scholarly journals eHealth Literacy and Capability in the Context of the Pandemic Crisis

2022 ◽  
pp. 109-129
Author(s):  
Dimitrios Kokkinakis
Keyword(s):  
Quality Of Life ◽  
Older Adults ◽  
Scale Up ◽  
Healthcare Services ◽  
Healthcare Systems ◽  
Ageing Population ◽  
Ehealth Literacy ◽  
Complex Information ◽  
Health Promoting

AbstractThe rapidly increasing size of the ageing population, and in particular older adults living alone, requires the incorporation of eHealth into social and healthcare services, in order to choose the best way to manage their needs and demands for health and medical care. The purpose of this brief scoping study is to describe and identify an important dimension in this context, namely eHealth literacy (eHL) and its relation to health-promoting behaviours among older adults within the capability theoretical framework. The chapter examines some aspects of eHL and recent research highlighting the importance of eHL and the direct correlation between eHL and quality of life for older adults within the capability context. To make this more specific and explicit, this study takes into consideration outstanding circumstances, such as those caused by a pandemic crisis, namely the coronavirus disease 2019 (COVID-19). Since the COVID-19 pandemic has required urgent action and rapid containment, it offers a unique opportunity to test and evaluate the readiness of healthcare systems and to rapidly develop, scale up and enhance eHealth for the benefit of older people. However, this comes with a price, which is the necessity to quickly and effectively navigate complex information environments and manage behavioural changes and health.

Association between eHealth Literacy and Health-Related Quality of Life among Chinese Older Adults: A Cross-Sectional Study (Preprint)

2020 ◽  
Author(s):  
Shaojie Li ◽  
Yongtian Yin ◽  
Lijun Chen ◽  
Guanghui Cui ◽  
Jiaqin Li ◽  
...  
Keyword(s):  
Quality Of Life ◽  
Older Adults ◽  
Mental Component Summary ◽  
Health Related Quality ◽  
Cross Sectional ◽  
Chinese Older Adults ◽  
Ehealth Literacy ◽  
Related Quality ◽  
Health Related

BACKGROUND Older adults’ health literacy levels are crucial to improving health outcomes and health-related quality of life (HRQoL). However, the impact of eHealth literacy on HRQoL in older adults is unclear. OBJECTIVE The aim of this study was to examine the association between eHealth literacy and HRQoL of older adults and provide reference for the development of network intervention measures related to the health quality of life of the older adults. METHODS An anonymous cross-sectional survey was conducted among 1,201 adults aged 60 or older from Jinan, China. The eHealth Literacy Scale and Short-Form Health Survey (SF-12) were used to measure eHealth literacy and HRQoL. We used linear regression to test the adjusted association between eHealth literacy and HRQoL. RESULTS Most participants (88.9%) had inadequate eHealth literacy. Lower eHealth literacy was related to older age ( F=12.618, P<.001), female gender( t=3.303, P<.01), living in rural areas( F=11.356, P<.001), having less education( F=59.084, P<.001), being unmarried, divorced or widowed( t=4.416, P<.001), having a lower family income( F=38.017, P<.001), living with others(χ2=4.319, P<.05), and not having health insurance( F=12.713, P<.001). There were significant differences across physical functioning( t=-4.862, P<.001), role- physical( t=-2.485, P<.05), bodily pain( t=-3.470, P<.01), general health( t=-4.449, P<.001), vitality( t=-3.498, P<.001), role-emotional( t=-2.654, P<.01), mental health( t=-4.150, P<.001), physical component summary( t=-6.350, P<.001) and mental component summary( t=-4.483, P<.001) between adequate eHealth literacy and inadequate eHealth literacy. After controlling for age, gender, and other covariates, adequate eHealth literacy was positively related to physical component summary ( beta=7.6, P<.001) and mental component summary(beta=4.6, P=.001). CONCLUSIONS This study showed that Chinese older adults with higher eHealth literacy were more likely to contribute to higher HRQoL. Thus, Older adults’ eHealth literacy levels need to be taken into account when formulating health education and promotion programs for older adults, especially when the expected outcome is to improve HRQoL.

scholarly journals Towards Inclusive Healthcare Delivery: Potentials and Challenges of Human-Centred Design in Health Innovation Processes to Increase Healthy Aging

2020 ◽  
Vol 17 (12) ◽  
pp. 4551
Author(s):  
Catharina Thiel Sandholdt ◽  
Jason Cunningham ◽  
Rudi G.J. Westendorp ◽  
Maria Kristiansen
Keyword(s):  
Quality Of Life ◽  
Older Adults ◽  
Healthcare Delivery ◽  
Healthcare Services ◽  
Small Scale ◽  
Successful Implementation ◽  
Innovation Processes ◽  
Human Centred Design

National healthcare systems need to adjust services and operations to accommodate the needs of complex, aging populations living with multimorbidity and polypharmacy. This paper suggests the use of a human-centred design as a method to engage older adults and key professionals in innovation processes aiming to design person-centred healthcare services and improve quality of life in older adults. We outline three innovation phases and highlight how such processes can create engagement and new insights on how life experiences of older adult’s shape preferences, beliefs, and habits. It is important to incorporate these insights into the design of successful strategies for ensuring age-friendly healthcare services. Our viewpoint is contextualised through a small-scale case study focusing on polypharmacy in older adults. From this case study, we extracted three challenges to producing co-designed health research: recruitment, time and resources, and funding. We discuss how to address these challenges. We argue for the involvement of older adults and professional stakeholders at an early stage in the design process to align expectations and to increase the likelihood of successful implementation of healthcare innovations that improve the quality of life for older adults.

scholarly journals Effects of a person-centred and health-promoting intervention in home care services– a non-randomized controlled trial

2021 ◽  
Vol 21 (1) ◽  
Author(s):  
Kristina Lämås ◽  
Karin Bölenius ◽  
Per-Olof Sandman ◽  
Marie Lindkvist ◽  
David Edvardsson
Keyword(s):  
Quality Of Life ◽  
Older Adults ◽  
Home Care ◽  
Negative Emotions ◽  
Intervention Group ◽  
Self Determination ◽  
Care Staff ◽  
Control Group ◽  
Health Promoting

Abstract Background Home care recipients have reported little self-determination and opportunity to influence their own care. Person-centred care focusing on involvement has improved the quality of life of older adults in health care and nursing homes; however, knowledge about the effects of person-centred interventions in aged care at home is sparse. The aim of this study was to study the effects of a person-centred and health-promoting intervention, compared with usual care, on health-related quality of life, thriving and self-determination among older adults, and on job satisfaction, stress of conscience and level of person-centred care among care staff. Methods This is a non-randomized controlled trial with a before/after design. Participants from five home care districts in one municipality in northern Sweden were recruited to an intervention or control group. We evaluated health-related quality of life, thriving and self-determination among older home care recipients, and job satisfaction, person-centred care and stress of conscience among care staff. Evaluation was performed by questionnaires and responses were analysed using parametric and non-parametric statistical analyses. Results Eighty-one older adults and 48 staff were included in the study. A clinically moderate and statistically significant difference between the intervention and control groups was found in thriving and negative emotions among older adults. The intervention contributed to maintaining high thriving levels, in contrast to decreased thriving in the control group (intervention: + 1, control: − 4, p 0.026, CI: − 10. 766, − 0.717). However, the intervention group rated an increase in negative emotions, while the control group was unchanged (intervention: − 7 control: + − 0, p 0.048, CI: − 17.435, − 0.098). No significant effects were found among staff. Conclusions The intervention contributed to maintaining high levels of thriving in contrast to low levels found in the control group, and it seems reasonable to consider the intervention focus on staff as more person-centred and health-promoting. The finding that the intervention group had increase in negative emotions is difficult to interpret, and warrants further exploration. Even though the results are sparse, the challenges discussed may be of importance for future studies in the context of HCS. Trial registration NCT02846246. Date of registration: 27 July 2016.

scholarly journals Biosocial and disease conditions affecting the quality of life among older adults in Eastern Nepal

2020 ◽  
Author(s):  
Uday Narayan Yadav ◽  
Tarka Bahadur Thapa ◽  
Sabuj Kanti Mistry ◽  
Saruna Ghimire ◽  
Godfred O. Boateng ◽  
...  
Keyword(s):  
Quality Of Life ◽  
Physical Activity ◽  
Older Adults ◽  
Poor Quality ◽  
Chronic Obstructive ◽  
Cluster Sampling ◽  
Ageing Population ◽  
Increased Risk ◽  
Lower Likelihood

Abstract Background The ageing population in most low-and middle-income countries is accompanied by an increased risk of non-communicable diseases culminating in a poor quality of life. However, the factors accelerating this poor quality of life (QOL) have not been fully examined. Therefore, this study examined the factors influencing the quality of life of Nepali older adults.Methods Data from a previous cross-sectional study, conducted between January and April 2018 in eastern Nepal, was used. The analytical sample included 794 older adults aged ≥60 years, selected by a multi-stage cluster sampling approach. QOL was measured using the Older People’s Quality of Life tool; dichotomized as poor and good QOL. Other measures used included age, gender, ethnicity, religion, marital status, physical activity and chronic diseases such as osteoarthritis, cardiovascular disease, diabetes, chronic obstructive pulmonary disease (COPD), and depression. The factors associated with quality of life were examined using mixed-effects logistic regression.Results Seven in ten respondents (70.4%) reported a poor quality of life. At the bivariate level, increasing age, unemployment, intake of alcohol, lack of physical activity as well as osteoarthritis, COPD and depression were significantly associated with a lower likelihood of a good quality of life. The adjusted model showed that older age (AOR=0.50, p<0.05), the Christian religion (AOR=0.38, p<0.01), and being from an Indigenous, Dalit, or Madheshi background were associated with a lower likelihood of good quality of life. However, higher income of >Nrs 10,000 (AOR=3.34, p<0.001), daily physical activity (AOR=3.33, p<0.001), and the absence of osteoarthritis and depression were associated with a higher odds ratio of good quality of life.Conclusion The findings of this study echo the need to develop and implement policies aimed at improving the socio-cultural and disease conditions that catalyse poor quality of life in this population.

scholarly journals Biosocial and disease conditions are associated with good quality of life among older adults in rural eastern Nepal: Findings from a cross-sectional study

PLoS ONE ◽  
2020 ◽  
Vol 15 (11) ◽  
pp. e0242942
Author(s):  
Uday Narayan Yadav ◽  
Tarka Bahadur Thapa ◽  
Sabuj Kanti Mistry ◽  
Saruna Ghimire ◽  
Krishna Kumar Yadav ◽  
...  
Keyword(s):  
Quality Of Life ◽  
Physical Activity ◽  
Older Adults ◽  
Cross Sectional Study ◽  
Rural Setting ◽  
Ageing Population ◽  
Sectional Study ◽  
Cross Sectional ◽  
Factors Associated

Background The ageing population in most low-and middle-income countries is accompanied by an increased risk of non-communicable diseases culminating in a poor quality of life (QOL). However, the factors accelerating this poor QOL have not been fully examined in Nepal. Therefore, this study examined the factors associated with the QOL of older adults residing in the rural setting of Nepal. Methods Data from a previous cross-sectional study conducted among older adults between January and April 2018 in in rural Nepal was used in this study. The analytical sample included 794 older adults aged ≥60 years, selected by a multi-stage cluster sampling approach. QOL was measured using the Older People’s Quality of Life tool; dichotomized as poor and good QOL. Other measures used included age, gender, ethnicity, religion, marital status, physical activity, and chronic diseases such as osteoarthritis, cardiovascular disease, diabetes, chronic obstructive pulmonary disease (COPD), and depression. The factors associated with QOL were examined using mixed-effects logistic regression. Results Seven in ten respondents (70.4%) reported a poor QOL. At the bivariate level, increasing age, unemployment, intake of alcohol, lack of physical activity as well as osteoarthritis, COPD and depression were significantly associated with a lower likelihood of a good QOL. The adjusted model showed that older age (AOR = 0.50, 95% CI: 0.28–0.90), the Christian religion (AOR = 0.38, 95% CI: 0.20–0.70), and of an Indigenous (AOR: 0.25; 95% CI: 0.14–0.47), Dalit (AOR: 0.23; 95% CI: 0.10–0.56), and Madheshi (AOR: 0.29; 95% CI: 0.14–0.60) ethnic background were associated with lower odds of good QOL. However, higher income of >NRs 10,000 (AOR = 3.34, 95% CI: 1.43–3.99), daily physical activity (AOR: 3.33; 95% CI: 2.55–4.34), and the absence of osteoarthritis (AOR: 1.9; 95% CI: 1.09–3.49) and depression (AOR: 3.34; 95% CI: 2.14–5.22) were associated with higher odds of good QOL. Conclusion The findings of this study reinforce the need of improving QOL of older adults through implementing programs aimed at addressing the identified biosocial and disease conditions that catalyse poor QOL in this older population residing in rural parts of Nepal.

scholarly journals Enhanced Dialog between Formal and Informal Caregivers: Following a User-centered Design for Personas' Development

2021 ◽  
Author(s):  
Annita Varella ◽  
Ioanna Dratsiou ◽  
Evangelia Romanopoulou ◽  
Ourania Pinaka ◽  
Evlampia Routa ◽  
...  
Keyword(s):  
Quality Of Life ◽  
Older Adults ◽  
Job Stress ◽  
Informal Caregivers ◽  
User Preferences ◽  
Target Group ◽  
Ageing Population ◽  
Care Providers ◽  
Stress Scale

Abstract Background The unprecedented increase in ageing population in recent decades has led to a shift in the epidemiological profile of societies, resulting in an increased prevalence of chronic diseases, cognitive impairments, and sensory loss in older adults and their elevated reliance on both formal and informal caregiving. Caregivers hold a vital role in older adults’ healthcare, yet their health and well-being needs are often undermined. This paper ventures the exploration of both formal and informal caregivers’ profiles through the development of personas. Methods Formal caregivers (N = 71) and informal caregivers (N = 54) were recruited in the study participating both in quantitative surveys and ad-hoc interviews including the measures Job Stress Scale, Zarit Burden Interview, Short Form Health Survey (SF-36) and Persona Perception Scale. Results Upon the analysis of the Persona Perception Scale and Job Stress Scale, the findings revealed high reliability scores, designating that the formal caregiver persona ‘’Daphne’’ could adequately represent the actual target group. The results also showed that the informal caregiver persona ‘’Elle’’ was an accurate reflection of the corresponding target group, after analyzing the findings retrieved from quality of life measurements and caregivers’ burden. Conclusions User personas can enhance a deeper understanding of the target group and apprehend user preferences and experiences. To this end, personas can potentially provide empathetic and expansive benefits and be exploited as artifacts in attempting to successfully liaise with policy-makers and care providers in aligning key strategies and policies that will conclusively improve the quality of life of both care recipients and caregivers.

scholarly journals Health-Related Quality of Life in Older Adults: Its Association with Health Literacy, Self-Efficacy, Social Support, and Health-Promoting Behavior

Healthcare ◽  
2020 ◽  
Vol 8 (4) ◽  
pp. 407 ◽  
Author(s):  
Myung Kyung Lee ◽  
Jihyun Oh
Keyword(s):  
Quality Of Life ◽  
Older Adults ◽  
Health Literacy ◽  
Physical Health ◽  
Self Efficacy ◽  
Health Related Quality ◽  
Related Quality ◽  
Health Related ◽  
Health Promoting

This cross-sectional study aimed to explore the relationships among sociodemographics, health literacy, self-efficacy, social support, health-promoting behavior, and health-related quality of life (HRQOL) in older adults. A total of 240 older adults aged >65 years were recruited from three community senior welfare centers in South Korea. Standardized self-administered questionnaires measuring sociodemographic characteristics, health literacy, social support, self-efficacy, health-promoting behavior, and health-related quality of life were distributed to older adults. Multiple regression analyses with stepwise selection was used to determine the factors affecting health-related quality of life. Factors affecting a higher physical component score of HRQOL were a higher comprehension level of and numeracy in health literacy, physical health-promoting behavior, perceived emotional-informational support, and a lesser number of comorbidities. Factors affecting a higher mental component score of HRQOL were a higher comprehension level of and numeracy in health literacy, self-efficacy, physical health-promoting behavior, perceived emotional-informational support, and a lesser number of comorbidities. To improve HRQOL among older adults, nursing interventions are required to measure health literacy, empower physical health-promoting behavior and self-efficacy, and enhance emotional-informational support from family or other resources.

scholarly journals Quality of life and associated factors amongst older adults in a remote community, Nepal

2021 ◽  
Vol ahead-of-print (ahead-of-print) ◽  
Author(s):  
Saurav Chandra Acharya Samadarshi ◽  
Pimsurang Taechaboonsermsak ◽  
Mathuros Tipayamongkholgul ◽  
Korravarn Yodmai
Keyword(s):  
Quality Of Life ◽  
Social Support ◽  
Older Adults ◽  
The Elderly ◽  
Healthcare Services ◽  
Cross Sectional ◽  
Remote Community ◽  
Content Type ◽  
The Government

PurposeThe purpose of the study is to assess the quality of life (QOL) of older adults and explore factors associated with it.Design/methodology/approachA cross-sectional study was conducted in a remote community in Nepal. A total of 671 older adults aged 60 years were enrolled in the study. QOL was measured by WHOQOL-OLD questionnaire. Data were analyzed using multiple logistic regression.FindingsMost participants were female (53.0%), illiterate (70.6%), married (64.2%) and living with family (59.3%). Among participants, 82.4% had fair QOL, and the autonomy domain received the lowest score (average = 10.98). After adjusting the model, the elderly aged <70 years had 11.07 times better QOL (aOR = 11.070; 95% CI = 2.546–48.123), elderly with high sufficient income had 2.73 times better QOL (aOR = 2.738; 95% CI = 1.183–6.337) and elderly free from depression had 9.45 times better QOL (aOR = 9.452; 95% CI = 3.466–25.773) compared to their counterparts. The elderly receiving social support had 9.97 times better QOL than those who did not (aOR = 9.976; 95% CI = 3.152–31.574), and those able to afford healthcare services had 4.69 times better QOL than those who could not afford it (aOR = 4.694; 95% CI = 1.046–21.063).Originality/valueThe five predictors – age, income sufficiency, depression, social support and healthcare service affordability – were found to significantly affect QOL. This study suggests special care strategies for vulnerable older adults addressing the issues that affect geriatric depression. This article provides relevant information to the government to consider increment of income, encourage family and community for social support and make health services affordable for older adults.

Health-promoting behaviors and quality of life in older adults with hypertension as compared to a community control group

2018 ◽  
Vol 32 (8-9) ◽  
pp. 540-547 ◽  
Author(s):  
Wenjun Cao ◽  
Guoqiang Hou ◽  
Chongzheng Guo ◽  
Ying Guo ◽  
Jianzhong Zheng
Keyword(s):  
Quality Of Life ◽  
Older Adults ◽  
Community Control ◽  
Control Group ◽  
Health Promoting Behaviors ◽  
Health Promoting
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