News Briefing Archive
A major effort of the institute is to identify important trends in evidence-based research and practices locally, nationally and globally. Toward this end, Roybal Institute staff compile regular updates summarizing news articles, policy briefs, research studies and informational reports. Some websites and publications require registration and/or payment to access their content. If you have any questions or comments about sources featured on the website, please feel free to contact: uscroybal@usc.edu.
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May 16
- "You Need a Song to Bring You Through": The Use of Religious Songs to Manage Stressful Life Events
Researchers explore how religious songs are used to help African American older adults cope with stressful life events. - Emotional Labour and Successful Ageing in the Workplace among Older Chinese Employees
The study finds that employees who can better regulate both their internal feelings and external expressions are more likely to successfully age in the workplace.
May 15
- Brown Calls for Deeper Health Program Cuts in Revised Budget
California Governor Jerry Brown calls for significant cuts to Medi-Cal and In-Home Supportive Services in his revised 2012-2013 fiscal year budget plan. - Obama Administration Presents National Plan to Fight Alzheimer's Disease
A new website is also launched to provide families and caregivers with information about dementias and how to seek help.
May 14
- Retinal Microvascular Abnormalities and Cognitive Function in Latino Adults in Los Angeles
Using data from the Los Angeles Latino Eye Study, researchers find that retinal microvasculature imaging may provide insights into small blood vessel influences on cognition in Latino populations. - Shades of Gray: A Cross-Country Study of Health and Well-Being of the Older Populations in SAGE Countries, 2007-2010
The report examines the health and health care utilization of the population aged 50 and older in six countries: China, Ghana, India, Mexico, Russia, and South Africa.
May 11
- Breaking the Social Security Glass Ceiling: A Proposal to Modernize Women's Benefits
Women of color have limited access to private pensions and rely more heavily on Social Security for retirement income than men, according to the report. - Validation and Reliability of the Physical Activity Scale for the Elderly in Chinese Population
Researchers find that the Physical Activity Scale for the Elderly (PASE) is a reliable and valid instrument for assessing the physical activity level of elderly in Chinese population.
May 10
- Mental Healthcare Need and Service Utilization in Older Adults Living in Public Housing
Researchers find that mental illness was common and largely untreated among socioeconomically disadvantaged older adults in public housing in Rochester, New York. - Farewell to Old Legacies? The Introduction of Long-term Care Insurance in South Korea
The study analyzes the nature of long-term care insurance in South Korea in relationship to the nation's two significant historical policy legacies of developmentalism and Confucianism.
May 9
- The Abbreviated Fuld Object Memory Evaluation Improves Detection of Dementia and Cognitive Impairment Not Dementia in Caucasian and African American, but not in Latino, Older Adults
Researchers seek to address the growing need for ethnically unbiased cognitive by evaluating the Mini Mental State Exam (MMSE) and the abbreviated Fuld Object Memory Evaluation (FOME). - Indicators of Childhood Quality of Education in Relation to Cognitive Function in Older Adulthood
The study finds that educational factors other than years of schooling may influence cognitive performance in later life in a sample of 433 older adults (52 percent African American).
May 8
- The Decisional Balance Sheet to Promote Healthy Behavior among Ethnically Diverse Older Adults
Researchers test the effectiveness of a single-day decisional balance sheet program, which aimed to increase physical activity and fruit and vegetable intake among ethnically diverse elders. - Chinatown Death Triggers Worries about Isolated Elders
Low-income older adults living alone in Chinatowns across the United States worry about falls and are at risk for depression.
May 7
- An Uneven Burden: Social Disparities in Adult Caregiving Responsibilities, Working Conditions, and Caregiver Outcomes
The study finds that women, Hispanics, and first-generation immigrant caregivers have less work schedule flexibility and less access to paid vacation leave. - The Southeastern U.S. Collaborative Center of Excellence in the Elimination of Disparities (SUCCEED): Reducing Breast and Cervical Cancer Disparities for African American Women
Researchers provide an overview of a project to reduce the disparities experienced by African American women for breast and cervical cancer in Georgia, North Carolina and South Carolina.
May 4
- Race Differences in Intellectual Control Beliefs and Cognitive Functioning
The study finds that higher intellectual control beliefs were associated with better performance on all basic cognitive ability measures. - Self-efficacy is Associated with Less Burden and More Gains from Behavioral Problems of Alzheimer's Disease in Hong Kong Chinese Caregivers
Ninety-nine family caregivers in Hong Kong participated in the longitudinal study of caregiver well-being.
May 3
- Disparities in Health Status and Health Care Access and Use among Older American Indians and Alaska Natives and Non-Hispanic Whites in California
The study finds that older American Indians and Alaska Natives reported poorer physical and mental health than did Non-Hispanic Whites in the state. - A New Classification of Function and Disability in China: Subtypes Based on Performance-Based and Self-Reported Measures
Older Chinese living in rural environments seem to report less dependency on others than those living in urban environments, according to the study.
May 2
- The Changing Face of Primary Open-Angle Glaucoma in the United States: Demographic and Geographic Changes from 2011 to 2050
Researchers predict that a large number of older Hispanic men will have primary open-angle glaucoma in the coming decades. - Validity of Self-reported Eye Disease and Treatment in a Population-based Study: The Los Angeles Latino Eye Study
Results from the study suggest that the actual prevalence of most major eye diseases among older Latinos is likely underestimated due to self-reporting.