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APHA Scientific Session and Event Listing

Li-Mei Chen, MSW, PhD and Song-iee Hong, MA. George Warren Brown School of Social Work, Washington University in St. Louis, Campus Box 1196, One Brookings Drive, St. Louis, MO 63130-4899, 314-935-7438, LChen@gwbmail.wustl.edu

This study examined the temporal properties of older adults' personal competencies on predicting types of residential settings as older adults undergo residential relocation or continuity. METHOD: We used three waves of the Longitudinal Study on Aging (LSOA) II with nationally representative sample with 70 years older (N=5559). To capture longitudinal trajectory, Latent Growth Curve Modeling (LGCM) was used. Based on Lawton's Theory of Environmental Press, personal competencies were measured by physical, functional and mental health, while environmental press was measured by types of residential setting. As covariates, trajectories of family income and marital status were analyzed. RESULT: Controlling for demographic variables(age, gender, race, & education), Longitudinal LGCM showed that those who experienced sharper changes in physical health followed steeper growth in relocation over time, while mental health trajectories had impact on both initial status and growth of relocation. Individual income status at baseline had no effect on the change rate of relocation, but the rapider the change of income was, the more precipitously the slope of relocation changes. In contrast, the changes of marital status had no impact on initial status and growth of relocation. DISCUSSION: All measures of personal competencies synchronized in both the impact and changes of relocation, and health care professionals need to be concerned for the drastic effects of personal competencies and income accompanying numerous relocation. As one of the very few studies examining the temporal properties of theory of environmental press, we believe it will serve as one of the early steps to theory building.

Learning Objectives: At the conclusion of the session, the learner in this session will be able to

• Demonstrate the use of environmental gerontology theories in understanding residential options in late life.
• Interpret the explanatory relationship between residential relocation/ continuity and personal competencies of older adults overtime.
• Utilize the findings to build a causal model for Lawton’s theory of environmental press.

Keywords: Aging, Residential Choice

Presenting author's disclosure statement:

Not Answered