Cross-sectional and longitudinal relationships between perceived stress and C-reactive protein in men and women.

To date, an examination of the longitudinal relationship between perceived stress and C-reactive protein (CRP) is limited. We explored the relationship between perceived stress and CRP concurrently and across 2 and 4 years in 383 men and women. Multiple linear regressions examined the cross-sectional and longitudinal relationships between baseline stress and counter-stress scores with CRP at baseline, 2 years after baseline and 4 years after baseline, while controlling for covariates (age, smoking status, anti-inflammatory use, oral contraceptive use, physical activity, menopausal status, years since onset of menopause, post-menopausal hormone use and body mass index). Results indicate that stress and counter-stress were not related to CRP in either men or women at study baseline or 2 years later. Across a 4-year time frame, higher stress values were related to higher CRP values in women, but not men. Counter-stress was not related to CRP values in men or women across the 4 years. This study highlights the importance of examining the cross-sectional and longitudinal relationship between perceived stress and inflammation separately in men and women.

Measurement invariance of the perceived stress scale and latent mean differences across gender and time.

Measurement invariance of the 2-factor model of the Perceived Stress Scale--10-item version (Cohen & Williamson, 1988) was tested across men and women at two time points and in the combined total sample over a 2-year time frame (n = 871). Measurement invariance results indicated that the scale measured the latent factors, stress and counter-stress, equivalently in men and women and over time. With measurement invariance demonstrated, differences in latent means were tested. Results indicated that men had lower levels of frequencies of stressors, and at one time point, higher levels of counter-stress, when compared with women. When examining change in frequencies of stressors and counter-stress over 2 years with the combined male and female sample, stressors remained stable, yet counter-stress increased over time. These findings may aid in the interpretation of results when examining stressors and counter-stress in clinical samples where one would expect stress to increase, whereas positive psychological states decrease.

Volunteering predicts happiness among older Maori and non-Maori in the New Zealand health, work, and retirement longitudinal study.

OBJECTIVES: This study sought to understand the relationship between volunteer activity and happiness among a sample of older adult New Zealanders. It specifically sought to determine if ethnicity (Maori vs. non-Maori) and economic living standards (ELS) functioned as moderators of the relationship between volunteering and happiness. METHOD: Data were garnered from the 2008 administration of the New Zealand Health, Work, and Retirement Longitudinal Study. Correlational and multiple regression procedures were employed to examine study hypotheses. RESULTS: Results from multiple regression analyses showed that the amount of volunteering per week was a unique predictor of the overall level of happiness. Moderation analyses indicated that ethnicity did not function as a moderator of the relationship between volunteering and happiness, but ELS did. Those with low ELS evidenced a stronger relationship between volunteering and happiness than those with high ELS. Results also indicated that Maori and those with low ELS volunteered more frequently than non-Maori and those with high ELS. CONCLUSION: This study provides evidence that volunteering is related to increased happiness, irrespective of ethnicity. It also provides further evidence that the relationship between volunteering and happiness is moderated by economic resources. Older individuals at the low end of the economic spectrum are likely to benefit more from volunteering than those at the high end.

Estimating older hazardous and binge drinking prevalence using AUDIT-C and AUDIT-3 thresholds specific to older adults.

BACKGROUND: This study aimed to provide hazardous and binge drinking prevalence, odds and risk attributable to specific demographic correlates in community dwelling older adults using both the standard and new older-specific AUDIT-C thresholds. METHODS: Hazardous drinking was assessed using the AUDIT-C in a cross-sectional postal survey of 6662 New Zealanders aged 55-70 years old (m=60.94, SD=4.70) randomly selected from the New Zealand Electoral Roll. Prevalence data is presented for whole sample and stratified by key demographic correlates using standard and older-specific threshold scores on the AUDIT-C. Hazardous drinking prevalence using the standard AUDIT-C threshold was 56.01%, as compared to 42.28% and 50.20% under two older-specific thresholds. RESULTS: Being younger, male, and wealthy were consistent drinking predictors across thresholds but the older-specific thresholds substantially altered the prevalence and risk for females, Asians, and poorer people. Past-month binge prevalence of 18.18% was considerably lower than the past-year prevalence of 33.51%, but change from past-month to past-year binge threshold had no significant effect on the demographic composition of binge drinkers. The standard AUDIT-C threshold over-estimates hazardous drinking prevalence in older adults by up to 33%, but even the most conservative rates in this study are cause for concern regarding the level of drinking by older people in New Zealand. CONCLUSION: Older hazardous drinkers are predominantly younger, wealthier, white, partnered males, whichever threshold is used, but binge drinkers are more likely to be rural, Maori, and lack tertiary education. Further efforts are needed to determine factors underpinning hazardous drinking, especially in older Maori.