Margie E. Lachman’s research while affiliated with Brandeis University and other places

Empirical evidence has documented that later-born cohorts of middle-aged adults in the U.S. are reporting poorer mental and physical health than earlier-born cohorts. However, less is known about whether this is specific to the U.S. or generalizes to other nations and to what extent this is found for both self-report and objective indicators of physical health and how this might differ between men and women. Our study aims to examine similarities and differences in historical change of midlife development in self-rated health, health conditions, and grip strength by using harmonized data comprising longitudinal panel surveys from the U.S., Mexico, 13 nations in Europe, South Korea, and China. Results from multilevel models, stratified by gender, revealed historical stability in self-rated health and health conditions for middle-aged men in the U.S., whereas middle-aged women demonstrated historical declines in self-rated health and historical increases in health conditions. Historical improvements in self-rated health were observed for both men and women in England, Mediterranean Europe, Nordic Europe, and China. Historical decreases in health conditions were observed for both men and women in England and Mexico. Both men and women in the U.S. and China exhibited historical declines in grip strength, whereas both men and women in Nordic Europe and South Korea showed historical improvements. Our discussion focuses on better understanding these national gender differences in historical trends by considering how the dynamically changing historical context impacts ways of living and health care systems and the implications for developmental outcomes at the individual and population level.

Are certain parts of the world home to people with a higher sense of mastery? Does mastery vary across key demographic factors in similar or different ways across national contexts? These questions have been underexplored, or not explored at all. We analyzed nationally representative data from 22 countries in the Global Flourishing Study (N=202,898) and evaluated these questions. People with the highest mastery were found in countries from Latin America (e.g., #1 Mexico, #3 Argentina), the Middle East/North Africa (e.g., #2 Egypt), and in high-income societies across different regions (e.g., #4 Israel, #5 United States, #6 Spain, #7 Sweden, #8 Hong Kong, and #9 Australia). The results indicate that high a sense of mastery is achievable in diverse geographical and cultural contexts. Meta-analytic results that pooled country-specific estimates showed a progressive increase in mastery with age. Higher mastery was reported by people who were self-employed or employed by an employer, married, highly educated, regular attendees of religious services, and men. We also observed substantial heterogeneity in these factors across countries. Our research contributes to a more nuanced understanding of global patterns of mastery, and also suggests pathways for fostering mastery within and across diverse national contexts.

How might we cultivate a life imbued with a sense of mastery? An expanding body of research demonstrates that a heightened sense of mastery improves health and well-being outcomes. Despite this, it remains unclear which childhood factors foster increased mastery in adulthood. Further, existing studies have examined this question only within single countries. We analyzed nationally representative data from 22 countries in the Global Flourishing Study (N=202,898) and evaluated if 11 aspects of a child's upbringing predict mastery in adulthood, and also whether these associations vary by country. Some childhood factors were associated with increased mastery in adulthood, including good health, good relationships with mothers and fathers, economic stability, and regular religious service attendance. Childhood factors associated with decreased mastery in adulthood included abuse, feeling like an outsider in one’s family, poor health, economic hardship, and being female. However, there was little evidence that parent marital status or immigration status in childhood were associated with mastery in adulthood. Our meta-analysis also revealed substantial heterogeneity in childhood pathways to adult mastery across 22 countries. With further research, these findings could inform the development of globally adaptable, yet locally nuanced, programs and policies designed to foster a mastery across the globe.

Are certain parts of the world home to people with a higher sense of mastery? Does mastery vary across key demographic factors in similar or different ways across national contexts? These questions have been underexplored, or not explored at all. We analyzed nationally representative data from 22 countries in the Global Flourishing Study (N=202,898) and evaluated these questions. People with the highest mastery were found in countries from Latin America (e.g., #1 Mexico, #3 Argentina), the Middle East/North Africa (e.g., #2 Egypt), and in high-income societies across different regions (e.g., #4 Israel, #5 United States, #6 Spain, #7 Sweden, #8 Hong Kong, and #9 Australia). The results indicate that high a sense of mastery is achievable in diverse geographical and cultural contexts. Meta-analytic results that pooled country-specific estimates showed a progressive increase in mastery with age. Higher mastery was reported by people who were self-employed or employed by an employer, married, highly educated, regular attendees of religious services, and men. We also observed substantial heterogeneity in these factors across countries. Our research contributes to a more nuanced understanding of global patterns of mastery, and also suggests pathways for fostering mastery within and across diverse national contexts.

Are certain parts of the world home to people with a higher sense of mastery? Does mastery vary across key demographic factors in similar or different ways across national contexts? These questions have been underexplored, or not explored at all. We analyzed nationally representative data from 22 countries in the Global Flourishing Study (N=202,898) and evaluated these questions. People with the highest mastery were found in countries from Latin America (e.g., #1 Mexico, #3 Argentina), the Middle East/North Africa (e.g., #2 Egypt), and in high-income societies across different regions (e.g., #4 Israel, #5 United States, #6 Spain, #7 Sweden, #8 Hong Kong, and #9 Australia). The results indicate that high a sense of mastery is achievable in diverse geographical and cultural contexts. Meta-analytic results that pooled country-specific estimates showed a progressive increase in mastery with age. Higher mastery was reported by people who were self-employed or employed by an employer, married, highly educated, regular attendees of religious services, and men. We also observed substantial heterogeneity in these factors across countries. Our research contributes to a more nuanced understanding of global patterns of mastery, and also suggests pathways for fostering mastery within and across diverse national contexts.

How might we cultivate a life imbued with a sense of mastery? An expanding body of research demonstrates that a heightened sense of mastery improves health and well-being outcomes. Despite this, it remains unclear which childhood factors foster increased mastery in adulthood. Further, existing studies have examined this question only within single countries. We analyzed nationally representative data from 22 countries in the Global Flourishing Study (N=202,898) and evaluated if 11 aspects of a child's upbringing predict mastery in adulthood, and also whether these associations vary by country. Some childhood factors were associated with increased mastery in adulthood, including good health, good relationships with mothers and fathers, economic stability, and regular religious service attendance. Childhood factors associated with decreased mastery in adulthood included abuse, feeling like an outsider in one’s family, poor health, economic hardship, and being female. However, there was little evidence that parent marital status or immigration status in childhood were associated with mastery in adulthood. Our meta-analysis also revealed substantial heterogeneity in childhood pathways to adult mastery across 22 countries. With further research, these findings could inform the development of globally adaptable, yet locally nuanced, programs and policies designed to foster a mastery across the globe.

Accumulating studies have documented strong associations between a higher sense of control and improved health and well‐being outcomes. However, less is known about the determinants of increased sense of control. Our analysis used data from 13,771 older adults in the Health and Retirement Study (HRS)—a diverse, longitudinal, and national study of adults aged >50 in the United States. Using generalized linear regression models, with a lagged exposure‐wide approach, we evaluated how changes in 59 predictors (i.e., physical health, health behavior, and psychosocial factors) over a 4‐year period (between t0;2006/2008 and t1;2010/2012) might lead to changes in sense of control another 4‐years later (t2;2014/2016). After adjusting for a rich set of baseline covariates, changes in some health behaviors (e.g., sleep problems), physical health conditions (e.g., physical functioning limitations, eyesight), and psychosocial factors (e.g., positive affect, purpose in life) were associated with changes in sense of control four years later. However, there was little evidence that other factors were associated with a subsequent sense of control. A key challenge in advancing intervention development is the identification of antecedents that predict a sense of control. Our results identified several novel targets for interventions and policies aimed at increasing a sense of control.

According to the Flynn effect, cognitive abilities have improved across the past decades. However, we know little about whether such historical improvements generalize to middle-aged adults and differ across nations. In this study, we used harmonized data on episodic memory from nationally representative longitudinal panel surveys including the U.S., Europe, Mexico, and China to compare historical change in age-related trajectories of episodic memory among middle-aged adults. Our sample included 89,775 participants aged 45 to 65 years who provided 272,876 observations over up to 20 years. Longitudinal multilevel regression models revealed that today’s middle-aged adults in the U.S. perform worse on episodic memory tests than their age peers in the past. In contrast, today’s middle-aged adults in most other countries perform better than did their peers in the past. At the same time, later-born cohorts of U.S. middle-aged adults exhibited a more favorable episodic memory trajectory than earlier-born cohorts, whereas this trend was not observed in most other countries. Cohort trends remained significant when controlling for socio-demographic indicators (gender, education) and health measures (grip strength, number of chronic diseases). Women and individuals with higher levels of education, higher grip strength and fewer chronic diseases exhibited better episodic memory performance, and the association of grip strength with episodic memory was stronger in later-born cohorts. Our findings suggest that countries differ in the extent and direction of historical change in episodic memory scores and trajectories. More research is needed to better understand why the Flynn effect in the U.S. seems to be reversed.

People vary widely in their rates of age-related cognitive decline. Slower rates of decline have been linked to individual differences in perceived control, but less is known about how (mechanisms) and at what stage in the lifespan (moderators) this modifiable psychological resource is linked to preserved cognitive functioning. Our study examined changes in light physical activity (LPA) as an unexplored mechanism that may link changes in two facets of perceived control (personal mastery, perceived constraints) to 9-year trajectories of cognitive aging. We also examined whether mediated pathways were moderated by age (i.e., differed across the adult lifespan). We analyzed 9-year data from the Midlife in the United States Study (n=2,456; age= 56±11 years) using autoregressive mediation and moderated-mediation models. Mediation models showed that changes in personal mastery and perceived constraints predicted changes in LPA (βs=.06-.08, ps<.01), which in turn predicted 9-year changes in episodic memory and executive functioning (βs=.05-.13, ps<.02). Moderated-mediation models showed that, for episodic memory, the mediated pathways were strongest in old age and emerged only for constraints: For only older adults, declines in constraints predicted less decline in LPA (β=.11, p<.001), which in turn predicted slower declines in episodic memory (β=.05, p=.001). Results were consistent in sensitivity analyses that controlled for levels and changes in moderate-to-vigorous physical activity. Our findings inform lifespan theories of control and provide initial evidence that changes in a largely overlooked health behavior (LPA) may underlie the influence of perceived constraints on cognitive functioning, with this pathway becoming more pronounced in late life.

Research demonstrates that demographic (e.g., age, education) and behavioral variables (e.g., physical activity, smoking) are related to individual differences in cognitive aging. Although some work has examined modifiable psychosocial factors (e.g., control beliefs, purpose in life, social contact) in relation to cognitive aging, they are typically examined separately. To examine their additive rather than net effects, we standardized and averaged three psychosocial factors to create a continuous composite of sense of control, purpose in life, and social support in a sample of adults (N = 2,497, ages 28-85) from the second (2004-2006) and third (2013-2014) waves of the Midlife in the United States study. Using multiple regression, we tested the composite as a predictor of 9 to 10 year changes in episodic memory and executive functioning. Results showed that those higher on the psychosocial composite demonstrated less decline in both cognitive measures, even after controlling for established demographic, health, and behavioral risk factors of cognitive aging. We then assigned participants a score of 0 if they were below the median or a 1 if equal to or above the median on each psychosocial factor, such that total scores varied from 0 to 3. Those high on all three factors were better able to maintain their cognitive health compared to those who had fewer. These findings suggest that interventions that focus on a combination of psychosocial factors could be protective in reducing the rate of cognitive decline in middle and older adulthood.