Purpose: Subjective memory complaint is a term used to refer older adults who report memory problems. Extensive literature exists on its etiology and impact on long-term cognitive decline, and some physicians consider it important in the early detection of dementia. Despite the salient features reported by both patients and clinicians, few people…

Purpose: To explore in a sample of older African Americans how religious songs were used to cope with stressful life events and to explore the religious beliefs associated with these songs. Design and Methods: Sixty-five African American older adults residing in the Southeastern US participated in a qualitative descriptive study involving…

The population of older adults in the United States is growing in size and diversity, presenting challenges to health care providers and patients in the context of health care decision making (DM), including obtaining informed consent for treatment, advance care planning, and deliberations about end-of-life care options. Although existing…

Purpose: Alaska Natives (ANs) view aging from a holistic perspective, which is not typical of the existing successful aging literature. One of the challenges of conducting research with cultural groups (e.g., ANs) is the lack of data, or research, on culture and aging and its impact on how we view successful aging. This research explores…

Purpose: This article challenges popular conceptions of the nature of ethnicity and religiousness in the gerontological literature. Using the example of older Jewish Americans, the authors argue for more nuanced definitions and usage of terms such as "religion" and "ethnicity" in order to begin to understand the complex interweaving of these two…

Purpose: The purpose of this article was to investigate the role of control beliefs in mediating the relationship between driving cessation and change in depressive symptoms in a population-based sample of older adults. Design and Methods: We report results from a prospective, community-based cohort study that included two waves of data collected…

Surveyed older community dwellers' (n=250) beliefs, fears, and expectations of one day entering a nursing home, and background factors. Results indicated that beliefs regarding care-related issues were more important determinants of their reactions to nursing homes than were the risks their own situation entailed. (Author/ABL)

Asserts that the idea that retirement increases risk of illness and death persists because of the availability of vivid anecdotes, a tendency to interpret big events as major causes of illness, cultural celebration of work, theoretical perspectives in gerontology fostering expectations that retirement is disruptive, and misinterpretation of…

Asked 40 older adults about God's role in health and illness and about praying in response to physical symptoms. Least-educated respondents and Baptists were most likely to pray about symptoms. Symptoms discussed with physician or for which drugs were taken were more likely to be prayed over, suggesting that prayer and medical help-seeking are not…

Describes a brief nine-item interview, designed for use by practitioners. Based upon results from field-testing with 65 ambulatory geriatric patients, the instrument can be used as an aid to assess health and treatment perceptions in clinical settings. Responses to specific items may also suggest broader areas for follow-up discussion. (JAC)

Politically alienated elderly include those feeling inefficacious and others who are cynical. Yet cynics hold favorable attitudes toward voting and regularly cast ballots. The inefficacy and cynicism associated with political conservatism reflect pre-New Deal educational norms and political orientation. (Author)

Purpose: To identify the most common beliefs concerning the negative consequences of falling and determine whether these motivate avoidance of activity. Design and Methods: A questionnaire assessing feared consequences of falling was completed by 224 community-living people aged older than 75. Beliefs about the consequences of falling were related…

Positively Aging is a program of interdisciplinary teaching materials, with examples from geriatrics and gerontology, designed to teach middle school curricular elements. The purpose of this study was to determine if use of the program materials could change students' images of elders. Results demonstrated that use of the curriculum moved students…

Purpose: This U.K. study explored how older adults with depression (treated and untreated) and the general older population conceptualize depression. A multicultural approach was used that incorporated the perspectives of Black Caribbean, South Asian, and White British older adults. The study sought to explore and compare beliefs about the nature…

Interviewed urban, Black respondents (N=122), aged 51 to 90, about their religious practices and beliefs. Results were analyzed using a multidimensional scale. Religiosity did not appear to vary with age but church membership did. Women had higher scores than men. Religiosity was positively related to life satisfaction. (Author)