12/04/2023
By Hsien-Yuan Hsu

Date: Wednesday, Dec. 6
Time: Noon to 1 p.m.
Location: Coburn Hall 275
Speaker: Lingming Chen (candidate for ScD in Epidemiology)
Topic: Gender Differences in the Relationships among Mental Health, Sleep Quality and Physical Activity: The Healthy Aging and Neighborhood Study

Abstract:
In the United States, the rapidly growing older adult population becomes increasingly diverse in socioeconomic and racial/ethnic background. These changes highlight the need for more attention on disparities in healthy aging. This presentation discusses gender differences in the relationships among mental health, sleep quality and physical activity among older adults using data from the Healthy Aging and Neighborhood Study (HANS). First, I will discuss gender differences in the association between perceived stress and sleep quality. My analysis found that older women, but not men, with elevated stress were significantly more likely to have lower sleep quality. Second, I will discuss the mediation effect of out-of-home activity in the relationship between gender and anxiety symptoms. My analysis shows that 12% of the gender differences in anxiety symptoms can be explained by gender differences in out of home activity. The findings from these analyses may inform the design and implementation of intervention programs to reduce health disparities and improve well-being for older adults.

Bio:
Lingming Chen is a candidate for ScD in Epidemiology in the Department of Public Health at the University of Massachusetts Lowell. Her mentor is Wenjun Li. She is a graduate research assistant for the Healthy Aging and Neighborhood Study.