Work and income instability and retirement financial wellbeing for women and men.

Financial wellbeing in retirement is contingent on realizations of financial expectations developed earlier in life and may differ substantially by gender. People's standard of living in retirement is tied to stability in work and income trajectories during working years along with retirement benefits and savings. Women have a greater overall income disadvantage relative to men, including reduced life course labor force exposure that may restrict retirement savings and benefits. Using the Canadian Longitudinal and International Study of Adults (LISA) and 20 years of linked tax record data (N = 2,353), we explore the association between instability in work and income histories and lower perceived retirement standard of living (PRSOL), net of retirement benefits, for women and men in Canada. Results show that for women, life course effects shaping PRSOL are driven by cumulative disability exposure and bouts of social assistance. For men, PRSOL is influenced more by cumulative unemployment. Although retirement benefits do not offset histories of work and income instability for either gender, income assistance is protective for women in retirement while personal investments are protective for men. Overall, our findings suggest that despite Canada's relatively generous pension program in later life, life course instability in work and income have persisting, gendered effects on financial wellbeing in retirement that underscore financial and health disadvantage for women across the life course.

Delayed vibrational modulation of the solvated GFP chromophore into a conical intersection.

Green fluorescent protein (GFP) has revolutionized bioimaging and life sciences. Its successes have inspired modification of the chromophore structure and environment to tune emission properties, but outside the protein cage, the chromophore is essentially non-fluorescent. In this study, we employ the tunable femtosecond stimulated Raman spectroscopy (FSRS) and transient absorption (TA) to map the energy dissipation pathways of GFP model chromophore (HBDI) in basic aqueous solution. Strategic tuning of the Raman pump to 550 nm exploits the stimulated emission band to enhance excited state vibrational motions as HBDI navigates the non-equilibrium potential energy landscape to pass through a conical intersection. The time-resolved FSRS uncovers prominent anharmonic couplings between a global out-of-plane bending mode of ∼227 cm-1 and two modes at ∼866 and 1572 cm-1 before HBDI reaches the twisted intramolecular charge transfer (TICT) state on the ∼3 ps time scale. Remarkably, the wavelet transform analysis reveals a ∼500 fs delayed onset of the coupling peaks, in correlation with the emergence of an intermediate charge-separated state en route to the TICT state. This mechanism is corroborated by the altered coupling matrix for the HBDI Raman modes in the 50% (v/v) water-glycerol mixture, and a notable lengthening of the picosecond time constant. The real-time molecular "movie" of the general rotor-like HBDI isomerization reaction following photoexcitation represents a significant advance in comprehending the photochemical reaction pathways of the solvated GFP chromophore, therefore providing a crucial foundation to enable rational design of diverse nanomachines from efficient molecular rotors to bright fluorescent probes.

Typologies of older adult companion animal owners and non-owners: moving beyond the dichotomy.

Objectives: Research on the influence of companion animals (CA) on the health of older adults has yielded contradictory results. Selection factors, leading to heterogeneity both between and within groups of CA owners and non-owners, likely bias results. We conduct analyses to identify typologies of owners and non-owners. Methods: Using data on older adults (60+) from the 2012 Health and Retirement Study (HRS), and the HRS companion animal module, (owners = 478) and (non-owners = 624), we conducted latent class analyses (LCA). We used key demographic, health, daily engagement, and pet characteristic variables to complete our analyses. Results: Analyses revealed five clusters of CA owners and four clusters of non-owners. Health and CA related characteristics distinguishing clusters suggest important sources of variability and reflect qualitatively different profiles of owners and non-owners. We also found CA owners were more likely than non-owners to be high on neuroticism and to be less extroverted than non-owners-but again there was considerable within group variability. Implications: Factors that select people into pet ownership not only work individually to characterize ownership, they create distinct typologies of CA owners and non-owners that likely contribute to subsequent health outcomes. In order to determine if having a CA is beneficial to health in later life and for whom, future research should consider selection factors like those identified in the typologies. Statistical analyses, such as LCA, that can adequately account for these selection factors is necessary to avoid biases in the interpretation of results.

Racial and Ethnic Variation in the Relationship Between Student Loan Debt and the Transition to First Birth.

The present study employs discrete-time hazard regression models to investigate the relationship between student loan debt and the probability of transitioning to either marital or nonmarital first childbirth using the 1997 National Longitudinal Survey of Youth (NLSY97). Accounting for nonrandom selection into student loans using propensity scores, our study reveals that the effect of student loan debt on the transition to motherhood differs among white, black, and Hispanic women. Hispanic women holding student loans experience significant declines in the probability of transitioning to both marital and nonmarital motherhood, whereas black women with student loans are significantly more likely to transition to any first childbirth. Indebted white women experience only a decrease in the probability of a marital first birth. The results from this study suggest that student loans will likely play a key role in shaping future demographic patterns and behaviors.

Excited State Structural Evolution of a GFP Single-Site Mutant Tracked by Tunable Femtosecond-Stimulated Raman Spectroscopy.

Tracking vibrational motions during a photochemical or photophysical process has gained momentum, due to its sensitivity to the progression of reaction and change of environment. In this work, we implemented an advanced ultrafast vibrational technique, femtosecond-stimulated Raman spectroscopy (FSRS), to monitor the excited state structural evolution of an engineered green fluorescent protein (GFP) single-site mutant S205V. This mutation alters the original excited state proton transfer (ESPT) chain. By strategically tuning the Raman pump to different wavelengths (i.e., 801, 539, and 504 nm) to achieve pre-resonance with transient excited state electronic bands, the characteristic Raman modes of the excited protonated (A*) chromophore species and intermediate deprotonated (I*) species can be selectively monitored. The inhomogeneous distribution/population of A* species go through ESPT with a similar ~300 ps time constant, confirming that bridging a water molecule to protein residue T203 in the ESPT chain is the rate-limiting step. Some A* species undergo vibrational cooling through high-frequency motions on the ~190 ps time scale. At early times, a portion of the largely protonated A* species could also undergo vibrational cooling or return to the ground state with a ~80 ps time constant. On the photoproduct side, a ~1330 cm-1 delocalized motion is observed, with dispersive line shapes in both the Stokes and anti-Stokes FSRS with a pre-resonance Raman pump, which indicates strong vibronic coupling, as the mode could facilitate the I* species to reach a relatively stable state (e.g., the main fluorescent state) after conversion from A*. Our findings disentangle the contributions of various vibrational motions active during the ESPT reaction, and offer new structural dynamics insights into the fluorescence mechanisms of engineered GFPs and other analogous autofluorescent proteins.

Social support, stress, and maternal postpartum depression: A comparison of supportive relationships.

A large body of literature documents the link between social support, stress, and women's mental health during pregnancy and the postpartum period; however, uncertainty remains as to whether a direct effect or stress mediating pathway best describes the relationship between these factors. Moreover, specific dimensions of social support that may be influential (family type, sources of support) have largely been neglected. Using data from the Fragile Families and Child Well-being Study (N=4150), we examine the pathway between social support, stress exposure, and postpartum depression in greater detail. Findings reveal that social support is a significant, protective factor for postpartum depression, and the variety of support providers in a woman's social network is important, especially in the context of family type. Findings also reveal the importance of considering social support and stress exposure as part of a larger causal pathway to postpartum mental health.

Measuring Psychological Resilience in Aging: Findings From the Health and Retirement Study and National Longitudinal Study of Adolescent to Adult Health.

Background and Objectives: This study aimed to evaluate the measurement properties of 2 emerging psychological resilience (PR) measures constructed for use in large national data sources and to test their reliability across social axes including race/ethnicity, gender, and socioeconomic status. Research Design and Methods: Using 2006/2008 data, the Simplified Resilience Score and the Add Health Resilience Scale were tested using overall and multigroup measurement models in a structural equation modeling framework. Results: Both PR measures perform well as reliable, 1-factor latent constructs capturing adaptive capacity at various life stages. Both measures showed measurement consistency across social axes, with specific differences in item measurement across some racial/ethnic groups. Discussion and Implications: The results indicate these measures represent high quality, consistent measures of PR in nationally representative aging and health data. The availability of reliable, valid measures of PR enables consistent evaluation of resilience in health and aging processes.

Life Satisfaction and Intergenerational Mobility Among Older Hispanics in the United States.

OBJECTIVES: To investigate the impact of intergenerational mobility-measured as the difference between one's own and one's father's education level-on overall life-satisfaction among Hispanic, White, and Black older Americans. METHODS: Data from the Health and Retirement Study were used to estimate life satisfaction by race/ethnicity using ordinary least squares regression (N = 5,057). RESULTS: Hispanic and Black older Americans report greater educational gains relative to their fathers compared to Whites. Despite having the lowest reported education levels, Hispanics report the highest life satisfaction across race/ethnic groups. However, net of education level and other factors, intergenerational mobility decreased rather than increased life satisfaction for Hispanic older Americans. DISCUSSION: These results indicate that intergenerational mobility may not confer equal benefits for overall life satisfaction across racial/ethnic groups. As Hispanic individuals continue to achieve higher education levels, it is unclear whether upward mobility will translate to positive or negative assimilation consequences.

Productive Aging Lifestyles: A Latent Class Analysis of Work and Volunteer Patterns over the Retirement Transition.

Frank Caro and colleagues' foundational work set the stage for a broad and multifaceted productive aging (PA) literature. Recent PA research has focused on health benefits associated with work and volunteering, respectively. However, these activities are often assumed to have independent associations with health and wellbeing. Less clear is whether and in what ways older adults participate in productive engagement lifestyles including multiple activities over a long period of time. This paper uses latent class analyses and the Health and Retirement Study to examine combined engagement in work and volunteer activities over 12 years between ages 56-68 to (1) identify patterns of work and volunteer activities across the retirement transition, (2) evaluate characteristics of individuals within these patterns, and (3) explore whether particular patterns are associated with markers of health and wellbeing. We describe how our findings inform successful aging by incentivizing socially and individually beneficial PA lifestyles.

Trajectories of Marital Conflict Across the Life Course: Predictors and Interactions With Marital Happiness Trajectories.

Using typologies outlined by Gottman and Fitzpatrick as well as institutional and companionate models of marriage, the authors conducted a latent class analysis of marital conflict trajectories using 20 years of data from the Marital Instability Over the Life Course study. Respondents were in one of three groups: high, medium (around the mean), or low conflict. Several factors predicted conflict trajectory group membership; respondents who believed in lifelong marriage and shared decisions equally with their spouse were more likely to report low and less likely to report high conflict. The conflict trajectories were intersected with marital happiness trajectories to examine predictors of high and low quality marriages. A stronger belief in lifelong marriage, shared decision making, and husbands sharing a greater proportion of housework were associated with an increased likelihood of membership in a high happiness, low conflict marriage, and a decreased likelihood of a low marital happiness group.

Financial Hardship and Psychological Resilience During COVID-19: Differences by Race/Ethnicity.

OBJECTIVES: Research on the impact of coronavirus disease 2019 (COVID-19) among older adults has primarily focused on relatively acute virus outcomes, but it is likely financial hardships during this time have eroded the adaptive capacity of older adults. It is also possible these impacts vary by race and ethnicity. We examine changes in psychological resilience (PR) among older adults before and during the pandemic to determine whether financial hardships and other stressors have altered this resource for White, Black, and Hispanic older adults. METHOD: Using the COVID-19 module released by the Health and Retirement Study (n = 735), we examined changes in PR between 2016 and 2020 related to financial hardships during COVID-19. We tested interactions to determine whether the effects were patterned by race and ethnicity. RESULTS: Consistent with previous literature, resilience was relatively stable during this time on average. Financial hardship during COVID-19 diminished resilience, but this effect was concentrated primarily among White Americans. DISCUSSION: The results suggest that PR is a relatively stable resource in later life, even during the pandemic. However, this resource may be affected in the face of specific challenges in later life. Policies related to financial hardship during the pandemic should be seen as supporting the capacity for older adults to adapt to current as well as future challenges.

A Brief Report on Older Working Caregivers: Developing a Typology of Work Environments.

OBJECTIVES: A growing proportion of the U.S. labor force juggles paid work with family caregiving of older adults. However, no research has examined caregivers' work environments. The purpose of this brief report is to develop typologies of the work environments of family caregivers. METHODS: This study used data drawn from the 2008-2012 waves of the Health and Retirement Study. Our sample includes employed individuals who also provided regular help with daily activities to a parent or spouse (n = 976). We used latent class analysis to develop caregiver work environment typologies. RESULTS: Our analyses revealed 4 typologies among caregivers: (a) high-quality work environments (n = 340; 35%); (b) average work environments with high job lock (n = 293; 30%); (c) low-quality work environments (n = 203; 21%); and (d) high personal interference in supportive work environments (n = 140; 14%). Although only 21% of working caregivers were in a low-quality work environment (Type C), descriptive results suggest that these workers were most likely to be minorities who needed to work for financial reasons, reporting the highest number of health problems, and the most work hours. DISCUSSION: Our findings provide insights into the types of environments that caregivers work in, and the characteristics of individuals in those environments. We discuss implications of our findings for future research and work-based policy development.

Psychological Resilience and Health Among Older Adults: A Comparison of Personal Resources.

OBJECTIVES: Research on life course inequality and successful aging has sought to understand how events and challenges may lead to poor outcomes in later life for some individuals, while others fare well in the face of adversity. Among internalized resources, research suggests psychological resilience is protective in the face of challenges, but little is known about the predictive efficacy of this measure compared to other resources such as mastery. This paper examines connections between psychological resilience and later life health compared to other internalized resources. METHOD: Standardized associations between 4 resources (resilience, mastery, optimism, hopelessness) and 5 health outcomes were tested using short-term health transitions and longer term health trajectories in a structural equation modeling (SEM) framework using the Leave Behind Questionnaire (LBQ) and linked Health and Retirement Study (HRS) between 2006/2008 and 2014/2016 (n = 11,050-12,823). RESULTS: Psychological resilience had consistent and robust associations with health transitions and trajectories. Further, the effects of this resource were generally 4-10 times greater than for mastery, optimism, and hopelessness in combined models. Trajectory analyses replicate these findings and suggest the beneficial associations of resilience over time were persistent for some health outcomes, and cumulative for others. DISCUSSION: The results suggest that psychological resilience is powerfully associated with health in later life, with substantially greater predictive efficacy than other commonly used resource measures. Future research should establish how this intrapersonal resource works alongside structural and interpersonal resources to promote and protect health and functioning in the face of challenges and adversity.

The Impact of Military Service Exposures and Psychological Resilience on the Mental Health Trajectories of Older Male Veterans.

Objectives: We examine the impact of exposure to the dead, dying, and wounded (DDW) during military service on the later-life depressive symptom trajectories of male United States veterans, using psychological resilience as an internal resource that potentially moderates negative consequences. Methods: The Health and Retirement Study (2006-2014) and linked Veteran Mail Survey were used to estimate latent growth curve models of depressive symptom trajectories, beginning at respondents' first report of resilience. Results: Veterans with higher levels of resilience do not have increased depressive symptoms in later life, despite previous exposure to DDW. Those with lower levels of resilience and previous exposure to DDW experience poorer mental health in later life. Discussion: Psychological resilience is important for later-life mental health, particularly for veterans who endured potentially traumatic experiences. We discuss the importance acknowledging the role individual resources play in shaping adaptation to adverse life events and implications for mental health service needs.

Loneliness Following Widowhood: The Role of the Military and Social Support.

OBJECTIVES: Increased loneliness is a common consequence of widowhood in later life. However, individuals with high levels of perceived social support from friends tend to cope more effectively following major social losses like widowhood. Military service is associated with cultivation of strong social support structures. This effect may not only influence those who serve, but also their spouses. Roughly half of older women today are married to veterans, which could shape how they cope with widowhood. We tested two hypotheses: (a) widows of veterans will be less lonely following widowhood compared to their nonveteran counterparts, and (b) this effect will be explained by perceived social support from friends. METHODS: We used the Health and Retirement Study (HRS) to examine changes in loneliness following widowhood among wives of veterans and nonveterans. We used Ordinary Least Squares regression and mediation tests to address our hypotheses. RESULTS: Net of baseline differences, widows of veterans reported statistically lower levels of loneliness (p < .05) following widowhood compared to widows of nonveterans. Widows of veterans retained the same level of perceived social support from friends pre- and postwidowhood, whereas nonveteran wives experienced a loss. Perceived social support from friends mediated the association between veteran status of the deceased spouse and loneliness. DISCUSSION: Our findings suggest wives of veterans may have more resilient social support structures than nonveteran spouses, helping them cope at widowhood. Future research should explore whether these effects persist in association with other major stressful events in later life.

Mutations in the hepatocyte nuclear factor-1ß (HNF1B) gene are common with combined uterine and renal malformations but are not found with isolated uterine malformations.

OBJECTIVE: Congenital uterine abnormalities are common and may be associated with developmental renal abnormalities. Mutations of the hepatocyte nuclear factor-1ß (HNF1B) gene are associated with renal and uterine abnormalities. We aimed to study the role of HNF1B mutations in a cohort with congenital uterine abnormalities. STUDY DESIGN: We tested 108 probands with uterine abnormalities for HNF1B mutations. We collected clinical information from patient records. RESULTS: Nine of 108 women (8%) had a mutation or deletion in the HNF1B gene. Abnormal HNF1B was found in 18% of the 50 probands who had both uterine and renal abnormalities but in none of the 58 women with isolated uterine abnormalities. CONCLUSION: Mutations of the HNF1B gene are found in women with both uterine and renal abnormalities but are rare in isolated uterine abnormalities. We suggest that HNF1B testing should be performed in patients with both renal and uterine abnormalities, but not in patients with isolated uterine abnormalities.

Double Disadvantage in the Process of Disablement: Race as a Moderator in the Association Between Chronic Conditions and Functional Limitations.

OBJECTIVES: This study evaluated (a) whether the association between chronic conditions and functional limitations vary by race/ethnicity, and (b) whether socioeconomic status accounted for any observed racial variation in the association between chronic conditions and functional limitations. METHOD: The Health and Retirement Study data were used to assess whether race/ethnicity moderated the association between chronic conditions and functional limitations, and whether education, income, and/or wealth mediated any of the observed moderation by race/ethnicity. RESULTS: Results from structural equation models of latent growth curves with random onset indicated that (a) the positive association between chronic conditions and functional limitations onset was larger for African Americans and Hispanics than it was for Whites, but (b) this difference largely persisted net of socioeconomic status. DISCUSSION: African Americans and Hispanics endure a multiplicative double disadvantage in the early stages of the disablement process where they experience (a) a more rapid onset and higher levels of functional limitations, and (b) greater risk of functional limitation onset associated with chronic conditions compared to their White counterparts. Moreover, basic economic policies are unlikely to curtail the greater risk of functional limitations onset associated with chronic conditions encountered by African Americans and Hispanics.

Cumulative Inequality at the End of Life?: Racial Disparities in Impairment in the Time Before Death.

OBJECTIVES: Drawing from cumulative inequality (CI) theory, the current study examined racial disparities in impairment as individuals approached death to determine whether proposed mechanisms hypothesized to fuel or diminish racial disparities at late ages were at work at the end of individualized life spans. METHOD: Black-white disparities were analyzed among decedents using latent growth curves based on the data from the North Carolina Established Populations for Epidemiologic Studies of the Elderly (EPESE) (N = 1,926). RESULTS: Consistent with previous literature, racial inequalities in functional disparities diminish at late ages. However, significant black-white disparities emerge as older adults approach death, exponentially increasing within the 2 years immediately preceding death. Further, these disparities are not fully mediated by socioeconomic status. DISCUSSION: The results confirm that CI in health outcomes is observable in late life among individual life spans, suggesting the years surrounding death may be a particularly vulnerable period for health inequality. Future research should examine how advantaged statuses translate to increased access to health-related resources that aid in maintaining greater functional independence until the last stage of life.

Psychological Health Benefits of Companion Animals Following a Social Loss.

BACKGROUND AND OBJECTIVES: In later life, the loss of a spouse due to divorce or widowhood is common and can lead to elevated depressive symptoms and loneliness. Research suggests that companion animal (CA) may be beneficial for psychological health, but limited research has explored whether CA can buffer negative consequences of social losses. RESEARCH DESIGN AND METHODS: This study uses data drawn from the Health and Retirement Study (HRS) to examine changes in depressive symptoms and loneliness in relation to a social loss among those with/without a CA. We used inverse-probability weighted regression to adjust for selection factors and isolate effects of CA ownership on changes in psychological health. RESULTS: Regardless of CA ownership, spousal loss was associated with psychological health consequences. Facing a social loss without a CA was related to statistically greater increases in depressive symptoms relative to those with a pet (2.580 vs. 1.207 symptoms, respectively). Similarly, experiencing a loss was associated with significantly greater increases in loneliness, with statistically greater increases in loneliness among those without a CA (p < .01). However, those with a CA did not experience greater increases in loneliness than those who did not experience a loss. DISCUSSION AND IMPLICATIONS: In later life, CA ownership may buffer against the detrimental consequences of major social losses on psychological health. Future research on the therapeutic effects of CA ownership, as well as pet therapy, during other major life stage transitions is needed to help isolate potential mechanisms driving the benefits of human-animal interactions.