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This dissertation focuses on the midlife adjustment of individuals from a longitudinal study in its 5th decade of follow-up. The Abecedarian Project, a prospective randomized control trial (RCT), began in 1972 with the primary goal of preventing cognitive impairments and school failure in children born into impoverished families with multiple risk factors by randomly assigning 111 infants to either an early education (n = 57) or control group (n = 54). This dissertation reports midlife outcomes at ages 39 – 45 for 42 individuals who received the early education treatment and 36 who were controls. This dissertation focuses on two primary hypotheses within a twojournal manuscript format. The first primary hypothesis of this dissertation is that the Abecedarian early education intervention will increase the number of successful outcomes over the lifespan, showing the cumulative effect of positive experiences (Sameroff, 2009) and a sense of personal efficacy (Dweck, 2008; Seeman, 1959). The second primary hypothesis of this dissertation is that response contingent learning and being an active agent in early cognitive and social settings during the first five years of life will provide a strong foundation for future perceptions of control over important areas in one’s life (Furnham & Steele, 1993; Walden & Ramey, 1983; Wallston, Wallston, & DeVellis, 1978). The analysis of midlife indices of strength and risk reveal results favoring the treatment group compared to the controls on both the Midlife Strengths Index (F (1,76) = 15.85, p = .000) and the Midlife Risk Index (F (1,76 = 8.88, p = .004). Additionally, a significant interaction exists between group assignment and IQ at age 48 months for the Midlife Strengths Index (β = -.215, p < .05). Analyses of Locus of Control scales reveal that the control group reports “powerful others” have more influence on both their health behaviors (F (1, 76) = 3.962, p = .05) on the Multidimensional Health Locus of Control Scale and their economic behaviors (F (1, 76) = 5.146, p = .026) within the Economic Locus of Control Scale. Additionally, the control group reported more external economic locus of control than the treatment group with a marginal statistical significance (F (1, 76) = 3.359, p = .071). Results are consistent with the conclusion for children born into multi-risk, economically impoverished families there are lifelong benefits of receiving high-quality early care and education that extend into the midlife years. / Ph. D.

Baby boomers are living longer, and as they age, they will need more supportive services that may include housing, mobility, nutrition, personal care, or health care. Despite the studies that have been conducted on baby boomers aging in place (choosing to stay in their home versus move to an institution), the focus has been on the old and frail and very little has been done to address the lifestyle of active (physically functioning) baby boomers. The purpose of this phenomenological study was to understand the lived, shared experiences of active baby boomers regarding their beliefs and attitudes about aging in place and the implications of this decision. The theoretical foundation of the study was based on Atchley's continuity theory. Data were gathered through in-person, semi-structured interviews with 11 participants, age 65 and older, living in a coastal area of a southern state. Data from the interviews were inductively coded and then organized around key themes. The themes from the content analysis indicated that the participants were embracing the concept of aging in place and adjusting to their limitations (i.e. physical, financial, emotional, and/or environmental) when present. Identified barriers to aging in place were access to services (specifically medical and in-home care), financial constraints, and the inability to drive or inaccessibility of transportation. This study contributes to positive social change by providing policymakers and administrators with information to strengthen the argument that the current social service delivery system is overburdened and may not meet the demands of this population in order for them to maintain their independence and autonomy. Additionally, this study raises awareness among policymakers that driving longer will in itself possess its own challenges such as visibility concerns and roadway design not conducive to aging adults.

Made available in DSpace on 2014-12-17T14:36:05Z (GMT). No. of bitstreams: 1 EveraldoRA.pdf: 1143025 bytes, checksum: 9d059f2c0d0aba031151ab9037727ea9 (MD5) Previous issue date: 2009-11-30 / Conselho Nacional de Desenvolvimento Cient?fico e Tecnol?gico / We understand that the successful old age is not confined only in the analysis of quantitative aspects concerning the economic situation of the subject that gets old, but this special way of aging is related to other values, such as dignity, happiness, self-esteem, willingness, autonomy, independence, social involvement with family and friends, among others. Thus, this study aimed to investigate the human aging process, considering the history of life of ten seniors who fit the profile of successful old age, seeking to identify elements that contribute to educational thinking in order to get a successful aging. In this perspective, we argue in this study, the idea that we need to learn to engage in experiences that more than providing satisfaction and well-being in the moment in which we conducted, serve as a potentiating to a successful old age. Thus, throughout this thesis we question: what are the present indicative in the histories of life of elderly people, considered successful, which may contribute to an education that people experiencing their age more satisfactorily. This is a qualitative study, that took as universe a methodological oral history, in which we used as a technique of research a semistructured interview as a part of their life history, with emphasis on consideration of the following categories: diary routine, with emphasis on social harmony in the family, at work and in friendship groups of leisure and physical activity, self-knowledge and the learning experiences throughout life. To get the objectives outlined, as well as lectured on the categories analyzed, we support our reflection on the theory of the course of life, which includes human aging as a historical and cultural contextual reality. Our research revealed, among other things, that successful aging is coupled to an active lifestyle, where the involvement in physical activities, recreational and social experiences throughout life is important for increasing self-esteem, autonomy and joy of living, conditions that enable successful old age. Our study also revealed that the educationfor successful old age is linked with the consumption along the life, educational activities which broaden the possibilities of social interaction between people, even among different generations, since the interaction is important to learn and accept our possibilities and limits. / Compreendemos que a velhice bem-sucedida n?o se resume unicamente na an?lise de aspectos quantitativos referentes ? situa??o econ?mica do sujeito que envelhece, mas sim que este modo especial de envelhecer encontra-se relacionado a outros valores, como por exemplo, a dignidade, a felicidade, a auto-estima, a disposi??o, a autonomia, a independ?ncia, o envolvimento social com a fam?lia e com os amigos, dentre outros. Nesse sentido, este estudo teve como objetivo investigar o processo de envelhecimento humano, considerando a hist?ria de vida de dez idosos que se enquadram no perfil de velhice bem-sucedida, buscando identificar elementos que contribuam para pensarmos a??es educativas favorecedoras de um envelhecimento bem-sucedido. Nessa perspectiva, defendemos, neste estudo, a id?ia de que necessitamos aprender a nos envolver em experi?ncias que, al?m de nos proporcionar satisfa??o e bem-estar no momento em que as realizamos, nos sirvam como potencializadoras para uma velhice bem-sucedida. Deste modo, ao longo dessa tese questionamos: quais os indicativos presentes nas hist?rias de vida de idosos considerados bem-sucedidos que podem contribuir para uma educa??o que permita as pessoas vivenciarem sua velhice de maneira mais satisfat?ria? Trata-se de estudo de car?ter qualitativo, que teve como universo metodol?gico a Hist?ria Oral, no qual utilizamos como t?cnica de pesquisa a entrevista semi-estruturada, no ?mbito da hist?ria de vida, com ?nfase para a an?lise das seguintes categorias: rotina di?ria, com destaque para a conviv?ncia social na fam?lia, no trabalho e nos grupos de amizade e de lazer e de atividade f?sica; o autoconhecimento e as aprendizagens vivenciadas ao longo da vida. Para atendermos os objetivos tra?ados, bem como dissertamos sobre as categorias analisadas, apoiamos nossa reflex?o na teoria do curso de vida, a qual compreende o envelhecimento humano como sendo uma realidade contextualizada, hist?rica e cultural. Nossa pesquisa revelou, entre outros aspectos, que o envelhecimento bem-sucedido encontra-se atrelado a um estilo de vida ativo, onde o envolvimento em atividades f?sicas, recreativas e sociais, vivenciadas ao longo da vida ? fundamental para ampliar a auto-estima, a autonomia e alegria de viver, condi??es necess?rias para viabilizar a velhice bemsucedida Nosso estudo, tamb?m revelou que a educa??o para avelhice bem-sucedida encontra-se atrelada ao oferecimento, ao longo da vida, de a??es educativas que alarguem as possibilidades de conviv?ncia social entre os indiv?duos, inclusive entre pessoas de diferentes gera??es, posto que o conv?vio ? importante para que possamos aprender a aceitar nossas possibilidades e limites

Over 43.5 million Americans provide informal care to a fast-growing elderly population in the United States. Informal care allows care-recipients to remain functional members of society. However, research suggests that the demands of informal care can negatively impact the health of caregivers. For example, caregiver burden increases the risk for poor health in caregivers compared to non-caregivers. Caregiving research is on the rise, but the dynamics of informal care in active retirement communities remains widely unexplored. To provide adequate services to lessen caregiver burden and improve the Quality of Life (QoL) of informal caregivers, the various settings in which informal care is delivered must be evaluated. Aiming to understand the needs of informal caregivers and the protective factors against caregiver burden in active retirement communities, data from the USF Health and The Villages study, conducted from October 2011 and March 2013, were analyzed. Data from twenty-nine focus groups (N=144) was used to explore the challenges faced by seniors in a caregiver role and the availability of resources that decrease caregiver burden. The primary focus was informal care and the challenges associated with the caregiver role; findings revealed a great need for caregiver relief and limited information on existing resources is available to informal caregivers. Consistent with existing literature on caregiver burden, having no personal time, financial burden, physical demands, and poor health were commonly identified as the biggest caregiving challenges. However, findings strongly suggest that the unique structure of The Villages community encourages high social support that may be the strongest protective factor against caregiver burden in the community.

Orientador: Anita Liberalesso Neri / Tese (doutorado) - Universidade Estadual de Campinas, Faculdade de Educação / Made available in DSpace on 2018-08-18T14:15:31Z (GMT). No. of bitstreams: 1 Patrocinio_WandaPereira_D.pdf: 5331714 bytes, checksum: ec5688135d7ec8de33b5a7b15586799f (MD5) Previous issue date: 2010 / Resumo: Objetivos: Implementar um programa de educação popular em saúde para um envelhecimento saudável em duas comunidades da cidade de Campinas, baseado na perspectiva de Paulo Freire e na política de envelhecimento ativo (OMS); verificar a influência deste programa sobre a mudança de atitudes dos idosos em relação à velhice, à saúde, à participação social e a aspectos psicossociais. Métodos: foram realizadas intervenções educacionais em dois grupos de idosos residentes em região de baixo índice de vulnerabilidade social (N = 5) e médio índice de vulnerabilidade social (N = 11) com delineamento pré-teste, intervenção, pós-teste e seguimento, no qual a intervenção consistiu em um encontro semanal de 150 minutos, de agosto a dezembro de 2009. As medidas incluíram questionários e escalas sobre variáveis sociodemográficas, psicossociais, de participação social, de saúde e sobre atitudes em relação à velhice. Os programas foram elaborados com temas escolhidos pelos idosos. Resultados: Análises estatísticas e de conteúdo mostraram mudança nas atitudes em relação à velhice, com diminuição de opiniões negativas, aumento das positivas; percepção de que a velhice comporta tanto ganhos como perdas; melhora no tempo diário de prática de atividade física; e melhora no consumo diário de verduras e legumes para os dois grupos; as pontuações em satisfação com a vida foram geralmente altas; as avaliações de saúde percebida foram positivas. Conclusões: O desenvolvimento de um programa educacional baseado no modelo de Paulo Freire e realizado de forma multidisciplinar, com conteúdos adequados e de interesse dos idosos resultou em melhora em aspectos da qualidade de vida dos participantes. Os resultados sugerem que intervenções deste tipo podem favorecer a saúde física e mental de idosos. / Abstract: Objectives: This study was aimed to implement a program of popular health education toward healthy aging in two communities of Campinas, based on the perspective of Paulo Freire and the politics of active aging (WHO) and to verify the influence of the program on the attitudes of the participants toward old age, health, social participation and psychosocial aspects. Methods: educational interventions were performed in two groups of community dwelling-elderly from regions of low and intermediary social vulnerability index, with pretest, intervention, post-test and follow-up design. The intervention consisted of a weekly meeting of 150 minutes, from August to December 2009. Measurements were taken by questionnaires and scales of sociodemographic, psychosocial, social participation, health variables, as well as images of aging. The programs included themes chosen by the participants. Results: Statistical and content analysis showed change of the attitudes toward aging, reduction the negative evaluations, increasing of positive ones, and perception of old age as a stage that comprises both gains and losses, improvement in daily physical activity and improvement of the intake of vegetables. The scores were generally high in all measures for satisfaction with life; ratings of perceived health were high in both groups. Conclusions: An educational program based on the model of Paulo Freire and multidisciplinary in nature, showed to be effective to the improvement of quality of life aspects of the participants. The results suggest that such interventions can promote the physical and mental health of elderly. / Doutorado / Psicologia Educacional / Doutor em Educação

Äldre personer utgör en allt större del av befolkningen vilket gör att forskning kring hälsosamt åldrande blir mer aktuellt. Flera studier tyder på att ånger kring det förflutna har negativa konsekvenser för hälsan och att upplevelsen av att vara tillfreds har en positiv inverkan på välmående. Däremot saknas kunskap om hur äldre blir tillfreds med sina livsval. Studien syftade till att bidra med en mer nyanserad bild av hur personer över 65 år förhåller sig till livsval och konsekvenser av dessa, samt hur upplevelsen av att vara tillfreds med livet kan uppstå. Semistrukturerade intervjuer genomfördes med 11 deltagare. Det insamlade materialet analyserades utifrån en induktiv tematisk analys vilket resulterade i fyra huvudteman och 12 subteman. Huvudtemana Positivitet, Acceptans och Självständighet innebär tre olika förhållningssätt till livsval. Social kontext belyser social påverkan på livsval samt hur gemenskap och att vara betydelsefull bidrar till välmående och mening i livet. Studiens bredare definition av livsval och det positiva fokuset bidrar till en mer nyanserad bild av äldres syn på livsval inom flera olika områden. Resultatet visar att upplevelsen av att vara nöjd inte nödvändigtvis kan likställas med att vara tillfreds, och att hur människan förhåller sig till valet och dess konsekvenser blir viktigare än det faktiskt utfallet i det aktuella valet. Äldre som söker behandling för hantering av negativa känslor kopplade till åldrande och livsåterblickande kan behöva olika interventioner beroende på hur de förhåller sig till livsval. / Older people make up an increasing proportion of the population which makes research on successful aging more relevant. Several studies show negative health consequences when regretting the past and that the experience of coming to terms have positive effects on well-being. Although, little is known about how older people come to terms with life choices. This study aimed to contribute with a nuanced picture of how people over the age of 65 relate to life choices and their consequences, and how elderly people come to terms with life. Semi-structured interviews were conducted with 11 participants. The material was analyzed based on inductive thematic analysis, resulting in four main themes and 12 subthemes. The main themes Positivity, Acceptance and Independence involve three different approaches to life choices. Social context highlights the social impact on life choices and how community and being important to others contributes to well-being and purpose in life. The broader definition of life choices and the positive focus of this study contributes to a more nuanced picture of older peoples view on life choices in multiple areas. The result shows that the experience of coming to terms with life not necessarily can be equated with being satisfied, and that how people relate to life choices and its consequences becomes more important than the actual outcome of the choice itself. Elderly people who seeks treatment for dealing with negative emotions related to aging and life reminiscence may need different interventions depending on how they relate to life choices.

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