Older rural adults were classified as either high or low risks for loneliness according to a combination of physical and social losses that they had incurred. Frequent loneliness was associated with widowhood, poor vision and self-rated health, problems with transportation, frequent use of telephone, low participation and being female. (Author)

Studied factors contributing to consensus, or the level of agreement about life, between older adults (N=275) and the sibling with whom they had most contact. Found greater consensus when there were fewer expectations of the sibling, similarity of educational backgrounds, and when the respondent was a male and his sibling was female. (Author/NB)

Information on male linkage is usually generalized from studies of female linkage and the saliency of the father-son tie in later life is unclear. The importance of the father-son tie was examined in 56 men aged 65 and older through a comparative analysis designed to compare the levels of association and helping between fathers and sons to those…

Examined effect of sex differences on morale of 257 older rural widows and widowers. Sex of respondent was not found to affect morale; however, perceived financial status and self-rated health had significant direct effects. Widows and widowers reporting higher morale had higher perceived financial status and rated their health as good.…

Examines characteristics and needs of the widowed, Black, older adult. Special attention was given to the implications for policy. The general economic plight of widowed Blacks suggested the need for a basic floor of defined vital services that would speak to income, health, housing, and transportation. (Author)

Examined ethnic diversity of the grandmother role and implications for strengthening support networks of older African-American women. Findings from 79 African-American grandmothers and 87 white grandmothers 65 years of age and older showed cultural distinctions in grandmother role. Results have important implications for strengthening the natural…

Although the support network of elderly individuals has received increased attention recently, most research has focused on the parent child relationship without examining other levels of kin interrelations. To examine the help received by rural-transitional older adults from their consanguineous kin (adult children, grandchildren, siblings,…

Retrospective strategies measuring perceived life changes over time can further the advancement of life span developmental research. Researchers have neglected the individual's perception of his/her life changes over time. This study attempts to determine discriminators of change over time as operationalized by perceptions of change. Subjects…

Consensus has been identified as a dimension of family solidarity with important implications for the family network. To investigate the factors contributing to consensus between older adults and their sibling of most contact, 275 adults (173 females, 102 males), with a mean age of 74 years, were interviewed using a questionnaire covering work and…

Examined extent to which adult sons were incorporated into support network of older rural fathers (N=56). Results revealed that sons played relatively minor role in support network of older fathers as seen through helping and moderately active role through association. Association could be explained through proximity. (Author/NB)

Examined relative importance of emotional and social isolation to loneliness among very old rural adults (n=119). Found that emotional isolation, specifically loss of spouse, accounted for more loneliness than did social isolation. Hearing acuity and visits with siblings (social isolation variables) also were significant predictors of loneliness.…

To help agencies serve the needs of older black men, this paper presents an overview of the physical, social, and economic status of older rural black men. The report is based on a study of a sample of 62 black men, aged 65 to 97, who constituted a subset of older adults from a larger study of the kin network system of 368 adults over 65 living in…

The immediate family of an elderly person is often a major social support, and the major responsibility for care of the aged has fallen traditionally to female family members. Since more women today are working, they may have less time for such family responsibilities. To examine the effects of daughters' employment on their helping behaviors…

Results showed few social, economic, or psychological consequences as a result of childlessness. Changes in the life situations of childless adults would appear to leave this group with limited alternatives. The findings provide evidence of the need to strengthen the informal helping networks of older adults. (Author)

The theoretical model of Bengtson et al (l976) for the measurement of intergenerational solidarity proposes that dependency needs and residential proximity modify helping behavior, while filial responsibility mediates the effects of residential proximity. To examine the relative importance of the model in predicting parent/child solidarity among a…