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Objectives Black persons in the United States are more likely to suffer from social inequality. Chronic stress caused by social inequality and racial discrimination results in weathering of the body that causes physiological dysregulation and biological age being higher than chronological age (accelerated aging). Depression has been linked to both racial discrimination and accelerated aging and accelerated aging has been demonstrated to be higher in Black than White persons, on average. However, we know little about accelerated aging across the life course in Black Americans. Methods We used mixed-effects growth models to measure biological age acceleration, measured with cardiometabolic markers, over a 20-year period in Black participants of the Coronary Artery Risk Development in Young Adults Study who were aged 27–42 years at analytic baseline. We included an interaction between depressive symptoms and time to determine whether risk of depression was associated with a faster rate of biological aging. Results We found that the rate of biological aging increased over a 20-year span and that those at risk for depression had a faster rate of biological aging than those not at risk. We also found that various social factors were associated with biological age acceleration over time. Discussion Given the known association between perceived racial discrimination and depressive symptoms, we provide a novel instance of the long-term effects of social inequality. Specifically, biological age acceleration, a marker of physiological dysregulation, is associated with time among Black persons and more strongly associated among those with depressive symptoms. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Background: African American life expectancy at age 65 is about 2 years less than that of Caucasians, but by age 85, African Americans may have a longevity advantage. One possible explanation for this cross-over effect is that African Americans who make it to the oldest ages have done so by handling stressful contextual and health disadvantages. The purpose of this study was to examine possible within group cohort differences that lead to exceptional longevity among older African Americans.Methods: Data came from three cohorts of older African Americans: the Carolina African American Twin Study of Aging (CAATSA), the Baltimore Study of Black Aging-Patterns of Cognitive Aging (BSBA-PCA), and the Study of Longevity and Stress in African American Families (SOLSAA). Of the 533 participants, we compared two age cohorts (60-79 and 80+) with an average age of 73.2 (SD = 8.33) and 26.3% are men. Variables included measures of stress, depression, coping, cognition, and health indicators.Results: The variance for depression and average peak expiratory flow (APEF) was significantly larger for the older cohort but after controlling for demographic factors, the measure of depressive symptoms was not. The Alpha Span test showed a significant difference with the older cohort having larger variances after controlling for demographic factors.Conclusions: The findings suggest that there are changes in the characteristics of who makes it to later life, but counter to our hypothesis, there was greater variability in the oldest group relative to the younger. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Historically, men typically have had more opportunities, privileges, and power; yet men die sooner and have earlier onset of health conditions compared with women. This is largely because there is a paucity of research focusing on the complex interaction that exists between social, behavioral, biological, and psychosocial factors among men. The chapters in this book explore some key factors that can provide insights to advance our understanding of men's health and aging. The book is organized in two sections: contemporary issues and emerging perspectives about men's health and aging. The insightful chapters in the first section explore issues such as how experiences with social institutions earlier in life have an impact on men in late life, health and well-being of military veterans, biological determinants of men's health, and mental health of older men. The exciting chapters in the emerging perspective section focus on pain, social isolation, and stress and faith as it relates to men's health in later life. This is a stimulating time for those whose have an interest in men's health and aging. The take away from this book is a greater understanding of psychosocial and biological factors that explain population health as it relates to men. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

An introduction to articles published within the issue is presented on topics including the direct effects of psychosocial resources on health, whether church-based social support offered protective effects on the relationship between discrimination and serious psychological distress across the life course, and the link between major and everyday discrimination and depressive symptoms.

This study examined factors that influence sleep quality in older African American women (N= 181) reporting chronic pain. Participants completed a series of questions assessing demographic and behavioral characteristics, health status, pain intensity, and sleep disturbance. Findings indicated that younger participants and those experiencing poorer physical functioning reported more difficulty sleeping due to pain. Similarly, participants who reported being awakened from sleep due to pain were younger and experienced greater pain intensity. Understanding the relationship between sleep and pain in this group of women may be useful in promoting effective disease management and sleep awareness among patients, caregivers, and healthcare professionals. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Twin studies have seldom addressed ethnicity as one of the possible factors that create unique combinations of genetic and environmental influences. The major objective of the Carolina African American Twin Study of Aging is to identify the proportion of the genetic and environmental sources of individual variation in measures of health and behavioral factors in a sample of adult African Americans. Drawn from birth records from the State of North Carolina, this in-person study used public records to identify a cohort of twins between 22 and 92 years of age (X = 49.82 yrs, SD = 14.62), 39.7% of which were men. Members of non-intact twin pairs and siblings were also recruited to explore alternative models to the classic twin design. To date, the project has contributed to knowledge about blood pressure, forced expiratory volume, chronic illness, body mass index, and waist-hip ratio memory, personality, social, and demographic factors, mortality, and mental health. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The knowledge gained from studying diverse populations should help to address inequities and prepare us to deal with the needs of the increasing number of older minorities in this country. At the same time, research that is not properly conducted threatens to lead us astray and misconstrue relationships and outcomes related to behavioral aspects of aging. In this article, we propose that simple comparisons between groups are neither necessary nor sufficient to advance our understanding of ethnic minorities. We discuss common pitfalls conducted in group-differences research, including a specific treatment on the issue of statistical power issues. Our goal is to encourage the use of multiple methodological designs in the study of issues related to racial and ethnic minorities by demonstrating some of the advantages of lesser employed approaches. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Abstract: Normative neuropsychological data for U.S. racial/ethnic minorities are limited. Extant norms are based on small, regional groups that may not be nationally representative. The objectives of this study were to (1) provide norms for a modified Symbol Digit Modalities Test (M-SDMT) based on a nationally representative sample of African Americans, Caribbean Blacks, and non-Latino Whites (NLW) living in areas with large populations of Blacks; and (2) determine significant correlates of M-SDMT performance. The M-SDMT was administered to a subset of respondents from the National Survey of American Life in standard face-to-face interviews. M-SDMT performance was influenced by race/ethnicity, age, education, and gender. African Americans and NLW groups had similar M-SDMT performances, which differed from Caribbean Blacks. The Black ethnic differences in M-SDMT were not explained by the sociodemographic factors considered in this study. Unlike previous work, this study supports the consideration of Black ethnicity when evaluating Black neuropsychological test performance. [Copyright &y& Elsevier]

Understanding the origins of racial health disparities is currently a central focus of health-oriented funding agencies and the health policy community. In particular, the role of genetics in the origin of racial health disparities is receiving growing attention and has been susceptible to considerable misinterpretation. In this article, the authors provide a basic discussion about the concept of genes and race, an introduction to quantitative genetics, and some examples of quantitative genetic analyses of health conditions in an underserved population. The intent is to outline the conceptual limitations of exclusivist views of either environmental or genetic determination and to emphasize the coaction and interaction of genes and environments in health. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The current study sought to examine whether there were differences in the structure of specific cognitive abilities and their association with age and education in a sample of African American elders with two different early educational experiences. The study was conducted with a sample of 197 community dwelling older adults ranging in age from 50 to 79 years (mean age = 61.50 years, SD = 7.30 years). The sample included 79 individuals who attended a desegregated school at anytime during their formal education, while 118 participants completed their schooling without ever attending a desegregated school. Major results included: (1) typical patterns among cognitive abilities and age as well as years of education were found in the full sample of participants; (2) the pattern of age differences in cognition differed between the two groups. Regarding the latter, the desegregated sample exhibited significant negative age differences for some cognitive abilities, while the segregated group did not. Discussion focuses on the importance of considering the nature of the educational experience when examining cognitive aging in African American elders. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

In twin research, typically both members of a pair must participate. Survivorship of members of intact pairs compared to surviving members of nonintact twin pairs may reflect differences in psychosocial and health factors, and represent a potential selection bias relative to the general population. The purpose of the present study is to examine health, cognition, and well-being among members of African American intact twin pairs compared to individuals from nonintact twin pairs. Data from the Carolina African American Twin Study of Aging (CAATSA) were used for analyses. Subjects ranged in age from 25 to 89 years of age (mean=59.78 years, SD=12.84 years). CAATSA implements a 3-h protocol to collect data on demographics, health, cognition, and well-being. Data from one randomly selected member of each twin pair (N=78) was compared to data from surviving members of nonintact twin pairs (N=52). The results indicated significant differences on 11 of the 39 measures (i.e., age, education, forced expiratory volume, mean standing and sitting systolic and diastolic blood pressures, cognitive impairment score, alpha span, digit symbol, and logical memory). In each case, members of intact twin pairs performed better than surviving members of nonintact twin pairs. After controlling demographic variables, only blood pressures differed between the groups. It appears that using only pairs in research on older African American twins may represent a selection bias in estimating origins of individual variability in cognitive functioning and health but not psychological well-being. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The purpose of this study was to examine the relationship between social support, health status, and everyday problem solving in African Americans. The sample included subjects recruited from Baltimore, Maryland. The sample consisted of 249 community-dwelling African American adults, 32% of whom were male, with a sample mean age of 67.8 years (SD = 8.47 years). Variables included: Everyday, Problem Solving Test (EPT), social support given and received, physical limitations, counts of chronic illness, smoking, and demographic information. Using stepwise regression, age, education, physical limitations, and social support given were found to be significant predictors of performance on the EPT. Further analysis found support for a partial mediating effect of physical limitations on the relationship between social support and everyday problem solving. The results indicate that there may be differences in the cognitive abilities of those actively involved in social activities. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

As the aging population continues to become more diverse, there is growing interest in understanding the similar and unique aspects of aging within and across people of different ethnic groups. The impact of culture on the sources of variation identified in quantitative genetic approaches has not been well discussed in the literature. The purpose of this paper is to review previous research pertinent to the cultural aspects of quantitative genetic approaches and methodologies, and provide conceptual and statistical approaches for advancing the science. To meet this objective, results from previously published studies as well as preliminary data analyses from the Carolina African American Twin Study of Aging will be presented. There are three themes to draw from the issues discussed in this paper: (1) avoiding genetic reductionism, (2) interpreting differential heritabilities, and (3) modeling cultural influences. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Presents an overview of behavioral medicine research on sociodemographically diverse populations in the U.S. Implications of social and economic diversity on behavioral medicine research; Elimination of health disparities in racial and ethnic populations; Influence of social and economic classifications on the treatment of disease.

Despite the association of neighborhood quality with poorer adult health, limited research has explored the association between neighborhood disadvantage, e.g. Area Deprivation Index (ADI), and older Black adults' health, prospectively. This observational study examined the association between ADI and changes in longitudinal physical health within older Black adults. The analytic sample (n = 317) included data from waves 1 & 2 of the Baltimore Study of Black Aging: Patterns of Cognitive Aging (BSBA-PCA). Study variables included the Area Deprivation Index (ADI), objective (e.g. average heart rate) and subjective (e.g. activities of daily living) measures of physical health. Multiple linear regression models were conducted controlling for sociodemographic and social support characteristics. Participants living in more disadvantaged neighborhoods, based on national and state ADIs, were more likely to have a decreasing heart rate even after adjusting for covariates. Likewise, participants reporting increasing levels of ADL difficulty were living in a neighborhood with greater disadvantage based on national and state ADI rankings. Significant social support received and ADI (national and state) interactions were observed for average heart rate. The findings suggest that research on the effect of neighborhood quality and social support can enhance our understanding of its impact on older Black adults' health prospectively. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Results from previous research on everyday problem solving involving Caucasians suggests that it may be a useful concept in studying cognitive aging in African Americans . The purpose of this investigation was to examine : (1) the factor structure of an everyday problem solving in a sample of African Americans , (2) the internal consistency of everyday problem solving in a sample of African Americans , and (3) the relation ship of problem solving to demographic factors, physical functioning, and measures of fluid ability. The sample included subjects recruited from Baltimore , MD . The sample consisted of 249 community dwelling African - American adults with a mean age of 67 . 8 years (SD = 8.47). Variables included the Everyday Problem Solving Test (EPT), gender , age , education , physical functioning , and inductive reasoning . Everyday problem solving as a latent construct was confirmed and the split half reliability was high (.89). As in previous research , inductive reasoning and physical functioning were related to everyday problem solving abilities . We also found that certain domains of the EPT are more influ enced by demographic factors than others . Our finding suggest that the Everyday Problems Test is appropriate for use with African American samples . [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Previous research has shown that forced expiratory volume (FEV) is a useful predictor of remaining life in older adults . The present analyses are an attempt to replicate results from a study of Swedish twins which demonstrated substantial heritability of FEV with a sample of middle aged Russian adult twins . Data were collected from 116 pairs of Russian twins (monozygote = 71, dizygotic = 45, mean age = 40.9 years). Phenotypic correlations between FEV , age , gender , height , and cigarette consumption ( in pack years ) were all significant , ranging from - . 72 to . 31 . After the effects of age , gender , height , and smoking were partialled out of FEV , quantitative genetic analyses were conducted . Shared environmental effects were significant , accounting for 47 % of the variance in FEV . Genetic effects , which accounted for about 28 % of the variance , could be dropped from the model without a significant decrease in the fit . These results are discussed in relation to previous research conducted in other countries . [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Discusses the importance of an individual difference approach in studying the ethnic diversity of an aging population. Cross-cultural research on aged minority populations; Designs and strategies for studying individual differences; Need to understand the heterogeneity represented within a given ethnic group to know the differences between various ethnic and racial groups.

Examines gender differences in the identification of tachistoscopically presented images that vary in visual complexity. Possible differences in the performance of men and women on pictures that vary in complexity processed by the two cerebral hemispheres; Integration of theories involving hemispheric differences, gender differences and visual complexity.

BACKGROUND: The self-rated health of Arab Americans has been found to be worse than non-Hispanic whites. Psychosocial factors such as stress and acculturation may explain this disparity. As a result, we designed this survey to better understand the effects of stress and acculturation on the self-rated health of the Arab-American community. MATERIALS AND METHODS: Using a convenience sample, we surveyed 142 self-identified Arab Americans regarding demographics, stress, acculturation, and self-rated health. Stress was measured using instruments assessing perceived stress, everyday discrimination, and acculturative stress. Acculturation was measured using a modified Vancouver Index of Acculturation. To measure self-rated health, participants were asked to rate their current health on a scale of 1 (very poor) to 5 (very good). RESULTS: A logistic regression model adjusted for age, sex, body mass index, and education did not find that stress significantly affected the odds of having poor self-rated health in Arab Americans. Heritage identity was associated with lower odds of having poor self-rated health (odds ratio = 0.37, 95% confidence interval [CI] 0.15, 0.94, P < 0.05). No association was found between acculturation and poor self-rated health. CONCLUSION: Greater levels of stress were not significantly associated with greater odds of poor self-rated health in Arab Americans. We also found that greater heritage identity significantly decreased the odds of poor self-rated health in Arab Americans. The effects of everyday discrimination, perceived stress, and acculturation on self-rated health in Arab Americans remain unclear and need to be examined further. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Introduction: Arab Americans are significantly affected by depression with prevalence as high as 50%. Our study assesses whether unique causes of depression such as stress, acculturation, and heritage identity play a role in the high prevalence of depression in Arab Americans. Methods: We surveyed 142 self-identified Arab Americans using a convenience model. Participants answered questions about their level of perceived stress, everyday discrimination, and acculturative stress. They also answered questions regarding their level of acculturation and heritage identity. Finally, participants answered questions regarding their depressive symptoms. A score of 16+ on the depression scale was used as the cut-off for depression. Results: The prevalence of depression in our sample was 60%. In our logistic regression model adjusted for age, sex, BMI and education, we found that perceived stress (OR = 1.21, 95% CI 1.10, 1.33, p < 0.01) and acculturative stress (OR = 1.02, 95% CI 1.00, 1.05, p < 0.05) were associated with greater odds of having depression in Arab Americans. We did not find that everyday discrimination, acculturation, or heritage identity were associated with depression in Arab Americans (p > 0.05). Conclusions: Our study shows that perceived stress and acculturative stress increase the odds of depression in Arab Americans and therefore may play a role in the high prevalence of depression in this population. We hope our findings inform clinicians on the important underlying causes that may be causing depression in their Arab American patients. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Cognitive impairment and dementia continue to threaten the aging population. Although no one is immune, certain groups, namely black older persons, are more likely to have a diagnosis of certain dementias. Because researchers have not found a purely biological reason for this disparity, they have turned to a biopsychosocial model. Specifically, black persons in the United States are more likely to live with social conditions that affect their stress levels which in turn affect physiological regulation leading to conditions that result in higher levels of cognitive impairment or dementia. Here we discuss some of these social conditions such as discrimination, education, and socioeconomic status, and how physiological dysregulation, namely allostatic load that can lead to cognitive impairment and dementia in black persons especially. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

This study explores the relationship between religious service attendance, social ties, and health among former NFL players, a population with relatively high levels of religious attendance who endure physically demanding occupations. Research shows that frequent religious service attenders tend to have better health, partly because of social connections formed through religious involvement. We analyzed a sample of 1029 former NFL players. Consistent with previous research, bivariate and multivariate OLS regression models show that frequent religious attenders have statistically significantly better self-rated health. However, this relationship is moderated by social ties. Respondents who scored lower on the social ties index exhibited a stronger significant relationship between frequent religious attendance and health; those scoring higher on the social ties index exhibited no relationship between frequent attendance and health. Future research should examine how benefits of religious attendance vary depending upon strength of social relationships. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Objectives This study explored the association between place-based characteristics (e.g. neighborhood socioeconomic deprivation) and physical health within older Black adults, a critical gap in the literature as identified by the National Institute on Minority Health and Health Disparities. Methods The sample was from Wave 1 data of Baltimore Study of Black Aging: Patterns of Cognitive Aging (N = 450; M age = 68.34). Variables included the area deprivation index (ADI), objective (e.g. average blood pressure) and subjective (e.g. self-rated health) measures of physical health. Multiple linear regression models were conducted controlling for key sociodemographic characteristics. Results Participants reporting better self-rated health and less likely to need help with activities of daily living were significantly more likely to be living in more disadvantaged neighborhoods based on national and state ADI, respectively, even after adjusting for covariates. A significant age and ADI interaction revealed better self-rated health was associated with a more disadvantaged neighborhood particularly for individuals ≤66 years. There was no significant association between ADI and objective physical health measures. Discussion The findings suggest that national- and state-level place-based characteristics should be considered along with individual-level factors, which can enrich the scientific understanding of how neighborhood characteristics relate to varying health indicators among older Black adults. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Introduces articles about the genetics of aging in the October 2002 issue of the journal 'Experimental Aging Research.' Works about issues such as longevity, cognitive functioning, stress and health; Methodological advances and challenges in the field of animal and human research.

Background: Epidemiological research on dementia is hampered by differences across studies in how dementia is classified, especially where clinical diagnoses of dementia may not be available.Objective: We apply structural equation modeling to estimate dementia likelihood across heterogeneous samples within a multi-study consortium and use the twin design of the sample to validate the results.Methods: Using 10 twin studies, we implement a latent variable approach that aligns different tests available in each study to assess cognitive, memory, and functional ability. The model separates general cognitive ability from components indicative of dementia. We examine the validity of this continuous latent dementia index (LDI). We then identify cut-off points along the LDI distributions in each study and align them across studies to distinguish individuals with and without probable dementia. Finally, we validate the LDI by determining its heritability and estimating genetic and environmental correlations between the LDI and clinically diagnosed dementia where available.Results: Results indicate that coordinated estimation of LDI across 10 studies has validity against clinically diagnosed dementia. The LDI can be fit to heterogeneous sets of memory, other cognitive, and functional ability variables to extract a score reflective of likelihood of dementia that can be interpreted similarly across studies despite diverse study designs and sampling characteristics. Finally, the same genetic sources of variance strongly contribute to both the LDI and clinical diagnosis.Conclusion: This latent dementia indicator approach may serve as a model for other research consortia confronted with similar data integration challenges. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Objectives This study examined engagement levels across various domains of leisure activities in community-dwelling Black adults (age range = 50–80 years) and variability in daily leisure activity engagement and positive affect (PA; positive emotions or mood) and negative affect (NA; negative emotions or mood). Additionally, we explored whether PA and NA were associated with leisure activity engagement and whether these associations varied by sociodemographics. Methods Fifty adults (78% women; mean education = 11.62 years, standard deviation = 2.4) reported affect and leisure activity engagement over 8 occasions (2–3 weeks). Results Participants averaged 3 leisure activities/day with more engagement in watching television (news), walking, reading, and visiting others. Multilevel models identified significant within-person variation across domains of leisure activity engagement. A significant main effect was observed between daily NA and reduced social activity engagement. A significant interaction between NA and education was further illustrated on those occasions when NA was higher than usual, social and total leisure activity engagement tended to be lower, particularly for adults with ≤10 years of education. A significant interaction between NA and education was observed for entertainment activities. However, results indicated adults with ≥14 years of education, and a mean NA above the sample average, tended to engage in more entertainment activities. Finally, a significant interaction between PA and age was observed indicating adults aged ≥73 had a greater social engagement, particularly when daily PA was heightened. Discussion Results demonstrate within-person changes in the types of leisure engagement among Black adults. Potential factors related to these changes may result from interconnections between affect and demographic factors (age and education). [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Religious institutions have been responsive to the needs of Black men and other marginalized populations. Religious service attendance is a common practice that has been associated with stress management and extended longevity. The objective of this study was to examine the relationship between religious service attendance and all-cause mortality among Black men 50 years of age and older. Data for this study were from NHANES III (1988–1994). The analytic sample (n = 839) was restricted to participants at least 50 years of age at the time of interview who self-identified as Black and male. Mortality was the primary outcome for this study and the NHANES III Linked Mortality File was used to estimate race-specific, non-injury-related death rates using a probabilistic matching algorithm, linked to the National Death Index through December 31, 2015, providing up to 27 years follow-up. The primary independent variable was religious service attendance, a categorical variable indicating that participants attended religious services at least weekly, three or fewer times per month, or not at all. The mean age of participants was 63.6±0.3 years and 36.4% of sample members reported that they attended religious services one or more times per week, exceeding those attending three or fewer times per month (31.7%), or not at all (31.9%). Cox proportional hazard logistic regression models were estimated to determine the association between religious service attendance and mortality. Participants with the most frequent religious service attendance had a 47% reduction of all-cause mortality risk compared their peer who did not attend religious services at all (HR 0.53, CI 0.35–0.79) in the fully adjusted model including socioeconomic status, non-cardiovascular medical conditions, health behaviors, social support and allostatic load. Our findings underscore the potential salience of religiosity and spirituality for health in Black men, an understudied group where elevated risk factors are often present. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Objective Research shows that education favors mental health, in part, because it helps to develop a greater sense of control. To this point, however, it is unclear whether this process varies according to race and ethnicity. Methods Building on previous research, we use data collected from a large probability sample of Texas adults to test the extent to which the education-control-distress (E-C-D) model varies across three race and ethnic groups, including whites, blacks, and Mexican Americans. Results The results of our simple mediation analyses validate the E-C-D model for each race/ethnic group. Our moderated mediation analyses suggest that the indirect effect of education on psychological distress through the sense of control is comparable across race/ethnic groups. Conclusion The mediating influence of the sense of control does not appear to vary according to the three race/ethnic groups included in the study. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Background: This study examined whether the effects of received and provided social support on blood pressure (BP) would differ by education.Methods: Data from 602 African American adults (48-95 years) enrolled in the Baltimore Study of Black Aging-Patterns of Cognitive Aging were analyzed using multiple linear regression.Results: We found no main effects of received and provided social support on BP. However, a significant moderation effect was observed for systolic BP, such that greater received social support was positively associated with higher systolic BP among individuals with low levels of education, adjusting for age, sex, chronic health conditions, and depressive symptoms.Conclusions: The findings demonstrate that social support and education have joint effects on BP, which highlights the importance of considering psychosocial determinants of adverse cardiovascular health outcomes that disproportionately affect African Americans. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Social support and functional ability are related to a number of outcomes in later life among African Americans, including cognitive performance. This study examined how providing and receiving social support was related to fluid and crystallized cognitive abilities among aging African American adults after accounting for functional limitations, age, education, sex, income, and self-reported health. Data from 602 African American adults (M = 69.08,SD = 9.74; 25% male) were analyzed using latent variable modeling. Fluid ability was a second-order factor indicated by measures that assessed verbal memory, working memory, perceptual speed, and inductive reasoning. Crystallized ability was a first-order factor indicated by three measures that assessed vocabulary (Shipley Verbal Meaning Test and parts A and B of the ETS Vocabulary Test). Results indicated that the receipt of social support was negatively related to both fluid and crystallized abilities, while the provision of support was positively related to fluid and crystallized ability. Follow-up tests found that the receipt of support was more strongly related to fluid ability than crystallized ability. There was no significant difference regarding the relationship of provision of support with fluid ability compared to crystallized ability. Results discuss the importance of considering the social context of older adults when examining cognitive ability. [ABSTRACT FROM PUBLISHER]

This study examines day-to-day variability in psychometrically defined mild cognitive impairment (MCI) status and potential predictors of changes in MCI status in an independent-living sample of urban dwelling older adults in Baltimore, Maryland. The participant sample consisted of 50 older adults, ranging in age from 50 to 80 years. Participants completed health and cognitive measures (i.e., executive function, language, memory, and global cognition) over 8 occasions within a 2-3-week period. After each testing occasion, a post hoc classification of MCI status was determined using psychometrically defined criteria based on cognitive performance. Participants who classified as MCI after one assessment often did not meet MCI criteria at subsequent occasions. Daily fluctuations in sleep duration were associated with an increased risk for MCI classification. These results demonstrate that changes in sleep may explain changes in MCI status, particularly for African Americans. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Abstract: Here we examine the effects of both self-reported and independent observer-reported environmental risk indices, the serotonin transporter gene promoter (5HTTLPR) polymorphism, and their interaction on self-esteem. This trait was assessed during early and mid adolescence (mean age=14 and 16.5, respectively) and young adulthood (mean age=21.8) in a prospective cohort of 1214 unrelated participants in the Longitudinal Study of Adolescent Health (Add Health). Using structural equation modeling we identified a gene–environment (G×E) interaction using observer-report but not self-report measures of environmental stress exposure during adolescence: 5HTTLPR genotype and observer-reports of home and neighborhood quality (HNQ) during adolescence interacted to predict self-esteem levels in young adulthood (p <.004). Carriers of the s allele who lived in poor HNQ conditions during adolescence reported lower self-esteem in young adulthood than those with a good HNQ during adolescence. In contrast, among individuals with the l/l genotype, adolescent HNQ did not predict adulthood self-esteem. Genes may moderate the effect of adolescent environmental conditions on adulthood self-esteem. [Copyright &y& Elsevier]

This study examined the within-person relationship between sleep and cognitive functioning. Fifty community-dwelling African Americans (age range 50-80 years) were asked to report their sleep duration and quality the previous evening and to complete cognitive measures over 8 occasions within a 2-3 week period. A within-person daily change in sleep duration was significantly associated with worse global cognitive performance. The greater an individual deviated away from his or her average sleep duration on a particular day, the more likely his or her performance would decline. These results demonstrate that the sleep-cognition relationship can be observed at a within-person level of analysis. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Abstract: Objectives: To determine the prevalence, age of onset, severity, associated disability, and treatment of major depression among United States ethnic groups, national survey data were analyzed. Methods: National probability samples of US household residents aged 18-years and older (n =14,710) participated. The main outcomes were past-year and lifetime major depression (World Mental Health Composite International Diagnostic Interview). Major depression prevalence estimates, age of onset, severity, associated disability, and disaggregated treatment use (pharmacotherapy and psychotherapy) and treatment guideline concordant use were examined by ethnicity. Results: The prevalence of major depression was higher among US-born ethnic groups compared to foreign-born groups, but not among older adults. African Americans and Mexicans had significantly higher depression chronicity and significantly lower depression care use and guideline concordant use than Whites. Discussion: We provide concise and detailed guidance for better understanding the distribution of major depression and related mental healthcare inequalities and related morbidity. Inequalities in depression care primarily affecting Mexican Americans and African Americans may relate to excesses in major depression disease burden. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

This study examined the relationship between elders' cognitive performance and self-reported trouble falling asleep. Analyses were conducted on 174 older independently living, community dwelling African Americans (M age = 72.74; range = 65 to 90). Cognitive performance was measured using the Mini-Mental State Examination, Forward Digit Span task, Backward Digit Span task, Alpha Span task, and California Verbal Learning Test. Results suggested that individuals who reported trouble falling asleep tended to perform significantly worse than individuals who did not report trouble falling asleep on measures tapping short-term memory and working memory after controlling for age, education, gender, depression, and current health. These results demonstrate that a self-report of sleep difficulty may be a unique predictor of cognitive performance. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Data from the Interplay of Genes and Environment across Multiple Studies (IGEMS) consortium were used to examine predictions of different models of gene-by-environment interaction to understand how genetic variance in self-rated health (SRH) varies at different levels of financial strain. A total of 11,359 individuals from 10 twin studies in Australia, Sweden, and the United States contributed relevant data, including 2,074 monozygotic and 2,623 dizygotic twin pairs. Age ranged from 22 to 98 years, with a mean age of 61.05 (SD = 13.24). A factor model was used to create a harmonized measure of financial strain across studies and items. Twin analyses of genetic and environmental variance for SRH incorporating age, age2, sex, and financial strain moderators indicated significant financial strain moderation of genetic influences on self-rated health. Moderation results did not differ across sex or country. Genetic variance for SRH increased as financial strain increased, matching the predictions of the diathesis–stress and social comparison models for components of variance. Under these models, environmental improvements would be expected to reduce genetically based health disparities. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Objectives The theory of selective survival suggests that possibly around 70–75 years of age, Blacks may display substantive changes in their pattern of cognitive decline. This study examined the age-graded pattern of cognitive decline within older Blacks by describing a trend that characterizes differences in the change of cognitive decline from ages 51.5 to 95.5, and hypothesized that this age-graded pattern is nonlinear. Method Utilizing 2 waves of longitudinal data from the Baltimore Study of Black Aging, this study used multilevel modeling to test whether the interaction between age and the 3-year study period (time between waves) had a positive effect on changes in inductive reasoning, declarative memory, working memory, and perceptual speed. Results A significant positive interaction between age and wave was found for inductive reasoning, demonstrating an age-grade pattern of change/decline in cognitive pattern for Blacks aged 51.5–95.4. Simple slope probing via the Johnson–Neyman Technique suggested that Black adults ~64 years and younger experienced significant decline in inductive reasoning across study time, whereas for those older than 63.71, the decline was nonsignificant. No significant age–wave interactions were found for declarative memory, working memory, or perceptual speed. Discussion Findings suggest a selective survival effect for inductive reasoning ability among Blacks. With decline evident so early, common cognitive intervention programs targeting adults 65+ may come too late for Blacks, signifying the importance and urgency for early health interventions and public policy designed to promote cognitive reserve. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The Interplay of Genes and Environment across Multiple Studies (IGEMS) is a consortium of 18 twin studies from 5 different countries (Sweden, Denmark, Finland, United States, and Australia) established to explore the nature of gene-environment (GE) interplay in functioning across the adult lifespan. Fifteen of the studies are longitudinal, with follow-up as long as 59 years after baseline. The combined data from over 76,000 participants aged 14-103 at intake (including over 10,000 monozygotic and over 17,000 dizygotic twin pairs) support two primary research emphases: (1) investigation of models of GE interplay of early life adversity, and social factors at micro and macro environmental levels and with diverse outcomes, including mortality, physical functioning and psychological functioning; and (2) improved understanding of risk and protective factors for dementia by incorporating unmeasured and measured genetic factors with a wide range of exposures measured in young adulthood, midlife and later life. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Objective The purpose of the current study is to examine the association between subjective memory complaints and sleep (quantity and quality) in African American older adults. Method Participants from the Baltimore Study of Black Aging (BSBA; n = 351; mean age = 71.99) completed a self-report sleep scale, subjective memory complaint scale, global cognitive status measure, and demographic questionnaire. Results Worse overall sleep quality was significantly associated with subjective reports of difficulty recalling the placement of objects, recalling specific facts from reading materials, and worse memory currently compared to the past. Specific sleep parameters (e.g. longer sleep latency and shorter sleep duration) were associated with negative appraisals of participants' ability to do specific tasks involving memory (e.g. difficulty recalling placement of objects). Participants classified as poor sleepers (Pittsburgh Sleep Quality Index [PSQI] total score > 5) were more likely to report worse memory now compared to the past than participants classified as good sleepers (PSQI total score ≤ 5). Conclusions Evaluation of sleep may be warranted when older adults, particularly African Americans, communicate concerns regarding their memory. Insufficient sleep may be a useful marker of acute daytime dysfunction and, perhaps, cognitive decline. Given memory problems are the hallmark of dementia, our findings support further evaluation of whether poor sleep can aid in the diagnosis of cognitive impairment. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Background: The genetic architecture of birth size may differ geographically and over time. We examined differences in the genetic and environmental contributions to birthweight, length and ponderal index (PI) across geographical-cultural regions (Europe, North America and Australia, and East Asia) and across birth cohorts, and how gestational age modifies these effects.Methods: Data from 26 twin cohorts in 16 countries including 57 613 monozygotic and dizygotic twin pairs were pooled. Genetic and environmental variations of birth size were estimated using genetic structural equation modelling.Results: The variance of birthweight and length was predominantly explained by shared environmental factors, whereas the variance of PI was explained both by shared and unique environmental factors. Genetic variance contributing to birth size was small. Adjusting for gestational age decreased the proportions of shared environmental variance and increased the propositions of unique environmental variance. Genetic variance was similar in the geographical-cultural regions, but shared environmental variance was smaller in East Asia than in Europe and North America and Australia. The total variance and shared environmental variance of birth length and PI were greater from the birth cohort 1990-99 onwards compared with the birth cohorts from 1970-79 to 1980-89.Conclusions: The contribution of genetic factors to birth size is smaller than that of shared environmental factors, which is partly explained by gestational age. Shared environmental variances of birth length and PI were greater in the latest birth cohorts and differed also across geographical-cultural regions. Shared environmental factors are important when explaining differences in the variation of birth size globally and over time. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Background: There is evidence that birth size is positively associated with height in later life, but it remains unclear whether this is explained by genetic factors or the intrauterine environment.Aim: To analyze the associations of birth weight, length and ponderal index with height from infancy through adulthood within mono- and dizygotic twin pairs, which provides insights into the role of genetic and environmental individual-specific factors.Methods: This study is based on the data from 28 twin cohorts in 17 countries. The pooled data included 41,852 complete twin pairs (55% monozygotic and 45% same-sex dizygotic) with information on birth weight and a total of 112,409 paired height measurements at ages ranging from 1 to 69 years. Birth length was available for 19,881 complete twin pairs, with a total of 72,692 paired height measurements. The association between birth size and later height was analyzed at both the individual and within-pair level by linear regression analyses.Results: Within twin pairs, regression coefficients showed that a 1-kg increase in birth weight and a 1-cm increase in birth length were associated with 1.14-4.25 cm and 0.18-0.90 cm taller height, respectively. The magnitude of the associations was generally greater within dizygotic than within monozygotic twin pairs, and this difference between zygosities was more pronounced for birth length.Conclusion: Both genetic and individual-specific environmental factors play a role in the association between birth size and later height from infancy to adulthood, with a larger role for genetics in the association with birth length than with birth weight. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Objectives: The purpose of this study was to determine whether stability and change in cognitive status are associated with sociodemographic characteristics and health function. Design: Secondary analysis of data. Setting: Baltimore Study of Black Aging—Patterns of Cognitive Aging. Participants: Community‐dwelling black adults (N = 407; mean age 68.6 ± 9.1). Measurements: Baseline (n = 602) and 33‐month follow‐up (n = 450) assessments of cognition, health, and psychosocial function. Results: For the present analyses, participants were grouped as being cognitively normal (n = 249), having stable mild cognitive impairment (MCI) (n = 32), or being MCI converters (n = 72; normal at baseline, MCI at follow‐up) or reverters (n = 54; MCI at baseline, normal at follow‐up). Multivariate analysis of variance showed that the groups differed significantly in education and lung function (P < .010). Post hoc analyses indicated that converters had fewer years of education than the other groups, whereas those who were cognitively normal had better lung function than converters and reverters (P < .050). Conclusion: These results suggest that education and lung health are associated with patterns of cognitive status change and stability. Future research should account for sociodemographic and health factors when examining stability of cognitive status classifications. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

It is well documented that memory is heritable and that older adults tend to have poorer memory performance than younger adults. However, whether the magnitudes of genetic and environmental contributions to late-life verbal episodic memory ability differ from those at earlier ages remains unresolved. Twins from 12 studies participating in the Interplay of Genes and Environment in Multiple Studies (IGEMS) consortium constituted the analytic sample. Verbal episodic memory was assessed with immediate word list recall (N = 35,204 individuals; 21,792 twin pairs) and prose recall (N = 3805 individuals; 2028 twin pairs), with scores harmonized across studies. Average test performance was lower in successively older age groups for both measures. Twin models found significant age moderation for both measures, with total inter-individual variance increasing significantly with age, although it was not possible definitively to attribute the increase specifically to either genetic or environmental sources. Pooled results across all 12 studies were compared to results where we successively dropped each study (leave-one-out) to assure results were not due to an outlier. We conclude the models indicated an overall increase in variance for verbal episodic memory that was driven by a combination of increases in the genetic and nonshared environmental parameters that were not independently statistically significant. In contrast to reported results for other cognitive domains, differences in environmental exposures are comparatively important for verbal episodic memory, especially word list learning. • Verbal episodic memory performance is poorer at older ages compared to midlife. • Individual variance in verbal episodic memory shows an increase across age. • Environmental variance unique to individuals is more important than genetic variance. • Genetic variance is greater for remembering a prose passage than a list of words. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Background: There is evidence that birthweight is positively associated with body mass index (BMI) in later life, but it remains unclear whether this is explained by genetic factors or the intrauterine environment. We analysed the association between birthweight and BMI from infancy to adulthood within twin pairs, which provides insights into the role of genetic and environmental individual-specific factors.Methods: This study is based on the data from 27 twin cohorts in 17 countries. The pooled data included 78 642 twin individuals (20 635 monozygotic and 18 686 same-sex dizygotic twin pairs) with information on birthweight and a total of 214 930 BMI measurements at ages ranging from 1 to 49 years. The association between birthweight and BMI was analysed at both the individual and within-pair levels using linear regression analyses.Results: At the individual level, a 1-kg increase in birthweight was linearly associated with up to 0.9 kg/m2 higher BMI (P < 0.001). Within twin pairs, regression coefficients were generally greater (up to 1.2 kg/m2 per kg birthweight, P < 0.001) than those from the individual-level analyses. Intra-pair associations between birthweight and later BMI were similar in both zygosity groups and sexes and were lower in adulthood.Conclusions: These findings indicate that environmental factors unique to each individual have an important role in the positive association between birthweight and later BMI, at least until young adulthood. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

We analyzed birth order differences in means and variances of height and body mass index (BMI) in monozygotic (MZ) and dizygotic (DZ) twins from infancy to old age. The data were derived from the international CODATwins database. The total number of height and BMI measures from 0.5 to 79.5 years of age was 397,466. As expected, first-born twins had greater birth weight than second-born twins. With respect to height, first-born twins were slightly taller than second-born twins in childhood. After adjusting the results for birth weight, the birth order differences decreased and were no longer statistically significant. First-born twins had greater BMI than the second-born twins over childhood and adolescence. After adjusting the results for birth weight, birth order was still associated with BMI until 12 years of age. No interaction effect between birth order and zygosity was found. Only limited evidence was found that birth order influenced variances of height or BMI. The results were similar among boys and girls and also in MZ and DZ twins. Overall, the differences in height and BMI between first- and second-born twins were modest even in early childhood, while adjustment for birth weight reduced the birth order differences but did not remove them for BMI. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]