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Item Hosting and the normative presence of Christmas in older people’s lives(John Wiley and Sons, Inc., 2024-04-24) Mansvelt JDespite the economic and cultural significance of Christmas in many nations, there has been relatively little geographical research on how it shapes people’s socialities, spatialities, and subjectivities. In this paper, practice theory was used to reflect on the materials, meanings, and competencies associated with older people who host the celebration at home, and thematic analysis of qualitative interviews with 20 individuals aged 65+ explored participants’ experiences of doing so. Findings reveal that homes’ material forms affect older people’s ability to host, while the ‘stuff’ of Christmas such as decorations, special foods, or gifts shape those homes as festive and welcoming places. Food sourcing and preparation were critical competencies for female participants, and shifting capacities to be a host influenced participants’ sense of autonomy and identity. Regardless of the extent to which participants celebrated Christmas, the meanings of hosting centred on social connection, contribution, and shoring up family. Choosing not to host or being unable to contribute in expected ways at Christmas could signify failure, exclusion, or incapability as an older person, parent, or citizen. Examining these issues in the case study, based in Aotearoa/New Zealand, reveals the existence and effects of the social expectations, norms, and obligations that typify Christmas. More broadly, the study highlights the need for geographers to attend to the ways in which celebrations shape and are shaped by diverse practices, places, and peoples and are assembled, reproduced, and resisted.Item Experiences of COVID-19 lockdown among older people in Aotearoa: Idyllic or dystopian?(Cambridge University Press, 2023-10-02) Breheny M; Stephens CThe COVID-19 pandemic prompted concern about the wellbeing of older people, however, there have also been accounts of increased sense of community in response to the disruption of established routines. To explore how older people experienced lockdown in Aotearoa/New Zealand, we analysed 635 written comments on the 2020 wave of the Health, Work and Retirement longitudinal survey of people aged 55-85 years. Using narrative genre analysis, we discuss two narratives of lockdown: a narrative of lockdown as 'idyllic' and a 'dystopian' narrative of distrust. Using the idyllic narrative, people described pleasant activities and linked these stories to earlier times when community life was less time-pressured and people were more connected to one another. The dystopian narrative was used to describe politicians and the media as untrustworthy and to depict new vulnerabilities created by the rules of lockdown. These narrative genres provide different positions for older people. In the idyllic narrative, older people are treasured and supported by younger community members, whereas in the dystopian narrative older people feel abandoned and manipulated. These genres draw on possible late-life futures that are familiar to older people: either treasured or discarded. Identifying these narrative genres reveals the different vulnerabilities older people experience. This information can be used to support older people to experience security and to flourish in uncertain times.Item Beneficial and Impeding Factors for the Implementation of Health-Promoting Lifestyle Interventions-A Gender-Specific Focus Group Study.(MDPI (Basel, Switzerland), 2023-02-16) Wittmann FG; Zülke A; Schultz A; Claus M; Röhr S; Luppa M; Riedel-Heller SG; Tchounwou PB(1) Background: The prevalence of dementia increases and so does the number of interventions that address modifiable risk factors for dementia. Recent evidence suggests that there are gender differences in the prevalence of those lifestyle factors as well as in the effectiveness of interventions. This study aims to identify differences in factors that benefit or hinder the effectiveness of interventions since a target group's perspective gets more relevant. (2) Methods: Two focus groups, a female (n = 11) and a male (n = 8) group, were interviewed, audio recorded and transcribed. Qualitative analyses were performed and main- and subcategories were identified. (3) Results: Main differences were observed including aspects of lifestyle changes (e.g., respective diet and importance of an active lifestyle) and gender-typical behavior and perception by relevant healthcare actors. (4) Conclusions: Identified differences might help to address and raise the efficiency of lifestyle interventions. Further, the importance of social aspects and retirement as an auspicious moment to start interventions were identified as relevant by study participants.Item Depression and anxiety in the pandemic : a longitudinal analysis of older New Zealanders : a thesis presented in fulfilment of the requirements for the degree of Master of Arts (by thesis) in Psychology at Massey University, Albany, New Zealand(Massey University, 2021) McLean, TamaraThere has been widespread concern about the mental health impact of the global COVID-19 outbreak. However, the effect of the pandemic on the psychological wellbeing of older New Zealanders is largely unknown. This longitudinal study aimed to estimate the effect of the crisis on depression and anxiety scores of people aged 55 and older in Aotearoa. The sample included 3,171 people who responded to wave 7 (August-November 2018) and wave 8 (June-September 2020) of the Health, Work and Retirement Study. Analyses were carried out using paired t tests, multilevel mediation modelling, two-way mixed analysis of variance and multiple linear regression. Results showed depression scores increased slightly and anxiety scores decreased slightly over time, but neither change was statistically significant. Additional analyses considered the relationship between negative health behaviours and demographic subgroups and mental health change. Physical activity was shown to decrease significantly, albeit to a small degree, and there was evidence of an indirect effect of the pandemic on depression via physical activity. Alcohol use decreased significantly, albeit slightly. Depression scores significantly increased among people with the highest socioeconomic status (SES) and decreased for the lowest SES individuals. Anxiety and depression scores for people reporting a pre-existing mental health condition significantly decreased while depression scores increased for those without a prior condition. Changes in depression and anxiety scores did not differ significantly across gender or ethnicity. These findings suggest a general resilience among older New Zealanders 3 to 6 months into the pandemic. The ongoing collection of robust longitudinal data on mental health is necessary to monitor psychological change and ensure older people are adequately supported in this continuing crisis.Item How Does Driving Anxiety Relate to the Health and Quality of Life of Older Drivers?(2022-05) Taylor JE; McLean R; Samaranayaka A; Connolly MJOBJECTIVES: 11% of drivers aged 65+ report moderate to extreme driving anxiety, with associated reduction in driving. Knowledge about the relationships of driving anxiety with health and quality of life for older people is minimal. The present study examined these relationships. METHOD: 1170 community dwelling drivers aged 65+ in New Zealand completed a population survey. RESULTS: After adjusting for socio-demographic variables, higher driving anxiety was associated with lower quality of life and lower odds of 'very good' self-reported health, but no difference in odds of multi-comorbidity. DISCUSSION: Further research is needed to examine the influence of driving anxiety on health and quality of life outcomes with a broader range of older people who experience more challenges to their health and wellbeing, especially to mental health.
