The findings suggest that efforts to assess physical functioning with more attention and enhance optimism should be emphasized in interventions for older adults with cancer.

No abstract

Although previous research based on data from the U.S. suggests that parents' widowhood is associated with increased emotional support from children, little is known about the impact of late-life widowhood on intergenerational relationships in other cultures. Using data of Korean older adults, this paper examined: (1) the effect of widowhood on both positive and negative aspects of parent-child relationships and (2) whether these effects are moderated by older adults' expectations about children's filial responsibilities and the geographic proximity to their children. Analyses are based on data from the Hallym Aging Study, a stratified multi-stage probability sample of older adults living in the cities of Seoul and Chuncheon in Korea. Compared to married older adults, widowed persons in this sample reported higher levels of ambivalence, lower levels of positive interactions, and higher levels of negative interactions with their children. Parents' notion about filial responsibilities did not have a significant moderating effect, whereas geographic proximity to children was a significant moderator. Findings suggest that widowhood is associated with greater strain in intergenerational relationships in Korea. Helping widowed older adults forge constructive relationships with their children may enhance both bereaved older adults' and their children's well-being in this cultural milieu.

This study examines the quality of life (QoL) of older adults with cancer (N = 176), by comparing them with age- and gender-matched groups without cancer (N = 176), and investigates factors associated with their QoL. The results of Medical Outcome Study Short Form-36 (MOS SF-36) showed that the study group had significantly lower scores than the noncancer group on all eight scales and on the Physical Component Summary and the Mental Component Summary. Comparison with gender and age groups revealed some differences. Optimism and social support were positively related to QoL while comorbidity, cancer-related concerns, and financial worries were inversely related.

This study aimed at assessing gender-specific predictors associated with suicidal ideation among Korean older adults using a longitudinal study. Participants of this study were 926 older adults aged 65 years and above (583 women, 343 men) who completed both 2016 and 2018 surveys on Elderly Life Conditions in Chuncheon, Korea, and reported never having thought about suicide or attempted suicide at baseline. Multivariate logistic regression was used to investigate the predictors (at baseline) of suicidal ideation (at 2-year follow-up) separately for each gender group. The results showed that among women, predictors of suicidal ideation were fearlessness about death (personal factor), filial responsibility (family factor), and social activities (social factor). However, among men, only psychological inflexibility (personal factor) predicted suicidal ideation. Results of this study provide evidence for the need to adopt separate strategies for each gender, taking the different predictors of suicidal ideation into account in the development of suicide prevention programs for older adults in Korea.