http://hdl.handle.net/2451/61957 2026-04-13T09:19:16Z http://hdl.handle.net/2451/75581 Title: From Basic Research to Institutional Intervention: Scaling Productive Aging to Mitigate Cumulative Disadvantage Authors: Gonzales, Ernest; Lee, Yeonjung Jane; Whetung, Cliff; Baek, Sehyun Abstract: As the United States population ages and becomes increasingly diverse, the concept of “productive aging”—encompassing employment, volunteering, and caregiving—offers a vital framework for bolstering both individual well-being and societal solvency. While these roles contribute trillions to the economy (citations), they are not equally accessible nor equally rewarding. This commentary synthesizes research demonstrating that work, service, and care are critical social determinants of health, yet remain heavily stratified by race, gender, and socioeconomic status. We argue that the "win-win" outcomes seen in successful interventions, such as AARP’s Experience Corps program, must be scaled through robust institutional support. However, current policy shifts—including budgetary cuts to social safety nets and the accelerated depletion of Social Security funds—threaten to widen health and economic inequities by reducing the institutional capacity to support older adults. We call for a transition from basic research to intersectional, experimental interventions that address lifelong cumulative disadvantages, ensuring that productive engagement remains a viable choice rather than a mandated burden for all aging populations. 2026-02-01T00:00:00Z http://hdl.handle.net/2451/75577 Title: Effects of APOE Alleles and Productive Aging Activites on Cognitive Health among Older Hispanics in the United States Authors: Gonzales, Ernest; Lee, Yeonjung Jane; Whetung, Cliff; Baek, Sehyun Abstract: Background. This study examined the longitudinal associations of productive aging activities – formal education, employment, volunteering – with cognitive functioning in the context of genetic inheritance (APOE alleles) among older Hispanics in the United States. Research Design and Methods. Mixed effect growth curve models tested associations with respondents in the Health and Retirement Study (8,558 observations longitudinally from 2010 to 2020), controlling for known health, economic, and social covariates. Results. A fifth of respondents carried one or two ε4 alleles. Most respondents had less than a high school diploma (46%), nearly half worked for pay (45%), less than one quarter engaged in formal volunteering (24%), and roughly a little over one-sixth engaged in informal volunteering (36%). Respondents with ε4 alleles experienced lower levels of cognitive health at baseline, yet slower slopes of cognitive decline across models. Higher levels of education conferred greater cognitive health cross-sectionally and a slower cognitive decline rate. Although employed respondents reported lower levels of cognitive health at baseline, employment protected their cognitive health overtime. Formal volunteering resulted in higher levels of cognitive health, yet associations were unstable across models. Foreign born Hispanics experienced higher levels of cognitive health at baseline relative to US born Hispanics. Income, depression, and other social contexts influenced cognitive health at baseline and overtime in expected directions. Discussion and Implications. Productive activities contributed to cognitive health, above and beyond genetic inheritance. Productive aging, income, and health policies and programs can bolster cognitive health. We also discuss areas for further research. 2026-02-01T00:00:00Z http://hdl.handle.net/2451/75576 Title: Productive Aging Shapes Economic, Health, and Social Outcomes Authors: Gonzales, Ernest; Lee, Yeonjung Jane; Whetung, Cliff; Wang, Yi Abstract: The United States population is rapidly aging and becoming far more diverse than in the past, leading to concerns about the solvency of social insurance programs like Social Security and Medicare, as well as the overall well-being of older adults. While acknowledging these challenges, the concept of productive aging emphasizes the need to create opportunities through social policy that allow older adults to remain engaged in employment, volunteering, and caregiving for their own benefit and the benefit of society. This commentary focuses on summarizing research across these productive aging domains, examining their economic, health, and social outcomes to inform future research and social policy. 2026-02-01T00:00:00Z http://hdl.handle.net/2451/74512 Title: Education and Formal Volunteering Delays Cognitive Decline among Hispanics: Implications for Public Health Interventions Authors: Gonzales, Ernest; Whetung, Cliff Abstract: This study examined the longitudinal associations of education and civic engagement with cognitive functioning among Hispanics in the United States. Methods included mixed effect growth curve models with Health and Retirement Study data on Hispanics in the United States (2006-2020, N = 2,437), controlling for economic, social, and health dimensions. Post-hoc analyses examined ages at which respondents met the threshold for cognitive impairment no dementia (CIND) status. Education and civic engagement resulted in a positive dose response with cognitive health benefits. The magnitude of health benefits, however, varied by educational attainment and civic intensity. Among Hispanics with less than a high school education, high intensity volunteering was positively associated with cognitive functioning at baseline and overtime, whereas any (low and high intensity) volunteering resulted in positive cognitive health at baseline and overtime among highly educated Hispanics. Post-hoc analyses reveal lower-educated respondents gained the greatest cognitive health benefits. High intensity volunteering delayed the onset of CIND status by 9 years among respondents with less than a high school education, in contrast to 5 years among college educated respondents. College completion and civic engagement are promising public health interventions to promote population health. Limitations and implications for future research are discussed. 2024-04-11T00:00:00Z