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Weight discrimination has adverse effects on health that include increasing the risk factors for developing type 2 diabetes. Preliminary evidence suggests a positive association between weight discrimination and diagnosed diabetes; however, it is unknown whether psychosocial resources may buffer this association. In logistic regressions stratified by gender, we examined links between weight discrimination and diabetes among a nationally representative sample of U.S. adults (the National Social Life, Health, and Aging Project; N = 2,794 adults age 50 and older in 2015-16). We also tested the extent to which trait-resilience and social support from a spouse/partner, family, and friends buffered any observed association. We adjusted for known predictors of diabetes (age, race/ethnicity, Body Mass Index) and conducted sensitivity analyses restricted to men and women with obesity. Net of covariates, in the overall sample, weight discrimination was associated with significantly greater odds of having ever had diabetes among women (OR = 2.00, 95% CI [1.15, 3.47]), but not men. Among women with obesity, weight discrimination was only significantly associated with greater odds of diabetes for those with low resilience (OR = 1.84, 95% CI [1.01, 3.35]). Among men overall, weight discrimination was associated with lower odds of diabetes for those with high family support (OR = 0.03, 95% CI [0.003, 0.25]) as well as those with high friend support (OR = 0.34, 95% CI [0.13, 0.91]); similar effects were observed in men with obesity. These novel findings evince a role for psychosocial resources in buffering associations between weight discrimination and diabetes. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Objectives We examine the relationship between social isolation, poor health behaviors, and the perceived worsening of older adults' health behaviors following the coronavirus outbreak. We assess the extent to which psychological pathways mediate the relationship between social isolation and worsening health behaviors. Methods Drawing on data from the National Social Life Health and Aging Project Round 3 (2015) and its coronavirus immune disease 2019 (COVID-19) substudy (2020; N = 2,549), we use generalized linear models to explore how indicators of social isolation during the COVID-19 pandemic—infrequent in-person contact with friends and family in 2020 and decreased in-person contact with friends and family since COVID-19 started—are associated with (1) poor health behaviors (low physical activity, drinks per week, smoking, and poor sleep) in 2020 and (2) perceived worsening of health behaviors (reports of decreased physical activity, increased drinking and smoking, and feeling less rested) since the pandemic started. Results Infrequent in-person contact was not associated with poor health behaviors. Decreases in in-person contact, on the other hand, were associated with worsening health behaviors. Older adults who reported decreases in in-person contact were more likely to perceive a decrease in physical activity, an increase in drinking, and feeling less rested. Emotional well-being, particularly loneliness compared to anxiety or depressive feelings, partially mediated the relationship between perceived worsening of health behaviors and a decrease in in-person contact with friends, and to a lesser extent, with family. Discussion Our study suggests that in-person contact may play a distinct role in shaping older adults' well-being during the pandemic. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Objectives: Using nationally representative data among U.S. adults, we assess age differences in changes in mental health both from 2018 to May 2020 and during the pandemic. We also examine factors explaining age differences in mental health. Methods: We analyzed 2018 General Social Survey data (N = 2,348; age 18–89) and three waves of COVID Response Tracking Study data (N = 2,279; age 20–94) spanning May–August 2020. Outcomes included happiness, loneliness, stress, positive affect, and negative affect. Results: U.S. adults reported greater loneliness and less happiness in May 2020 versus 2018. Only loneliness and negative affect changed significantly from May to August 2020, showing declines. Mental health trajectories did not differ significantly by age. Overall, older adults reported lower loneliness, stress, and negative affect than younger adults during 2020. Older age was associated with two factors linked with better mental health: less likelihood of COVID-19 exposure and greater satisfaction with social activities and relationships. However, none of the factors examined herein explained age differences in mental health. Conclusion: Although mental health trajectories during the pandemic were similar across ages, older adults tended to report better mental health than younger adults. Future research should identify factors that explain age differences in mental health that persisted into 2020. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]