The Georgia Centenarian Study

Devoted to the description of The Georgia Centenarian Study, an interdisciplinary study of the ""oldest-old,"" conducted by the University of Georgia and the Medical College of Georgia. This issue consists of eight papers, that covers most of the domains of the study. It also includes a review of the book ""Centenarians: The New Generation"".

Devoted to the description of The Georgia Centenarian Study, an interdisciplinary study of the "oldest-old," conducted by the University of Georgia and the Medical College of Georgia. Consisting of eight papers, this special issue covers most of the domains of the study. A paper discussing the potentials of the study, and abstracts of the peer reviewers comments is also included. One of the pioneers in centenarian research, Dr. Belle Boone Beard donated her archival data consisting of more than 3000 case studies of centenarians provided the impetus of this systematic study of the "oldest-old." The last paper in this special issue is a review of Dr. Beard's book, "Centenarians: The New Generation".

Though exceptional human longevity has captured the imagination for millennia, it has been only in the past fifteen years or so that some of the secrets to very long lives are finally giving way to scientific inquiry. Written by an international group of experts, this year's review first considers the methodological and design dilemmas faced in conducting centenarian research. It then offers guidance in locating literature and data sources for primary and secondary information on centenarians and the oldest old. This section includes a list of the world's oldest persons and discusses the difficulties in compiling such a list. The remainder of the review is divided in three sections-the biology and genetics of longevity, the behavioral and social predictors of longevity, and methodological issues in qualitative and anthropologic approaches and the study of the very oldest old, supercentenarians, or those who live to 110 years or more. Data is drawn from studies undertaken among populations in diverse parts of the world.

The demographic and social structure of most industrialized and developing countries are changing rapidly as infant mortality is reduced and population life span has increased in dramatic ways. In particular, the oldest old (85+) population has grown and will continue to grow. This segment of the population tends to suffer physical and cognitive decline, and little information is available to describe how their positive and negative distal experiences, habits and intervening proximal environmental influences impact their well-being, and how social and health policies can help meet the unique challenges they face. Understanding Well-Being in the Oldest Old is the outcome of a four-day workshop attended by U.S. and Israeli scientists and funded by the U.S.-Israel Bi-National Science Foundation to examine both novel and traditional paradigms that could extend our knowledge and understanding of the well-being of the oldest old.

This encyclopedia brings together key established and emerging research findings in geropsychology. It is a comprehensive coverage of the entire breadth of the field, giving readers access to all major subareas and illustrating their interconnections with other disciplines. Entries delve deep into key areas of geropsychology such as perception, cognition, clinical, organizational, health, social, experimental and neuropsychology. In addition to that, the encyclopedia covers related disciplines such as neuroscience, social science, population health, public policy issues pertaining to retirement, epidemiology and demography and medicine. Paying careful attention to research internationally, it cites English and non-English empirical literature from around the globe. This encyclopedia is relevant to a wide audience that include researchers, clinicians, students, policy makers and nongovernmental agencies.

The purpose of this longitudinal study was to investigate age (60, 80, and 100 years), gender, and ethnic (Blacks and Whites) differences in mental health in community-dwelling older adults from the Georgia Centenarian Study and to assess mediating and moderating effects (i.e., social support, life events, and subjective health) on the relationship between demographic variables and mental health. Three mental health areas were assessed: life satisfaction, morale, and depression. We examined 321 participants at Time 1 (T1) and 201 participants at Time 2 (T2). The results suggest that centenarians had lower levels of life satisfaction at T1, morale (T1 and T2), and higher levels of depression (T1 and T2) compared to sexagenarians and octogenarians. Gender differences were only found for depression at T1. Women reported higher levels of depressive symptoms compared to men. There were no mean differences between men and women on the other mental health dimensions. No ethnic differences were obtained for mental health. Social support and perceived health mediated the relationship between demographic variables and mental health. Finally, when assessing moderating effects, social support moderated the relationship between age (60 & 80 years) and life satisfaction, indicating that older adults had higher life satisfaction even when receiving low social support. Health positively moderated the relationship between ethnicity and depression, suggesting that Blacks (but not Whites) reported high depressive symptoms even when reporting good health.

This book focuses on centenarians – people aged 100 and over – one of the fastest growing segments of the population in most developed countries. Drawing on official international and national data, it describes the longevity phenomenon and profiles socio-demographic, health and living conditions of long-lived people in 28 European countries. By comparing and synthesizing current information according to country, the book helps fill the knowledge gap regarding Europe’s centenarian population. Providing insights to help stakeholders better predict, plan for and respond to the challenges of extreme longevity, it is a valuable resource for students and academics in the field of population aging, gerontology and geriatrics, as well as social scientists and policymakers.

The U.S. population of older adults is predicted to grow rapidly as "baby boomers" (those born between 1946 and 1964) begin to reach 65 years of age. Simultaneously, advancements in medical care and improved awareness of healthy lifestyles have led to longer life expectancies. The Census Bureau projects that the population of Americans 65 years of age and older will rise from approximately 40 million in 2010 to 55 million in 2020, a 36 percent increase. Furthermore, older adults are choosing to live independently in the community setting rather than residing in an institutional environment. Furthermore, the types of services needed by this population are shifting due to changes in their health issues. Older adults have historically been viewed as underweight and frail; however, over the past decade there has been an increase in the number of obese older persons. Obesity in older adults is not only associated with medical comorbidities such as diabetes; it is also a major risk factor for functional decline and homebound status. The baby boomers have a greater prevalence of obesity than any of their historic counterparts, and projections forecast an aging population with even greater chronic disease burden and disability. In light of the increasing numbers of older adults choosing to live independently rather than in nursing homes, and the important role nutrition can play in healthy aging, the Institute of Medicine (IOM) convened a public workshop to illuminate issues related to community-based delivery of nutrition services for older adults and to identify nutrition interventions and model programs. Nutrition and Healthy Aging in the Community summarizes the presentations and discussions prepared from the workshop transcript and slides. This report examines nutrition-related issues of concern experienced by older adults in the community including nutrition screening, food insecurity, sarcopenic obesity, dietary patterns for older adults, and economic issues. This report explores transitional care as individuals move from acute, subacute, or chronic care settings to the community, and provides models of transitional care in the community. This report also provides examples of successful intervention models in the community setting, and covers the discussion of research gaps in knowledge about nutrition interventions and services for older adults in the community.

Key research in the world’s largest aging population – in China – has fed into this important new work, which aims to answer questions critical to older people worldwide. These include: is the period of disability compressing or expanding with increasing life expectancy and what factors are associated with these trends in the recent decades? And is it possible to realize morbidity compression with a prolongation of the life span in the future? Essential reading for gerontologists.

"To be alone is to be different. To be different is to be alone, and to be in the interior of this fatal circle is to be lonely. To be lonely is to have failed" (Susan Schultz, 1976) Loneliness carries a significant social stigma, as lack of friendship and social ties is socially undesirable, and social perceptions of lonely people are generally unfavourable. Lonely people often have very negative self-perceptions, believing that the inability to establish social ties is due to personal inadequacies or socially undesirable attributes. This book is divided into three parts. The first part reviews loneliness in general, describing what it is and how it affects us. The second part examines loneliness throughout the life cycle, analysing how it affects us in childhood, adulthood and as we age. The final part explores the connection between loneliness and other conditions such as arthritis, eating disorders and depression. Loneliness Updated offers the latest research on how loneliness can affect us in our daily lives, and how it is expressed as we travel through life from childhood to old age. It will be a highly interesting read for scholars, students and researchers of clinical psychology, particularly those interested in further exploring the effects and consequences of loneliness. This book was originally published as a special issue of The Journal of Psychology.