Thesis (Ph. D.)--University of Missouri-Columbia, 2000. / Typescript. Vita. Includes bibliographical references (leaves 101-109). Also available on the Internet.

Thesis (M.A.)--West Virginia University, 2001. / Title from document title page. Document formatted into pages; contains v, 47 p. Vita. Includes abstract. Includes bibliographical references (p. 26-28).

Thesis (Ph.D.)--Mississippi State University. Department of Counseling, Educational Psychology and Special Education. / Title from title screen. Includes bibliographical references.

The primary goal of this dissertation is to provide a better understanding of how midlife adult women’s psychological well-being is shaped by parental status. Using data from the National Longitudinal Survey of Youth 1979, this research addresses three specific research aims. The first aim is to explore the relationship between motherhood and psychological well-being by family life stages and the timing of transition to motherhood. The second aim is to examine the role of marriage in the association between parental status and psychological well-being. Finally, the third aim is to account for psychological well-being by parental status, focusing on experiences in labor force participation. To address these aims, this dissertation tests several hypotheses based on the multiple role theory and its modifications and the theories and empirical research centered on the effects of marriage and employment on well-being. The results indicate that mothers are more likely to have lower levels of psychological well-being compared to childless women at earlier family life stages. However, this disadvantage decreases as mothers and their children age. The mother’s age at the birth of her first child also plays a role in the trajectories of the level of psychological well-being. Although the negative association between psychological wellbeing and motherhood appears to decline over time, those who became a mother at earlier ages experience much slower declines compared to those who did not have a first child until their early thirties. It also appears that marital status is an important moderator between parental status and psychological well-being. Motherhood is associated with psychological benefits for the married, but the opposite pattern is found for the never married. Moreover, entering a first marriage is associated with greater improvements in psychological well-being for women with a child compared to childless women. The association between motherhood and psychological well-being also varies depending on the types of marital disruption. Compared to those who remain married, divorce is harmful for women with a child; however, being a widow is detrimental for childless women. Additionally, for both married and never married women, employment is not associated with increases in psychological well-being when it is also combined with motherhood. This research suggests that the association between motherhood and psychological well-being is contingent upon the family life stages, the age at transition to motherhood, and other roles that women hold while being mothers. / text

published_or_final_version / Sports Science / Master / Master of Science in Sports Science

In Hong Kong, the population of older adults aged 65 and above is expected to nearly double by the beginning of the 2030s, which will then represent just over a quarter of the population. A local study found that many people in Hong Kong had given very little thought to plans for retirement and old age, including aspects of financial, health, social, and living arrangements (Lee & Law, 2004). Many similar retirement studies can be found in the West, primarily using a quantitative inquiry framework. The number of qualitative inquiries on aging issues has steadily increased over the last decade. Results from previous studies showed similar patterns, i.e. low levels of planning activities for retirement and old age across all social classes. However, none of the studies explored beyond the correlations and associations among variables. This study aims to add to the body of knowledge in the field of aging by employing life course perspectives with a qualitative approach through examining whether situational and contextual factors do in fact affect individuals’ old age readiness. There are two core objectives of this study. The first objective is to investigate whether and how life experiences from significant events or transitions influence important decisions in life, in this case, the planning for retirement and old age among the target population of mid-aged women from middle and working class backgrounds in Hong Kong. The second objective is to explore relationships and the degree of significance between Chinese traditional belief systems and the level of retirement preparedness amidst high volatility in global financial markets and the development of old age friendly welfare and policies in Hong Kong. Semi-structured interviews were conducted with a purposive sample of 34 women between the ages of 45 and 59. Results connote that most of these women witnessed the growth of economic development in Hong Kong; unfortunately they have not accumulated enough physical resources to prepare for retirement or old age after its growth plateaued and has been stumbling since the late 1990s. Their social network system is very limited and in many cases also fragile. Minimal preventive health measures are being taken except for addressing pre-existing physical and mental health issues. Living arrangements is the area least planned for, including those women who are public rental housing tenants. The interviewed women hold the same Chinese traditional value that they are hoping to receive family support during old age. Nonetheless, they also feel vulnerable because their adult children are struggling to make ends meet as well. Public cash assistances are these women’s last resort if their children cannot afford to provide support due to economic difficulties or after depletion of their own funds from MPF, personal savings and investments. This group of women is likely to actively utilize the public healthcare system, community programs, and long-term care facilities in the near future. Implications of the study include social work practices and public policies that will support the potential needs of the forthcoming wave of the old age population. / published_or_final_version / Social Work and Social Administration / Doctoral / Doctor of Philosophy

This grounded theory study investigated the experiences of 18 middle class, middle aged men who lost long term employment because of organizational restructuring. Limited research had previously been conducted in this area and this study extends our understanding about the impact of job loss on people who have lost long term employment. The purpose of the study was to explicate the lived experiences of these men and generate an explanation and model of how they reconstructed their understanding of career following job loss from long term employment. The men's experience of job loss and how they constructed career after the loss of long term employment were explained through a dynamic and interacting four stage process model of the dissolution of career. Stage 1, establishing career, explained how the men came to understand career as a relationship. For these men, career, as a relationship, was based on trust and was comprised of reciprocal terms believed to exist between the "good employee" and the "good employer." Over time, by fulfilling the terms of reciprocity, a psychological contract was established between the men and their employers. This contract contained mutual obligations, such as, employment security in exchange for employee commitment, loyalty, hard work, and sacrifice. Stage 2, the termination of employment, revealed how the experience of job loss signified a violation of the psychological contract. The men believed they had complied with the psychological contract; however, the employer's failure to provide employment security represented a violation of the psychological contract. This violation was a highly emotional experience, tantamount to a betrayal. Although compensation could represent the employer's effort to honour the employer/employee relationship, compensation in the form of severance pay was not adequate. Stage 3, disengaging from career, signified the period of time during which the men attempted to come to terms with the loss of career. The men attempted to secure new employment in a world of work different from the world in which they had begun their careers. Although the men sought employment that promoted the employer/employee relationship of career, seeking work revealed career as they had known it was unlikely in the new world of work. Past experience and educational upgrading had little effect on their ability to secure employment. Employers favoured inexpensive labour, immediate skills, and short term working relationships with employees. Generally, the men found themselves working in unstable jobs for less money. The men who secured stable work, gained job security through union membership or self employment instead of relying on the employer/employee relationship. The men's experiences during this stage underscored the experiences of the second stage. Stage 4, the dearth of career, represented the outcome of the men's experiences of the preceding stages. Although the men maintained previous definitions of career, they stated they had lost career and that career is no longer possible in the context of the new world of work. They were less trusting of employers. They favoured a transactional orientation towards work and stressed self interest in work relationships. Whereas, career provided a major source of purpose and meaning in the past, they constructed new purpose and meaning in life by reprioritizing other relationships in their lives, that is, with self, family, and friends. One wonders, however, whether life seemed less meaningful for the men who participated in this study because they maintained their definitions of career.

The purpose of this study was to describe the physical fitness of middle-aged adults with an intellectual disability and how their state of fitness has changed over time. Thirty-two adults with an intellectual disability served as participants: 14 were female and 18 were male. Participants had an age range from 34 to 57 years. All worked at a readaptation center in Montreal and were participants in a study of physical fitness in 1983. Using the "Canadian Standardized Test of Fitness", the participants were evaluated on tests of Cardiovascular Endurance, Muscular Strength, Muscular Endurance, Flexibility, and Body Composition. All participants were deemed physically capable of performing all the tests after a screening procedure was used. A home visit, previous to the testing session, familiarized the participants with the procedures for each test. The battery of tests took one hour per participant. Three levels of analysis were used to describe the change in physical fitness with age: First, the conversion of raw scores into percentiles highlighted individual differences within the group. Second, to assess the change in fitness over time, a 2 x 2 (group x time) repeated measures design was used. Third, effect sizes were calculated to measure the magnitude of change in fitness over the 13 year period as compared to the general population. Results indicate that, when compared to the general population, the participants had lower levels of fitness and that their fitness had changed significantly over time. Most interesting were results showing that the participants had a significantly greater magnitude of change in VO2max and percent body fat than what is expected in the general population. The findings of this study raise concerns regarding the potential health risks associated with aging and poor fitness for adults with an intellectual disability.

Activity and fitness levels decline through the years from 30 to 60 years of age. Minimal research is available regarding functional assessment tools in this population. Reliable functional tools are needed to reintroduce individuals to appropriate physical activity levels following an injury and to maintain high levels of participation through their lifespan. The purposes of this study were multiple: 1) determine if three functional tests correspond with neuromotor fitness levels, 2) establish a model of functional tests, activity levels and descriptive data that distinguishes the most from the least fit, 3) describe expected mean functional test performances, and 4) demonstrate the reliability of the three functional tests in a sample of 30-60 year olds. 63 females and 38 males completed activity surveys, a neuromotor fitness test, the star excursion balance test (SEBT), the four square step test (FSST), and the Biering-Sorensen test of trunk extensor muscle endurance. Moderate to high reliability of the functional tests was determined with 29 subjects. The SEBT (r=.97), FSST (r=.88) and the Biering-Sorensen test (r=.64) were reliable. All functional tests were able to distinguish between the most fit and least fit with regards to the fitness tests. A model of the body mass index and the FSST predicted 25% of the variance in fitness level. Functional test means are reported by 10-year age groups and represent expected performance values.Health care professionals can use this information to compare their patients to this group of healthy individuals. This will allow them to have some idea of how well a person with an injury is performing relative to a healthy individual. Additionally the combination of a persons BMI plus their FSST gives the health care professional some information about an individual level of neuromuscular fitness so that the health care professional can guide their patients toward an appropriate level of physical activity after their injury or illness.

Background Overweight and obesity are considerable public health issues internationally as well as in Sweden. On a global level, the obesity prevalence has nearly doubled over the last 30 years. Currently in Sweden, more than one third of all women, and slightly more than half of all men, are either overweight or obese. The long-term results of obesity treatment programs are modest as reported by other studies. The importance of extending the focus to not only obesity treatment, but also prevention of weight gain, has therefore been emphasized. Aim The overall aim of this thesis is to explore the concept of primary weight maintenance (PWM) and to increase the knowledge of the attitudes, behaviours, strategies and surrounding circumstances that are important for PWM in a Swedish middle-aged population. Material and methods All study participants were recruited based on their previous participation in a health survey in their home setting; The Västerbotten Intervention Programme (VIP) in Västerbotten Sweden (paperI-IV), or the Upstate Health and Wellness Study in Upstate New York (IV), USA. All subjects had participated twice, with a time period of ten years between health surveys. The prevalence of obesity between the years 1990-2004 was calculated for VIP participants (paper I). Ten-year non-gain (lost weight or maintained body weight within 3% of baseline weight) or weightgain (≥3%) was calculated for individuals aged 30, 40, or 50 years at baseline. A multivariate logistic regression model was built to predict weight non-gain. In-depth interviews were conducted with 23 maintainers and four slight gainers in Sweden and analysed using Grounded Theory (paper II). A questionnaire study was conducted including 2138 Swedish and 2134 US participants (paper III and IV). Analysis of variance (ANOVA), correlation, and linear regression were performed to identify attitudes, strategies, and behaviours that are predictive of PWM in different age, sex and BMI subgroups in Sweden (paper III). Further, the pattern of ten-year weightchange (% and kg) in 1999-2009 was calculated for Swedish and US women within different subgroups (paper IV). ANOVA, correlation and chi-squaretests were conducted to contrast eating and exercise habits between the two countries that may explain the differences in weight change. Results The prevalence of obesity (BMI ≥30) in Västerbotten increased from 9.4% in 1990 to 17.5% in 2004 (I). Older age, being female, being overweight at baseline, later survey year, baseline diagnosis of diabetes, and lack of snuff use increased the chances of not gaining weight. Based on the in-depth interviews, describing attitudes, behaviours and strategies of importance for PWM, a model was constructed (II). Weight maintenance was characterized as “a tightrope walk” and four strategies of significance for PWM were described as “to rely on heritage”, “to find the joy”, “to find the routine” and “to be in control”. The questionnaire study aimed at identifying predictors of PWM in different age, sex and BMI groups (III). The pattern of significant predictors was widely disparate between different subgroups. Of 166 predictors tested, 152 (91.6%) were predictive of PWM in at least one subgroup. However, only 4.6% of these were significant in half of the subgroups or more. The mean percent weight changes (in all cases weightgain), between 1999-2009 for Swedish and US women, were 4.9% (SD=5.8) and 9.1% (SD=13.7) respectively (p for t-test˂0.001) (IV). For the US women, the largest weight change occurred among the 30 year olds for all three BMI strata. For the Swedish, it was seen among overweight and obese 30 year old women. The largest difference in ten-year weight change between the two countries for any two matched subgroups was seen in normal weight 30 year olds. Significantly more of the women in this Swedish subgroup stated having more of healthy behaviours. However, there was a tendency for unhealthy behaviours to be strongly associated with greater weight gain in the US, but much less so in Sweden. Conclusion: Younger individuals, those of normal body weight, and those without health conditions (e.g. diabetes type 2) and cardiovascular riskfactors – were the least likely to maintain their weight over the 10 year period (I). Educational efforts on the prevention of overweight and obesity should therefore be broadened to include those individuals. The in-depth interview study showed great variety with regard to attitudes, strategies and behaviours important for PWM (II). The results from this study informs health personnel about the need to tailor advice related to body weight, not only to different sub-groups of individuals trying to lose weight but also to subgroups of primary weight maintainers who are trying to maintain weight. This statement was also supported by the questionnaire data, where the large disparity in the pattern of significant variables between subgroups suggests that these interventions should be tailored to the person’s demographic (age,sex and BMI) (III). Paper IV showed that even though the prevalence of obesity among Swedish women has increased substantially during these ten years, it has not kept pace with the increase in the US. One explanation for this may be that normal 30 year old Swedish women have more healthy behaviours than do US women. However, the insensitivity of the Swedish women to weight gain for healthy versus unhealthy alternatives may also be a factor. If the exact reason behind this phenomenon can be identified this may contribute to a deeper understanding of PWM both in Sweden and the US.