Gendered identities in old age: Toward (de)gendering?

This study, based on a telephone survey, examines retirement planning behaviors and retirement satisfaction of 1,078 middle-aged respondents in Hong Kong. The findings show that, in general, middle-aged Hong Kong adults do little retirement planning. Retirement planning behaviors focus on a very narrow set of activities, including financial and health planning. Of the 19 planning variables, only a few were significantly related to perception of sufficiency in retirement planning and retirement satisfaction. More important, middle-aged adults in Hong Kong no longer feel that they can depend on their family for support for retirement planning or satisfaction during retirement. The lack of private and public support for retirement planning left the respondents feeling unsure as to whether they have the capability to plan sufficiently for retirement. The discussion concludes with policy implications related to assisting middle-aged individuals in planning for retirement.

Retirement Planning and Retirement Satisfaction: The Need for a National Retirement Program and Policy in Hong Kong

INTRODUCTION The impact of geographical location on the maintenance of older rural women's health and well-being has been largely unexamined in the research literature. Contextual explanations of environmental impact on health status have been traditionally been assigned to a narrow picture of rural life which emphasized occupational health at the expense of sociological aspects. There have been many research programs about ageing Australian people in urban areas but few concerning the older rural population. Few clues can be found as to how their needs and expectations may differ from those of their urban counterparts. The size of Australia's older population is increasing and steadily becoming feminised. Approximately 37% of these older women live outside capital cities in rural and remote areas. For those planning services for this group of older women, the influence of the rural and remote social and physical context on health and well-being must be understood and considered. METHODS Data were collected in 2001 for this qualitative study from the five old (78-88 years), widowed rural women participants who had lived most of their lives on farms, by in-depth interviewing regarding life history, and by using personal document strategies. The life history research approach guided data collection, while thematic analysis was employed to avoid examining isolated themes. Social constructionism and socio-environmental theory of gerontology provided the philosophical boundaries to the central research question. RESULTS While each informant's life history was unique, it was found that the informants' health and well-being were profoundly influenced by the geographical location of living on the land. CONCLUSION This small study, which should be extended by a larger study, may be seen as a beginning step in defining health promotional activities, policy development and service programs for older rural women that are both person-centered and sensitive to their unique lifestyle.

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The meaning of health and well-being: voices from older rural women

Hong Kong's population is aging but retirement research is largely missing from the research agenda in Hong Kong. This study, based on a telephone survey of 1,078 respondents, examines middle-aged adult's retirement planning activities in Hong Kong. The findings show men are more likely to be involved in financial planning, while women are more likely to take part in some forms of health, living arrangement and psychological planning for retirement. Further, there are age, education and income differences in the various forms of retirement planning activities within genders. Women are living longer; because of their lack of financial retirement planning, they are prime candidates for poverty. The discussion concludes with policy implications related to assisting midlife individuals, in particular women, in planning for retirement.

Women and retirement planning: towards the "feminization of poverty" in an aging Hong Kong.

Background. The Cancer Screening Project for Women is about the experiences of legally unmarried women aged 40 to 75 years. Methods. Prior to the implementation of a survey of experiences with breast, cervical, and colorectal cancer screenings, we used cognitive-based interviewing to evaluate questions for measuring sexual orientation and gender expression. Results. We conducted interviews with 40 women, 19 who partner with women and 21 who partner with men. Interviews highlighted respondent confusion, clarified the meaning of terms, and improved the comprehension and utility of questions. Conclusions. Cognitive interview techniques can improve the validity and reliability of data collected by cancer screening programs.

Measuring sexual orientation and gender expression among middle-aged and older women in a cancer screening study.

This study investigated the relationships of gender role orientations (Feminine, Masculine, & Androgynous) with self-perceived health status, health behavior, and qualitative well-being experience in a simple random sample of community-dwelling older women (N = 70). Instruments used were The Bern Sex Role Inventory (Bern, 1974); The Seniors' Lifestyle Inventory (Schwirian, 1991); and The Integration Inventory (Ruffing-Rahal, 1991). Findings revealed the greatest number of significant positive correlations with the Feminine orientation; Androgyny was significantly linked with qualitative well-being and with a positive self-comparison in relation to peers and Masculinity was positively linked with health behavior. Findings are interpreted in light of successful aging issues for older women.

Lois J. Barin

Papers

Gender Role Orientation as a Correlate of Perceived Health, Health Behavior, and Qualitative Well-Being in Older Women

Observations on Clinical Audiology in Iran