Newspapers / The Charlotte Post (Charlotte, … / July 11, 1985, edition 1 / Page 17
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Study Reveals: Personality Traits Are Factors in Retirement Adjustment Special To The Pod Women who have a high level of self-esteem and who are optn minded are better able to adjust to life changes and stress in retire meet, according to a recent study by an assistant professor of nursing at Pace University in Pleasantville, N.Y. Dr. Helen Patricia Neuhs, a pro fessors in the Generic Master’s Degree Program of Pace's Uenhard School of Nursing, interviewed over 100 women from the New York metropolitan area who had retired one to five years ago from full time positions, at ages ranging between 82 and 85. “I found that women with higher levels of self-esteem and open mindedness made a better adjust ment in retirement based on their levels of life satisfaction and self rated health,” she said. Jhe study, which took one year to complete, was part of Dr. Neuhs’ doctoral research on women in retirement which she pursued at New York University. “Statistics shew that retirement is a significant developmental mile stone and may represent a high degree of life stress,” the Queens resident remarked. “Inadequate adjustment in retirement has often been associated with physical and psychological problems “Individuals must contend with adapting to more leisure time, re duction in finances, and structuring their lives outside the work force. Open-mindedness was seen as a measure of an individual’s flexibi lity. “From my study it seems that women with high levels of self esteem and flexibility are more likely to make the appropriate chan Jack And Jill Culminates ' Year-Long Program Of Projects The Charlotte Chapter of Jack and JU1 went to see Africia recently-the African section of the North Caro lina Zoo, that Ls. It was the cul mination of a year-long program of service projects and activities and by far all would agree, the most fun. A group of about 80 children, mothers and fathers met at Friend ship Baptist Church and rode by chartered bus to Asheboro. There, the children had the op portunity to see first-hand many unusual animals as they would live in their natural habitat. Unlike many zoos, most of the animals in Asheboro are-not caged but free to roahi m * very restricted environ ment/ v y 7 The tram ride around the park was a favorite of many of the little epee. It also gave some of the older ones the chance for photo-taking for sourvenir pictures. Among the fa vorite subjects were the chimpan zees, the giraffes, the lions and the elephants. After the tour of the zoo, it was Ume for an old fashioned family picnic. The group selected a site high on a hill overlooking a lake. It was perfect with plenty of shade and lots of room for the children to play until it was time for the return trip to Charlotte - back from African jungle to the jungle we call the city. The group returned tired but eager to go again next year. The Charlotte Chapter of Jack and Jill is comprised of 50 families. It is part of a national organization dedi cated to enhancing the social, cul tural lives of all Mack children as well as that of its own membership. The Charlotte Chapter is especial ly proud of its children’s involve ment in raising funds to help the stalling children of Ethiopia. To date, the children have donated the $125 they earned by performing household chores and savings from their allowances. The person re sponsible for the zoo trip and Africare project is program chair person, Carlenia. ivory. Pat Dowdy has just completed a two-year term as president. Replacing her will be Nancy Stroud. Applications Accepted For Fitness Programs For Mature Adults . .Raleigh - Assistant Secretary of Uie first annual Go vernor’s Award for Health and fUtness Programs for Mature Adults, The Governor’s Award will be presented this fall. “The purpose of die Governor’s Award for Health and Fitness is to recognize the outstanding health and fitness programs in North Carolina ler mature adults, those 56 yean of ago and older,” Stoops said. “We also want to .support Governor Mar tin in encouraging our older citi zens to stay heaF^v active, and « — -■-■-a »» a 4 independent The new a wart, a cooperative et ion Detween me uoreroor s ujud* &on Physical Fitness and Health, I the N.C. Department of Human Resources’ Division of Aging and Health Services. It- is being spon aor*dby #,<» Nprtkforalina N»ti<sv To be eligible for the Governor’s Award an applicant must be a non profit agency or organization in North Carolina; the program should be in operation at least six months during the calendar year in which the application is being made; and the program should have practical applications as well as being edu cational in nature. A major consi deration in the judging will also be based on the applicant’s capability and resources. Entries will be judged by a dis tinguished panel win are experts in the fields of health, fitness, and aging. Awards of recognition may also be presented to programs ex hibiting special merit in specific areas of health and fitness for older adults. The application deadline is August 15, IMS. Entry forms are . available at the North Carolina Di vision of AginK For more information, contact Margot Raynor, Health and Recre ation Specialist, N.C. Division of Aging, 708 Hillsborough 8t., Ra leigh, N.C. 27608, 019-783-3963. ges in their lives and successfully adapt," she added. Dr. Neuhs chose to focus on women in retirement because most of the previous studies on retire ment concerned then who were blue collar workers. "Very little has been done on women, and what has been done is very controversial,” she said. "Earlier studies said women had an easy time adjusting in retire ment because work was never very important to them, while more re cent studies indicated just the op posite." The majority of women retirees in the study held clerical positions while they were employed and cur rently ranged in the middle- to lower-upper socioeconomic level. None had been widowed or mar ried in the last year, although the majority of the women were cur rently widows. Most had children and all but six percent were born in the United States. Twenty-eight per cent had worked for 40 or more years. “What I found most interesting was that the study revealed parti cularly high levels of self-esteem and open-mindedness not usually associated with this age group It makes one question the stereotype of the helpless older person who has low self-esteem and who is inflexible and unable to adjust to change," Dr. Neuhs said. '-ontrary to that stereotype, these women were very independent and mobile. Many worked as volunteers while retired and 53 percent said they were active outside of their home seven days a week, according to Dr. Neuhs. Even more impres sive was the fact that 72 percent saw themselves as younger than other women their own age. In determining the level of self esteem, open-mindedness, and ad justment in retirement, the study employed three professionally re cognized scales. One of the scales evaluated hopes and fears about the future. It re vealed that 20 percent of the wo men feared loss of independence and health in their retired lives. Loss of finances was also a con cern but many of the women said that the best possible life they could envision for themselves in retire ment was the life they were cur rently leading. The women were presented a list of life stressors and asked if they had experienced any of thege in the# ■past • year. More thancIftMasrcent identified changes in their'sleeping habits and almost 30 percent Iden tified changes in their eating habits. “The study is important because as nurses we can now identify personality traits that may con tribute to problems in retirement adjustment and provide the neces sary interventions like counseling or other pre-retirement assistance,’’ Dr. Neuhs said. Also significant, she noted, is that women now constitute the majority of the work force and the lack of reliable and consistent data has substantially increased the need to study women in retirement. “It is a a wide open field,” Dr. Neuhs said. We need more research on men and women in retirement and, as the population ages, it is going to become even more important. “I hope to extend my research on . this subject and do a longitudinal study from pre-retirement to post retirement which will identify even more psychological characteristics and enable us to better understand adjustment in retirement,” she con cluded LO-BUY VOLVO LO-LEASE WTUMPOttMl DISCOUNT VOLVO'S tURBO DIESEL: ’ >.J§ <m>»ffWfTU-woru»aADn»«.,t \ / * yr. uUMMITRD miuaqi warranty * ■ ',, OMMOTTS MDPORT CWU rou naa mom , mr., -■ _ Cousins Nakia and Eugenia Pearson, clad in their Sunday best, clasp spiffily dressed teddy bears won for them at Carowinds by Eugenia's father. Raymond. Raymond and Maxine Pearson and their two year old daughter live on S. Smallwood Place. Nakia and her mom are staying with them until their house is finished. (Photo By Audrey Lodato) Want To Know How To Subscribe Just Complete The Coupon Below, And Mail To: The Charlotte Post P.O. Box 30144 Charlotte, NC 28230 One Year $17.76 Six Months$l 0.86 TwoYears $31.35 Payment Enclosed Name Address City State --- Zip SUMMERTIME.... and the livin' is easy. when you let the Post Classifieds do your work for you. For help in placing an ad, Call 376-0496 Wanna know who really knows how to dress in Charlotte? Read next week’s Post to find out! THE CHARLOTTE POST Publishing Company, Inc. Invites You To Its Fourth “Churchtvorker of The Year” Banquet With Lawrence Tolliver Charlotte Chamber of Commerce V ice President y Guest Speaker Friday, July 26,1985 Marriott Executive Center 1 - 77 and Tyvola Road 7 p.nu $25.00 per person - $250.00 per table Make Checks Payable to THE CHARLOTTE POST Please respond by July 22, 1985
The Charlotte Post (Charlotte, N.C.)
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July 11, 1985, edition 1
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