Jan E Mutchler
Biographic Data
| ID | 103148 |
|---|---|
| NAME | Jan E Mutchler |
| GIVEN NAMES | Jan E |
| FAMILY NAME | Mutchler |
| SIGNATURE | MUTCHLER J E |
| AFFILIATIONS | University of Massachusetts Boston |
| ORCID | 0000-0001-5299-3268 |
| VERIFIED | Yes |
| TOTAL WORKS | 55 |
| TOTAL CITATIONS | 415 |
| AUTHOR COUNT | 55 |
| EDITOR COUNT | 0 |
| FIRST PUBLICATION YEAR | 1983 |
| LATEST PUBLICATION YEAR | 2025 |
| H-INDEX | 13 |
Childhood and Adulthood Social Relationships and Trajectories of Cognitive Function Among Older Chinese Adults
ObjectivesThis study investigates whether early-life and mid-life social relationships with family and friends shape the heterogeneity of later-life cognitive trajectories and whether household registration status moderates the associations.MethodsThe study uses data from 2011-2018 China Health and Retirement Longitudinal Study ( N = 12,564). Cognitive function is assessed with a Chinese version of Telephone Interview for Cognition Status . Child…
Cognitive function and friendship network characteristics among older couples
Objectives This study explores the dyadic relationship between cognitive function and friendship characteristics among older married couples framed within the “linked lives” dimension of the life course perspective. The study also explores whether the dyadic consequences of cognitive function for friendship networks vary by gender. Methods The study uses the data from the 2014/2016 Health and Retirement Study (N = 2,944 dyads). Cognitive function…
Local cost of living, financial literacy, and housing hardship at older ages
Objectives The number of older adults struggling to afford housing continues to increase in the United States. Prior research offers limited insight into the individual and spatial contexts through which housing hardship is assessed, particularly neglecting differentials in individual financial literacy and spatially variable cost of living. This study investigates the association between income adjusted for costs of living at the county level an…
Social Contact, Social Participation, and Emotional Well-Being Among Older Adults During the Covid-19 Pandemic: The Roles of Giving and Receiving Social Support
This study examined whether social contact, social participation, and social support during the COVID-19 pandemic were associated with depression and anxiety. Data were taken from the 2020 COVID-19 Supplement of the National Health and Aging Trends Study ( N = 2,778). Depression and anxiety were regressed on social contact frequency, social participation, and social support. Path analyses were also performed. The results showed that in-person con…
Internet Use and Loneliness Among Urban and Non-Urban Chinese Older Adults: The Roles of Family Support, Friend Support, and Social Participation
This study shed light on our understanding of the relationship between internet use and loneliness among older adults in the Chinese context. Also, these findings suggested that digital interventions for loneliness should pay special attention to the different characteristics of urban and non-urban dwelling older Chinese adults
The Online Intergenerational Tutoring Program: Older Adults Using Technology to Improve Children’s Early Literacy Skills
Intergenerational tutoring programs can leverage technology to address the instructional needs of students. This study describes a novel online intergenerational tutoring program designed to target kindergarten students' literacy skills. Older adult volunteers delivered evidence-based instructional strategies via Zoom. The study used a two-group, quasi-experimental design with students assigned to an intervention (n = 23) or waitlist control (n =…
I Don’t Know Who Gets More Out of It, the Children or Us Tutors: The Online Intergenerational Tutoring Program
The Online Intergenerational Tutoring Program addresses a service delivery gap in schools because older adult volunteers expand schools’ capacity to implement evidence-based instruction with students in need of individual support. Tutoring includes dialogic reading with digital books and Tutoring Buddy, a web-based program used to improve children’s letter sound fluency. Developed during the school closures resulting from COVID-19, the program us…
Economic Resources Shaping Grandparent Responsibility Within Three-Generation Households
Online engagement, resilience, and loneliness among older people during the Covid-19 pandemic
Financial Literacy in the Family Context: The Role of Spousal Education and Gender Among Older Couples
We examine cross-spouse associations between education and financial literacy among older couples, net of own education, and whether the cross-spouse associations differ by gender. Using data from the Cognitive Economics Study, we employ multilevel actor-partner interdependence regression models to examine both the actor and partner associations between education and financial literacy ( N = 205 dyads) and the moderating role of gender. Findings …
Space, Context, and Human Capital: A Micro–Macro Perspective on the Social Environment and Financial Literacy in Later Life
Poverty and self‐rated health in later life: The mediating role of material hardship
Objective Poverty and material hardship have both been linked to negative health outcomes in later life. Yet, limited research investigates their combined associations with health. We examined the mediating role of material hardship in the association between poverty and self‐rated health. Methods Using data from the Understanding America Study, we estimated binary and ordered logistic regression models of self‐rated health, including indicators …
Does Financial Knowledge at Older Ages Matter? Placing Income and Hardship in Context
Extant research offers limited understanding of the context in which economic resource and hardship at older ages are assessed. This study investigates the association between location-specific income security and hardship, and the moderating role of financial knowledge, using data from the Understanding America Study. We found that respondents with better location-specific income security were less likely to experience hardship and that financia…
Friendship and Cognitive Functioning Among Married and Widowed Chinese Older Adults
The results implied that friendship is important for maintaining cognitive functioning in later life and widowed older Chinese adults may benefit more from friendship in its relationship to cognitive functioning than married older Chinese adults. Further, one potential pathway linking friendship to cognitive functioning may be through depression; however, more research is needed to support this finding. Intervention programs aimed at building fri…
A Malady with No Name: Understanding Experiences of Depression Among Older Hmong Refugees
Volunteering, polygenic risk for Alzheimer's disease, and cognitive functioning among older adults
The Implications of Providing Grandchild Care for Grandparents' Marital Quality
This study distinguished among types of grandchild care (i.e., co-residence, high and low levels of babysitting, and no care), and examined their associations with grandparents' marital quality. The sample consisted of 7,267 married grandparents aged 40 years and over from the 2008, 2010, and 2012 waves of the Health and Retirement Study. Providing grandchild care generally undermined grandparents' marital quality; however, different types of gra…
The High Prevalence of Depressive Symptoms and Its Correlates With Older Hmong Refugees in the United States
Objective: We estimate depressive symptoms in a sample of older Hmong refugees in the United States, and investigate factors shaping risk of depression in this population. Method: Data were collected in California and Minnesota ( N = 127). The study sample included Hmong immigrants aged 55 and over. The measure of depression used is the Hopkins Symptom Checklist-10 (HSCL-10) inventory. Linear regression models were used to identify significant co…
Health Benefits Associated With Three Helping Behaviors: Evidence for Incident Cardiovascular Disease
The results demonstrated that specific types of prosocial behavior may be beneficial for women and men. However, tests for effect differences showed that gender did not moderate the relationships between these helping behaviors and CVD risk
Is Cost of Living Related to Living Alone Among Older Persons? Evidence From the Elder Economic Security Standard Index
This study examines whether the cost of living is related to the probability of living alone among unmarried persons age 65 years and older in the United States. Cost of living is measured at the metropolitan area level by the Elder Economic Security Standard Index, which takes into account geographic variability in cost of housing, food, transportation, and medical care. Using multilevel modeling, we find that higher cost of living is related to…
The Emergence of a Positive Gerontology: From Disengagement to Social Involvement
The latter part of the 20th century was a period characterized by a fundamental transition in scholarship on activity and the aging process. Theory emphasizing the inevitable decline of human capacity was gradually replaced with concepts stressing positive, multidimensional views of aging. In this article, we highlight the key contributors and trace the origins and overlapping themes of successful aging, productive aging, and civic engagement in …
The Elder Economic Security Standard IndexTM: A New Indicator for Evaluating Economic Security in Later Life
Race Differences in the Relationship Between Formal Volunteering and Hypertension
There may be unmeasured cultural differences related to the meaning of volunteering and contextual differences in volunteering that account for the race differences we observed. Research is needed to determine the pathways through which volunteering is related to hypertension risk and that may help explain race differences identified here
Residential Segregation, Nativity Status, and Hispanic Living Arrangements in Later Life
The Prevalence of Sensory Deficits, Functional Limitations, and Disability Among Older Southeast Asians in the United States
Previous studies found that Vietnamese were the most health disadvantaged when compared to other Asian American groups and Whites. When compared to other refugee populations, the Vietnamese were actually the advantaged group. Our results indicated additional research on the disablement process among Southeast Asians is warranted
Race and Ethnic Variation in Norms of Filial Responsibility among Older Persons
Race and ethnic diversity in attachment to the norms of intergenerational filial responsibility is examined in a sample of older persons drawn from the National Survey of Families and Households (NSFH). The findings show that older Blacks and Hispanics are more likely than older non-Hispanic Whites to agree that each generation should provide coresidence assistance when needed. In terms of attitudes about exchanging financial aid, there tend to b…
From Paid Worker to Volunteer: Leaving the Paid Workforce and Volunteering in Later Life
Numerous role shifts occur between the ages of 55 and 74 as individuals typically relinquish paid work and some family roles and make choices about how to use their expanding discretionary time. Using data from the first two waves of the Americans' Changing Lives survey we examine the association between paid work status and formal and informal volunteer activity. No evidence for an association between paid work status and informal volunteering i…
The Implications of Grandparent Coresidence for Economic Hardship Among Children in Mother-Only Families
Estimates suggest that more than 6 million children live with at least one grandparent. Despite evidence establishing the growing prevalence of this arrangement, limited research has focused on estimating the implications of coresidence for the economic well-being of grandchildren. Using data from the 2001 panel of the Survey of Income and Program Participation, this article examines levels of financial hardship among a particularly vulnerable gr…
Productive Activity Clusters Among Middle-Aged and Older Adults: Intersecting Forms and Time Commitments
This measurement strategy provides a foundation for future research into how experts can employ productive activity clusters to understand better well-being across the life course. This is important because our results show that many activities do not occur independently but rather are linked in patterned ways
Caregiving and Volunteering: Are Private and Public Helping Behaviors Linked
Our results provide support for the hypothesis that caregivers are embedded in networks that provide them with more opportunities for volunteering. Additional research on the motivations for volunteering and greater attention to the context and hierarchy of caregiving and volunteering are needed
Racial Differences in Health and Health Care Service Utilization in Later Life: The Effect of Socioeconomic Status
In this paper we examine the hypothesis that health differences between Blacks and Whites in later life are related to socioeconomic status. Using the 1984 panel of the Survey of Income and Program Participation, we construct four measures of health and two measures of health care service utilization. Multivariate analyses show that the racial differences are eliminated in some measures of health and health care service utilization after holding …
Ethnic Living Arrangements: Cultural Convergence or Cultural Minifestation
Journal Article Ethnic Living Arrangements: Cultural Convergence or Cultural Minifestation? Get access Jeffrey A. Burr, Jeffrey A. Burr State University of New York at Buffalo Direct correspondence to Jeffrey A. Burr, 430 Park Hall, Department of Sociology, SUNY at Buffalo, Buffalo, NY 14260. Search for other works by this author on: Oxford Academic Google Scholar Jan E. Mutchler Jan E. Mutchler State University of New York at Buffalo Search for …
The living arrangements of unmarried elderly hispanic females
In this paper we examine the influence of cultural preferences on living arrangements for a sample of older unmarried Hispanic and non-Hispanic white females. We develop a conceptual framework composed of three sets of factors: availability of kin, economic and health feasibility, and cultural desirability. Our analyses show that household living arrangements among Hispanic and non-Hispanic females are more similar when we control for these three…
Measuring underemployment and inequality in the work force
Pathways to Labor Force Exit: Work Transitions and Work Instability
The purpose of this study is to examine alternative pathways to labor force exit among older men. Based on the life course perspective, we distinguish between crisp exits from the labor force, which are characterized as being unidirectional, and blurred transition patterns, which include repeated exists, entrances, and unemployment spells. Using longitudinal data from the 1984 Survey of Income and Program Participation, we find that one-quarter o…
A longitudinal analysis of household and nonhousehold living arrangements in later life
Most explanatory models of living arrangements in later life link the decision process surrounding choice of living arrangement to personal resources such as income and health. Applications of these models, however, are based for the most part on crosssectional rather than longitudinal data. In this paper we examine living arrangements in later life among the nonmarried population aged 55 and over, using data from the Survey of Income and Program…
The demography of disability and the effects of immigrant history: Older Asians in the United States
Using data from the 2000 U.S. census, we compare the older Asian population with U.S.-born, non-Hispanic whites with respect to three indicators of disability. Insofar as any Asian “advantage” in health vis-à-vis whites exists among the population aged 65 and over, our evidence suggests that it occurs primarily among the U.S.-born segments of this population. We also investigate how differences in disability levels among Asian immigrant groups ar…
Work Transitions and Health in Later Life
Our results suggest that continued work may have limited appeal for men who are prepared for retirement, even when they are in excellent health
Poverty and Material Hardship in Grandparent-Headed Households
Using the 2001 Survey of Income and Program Participation, the current study examines poverty and material hardship among children living in 3-generation (n = 486), skipped-generation (n = 238), single-parent (n = 2,076), and 2-parent (n = 6,061) households. Multinomial and logistic regression models indicated that children living in grandparent-headed households experience elevated risk of health insecurity (as measured by receipt of public insu…
English Language Skills, Ethnic Concentration, and Household Composition: Older Mexican Immigrants
The authors discuss the implications of their findings and point out possible avenues for further research
Grandparents Responsible for Grandchildren in Native‐American Families
Objectives. The primary goal of this article is to examine factors associated with grandparent care giving within the American Indian/Alaska Native (AIAN) population. Methods. Data from the 2000 Census of Population, 5% Public Use Microdata Sample, are used to evaluate a multivariate logistic regression model focusing on living with and caring for grandchildren. Particular emphasis is placed on characteristics that may reflect culturally‐based id…
A demographic examination of grandparent caregivers in the Census 2000 Supplementary Survey
Availability and Affordability: Household Adaptation to a Housing Squeeze
Journal Article Availability and Affordability: Household Adaptation to a Housing Squeeze Get access Jan E. Mutchler, Jan E. Mutchler State University of New York at Buffalo Direct correspondence to Jan E. Mutchler, Department of Sociology, 430 Park Hall, State University of New York-Buffalo, Amherst, NY 14260. Search for other works by this author on: Oxford Academic Google Scholar Lauren J. Krivo Lauren J. Krivo Ohio State University Search for…
Residential independence among older persons: Community and individual factors
The Prevalence of Sensory Deficits, Functional Limitations, and Disability Among Older Southeast Asians in the United States
Previous studies found that Vietnamese were the most health disadvantaged when compared to other Asian American groups and Whites. When compared to other refugee populations, the Vietnamese were actually the advantaged group. Our results indicated additional research on the disablement process among Southeast Asians is warranted
Language Barriers Surrounding Medication Use among Older Latinos
Do females necessarily have the same occupational status scores as males? A conceptual and empirical examination of the Duncan Socioeconomic Status Index and Nam-Powers Occupational Status Scores
Health Benefits Associated With Three Helping Behaviors: Evidence for Incident Cardiovascular Disease
The results demonstrated that specific types of prosocial behavior may be beneficial for women and men. However, tests for effect differences showed that gender did not moderate the relationships between these helping behaviors and CVD risk
Housing Characteristics of Older Asian Americans
Volunteering and Hypertension Risk in Later Life
The results of this study indicate that research is needed to determine what mediates the relationship between volunteering and hypertension
Do females necessarily have the same occupational status scores as males? A conceptual and empirical examination of the Duncan Socioeconomic Status Index and Nam-Powers Occupational Status Scores
Housing Constraint and Household Complexity in Metropolitan America: Black and Spanish-Origin Minorities
The extent to which minority group members live in nuclear family households may be mediated by factors other than choice. Using data from the 1970 Census, we test the relationship between certain aspects of housing constraint/availability and household complexity for the black and Spanish-origin populations in SMSAs in the United States. In particular, we examine the effects of residential segregation, income, new housing, and housing vacancy on…
Measuring underemployment and inequality in the work force
Gender Differences in the Effect of Family Status on Underemployment
Family status is often regarded as an important factor determining female labor force participation as well as outcomes of that participation such as wages and occupational standing. Indeed, employment status can be expected to have implications for the work patterns of both men and women, through timing or scheduling conflicts, and other constraints related to the roles of parent and spouse. In this article the relationship between underemployme…
The Process of Occupational Sex-Typing: The Feminization of Clerical Labor in Great Britain, 1870-1936
To my mentors, Charles and Louise Tilly, for their advice and for their example For examples
Availability and Affordability: Household Adaptation to a Housing Squeeze
Journal Article Availability and Affordability: Household Adaptation to a Housing Squeeze Get access Jan E. Mutchler, Jan E. Mutchler State University of New York at Buffalo Direct correspondence to Jan E. Mutchler, Department of Sociology, 430 Park Hall, State University of New York-Buffalo, Amherst, NY 14260. Search for other works by this author on: Oxford Academic Google Scholar Lauren J. Krivo Lauren J. Krivo Ohio State University Search for…
A longitudinal analysis of household and nonhousehold living arrangements in later life
Most explanatory models of living arrangements in later life link the decision process surrounding choice of living arrangement to personal resources such as income and health. Applications of these models, however, are based for the most part on crosssectional rather than longitudinal data. In this paper we examine living arrangements in later life among the nonmarried population aged 55 and over, using data from the Survey of Income and Program…
Racial Differences in Health and Health Care Service Utilization in Later Life: The Effect of Socioeconomic Status
In this paper we examine the hypothesis that health differences between Blacks and Whites in later life are related to socioeconomic status. Using the 1984 panel of the Survey of Income and Program Participation, we construct four measures of health and two measures of health care service utilization. Multivariate analyses show that the racial differences are eliminated in some measures of health and health care service utilization after holding …
The living arrangements of unmarried elderly hispanic females
In this paper we examine the influence of cultural preferences on living arrangements for a sample of older unmarried Hispanic and non-Hispanic white females. We develop a conceptual framework composed of three sets of factors: availability of kin, economic and health feasibility, and cultural desirability. Our analyses show that household living arrangements among Hispanic and non-Hispanic females are more similar when we control for these three…
Ethnic Living Arrangements: Cultural Convergence or Cultural Minifestation
Journal Article Ethnic Living Arrangements: Cultural Convergence or Cultural Minifestation? Get access Jeffrey A. Burr, Jeffrey A. Burr State University of New York at Buffalo Direct correspondence to Jeffrey A. Burr, 430 Park Hall, Department of Sociology, SUNY at Buffalo, Buffalo, NY 14260. Search for other works by this author on: Oxford Academic Google Scholar Jan E. Mutchler Jan E. Mutchler State University of New York at Buffalo Search for …
Labor Force Transitions among Older African American and White Men
Using a life-course/opportunity-cost framework, we study racial differences in labor force behavior among African American and white men aged 55 to 69. A multifaceted measure of labor force behavior is examined within a longitudinal framework. We perform the analyses with a merged sample of the 1984 and 1985 Survey of Income and Program Participation, and we find that the most stable status is not working, followed by full-time, part-time, and un…
Pathways to Labor Force Exit: Work Transitions and Work Instability
The purpose of this study is to examine alternative pathways to labor force exit among older men. Based on the life course perspective, we distinguish between crisp exits from the labor force, which are characterized as being unidirectional, and blurred transition patterns, which include repeated exists, entrances, and unemployment spells. Using longitudinal data from the 1984 Survey of Income and Program Participation, we find that one-quarter o…
The Sociology of Aging: Implications for Public Policy
The nations of the world are aging. In comparison to decades of the past, older cohorts represent a growing share of the world's population. This trend is the result primarily of declining fertility rates and, secondarily, of increasing longevity. Even those countries that have only recently experienced significant fertility declines are beginning to deal with the effects of an older population, effects that will become more pronounced early in t…
Work Transitions and Health in Later Life
Our results suggest that continued work may have limited appeal for men who are prepared for retirement, even when they are in excellent health
Race and Ethnic Variation in Norms of Filial Responsibility among Older Persons
Race and ethnic diversity in attachment to the norms of intergenerational filial responsibility is examined in a sample of older persons drawn from the National Survey of Families and Households (NSFH). The findings show that older Blacks and Hispanics are more likely than older non-Hispanic Whites to agree that each generation should provide coresidence assistance when needed. In terms of attitudes about exchanging financial aid, there tend to b…
English Language Skills, Ethnic Concentration, and Household Composition: Older Mexican Immigrants
The authors discuss the implications of their findings and point out possible avenues for further research
From Paid Worker to Volunteer: Leaving the Paid Workforce and Volunteering in Later Life
Numerous role shifts occur between the ages of 55 and 74 as individuals typically relinquish paid work and some family roles and make choices about how to use their expanding discretionary time. Using data from the first two waves of the Americans' Changing Lives survey we examine the association between paid work status and formal and informal volunteer activity. No evidence for an association between paid work status and informal volunteering i…
A demographic examination of grandparent caregivers in the Census 2000 Supplementary Survey
Caregiving and Volunteering: Are Private and Public Helping Behaviors Linked
Our results provide support for the hypothesis that caregivers are embedded in networks that provide them with more opportunities for volunteering. Additional research on the motivations for volunteering and greater attention to the context and hierarchy of caregiving and volunteering are needed
Formal and Informal Volunteer Activity and Spousal Caregiving Among Older Adults
On the basis of data from the 1998 and 2000 waves of the Health and Retirement Study, this study tested two alternative hypotheses, role overload and role extension, about the relationship between volunteering and spousal caregiving among older married persons. Spousal caregiving was not significantly associated with the likelihood of formal or informal volunteering for men; however, female caregivers were found to be less likely than noncaregive…
Productive Activity Clusters Among Middle-Aged and Older Adults: Intersecting Forms and Time Commitments
This measurement strategy provides a foundation for future research into how experts can employ productive activity clusters to understand better well-being across the life course. This is important because our results show that many activities do not occur independently but rather are linked in patterned ways
Language Barriers Surrounding Medication Use among Older Latinos
Residential independence among older persons: Community and individual factors
The demography of disability and the effects of immigrant history: Older Asians in the United States
Using data from the 2000 U.S. census, we compare the older Asian population with U.S.-born, non-Hispanic whites with respect to three indicators of disability. Insofar as any Asian “advantage” in health vis-à-vis whites exists among the population aged 65 and over, our evidence suggests that it occurs primarily among the U.S.-born segments of this population. We also investigate how differences in disability levels among Asian immigrant groups ar…
Grandparents Responsible for Grandchildren in Native‐American Families
Objectives. The primary goal of this article is to examine factors associated with grandparent care giving within the American Indian/Alaska Native (AIAN) population. Methods. Data from the 2000 Census of Population, 5% Public Use Microdata Sample, are used to evaluate a multivariate logistic regression model focusing on living with and caring for grandchildren. Particular emphasis is placed on characteristics that may reflect culturally‐based id…
Psychology (41 works) · Medicine (34 works) · Sociology (32 works) · Economics (27 works) · Gerontology (26 works) · Health disparities and outcomes (25 works) · Demography (22 works) · Intergenerational Family Dynamics and Caregiving (21 works) · Population (18 works) · Demographic economics (17 works)