THE EFFECT OF DISPOSITIONAL OPTIMISM ON SUCCESSFUL AGING OF OLDER ADULTS AND THEIR PARTNERS

Abstract The purpose of the study was to examine how dispositional optimism of an older adult influences both the individual’s and the spouse’s successful aging. Data from the Health and Retirement Study were included in this analysis. The age of participants ranged from 18 to 104 (M = 67.91, SD = 11.26). The successful aging components included low levels of depressive symptoms and low levels of difficulties in activities of daily living, subjective health, and cognition. A structural equation model was computed including optimism as a latent variable and four components of successful aging for older adults and their spouses, all from the same wave in 2014. The results of the study revealed that higher dispositional optimism of older adults significantly predicted lower depressive symptoms, lower difficulties with activities of daily living, better cognitive function, and higher subjective health, for older adults and their spouses. The results, in conclusion, support the notion that dispositional optimism not only plays a significant role in well-being for oneself but also benefits the partner’s well-being as well. Further research need to include other components of successful aging, such as social engagement, loneliness, and life satisfaction. In addition, including covariates, such as gender, educational attainment, race/ethnicity, and household income, will also further examine the effect of optimism above and beyond the demographic factors.

quality of life, increased coping and adaptation, and decreased depressive symptoms (Earvolino-Ramirez, 2007;Fullen & Gorby, 2016;Hicks & Conner, 2014;(Sharpley, Bitsika, Wootten, & Christie, 2014). However, very few resilience promotion programs are described in the literature. The purpose of the present study was to evaluate a brief, community-based psychoeducation group designed to enhance aging resilience. Participants were recruited through a private mental health practice focused on serving older adults in the Pacific Northwest. Nine participants (M age = 71; 78% female, 100% non-Hispanic white; 100% with some college) completed the pre-and post-assessment measures: An adapted 9 item version of the Communicative Ecology Model of Successful Aging (CEMSA; Fowler, Gasiorek, & Giles, 2015) and the Groningen Ageing Resilience Inventory (GARI; van Abbema et al., 2015). The discussion group consisted of six 90-minute meetings every-other-week, facilitated by a licensed clinical psychologist. Each meeting focused on a different topic related to psycho-social aspects of aging and included understanding ageism, embracing change, creating meaning, normal and "successful" aging, and strengthening social ties. Although not statistically significant, initial results showed lower post-assessment mean scores on the CEMSA indicating lower levels of aging uncertainty, negative attributions, and pessimism as well as higher post-assessment mean scores on the GARI indicating higher perceived resilience. Moreover, 77.7 % of the group agreed or strongly agreed that they had learned a lot from the group. Future directions will be discussed. The purpose of this study was to identify key predictors of centenarian survival in Oklahoma. Data originated from N = 607 centenarian biographies maintained within Oklahoma Centenarians, Inc. historical records database. Biographies were analyzed and coded for demographic content. IBM/SPSS 23.0 was then used to compute linear regression analyses to examine the association of predictor variables sex, race, education, cohort, and longevity secret relative to days of survival. Only race (std. B = .10, p < .05) and cohort (std. B = -.11, p < .01) emerged as significant predictors of overall survivorship. Non-white centenarians live longer than their White-Caucasian counterparts; whereas earlier-born cohorts have shorter survival. Closer examination of these findings revealed that non-White centenarians have historically lived an average of 300.38 days longer than their White counterparts; whereas later born cohorts have historically an average of 48.10 days shorter than earlier-born cohorts. Despite the fact that sex and subjective longevity secrets failed to yield any significance, further inspection revealed two interesting highlights. First, centenarian males have historically lived an average of 147.89 days less than female centenarians. Second, centenarians who cite God as the secrete to their longevity have historically lived 100.23 fewer days than centenarians who attribute their longevity to something else. Results have implications to further understanding the interplay of race and human longevity, as well as variables attributed to improved survivorship across successive cohorts. Further discussion relative to health practices and policies to improve longevity in states like Oklahoma will be further highlighted. As the older population increases and lives longer, the demand for healthcare has been increased dramatically. To date, it is unknown whether older people's healthcare utilization varies between countries and how it relates to successful aging. Using Rowe and Kahn's model, we examine cross-national differences in the relationship between successful aging and healthcare service utilization in East Asia. Harmonized datasets at baseline from China Health and Retirement Longitudinal Study (CHARLS), Korean Longitudinal Study (KLoSA), and Japanese Study on Aging and Retirement (JSTAR) were used. Including 7,651 participants (aged 65-75 years), successful agers were identified using Rowe and Kahn's criteria (i.e., no disease, no disability, high cognitive function, and active engagement). Healthcare service utilization includes hospital visit, number of hospital stay, number of nights per hospital stay, regular medical center visit, number of medical center visits, and possession of private insurance in previous year. Generalized linear models showed that successful agers' healthcare service utilization is significantly different from non-successful agers (e.g., OR=2.19, p<.001 for regular medical center visits), and Korean and Chinese healthcare service utilization is different from Japanese (e.g., OR=0.44 and OR=10.18 for Chinese and Korean number of medical center regular visits, respectively, p<.001). Furthermore, the number of nights in hospital among Chinese and Korean successful agers tend to be greater than that of Japanese successful agers (OR=2.93 and OR=1.99 for Chinese and Korean successful agers, respectively, p<.001). This study indicates cross-national variations in pattern of healthcare service utilization between successful and non-successful agers in East Asia. The purpose of the study was to examine how dispositional optimism of an older adult influences both the individual's and the spouse's successful aging. Data from the Health and Retirement Study were included in this analysis. The age of participants ranged from 18 to 104 (M = 67.91, SD = 11.26). The successful aging components included low levels of depressive symptoms and low levels of difficulties in activities of daily living, subjective health, and cognition. A structural equation model was computed including optimism as a latent variable and four components of successful aging for older adults and their spouses, all from the same wave in 2014. The results of the study revealed that higher dispositional optimism of older adults significantly predicted lower depressive symptoms, lower difficulties with activities of daily living, better cognitive function, and higher subjective health, for older adults and their spouses. The results, in conclusion, support the notion that dispositional optimism not only plays a significant role in well-being for oneself but also benefits the partner's well-being as well. Further research need to include other components of successful aging, such as social engagement, loneliness, and life satisfaction. In addition, including covariates, such as gender, educational attainment, race/ethnicity, and household income, will also further examine the effect of optimism above and beyond the demographic factors.

GRANDPARENTS CARING FOR GRANDCHILDREN: HOW AGE AND AGING IMPACT PROVISION OF CHILDCARE
MaryBeth A. Apriceno, 1 Stacey B. Scott, 1 and Sheri Levy 1 ,

Stony Brook University, Stony Brook, New York, United States
The economic need for dual-income households has contributed to more grandparents providing childcare for their grandchildren. Research on these grandparents has examined their life satisfaction, health, and spare time. Little work to date has examined how cross-sectional differences in grandparents' age may contribute to when they begin providing childcare or how their increasing age while caregiving influences when they reduce or stop providing childcare. Using Health and Retirement Study data, we identified 5.38% of participants (N=516) who reported providing at least one hour of childcare for their grandchildren per wave (range=1-9,996) between 2004 and 2014. The resulting sample ranged from 44-88 years of age (M=59.78, SD=7.75) when they first reported providing childcare; 48.8% were retired during the study period. Using multilevel modeling, we tested age and retirement as predictors of individual differences in initial amount of childcare (intercept) and change in childcare (slope). Cross-sectionally, no significant differences in childcare hours were observed based on the age at which grandparents began caregiving or retirement status. Longitudinally, however, as grandparents got older during the study, hours of childcare decreased by 48 hours per year (B=-48.368, t(1584)=-6.55, p<.0001) relative to when they starting providing childcare. These results suggest grandparent childcare providers represent an age diverse group managing multiple roles and responsibilities who continue caregiving well into older adulthood. Future research on grandparents who provide childcare for their grandchildren should observe these individuals over time to better understand how aging impacts provision of care and to examine how aging may moderate previous cross-sectional findings.

SOCIAL VALUE OF THE ELDER PUMI MINORITY IN CHINA
Meng ran Gao 1 , 1. Peking University, Beijing, China Social status of the elderly nowadays declines rapidly in China. As anthropologist Margaret Mead considered, postfigurative culture leading in contemporary society and the source of knowledge are from youth. The value of the elderly has been overlooked. However, in Pumi, one of the smallest ethnic minority groups in northwestern Yunnan Province of China, it is common that senior residents have high social status. This study examines the social values the Pumi elderly have by systematic analysis and participation observation methods. Based on data collected in a Pumi village during a 6-month fieldtrip, we conclude that Pumi elderly enjoy a high status in the community. They occupy core positions in all important ceremonies, such as religious activities and other daily activities including hospice. Factors behind the special old-age care phenomenon are Pumi's history and its culture. The special culture has united the group members together and enhanced individual development with community social capital. It is clear that respecting elderly does not only contribute the transformation of ethnical knowledge but also enhance community cohesiveness. Evaluating the role of the elderly should not only from economic perspective, but also from the holistic perspective of social culture, so as to reconsider the importance of the elderly to our society.

SENIOR MODELS: SUCCESSFUL AGING AND SERIOUS LEISURE
Sanghee Lee, 1 Jaeyoon Bae, 1 Sua Im, 1 and Jinmoo Heo 1 , 1. Yonsei University, Seoul, Korea, Republic of Serious leisure involves productive engagement and commitment in leisure activities. Literature shows that participating in serious leisure is associated with physical and mental health benefits of older adults. The behavior of senior modeling reflects serious leisure engagement that might offer a new insight useful in understanding successful aging. We explored the experience of senior models as a form of serious leisure. Using selective optimization with compensation as well as serious leisure framework, we attempted to identify how senior modeling activity contributes to successful aging. This study used in-depth interviews using purposeful sampling, and data were collected over two months in 2019. The participants were 31 senior models (average age = 67). The analysis resulted in three themes which contained characteristics of serious leisure as well as selective optimization with compensation: identifying new possibilities, serious engagement, and rewards from meaningful experiences. This study demonstrated various experiential characteristics associated with modeling as a form of serious leisure. Through selection, optimization, and compensation process, the participants seemed to achieve successful aging. We found that senior model experiences promoted active lifestyle, health benefits, and interpersonal relationships. To our knowledge, this is the first exploration of the experience of senior modeling activity. Consistent with existing literature, our study provides evidence of the significant role of serious leisure in later life. We suggest that senior modeling program holds promise as an effective way for older adults because it can be used as a self-care approach and community programs not only in Korea, but at various locations.

THE UPSIDE OF GETTING OLD: TESTING A MODEL OF OLDER AGE AND BETTER EMOTIONAL WELL-BEING
Jenna Wilson, 1 JoNell Strough, 1 and Natalie Shook 1 , 1. West Virginia University, Morgantown, West Virginia, United States Innovation in Aging, 2019, Vol. 3, No. S1