Healthy Aging CORE Research Spotlight: August 2023

Research Spotlight: Vanier Institute of the Family

The Vanier Institute of the Family is a national, independent, charitable organization committed to enhancing family wellbeing by making information about families accessible and actionable. The Vanier Institute shares evidence and strengthens our understanding of families in Canada, in all their diversities, to support evidence-based decisions that promote family wellbeing.

On the Vanier Institute website you can find resources such as reports, factsheets, infographics, and research summaries. Caregiving, grandparents, and multigenerational family relationships are some of their research areas relevant to older adults. Below we highlight some examples of their resources:

• Research Snapshot: Urban Indigenous Perspectives on Juggling Paid Work and Unpaid Care for Elders
• Research Recap: Wellbeing of Middle-Aged and Older Adults Without Partners or Children
• Infographic Compilation: Employed Caregivers in Canada
• Report: Family Perspectives on Death and Dying in Canada
• Article: National Grandparents’ Day: New Insights from Canadian Research

New Research Reports on CORE Canada

• A Multidimensional Social Inquiry into the Loneliness Problem: Urbanization, Technological Mediation, and Neoliberal Individualism [Tara Milbrandt & Ondine Park]

New Journal Articles

Open Access Articles

Articles that are free and accessible to the general public.

Jamal, S., Newbold, K. B., & Scott, D. M. (2023). Analysis of millennials and older adults’ automobility behavior in Hamilton, Ontario. Urban, Planning and Transport Research, 11(1), 2197979. https://doi.org/10.1080/21650020.2023.2197979

Jamal and colleagues compared the utilization of automobiles by millenials and older adults living in Hamilton, Ontario. Some of the findings included that in both generations women were less likely to use an automobile; older adult households had fewer automobiles than millenial households; and low-income households and apartment households have fewer automobiles.

Closed Access Articles

Articles that require a paid subscription. If you are a student or alumni of a college or university you may be able to access these through your institution’s library.

Ayalon, L., Roy, S., Aloni, O., & Keating, N. (2023). A Scoping Review of Research on Older People and Intergenerational Relations in the Context of Climate Change. The Gerontologist, 63(5), 945–958. https://doi.org/10.1093/geront/gnac028

This scoping review summarizes 20 articles on intergenerational relationships within the context of climate change. Two common narratives were identified in the literature. The first set of narratives emphasizes intergenerational differences (i.e., in terms of climate change attitudes, energy consumption, or ecological knowledge) and conflicts. The second set of narratives focuses on intergenerational solidarity and the transmission of knowledge and skills between generations.

Nguyen, T. T., & Levasseur, M. (2023). How Does Community-Based Housing Foster Social Participation in Older Adults: Importance of Well-Designed Common Space, Proximity to Resources, Flexible Rules and Policies, and Benevolent Communities. Journal of Gerontological Social Work, 66(1), 103-133. https://doi.org/10.1080/01634372.2022.2133199

This scoping review explored how community-based housing can foster the social participation of older adults. Based on a review of 46 relevant studies, the authors identified four key facilitators of social participation in community-based housing: 1) accessible, well-designed common spaces; 2) proximity to services, amenities, and social networks; 3) flexible rules and policies that facilitate residents’ interactions with fellow residents and community neighbors; and 4) communities where older adults feel welcome, respected and cared for. 

Research Participation Opportunities

Preventing male suicide through social connection and mutual help

This study explores men’s perspectives and experiences of peer support and mutual help for mental health challenges. Findings from this research will be used to inform the development of a novel peer support resource for men. Find out more about how you can participate here.