Understanding the Abnormal Today for Life Tomorrow: A Study of the Generations During the COVID-19 Pandemic

Abstract The spread of COVID-19 in the United States in early 2020 abruptly transformed American life, with widespread closures of public spaces and businesses, limitations on social activities, and the need for individuals to physically distance from each other. Some changes wrought by the virus may persist post-pandemic - such as Americans' adoption of new technologies or disease prevention behaviors. Since the onset of COVID-related safer-at-home orders, the MIT AgeLab has sought to understand how the pandemic affects people’s attitudes and behaviors. This symposium will present findings drawn from three waves of national, online surveys conducted in 2020: March (N=1202), May-June (N=1,387), and November-December 2020 (N=1444). The surveys explored participants’ COVID-19-related attitudes and behaviors across a range of domains. Each presentation in this symposium will highlight a different focus of cross-generational research conducted over time, with a particular focus on experiences of adults ages 55 and over. The first will focus on participants’ overall health, wellbeing, and perceptions of the COVID-19 vaccine. The second will present experiences of family caregivers of older adults and children. The third will center on the impact of the pandemic on the generations’ retirement and longevity planning experiences. The fourth and final presentation will focus on participants’ attitudes and experiences using and adopting technology. This symposium will deepen attendees’ understandings of multigenerational attitudes and experiences during the COVID-19 pandemic, with a particular focus on the experiences of adults ages 55 and over.


Jean-Francois Trani, Brown school, Washington University in St Louis, Missouri, United States
Structural and social determinants of health differentially impact on social groups. Among those particularly disadvantaged during the life course are both persons with disabilities and refugees. Because of the way society treats these two populations, both persons with disabilities and refugees may face physical, social, economic and environmental barriers that impede them from benefiting from the same opportunities accessible to other social groups. As a result, these populations have less access to education, higher unemployment, are more likely to be deprived and excluded from social benefits. In other words, public stigma -prejudice and discrimination voiced and practiced by the general population-translates to a life course characterized by daily stressors that result in a higher likelihood of cognitive disorders and dementia. Measuring and analyzing SSDoH inclusive of disability and refugee experiences are essential to efforts aimed at recruitment and retention and knowledge generation in ADRD research.

SSDOH AND AGING IN PERSONS OF AFRICAN ANCESTRY Joyce Balls-Berry, Knight Alzheimer's Disease Research Center, Washington University in St. Louis, Missouri, United States
Persons of African Ancestry (Black) encompasses a broad spectrum of individuals across the African diaspora. The diversity of the Black community must be considered in the context of SSDoH especially as it relates to diseases of aging. Blacks report higher levels of discrimination as a barrier to Alzheimer's Disease or related dementia (ADRD) care, are less likely to receive timely diagnoses of ADRD, and many do not trust that a future cure for ADRD will be shared equally and equitability with their community compared to their white counterparts. Once diagnosed, older Blacks, are twice as likely as their white counterparts to have ADRD.
A key to addressing the Black community's ADRD needs is speaking openly about the historical underpinnings related to social injustice and racism as a link to appropriate ADRD diagnoses. Ultimately, SSDoH impact treatment, healthcare policy, and the future of biomedical research for the Black community.

UNDERSTANDING THE ABNORMAL TODAY FOR LIFE TOMORROW: A STUDY OF THE GENERATIONS DURING THE COVID-19 PANDEMIC Chair: Lisa D'Ambrosio Discussant: Lisa D'Ambrosio
The spread of COVID-19 in the United States in early 2020 abruptly transformed American life, with widespread closures of public spaces and businesses, limitations on social activities, and the need for individuals to physically distance from each other. Some changes wrought by the virus may persist post-pandemic -such as Americans' adoption of new technologies or disease prevention behaviors. Since the onset of COVID-related safer-at-home orders, the MIT AgeLab has sought to understand how the pandemic affects people's attitudes and behaviors. This symposium will present findings drawn from three waves of national, online surveys conducted in 2020: March (N=1202), May-June (N=1,387), and November-December 2020 (N=1444). The surveys explored participants' COVID-19-related attitudes and behaviors across a range of domains. Each presentation in this symposium will highlight a different focus of cross-generational research conducted over time, with a particular focus on experiences of adults ages 55 and over. The first will focus on participants' overall health, wellbeing, and perceptions of the COVID-19 vaccine. The second will present experiences of family caregivers of older adults and children. The third will center on the impact of the pandemic on the generations' retirement and longevity planning experiences. The fourth and final presentation will focus on participants' attitudes and experiences using and adopting technology. This symposium will deepen attendees' understandings of multigenerational attitudes and experiences during the COVID-19 pandemic, with a particular focus on the experiences of adults ages 55 and over.

SELF-REPORTED HEALTH, WELL-BEING, AND COVID-19 VACCINATION WILLINGNESS ACROSS THE GENERATIONS Taylor Patskanick, MIT, Somerville, Massachusetts, United States
The COVID-19 pandemic has impacted the generations' health and wellbeing across a range of dimensions. In the first survey, the 50+ adopted the smallest number of health Innovation in Aging, 2021, Vol. 5, No. S1

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GSA 2021 Annual Scientific Meeting