Korinek and Colleagues Examine War-related Life Course Stress and Subjective Aging
Posted: 5/31/2024 (CSDE Research)
CSDE Affiliate Kim Korinek (Sociology, University of Utah) released an article with colleagues in Innovation in Aging, titled “War-related Life Course Stress and Late Life Subjective Age in Northern Vietnam“. The role of early life stressors in subjective aging is weakly understood, especially in low- to middle-income countries. This paper investigated how early life stressors encountered in armed conflict influence subjective age among Vietnamese older adults who experienced war over decades of their early life. Results suggest wartime stressors, especially war’s malevolent environments and severe childhood hunger, experienced in many conflict-affected populations globally, have the potential to subjectively ‘age’ survivors. Yet, not all war exposures are equal, and some may yield psychological and socioeconomic resources that support healthy aging.