Search

Using the 2007-2009 Survey of Consumer Finances panel dataset, we investigate whether and how changes in perceived income and saving motives are related to demand for household savings in the United States after the Great Recession. Households that perceive their current income as lower, relative to normal years are less likely to save than those who view that their income is the same as the reference point. This result holds only for those who experienced a significant negative income shock during the Great Recession. Among five major saving motives, saving for an emergency is an important factor in explaining the likelihood of saving. This study suggests that financial planners and educators should pay close attention to the role of households' income perception and saving motives and should account for the resulting potential psychological biases in households' saving decisions.

The vertical air pollutant concentrations and their relationships with synoptic- and local-scale air movement have been studied. This study measured the vertical profiles of PM2.5 and O3 using an unmanned aerial vehicle during summer in South Korea and analyzed the characteristics of the measured profiles. To understand the impact of synoptic air movements, we generated and categorized the 48 h air trajectories based on HYSPLIT, and we analyzed how the vertical profiles varied under different categories of long-range transport. We found that the vertical PM2.5 concentration has a positive gradient with altitude when more polluted air was transported from China or North Korea and has negative gradient when cleaner air was transported from the East Sea. Unlike PM2.5, the O3 concentration did not depend significantly on the long-range transport scenario because of the short photochemical lifetime of O3 during summer. For local-scale air movements, we found no significant impact of local wind on the measured profiles. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Among countries that are a part of the Organization for Economic Co-operation and Development, South Korea is the most exposed to PM2.5. Despite the country having implemented various strategies to limit PM2.5 emissions, its concentrations are still high enough to pose serious environmental and health concerns. Herein, we monitored various physiochemical properties of PM2.5 across different regions in South Korea from January 1 to December 31, 2021. Specifically, the study area consisted of the city center, industrial complexes, and suburban areas. Before analyzing dynamics of emissions specific to each site, the Clean Air Policy Support System data for the three areas were compared to elucidate their respective primary emission sources. The particle concentrations for the three areas were 21.8–26.44 µg/m3, with the highest concentrations being observed in March. All the three areas exhibited high ratios of NO3− across all seasons. The particle number concentrations in the three sites were 1.3–1.5 × 107, and the peak points of the concentrations were different in every site: city center (40 nm), industrial complexes (60 nm), and suburban areas (80 nm). We also conducted potential source contribution function and conditional bivariate probability function analyses. These analyses were conducted to determine the inflow direction of the pollution sources for high PM2.5 episodes. For the episodes that occurred in spring and winter, there were no differences in the PM2.5 concentrations between the three sites. Overall, the insights gained from this study offer a framework for developing air-quality management policies in South Korea, specifically in the context of PM2.5 emissions. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

This study investigated whether and to what extent widowhood status is related to engagement in advance care planning (ACP), and further whether race/ethnicity moderated the relation. We analyzed a total of 11,257 older Americans from the Health and Retirement Study using random-effect regression models after controlling for covariates and year-fixed effects. We found that both being a widow/widower ever and having been widowed for a longer period of time were associated with a higher probability of engagement in ACP. Specifically, we found that a one-year increase in the number of years since spousal death was associated with 1.02 (p < 0.05, 95% CI = 1.00, 1.03) changes in the odds ratios of informal ACP; however, inclusion of a quadratic term indicated that this association reversed after the peak. Moreover, our findings suggested a moderating effect of race/ethnicity on the relations of the length of time since spousal loss with engagement in ACP. Specifically, the odds of widowed non-Hispanic Blacks discussing with someone the care or medical treatment (informal ACP) and having a living will (formal ACP) were 0.96 (p < 0.05, 95% CI = 0.93, 1.00) and 0.88 (p < 0.05, 95% CI = 0.79, 0.97) times that of non-widowed non-Hispanic Whites. Compared with their non-Hispanic White counterparts, widowed non-Hispanic Blacks were less likely to engage in ACP, and the negative relations were exacerbated when they became widows/widowers. We elaborated on these findings and discussed their implications for understanding the moderating effect of race/ethnicity on the relation between late‐life widowhood and engagement in ACP. In order to develop programs that enhance engagement in ACP and reduce racial/ethnic disparities, research must incorporate intersectionality theory with attention to motivations and decision-making style among diverse widows/widowers. The findings from this study could help inform policy makers when developing public health programs and health care reimbursement programs that enhance engagement in ACP among widows/widowers. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Background and Objectives This study explored whether the intensity of cognitive activities could moderate the relationship between a genetic predisposition for developing Alzheimer's disease (AD) and cognitive functioning among older adults in the United States. Furthermore, we examined whether the same moderating effects were dependent on different measures of cognition. Research Design and Methods We used a data set from the 2000–2014 waves of the Health and Retirement Study and the Consumption and Activities Mail Survey. Our sample included 3,793 individuals aged 50 or older. We used the polygenic score (PGS) for AD as a genetic trait for cognitive functioning. Reading, listening to music, using a computer, playing cards/games/solving puzzles, singing/playing musical instruments, and creating art and crafts were included as cognitive activities, and TV viewing as passive activities. We used total cognition, fluid intelligence, and crystallized intelligence as proxies for cognitive functioning. Growth-curve models were conducted. Results After controlling for covariates, we found that reading books, using a computer, and playing cards/games/solving puzzles had a positive effect on cognitive functioning. An additional hour spent reading books moderated the negative effect of AD PGS on cognition. The measure of fluid, when compared with crystallized intelligence, appeared to drive these results. Discussion and Implications Reading could be a protective factor against cognitive decline among older adults who are genetically predisposed to developing AD. Implications for individuals, caregivers, clinicians, and policymakers are suggested. Furthermore, the onset of AD in those at greater genetic risk may be delayed with this intervention. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]