Recent Findings from Rush University Medical Center Provides New Insights into Geriatrics and Gerontology (Correlates of Susceptibility To Scams In Community-dwelling Older Black Adults)

2021 MAY 20 (NewsRx) -- By a News Reporter-Staff News Editor at Health Policy and Law Daily -- New research on Aging Research - Geriatrics and Gerontology is the subject of a report. According to news reporting from Chicago, Illinois, by NewsRx journalists, research stated, “Evidence suggests that older Black adults are frequent victims of financial fraud and exploitation. This study aims to identify the factors associated with scam susceptibility in older Black adults.”

Financial supporters for this research include NIH National Institute on Aging (NIA), FINRA Investor Education Foundation.

The news correspondents obtained a quote from the research from Rush University Medical Center, “Participants were 383 older Black adults living in the Chicago metropolitan area (mean age = 78 years and 82% female). A scam susceptibility measure assessed perceptions and behaviors that predispose older adults to fraud and scams. Categories of age-associated factors, including cognition, physical health, psychosocial factors, personality, and behavioral economics, were measured using uniform systematic assessments. For each category separately, measures associated with scam susceptibility were identified via stepwise variable selection. Older age was associated with greater scam susceptibility. Further, the analysis revealed a robust association of cognitive health with scam susceptibility, particularly the domains of semantic and working memory. Psychological well-being was associated with susceptibility, as was neuroticism. Behavioral economic measures including financial and health literacy and financial and health decision-making ability were also implicated. In a final model that included all the measures initially retained by variable selection, semantic memory, psychological well-being, and financial and health literacy were independently associated with scam susceptibility. Moreover, the association of age was attenuated and no longer significant after adjusting for these correlates. Age-associated vulnerabilities, rather than age itself, predispose older Black adults to financial fraud and scams.”

According to the news reporters, the research concluded: “The correlates of scam susceptibility in community-living older Black adults primarily involve cognitive health, psychological, and behavioral economic factors.”

This research has been peer-reviewed.

For more information on this research see: Correlates of Susceptibility To Scams In Community-dwelling Older Black Adults. Gerontology, 2021. Gerontology can be contacted at: Karger, Allschwilerstrasse 10, Ch-4009 Basel, Switzerland. (Karger - http://www.karger.com/; Gerontology - http://content.karger.com/ProdukteDB/produkte.asp?Aktion=JournalHome&ProduktNr=224091)

Our news journalists report that additional information may be obtained by contacting Lei Yu, Rush University Medical Center, Rush Alzheimer’s Disease Center, Chicago, IL, United States. Additional authors for this research include Lisa L. Barnes, S. Duke Han, Robert S. Wilson, David A. Bennett, Patricia A. Boyle and Gary Mottola.

The direct object identifier (DOI) for that additional information is: https://doi.org/10.1159/000515326. This DOI is a link to an online electronic document that is either free or for purchase, and can be your direct source for a journal article and its citation.

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