Grounded in life span theory, this study explored how personal goals (as measured by possible selves) related to depressive symptoms in older adults. Possible selves represent individuals' ideas of what they would like to become (hoped-for selves) and what they are afraid of becoming (feared selves). Possible selves are also...
Older adults are the fastest growing population in the United States, and their numbers are expected to continue rising over the next few decades. The number of older adults with psychiatric disorders such as anxiety is also increasing. Increases in the population of older adults and in the incidence of...
Optimal aging is strongly related to personality factors along with health-behavior habits. Personality has played a key role in understanding the interactions between human behavior and the environment and as a vital predictor in determining health outcomes of individuals. Although previous studies have found links between personality traits and health,...
Grounded in the life course perspective, this study examined
stress among long-distance caregivers, asking whether stress levels vary
by family relation to the care recipient or by geographic distance. A
growing older adult population forecasts a corresponding need for
caregivers. Although family members are the primary source of care for...
Sustaining an older adult's ability to live independently is a very important
goal of geriatrics and gerontology. The extent to which an individual can live
independently depends on his or her ability to perform Instrumental Activities of Daily
Living. Impairments in the physical domains of muscle strength, flexibility,
endurance, and...
The Wanniya-laeto, often referred to as Veddas, are the indigenous people of Sri Lanka. They live primarily in governmental designated areas in the forest with a few Vedda villages on the eastern coastal region. In-depth, semi-structured interviews as well as participant observation were the methods used to access the perceptions...
The purpose of this study was to examine the evidence of construct validity for self-report with assistance from a secondary source as a measure of physical activity (PA) in adults with intellectual disabilities (ID) in free-living environments. Thirty-seven participants (21 females, 16 males) with mild to moderate ID aged 19-74...
Falls are extremely common among the older adult population, account for substantial morbidity and mortality, and are often potentially preventable. It is estimated that 9 out of 10 of hip fractures in older adults occur as the result of a fall. The economic consequences of hip fractures are estimated at...
Health officials have recently been sounding the alarm that depression will soon
surpass many of the major medical conditions in causing disability among adults. Recent
demographic and health trends are generating public health concern about depression.
First, the prevalence of chronic conditions has dramatically increased over the last several
generations....
This thesis addresses the issue of comfortable and functional living environments to provide seniors with opportunities for "age in place," that is, living in one's own house after retirement. Such living environments enhance seniors' life satisfaction since the majority of seniors prefer to stay in their own houses and live...