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IntroductionThere are limited data on prevalence of dementia in centenarians and near-centenarians (C/NC), its determinants, and whether the risk of dementia continues to rise beyond 100.MethodsParticipant-level data were obtained from 18 community-based studies (N = 4427) in 11 countries that included individuals ≥95 years. A harmonization protocol was applied to cognitive and functional impairments, and a meta-analysis was performed.ResultsThe mean age was 98.3 years (SD = 2.67); 79% were women. After adjusting for age, sex, and education, dementia prevalence was 53.2% in women and 45.5% in men, with risk continuing to increase with age. Education (OR 0.95;0.92-0.98) was protective, as was hypertension (odds ratio [OR] 0.51;0.35-0.74) in five studies. Dementia was not associated with diabetes, vision and hearing impairments, smoking, and body mass index (BMI).DiscussionAmong the exceptional old, dementia prevalence remains higher in the older participants. Education was protective against dementia, but other factors for dementia-free survival in C/NC remain to be understood.

Background: In recent years, there has been a growing interest in the investigation of very old individuals. However, various challenges arise when collecting data from this age group. Given potential health and cognitive impairments and the difficulty of retrieving accurate self-reported data, involving individuals knowledgeable of the target person as proxy respondents are an invaluable solution. The primary goal of this study is to explore the association between proxy-centenarian relationship and item nonresponse, a pivotal data quality measure. Data and methods: We used data from the phone study conducted within SWISS100, a study on centenarians in Switzerland, focusing on a subsample of 94 centenarians and 75 proxy respondents. We compared characteristics of centenarians who provided self-reports with those interviewed through proxy respondents using descriptive analyses, and Firth's regression models to investigate the association of different types of proxies (children, other relatives, and non-relatives) with item nonresponse. Results: We noted differences between centenarians participating themselves in interviews and those represented by proxies, observing higher proportions of men and private home residents in the self-report group. There was a low prevalence of item nonresponse among proxy respondents. Proxy type significantly impacted item nonresponse, particularly with non-relatives showing notably higher unanswered question rates. A robust association between non-relatives as proxies and increased item nonresponse persisted even when controlling for potential confounding factors. Discussion and conclusions: This study enhances the understanding of data quality, particularly item nonresponse, and highlights the impact of the proxy-centenarian relationship when studying the oldest-old. The findings stress the importance of carefully choosing proxy respondents, preferably children, to improve data quality and inclusivity for those individuals hard to reach or to interview. Future research should investigate various data quality indicators and rely on larger samples to enhance the representation and methodological rigour in the study of the oldest-old. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

As people age, they tend to spend more time indoors, and the colours in their surroundings may significantly impact their mood and overall well‐being. However, there is a lack of empirical evidence to provide informed guidance on colour choices, irrespective of age group. To work towards informed choices, we investigated whether the associations between colours and emotions observed in younger individuals also apply to older adults. We recruited 7393 participants, aged between 16 and 88 years and coming from 31 countries. Each participant associated 12 colour terms with 20 emotion concepts and rated the intensity of each associated emotion. Different age groups exhibited highly similar patterns of colour–emotion associations (average similarity coefficient of.97), with subtle yet meaningful age‐related differences. Adolescents associated the greatest number but the least positively biased emotions with colours. Older participants associated a smaller number but more intense and more positive emotions with all colour terms, displaying a positivity effect. Age also predicted arousal and power biases, varying by colour. Findings suggest parallels in colour–emotion associations between younger and older adults, with subtle but significant age‐related variations. Future studies should next assess whether colour–emotion associations reflect what people actually feel when exposed to colour. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

This study aims to investigate changes in the income–health gradient over the later life course. We test the age-as-leveler, the cumulative advantage/disadvantage, and the persistent inequality pattern for physical and cognitive health domains, and analyze whether these patterns are gendered. We used HRS data (1992–2016) and Poisson growth curve models to predict multimorbidity (33,860 participants) as an indicator of physical health and memory (25,291 participants) as an indicator of cognitive health. We disentangled the within-participant from the between-participant effects. For multimorbidity, the income–health gradient weakened as individuals aged; whereas for memory, the income–health gradient strengthened as individuals aged. The cumulative advantage/disadvantage of higher/lower income on memory may be more pronounced among women than men. Findings were confirmed by sensitivity analyses. Findings suggest that the support for the age-as-leveler or cumulative advantage/disadvantage pattern may depend on health domains and the effect strength may depend on gender. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Background: Internet use has dramatically increased worldwide, with over two-thirds of the world's population using it, including the older adult population. Technical resources such as internet use have been shown to influence psychological processes such as stress positively. Following the Conservation of Resources theory by Hobfoll, stress experience largely depends on individuals' personal resources and the changes in these resources. While personal resource loss has been shown to lead to stress, we know little regarding the role that technical resources may play on the relationship between personal resources and stress. Objective: This study aims to investigate the moderating effect of technical resources (internet use) on the relationship between personal resources and stress in younger and older adults. Methods: A total of 275 younger adults (aged 18 to 30 years) and 224 older adults (aged ≥65 years) indicated their levels of stress; change in personal resources (ie, cognitive, social, and self-efficacy resource loss and gain); and internet use. Variance analyses, multiple regression, and moderation analyses were performed to investigate the correlates of stress. Results: Results showed that older adults, despite experiencing higher levels of resource loss (questionnaire scores: 1.82 vs 1.54; P <.001) and less resource gain (questionnaire scores: 1.82 vs 2.31; P <.001), were less stressed than younger adults (questionnaire scores: 1.99 vs 2.47; P <.001). We observed that the relationship among resource loss, resource gain, and stress in older adults was moderated by their level of internet use (β=.09; P =.05). Specifically, older adults who used the internet more frequently were less stressed when they experienced high levels of both loss and gain compared to their counterparts who used internet the less in the same conditions. Furthermore, older adults with low resource gain and high resource loss expressed less stress when they used the internet more often compared to those with low internet use. Conclusions: These findings highlight the importance of internet use in mitigating stress among older adults experiencing resource loss and gain, emphasizing the potential of digital interventions to promote mental health in this population. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

In this article we present a vision of applied developmental science (ADS) as a means of promoting social justice and socio-political well-being. This vision draws upon the field's significant accomplishments in identifying and strengthening developmental assets in marginalized youth communities, understanding the effects of poverty and racial discrimination on individual and family well-being and promoting positive development through youth civic engagement programs. It also highlights potential linkages between ADS and other social science fields working to identify and eliminate societal barriers to human development.

Purpose: Given age-related health restrictions, the importance of the environment for life satisfaction may increase in later life. This study investigated whether objective and perceived physical and social environmental aspects of the home and of the surrounding neighborhood represent resources for or risks to life satisfaction among young-old and old-old individuals. Design and Methods: A population-based sample of 381 community-dwelling individuals aged 65-94 years reported on their sociophysical environment and life satisfaction using questionnaires. Results: On average, young-old differ from old-old in indoor physical environmental indicators but not in neighborhood characteristics or social aspects of housing. Regression analyses revealed that apartment size, perceived neighborhood quality, and outdoor place attachment explained life satisfaction independently, whereas social housing aspects played only a minor role. Separate analyses for both age groups revealed age differential explanation patterns. Apartment size was positively related to life satisfaction in the young-old but was negatively related in the old-old. For the old-old, perceived neighborhood quality and outdoor place attachment were more important than for the young-old. Living with others was positively related to life satisfaction only for the young-old. Implications: Environmental characteristics at home and in the neighborhood need to be considered to better understand differential processes of aging in place with respect to well-being.