Survey of 928 older Bostonians indicated low levels of alcohol consumption with high levels of abstinence among women, Blacks, Jews, widowed persons, foreign-born, those with little formal education, and those aged 75 years or older. The data suggest that older people drink mainly in social contexts and to facilitate social interaction.…

Tested the Life Satisfaction Index-A for validity and reliability using a sample of 240 Black elderly. The study failed to support the existence of five dimensions that were supposed to form the life satisfaction scale, but the scale was highly reliable in measuring life satisfaction among Black elderly. (Author/JAC)

Developed database on ethnic elderly persons; examined extent of communication problems they face in hospitals, nursing homes, and homes for aged in Metro Toronto; and reported on institutional response. Nursing home supervisors (n=77) reported that communication was essential to health care needs of ethnic elderly individuals. Most health care…

Analyzes the effects of the environment on well-being among the aged (N=2,265). Presents a recursive causal model which indicates that perceived health and housing satisfaction contribute the most to well-being among the elderly. Emphasizes the importance of environmental satisfacton and neighborhood sociability. (JAC)

Investigated causes and consequences of fear of crime among 372 low-income, urban black elders. Found that, although gender was strongest predictor of fear of crime outside the home, it was not significantly associated with fear inside the home. Self-reported health status was not related to fear of crime among this sample. (Author/NB)

Studied 155 elderly residents of inner-city single-room occupancy hotels. At 3-year follow-up, 28 had died. Ten of 19 network variables were relatively strong discriminators between survivors and non-survivors. Network variables cut across all categories of social interaction. (Author/KS)