Fengyan Tang
Biographic Data
| ID | 3827266 |
|---|---|
| NAME | Fengyan Tang |
| GIVEN NAMES | Fengyan |
| FAMILY NAME | Tang |
| SIGNATURE | TANG F |
| AFFILIATIONS | University of Pittsburgh |
| ORCID | 0000-0002-0140-8767 |
| VERIFIED | Yes |
| TOTAL WORKS | 33 |
| TOTAL CITATIONS | 195 |
| WORKS AS AUTHOR | 33 |
| WORKS AS EDITOR | 0 |
| FIRST PUBLICATION YEAR | 2003 |
| LATEST PUBLICATION YEAR | 2026 |
| H-INDEX | 6 |
Neighborhood amenities, health services, and built infrastructure and epigenetic aging
A cross-lagged panel model for testing bidirectional relationships among physical functioning, depressive symptoms, and cognitive functioning in older Chinese immigrants
Physical, mental, and cognitive functioning play a critical role in healthy aging, yet the bidirectional relationships among these health domains remain underexplored among older Chinese immigrants. This study investigated the bidirectional associations between physical functioning, depressive symptoms, and cognitive functioning using longitudinal data from the Population Study of Chinese Elderly in Chicago (PINE) (N = 2,811). A random intercept …
Multidimensional Factors Associated With Social Isolation Trajectories Among Older Chinese Immigrants
Social isolation is prevalent among older immigrants, yet the multidimensional factors contributing to it remain understudied. Using data from five waves of the Population Study of Chinese Elderly in Chicago ( N = 2,835), this study identified social isolation change trajectory patterns over eight years and examined contributing factors across ecological systems. Social isolation was measured by the social disconnectedness index. The multidimensi…
Social Isolation and Depressive Symptoms of Older Chinese Immigrants
Objectives : This study aimed to examine the differential impacts of two forms of social isolation on depressive symptoms and investigate the mediating role of activity engagement among older Chinese immigrants. Methods: Data were from four waves of the Population Study of Chinese Elderly in Chicago Study (PINE) ( N = 2,075). Social disconnectedness was measured by social network size and range, living arrangement, and marital status. Perceived i…
Effects of neighborhood amenities, services, and built infrastructure on cognitive health
Neighborhoods play a critical role in cognitive health risk and resilience, particularly as most older adults prefer to age in place. Research on this topic has largely focused on neighborhood socioeconomic indicators and a limited set of physical features such as green space and walkability. Broader neighborhood amenities, services, and built infrastructure that can support cognitive stimulation, exercise, and social engagement have received les…
The Relationship Between Abuse of Older People and Cognitive Functioning
Emerging evidence suggests that abuse of older people (AOP) and cognitive functioning are closely intertwined. AOP has been linked to an increased risk of cognitive impairment, while impaired cognition may also elevate vulnerability to AOP. However, to date, no study has reviewed these relationships in both directions, particularly their potential bidirectionality. Thus, we conducted a scoping review to summarize and critically evaluate the exist…
Residential segregation and cardiometabolic health of Asian immigrants living in Western countries
Findings suggest that residential segregation may have different effects on various cardiometabolic health outcomes among Asian immigrants. More future studies are needed to elucidate the effects of residential segregation on cardiometabolic health among Asian immigrant subgroups
Neighborhood built environment and loneliness dynamics among older Chinese immigrants in the United States
Findings underscore the nuanced role of walkability and transit access in shaping loneliness among older Chinese immigrants. Addressing loneliness in aging immigrant populations requires multilevel strategies, including inclusive urban design, enhanced social infrastructure, and culturally responsive community engagement
Intergenerational Solidarity and Mental Health in Chinese American Families
Objectives Existing family and caregiving studies have primarily focused on the mental health of either older adults or adult children. Less is known about the effect of intergenerational relations on the mental health of both generations. This study examined the association between intergenerational solidarity and mental health among older Chinese Americans and their adult children using a dyadic analysis, considering the gendered nature of thes…
Keeping the Legacy Alive
Factor Structure and Predictors of Resilience Among Custodial Grandparents
Resilience plays a significant role in buffering the negative effects of parenting stress among custodial grandparents. Using a sample of 76 custodial grandparents, this study aimed to investigate the psychometric properties and factor structure of the 10-item Connor-Davidson Resilience Scale and to examine the predictors at individual level (demographic characteristics and stress management), interpersonal level (positive social support and nega…
A Social-Ecological Approach to Understanding Activity Engagement Patterns Among Older Chinese Immigrants
Few studies have focused on activity engagement among older immigrants. We aim to map the patterns of activity engagement and examine the associations with social-ecological factors in a sample of older Chinese immigrants. Participants were from the Population Study of Chinese Elderly in Chicago (PINE). Four patterns of activity engagement were identified through latent class analysis: restricted, diverse, informal social, and community-based soc…
Residential Segregation, Perceived Neighborhood Environment, and All-Cause Mortality Among Community-Dwelling Older Chinese Americans
These results suggest the importance of neighborhood social environment, specifically perceptions of neighborhood cohesion, in influencing mortality risk among older Chinese immigrants. The findings also indicate the need to conduct further research to examine the health impact of residential segregation among this population
Grandparenting, Social Relations, and Mortality in Old Age
Guided by a convoy model of social relations, this study investigates the relationships between grandparenting status, social relations, and mortality among community-dwelling grandparents age 65 and older who are caring for their grandchildren. The data were drawn from the 2008 and 2016 waves of the Health and Retirement Study ( N = 564). Latent class analysis was used to identify the social network structure based on six indicators of interpers…
Longitudinal relationship between living alone and health among Chinese older adults
This study examined the longitudinal relationships between living arrangements and health and the mediation effect of social interaction and leisure activity among community-residing older adults in China. Data were retrieved from three waves of the China Health and Retirement Longitudinal Study (CHARLS 2011–2015). The sample included 5,927 respondents aged 60 or older at baseline. Multilevel generalised structural equation modelling (GSEM) was u…
Immigration Experience and Cognitive Function Trajectories Among Older Chinese Immigrants
This study identifies a group of older Chinese immigrants who are especially vulnerable to cognitive impairment and indicates that the risk of cognitive decline appears to be elevated with lower levels of acculturation and unidentified racial discrimination. More research is needed to fully understand the underlying mechanisms that link the life-course immigration experiences to cognitive health outcomes in later life
Loneliness, age at immigration, family relationships, and depression among older immigrants
Guided by a convoy model of social relations, this study explores the complex relationships between loneliness, age at immigration, familial relationships, and depressive symptoms among older immigrants. This study used 2010 Health and Retirement Study data from a sample of 575 immigrants (52% female, age range 65-99 years). Ordinary least squares regression models were estimated. The findings indicate that for older immigrants who came to the Un…
Importance of Activity Engagement and Neighborhood to Cognitive Function Among Older Chinese Americans
This study investigates the differential associations of activity engagement and perceived neighborhood characteristics (i.e., cohesion, disorder, sense of community) with cognitive measures. Using data of 2,713 Chinese older adults in Chicago, who completed two interviews between 2011 and 2015, we identified three activity domains: reading, social, and games. In general, engagement in more reading and social activities was associated with better…
Mental Health among Older Adults with Caregiving Needs
A major challenge facing an aging society is the increased caregiving needs among community-dwelling older adults with chronic conditions. Reliance on social relations may help address caregiving needs and maintain older adults’ mental well-being. This study examines the roles of different aspects of social relations—social network size, social support, and service use—in the association between caregiving needs and mental health status (MHS). Us…
The race paradox in subjective wellbeing among older Americans
This study aims to assess racial differences in subjective wellbeing (SWB) and to examine whether the pathways of social support and social engagement to SWB vary by racial groups in the United States of America. Using a local sample (N = 1,035) and a nationally representative sample of the Health and Retirement Study (N = 7,718), we compared life satisfaction and happiness between non-Hispanic Whites and Blacks aged 55 and over. We evaluated the…
Senior centres in the lives of older Americans
As a critical community resource, the senior centre has provided older Americans with a wide array of recreational, nutritional, health, and social service programmes. Funding resources include the Older Americans Act allocations, local organisations and governments, national charities, voluntary associations, and religious associations. The types of programmes offered at a senior centre reflect two models: social agency model or voluntary organi…
Racial/Ethnic Inequality Among Older Workers
The experience of older racial/ethnic minority workers may differ from that of their non-Hispanic White counterparts because of persistent racial/ethnic differences; however, our knowledge of older minority workers is fragmentary. Using the cumulative advantage/disadvantage framework, this study aimed to identify factors that explain older Americans’ labor market participation after age 65 and whether racial/ethnic differences exist among those f…
Health in the Neighborhood and Household Contexts Among Older Chinese Americans
Policies and interventions are needed to improve the physical and social environments of neighborhoods and to promote healthy aging among Chinese older adults and in the general population as well
More Caregiving, Less Working
This study examined the relationship of caregiving roles to labor force participation using the nationally representative data from the Health and Retirement Study. The sample was composed of men and women aged 50 to 61 years ( N = 5,119). Caregiving roles included caregiving for spouse, parents, and grandchildren; a summary of three caregiving roles was used to indicate multiple caregiving roles. Bivariate analysis using chi-square and t tests a…
Revisiting the pathways to retirement
A dynamic latent structure model of the work–retirement transition process was identified, focusing on transitions of work and retirement status for men and women aged 51–74 years. Using the Health and Retirement Study data (1998–2004), latent transition analysis was used to identify a best fitting model capturing work–retirement statuses in four samples defined by age and sex. The prevalence of each status was described and the dynamic transitio…
Effects of Volunteering on the Well-Being of Older Adults
This work contributes to a knowledge base that points to the development of social programs and policies that maximize the engagement of older adults in volunteer roles. The findings suggest that targeting efforts may not be warranted, in that there are not differential benefits according to personal characteristics of the volunteer. Future studies have to address the nature of the social institutions that will maximize the number of elders in th…
The Vicious Cycle of Parental Caregiving and Financial Well-being
This study suggests that there exists a vicious cycle of parental care and lower household income among women. A key concern for policy is female caregivers' financial status when care of older parents is assumed and care burden when women's financial status declines
Why do older adult volunteers stop volunteering
This paper reports a United States study of the factors that influence the turnover of older adult volunteers. Based on a parent study of programmes that use older adult volunteers, the follow-up study examined the experience for 207 older volunteers who served in ten programmes in 2005 and 2006, respectively. Telephone interviews and mail surveys were used to collect programme and personal information. The findings indicated that aspects of the …
Revisiting the pathways to retirement
A dynamic latent structure model of the work–retirement transition process was identified, focusing on transitions of work and retirement status for men and women aged 51–74 years. Using the Health and Retirement Study data (1998–2004), latent transition analysis was used to identify a best fitting model capturing work–retirement statuses in four samples defined by age and sex. The prevalence of each status was described and the dynamic transitio…
Racial Differences in Volunteer Engagement by Older Adults
Volunteering is viewed as an empowerment process whereby older adults actively participate in the community and improve their well-being and health. Yet little is known about racial differences in volunteering, and even less in terms of perceived benefits from volunteering as a means of empowerment. The present study addresses this research gap by examining the differences in volunteer experience and perceived benefits from volunteering between o…
Institutional Facilitation in Sustained Volunteering among Older Adult Volunteers
Journal Article Institutional Facilitation in Sustained Volunteering among Older Adult Volunteers Get access Fengyan Tang, PhD, Fengyan Tang, PhD assistant professor School of Social Work, University of Pittsburgh, Pittsburgh, PA, 15260; e-mail: [email protected] Search for other works by this author on: Oxford Academic Google Scholar Nancy Morrow-Howell, PhD, Nancy Morrow-Howell, PhD Ralph and Muriel Pumphrey Professor of Social Work George Warren B…
Loneliness, age at immigration, family relationships, and depression among older immigrants
Guided by a convoy model of social relations, this study explores the complex relationships between loneliness, age at immigration, familial relationships, and depressive symptoms among older immigrants. This study used 2010 Health and Retirement Study data from a sample of 575 immigrants (52% female, age range 65-99 years). Ordinary least squares regression models were estimated. The findings indicate that for older immigrants who came to the Un…
Health in the Neighborhood and Household Contexts Among Older Chinese Americans
Policies and interventions are needed to improve the physical and social environments of neighborhoods and to promote healthy aging among Chinese older adults and in the general population as well
Youth Service
When youth are involved in their communities, they typically do so through institutional structures. We construe youth service as a type of long-term, intensive volunteerism or civic service, which takes a range of institutional forms including service-learning, national service, and international service. We define these forms as having common operational features, and summarize what is known about them and their effects on youth and the individ…
Intergenerational Solidarity and Mental Health in Chinese American Families
Objectives Existing family and caregiving studies have primarily focused on the mental health of either older adults or adult children. Less is known about the effect of intergenerational relations on the mental health of both generations. This study examined the association between intergenerational solidarity and mental health among older Chinese Americans and their adult children using a dyadic analysis, considering the gendered nature of thes…
Racial/Ethnic Inequality Among Older Workers
The experience of older racial/ethnic minority workers may differ from that of their non-Hispanic White counterparts because of persistent racial/ethnic differences; however, our knowledge of older minority workers is fragmentary. Using the cumulative advantage/disadvantage framework, this study aimed to identify factors that explain older Americans’ labor market participation after age 65 and whether racial/ethnic differences exist among those f…
Keeping the Legacy Alive
Factor Structure and Predictors of Resilience Among Custodial Grandparents
Resilience plays a significant role in buffering the negative effects of parenting stress among custodial grandparents. Using a sample of 76 custodial grandparents, this study aimed to investigate the psychometric properties and factor structure of the 10-item Connor-Davidson Resilience Scale and to examine the predictors at individual level (demographic characteristics and stress management), interpersonal level (positive social support and nega…
Residential Segregation, Perceived Neighborhood Environment, and All-Cause Mortality Among Community-Dwelling Older Chinese Americans
These results suggest the importance of neighborhood social environment, specifically perceptions of neighborhood cohesion, in influencing mortality risk among older Chinese immigrants. The findings also indicate the need to conduct further research to examine the health impact of residential segregation among this population
Immigration Experience and Cognitive Function Trajectories Among Older Chinese Immigrants
This study identifies a group of older Chinese immigrants who are especially vulnerable to cognitive impairment and indicates that the risk of cognitive decline appears to be elevated with lower levels of acculturation and unidentified racial discrimination. More research is needed to fully understand the underlying mechanisms that link the life-course immigration experiences to cognitive health outcomes in later life
Mental Health among Older Adults with Caregiving Needs
A major challenge facing an aging society is the increased caregiving needs among community-dwelling older adults with chronic conditions. Reliance on social relations may help address caregiving needs and maintain older adults’ mental well-being. This study examines the roles of different aspects of social relations—social network size, social support, and service use—in the association between caregiving needs and mental health status (MHS). Us…
Volunteering by older adults in the United States
Traditionally, the United States is considered a nation of volunteers. Volunteerism is deeply rooted in the country's cultural and political institutions, and institutionalized volunteering is a distinguished feature. Federal policies and initiatives have played a significant role in creating and supporting senior volunteering programs. Older Americans engage in structured volunteer work through organizations, are involved in a wide array of volu…
Effects of Volunteering on the Well-Being of Older Adults
This work contributes to a knowledge base that points to the development of social programs and policies that maximize the engagement of older adults in volunteer roles. The findings suggest that targeting efforts may not be warranted, in that there are not differential benefits according to personal characteristics of the volunteer. Future studies have to address the nature of the social institutions that will maximize the number of elders in th…
Youth Service
When youth are involved in their communities, they typically do so through institutional structures. We construe youth service as a type of long-term, intensive volunteerism or civic service, which takes a range of institutional forms including service-learning, national service, and international service. We define these forms as having common operational features, and summarize what is known about them and their effects on youth and the individ…
Who Benefits From Volunteering? Variations in Perceived Benefits
PURPOSE: The purpose of this study was to document the benefits of volunteering perceived by older adults and to explain variation in these self-perceived benefits. DESIGN AND METHODS: This is a quantitative study of 13 volunteer programs and 401 older adults serving in those programs. Program directors completed telephone interviews, and older volunteers completed mailed surveys. Volunteer-level and program-level data were merged. RESULTS: Older…
Institutional Facilitation in Sustained Volunteering among Older Adult Volunteers
Journal Article Institutional Facilitation in Sustained Volunteering among Older Adult Volunteers Get access Fengyan Tang, PhD, Fengyan Tang, PhD assistant professor School of Social Work, University of Pittsburgh, Pittsburgh, PA, 15260; e-mail: [email protected] Search for other works by this author on: Oxford Academic Google Scholar Nancy Morrow-Howell, PhD, Nancy Morrow-Howell, PhD Ralph and Muriel Pumphrey Professor of Social Work George Warren B…
Volunteering by older adults in the United States
Traditionally, the United States is considered a nation of volunteers. Volunteerism is deeply rooted in the country's cultural and political institutions, and institutionalized volunteering is a distinguished feature. Federal policies and initiatives have played a significant role in creating and supporting senior volunteering programs. Older Americans engage in structured volunteer work through organizations, are involved in a wide array of volu…
Why do older adult volunteers stop volunteering
This paper reports a United States study of the factors that influence the turnover of older adult volunteers. Based on a parent study of programmes that use older adult volunteers, the follow-up study examined the experience for 207 older volunteers who served in ten programmes in 2005 and 2006, respectively. Telephone interviews and mail surveys were used to collect programme and personal information. The findings indicated that aspects of the …
Racial Differences in Volunteer Engagement by Older Adults
Volunteering is viewed as an empowerment process whereby older adults actively participate in the community and improve their well-being and health. Yet little is known about racial differences in volunteering, and even less in terms of perceived benefits from volunteering as a means of empowerment. The present study addresses this research gap by examining the differences in volunteer experience and perceived benefits from volunteering between o…
The Vicious Cycle of Parental Caregiving and Financial Well-being
This study suggests that there exists a vicious cycle of parental care and lower household income among women. A key concern for policy is female caregivers' financial status when care of older parents is assumed and care burden when women's financial status declines
More Caregiving, Less Working
This study examined the relationship of caregiving roles to labor force participation using the nationally representative data from the Health and Retirement Study. The sample was composed of men and women aged 50 to 61 years ( N = 5,119). Caregiving roles included caregiving for spouse, parents, and grandchildren; a summary of three caregiving roles was used to indicate multiple caregiving roles. Bivariate analysis using chi-square and t tests a…
Revisiting the pathways to retirement
A dynamic latent structure model of the work–retirement transition process was identified, focusing on transitions of work and retirement status for men and women aged 51–74 years. Using the Health and Retirement Study data (1998–2004), latent transition analysis was used to identify a best fitting model capturing work–retirement statuses in four samples defined by age and sex. The prevalence of each status was described and the dynamic transitio…
Health in the Neighborhood and Household Contexts Among Older Chinese Americans
Policies and interventions are needed to improve the physical and social environments of neighborhoods and to promote healthy aging among Chinese older adults and in the general population as well
Senior centres in the lives of older Americans
As a critical community resource, the senior centre has provided older Americans with a wide array of recreational, nutritional, health, and social service programmes. Funding resources include the Older Americans Act allocations, local organisations and governments, national charities, voluntary associations, and religious associations. The types of programmes offered at a senior centre reflect two models: social agency model or voluntary organi…
Racial/Ethnic Inequality Among Older Workers
The experience of older racial/ethnic minority workers may differ from that of their non-Hispanic White counterparts because of persistent racial/ethnic differences; however, our knowledge of older minority workers is fragmentary. Using the cumulative advantage/disadvantage framework, this study aimed to identify factors that explain older Americans’ labor market participation after age 65 and whether racial/ethnic differences exist among those f…
Mental Health among Older Adults with Caregiving Needs
A major challenge facing an aging society is the increased caregiving needs among community-dwelling older adults with chronic conditions. Reliance on social relations may help address caregiving needs and maintain older adults’ mental well-being. This study examines the roles of different aspects of social relations—social network size, social support, and service use—in the association between caregiving needs and mental health status (MHS). Us…
The race paradox in subjective wellbeing among older Americans
This study aims to assess racial differences in subjective wellbeing (SWB) and to examine whether the pathways of social support and social engagement to SWB vary by racial groups in the United States of America. Using a local sample (N = 1,035) and a nationally representative sample of the Health and Retirement Study (N = 7,718), we compared life satisfaction and happiness between non-Hispanic Whites and Blacks aged 55 and over. We evaluated the…
Importance of Activity Engagement and Neighborhood to Cognitive Function Among Older Chinese Americans
This study investigates the differential associations of activity engagement and perceived neighborhood characteristics (i.e., cohesion, disorder, sense of community) with cognitive measures. Using data of 2,713 Chinese older adults in Chicago, who completed two interviews between 2011 and 2015, we identified three activity domains: reading, social, and games. In general, engagement in more reading and social activities was associated with better…
Grandparenting, Social Relations, and Mortality in Old Age
Guided by a convoy model of social relations, this study investigates the relationships between grandparenting status, social relations, and mortality among community-dwelling grandparents age 65 and older who are caring for their grandchildren. The data were drawn from the 2008 and 2016 waves of the Health and Retirement Study ( N = 564). Latent class analysis was used to identify the social network structure based on six indicators of interpers…
Longitudinal relationship between living alone and health among Chinese older adults
This study examined the longitudinal relationships between living arrangements and health and the mediation effect of social interaction and leisure activity among community-residing older adults in China. Data were retrieved from three waves of the China Health and Retirement Longitudinal Study (CHARLS 2011–2015). The sample included 5,927 respondents aged 60 or older at baseline. Multilevel generalised structural equation modelling (GSEM) was u…
Immigration Experience and Cognitive Function Trajectories Among Older Chinese Immigrants
This study identifies a group of older Chinese immigrants who are especially vulnerable to cognitive impairment and indicates that the risk of cognitive decline appears to be elevated with lower levels of acculturation and unidentified racial discrimination. More research is needed to fully understand the underlying mechanisms that link the life-course immigration experiences to cognitive health outcomes in later life
Loneliness, age at immigration, family relationships, and depression among older immigrants
Guided by a convoy model of social relations, this study explores the complex relationships between loneliness, age at immigration, familial relationships, and depressive symptoms among older immigrants. This study used 2010 Health and Retirement Study data from a sample of 575 immigrants (52% female, age range 65-99 years). Ordinary least squares regression models were estimated. The findings indicate that for older immigrants who came to the Un…
A Social-Ecological Approach to Understanding Activity Engagement Patterns Among Older Chinese Immigrants
Few studies have focused on activity engagement among older immigrants. We aim to map the patterns of activity engagement and examine the associations with social-ecological factors in a sample of older Chinese immigrants. Participants were from the Population Study of Chinese Elderly in Chicago (PINE). Four patterns of activity engagement were identified through latent class analysis: restricted, diverse, informal social, and community-based soc…
Residential Segregation, Perceived Neighborhood Environment, and All-Cause Mortality Among Community-Dwelling Older Chinese Americans
These results suggest the importance of neighborhood social environment, specifically perceptions of neighborhood cohesion, in influencing mortality risk among older Chinese immigrants. The findings also indicate the need to conduct further research to examine the health impact of residential segregation among this population
Factor Structure and Predictors of Resilience Among Custodial Grandparents
Resilience plays a significant role in buffering the negative effects of parenting stress among custodial grandparents. Using a sample of 76 custodial grandparents, this study aimed to investigate the psychometric properties and factor structure of the 10-item Connor-Davidson Resilience Scale and to examine the predictors at individual level (demographic characteristics and stress management), interpersonal level (positive social support and nega…
The Relationship Between Abuse of Older People and Cognitive Functioning
Emerging evidence suggests that abuse of older people (AOP) and cognitive functioning are closely intertwined. AOP has been linked to an increased risk of cognitive impairment, while impaired cognition may also elevate vulnerability to AOP. However, to date, no study has reviewed these relationships in both directions, particularly their potential bidirectionality. Thus, we conducted a scoping review to summarize and critically evaluate the exist…
Residential segregation and cardiometabolic health of Asian immigrants living in Western countries
Findings suggest that residential segregation may have different effects on various cardiometabolic health outcomes among Asian immigrants. More future studies are needed to elucidate the effects of residential segregation on cardiometabolic health among Asian immigrant subgroups
Psychology (23 works) · Health disparities and outcomes (22 works) · Medicine (20 works) · Sociology (19 works) · Gerontology (18 works) · Intergenerational Family Dynamics and Caregiving (11 works) · Developmental psychology (10 works) · Immigration (10 works) · Social Psychology (10 works) · Demography (8 works)