Comorbid physical health conditions and anxiety disorders: a population-based exploration of prevalence and health outcomes among older adults

2011 ◽  
Vol 33 (6) ◽  
pp. 556-564 ◽  
Author(s):  
Renée El-Gabalawy ◽  
Corey S. Mackenzie ◽  
Shahin Shooshtari ◽  
Jitender Sareen
Keyword(s):  
Older Adults ◽  
Anxiety Disorders ◽  
Health Outcomes ◽  
Physical Health ◽  
Population Based ◽  
Health Conditions

Greenspace to facilitate the positive physical activity and mental health outcomes of older adults in Canada

2014 ◽  
Vol 5 (1) ◽  
Author(s):  
Adam G Gavarkovs
Keyword(s):  
Mental Health ◽  
Physical Activity ◽  
Older Adults ◽  
Health Outcomes ◽  
Physical Health ◽  
Physical Inactivity ◽  
Positive Relationship ◽  
Current System ◽  
Health Conditions ◽  
Mental And Physical Health

The link between physical inactivity and poor health outcomes is well established. Older adults are especially at risk for many health conditions, and are one of the most inactive populations in Canada. Increasing levels of neighbourhood greenness has shown a positive relationship with walking and exercise behaviours, which in turn affects both mental and physical health. Currently in Ontario, the provincial Planning Act outlines the process of parkland dedication that individual municipalities are responsible for carrying out. This policy brief will discuss the inadequacies of the current system in effectively creating greenspace for older adults, and will propose several recommendations to resolve these issues.

scholarly journals DETERIORATING HEALTH AMONG OLDER ADULTS AND CORTISOL: LONGITUDINAL EVIDENCE FROM THE MIDUS STUDY

2019 ◽  
Vol 3 (Supplement_1) ◽  
pp. S255-S256
Author(s):  
Julie Ober Allen
Keyword(s):  
Mental Health ◽  
Older Adults ◽  
Health Outcomes ◽  
Physical Health ◽  
Functional Limitations ◽  
Health Data ◽  
Health Conditions ◽  
Diurnal Cortisol ◽  
Health Deterioration ◽  
Over Time

Abstract Various mental and physical health conditions common among older adults have been linked to cortisol dysregulation (i.e., blunting of daily cortisol patterns) in predominantly cross-sectional studies. Researchers have suggested that cortisol dysregulation interferes with regulatory functions throughout the body and brain, disrupting multiple biological systems, and contributing to the development or progression of negative health outcomes over time. Prospective studies are needed to investigate the causal direction of cortisol dysregulation and poor health outcomes. This study examined whether diurnal cortisol patterns predicted subsequent health deterioration using longitudinal data from the National Survey of Midlife in the US (MIDUS). Analysis was restricted to 1,336 participants who provided salivary cortisol (4 samples/day for 4 days) and health data in MIDUS II (2004-2009) and updated health data in MIDUS III (2013-2014) (mean age=56, 45% male, 94% White). We simultaneous modeled multiple measures of diurnal cortisol patterns and their relationships to changes in mental (depressive symptomology) and physical (self-rated physical health, functional limitations, and number of new chronic health conditions) health from MIDUS II to III. All indicators of physical health deterioration were associated with cortisol, though not all measures demonstrated relationships in the expected direction. Mental health change over time was unrelated to cortisol. Older age was also associated with increased functional limitations and more new chronic conditions but improvements in mental health over time. Findings suggest that diurnal cortisol patterns contribute to physical health deterioration over time, independent of age-related decline, but not mental health changes in later life.

scholarly journals Dynamics of Multimorbidity Resilience and Health Outcomes Over Time in Community-Residing Older Adults

2020 ◽  
Vol 4 (Supplement_1) ◽  
pp. 890-891
Author(s):  
Yingzhi Xu ◽  
Zahra Rahmaty ◽  
Eleanor McConnell ◽  
Tingzhong (Michelle) Xue ◽  
Bada Kang ◽  
...  
Keyword(s):  
Older Adults ◽  
Health Outcomes ◽  
Physical Health ◽  
Social Life ◽  
Structural Equation ◽  
Equation Modeling ◽  
Psychological Resilience ◽  
Pain Level ◽  
Reciprocal Relationships ◽  
Over Time

Abstract Multimorbidity resilience may mitigate the adverse effects of multiple chronic diseases on older adults’ health. Wister et al.’s (2018) multimorbidity resilience index was developed and tested in a cross-sectional sample of older adults in Canada. Building on these findings, we examined the reciprocal relationships of resilience on outcomes to test these potentially mitigating effects in a community-based, U.S. sample of older adults over time. The study sample includes 1,054 older adults from waves 2 and 3 of the National Social Life, Health, and Aging Project (NSHAP) study (Waite et al 2020). Wister et al.’s (2018) index was mapped to NSHAP measures, and reciprocal relationships of multimorbidity resilience and health outcomes over a 5-year period was tested using structural equation modeling (SEM). Results indicated significant effects of multimorbidity resilience on self-rated physical health and pain. Interestingly, a better functional resilience at baseline conferred better self-rated physical health at follow-up, while better psychological resilience predicted lower pain level. By contrast, the influence of health outcomes on any domain of multimorbidity resilience was not detectable at all, supporting the direction of these associations from resilience to outcomes. The study systematically investigated the dynamic hypotheses between multimorbidity resilience and health outcomes. That is, whether they are determinants or consequences, or both. Our findings suggest multimorbidity resilience predicts subsequent 5-year change in health outcomes, especially self-rated physical health and pain level, but not vice versa, strengthening the evidence of the importance of resilience in the health of older adults.

scholarly journals Healthy retirement begins at school: educational differences in the health outcomes of early transitions into retirement

2019 ◽  
Vol 41 (1) ◽  
pp. 137-157 ◽  
Author(s):  
Kasim Allel ◽  
Ana Sofía León ◽  
Ursula M. Staudinger ◽  
Esteban Calvo
Keyword(s):  
Older Adults ◽  
Health Outcomes ◽  
Physical Health ◽  
Fixed Effects ◽  
Formal Education ◽  
Active Ageing ◽  
Childhood And Adolescence ◽  
Retirement Timing ◽  
Moderating Role

AbstractThe literature on socio-economic variations in the association between retirement timing and health is inconclusive and largely limited to the moderating role of occupation. By selecting the sample case of Mexico where a sizeable number of older adults have no or very little formal education, this study allows the moderating role of education to be tested properly. Drawing on panel data for 2,430 individuals age 50 and over from the Mexican Health and Aging Study (MHAS) and combining propensity score matching models with fixed-effects regressions, this article investigates differences in the health effects of retirement timing between older adults with varying years of education. Subjective health is measured using a self-reported assessment of respondents’ overall health and physical health as a reverse count of doctor-diagnosed chronic diseases. The results indicate that early transitions into retirement are associated with worse health outcomes, but education fully compensates for the detrimental association with subjective and physical health, while adjusting for baseline health, demographics and socio-economic characteristics. In conclusion, formal education during childhood and adolescence is associated with a long-term protective effect on health. It attenuates negative health consequences of early retirement transitions. Policies and programmes promoting healthy and active ageing would benefit from considering the influence of formal education in shaping older adults’ health after the transition into retirement.

scholarly journals “This Too shall Pass”: Age-Based Perceptions of Changes in Routine, Coping and Stress

2021 ◽  
Vol 7 (4) ◽  
pp. 1-6
Author(s):  
Mamta Saxena ◽  
Keyword(s):  
Mental Health ◽  
Older Adults ◽  
Health Outcomes ◽  
Physical Health ◽  
Death Rate ◽  
Age Groups ◽  
Mental Health Outcomes ◽  
Medical Complications ◽  
Physical Health Outcomes

The spread of COVID-19 mandated several restrictions, mediated changes in routines, and impacted coping abilities and mental health outcomes. In terms of physical health outcomes, undoubtedly, adults 50 years and older were more severely affected by a higher death rate, medical complications and hospitalization. Nevertheless, how do older adults respond to the uncertainty and scare for life compared to other age groups within the context of COVID-19 remains partially unexplored.

scholarly journals Understanding Food Consumption Frequencies Among U.S. Chinese Older Adults

2020 ◽  
Vol 4 (Supplement_1) ◽  
pp. 242-242
Author(s):  
Shenglin Zheng ◽  
Dexia Kong ◽  
Qun Le ◽  
XinQi Dong
Keyword(s):  
Older Adults ◽  
Health Outcomes ◽  
Food Consumption ◽  
Life Quality ◽  
Population Based ◽  
Portion Size ◽  
Food Groups ◽  
Chinese Older Adults ◽  
Dairy Consumption ◽  
The U.S

Abstract A healthy diet is essential to various health outcomes that are common among minority aging populations. To explore frequencies and correlates of food consumption among U.S. Chinese older adults, this study used data from the Population-based Study of Chinese Elderly (PINE) collected in Chicago during 2015-2017 (N=3053). Food consumption frequencies of five food groups (vegetables, fruits, grains, protein foods, and dairy) were assessed by a validated 48-item food frequency questionnaire. All responses of consumption frequency were transformed to “times per day” and weighted by reported portion size. The average frequencies of vegetables, grains, and protein foods intake among the U.S. Chinese older adults were 2.02 (SD±1.32), 1.32 (SD±0.70), and 1.58 (SD±0.90) times/day, respectively. Fruits and dairy consumption frequencies were much lower: 0.76 (SD±0.70) and 0.48 (SD±0.53) times/day. In addition, higher levels of education were correlated with higher consumption of all five food groups. Being female was positively correlated with frequencies of fruits and dairy intake. In contrast, poorer life quality and having more children were correlated with less intake of all five food groups. Older age, preference to speak Cantonese/Taishanese compared to Mandarin/English, and poorer health status were also correlated with lower consumption frequencies of fruit and dairy. The study provides important dietary data of U.S. Chinese older adults and sheds light on significant socioeconomic correlates of food consumption. More in-depth investigations are needed to clarify the sociocultural determinants of dietary behavior and how they relate to different health outcomes among the U.S. Chinese population.

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