Divergent Experiences Reported by Rural and Frontier Older Adults Aging in Place.

Aging research tends to define rural as any area that is not urban without considering the diversity that exists within rural environments. Using government guidelines defining frontier and rural counties, the purpose was to identify similarities and differences in the aging experience reported by community-dwelling rural and frontier older adults. Individual interviews were completed in Wyoming with 142 older adults from frontier (n = 72) and rural counties (n=70). Summative content analysis was used to evaluate responses within the framework of social influences and nested environmental interactions of a socio-ecological model. Rural older adults reported needing more medical services and care, while frontier adults indicated an absence for many of these services. Similar response patterns were indicated with regard to grocery stores and general shopping. Current interview statements provide foundational information for future policies that recognize frontier aging in place that does not equate to aging in rural specific areas.

Developing a Conceptual Model with Policy Implications to Better Support Healthcare Providers Working with Older Adults during a Pandemic: An Interpretive Descriptive Qualitative Study.

Although many studies cover the experiences of older adults during the COVID-19 pandemic, few address the daily impact upon health care workers' lives. We used an adapted interpretive description approach to analyze narrative data from 54 practitioners working with older adults, June-October 2021. Stemming from research with those working in the health field, this approach applies knowledge directly back to policy and practice. Analysis of narrative data from open-ended survey questions produced themes and conceptual mapping of practitioners' experiences. Findings illustrate: Advantages and disadvantages of going virtual; challenges of quickly changing policies; concerns about personal and patient safety during the pandemic; needs of the organization and staff; and work-life balance issues. Clearly defining policy-based solutions for delivering services during emergencies offers ways to improve practitioners' and older adults' quality of life.

Dispositional Mindfulness and Positive Mindset in Emerging Adult College Students: The Mediating Role of Decentering.

Emerging adulthood is often recognized as a time of uncertainty, confusion, pressure, and stress. This time period also coincides in the Western world with attending college. Many emerging adults arrive at this developmental stage feeling the pressure and obligation for success, but lack the interpersonal resources needed to make required choices. The purpose of this study was to provide insight into the psychological and mental state of this particular group by focusing on mechanisms of self-awareness and its connection to psychological health. The present study examines whether an indirect path could explain the relationships between mindfulness, positive thinking, and positive affect. Path analysis was used to test whether decentering fosters positive thinking and positive affect. Participants were surveyed for dispositional mindfulness, frequency of positive and negative feelings, positive thinking, and rumination. Results show decentering mediates between mindfulness and positive affect but does not mediate between mindfulness and positive thinking. Rumination counteracts the effects of mindfulness and predicts negative affect.

Awareness and Stigma of Autism Spectrum Disorders in Undergraduate Students.

BACKGROUND: Social stigma is a barrier for students with autism on college campuses. The purpose of this study is to examine the relationship between autism knowledge and autism stigma endorsement. METHOD: 144 college undergraduate students were asked to complete the Autism Stigma and Knowledge Questionnaire as well as a brief demographic questionnaire. The relationship between stigma endorsement and ASD knowledge in the areas of diagnosis and symptoms, etiology, and treatment were evaluated using a multiple linear regression. Two independent-sample t-tests were conducted to investigate group differences between participants who know someone with autism and those who do not as well as between male and female participants. RESULTS: A significant regression equation was found (F(3,140) = 51.35, p = .000), with an R2 of .52. While Treatment and Etiology subscale scores significantly predicted Stigma subscale scores, Diagnosis/Symptom subscale score was not. In terms of knowing someone with an autism diagnosis, there was a significant difference in ASD diagnosis and symptom knowledge (t(142) = 4.16, p = .000), etiology knowledge (t(142) = 3.51, p = .001), treatment knowledge (t(62.99) = 3.54, p = .001), and stigma endorsement (t(142) = 3.03, p = .003). No significant differences were found between male and female participants. CONCLUSIONS: Contrary to past studies, gender was not associated with ASD knowledge or stigma endorsement. This study suggests that an intervention designed to increase ASD knowledge, particularly in the areas of etiology and treatment, and to increase contact with students diagnosed with autism would be effective in reducing ASD stigma.

Social Support, Retirement Resources, and the Gendered Experiences of Aging for Tunisian Older Adults.

Cultural context plays an important role in the experience of aging. The country of Tunisia is of particular interest because limited studies on aging have been done in the past decade. The study examined data collected from Tunisian older adults in an attempt to gain additional information about their experience aging in this culture. The purpose of this study was to identify key information tied to social policy factors that have the potential to impact older adults living in Tunisia. From June to July 2017, semi-structured interviews were completed with 60 older adults covering topics about family history, daily activities, health and health satisfaction, retirement benefits and satisfaction, medical coverage, social support, service availability, feelings of growing older, as well as advice provided to younger adults. Findings include gender differences in retirement resources and benefits, sources of support, and older adults' self-reported desires for the future. This work adds to the growing body of literature concerning differences in global aging and provides greater awareness of aging in the distinctive context of Tunisia. Additional work should seek to deepen the investigation of the various social policies that impact the Tunisian older adult.

Aging in Tunisia.

Owing in part to its diversity of citizenship, Tunisia has a rich history of economic and social changes-including some of the same age-based demographic changes witnessed globally. Faced with an increasing older population and fewer young adults available to provide support, the government of Tunisia has implemented policies for the older population. These new governmental policies are intended to provide limited funds for older adults to supplement financial assistance provided by their families. Yet, even with a demographic transition occurring, recent published research on the aging Tunisian adult is limited at best. Policy change and research that improve the well-being of Tunisia's aging population must be based on adequate data. Thus, understanding the state of aging in Tunisia provides policymakers and researchers more complete information to use in decision making. Further studies should address more aspects of the Tunisian aging experience and add data that are more contemporary.

Aging in Saudi Arabia: An Exploratory Study of Contemporary Older Persons' Views About Daily Life, Health, and the Experience of Aging.

Objective: This exploratory study sought to measure current self-reported experiences of older Saudi adults. Method: Self-reported aging perceptions and demographic data from semistructured questions were obtained from 52 community-dwelling older Saudi adults aged 50 or older. A thematic content analysis was completed around issues of family life/social support, daily/weekly activities, health and health programs, and older adults' own thoughts about aging and the experience and future of personal aging. Results: Several key themes emerged from the interviews. The majority of respondents in this preliminary study acknowledge a preference for family care. Formal programs in Saudi Arabia are attended with relative infrequency while older adults recognize family support as the preferred method of support. Older Saudi interviewees hold a positive view of aging, but physical functioning, varying financial resources, and other daily obligations are a concern for those in this study. Discussion: Data suggest as the Saudi population ages, more research is needed on the aging experience with particiular emphasis on issues relevant to older adults . Future research must work to clarify the aging experience as cultural context changes.

Comparison of efficacy and age discrimination between psychology and nursing students.

This study considered two types of age discrimination (youth and elder) and related scale scores for 108 psychology students and 81 nursing students. The current study found that although the nursing students had a significantly larger number of courses related to aging, both nursing and psychology students reported low levels of age discrimination. Overall, attitudes of both the nursing and psychology students toward both young and elder populations were positive. Nursing students held higher levels of efficacy with regards to working with the elder population in comparison to psychology students.

Issues of attraction, retention, and affective states for geriatric nurse practitioners in long-term care.

Limited research exists on self-reported geriatric nurse practitioner (GNP) perceptions. Thirty-six GNPs completed a survey for level of importance rather than rank-order. Subjects also completed the Profile of Mood States. Through the use of Pearson correlation techniques, results indicate that the number of years in nursing was related to appreciation from patients, one of the factors keeping GNPs satisfied with long-term care (r =.503). Results indicate that these GNPs had a higher overall affect compared with college norms.