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Objectives:Hispanics are the fastest growing ethnic/racial group of the older adult population in the United States, yet little is known about positive mental health in this group. We examined differences in life satisfaction between demographically matched groups of older Hispanics and non-Hispanic Whites, and sought to identify specific factors associated with these differences Methods:Participants included 126 community-dwelling English-speaking Hispanics aged 50 and older, and 126 age-, gender-, and education-matched non-Hispanic Whites. Participants completed standardized measures of life satisfaction and postulated correlates, including physical, cognitive, emotional and social functioning, as well as positive psychological traits and religiosity/spirituality. Results:Hispanics reported greater life satisfaction than non-Hispanic Whites (p< 0.001). Ethnic groups were comparable on most postulated correlates of life satisfaction, except that Hispanics had lower levels of cognitive performance, and higher levels of daily spiritual experiences, private religious practices and compassion (ps< 0.001). Among these factors, spiritual experiences, religious practices, and compassion were significantly associated with life satisfaction in the overall sample. Multivariable analyses testing the influence of these three factors on the association between ethnicity and life satisfaction showed that higher spirituality among Hispanics accounted for ethnic differences in life satisfaction. Conclusion:English-speaking Hispanics aged 50 and older appeared to be more satisfied with their lives than their non-Hispanic White counterparts, and these differences were primarily driven by higher spirituality among Hispanics. Future studies should examine positive mental health among various Hispanic subgroups, including Spanish speakers, as an important step toward development of culturally sensitive prevention and intervention programs aimed at promoting positive mental health. [ABSTRACT FROM PUBLISHER]

OBJECTIVES: To determine whether measures of successful aging are associated with sexual activity, satisfaction, and function in older postmenopausal women. DESIGN: Cross-sectional study using self-report surveys; analyses included chi-square and t-tests and multiple linear regression analyses. SETTING: Community-dwelling older postmenopausal women in the greater San Diego region. PARTICIPANTS: One thousand two hundred thirty-five community-dwelling women aged 60 to 89 participating at the San Diego site of the Women's Health Initiative. MEASUREMENTS: Demographic information and self-reported measures of sexual activity, function, and satisfaction and successful aging. RESULTS: Sexual activity and functioning (desire, arousal, vaginal tightness, use of lubricants, and ability to climax) were negatively associated with age, as were physical and mental health. In contrast, sexual satisfaction and self-rated successful aging and quality of life remained unchanged across age groups. Successful aging measures were positively associated with sexual measures, especially self-rated quality of life and sexual satisfaction. CONCLUSION: Self-rated successful aging, quality of life, and sexual satisfaction appear to be stable in the face of declines in physical health, some cognitive abilities, and sexual activity and function and positively associated with each other from age 60 to 89. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Schizophrenia and aging are both risk factors for deficits in independent functioning, yet relatively few studies have examined the level and predictors of functional status of older outpatients with schizophrenia. We compared employment history, current living situation, and driving status of 83 middle-aged and elderly outpatients with schizophrenia (mean age 59 years), and 46 demographically equivalent normal comparison subjects. We also examined the relationships of neuropsychological functioning and psychiatric symptoms to these aspects of everyday functioning. The schizophrenia patient group had consistently worse functional status than the normal comparison group, but 30% of the patients were employed at least 50% of the time during their post-schizophrenia-onset adult lives, 73% were living in a house or apartment and responsible for meeting most of their own daily needs, and 43% were current drivers. Severity of negative symptoms (but not that of positive symptoms) was inversely correlated with functional status. Worse performance on a neuropsychological battery was generally associated with worse functional status. These findings counter notions that functional impairment is inevitable in older schizophrenia patients, and highlight the importance of assessment of functional skills and possibly targeting them as a treatment focus. [Copyright &y& Elsevier]