Kyoungeun Lee, Risako Nishiyama, Sahib S Khalsa, Audrey Duarte
{"title":"How aging shapes interoception: a multimodal, multidimensional analysis.","authors":"Kyoungeun Lee, Risako Nishiyama, Sahib S Khalsa, Audrey Duarte","doi":"10.1093/geronb/gbag169","DOIUrl":"10.1093/geronb/gbag169","url":null,"abstract":"<p><strong>Objectives: </strong>Aging is known to influence perceptual sensitivity, yet its effects on interoception across the lifespan remain poorly understood. Prior research has largely focused on single interoceptive dimensions (e.g., interoceptive sensitivity) or modalities (e.g., cardiac interoception). Moreover, most studies have assessed interoception at rest, limiting insight into how individuals track real-time changes in interoceptive state. In this study, we examined age-related differences in both interoceptive sensitivity and sensibility across cardiac and respiratory modalities in healthy adults.</p><p><strong>Methods: </strong>In a single session, participants (N = 78; aged 18-79 years; Mage = 49.10) were assessed for: (a) interoceptive sensibility using the Multidimensional Assessment of Interoceptive Awareness (Version 2); (b) cardiac interoceptive awareness using a heartbeat tapping task under baseline and breath-holding perturbations; and (c) respiratory interoceptive awareness using an inspiratory load estimation task with varying resistance levels. Using the noninvasive interoceptive perturbations, we elicited dynamic fluctuations in interoceptive signals. Associations between age-related differences in interoceptive awareness measures were examined using linear mixed-effects models.</p><p><strong>Results: </strong>Our results revealed that older age was associated with reduced cardiac interoceptive sensitivity during breath-holding, while respiratory sensitivity remained stable across ages. Additionally, interoceptive sensibility increased with age, suggesting that task-based interoceptive performance and self-reported sensibility may follow divergent aging pathways.</p><p><strong>Discussion: </strong>These findings demonstrate that interoceptive awareness does not decline uniformly with age but instead varies by modality and dimension. By identifying how aging differentially impacts interoceptive sensitivity and sensibility across systems, this study opens new avenues for characterizing age-related changes in interoceptive awareness and bodily regulation.</p>","PeriodicalId":520811,"journal":{"name":"The journals of gerontology. Series B, Psychological sciences and social sciences","volume":" ","pages":""},"PeriodicalIF":3.2,"publicationDate":"2026-10-07","publicationTypes":"Journal Article","fieldsOfStudy":null,"isOpenAccess":false,"openAccessPdf":"","citationCount":null,"resultStr":null,"platform":"Semanticscholar","paperid":"148805446","PeriodicalName":null,"FirstCategoryId":null,"ListUrlMain":null,"RegionNum":0,"RegionCategory":"","ArticlePicture":[],"TitleCN":null,"AbstractTextCN":null,"PMCID":"","EPubDate":null,"PubModel":null,"JCR":null,"JCRName":null,"Score":null,"Total":0}
Eileen K Graham, Kayla Garner, Emorie D Beck, Kathryn L Jackson, Jing Luo, Gabrielle N Pfund, Tomiko Yoneda, Rongxin Cheng, Adam Nissen, Anne Zola, Chloe Fawns-Ritchie, Lily Pieramici, Winnie Wang, Stephen Antonoplis, Philip J Batterham, Tom Booth, Raul A España, Matthew J D Pilgrim, Christopher Beam, Katherina K Hauner, Andrew Steptoe, Elizabeth Zelinski, Simon R Cox, Martijn Huisman, William J Chopik, Daniel K Mroczek
{"title":"Associations between indicators of self-rated health, cognitive function, risk of cognitive impairment, and dementia: a coordinated data analysis.","authors":"Eileen K Graham, Kayla Garner, Emorie D Beck, Kathryn L Jackson, Jing Luo, Gabrielle N Pfund, Tomiko Yoneda, Rongxin Cheng, Adam Nissen, Anne Zola, Chloe Fawns-Ritchie, Lily Pieramici, Winnie Wang, Stephen Antonoplis, Philip J Batterham, Tom Booth, Raul A España, Matthew J D Pilgrim, Christopher Beam, Katherina K Hauner, Andrew Steptoe, Elizabeth Zelinski, Simon R Cox, Martijn Huisman, William J Chopik, Daniel K Mroczek","doi":"10.1093/geronb/gbag168","DOIUrl":"10.1093/geronb/gbag168","url":null,"abstract":"<p><strong>Objectives: </strong>A growing body of literature suggests that self- or patient- reported health may be associated with objective health outcomes. Self-reported health could thus be a noninvasive and low-cost way of identifying who is at risk of poor health in later life. However, no prior study has systematically examined this relationship using multiple large datasets. The goal of the current study was thus to examine the extent to which self-rated health was associated with cognitive function, a distinct outcome rather than an aspect of health itself.</p><p><strong>Methods: </strong>Using a coordinated data analysis (CDA) methodological framework, we identified 15 longitudinal datasets comprising over 140,000 participants representing 38 countries that met our analytic inclusion criteria. Our preregistered analyses tested (a) whether self-rated health was associated with cognitive function both concurrently and at longitudinal follow-up, (b) the odds of developing cognitive impairment or dementia over the course of the study, and (c) whether these associations persisted net of demographic and health covariates.</p><p><strong>Results: </strong>Across nearly all datasets, higher self-rated health was associated with better cognitive function (both concurrently and longitudinally) and lower odds of developing dementia, over and above the effects of chronic conditions. Age moderated some effects, such that these associations may be strongest among older adults.</p><p><strong>Discussion: </strong>The implications of these findings are discussed in terms of the predictive utility of single-item subjective health indicators on downstream health outcomes and the benefits of using CDA in aging research.</p>","PeriodicalId":520811,"journal":{"name":"The journals of gerontology. Series B, Psychological sciences and social sciences","volume":" ","pages":""},"PeriodicalIF":3.2,"publicationDate":"2026-10-07","publicationTypes":"Journal Article","fieldsOfStudy":null,"isOpenAccess":false,"openAccessPdf":"https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pmc/articles/PMC13632747/pdf/","citationCount":null,"resultStr":null,"platform":"Semanticscholar","paperid":"148836146","PeriodicalName":null,"FirstCategoryId":null,"ListUrlMain":null,"RegionNum":0,"RegionCategory":"","ArticlePicture":[],"TitleCN":null,"AbstractTextCN":null,"PMCID":"OA","EPubDate":null,"PubModel":null,"JCR":null,"JCRName":null,"Score":null,"Total":0}
Winkie Ma, Adam T Nissen, Zoe W Hawks, Daniel K Mroczek, Eileen K Graham, Emorie D Beck
{"title":"Personality trait and state associations with cognitive functioning and variability in middle-aged and older adults.","authors":"Winkie Ma, Adam T Nissen, Zoe W Hawks, Daniel K Mroczek, Eileen K Graham, Emorie D Beck","doi":"10.1093/geronb/gbag179","DOIUrl":"10.1093/geronb/gbag179","url":null,"abstract":"<p><strong>Objectives: </strong>Personality characteristics are recognized as early indicators of later cognitive functioning, yet existing studies have primarily focused on trait-level trends. How well these between-person differences uncover daily cognitive functioning processes remains unclear. Addressing this entails examining momentary personality states, which may accumulate over time to influence longer-term cognitive outcomes. Accordingly, this study investigates associations between personality traits and states and momentary cognitive functioning and variability.</p><p><strong>Methods: </strong>We conducted a three-week ecological momentary assessment study of middle-aged and older adults (N = 183). We used Bayesian mixed-effects location scale models to capture contingencies between personality and momentary cognitive functioning/variability. Additionally, we used machine learning (elastic net regression) to identify profiles of personality state-cognition contingencies and individuals who exhibit stronger associations.</p><p><strong>Results: </strong>At the trait level, higher conscientiousness was associated with poorer working memory and processing speed. Higher openness was associated with better cognitive functioning and lower variability for episodic memory and processing speed. At the state level, conscientiousness was associated with better working memory performance, while neuroticism was associated with variable episodic memory functioning. Extraversion was associated with working and episodic memory functioning/variability. Finally, sociodemographic, health, and personality trait variables emerged as top predictors of individual differences in within-person associations.</p><p><strong>Discussion: </strong>By investigating within-person associations between personality and cognitive ability, we demonstrate that trait-level associations do not necessarily generalize to state-level ones. Profiles of top predictors of individual differences in state-level associations may be promising targets for intervention, but interventions should be tailored with between- and within-person differences in mind.</p>","PeriodicalId":520811,"journal":{"name":"The journals of gerontology. Series B, Psychological sciences and social sciences","volume":" ","pages":""},"PeriodicalIF":3.2,"publicationDate":"2026-10-07","publicationTypes":"Journal Article","fieldsOfStudy":null,"isOpenAccess":false,"openAccessPdf":"https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pmc/articles/PMC13652028/pdf/","citationCount":null,"resultStr":null,"platform":"Semanticscholar","paperid":"148842753","PeriodicalName":null,"FirstCategoryId":null,"ListUrlMain":null,"RegionNum":0,"RegionCategory":"","ArticlePicture":[],"TitleCN":null,"AbstractTextCN":null,"PMCID":"OA","EPubDate":null,"PubModel":null,"JCR":null,"JCRName":null,"Score":null,"Total":0}
{"title":"The respective roles of negative and positive views of aging in predicting rehabilitation outcomes.","authors":"Asil Mansour, Yaakov Hoffman, Amit Shrira","doi":"10.1093/geronb/gbag171","DOIUrl":"10.1093/geronb/gbag171","url":null,"abstract":"<p><strong>Objectives: </strong>Subjective views of aging (VoA) predict health outcomes, yet most studies rely on specific measures of VoA in relatively healthy samples. Referring to multidimensional (generalized and personal) and multidirectional (negative and positive) VoA constructs, we examined whether these VoA constructs differentially predict rehabilitation outcomes among older adult patients coping with hip fracture and stroke.</p><p><strong>Methods: </strong>158 geriatric rehabilitation patients (mean age = 77.15, SD = 6.71) reported VoA at admission while referring to negative and positive generalized (Attitudes to Aging Questionnaire, AAQ) and personal views (awareness of age-related changes, AARC). Patients' functional independence was evaluated by healthcare personnel at admission and discharge, and rehabilitation efficiency (RE) was computed to reflect functional improvement relative to potential. Path analyses tested the unique contributions of negative and positive VoA (for both generalized and personal views) while adjusting for other predictors of RE.</p><p><strong>Results: </strong>For both generalized and personal VoA, negative views (i.e., AAQ-Losses and AARC-Losses) predicted lower RE, whereas positive views (i.e., AAQ-Growth and AARC-Gains) did not show significant effects on RE. Negative views had a significantly stronger effect on RE than positive views, but only for the AAQ subscales.</p><p><strong>Discussion: </strong>In the rehabilitation context, negative VoA, referring to age-related losses, appears more consequential for functional recovery than positive VoA (referring to age-related growth and gains). Findings support prioritizing interventions that identify and modify both generalized and personal attitudes, especially those focused on age-related losses, during rehabilitation to enhance functional outcomes.</p>","PeriodicalId":520811,"journal":{"name":"The journals of gerontology. Series B, Psychological sciences and social sciences","volume":" ","pages":""},"PeriodicalIF":3.2,"publicationDate":"2026-10-07","publicationTypes":"Journal Article","fieldsOfStudy":null,"isOpenAccess":false,"openAccessPdf":"https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pmc/articles/PMC13652014/pdf/","citationCount":null,"resultStr":null,"platform":"Semanticscholar","paperid":"148805474","PeriodicalName":null,"FirstCategoryId":null,"ListUrlMain":null,"RegionNum":0,"RegionCategory":"","ArticlePicture":[],"TitleCN":null,"AbstractTextCN":null,"PMCID":"OA","EPubDate":null,"PubModel":null,"JCR":null,"JCRName":null,"Score":null,"Total":0}
{"title":"Seeing no way out: exploring the connection between internalized caregiver stigma, entrapment, suicidal ideation, and depressive symptoms among Canadian informal caregivers.","authors":"Larissa Zwar, Brianna Halencak","doi":"10.1093/geronb/gbag181","DOIUrl":"10.1093/geronb/gbag181","url":null,"abstract":"<p><strong>Objectives: </strong>Informal caregivers' beliefs about caregiving for older adults (i.e., caregiver stigma) are associated with suicidal ideation and poor mental health. As only few studies have studied this association, the underlying mechanisms remain unclear. This study analyzed whether caregiver stigma is associated with suicidal ideation and depression via feelings of entrapment.</p><p><strong>Methods: </strong>Canadian long-term caregivers of adults aged 60+ years (N = 175, 18-95+ years) were surveyed online with the internalized caregiver stigma scale (self-devaluing [negative] and self-affirming [positive] stereotypes, attitudes, and behaviors), about their feelings of entrapment (short entrapment scale), depressive symptoms, and suicidal ideation (PHQ-9). Regression analysis with robust standard errors and causal mediation analysis with bootstrapped standard errors were conducted.</p><p><strong>Results: </strong>Regression models indicated entrapment and negative care stigma were associated with more depressive symptoms, and entrapment with higher suicidal ideation. Significant indirect effects of positive and negative caregiver stigma components on suicidal ideation as well as depressive symptoms via entrapment were found in the causal mediation models. Additionally, positive caregiver stigma interacted with entrapment in the model for suicidal ideation.</p><p><strong>Discussion: </strong>This study highlighted that the path from negative caregiver self-stigma to a higher level of suicidal ideation and depressive symptoms seems to be rooted through increased feelings of entrapment. Conversely, the self-affirming form of caregiver stigma had a hidden protective effect for both outcomes via lower feelings of entrapment. Targeting care-related stigma may thus help reduce the danger of negative mental health outcomes among caregivers of older adults by changing their perception of being trapped.</p>","PeriodicalId":520811,"journal":{"name":"The journals of gerontology. Series B, Psychological sciences and social sciences","volume":" ","pages":""},"PeriodicalIF":3.2,"publicationDate":"2026-10-07","publicationTypes":"Journal Article","fieldsOfStudy":null,"isOpenAccess":false,"openAccessPdf":"https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pmc/articles/PMC13682838/pdf/","citationCount":null,"resultStr":null,"platform":"Semanticscholar","paperid":"148842766","PeriodicalName":null,"FirstCategoryId":null,"ListUrlMain":null,"RegionNum":0,"RegionCategory":"","ArticlePicture":[],"TitleCN":null,"AbstractTextCN":null,"PMCID":"OA","EPubDate":null,"PubModel":null,"JCR":null,"JCRName":null,"Score":null,"Total":0}
Chioun Lee, Dana A Glei, Soojin Park, Maxine Weinstein
{"title":"Gender and racial/ethnic disparities in the life-course timing of first unpaid caregiving: a survival analysis approach.","authors":"Chioun Lee, Dana A Glei, Soojin Park, Maxine Weinstein","doi":"10.1093/geronb/gbag165","DOIUrl":"10.1093/geronb/gbag165","url":null,"abstract":"<p><strong>Objectives: </strong>Extensive research documents gender and racial/ethnic disparities in unpaid caregiving, defined as providing informal care to adults or children with illness, disability, or special care needs, excluding routine childcare. Yet, little is known about how the timing of caregiving entry varies across diverse groups. Despite the growing number of foreign-born Hispanics in the United States, evidence on caregiving entry among Hispanic subgroups remains scarce.</p><p><strong>Methods: </strong>We used data (N = 11,624) from the Health and Retirement Study (1992-2020) and the Life History Mail Survey (2017 and 2019). Using survival analysis, we estimated how the risk of entering first unpaid caregiving (lasting 6 months or longer) unfolds over the life course and varies by gender and racial/ethnic groups, as well as nativity among Hispanics.</p><p><strong>Results: </strong>The likelihood of entering caregiving increased gradually with age, peaking around age 56 and declining thereafter. Women were roughly twice as likely as men to become caregivers, with the gender gap widening through midlife and persisting into old age. Differences between non-Hispanic Blacks and non-Hispanic Whites were minimal. In contrast, U.S.-born Hispanics entered caregiving earlier in the life course than non-Hispanic Whites, whereas foreign-born Hispanics showed reduced entry particularly across midlife and old age. U.S.-born Hispanics show higher entry into caregiving than foreign-born Hispanics, with differences emerging in young adulthood.</p><p><strong>Discussion: </strong>Our findings underscore persistent gender disparities in unpaid caregiving beginning early in adulthood and continuing into later life. The distinct timing patterns among Hispanic subgroups highlight the importance of considering nativity status in caregiving research.</p>","PeriodicalId":520811,"journal":{"name":"The journals of gerontology. Series B, Psychological sciences and social sciences","volume":" ","pages":""},"PeriodicalIF":3.2,"publicationDate":"2026-10-07","publicationTypes":"Journal Article","fieldsOfStudy":null,"isOpenAccess":false,"openAccessPdf":"https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pmc/articles/PMC13563413/pdf/","citationCount":null,"resultStr":null,"platform":"Semanticscholar","paperid":"148805498","PeriodicalName":null,"FirstCategoryId":null,"ListUrlMain":null,"RegionNum":0,"RegionCategory":"","ArticlePicture":[],"TitleCN":null,"AbstractTextCN":null,"PMCID":"OA","EPubDate":null,"PubModel":null,"JCR":null,"JCRName":null,"Score":null,"Total":0}
Naomi Shin, Hongwei Zhang, Maria K Mor, Joseph Shin, Melissa E Dichter, Lena K Makaroun
{"title":"Characterizing lesbian, gay, and bisexual patients' experiences with elder abuse: A chart review study.","authors":"Naomi Shin, Hongwei Zhang, Maria K Mor, Joseph Shin, Melissa E Dichter, Lena K Makaroun","doi":"10.1093/geronb/gbag207","DOIUrl":"https://doi.org/10.1093/geronb/gbag207","url":null,"abstract":"<p><strong>Objectives: </strong>Older adults who identify as lesbian, gay, or bisexual (LGB) may be at increased risk of elder abuse (EA) due to unique risk factors; however, research in healthcare settings has been limited by the lack of data on sexual orientation. Since 2022, the Veterans Health Administration (VHA) has collected self-reported sexual orientation for all patients. The objective of this chart review study was to use newly available electronic health record (EHR) data to explore the documented experiences of older LGB adults identified with EA concerns.</p><p><strong>Methods: </strong>We randomly sampled 100 of 201 Veterans aged ≥60 years with an outpatient visit between 10/2022-9/2023 who identified as LGB and had a social work visit for possible abuse/neglect. We conducted protocolized chart reviews of clinical notes within ±180 days of the social work visit for 23 LGB patients, with EHR documentation confirming EA, to describe key characteristics and documented EA experiences.</p><p><strong>Results: </strong>Among 23 EA cases in LGB Veterans, 8 (35%) had cognitive impairment, 8 (35%) reported a history of child maltreatment, and 7 (30%) reported military sexual trauma. Veterans' sexual orientation was sometimes noted to contribute to past abuse experiences; however, the relationship between sexual orientation and EA or EA care processes was rarely documented by clinicians.</p><p><strong>Discussion: </strong>Findings highlight important considerations for sexual orientation minority patients experiencing EA, including opportunities to examine both contributors to EA risk among older LGB patients and to address LGB-specific care needs for this population in future research.</p>","PeriodicalId":520811,"journal":{"name":"The journals of gerontology. Series B, Psychological sciences and social sciences","volume":" ","pages":""},"PeriodicalIF":3.2,"publicationDate":"2026-10-07","publicationTypes":"Journal Article","fieldsOfStudy":null,"isOpenAccess":false,"openAccessPdf":"","citationCount":null,"resultStr":null,"platform":"Semanticscholar","paperid":"149130261","PeriodicalName":null,"FirstCategoryId":null,"ListUrlMain":null,"RegionNum":0,"RegionCategory":"","ArticlePicture":[],"TitleCN":null,"AbstractTextCN":null,"PMCID":"","EPubDate":null,"PubModel":null,"JCR":null,"JCRName":null,"Score":null,"Total":0}
{"title":"Retraumatization in dementia: a life-course trauma-dementia-abuse cycle linking early adversity and elder abuse.","authors":"Rebecca Bates","doi":"10.1093/geronb/gbag166","DOIUrl":"10.1093/geronb/gbag166","url":null,"abstract":"","PeriodicalId":520811,"journal":{"name":"The journals of gerontology. Series B, Psychological sciences and social sciences","volume":" ","pages":""},"PeriodicalIF":3.2,"publicationDate":"2026-10-07","publicationTypes":"Journal Article","fieldsOfStudy":null,"isOpenAccess":false,"openAccessPdf":"","citationCount":null,"resultStr":null,"platform":"Semanticscholar","paperid":"148805471","PeriodicalName":null,"FirstCategoryId":null,"ListUrlMain":null,"RegionNum":0,"RegionCategory":"","ArticlePicture":[],"TitleCN":null,"AbstractTextCN":null,"PMCID":"","EPubDate":null,"PubModel":null,"JCR":null,"JCRName":null,"Score":null,"Total":0}
Kyle D Moored, Vishaldeep K Sekhon, Qian-Li Xue, Jeanine M Parisi, Halima Amjad, George W Rebok, Dana A Eldreth, Michelle C Carlson
{"title":"Lifestyle activities and risk of incident dementia from linked insurance claims in the Baltimore Experience Corps Study.","authors":"Kyle D Moored, Vishaldeep K Sekhon, Qian-Li Xue, Jeanine M Parisi, Halima Amjad, George W Rebok, Dana A Eldreth, Michelle C Carlson","doi":"10.1093/geronb/gbag177","DOIUrl":"10.1093/geronb/gbag177","url":null,"abstract":"<p><strong>Objectives: </strong>Lifestyle activity engagement in later life may protect against dementia, but studies have often been limited to short follow-up periods and predominantly White samples. We examined activity variety and frequency as predictors of incident dementia, leveraging 15 years of linked longitudinal insurance claims data in the Baltimore Experience Corps Study (BECS).</p><p><strong>Methods: </strong>Participants were 482 individuals from BECS (2006-2013) with linked insurance claims (mean age = 68.2, 84% women, 95% Black/African American). Participants self-reported baseline engagement in 28 activities. We calculated the number of unique activities (activity variety) and average frequency of engagement across reported activities (activity frequency). Incident dementia (2008-2022) was ascertained from Centers for Medicare and Medicaid Services and private claims using the Bynum-EM algorithm. We used Cox proportional hazards models, adjusting for age and intervention group, and tested multiple follow-up periods (5-year, 15-year).</p><p><strong>Results: </strong>The average baseline variety was 18.8 activities (SD = 3.3) and frequency was 13.1 days/month (SD = 3.2). For the 15-year follow-up only, higher activity variety was associated with lower risk of incident dementia (HR = 0.94, 95% CI: 0.89-0.99), equivalent to about a 6-month delay in diagnosis per additional activity. This association was attenuated after adjusting for additional demographics (e.g., sex, education), prevalent health conditions, and depression (HR = 0.96, 95% CI: 0.90-1.01). Activity frequency was not significant in any model.</p><p><strong>Discussion: </strong>Higher activity variety, but not frequency, modestly predicted lower dementia risk over 15 years in a sample of primarily Black older adults. Findings suggest that engagement in a range of activities, rather than more frequent engagement in limited activities, may elicit greater cognitive benefits.</p>","PeriodicalId":520811,"journal":{"name":"The journals of gerontology. Series B, Psychological sciences and social sciences","volume":" ","pages":""},"PeriodicalIF":3.2,"publicationDate":"2026-10-07","publicationTypes":"Journal Article","fieldsOfStudy":null,"isOpenAccess":false,"openAccessPdf":"","citationCount":null,"resultStr":null,"platform":"Semanticscholar","paperid":"148842784","PeriodicalName":null,"FirstCategoryId":null,"ListUrlMain":null,"RegionNum":0,"RegionCategory":"","ArticlePicture":[],"TitleCN":null,"AbstractTextCN":null,"PMCID":"","EPubDate":null,"PubModel":null,"JCR":null,"JCRName":null,"Score":null,"Total":0}
{"title":"Termination of SNAP Emergency Allotments increased food insufficiency among older adults.","authors":"Colleen M Heflin, Hyeryung Jo","doi":"10.1093/geronb/gbag176","DOIUrl":"10.1093/geronb/gbag176","url":null,"abstract":"<p><strong>Objectives: </strong>We examined how the nationwide termination of Supplemental Nutrition Assistance Program (SNAP) Emergency Allotments (EA) affected food insufficiency among older adults aged 60 and older, a group with high rates of nutrition-sensitive disease conditions and low SNAP uptake.</p><p><strong>Methods: </strong>Using Household Pulse Survey data on older adult households with incomes below 200 percent of the federal poverty level, we applied a stacked difference-in-differences design to compare food insufficiency within 3-month windows before and after EA termination.</p><p><strong>Results: </strong>Food insufficiency rose by 1.5 percentage points among older adult households overall and by 3.3 percentage points among older adults living alone, with no significant change among those not living alone. The difference in effects between those living alone and those not living alone was not statistically significant at conventional levels (p = .091). Sensitivity analyses restricting to self-identified SNAP recipients or varying the analytic window yielded consistent results.</p><p><strong>Discussion: </strong>These findings indicate that the loss of higher SNAP benefits substantially increased food hardship among low-income older adults post-COVID, underscoring the need for adequate benefit levels.</p>","PeriodicalId":520811,"journal":{"name":"The journals of gerontology. Series B, Psychological sciences and social sciences","volume":" ","pages":""},"PeriodicalIF":3.2,"publicationDate":"2026-10-07","publicationTypes":"Journal Article","fieldsOfStudy":null,"isOpenAccess":false,"openAccessPdf":"","citationCount":null,"resultStr":null,"platform":"Semanticscholar","paperid":"148836147","PeriodicalName":null,"FirstCategoryId":null,"ListUrlMain":null,"RegionNum":0,"RegionCategory":"","ArticlePicture":[],"TitleCN":null,"AbstractTextCN":null,"PMCID":"","EPubDate":null,"PubModel":null,"JCR":null,"JCRName":null,"Score":null,"Total":0}