of daily life as an indicator of cognitive vulnerability that would lead to lower well-being in older age, whereas other research expects routineness to give rise to more meaning and stability in life and thus to higher well-being. Further research is needed to understand routineness in older adults in relation to cognitive abilities and well-being. This study examined routineness of social interactions.

   We examined data from an event-contingent experience sampling study with 103 Swiss community-dwelling older adults (aged 65 to 84 years). Participants completed in-lab cognitive assessments (reasoning, episodic memory, speed, and vocabulary) and reported their well-being (positive affect, negative affect, and life satisfaction). For more than 21 days, participants reported the time and context of their social interactions (including modality, partner type, and location). Routineness of social interactions was defined as social interactions that occurred at the same time of day over the study period. It was calculated using recurrence quantification analysis.

   Linear regressions showed that higher routineness of social interaction in general, of social interaction through the same modality, and of social interaction with the same partner type were associated with higher positive affect. Higher routineness of social interaction in general was associated with lower negative affect. Routineness of social interactions was not associated with life satisfaction or cognitive abilities.

   A routine social life may increase older adults’ affective well-being. Results are discussed in the context of activity engagement and time use in older age.

    

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5. Barriers to Preparing for Disasters: Age Differences and Caregiving Responsibilities

   https://doi.org/https://doi.org/10.1016/j.ijdrr.2021.102338  

   Cong, Z. ; Chen, Z. ; Liang, D. ( July 2021 , International journal of disaster risk reduction)

   null (Ed.)

   This study examined age differences in barriers to preparing for disasters and how caregiving responsibilities are associated with these barriers among different age groups. Using a sample of 1142 individuals from the 2017 Federal Emergency Management Agency National Household Survey, binary and multinomial logistic regressions were conducted to investigate the likelihood of encountering any or one of the two types of barriers, namely, barriers related to coping appraisal (i.e., capacity) and those related to threat appraisal (i.e., risk perception). Age was the key predictor and was categorized into five groups: 18–34, 35–49, 50–64, 65–74, and 75+. The results showed that the 18–34, 35–49, and 75+ age groups were more likely to have coping appraisal barriers than those aged between 65 and 74. In addition, being a caregiver increased the likelihood of having coping appraisal barriers. Interestingly, relative to the 65–74 age group, being a caregiver in the 18–34, 35–49, and 50–64 age groups would be more likely to have coping appraisal barriers. Our findings highlighted age patterns and heterogeneity among older adults. This study also directed attention to how disaster preparation behaviors were shaped by life course experiences. 

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