Indicators of potential health-related social needs and the association with perceived health and well-being outcomes among community-dwelling medicare beneficiaries

IntroductionLiterature lacks of studies assessing correlates of adjustment to aging (AtA) among older populations.ObjectiveThe aim of this study was to build a structural model to explore the predictors of adjustment to aging (AtA) in a community-dwelling older population.MethodsA community-dwelling sample of 1270 older adults aged between 75 and 102 years answered a questionnaire to determine socio-demographic (sex, age, professional and marital status, education, household, adult children, family's annual income, living setting and self-reported spirituality), lifestyle and health-related characteristics (perceived health, recent disease, medication and leisure). Several instruments were used to assert psychological variables, namely AtA, sense of coherence and subjective well-being. Structural equation modeling was used to explore a structural model of the self-reported AtA, encompassing all variables.ResultsSignificant predictors are self-reported spirituality (β = .816; P < .001), perceived health (β = .455; P < .001), leisure (β = .322; P < .001), professional status (β = .283; P < .001), income (β = .230; P = .035), household (β = -.208; P = .007), sense of coherence (β = -.202; P = .004) and adult children (β = .164; P = .011). The variables explain 60.6% of the variability of AtA.ConclusionsSelf-reported spirituality is the strongest predictor of AtA. This study emphasizes the need for deepening the variables that influence older adults’ AtA, in particular perceived health and further lifestyle-related characteristics, as being relevant for promoting aging well in later life, within a salutogenic context for health care.Disclosure of interestThe authors have not supplied their declaration of competing interest.

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The Health and Well-Being of African-American Older Adults With a History of Incarceration

Innovation in Aging ◽

10.1093/geroni/igaa057.1633 ◽

2020 ◽

Vol 4 (Supplement_1) ◽

pp. 506-506

Author(s):

Rodlescia Sneed

Keyword(s):

Older Adults ◽

African American ◽

African Americans ◽

Well Being ◽

Formerly Incarcerated ◽

Older Prisoners ◽

Health Related ◽

History Of ◽

Health And Well Being ◽

African American Older Adults

Abstract African-Americans are overrepresented in the criminal justice system. Longer prison stays and release programs for older prisoners may result in an increased number of community-dwelling older adults with a history of incarceration. In recent years, there has been a substantial increase in research on health-related outcomes for currently incarcerated older adults; however, there has been little inquiry into outcomes for formerly incarcerated African-American older adults following community re-entry. In this study, we used secondary data from the Health and Retirement Study to describe employment, economic, and health-related outcomes in this population. Twelve percent of the 2238 African-Americans in our sample had been previously incarcerated. Those who had been previously incarcerated had higher rates of lung disease, arthritis, back problems, mobility problems, and mental health issues than their counterparts. They also had higher rates of hospitalization and lower use of dental health services. Further, while they did not experience lower employment rates than those with no criminal history, those who had been incarcerated had more physically demanding jobs and reported greater economic strain. Given the disproportionate incarceration rates among African-Americans, the aging of the prison population, and the increase in community re-entry for older prisoners, research that explores factors that impact the health and well-being of formerly incarcerated individuals has broad impact. Future work should focus on addressing the needs of this vulnerable population of African-American older adults.

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Meaning of Life and Well-Being: Preliminary Results of the Successful Aging Study

Innovation in Aging ◽

10.1093/geroni/igaa057.369 ◽

2020 ◽

Vol 4 (Supplement_1) ◽

pp. 112-112

Author(s):

Zvi Gellis ◽

Kim McClive-Reed ◽

Bonnie Kenaley ◽

Eunhae Kim

Keyword(s):

Meaning In Life ◽

Successful Aging ◽

Older Persons ◽

Well Being ◽

Community Dwelling ◽

Life Questionnaire ◽

Presence Of Meaning ◽

Aging Study ◽

Proxy Measure ◽

Health And Well Being

Abstract Meaning in life for older persons has become a focal research point, with findings that a greater sense of meaning is associated with better outcomes on a range of health and well-being factors. Our study examined relationships between scores on several personality scales, including the Meaning in Life Questionnaire (Steger et al., 2009) and the WHO-5 Well-Being Index, a proxy measure of mood/depression. Community-dwelling members (N=535) of Osher Lifelong Learning Institutes aged 50 and up (mean age 71.4, SD = 6.93) at 3 U.S. sites completed surveys. Higher wellness levels were significantly correlated with increased resilience, optimism, life satisfaction, and presence of meaning in life, while lower levels were associated with greater searching for meaning in life. A multivariate linear regression model (F = 55.597, df = 4, p = .000, R = .566, R2 = .320) showed that wellness scores increased with higher scores in optimism (ß = .348, p =.000), resilience (ß = .183, p = .000), and presence of meaning in life (ß = .106, p = .019). However, searching for meaning in life significantly predicted decreases in wellness scores (ß = -.084, p=.019). These results support those of previous studies, suggesting that for older persons, an ongoing search for meaning in life is linked to negative outcomes than a perception of existing meaning in life. A variety of available interventions aimed at increasing meaning and purpose in life (Guerrero-Torelles et al., 2017) may contribute to better health and well-being in older adults.

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International survey for assessing COVID-19’s impact on fear and health: study protocol

BMJ Open ◽

10.1136/bmjopen-2021-048720 ◽

2021 ◽

Vol 11 (5) ◽

pp. e048720

Author(s):

Kris Yuet-Wan Lok ◽

Daniel Yee Tak Fong ◽

Janet Y.H. Wong ◽

Mandy Ho ◽

Edmond PH Choi ◽

...

Keyword(s):

Health Literacy ◽

International Study ◽

Ethics Committees ◽

Well Being ◽

International Perspective ◽

Community Dwelling ◽

Health Study ◽

The World ◽

Patient Health ◽

Health Related

IntroductionCOVID-19, caused by the SARS-CoV-2, has been one of the most highly contagious and rapidly spreading virus outbreak. The pandemic not only has catastrophic impacts on physical health and economy around the world, but also the psychological well-being of individuals, communities and society. The psychological and social impacts of the COVID-19 pandemic internationally have not been well described. There is a lack of international study assessing health-related impacts of the COVID-19 pandemic, especially on the degree to which individuals are fearful of the pandemic. Therefore, this study aims to (1) assess the health-related impact of the COVID-19 pandemic in community-dwelling individuals around the world; (2) determine the extent various communities are fearful of COVID-19 and (3) identify perceived needs of the population to prepare for potential future pandemics.Methods and analysisThis global study involves 30 countries. For each country, we target at least 500 subjects aged 18 years or above. The questionnaires will be available online and in local languages. The questionnaires include assessment of the health impacts of COVID-19, perceived importance of future preparation for the pandemic, fear, lifestyles, sociodemographics, COVID-19-related knowledge, e-health literacy, out-of-control scale and the Patient Health Questionnaire-4. Descriptive statistics will be used to describe participants’ characteristics, perceptions on the health-related impacts of COVID-19, fear, anxiety and depression, lifestyles, COVID-19 knowledge, e-health literacy and other measures. Univariable and multivariable regression models will be used to assess the associations of covariates on the outcomes.Ethics and disseminationThe study has been reviewed and approved by the local ethics committees in participating countries, where local ethics approval is needed. The results will be actively disseminated. This study aims to map an international perspective and comparison for future preparation in a pandemic.

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Associations between fitness levels and self-perceived health-related quality of life in community - dwelling for a group of older females

BMC Public Health ◽

10.1186/s12889-020-08473-3 ◽

2020 ◽

Vol 20 (S1) ◽

Author(s):

Ferenc Ihász ◽

Nikolett Schulteisz ◽

Kevin J. Finn ◽

Krisztina Szabó ◽

Judit Gangl ◽

...

Keyword(s):

Quality Of Life ◽

Perceived Health ◽

Community Dwelling ◽

Health Related Quality ◽

Related Quality ◽

Health Related ◽

Fitness Levels

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COVID-19 lockdowns’ effects on the quality of life, perceived health and well-being of healthy elderly individuals: A longitudinal comparison of pre-lockdown and lockdown states of well-being

Archives of Gerontology and Geriatrics ◽

10.1016/j.archger.2021.104606 ◽

2022 ◽

Vol 99 ◽

pp. 104606

Author(s):

E. Colucci ◽

S. Nadeau ◽

J. Higgins ◽

E. Kehayia ◽

T. Poldma ◽

...

Keyword(s):

Quality Of Life ◽

Perceived Health ◽

Well Being ◽

Elderly Individuals ◽

Healthy Elderly ◽

Longitudinal Comparison ◽

Health And Well Being

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Health and Well-Being

10.1093/oso/9780197587652.003.0009 ◽

2021 ◽

pp. 201-226

Author(s):

Neal M. Krause

Keyword(s):

Meaning In Life ◽

Religious Life ◽

Well Being ◽

Proactive Coping ◽

Coping Responses ◽

The Third ◽

Health Related ◽

Extensive Body ◽

Health And Well Being ◽

Insight Into

The goal of this chapter is to show how a sense of meaning in life acts in concert with the dimensions of religion that have been discussed so far to affect health. The discussion that follows is divided into two sections. The extensive body of research that links meaning with health and well-being is examined first. Following this, three submodels are introduced that provide further insight into how meaning in life might affect health. The first submodel brings gratitude and prayer to the foreground. The second submodel focuses on the relationships among meaning in life, proactive coping responses, and health behavior. The third submodel brings issues involving the interface between meaning in life, negative aspects of religious life (e.g., religious doubt), and health-related outcomes.

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Workshop: Tools and opportunities for health promotion

European Journal of Public Health ◽

10.1093/eurpub/ckz185.218 ◽

2019 ◽

Vol 29 (Supplement_4) ◽

Author(s):

◽

Keyword(s):

Health Promotion ◽

Tobacco Control ◽

Well Being ◽

Reciprocal Relationship ◽

Health Related ◽

European Health ◽

Health And Well Being ◽

Benchmarking System ◽

Specific Health ◽

Improve Health

Abstract Health promotion acknowledges the reciprocal relationship between health-related behaviours and the environments in which people live, considers that the environment is made up of different subsystems and emphasises the relationships and dependencies between these subsystems. Our workshop acknowledges the multi-faceted nature of health promotion and intends to provoke thinking, ideas and tools for health promotion to help to expand skills and knowledge to develop health promotion strategies, policies and interventions. This workshop will offer examples and provoke discussions on how to develop, evolve and improve health promotion practices. First, an overview of the European health promotion landscape is presented. This information is based on data collection conducted in 2018 in the European Joint Action Chrodis Plus. Next, we have two interlinked presentations to describe how to institutionalize health promotion thorough legislation, assess health promotion actions nationwide, and foster development in municipalities enforced by legislation. These presentations illustrate the developments in Finland, offer examples and highlight the importance of ministerial level actions for health promotion. The nationwide benchmarking system for assessment has existed for over ten years and offers an example for other countries. The two last presentations address specific health and well-being issues: (1) tobacco control in Portugal and Israel and (2) the promotion of older people’s health and well-being in Iceland. The presentation on tobacco control is an example of inter-dependencies of different stake-holders. The presentation from Iceland will stimulate a discussion on how to start and conduct the nationwide implementation of an evidence based health promotion intervention and what the role governments, municipalities, and NGOs should be. The workshop is a regular workshop. Time for discussion is offered in four spots, (1st) after the first presentation, (2nd) after the second and third presentations, (3rd) after the fourth and (4th) final discussion after the fifth presentation. Key messages Promising methods for health promotion exist. The challenge is how to implement effectively. Legislation is a powerful tool to enhance health promotion practices.

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Impact of pharmaceutical care on mental well-being and perceived health among community-dwelling individuals with type 2 diabetes

Quality of Life Research ◽

10.1007/s11136-019-02253-2 ◽

2019 ◽

Vol 28 (12) ◽

pp. 3273-3279 ◽

Cited By ~ 1

Author(s):

Zheng Kang Lum ◽

Melanie Yee Lee Siaw ◽

Michelle Jia Xin Lee ◽

Zexuan Koh ◽

Parry Quan Zhang ◽

...

Keyword(s):

Type 2 Diabetes ◽

Pharmaceutical Care ◽

Perceived Health ◽

Well Being ◽

Community Dwelling ◽

Mental Well Being

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The glass is not half empty: optimism, pessimism, and health among older adults

International Psychogeriatrics ◽

10.1017/s1041610219000498 ◽

2019 ◽

Vol 32 (1) ◽

pp. 135-139 ◽

Cited By ~ 1

Author(s):

Michael D. Barnett ◽

Ellen A. Anderson

Keyword(s):

Mental Health ◽

Older Adults ◽

Physical Health ◽

Short Form ◽

Well Being ◽

Community Dwelling ◽

Physical And Mental Health ◽

Cross Sectional Survey ◽

Life Orientation Test ◽

Health And Well Being

ABSTRACTObjectives:Optimism and pessimism are distinct constructs that have demonstrated independent relationships with aspects of health and well-being. The purpose of this study was to investigate whether optimism or pessimism is more closely linked with physical and mental health among older adults.Design:Cross-sectional survey.Participants:Community-dwelling older adults (N = 272) ages 59–95 in the southern United States.Measurements:The Life Orientation Test—Revised and the Short Form 8.Results:At the bivariate level, optimism was associated with higher physical health and mental health, while pessimism was associated with lower physical health and mental health. Multiple-regression analyses as well as comparison of correlation coefficients found that pessimism was more closely associated with physical health and mental health than optimism.Conclusions:These results add to the literature suggesting that, in terms of older adults’ health and well-being, avoiding pessimism may be more important than being optimistic.

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