The Sociocultural Meaning of “My Place”: Rural Korean Elderly People's Perspective of Aging in Place

Abstract Can forgotten stories from the past inform a city’s future? As older adults continue to live longer and comprise more of the population than ever before, the suitability of gentrifying spaces for older adults aging in place is increasingly important. Critical theories of gentrification argue that remembering the experiences of older adults in this context - experiences of suffering, resilience, and structural violence - is essential to promote changes in support aging in place. In this study, we tell a story of individual experiences, structural violence, and aging in the ongoing gentrification of one neighborhood in southwest Atlanta. We construct this narrative through a qualitative analysis of 1,500 local newspaper articles from 1950 to the present day and 10 in-depth interviews with ex-residents of the neighborhood aged 65-87. Drawing on the theory of planetary rent gaps, we frame gentrification as a class struggle between property-owners and working class residents. We highlight the city government’s role as a facilitator for property-owners through projects including the Model City initiative, preparation for the 1996 Olympics, and ongoing development surrounding the Atlanta BeltLine. We show how these projects have affected the prospects for aging in place in general and, specifically, by affecting access to healthcare services. We share this story in an effort to combat the politics of forgetting and to inform a richer, more inclusive, and more equitable future for gentrifying spaces.

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Association between Phthalate Exposure and Frailty among Community-Dwelling Older Adults: A Repeated Panel Data Study

International Journal of Environmental Research and Public Health ◽

10.3390/ijerph18041985 ◽

2021 ◽

Vol 18 (4) ◽

pp. 1985

Author(s):

Hongsoo Kim ◽

Seyune Lee ◽

Young-Il Jung ◽

Yun-Chul Hong

Keyword(s):

Older Adults ◽

Panel Data ◽

Positive Impact ◽

Environmental Pollutants ◽

Community Dwelling ◽

Metabolite Concentrations ◽

Males And Females ◽

Korean Elderly ◽

Community Dwelling Older Adults ◽

Ethylhexyl Phthalate

Only a few studies have examined the impacts of environmental exposure on frailty. This study investigated the association between phthalates and frailty among community-dwelling older adults. The Korean Elderly Environmental Panel II (KEEP II) study is a repeated panel data study of 800 community-dwelling older adults in South Korea. Frailty was measured with five items defined by Fried and colleagues. Environmental pollutants in the form of two types of metabolites for Di-ethylhexyl phthalate (DEHPs)—Mono (2-ethyl-5-hydroxyhexyl) phthalate (MEHHP) and Mono (2-ethyl-5-oxohexyl) phthalate (MEOHP)—were obtained from urine specimens. Analyses were performed using repeated linear mixed models. The concentration levels of both MEOHP and MEHHP in urine were significantly higher in the pre-frail or frail group than its counterparts. While adjusting for covariates, MEOHP level was positively associated with the likelihood of being pre-frail or frail in both males and females; the concentration level of MEHHP also had a positive impact on the likelihood of being pre-frail or frail in females. The DEHP metabolite concentrations were significantly lower among adults with daily fruit consumption in both males and females. DEHPs, measured by metabolite concentrations, may increase the risk of frailty among older men and women; further studies are necessary. The preventive effects of nutrition on DEHP risk should also be further investigated.

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Visualization approaches to support healthy aging: A systematic review

Journal of Innovation in Health Informatics ◽

10.14236/jhi.v23i3.860 ◽

2016 ◽

Vol 23 (3) ◽

pp. 600 ◽

Cited By ~ 4

Author(s):

Uba Backonja ◽

Nai-Ching Chi ◽

Yong Choi ◽

Amanda K Hall ◽

Thai Le ◽

...

Keyword(s):

Older Adults ◽

Health Behaviors ◽

Healthy Aging ◽

A Priori ◽

Aging In Place ◽

Future Research ◽

Health Technologies ◽

Data Visualizations ◽

Informatics Tools

Background: Health technologies have the potential to support the growing number of older adults who are aging in place. Many tools include visualizations (data visualizations, visualizations of physical representations). However, the role of visualizations in supporting aging in place remains largely unexplored.Objective: To synthesize and identify gaps in the literature evaluating visualizations (data visualizations and visualizations of physical representations), for informatics tools to support healthy aging.Methods: We conducted a search in CINAHL, Embase, Engineering Village, PsycINFO, PubMed, and Web of Science using a priori defined terms for publications in English describing community-based studies evaluating visualizations used by adults aged ≥65 years.Results: Six out of the identified 251 publications were eligible. Most studies were user studies and varied methodological quality. Three visualizations of virtual representations supported performing at-home exercises. Participants found visual representations either (a) helpful, motivational, and supported their understanding of their health behaviors or (b) not an improvement over alternatives. Three data visualizations supported understanding of one’s health. Participants were able to interpret data visualizations that used precise data and encodings that were more concrete better than those that did not provide precision or were abstract. Participants found data visualizations helpful in understanding their overall health and granular data.Conclusions: Studies we identified used visualizations to promote engagement in exercises or understandings of one’s health. Future research could overcome methodological limitations of studies we identified to develop visualizations that older adults could use with ease and accuracy to support their health behaviors and decision-making.

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