The multidimensional structure of the Life Satisfaction Index A and its application in research on aging

Three sections, in the form of complete papers for professional publication, form the core of this dissertation. Paper 1 used data from a national survey to compare three second-order factor models of the Life Satisfaction Index A (LSIA) through confirmatory factor analyses. Support was found for all three models, with the model suggested by Liang fitting slightly better than the other two;Paper 2 examined the stability of three LSIA dimensions, and their relationships to predictor variables, across age-groups, cohorts, and time. Stacked-group LISREL models were fit to data on 58 to 85 year-olds from two national surveys. Factor loadings and causal paths were found to be invariant across age and time for persons 65 years of age, and older. Factor loadings were invariant for those 58 to 64; however, causal paths varied;Paper 3 used a multidimensional LSIA model in research on economic stress and psychological well-being. Data were collected from rural Iowans during a period of rural economic stress. Age-specific regressions on the individual LSIA dimensions showed patterns of relationships that would not have otherwise been evident;Collectively, the three papers show a multidimensional model of the LSIA to be stable when applied to older adults. There may be differences in the factor structure of the LSIA for younger persons. There is also evidence that the determinants of life satisfaction vary across age-groups. It is strongly recommended that the LSIA dimensions be analyzed individually on methodological and substantive grounds. Results from previous research, using the LSIA as a unidimensional measure, should be viewed with caution

The multidimensional structure of the Life Satisfaction Index A and its application in research on aging

Three sections, in the form of complete papers for professional publication, form the core of this dissertation. Paper 1 used data from a national survey to compare three second-order factor models of the Life Satisfaction Index A (LSIA) through confirmatory factor analyses. Support was found for all three models, with the model suggested by Liang fitting slightly better than the other two;Paper 2 examined the stability of three LSIA dimensions, and their relationships to predictor variables, across age-groups, cohorts, and time. Stacked-group LISREL models were fit to data on 58 to 85 year-olds from two national surveys. Factor loadings and causal paths were found to be invariant across age and time for persons 65 years of age, and older. Factor loadings were invariant for those 58 to 64; however, causal paths varied;Paper 3 used a multidimensional LSIA model in research on economic stress and psychological well-being. Data were collected from rural Iowans during a period of rural economic stress. Age-specific regressions on the individual LSIA dimensions showed patterns of relationships that would not have otherwise been evident;Collectively, the three papers show a multidimensional model of the LSIA to be stable when applied to older adults. There may be differences in the factor structure of the LSIA for younger persons. There is also evidence that the determinants of life satisfaction vary across age-groups. It is strongly recommended that the LSIA dimensions be analyzed individually on methodological and substantive grounds. Results from previous research, using the LSIA as a unidimensional measure, should be viewed with caution.</p

The Effects of Working Nontraditional Hours On Life Satisfaction

One of the central features of modern society is the synchronization of activity that permits it to operate. As noted by Hawley (1950:288-316) and Moore ("1963:117-122), there are well-defined cycles of activity around which our culture is organized. One of the most important of these is the daily business cycle about which most of our lives are arranged. It is hypothesized that maintaining nontraditional daily routines will have negative consequences for the individual. Due to the low status and income characteristics generally associated with nighttime occupations, lack of access to career-enhancing contacts, isolation from socioemotional support networks, and physical stress from variable daily rout ines and rest interruptions, it is believed that nighttime workers will exhibit lower socioeconomic status and lower life satisfaction than persons maintaining traditional daily routines. This research will use data from a national time-use study to focus on the relationship between nighttime employment and life satisfaction

Long-term effects of universal preventive interventions on methamphetamine use among adolescents. Arch Pediatr Adolesc Med

ABSTRACT Background This is a supplemental report on tests of the long-term effects of universal preventive interventions conducted during middle school on 17-21-year-olds&apos; prescription drug misuse. Design/setting/participants Two randomized controlled prevention trials were conducted in public schools in the rural midwestern United States. Study 1 began in 1993, with 667 6th-graders; follow-ups with 12th-graders and 21-year-olds included 457 and 483 participants, respectively. Study 2 began in 1998 with 7th-graders (total sample across waves 2127); follow-ups with 11th-and 12th-graders included 1443 and 1212 participants, respectively. Interventions In study 1, schools were assigned to the Iowa Strengthening Families Program (ISFP), Preparing for the Drug Free Years, or a control condition. In study 2, schools were assigned to the school-based Life Skills Training (LST) plus a revised ISFP, called SFP 10-14 (LST + SFP 10-14), LST-only, or a control condition. Measurements Self reports of lifetime and past-year prescription drug misuse. Findings In study 1, ISFP 12th-graders&apos; past year narcotic misuse was significantly less than controls, as were ISFP 21-year-olds&apos; life-time narcotic and barbiturate misuse rates. In study 2, LST + SFP 10-14 showed significant effects on life-time prescription drug misuse at the 11th-grade follow-up, while effects at the 12th-grade follow-up were marginally significant. Conclusions Consistent with intervention effects on other substance use outcomes reported earlier, results suggest that universal interventions have potential for pubic health impact by reducing some types of prescription drug misuse among adolescents and young adults

A Model of the Effects of Protective Parent and Peer Factors on Young Adolescent Alcohol Refusal Skills

This paper describes the specification and testing of a model of protective parent and peer factors in peer refusal skills. Two modifiable protective factors suggested by relevant research on adolescent substance use—child attachment with parents and association with peers having prosocial norms—were incorporated as independent variables in the model. The effects of parent and child attendance at skills training interventions were also assessed. Covariance structure modeling of data from a sample of 209 families participating in a controlled study of a family-oriented skills intervention was used to test two versions of the model, one version addressing attachment and skills training attendance specific to mothers and one specific to fathers. Following two indicated modifications of the original model, strong fits with the data were achieved for both mother and father versions of the model; hypothesized protective factor effects and skills training effects were significant

Six-Year Sustainability of Evidence-Based Intervention Implementation Quality by Community-University Partnerships: The PROSPER Study

There is a knowledge gap concerning how well community-based teams fare in implementing evidence-based interventions (EBIs) over many years, a gap that is important to fill because sustained high quality EBI implementation is essential to public health impact. The current study addresses this gap by evaluating data from PROSPER, a community-university intervention partnership model, in the context of a randomized-control trial of 28 communities. Specifically, it examines community teams’ sustainability of implementation quality on a range of measures, for both family-focused and school-based EBIs. Average adherence ratings approached 90% for family-focused and school-based EBIs, across as many as 6 implementation cohorts. Additional indicators of implementation quality similarly showed consistently positive results. Correlations of the implementation quality outcomes with a number of characteristics of community teams and intervention leaders were calculated to explore their potential relevance to sustained implementation quality. Though several relationships attained statistical significance at particular points in time, none were stable across cohorts. The role of PROSPER’s continuous, proactive technical assistance in producing the positive results is discussed