Denise Burnette
Biographic Data
| ID | 80466 |
|---|---|
| NAME | Denise Burnette |
| GIVEN NAMES | Denise |
| FAMILY NAME | Burnette |
| SIGNATURE | BURNETTE D |
| AFFILIATIONS | Columbia University |
| ORCID | 0000-0003-3302-7317 |
| VERIFIED | Yes |
| TOTAL WORKS | 25 |
| TOTAL CITATIONS | 47 |
| AUTHOR COUNT | 25 |
| EDITOR COUNT | 0 |
| FIRST PUBLICATION YEAR | 1995 |
| LATEST PUBLICATION YEAR | 2025 |
| H-INDEX | 3 |
Differences in Pain Presence and Intensity Among Black, Latino, and White Community-Dwelling Midlife and Older Adults in the U.S
We analyzed Wave 3 data from the National Social Life, Health, and Aging Project (weighted n = 2907) to examine variations in pain presence and intensity among US community-dwelling Black, Latino, and white adults aged 50 plus. Adjusting for factors that commonly contribute to stress and health inequalities (educational attainment, inadequate health insurance, perceived economic position, and perceived discrimination), we examined how pain presen…
A Typology of Livable Communities and Older Adults’ Health in the U.S
Neighborhoods with high-quality built environments and social environments are associated with older adults' well-being. However, research on the complex interplay of neighborhood types and health outcomes is limited, as is the role of functional limitations. This study aims to: (1) identify neighborhood types, (2) explore the association of neighborhood type and older adults' health, and (3) assess whether functional status affects this associat…
Psychological Distress in Older Adults Living in Puerto Rico during Covid-19
Few studies have addressed the impact of COVID-19 on mental health in low resource settings. This study examines the association of COVID-19-related stressors with psychological distress in older adults in Puerto Rico. Data are from a 2021 Knowledge, Attitudes and Practices survey about COVID-19 with adults aged 60 + in Puerto Rico ( n = 213). We used the Self-Reporting Questionnaire-20 (SRQ-20) to assess distress. Stressors included COVID-19 dia…
Determinants of healthcare utilization by older refugees in the United States
Findings highlight key determinants of healthcare utilization and suggest a need for targeted interventions to improve older refugees' use of health services. Notably, need-based health variables were not significantly linked to exam completion. Expanding insurance, education, culturally responsive care, and community-based interventions could enhance access. Future research should incorporate administrative health data and qualitative methods to…
Loneliness and pain among community-dwelling middle-aged and older Black, Latino, and White adults in the United States
Background Prior research has demonstrated a strong and independent association between loneliness and pain, but few studies to date have explored this relationship in racially and ethnically diverse groups of midlife and older adults. We drew on the diathesis stress model of chronic pain and cumulative inequality theory to examine the relationship of loneliness and the presence and intensity of pain in a nationally representative sample of Black…
Loneliness in Older Adults Living in Puerto Rico During the Covid-19 Pandemic
Few studies have examined the mental health of older adults in low resource settings during the COVID-19 pandemic. We used a negative binomial regression with a log linear link function to model the effects of demographic, health, and social factors and common pandemic-related experiences on loneliness in older adults in Puerto Rico. Data are from a 2021 Knowledge, Attitudes, and Practices survey about COVID-19 with persons aged 60+ who reside in…
Age-Friendly Communities and Older Adults’ Health in the United States
As age-friendly community (AFC) initiatives grow, it will be essential to determine whether older adults who live in an AFC have better health than those who live in other environments. This study uses data from the 2017 AARP AFC Surveys and the AARP Livability Index to assess whether AFCs promote the health of older adults. We analyze data for 3027 adults aged 65 and older who reside in 262 zip code areas. Following AARP guidelines, we allocated…
Validation of the abbreviated Lubben Social Network Scale (LSNS‐6) and its association with self‐rated health amongst older adults in Puerto Rico
Social isolation is a well-established determinant of late-life well-being, and it may be particularly relevant for older adults in Puerto Rico following Hurricane María. The abbreviated Lubben Social Network Scale (LSNS-6) is a widely used measure of social isolation, but it has not been validated with Spanish-speaking older adults. The objectives of this study were to (1) assess the psychometric properties of a Spanish-language LSNS-6 and (2) e…
Psychometric testing of the Brief Sense of Community Scale with older adults in Puerto Rico
The Brief Sense of Community Scale (BSCS) is a well‐validated measure of psychological sense of community (PSOC), but it has yet to be tested with Spanish‐speaking older adults. The current study uses data from face‐to‐face interviews with a non‐probability sample of 154 community‐dwelling older adults in Puerto Rico. We used confirmatory factor analysis (CFA) to test three competing factor structures. We also tested internal consistency reliabil…
Intersectional Effects of Gender, Education, and Geographic Region on Functional Health Disparities Among Older Adults in India
Objective: Research on social determinants of health in India has focused largely on the independent influence of education, gender, and region. Using an intersectionality framework in this study, we examine the combined effects of these three key social locators on the critical, yet underexamined outcome of later life functional health. Method: We use data from Wave 1 (2007-2010) of the Study of Global Ageing and Adult Health (SAGE) ( N = 7,150)…
Varying Appraisals of Elder Mistreatment Among Victims
Findings carry implications for understanding victim help-seeking behavior and informing EM measurement
Evidence, Expertise, and Ethics
The extent to which people choose their professions and professions choose their practitioners is not always clear; it is in all likelihood a simpatico process. But, growing attention to the study of careers can help elucidate the nexus of personal and professional forces that underpins this complex dynamic. This line of inquiry can also advance knowledge of how it is that individual scholars come to shape the essential features and directions of…
Levels and Correlates of Knowledge about Alzheimer’s Disease among Older Chinese Americans
Broadening the etiological discourse on Alzheimer's disease to include trauma and posttraumatic stress disorder as psychosocial risk factors
Parent-Adolescent Communication About Sex in Rural India
In this article, we examine parent-adolescent communication about sex among rural Indian youth and their parents. We conducted in-depth interviews ( N = 40) with mothers, fathers, and adolescent boys and girls aged 14 to 18 years in a rural community in Maharashtra, India. In the context of key cultural factors, including gender-related norms, we explore issues of sexual health and critically assess widely held beliefs that Indian parents are unw…
Grandparent Caregiving in Caribbean Latino Families
The number and proportion of U.S. children being raised by their grandparents has grown rapidly over the past several decades. A substantial body of research documents the strengths and needs of these families and shows that the prevalence, trajectories, and outcomes of caregiving vary by racial/ethnic group. Yet Latino families have received little attention. Drawing on the stress process model, this paper reports on a four-year panel of 59 urba…
Research Priorities for Gerontological Social Work
This article describes a Delphi study to identify research priorities of gerontological social work practitioners and to compare these priorities with those of social work academic researchers. A national expert panel of 52 gerontological social work practitioners completed questionnaires to delimit a set of high-priority research topics. Findings were compared with a similar Delphi study conducted with academic social work researchers. The resea…
Custodial Grandparents in Latino Families
This article examines patterns of service use and predictors of unmet needs among a purposive sample of 74 Latino grandparent caregivers in New York City. Study participants tended to be unmarried, middle-aged, and older women who were monolingual Spanish speaking and had very low levels of educational attainment and income. Nearly all respondents were connected to the formal service system, yet they still reported substantial unmet needs. Lack o…
Physician Utilization by Hispanic Elderly Persons
BACKGROUND: The number of elderly Hispanic Americans is projected to more than double by 2010 and account for 16% of all elders by 2050. The complex health needs and diversity of that growing population poses challenges for planning and delivery of health services. OBJECTIVES: The behavioral model of health services utilization was used to examine predisposing, enabling, and need factors associated with physician use by Hispanic elders and to ass…
Physical and emotional well-being of custodial grandparents in Latino families
This study of 74 Latino grandparents rearing their grandchildren in New York City, found poverty rates to be roughly three times those of grandparent caregivers nationwide and rates of self-reported poor health and depression to be twice as high. Correlates of depression included young age, poor health, greater life stress, few informal supports, and rearing grandchildren with special needs. Intervention needs and directions for future research a…
Grandparents Rearing Grandchildren
Although support groups are the most popular source of education and support for the growing number of grandparents who are rearing their grandchildren, the nature and efficacy of these groups have not been documented. This article presents data from an exploratory study of an 8-week school-based small group intervention. Comparison of pre- and posttest measures showed a reduction in depressive symptoms and in use of distancing as a coping strate…
Conceptual and Methodological Considerations in Research with Non-White Ethnic Elders
Due to greater longevity and recent waves of immigration, growth rates for ethnic minority elders arc expected to far exceed those of same-aged whites in the next half century. Yet, research in social gerontology has focused almost exclusively on older whites. This paper addresses conceptual and methodological issues relevant to research on nonwhite ethnic elders. The rationale for clear, consistent terminology to define and target study populati…
Psychological Well-Being Among Three Successive Cohorts of Older American Women Who Live Alone
This study uses a national probability sample to construct a profile of women in their late 60s, 70s, and 80s who are living alone and to compare correlates of psychological well-being for each age group. Measures include: (1) sociodemographics; (2) health and functioning; (3) social and psychological stressors; and (4) informal and formal supports. Results show that, overall, older women have high levels of psychological well-being. Health probl…
Coping Resources and Self-Reported Depressive Symptoms Among Frail Older Ethnic Women
This study uses data from the 1982-84 National Long-Term Care Channeling Demonstration to model the additive and interactive effects of health-related and social stressors and coping resources on self-reported depressive symptoms of frail, elderly African American (n = 900) and Hispanic (n = 146) women. Older white women are included as a reference group. Results indicate that older African American women report fewer depressive symptoms than the…
In-home and community-based service utilization by three groups of elderly Hispanics
Using data from the 1988 National Survey of Hispanic Elderly People, this study examines among- and within-group needs and in-home and community-based service utilization by Mexican American, Cuban American, and Puerto Rican elderly people. The authors present a profile of the three groups and use logistic regression modeling to determine the predisposing, enabling, and needs-for-care factors associated with the utilization of each type of servic…
Custodial Grandparents in Latino Families
This article examines patterns of service use and predictors of unmet needs among a purposive sample of 74 Latino grandparent caregivers in New York City. Study participants tended to be unmarried, middle-aged, and older women who were monolingual Spanish speaking and had very low levels of educational attainment and income. Nearly all respondents were connected to the formal service system, yet they still reported substantial unmet needs. Lack o…
Grandparents Rearing Grandchildren
Although support groups are the most popular source of education and support for the growing number of grandparents who are rearing their grandchildren, the nature and efficacy of these groups have not been documented. This article presents data from an exploratory study of an 8-week school-based small group intervention. Comparison of pre- and posttest measures showed a reduction in depressive symptoms and in use of distancing as a coping strate…
Intersectional Effects of Gender, Education, and Geographic Region on Functional Health Disparities Among Older Adults in India
Objective: Research on social determinants of health in India has focused largely on the independent influence of education, gender, and region. Using an intersectionality framework in this study, we examine the combined effects of these three key social locators on the critical, yet underexamined outcome of later life functional health. Method: We use data from Wave 1 (2007-2010) of the Study of Global Ageing and Adult Health (SAGE) ( N = 7,150)…
Parent-Adolescent Communication About Sex in Rural India
In this article, we examine parent-adolescent communication about sex among rural Indian youth and their parents. We conducted in-depth interviews ( N = 40) with mothers, fathers, and adolescent boys and girls aged 14 to 18 years in a rural community in Maharashtra, India. In the context of key cultural factors, including gender-related norms, we explore issues of sexual health and critically assess widely held beliefs that Indian parents are unw…
Validation of the abbreviated Lubben Social Network Scale (LSNS‐6) and its association with self‐rated health amongst older adults in Puerto Rico
Social isolation is a well-established determinant of late-life well-being, and it may be particularly relevant for older adults in Puerto Rico following Hurricane María. The abbreviated Lubben Social Network Scale (LSNS-6) is a widely used measure of social isolation, but it has not been validated with Spanish-speaking older adults. The objectives of this study were to (1) assess the psychometric properties of a Spanish-language LSNS-6 and (2) e…
Varying Appraisals of Elder Mistreatment Among Victims
Findings carry implications for understanding victim help-seeking behavior and informing EM measurement
Research Priorities for Gerontological Social Work
This article describes a Delphi study to identify research priorities of gerontological social work practitioners and to compare these priorities with those of social work academic researchers. A national expert panel of 52 gerontological social work practitioners completed questionnaires to delimit a set of high-priority research topics. Findings were compared with a similar Delphi study conducted with academic social work researchers. The resea…
Conceptual and Methodological Considerations in Research with Non-White Ethnic Elders
Due to greater longevity and recent waves of immigration, growth rates for ethnic minority elders arc expected to far exceed those of same-aged whites in the next half century. Yet, research in social gerontology has focused almost exclusively on older whites. This paper addresses conceptual and methodological issues relevant to research on nonwhite ethnic elders. The rationale for clear, consistent terminology to define and target study populati…
Coping Resources and Self-Reported Depressive Symptoms Among Frail Older Ethnic Women
This study uses data from the 1982-84 National Long-Term Care Channeling Demonstration to model the additive and interactive effects of health-related and social stressors and coping resources on self-reported depressive symptoms of frail, elderly African American (n = 900) and Hispanic (n = 146) women. Older white women are included as a reference group. Results indicate that older African American women report fewer depressive symptoms than the…
In-home and community-based service utilization by three groups of elderly Hispanics
Using data from the 1988 National Survey of Hispanic Elderly People, this study examines among- and within-group needs and in-home and community-based service utilization by Mexican American, Cuban American, and Puerto Rican elderly people. The authors present a profile of the three groups and use logistic regression modeling to determine the predisposing, enabling, and needs-for-care factors associated with the utilization of each type of servic…
Psychological Well-Being Among Three Successive Cohorts of Older American Women Who Live Alone
This study uses a national probability sample to construct a profile of women in their late 60s, 70s, and 80s who are living alone and to compare correlates of psychological well-being for each age group. Measures include: (1) sociodemographics; (2) health and functioning; (3) social and psychological stressors; and (4) informal and formal supports. Results show that, overall, older women have high levels of psychological well-being. Health probl…
Coping Resources and Self-Reported Depressive Symptoms Among Frail Older Ethnic Women
This study uses data from the 1982-84 National Long-Term Care Channeling Demonstration to model the additive and interactive effects of health-related and social stressors and coping resources on self-reported depressive symptoms of frail, elderly African American (n = 900) and Hispanic (n = 146) women. Older white women are included as a reference group. Results indicate that older African American women report fewer depressive symptoms than the…
Grandparents Rearing Grandchildren
Although support groups are the most popular source of education and support for the growing number of grandparents who are rearing their grandchildren, the nature and efficacy of these groups have not been documented. This article presents data from an exploratory study of an 8-week school-based small group intervention. Comparison of pre- and posttest measures showed a reduction in depressive symptoms and in use of distancing as a coping strate…
Conceptual and Methodological Considerations in Research with Non-White Ethnic Elders
Due to greater longevity and recent waves of immigration, growth rates for ethnic minority elders arc expected to far exceed those of same-aged whites in the next half century. Yet, research in social gerontology has focused almost exclusively on older whites. This paper addresses conceptual and methodological issues relevant to research on nonwhite ethnic elders. The rationale for clear, consistent terminology to define and target study populati…
Custodial Grandparents in Latino Families
This article examines patterns of service use and predictors of unmet needs among a purposive sample of 74 Latino grandparent caregivers in New York City. Study participants tended to be unmarried, middle-aged, and older women who were monolingual Spanish speaking and had very low levels of educational attainment and income. Nearly all respondents were connected to the formal service system, yet they still reported substantial unmet needs. Lack o…
Physician Utilization by Hispanic Elderly Persons
BACKGROUND: The number of elderly Hispanic Americans is projected to more than double by 2010 and account for 16% of all elders by 2050. The complex health needs and diversity of that growing population poses challenges for planning and delivery of health services. OBJECTIVES: The behavioral model of health services utilization was used to examine predisposing, enabling, and need factors associated with physician use by Hispanic elders and to ass…
Physical and emotional well-being of custodial grandparents in Latino families
This study of 74 Latino grandparents rearing their grandchildren in New York City, found poverty rates to be roughly three times those of grandparent caregivers nationwide and rates of self-reported poor health and depression to be twice as high. Correlates of depression included young age, poor health, greater life stress, few informal supports, and rearing grandchildren with special needs. Intervention needs and directions for future research a…
Research Priorities for Gerontological Social Work
This article describes a Delphi study to identify research priorities of gerontological social work practitioners and to compare these priorities with those of social work academic researchers. A national expert panel of 52 gerontological social work practitioners completed questionnaires to delimit a set of high-priority research topics. Findings were compared with a similar Delphi study conducted with academic social work researchers. The resea…
Grandparent Caregiving in Caribbean Latino Families
The number and proportion of U.S. children being raised by their grandparents has grown rapidly over the past several decades. A substantial body of research documents the strengths and needs of these families and shows that the prevalence, trajectories, and outcomes of caregiving vary by racial/ethnic group. Yet Latino families have received little attention. Drawing on the stress process model, this paper reports on a four-year panel of 59 urba…
Parent-Adolescent Communication About Sex in Rural India
In this article, we examine parent-adolescent communication about sex among rural Indian youth and their parents. We conducted in-depth interviews ( N = 40) with mothers, fathers, and adolescent boys and girls aged 14 to 18 years in a rural community in Maharashtra, India. In the context of key cultural factors, including gender-related norms, we explore issues of sexual health and critically assess widely held beliefs that Indian parents are unw…
Broadening the etiological discourse on Alzheimer's disease to include trauma and posttraumatic stress disorder as psychosocial risk factors
Levels and Correlates of Knowledge about Alzheimer’s Disease among Older Chinese Americans
Evidence, Expertise, and Ethics
The extent to which people choose their professions and professions choose their practitioners is not always clear; it is in all likelihood a simpatico process. But, growing attention to the study of careers can help elucidate the nexus of personal and professional forces that underpins this complex dynamic. This line of inquiry can also advance knowledge of how it is that individual scholars come to shape the essential features and directions of…
Varying Appraisals of Elder Mistreatment Among Victims
Findings carry implications for understanding victim help-seeking behavior and informing EM measurement
Intersectional Effects of Gender, Education, and Geographic Region on Functional Health Disparities Among Older Adults in India
Objective: Research on social determinants of health in India has focused largely on the independent influence of education, gender, and region. Using an intersectionality framework in this study, we examine the combined effects of these three key social locators on the critical, yet underexamined outcome of later life functional health. Method: We use data from Wave 1 (2007-2010) of the Study of Global Ageing and Adult Health (SAGE) ( N = 7,150)…
Age-Friendly Communities and Older Adults’ Health in the United States
As age-friendly community (AFC) initiatives grow, it will be essential to determine whether older adults who live in an AFC have better health than those who live in other environments. This study uses data from the 2017 AARP AFC Surveys and the AARP Livability Index to assess whether AFCs promote the health of older adults. We analyze data for 3027 adults aged 65 and older who reside in 262 zip code areas. Following AARP guidelines, we allocated…
Validation of the abbreviated Lubben Social Network Scale (LSNS‐6) and its association with self‐rated health amongst older adults in Puerto Rico
Social isolation is a well-established determinant of late-life well-being, and it may be particularly relevant for older adults in Puerto Rico following Hurricane María. The abbreviated Lubben Social Network Scale (LSNS-6) is a widely used measure of social isolation, but it has not been validated with Spanish-speaking older adults. The objectives of this study were to (1) assess the psychometric properties of a Spanish-language LSNS-6 and (2) e…
Psychometric testing of the Brief Sense of Community Scale with older adults in Puerto Rico
The Brief Sense of Community Scale (BSCS) is a well‐validated measure of psychological sense of community (PSOC), but it has yet to be tested with Spanish‐speaking older adults. The current study uses data from face‐to‐face interviews with a non‐probability sample of 154 community‐dwelling older adults in Puerto Rico. We used confirmatory factor analysis (CFA) to test three competing factor structures. We also tested internal consistency reliabil…
Loneliness and pain among community-dwelling middle-aged and older Black, Latino, and White adults in the United States
Background Prior research has demonstrated a strong and independent association between loneliness and pain, but few studies to date have explored this relationship in racially and ethnically diverse groups of midlife and older adults. We drew on the diathesis stress model of chronic pain and cumulative inequality theory to examine the relationship of loneliness and the presence and intensity of pain in a nationally representative sample of Black…
Loneliness in Older Adults Living in Puerto Rico During the Covid-19 Pandemic
Few studies have examined the mental health of older adults in low resource settings during the COVID-19 pandemic. We used a negative binomial regression with a log linear link function to model the effects of demographic, health, and social factors and common pandemic-related experiences on loneliness in older adults in Puerto Rico. Data are from a 2021 Knowledge, Attitudes, and Practices survey about COVID-19 with persons aged 60+ who reside in…
Differences in Pain Presence and Intensity Among Black, Latino, and White Community-Dwelling Midlife and Older Adults in the U.S
We analyzed Wave 3 data from the National Social Life, Health, and Aging Project (weighted n = 2907) to examine variations in pain presence and intensity among US community-dwelling Black, Latino, and white adults aged 50 plus. Adjusting for factors that commonly contribute to stress and health inequalities (educational attainment, inadequate health insurance, perceived economic position, and perceived discrimination), we examined how pain presen…
A Typology of Livable Communities and Older Adults’ Health in the U.S
Neighborhoods with high-quality built environments and social environments are associated with older adults' well-being. However, research on the complex interplay of neighborhood types and health outcomes is limited, as is the role of functional limitations. This study aims to: (1) identify neighborhood types, (2) explore the association of neighborhood type and older adults' health, and (3) assess whether functional status affects this associat…
Psychological Distress in Older Adults Living in Puerto Rico during Covid-19
Few studies have addressed the impact of COVID-19 on mental health in low resource settings. This study examines the association of COVID-19-related stressors with psychological distress in older adults in Puerto Rico. Data are from a 2021 Knowledge, Attitudes and Practices survey about COVID-19 with adults aged 60 + in Puerto Rico ( n = 213). We used the Self-Reporting Questionnaire-20 (SRQ-20) to assess distress. Stressors included COVID-19 dia…
Determinants of healthcare utilization by older refugees in the United States
Findings highlight key determinants of healthcare utilization and suggest a need for targeted interventions to improve older refugees' use of health services. Notably, need-based health variables were not significantly linked to exam completion. Expanding insurance, education, culturally responsive care, and community-based interventions could enhance access. Future research should incorporate administrative health data and qualitative methods to…
Medicine (23 works) · Psychology (23 works) · Gerontology (18 works) · Health disparities and outcomes (11 works) · Sociology (11 works) · Psychiatry (10 works) · Clinical Psychology (8 works) · Ethnic group (7 works) · Intergenerational Family Dynamics and Caregiving (7 works) · Demography (6 works)