Jennifer Ailshire
Biographic Data
| ID | 118610 |
|---|---|
| NAME | Jennifer Ailshire |
| GIVEN NAMES | Jennifer |
| FAMILY NAME | Ailshire |
| SIGNATURE | AILSHIRE J |
| AFFILIATIONS | University of Southern California |
| ORCID | 0000-0002-4476-9458 |
| VERIFIED | Yes |
| TOTAL WORKS | 69 |
| TOTAL CITATIONS | 479 |
| AUTHOR COUNT | 64 |
| EDITOR COUNT | 5 |
| FIRST PUBLICATION YEAR | 2008 |
| LATEST PUBLICATION YEAR | 2026 |
| H-INDEX | 11 |
Associations of current and birthplace region with immunity in later life in the health and retirement study
The relationship between housing, neighborhood and community infrastructure and older adult depression in Colombia
Home, neighborhood and community infrastructure is associated with older adults’ depression in different ways across urban and rural contexts in Colombia. • In urban areas, poor housing materials were associated with higher depression, while access to neighborhood amenities and community infrastructure was associated with lower depression for Colombian older adults. • Access to neighborhood amenities was associated with lower depression among rur…
Living in Historically Redlined Neighborhoods and the Cognitive Function of Black and White Adults
ObjectivesWe determined if living in historically redlined neighborhoods was associated with level and change in cognitive functioning and if this association differed for Black and White older adults.MethodsWe linked the Health and Retirement Study 1998-2018 data to redlining scores from the Historic Redlining Indicator data. Our sample included adults aged 50 years and older (24,230 respondents, 129,618 person-period observations). Using three-…
Male Spousal Caregivers Are Increasing, but Only in Less Demanding Care Roles
ObjectiveTo determine if there are gender differences in trends in spousal caregiving among older adults.BackgroundWhile some evidence suggests that men are increasingly adopting caregiving roles, this trend has yet to be demonstrated in population-representative data, and little is known about the types of caregiving tasks men are providing.MethodUsing data from the Health and Retirement Study (2002-2018), we investigate trends in the prevalence…
Cross national patterns in educational inequalities in functional limitations among middle aged and older adults at two time points
Growing educational inequality in functional limitations for older adults in several high- and middle-income countries suggests that, despite improvements in health and mortality, socioeconomic differences in functional health among older adults are widening
Psychosocial Well-Being Differences Between the Young Old, Old-Old, and Oldest Old: A Global Comparison
ObjectivesWe investigate global differences in psychosocial well-being between older adult age groups.MethodsUsing multinomial logistic regression, we analyzed 2018 data ( n = 93,663) from 9 countries/regions in the Health and Retirement Study international family of studies to compare age group differences in depression, loneliness, and happiness.ResultsCompared to the young old, the old-old reported more depression in Southern Europe, while the…
Pain Lowers Subjective Survival Probabilities Among Middle-Aged and Older Adults
These findings highlight the importance of pain on SSPs, and contribute to the growing evidence that pain interference is uniquely important in predicting meaningful health outcomes
Neighborhood Stressors and Epigenetic Age Acceleration Among Older Americans
Our findings indicate that neighborhood stressors can accelerate epigenetic aging, with older women particularly vulnerable to their effects. These findings provide insights into the biological foundations of health disparities rooted in neighborhood environments
Socioeconomic Inequalities in Frailty Distribution: A Cross-National Comparison of the United States and England
Socioeconomic gradients in prefrailty and frailty differ by country setting and gender, suggesting contextual factors such as cultural norms, healthcare access and quality, and economic policy may contribute to the effect of different measures of socioeconomic status on prefrailty and frailty risk
A Painful Reality Check? Examining the Accuracy of Subjective Survival Probabilities by Pain Interference and Depression Status
Purpose Pain and depression are linked to higher mortality risk and lower subjective survival probabilities (SSPs). We examine if SSPs for individuals with pain and depression match their actual lifespans. Methods Using data on 12,745 Health and Retirement Study respondents aged 57-89 in 2000 with follow-up through 2018, we assessed whether respondents’ SSPs were “correct,” “underestimated,” or “overestimated” relative to their lifespans. Adjuste…
Aging on the Job? The Association Between Occupational Characteristics and Accelerated Biological Aging
Adverse occupational characteristics held at midlife, particularly service work, low job control, heavy lifting, and long work hours, are associated with accelerated biological aging. These findings suggest that work may be important for the overall aging process beyond its associations with specific diseases or risk factors
Housing and cardiometabolic risk among older renters and homeowners
Scholars consistently find that renters have poorer health outcomes when compared with homeowners. Health disparities between renters and homeowners likely widen over the life course, yet few studies have examined this link among older adults, and the connection is not fully understood. Homeowners' relative socioeconomic advantage may explain their better health; renters also more commonly experience adverse housing conditions and financial chall…
Race, gender, and cohort differences in the educational experiences of Black and White Americans
State-level desegregation in the U.S. South and mid-life cognitive function among Black and White adults
Regional variation in U.S dementia trends from 2000-2012
Although recent studies report a decline in dementia prevalence among U.S. older adults, national trends may mask subnational variation, particularly given large health and social inequalities linked to geography. To address this gap, we determined if there was subnational variation in reported national dementia trends and if region-specific trends were explained by sociodemographic and health characteristics. Data come from the 2000 (n = 10,447)…
Sociodemographic and health status differences in delaying medical care during the Covid-19 pandemic among older adults: Findings from the Health and Retirement Study
Nearly one-third of older adults delayed care during the COVID-19 pandemic. The increased likelihood of delayed care among people with worse health suggests that there may be longer-term impacts on the health care system and population health from the COVID-19 pandemic, and may contribute to health inequalities in the near future
Demographic and Health Characteristics of Older Latino Birth Cohorts in the Health and Retirement Study
Increasing growth and diversity among the older U.S. Latino population make it imperative that researchers document changes in the demographic composition and health characteristics of this population as it will have implications for researchers, policymakers, health care professionals, and others seeking to anticipate the needs of this rapidly aging population
The Eldercare Facility Ordinance of Los Angeles: A Synthetic Control Analysis of Residential Care Development and Growth
The 2006 eldercare facility ordinance of Los Angeles was designed to streamline permitting of senior housing development in the jurisdiction. Using California State Department of Social Services residential care and census place data, this study compares the pre and post effect of the ordinance on the number of large residential care facilities developed in Los Angeles with a comparison group using synthetic control analysis. In posttreatment, Lo…
Residential care in California: Spatial and temporal trends in facility development and care capacity
The development of residential care has not kept pace with the growth of the older population in many places. We merged the California Department of Social Services residential care for the elderly dataset with census place data to document the growth of facilities and beds per older adults in all of California and in its three largest cities. From 1996 to 2015, residential care steadily increased in California by the number of facilities and bed…
Black-White variation in the relationship between early educational experiences and trajectories of cognitive function among US-born older adults
Race Inequity in School Attendance Across the Jim Crow South and Its Implications for Black–White Disparities in Trajectories of Cognitive Function Among Older Adults
Our study highlights the importance of using a more refined measure of schooling for understanding the education-cognitive health relationship
Food and nutrient intake and diet quality among older Americans
Objective: A suboptimal diet and nutritional deficiencies can have important influences on health with significant impact among older adults. This study aims to assess the presence of suboptimal dietary intake among older Americans and identify risk and protective factors influencing diet quality. Design: Cross-sectional secondary analysis. Setting: USA. Participants: A nationally representative sample of 5614 community-dwelling older adults over…
Diet Quality and Biological Risk in a National Sample of Older Americans
Objectives: Using comprehensive measures of biological risk, this study aims to investigate the relationship between intake of individual dietary components, overall diet quality, and biological dysregulation. Methods: We analyzed nationally representative data from 3734 older adults who participated in the Health and Retirement Study Venous Blood Study in 2016 and Health Care and Nutrition Survey in 2013. Results: Eleven out of 13 individual die…
Religious Involvement and Cognitive Functioning at the Intersection of Race–Ethnicity and Gender Among Midlife and Older Adults
Results suggest the association between religious involvement and cognitive functioning is varied and complex, and largely dependent on important social identities. The findings have important implications for investigating health-protective factors, like religious involvement, using an intersectional perspective
Covid-19 Social Distancing Measures and Loneliness Among Older Adults
Efforts should be made to help older adults maintain social connectedness with close others by virtual communication methods. Our findings also call special attention to vulnerable groups at elevated risks of loneliness, emphasizing the need for tailored interventions
Every Shut Eye, Ain't Sleep: The Role of Racism-Related Vigilance in Racial/Ethnic Disparities in Sleep Difficulty
Gender and Time for Sleep among U.S. Adults
Do women really sleep more than men? Biomedical and social scientific studies show longer sleep durations for women, a surprising finding given sociological research showing women have more unpaid work and less high-quality leisure time compared to men. We assess explanations for gender differences in time for sleep, including compositional differences in levels of engagement in paid and unpaid labor, gendered responses to work and family respons…
Disentangling the Stress Process: Race/Ethnic Differences in the Exposure and Appraisal of Chronic Stressors Among Older Adults
The distinction between exposure and appraisal-based measures of stress may shed light on important pathways that differentially contribute to race/ethnic physical and mental health disparities
Participation among adults with disability: The role of the urban environment
The Great Recession and Health: People, Populations, and Disparities
Two research traditions have evolved to assess links between recessions and health, with seemingly divergent findings. Aggregate-level studies generally find that mortality rates decline during recessionary periods. By contrast, individual-level studies generally find that events that frequently occur during recessions, like job loss, unemployment, and material hardship, carry negative health consequences. We comprehensively review evidence from …
Putting Work to Bed: Stressful Experiences on the Job and Sleep Quality
Most adults spend one-third of every day sleeping and another third of most days at work. However, there is little analysis of the possible connections between common workplace experiences and sleep quality. This study uses the longitudinal and nationally-representative Americans' Changing Lives study to examine whether and how common conditions and experiences at work may 'follow workers home' and impinge on their quality of sleep. We also explo…
Urban built environments and trajectories of mobility disability: Findings from a national sample of community-dwelling American adults (1986-2001)
Using Google Earth to conduct a neighborhood audit: Reliability of a virtual audit instrument
Cognitive function in the community setting: The neighbourhood as a source of ‘cognitive reserve’
BACKGROUND: Existing research has found a positive association between cognitive function and residence in a socioeconomically advantaged neighbourhood. Yet, the mechanisms underlying this relationship have not been empirically investigated. OBJECTIVE: To test the hypothesis that neighbourhood socioeconomic structure is related to cognitive function partly through the availability of neighbourhood physical and social resources (eg, recreational f…
Measuring More Than Exposure: Does Stress Appraisal Matter for Black–White Differences in Anxiety and Depressive Symptoms Among Older Adults
The relationship between race, chronic stress exposure, and mental health is mediated by stress appraisal. Stress appraisal provides insight on important pathways contributing to black-white mental health disparities in older adulthood
Length of residence and social integration: The contingent effects of neighborhood poverty
Race Inequity in School Attendance Across the Jim Crow South and Its Implications for Black–White Disparities in Trajectories of Cognitive Function Among Older Adults
Our study highlights the importance of using a more refined measure of schooling for understanding the education-cognitive health relationship
Family Relationships and Troubled Sleep among U.S. Adults: Examining the Influences of Contact Frequency and Relationship Quality
Sleep is essential for health and daily functioning, and social relationships may be a key social factor influencing sleep, yet sleep has been understudied in the literature on social relationships and health. This study used data from the National Survey of Midlife Development in the United States to examine associations between troubled sleep and family contact, social support, and strain. Results show that having strained family relationships …
State-level desegregation in the U.S. South and mid-life cognitive function among Black and White adults
Creating Measures of Theoretically Relevant Neighborhood Attributes at Multiple Spatial Scales
Accurately measuring attributes in neighborhood environments allows researchers to study the influence of neighborhoods on individual-level outcomes. Researchers working to improve the measurement of neighborhood attributes generally advocate doing so in one of two ways: improving the theoretical relevance of measures and correctly defining the appropriate spatial scale. The data required by the first, “ecometric” neighborhood assessments on a sa…
Student loans and racial disparities in self-reported sleep duration: Evidence from a nationally representative sample of US young adults
BACKGROUND: Student loans are the second largest source of personal debt in the USA and may represent an important source of financial strain for many young adults. Little attention has been paid to whether debt is associated with sleep duration, an important health-promoting behaviour. We determine if student loans are associated with sleep duration. Since black young adults are more likely to have student debt and sleep less, we also consider w…
Telomere Length Among Older U.S. Adults: Differences by Race/Ethnicity, Gender, and Age
Findings indicate social patterns in TL by race/ethnicity, gender, and age among older adults do not reflect differences observed in most population health outcomes
Religious Involvement and Cognitive Functioning at the Intersection of Race–Ethnicity and Gender Among Midlife and Older Adults
Results suggest the association between religious involvement and cognitive functioning is varied and complex, and largely dependent on important social identities. The findings have important implications for investigating health-protective factors, like religious involvement, using an intersectional perspective
Adverse Employment Histories, Later Health Functioning and National Labor Market Policies: European Findings Based on Life-History Data From SHARE and Elsa
Our study calls for increased intervention efforts to improve working conditions at early career stages. Despite the importance in shaping employment histories, the role of national policies in modifying the impact of employment on health is less clear
Successful Aging in East Asia: Comparison Among China, Korea, and Japan
This study observed heterogeneity in successful aging in East Asia. To identify policy implications, future research should explore potential societal factors influencing individuals' opportunities for successful aging
Education and Psychosocial Functioning Among Older Adults: 4-Year Change in Sense of Control and Hopelessness
These findings highlight the importance of education for sense of control and hopelessness in older adulthood and demonstrate the cumulative advantage of higher levels of education for psychosocial functioning
Body mass index trajectories from adolescence to midlife: Differential effects of parental and respondent education by race/ethnicity and gender
Our results suggest that by simultaneously considering multiple sources of stratification, we can more fully understand how the unequal distribution of advantages or disadvantages across social groups affects BMI across the life course
Demographic and Health Characteristics of Older Latino Birth Cohorts in the Health and Retirement Study
Increasing growth and diversity among the older U.S. Latino population make it imperative that researchers document changes in the demographic composition and health characteristics of this population as it will have implications for researchers, policymakers, health care professionals, and others seeking to anticipate the needs of this rapidly aging population
Black-White variation in the relationship between early educational experiences and trajectories of cognitive function among US-born older adults
Covid-19 Social Distancing Measures and Loneliness Among Older Adults
Efforts should be made to help older adults maintain social connectedness with close others by virtual communication methods. Our findings also call special attention to vulnerable groups at elevated risks of loneliness, emphasizing the need for tailored interventions
Mobility Disability and the Urban Built Environment
Research on the effects of the built environment in the pathway from impairment to disability has been largely absent. Using data from the Chicago Community Adult Health Study (2001-2003), the authors examined the effect of built environment characteristics on mobility disability among adults aged 45 or more years (n = 1,195) according to their level of lower extremity physical impairment. Built environment characteristics were assessed by using …
Urban built environments and trajectories of mobility disability: Findings from a national sample of community-dwelling American adults (1986-2001)
Putting Work to Bed: Stressful Experiences on the Job and Sleep Quality
Most adults spend one-third of every day sleeping and another third of most days at work. However, there is little analysis of the possible connections between common workplace experiences and sleep quality. This study uses the longitudinal and nationally-representative Americans' Changing Lives study to examine whether and how common conditions and experiences at work may 'follow workers home' and impinge on their quality of sleep. We also explo…
Using Google Earth to conduct a neighborhood audit: Reliability of a virtual audit instrument
The Unequal Burden of Weight Gain: An Intersectional Approach to Understanding Social Disparities in BMI Trajectories from 1986 to 2001/2002
The implications of recent weight gain trends for widening social disparities in body weight in the United States are unclear. Using an intersectional approach to studying inequality, and the longitudinal and nationally representative American's Changing Lives study (19862001/2002), we examine social disparities in body mass index trajectories during a time of rapid weight gain in the United States. Results reveal complex interactive effects of g…
Body mass index trajectories from adolescence to midlife: Differential effects of parental and respondent education by race/ethnicity and gender
Our results suggest that by simultaneously considering multiple sources of stratification, we can more fully understand how the unequal distribution of advantages or disadvantages across social groups affects BMI across the life course
Participation among adults with disability: The role of the urban environment
Cognitive function in the community setting: The neighbourhood as a source of ‘cognitive reserve’
BACKGROUND: Existing research has found a positive association between cognitive function and residence in a socioeconomically advantaged neighbourhood. Yet, the mechanisms underlying this relationship have not been empirically investigated. OBJECTIVE: To test the hypothesis that neighbourhood socioeconomic structure is related to cognitive function partly through the availability of neighbourhood physical and social resources (eg, recreational f…
Family Relationships and Troubled Sleep among U.S. Adults: Examining the Influences of Contact Frequency and Relationship Quality
Sleep is essential for health and daily functioning, and social relationships may be a key social factor influencing sleep, yet sleep has been understudied in the literature on social relationships and health. This study used data from the National Survey of Midlife Development in the United States to examine associations between troubled sleep and family contact, social support, and strain. Results show that having strained family relationships …
Length of residence and social integration: The contingent effects of neighborhood poverty
Gender and Time for Sleep among U.S. Adults
Do women really sleep more than men? Biomedical and social scientific studies show longer sleep durations for women, a surprising finding given sociological research showing women have more unpaid work and less high-quality leisure time compared to men. We assess explanations for gender differences in time for sleep, including compositional differences in levels of engagement in paid and unpaid labor, gendered responses to work and family respons…
The Great Recession and Health: People, Populations, and Disparities
Two research traditions have evolved to assess links between recessions and health, with seemingly divergent findings. Aggregate-level studies generally find that mortality rates decline during recessionary periods. By contrast, individual-level studies generally find that events that frequently occur during recessions, like job loss, unemployment, and material hardship, carry negative health consequences. We comprehensively review evidence from …
Every Shut Eye, Ain't Sleep: The Role of Racism-Related Vigilance in Racial/Ethnic Disparities in Sleep Difficulty
Fine Particulate Matter Air Pollution and Cognitive Function Among U.S. Older Adults
This study adds to a growing body of research demonstrating the importance of air pollution to cognitive function in older adults. Improvements to air quality may be an important mechanism for reducing age-related cognitive decline
Creating Measures of Theoretically Relevant Neighborhood Attributes at Multiple Spatial Scales
Accurately measuring attributes in neighborhood environments allows researchers to study the influence of neighborhoods on individual-level outcomes. Researchers working to improve the measurement of neighborhood attributes generally advocate doing so in one of two ways: improving the theoretical relevance of measures and correctly defining the appropriate spatial scale. The data required by the first, “ecometric” neighborhood assessments on a sa…
The Slumbering Masses: Sleep, Medicine, and Modern American Life
Telomere Length Among Older U.S. Adults: Differences by Race/Ethnicity, Gender, and Age
Findings indicate social patterns in TL by race/ethnicity, gender, and age among older adults do not reflect differences observed in most population health outcomes
Student Debt Spans Generations: Characteristics of Parents Who Borrow to Pay for Their Children’s College Education
Our findings suggest concerns about the student debt crisis should extend to aging parents
Education and Psychosocial Functioning Among Older Adults: 4-Year Change in Sense of Control and Hopelessness
These findings highlight the importance of education for sense of control and hopelessness in older adulthood and demonstrate the cumulative advantage of higher levels of education for psychosocial functioning
Student loans and racial disparities in self-reported sleep duration: Evidence from a nationally representative sample of US young adults
BACKGROUND: Student loans are the second largest source of personal debt in the USA and may represent an important source of financial strain for many young adults. Little attention has been paid to whether debt is associated with sleep duration, an important health-promoting behaviour. We determine if student loans are associated with sleep duration. Since black young adults are more likely to have student debt and sleep less, we also consider w…
Neighborhood social stressors, fine particulate matter air pollution, and cognitive function among older U.S. adults
Aging in Puerto Rico: A Comparison of Health Status Among Island Puerto Rican and Mainland U.S. Older Adults
Recent challenges in the funding and provision of health care in Puerto Rico are worrisome given the large number of aging island adults, many of whom have hypertension and diabetes, two conditions that require long-term medical care
Disentangling the Stress Process: Race/Ethnic Differences in the Exposure and Appraisal of Chronic Stressors Among Older Adults
The distinction between exposure and appraisal-based measures of stress may shed light on important pathways that differentially contribute to race/ethnic physical and mental health disparities
Indoor air pollution and cognitive function among older Mexican adults
BACKGROUND: A growing body of research suggests exposure to high levels of outdoor air pollution may negatively affect cognitive functioning in older adults, but less is known about the link between indoor sources of air pollution and cognitive functioning. We examine the association between exposure to indoor air pollution and cognitive function among older adults in Mexico, a developing country where combustion of biomass for domestic energy re…
Sociocultural variability in the Latino population: Age patterns and differences in morbidity among older US adults
BACKGROUND: The US Latino population is rapidly aging and becoming increasingly diverse with respect to nativity and national origin. Increased longevity along with medical advancements in treatment have resulted in a higher number of older Latinos living with morbidity. Therefore, there is a need to understand variability in Latino health among older adults. OBJECTIVES: This paper documents mid- and late-life health differences in morbidity by r…
Medicine (57 works) · Gerontology (52 works) · Psychology (48 works) · Health disparities and outcomes (35 works) · Demography (31 works) · Demography (27 works) · Sociology (27 works) · Population (23 works) · Environmental health (22 works) · Psychiatry (19 works)