Mentor/s
Professor Jonix Owino
Participation Type
Poster
Abstract
Due to the novelty experience posed by COVID-19, understanding how older adults coped is important and more so, if their coping strategies varied by sex. Research studies show that older adults differ in terms of comorbidity, with women mostly affected. Since COVID-19 poses unique challenges such as social distancing and quarantine, the present study seeks to understand COVID-19 coping related strategies among older adults, and variations in coping by sex. The present study recruited 68 older adults (39 females and 29 males), aged 55-69 (m=65.7 years) from the East Coast region of the United States to participate in interviews on their perceptions of life during COVID-19. Thematic content analysis was used to analyze the data. Emergent themes showed that men and women used similar coping strategies e.g., having a positive mindset and embracing new technology. Variation in coping emerged when participants discussed social support as a way of coping. For female participants, social support seemed to provide emotional support in coping, whereas male participants used social networks to mainly seek information and stay up to date with COVID-19 related issues. By understanding COVID-19 implications societies can implement modes of service delivery to better meet the health needs of the population.
College and Major available
Psychology BS
Location
Digital Commons & West Campus West Building University Commons
Start Day/Time
4-26-2024 12:00 PM
End Day/Time
4-26-2024 2:00 PM
Creative Commons License
This work is licensed under a Creative Commons Attribution-Noncommercial 4.0 License
Prize Categories
Best Multidisciplinary Research or Collaboration, Best Visuals, Most Creative
How Older Men and Women Varied in Coping During COVID-19 Pandemic
Digital Commons & West Campus West Building University Commons
Due to the novelty experience posed by COVID-19, understanding how older adults coped is important and more so, if their coping strategies varied by sex. Research studies show that older adults differ in terms of comorbidity, with women mostly affected. Since COVID-19 poses unique challenges such as social distancing and quarantine, the present study seeks to understand COVID-19 coping related strategies among older adults, and variations in coping by sex. The present study recruited 68 older adults (39 females and 29 males), aged 55-69 (m=65.7 years) from the East Coast region of the United States to participate in interviews on their perceptions of life during COVID-19. Thematic content analysis was used to analyze the data. Emergent themes showed that men and women used similar coping strategies e.g., having a positive mindset and embracing new technology. Variation in coping emerged when participants discussed social support as a way of coping. For female participants, social support seemed to provide emotional support in coping, whereas male participants used social networks to mainly seek information and stay up to date with COVID-19 related issues. By understanding COVID-19 implications societies can implement modes of service delivery to better meet the health needs of the population.
Students' Information
Mateo Villarreal, Psychology, 2024
Mia Purcell, Psychology , 2025
Kathleen Longobardo, Psychology, 2024
Julein St. Claire, Psychology, 2024