There is an emergent literature suggesting that East Asians and Westerners differ in cognitive processes because of cultural biases to process information holistically (East Asians) or analytically (Westerners). To evaluate the possibility that such differences are accompanied by differences in brain structure, we conducted a large comparative…

Purpose: Educational attainment is a robust predictor of disability in elderly Americans: older adults with high-school (HS) diplomas have substantially lower disability than individuals who did not complete HS. General Educational Development (GED) diplomas now comprise almost 20% of new HS credentials issued annually in the United States but it…

Examination of measurement invariance provides a powerful method to evaluate the hypothesis that the same set of psychological constructs underlies a set of test scores in different populations. If measurement invariance is observed, then the same psychological meaning can be ascribed to scores in both populations. In this study, the measurement…

Newcomers to intergenerational programs in early childhood settings tend to recognize immediately the value of bringing younger and older age groups together. However, they then ask, "But what do they do together?" The goal of intergenerational programs is to promote bonds between younger and older generations--relationships that will…

The Commission on International Adult Education (CIAE) of the American Association for Adult and Continuing Education (AAACE) provides a forum for the discussion of international issues related to adult education in general, as well as adult education in various countries around the globe. The following purposes summarize the work of the…

From 1965 to 1995, the United States, Germany, Japan, and Sweden all experienced a decline in the average age at which workers retire and an increase in the duration of retirement. Sweden and Germany particularly face elder dependency burdens, which may increase in the United States in the coming decade. (JOW)

The prevalence and implications of childlessness in old age are compared across nine major surveys in seven countries: Australia, Finland, Germany, Japan, the Netherlands, the United Kingdom, and the United States. Specifically, the researchers examine indicators of the well-being and resources of childless men and women, compare them to their…

Context: Diabetes poses a growing health burden in the United States, but much of the research to date has been at the state and local level. Purpose: To present a national profile of diabetes care provided to Medicare beneficiaries living in urban, semirural, and rural communities. Methods: Medicare beneficiaries with diabetes aged 18-75 were…

Discusses the need for research on current self-care practices among the elderly in various cultures. Looks at differences in self-care practices in Denmark, Japan, and the United States. (JOW)

Context: National data documenting the role that rural hospitals play in providing inpatient care to patients both younger than 65 and 65 years and older has previously been unavailable. Purpose: To present descriptive nationally representative data on the numbers and types of inpatients, and the care they received, in rural hospitals. Methods:…

Norwegian and U.S. nursing students (n=207) completed Kogan's Attitude toward Old People scale. Despite few differences in mean score, only in the United States were age, educational level, experience with elders, and work preference correlated with scores. Despite positive attitudes about the elderly, both groups expressed a preference for…

In the last 2 decades, the United States has seen an increase in childlessness and first births at older ages. Using the National Survey of Family Growth, we focus on women aged 35-44 who are voluntarily childless (expect no children and are fecund or contraceptively sterile). We compare these women to those who are involuntarily childless…

This article focuses on the ways in which patterns of marriage and fertility shape older people's involvement in community groups and their support networks. The data are from Australia, Finland, Germany, Israel, Japan, the Netherlands, Spain, the United Kingdom, and the United States. Findings show that childless older adults, regardless of…

Purpose: Although increased participation in physical activity by older adults is a major public health goal, little is known about the supply and use of physical activity programs in the United States. Design and Methods: Seven academic centers in diverse geographic areas surveyed physical activity programs for older adults. Five sites conducted…

The professional activities of retired academics from two universities in Great Britain were investigated and were compared with the findings of studies of retired academics from a major U.S. state university. A high degree of similarity was found between the two groups. (Author/MLW)