%0 Journal Article %J Journal of Aging and Health %D Forthcoming %T Preclinical Dementia and Economic Well-Being Trajectories of Racially Diverse Older Adults. %A Mudrazija, Stipica %A Palms, Jordan %A Lee, Ji Hyun %A Maher, Amanda %A Zahodne, Laura B %A Chopik, William J %K Alzheimer’s disease and related dementias %K economic well-being %K Health and Retirement Study %K preclinical %K racial/ethnic disparities %X

ObjectivesThis study examined the magnitude, changes, and racial/ethnic disparities in the economic costs of the 16-year preclinical phase of dementia-a period of cognitive decline without significant impact on daily activities. The study utilized two dementia algorithms to classify individuals with incident dementia in the Health and Retirement Study. These cases were compared to matched controls in terms of poverty status, labor force participation, and unsecured debts. Older adults classified with dementia were more likely to drop out of the labor force and become poor than similar older adults without dementia. Racial/ethnic disparities in poverty persisted during the preclinical period, with non-Hispanic Black older adults more likely to leave the labor force and Hispanic older adults more likely to have unsecured debt. Findings highlight the economic costs during prodromal phase of dementia, emphasizing need for early interventions to reduce financial strain across diverse older adults.

%B Journal of Aging and Health %P 8982643241237292 %G eng %R 10.1177/08982643241237292 %0 Journal Article %J Journal of Aging and Health %D 2022 %T Cognitive Impairment and the Trajectory of Loneliness in Older Adulthood: Evidence from the Health and Retirement Study. %A Lee, Ji Hyun %A Martina Luchetti %A Damaris Aschwanden %A Sesker, Amanda A %A Jason E Strickhouser %A Antonio Terracciano %A Angelina R Sutin %K cognitive impairment %K cognitive impairment no dementia %K Dementia %K Loneliness %X

To examine whether the trajectory of facets of loneliness-emotional and social-varied by cognitive impairment status in older adulthood. Data came from the Health and Retirement Study 2008-2018 waves ( = 15,352). Cognitive impairment was assessed using standard cutoffs for cognitive impairment no dementia (CIND) and dementia. The 11-item UCLA loneliness scale was used to measure emotional and social loneliness. Using multilevel modeling, we found that CIND and dementia status were associated with higher overall, emotional, and social loneliness, controlling for physical health, social contact, and depressive symptoms. The trajectory of loneliness did not vary by cognitive status. There were modest variations by sociodemographic factors. Persons with CIND and dementia experience heightened emotional and social loneliness, but cognitive impairment does not contribute to the worsening of loneliness. Older adults' social integration may be maintained early in cognitive impairment.

%B Journal of Aging and Health %V 34 %P 3-13 %G eng %N 1 %R 10.1177/08982643211019500 %0 Journal Article %J Collabra: Psychology %D 2022 %T Dyadic Associations Between Conscientiousness Facets, Health, and Health Behavior Over Time %A Chopik, William %A Lee, Ji Hyun %K actor-partner interdependence model %K Conscientiousness %K depression %K health %K personality facets %X Previous studies show consistent associations between conscientiousness and health outcomes. However, less is known about how various facets of conscientiousness, of both individuals and their partners, are associated with changes in health in older adults over time. Applying the actor–partner interdependence model, we examined dyadic associations of broader conscientiousness and its six facets and changes in health, health behavior, and well-being in middle-aged and older couples. With a sample of 3,271 couples (N=6,542) from the Health and Retirement Study, we found that actor conscientiousness, orderliness, and industriousness were most reliably associated with better health outcomes over time. Partner orderliness was associated with better health and more positive health behavior. The remaining associations were near-zero in their effect sizes. Many of these associations persisted over the 10-year period of the study, and there was little evidence for gender differences or multiplicative interactions. %B Collabra: Psychology %V 8 %P 37611 %G eng %N 1 %R 10.1525/collabra.37611 %0 Journal Article %J The Journals of Gerontology, Series B %D 2022 %T Pathways from early life SES to dementia risk in old age: The role of personality. %A Sesker, Amanda A %A O'Súilleabháin, Páraic S %A Lee, Ji Hyun %A Damaris Aschwanden %A Martina Luchetti %A Yannick Stephan %A Antonio Terracciano %A Angelina R Sutin %K CIND %K Conscientiousness %K cSES %K Dementia %K Neuroticism %X

OBJECTIVE: This study investigates the association between childhood socioeconomic status (cSES) and risk of cognitive impairment in older adulthood, and whether Five Factor Model personality traits mediated this association.

METHODS: A sample of 9,995 participants (mean age = 67.01 years) from the Health and Retirement Study were followed every two years from 2006 to 2018. cSES was tested as a predictor of risk of dementia and risk of cognitive impairment not dementia (CIND). Personality was tested as a mediator of these associations. Models were adjusted for age, gender, ethnicity, race, education, and baseline year.

RESULTS: Although effect sizes were modest, results indicated that lower cSES was associated with higher risk of dementia (HR=0.88, [0.775, 0.985]). Higher cSES was also associated with higher Conscientiousness and lower Neuroticism. Conscientiousness and Neuroticism each accounted for 7.9% of the total effect of cSES on dementia. Results were similar for CIND.

CONCLUSIONS: Early childhood socioeconomic factors may contribute to cognitive impairment in older adulthood, an association mediated, in part, through adult personality traits.

%B The Journals of Gerontology, Series B %V 77 %P 850-859 %G eng %N 5 %R 10.1093/geronb/gbab159 %0 Journal Article %J Personality and Individual Differences %D 2022 %T Personality and change in perceived control during the acute stage of the coronavirus pandemic. %A Sesker, Amanda A %A Lee, Ji Hyun %A Luchetti, Martina %A Damaris Aschwanden %A Stephan, Yannick %A Terracciano, Antonio %A Sutin, Angelina R %K COVID-19 %K perceived control %K Personality Traits %X

Lower perceived control (PC) is related to maladaptive psychological responses to stressful events, yet it is unclear whether longer-term situations are associated with PC change over time. This study examined PC change during the beginning of the coronavirus pandemic and whether trajectories varied by age and personality. Personality was assessed in 2455 U.S. adults (18-100 years) from an online study conducted January-February 2020. PC was assessed across three follow-ups (March-July 2020). Latent growth curves modeled PC change. In controlled models, PC decreased (β = -0.107,  = .005). Older adults had higher PC than younger adults (β = 0.012,  = .001), and experienced less PC decline (β = 0.012,  < .001). All personality traits but Openness were related to PC at baseline (βs ranged from -0.912 to 0.543, ps < .001). Conscientiousness (β = 0.155,  = .002), Extraversion (β = 0.128,  = .008), and Agreeableness (β = 0.099,  = .044) were associated with less PC decline. Employment (β = 0.160,  = .022), health (β = 0.133,  = .002), and disease burden (β = -0.056,  = .014) were also associated with PC change. These results were largely driven by the financial dimension of PC. This study provides evidence for PC change during the COVID-19 pandemic and identifies sociodemographic, personality, and health moderators of PC trajectory.

%B Personality and Individual Differences %V 192 %P 111607 %G eng %R 10.1016/j.paid.2022.111607