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Across the early childhood period of development, young children exhibit considerable growth in their executive functioning (EF) and vocabulary abilities. Understanding the developmental trajectory of these seemingly interrelated processes is important as both early vocabulary and EF have been shown to predict critical academic and socio-emotional outcomes later in childhood. Although previous research suggests that EF and vocabulary are correlated in early childhood, much of the existing longitudinal research has focused on unidirectional relations among preschool child samples. The current large-scale study, therefore, sought to examine whether children's vocabulary and EF abilities are bidirectionally related over time across four measurement waves in early childhood (i.e., at ages 2, 3, 4, and 6). At each timepoint, children's vocabulary skills were positively correlated with their concurrent EF abilities. After controlling for child sex and maternal education status, the best-fitting, cross-lagged panel model was a unidirectional model whereby children's early vocabulary scores predicted their later EF performance at each timepoint. Although age 2 EF significantly predicted age 3 vocabulary size, this association was no longer significant after accounting for maternal education status. Our results illustrate that vocabulary size plays an important role in predicting children's later EF performance across various timepoints in early childhood, even after controlling for children's initial EF scores. These findings have important implications for intervention research as fostering early vocabulary acquisition may serve as a possible avenue for improving EF outcomes in young children.

Social cognition is a set of complex processes that mediate much of human behavior. The development of these skills is related to and interdependent on other cognitive processes, particularly inhibitory control. Brain regions associated with inhibitory control and social cognition overlap functionally and structurally, especially with respect to frontal brain areas. We proposed that the neural foundations of inhibitory control and social cognition are measurable in infancy. We used structural equation modeling and showed that 10-month frontotemporal neuroconnectivity measured using electroencephalogram coherence predicts social cognition at 9 years of age through age-4 inhibitory control. These findings provide insight into the neurodevelopmental trajectory of cognition and suggest that connectivity from frontal regions to other parts of the brain is a foundation for the development of these skills.

Background and Objectives Home- and community-based services (HCBS) are underutilized, despite offering significant health benefits to both care recipients and caregivers. Drawing upon Andersen's extended behavioral model of health services use, we examined individual- and county-level factors influencing HCBS utilization for dementia care in rural Appalachia. Research Design and Methods We analyzed data from telephone interviews with 123 dementia family caregivers in rural Appalachian counties (M age = 64.7, SD age = 12.2). Multilevel analyses were conducted to examine the effects of individual-level and county-level factors on the use of home-based services (home healthcare and personal care services) as well as community-based services (adult day care and transportation services). Results Results indicated that caregivers' receipt of informal support from family or friends was associated with more use of home-based services (B = 0.42, p =.003). Conversely, longer travel times to service providers were linked to use of fewer community-based services (B = −0.21, p <.001). Residing in counties with more home health agencies was associated with higher utilization of home-based services (B = 0.41, p =.046). However, higher county tax expenditures for HCBS were not linked to home-based or community-based service use. Discussion and Implications Findings suggest that informal support in caring for the person living with dementia enables HCBS use in rural Appalachia. In contrast, limited geographic accessibility and service availability can impede HCBS use in rural regions. Policymakers are urged to allocate direct public funding to service providers to expand service availability in underresourced rural regions. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Using data from Children of Immigrants Longitudinal Study, this study examined the longitudinal effects of cumulative risk of immigrant parents on immigrant youth's health and educational achievement in young adulthood. The mediating effects of intra- (i.e., family cohesion) and inter-familial (i.e., parental school involvement) social capital were also examined. The findings showed that cumulative risk was negatively associated with youth's health and educational achievement in young adulthood. In addition, parental school involvement mediated the association between cumulative risk and youth's health and educational achievement. The findings suggest that inter-familial social connections may be a critical intervention target for immigrant youth preventive interventions.

BackgroundWe examined the social and economic factors associated with nursing home (NH) admission in older women, overall and poststroke.MethodsThe Women's Health Initiative (WHI) included women aged 50-79 years at enrollment (1993-1998). In the WHI Extension Study (2005-2010), participants annually reported any NH admission in the preceding year. Separate multivariate logistic regression models analyzed social and economic factors associated with long-term NH admission, defined as an admission on 2 or more questionnaires, overall and poststroke.ResultsOf 103,237 participants, 8904 (8.6%) reported NH admission (2005-2010); 534 of 2225 (24.0%) women with incident stroke reported poststroke NH admission. Decreased likelihoods of NH admission overall were demonstrated for Asian, Black, and Hispanic women (versus whites, adjusted odds ratio [aOR] = .35-.44, P < .001) and women with higher income (aOR = .75, 95% confidence interval [CI] = .63-.90), whereas increased likelihoods of NH admission overall were seen for women with lower social support (aOR = 1.34, 95% CI = 1.16-1.54) and with incident stroke (aOR = 2.59, 95% CI = 2.15-3.12). Increased odds of NH admission after stroke were demonstrated for women with moderate disability after stroke (aOR = 2.76, 95% CI = 1.73-4.42). Further adjustment for stroke severity eliminated the association found for race/ethnicity, income, and social support.ConclusionsThe level of care needed after a disabling stroke may overwhelm social and economic structures in place that might otherwise enable avoidance of NH admission. We need to identify ways to provide care consistent with patients' preferences, even after a disabling stroke.

Intergenerational contact can promote positive attitudes towards elders. However, contact with older adults often fosters multiple stereotypes, which may contribute to ambivalence about aging and poorer health in late life. Online survey data from 457 young adults (M age = 19.4 years; 74% female) were used to explore the relationship between intergenerational contact and ambivalence about self as a future elder. Multiple mediator path analysis was used to test the hypothesis that anxiety, knowledge, and empathy would mediate the impact of intergenerational contact on aging self-ambivalence. Ratings of intergenerational contact predicted ambivalence, but anxiety and empathy mediated the relationship (knowledge did not). Higher ratings of intergenerational contact, lower aging anxiety, and higher empathy predicted lower aging self-ambivalence, which reflected positive expectations for late life in our sample. Intergenerational contact can influence expectations for old age; exchange that fosters empathy and reduces anxiety may encourage individuals to exercise strategies that positively impact health in late life.

Although collaboration is recognized as an effective means to address multifaceted community issues, successful collaboration is difficult to achieve and failure is prevalent. To effectively collaborate, collaborators must recognize the strengths and weaknesses within their own efforts. Using Mattessich and colleagues' work as a springboard, a seven-factor model of effective collaboration is presented along with an accompanying evaluation tool, the Collaboration Assessment Tool (CAT). Confirmatory factor analysis of the CAT validated the proposed model with all seven collaboration factors demonstrating strong internal consistency. Concurrent validity was established through expected positive intercorrelations between the factors as well as strong positive correlations with the perceived success of collaborative efforts. As evaluators are increasingly asked to evaluate collaborations and coalitions, this conceptual model and tool can provide evaluators with a grounded, reliable, and valid assessment instrument to work with clients to build collaborative efforts in an intentional, comprehensive, and effective manner.

Background: Little is known about the link between flexible work arrangements and health behaviors, such as physical activity. This study aimed to explore how self-efficacy and daily barriers to physical activity influence daily levels of physical activity on workdays when university staff members used a flexible work arrangement (flextime or telework). Methods: Full-time university staff employees (N = 61, mean age = 41; 89% female) participated in this daily diary study. Participants completed an initial survey followed by daily surveys over the course of one workweek, resulting in 281 diary days. Results: The most frequently reported barriers to physical activity were as follows: lack of time, feeling tired, and not enough motivation. Multilevel models revealed that as the number of barriers increased, minutes of physical activity significantly decreased. Self-efficacy was not significantly related to daily physical activity. Participants reported fewer minutes of physical activity on flextime workdays compared to days when a flexible work arrangement was not used (ie, traditional workday). Daily use of a flexible work arrangement did not moderate the association between barriers and physical activity. Conclusions: This study illustrated the influence of daily barriers and flextime workdays on physical activity levels, which can inform workplace health programs for university staff. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Background and Objectives Coronavirus disease 2019 (COVID-19) created a "perfect storm" for financial fraud targeting older adults. Guided by the Contextual Theory of Elder Abuse, we focused on individual and systemic contexts to examine how older adults became prey to financial fraud. Research Design and Methods In July 2020, 998 adults who were 60–98 years of age (93% White; 64% female) completed an online survey about experiences with financial fraud. Participants were recruited from gerontology research registries at Florida State University, University of Pittsburg, Virginia Tech, and Wayne State University. Results Over half (65.9%) of the respondents experienced a COVID-19-related scam attempt, with charity contributions (49%) and COVID-19 treatments (42%) being the most common. Perpetrators commonly contacted older adults electronically (47%) two or more times (64%). Although most respondents ignored the request (i.e. hung up the phone and deleted text/e-mail), 11.3% sent a requested payment, and 5.3% provided personal information. Predictors of vulnerability included contentment with financial situation, concern about finances in the aftermath of the pandemic, and wishing to talk to someone about financial decisions. Respondents targeted for a non-COVID-19 scam attempt were less likely to be targets of a COVID-19-related scam. Discussion and Implications Older adults who were financially secure, worried about their financial situation, or wished they could speak with someone about their financial decisions appeared susceptible to falling victim to a fraud attempt. The high number of attempts indicates a need for a measurable and concerted effort to prevent the financial fraud of older adults. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Although the benefits of home- and community-based services (HCBS) to support the needs of older adults are well-established, researchers have persistently reported service underutilization by dementia caregivers to assist them with their caregiving responsibilities. Using the Health Behavior Model and Conservation of Resources Theory, the aim of the current study was to understand what barriers prevent caregivers from using HCBS and the toll it takes on them. Utilizing a sample of 122 rural family caregivers (74% female, 87% white, Mage = 64.86 years) of persons living with dementia (PLwD), simultaneous ordinary least square regressions were employed to understand the association between barriers to service use and the current use of support services and personal services, and concurrently on caregiver role overload. Financial barriers, caregiver's reluctance to use services, and their capability of seeking services were associated with lower use of support services. After controlling for need and enabling factors, caregivers who used more support services, and those who reported system complexities to using support services experienced higher role overload. Financial barriers, system complexities, and caregivers' reluctance also affected the use of personal care services. Despite the use of personal services, caregivers of PLwD with greater needs and fewer enabling factors experienced higher role overload. Study findings suggest that reducing system complexities of HCBS and improving prevention and intervention efforts to facilitate caregivers' awareness of HCBS are needed to address lack of service use and reduce caregiver overload. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Introduction: An emerging perspective of dyadic coping with chronic illness argues that concordance in the appraisal of illness is crucial for collaborative attempts at seeking information, making treatment decisions, and [...]

The study investigated COVID-19 vaccine acceptance, hesitancy, and barriers among family caregivers of rural community-dwelling persons living with dementia (PLwD). Three waves of telephone interviews with 26 family caregivers (96% White, 81% Female, M age = 63 ± 12 years) were analyzed using thematic content analysis. At Wave 3, although all dyads were eligible, only 10 dyads had received their first dose of the vaccine. In 10 dyads, neither person had received the vaccine; in2 dyads, the caregivers did but the PLwD did not; and in 4 dyads, the caregiver did not but the PLwD did. Perceived direct and indirect health risks, cues from trusted allies, and ability to overcome vaccination barriers affected COVID-19 vaccination acceptance. Vaccine refusals were motivated by a low perceived risk of COVID-19, vaccine fear, and personal beliefs. Findings have implications for administration of preventative care practices for dementia family caregivers living in remote locations during a public health emergency. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

We investigated changes in midlife parents' intergenerational ambivalence toward a focal child and its influence on their psychological well-being over 14 years, as the focal child moved from adolescence into young adulthood. We estimated growth curve models using three waves of data from the National Survey of Families and Households (N = 1,510 parents aged 35-54 years at Time 1). Parental ambivalence declined over time, equally among mothers and fathers. The prediction from ambivalence theory that children's attainment of adult statuses reduces parental ambivalence received only modest support. Only the focal child's marriage reduced parental ambivalence. The focal child's lifestyle--behavioral problems during adolescence still elevated ambivalence 14 years later, albeit less so. For its part, intergenerational ambivalence counteracted trends toward declining depressive symptoms and greater happiness for mothers and fathers alike, and its effects remained constant over time.

This article tests a conceptual model of perceived parental influence on the financial literacy of young adults. Structural equation modeling was used to test whether (a) parents were perceived to influence young adults' financial knowledge, attitudes, and behaviors and (b) the degree to which young adults' financial attitudes mediated financial knowledge and perceived parental influence on young adults' financial behaviors. A sample consisting of 420 college students participated in the study. Findings by the College Student Financial Literacy Survey (CSFLS) indicated that perceived parental influence had a direct and moderately significant influence on financial attitude, did not have an effect on financial knowledge, and had an indirect and moderately significant influence on financial behavior, mediated through financial attitude.

Relationships between grandparents and grandchildren provide an excellent framework for integrating family theory and family methodology. Systematic differences as a function of age, gender, life expectancy, and health as played out through generations suggest some topics are best studied by disentangling variability between and within families. Using data from 1,345 grandchildren (52% girls, mean age 13.69 years, range 9 to 20) reporting on 3,664 grandparents, we compare results obtained from studying grandparent-grandchild relationships individually and at the family level. Results suggest important predictors of relationship quality at the within-subject and between-subject levels. Future research should more carefully integrate each level into theory and design. (Contains 3 tables.)