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Objective: Moderate alcohol use has been broadly associated with health benefits among older adults, including improved mood. Aims of this study were to evaluate the relationship of moderate alcohol use and depressive symptomatology over a period of eight years, and to examine inflammation, indicated by C-reactive protein (CRP), as one mechanism by which this relationship functions.Methods: The study included 3177 community-dwelling participants over the age of 65 in 2008 drawn from the Health and Retirement Study. Data from the 2006, 2008, 2012, and 2014 waves were used. Alcohol use was measured via self-report and was dichotomized as abstinent (0 drinks per week) and moderate (1-14 drinks per week). Inflammation was measured using CRP, which was collected using an enzyme-linked immunosorbent assay and provided in units of μg/mL. Control variables included gender, age, body mass index (BMI), and medical burden.Results: A latent growth curve model with full information maximum likelihood was used, with results revealing that moderate drinkers endorsed fewer depressive symptoms at baseline and a steeper rate of change over time. Abstinent respondents' depressive symptomatology was characterized by a more linear change rate. Further, moderate drinkers had lower CRP levels suggesting that inflammation partially mediates the relationship between moderate alcohol use and depressive symptomatology.Conclusions: Moderate alcohol use predicts fewer depressive symptoms among older adults. This relationship is partially moderated by CRP and is eroded by the passage of time. Future research should identify additional mechanisms relating alcohol to positive health outcomes and less depressive symptomatology. Copyright © 2017 John Wiley & Sons, Ltd. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Objective: Female caregivers often reduce time spent at work to care for aging family members, which precipitates financial hardship and other adverse outcomes. Little is known about psychosocial correlates of labor force participation (LFP) among female caregivers. The theory of planned behavior posits that social norms, attitudes, and perceived control predict intentions and volitional behaviors, but also that the compelling influence of situational variables undermines enactment of behaviors consistent with one’s intentions. The objective of this study was to employ the theory of planned behavior to examine how psychosocial characteristics predict willingness to reduce LFP among prospective caregivers and actual LFP reduction among active caregivers.Methods: Subsamples of 165 female prospective caregivers and 97 active female caregivers responded to a survey assessing filial beliefs and LFP.Results: Filial obligation and caregiver preparedness predicted intentions to reduce LFP among prospective caregivers, but did not predict actual reduction in LFP in active caregivers. Weekly care demands exceeding 20 hours emerged as the sole correlate of LFP among active caregivers.Conclusions: Domains of the theory of planned behavior predict LFP intentions, but LFP decisions are subject to external pressures, specifically, time demands of the caregiving relationship. Prospective caregivers may benefit from proactive interventions aimed at reducing conflict between situational demands and filial beliefs. [ABSTRACT FROM PUBLISHER]

Objectives:Past work found that close adult attachment dimension scores predict caregiver preparedness. Theory and past research suggests filial obligation (FO) may mediate the relationship between attachment and caregiver preparedness. The goal of this study was to test that hypothesis. Method:The sample, collected using Mechanical Turk, included 165 women between the ages of 45 and 65 years who were not providing care to an aging parent.  Participants were reimbursed $0.75 for completing an online survey assessing response validity, dimensions of adult attachment, depressive symptomatology, FO, and caregiver preparedness, among other variables. The mean participant age was 52.2 years (SD = 5.5). Results:The sample was predominantly White/Caucasian (82.6%), and Black/African American (7.3%).  With respect to education, 14.5% completed high school or general education development (GED), 32.7% completed some college, 36.4% completed a Bachelor's degree, and 15.7% completed graduate degrees. The three attachment dimensions (close, dependent, and anxious) and FO were all significantly inner-correlated.  Stepwise multiple regression analyses found that FO fully mediates the relationship between close attachment and caregiver preparedness, even after controlling for age, education, income, depression, and birth order. Conclusion:The primary finding is that FO mediates the relationship between close attachment style and caregiver preparedness among prospective caregivers. This suggests that individual differences in attachment style among prospective caregivers indirectly predict preparedness for future caregiving through FO, suggesting a mechanism relating attachment style and preparation for future care. [ABSTRACT FROM PUBLISHER]