The relationship between loneliness and passive death wishes in the second half of life

2011 ◽  
Vol 23 (10) ◽  
pp. 1677-1685 ◽  
Author(s):  
Liat Ayalon ◽  
Sharon Shiovitz-Ezra

ABSTRACTBackground: Both passive death wishes and loneliness are prevalent in old age and both have been shown to be associated with a variety of detrimental effects. The overall goal of the present study was to evaluate the relationship between loneliness and passive death wishes in the general population of Europeans over the age of 50 years.Methods: Passive death wishes were evaluated in waves 1 and 2 of the Survey of Health, Ageing and Retirement in Europe, using the question “in the past month, have you felt that you would rather be dead?” Loneliness was evaluated by the question: “how frequently have you felt lonely over the past week?” taken from the Center for Epidemiological Studies of Depression questionnaire. All predictors were gathered in wave 1. Analysis was stratified into three age groups (50–65, 66–75, >75 years).Results: Both passive death wishes (15.6%) and loneliness (mean (SE) = 1.68(0.03)) were highest in those over the age of 75, relative to the other two age groups (age 50–65: 4.6%, mean (SE) = 1.43(0.01); age 66–75: 7.3%, mean (SE) = 1.50(0.02), respectively). Loneliness remained a significant risk for passive death wishes, net of the effect of demographic, health, mental health, and various social indicators in those aged 50–65 years (OR = 1.47, 95%CI: 1.10–1.97) and 65–75 (OR = 1.74, 95%CI: 1.28–2.38), but not in those over the age of 75 (OR = 1.12, 95%CI: 0.84–1.47). None of the objective social indicators was associated with passive death wishes.Conclusions: The present study emphasizes the differential role of loneliness across the lifespan. Any intervention to alleviate passive death wishes in the general population will benefit from addressing the subjective sense of loneliness more so than objective indicators of social interaction.

Author(s):  
Mireia Felez-Nobrega ◽  
Judit Bort-Roig ◽  
Ruimin Ma ◽  
Eugenia Romano ◽  
Matthew Faires ◽  
...  

Abstract Background Most of theevidence has focused on examining the influence of moderate-to-vigorous intensity physical activity on mental health, but he role of light intensity physical activity (LIPA) is less understood. The purpose of this systematic review was to assess the relationship between time spent in LIPA and mental ill health across the lifespan. Methods Data were obtained from online databases (Medline, Embase, Scopus, PsychInfo and CINAHL). The search and collection of eligible studies was conducted up to May 28, 2020. Observational studies conducted in the general population and reporting on the association between LIPA (1.6–2.9 metabolic equivalents; either self-reported or device-based measured) and mental ill health were included. Results Twenty-two studies were included in the review (16 cross-sectional and 6 longitudinal). In older adults (≥ 65 years) and adults (18–64 years), the evidence examining the relationship between LIPA and depressive symptoms is mixed. Data on anxiety, psychological distress and overall mental health are scarce, and results are inconclusive. There is no evidence suggesting favorable associations between LIPA and anxiety in college students. Finally, very limited data was found in adolescents (11–17 years) (n = 2 studies) and children (6–10 years) (n = 2 studies), but the evidence suggests that LIPA does not influence mental health outcomes in these age groups. Conclusions This review provided mostly cross-sectional evidence indicating that LIPA may not be associated with mental health outcomes across age groups. Future research efforts employing prospective research designs are warranted to better understand the role of LIPA on mental ill health across age groups.


2017 ◽  
Vol 41 (S1) ◽  
pp. s855-s855
Author(s):  
A.P. Amaral ◽  
M.J. Soares ◽  
A.T. Pereira ◽  
S. Bos ◽  
C. Roque ◽  
...  

IntroductionSeveral epidemiological studies have been conducted to document the prevalence and correlates of insomnia. Most of them confirm their high prevalence in the general population, and a gender difference in the risk for insomnia.AimsTo study the role of gender in the relationship between personality (perfectionism and neuroticism) and insomnia ([IG] insomnia group, [ISG] insomnia symptoms group, and [GSG] good sleepers group).MethodsA total of 549 college students (80.1% females) filled in the MPS (Frost et al., 1990; Hewitt and Flett, 1991), EPI (Barton et al., 1992, 1995), and a self-reported questionnaire to assess insomnia symptoms.ResultsNo differences were found between female and male samples, concerning the dimension of perfectionism – doubts about actions. The IG and the ISG showed higher levels of doubts about actions than the GSG. However, only in female sample the IG and the ISG showed higher levels of concern over mistakes in comparison with the GSG. In males, no significant differences between the sleep groups were found, in which respects concern over mistakes. The level of extroversion was higher in the GSG, but only in male sample. In females, there were no significant differences between the sleep groups in relation to extroversion.ConclusionsNo gender differences were found for the role of doubts about actions in insomnia. Only in females, the dimension – concern over mistakes is important in insomnia, and only in males the dimension – extroversion is important to have a good sleep. These results warrant further research.Disclosure of interestThe authors have not supplied their declaration of competing interest.


2019 ◽  
pp. 121-143
Author(s):  
Riccardo Resciniti ◽  
Federica De Vanna

The rise of e-commerce has brought considerable changes to the relationship between firms and consumers, especially within international business. Hence, understanding the use of such means for entering foreign markets has become critical for companies. However, the research on this issue is new and so it is important to evaluate what has been studied in the past. In this study, we conduct a systematic review of e-commerce and internationalisation studies to explicate how firms use e-commerce to enter new markets and to export. The studies are classified by theories and methods used in the literature. Moreover, we draw upon the internationalisation decision process (antecedents-modalities-consequences) to propose an integrative framework for understanding the role of e-commerce in internationalisation


Author(s):  
Émilie Perez

The role of children in Merovingian society has long been downplayed, and the study of their graves and bones has long been neglected. However, during the past fifteen years, archaeologists have shown growing interest in the place of children in Merovingian society. Nonetheless, this research has not been without challenges linked to the nature of the biological and material remains. Recent analysis of 315 children’s graves from four Merovingian cemeteries in northern Gaul (sixth to seventh centuries) allows us to understand the modalities of burial ritual for children. A new method for classifying children into social age groups shows that the type, quality, quantity, and diversity of grave goods were directly correlated with the age of the deceased. They increased from the age of eight and particularly around the time of puberty. This study discusses the role of age and gender in the construction and expression of social identity during childhood in the Merovingian period.


2021 ◽  
Vol 10 (3) ◽  
pp. 448
Author(s):  
Federica Piani ◽  
Arrigo F. G. Cicero ◽  
Claudio Borghi

The relationship between serum uric acid (SUA) and hypertension has been a subject of increasing interest since the 1870 discovery by Frederick Akbar Mahomed. Several epidemiological studies have shown a strong association between high SUA levels and the presence or the development of hypertension. Genetic analyses have found that xanthine oxidoreductase (XOR) genetic polymorphisms are associated with hypertension. However, genetic studies on urate transporters and Mendelian randomization studies failed to demonstrate a causal relationship between SUA and hypertension. Results from clinical trials on the role of urate-lowering therapy in the management of patients with hypertension are not uniform. Our study sought to analyze the prognostic and therapeutic role of SUA in the hypertensive disease, from uric acid (UA) biology to clinical trials on urate-lowering therapies.


2021 ◽  
Vol 1 (1) ◽  
pp. 99-112
Author(s):  
Richard Larouche ◽  
Nimesh Patel ◽  
Jennifer L. Copeland

The role of infrastructure in encouraging transportation cycling in smaller cities with a low prevalence of cycling remains unclear. To investigate the relationship between the presence of infrastructure and transportation cycling in a small city (Lethbridge, AB, Canada), we interviewed 246 adults along a recently-constructed bicycle boulevard and two comparison streets with no recent changes in cycling infrastructure. One comparison street had a separate multi-use path and the other had no cycling infrastructure. Questions addressed time spent cycling in the past week and 2 years prior and potential socio-demographic and psychosocial correlates of cycling, including safety concerns. Finally, we asked participants what could be done to make cycling safer and more attractive. We examined predictors of cycling using gender-stratified generalized linear models. Women interviewed along the street with a separate path reported cycling more than women on the other streets. A more favorable attitude towards cycling and greater habit strength were associated with more cycling in both men and women. Qualitative data revealed generally positive views about the bicycle boulevard, a need for education about sharing the road and for better cycling infrastructure in general. Our results suggest that, even in smaller cities, cycling infrastructure may encourage cycling, especially among women.


2021 ◽  
Vol 22 (12) ◽  
pp. 6222
Author(s):  
Kacper Szewczyk ◽  
Aleksandra Chojnacka ◽  
Magdalena Górnicka

Tocopherols and tocotrienols are natural compounds of plant origin, available in the nature. They are supplied in various amounts in a diet, mainly from vegetable oils, some oilseeds, and nuts. The main forms in the diet are α- and γ-tocopherol, due to the highest content in food products. Nevertheless, α-tocopherol is the main form of vitamin E with the highest tissue concentration. The α- forms of both tocopherols and tocotrienols are considered as the most metabolically active. Currently, research results indicate also a greater antioxidant potential of tocotrienols than tocopherols. Moreover, the biological role of vitamin E metabolites have received increasing interest. The aim of this review is to update the knowledge of tocopherol and tocotrienol bioactivity, with a particular focus on their bioavailability, distribution, and metabolism determinants in humans. Almost one hundred years after the start of research on α-tocopherol, its biological properties are still under investigation. For several decades, researchers’ interest in the biological importance of other forms of vitamin E has also been growing. Some of the functions, for instance the antioxidant functions of α- and γ-tocopherols, have been confirmed in humans, while others, such as the relationship with metabolic disorders, are still under investigation. Some studies, which analyzed the biological role and mechanisms of tocopherols and tocotrienols over the past few years described new and even unexpected cellular and molecular properties that will be the subject of future research.


2021 ◽  
Vol 27 ◽  
pp. 107602962110029
Author(s):  
Mira Merashli ◽  
Alessia Arcaro ◽  
Maria Graf ◽  
Matilde Caruso ◽  
Paul R. J. Ames ◽  
...  

The relationship between antiphospholipid antibodies (aPL) and sickle cell disease (SCD) has never been systematically addressed. Our aim was to evaluate potential links between SCD and aPL in all age groups. EMBASE/PubMed was screened from inception to May 2020 and Peto odds ratios for rare events were calculated. The pooled prevalence (PP) of IgG anticardiolipin antibodies (aCL) was higher in individuals with SCD than in controls (27.9% vs 8.7%, P < 0.0001), that of IgM aCL was similar in the two groups (2.9% vs 2.7%); only individuals with SCD were positive for lupus anticoagulant (LA) (7.7% vs 0%, P < 0.0001). The PP of leg ulcers was similar between aPL positive and negative individuals (44% vs 53%) and between patients in acute crisis and stable patients (5.6% vs 7.3%). Reporting of aPL as a binary outcome and not as a titer precluded further interpretation. The results indicate that a prospective case-control study with serial measurements of a panel of aPL in SCD patients might be warranted, in order to understand further the possible pathogenic role of aPL in SCD.


2010 ◽  
Vol 54 (5) ◽  
pp. 488-497 ◽  
Author(s):  
Arnaldo Schainberg ◽  
Antônio Ribeiro-Oliveira Jr. ◽  
José Marcio Ribeiro

It has been well documented that there is an increased prevalence of standard cardiovascular (CV) risk factors in association with diabetes and with diabetes-related abnormalities. Hyperglycemia, in particular, also plays an important role. Heart failure (HF) has become a frequent manifestation of cardiovascular disease (CVD) among individuals with diabetes mellitus. Epidemiological studies suggest that the effect of hyperglycemia on HF risk is independent of other known risk factors. Analysis of datasets from populations including individuals with dysglycemia suggests the pathogenic role of hyperglycemia on left ventricular function and on the natural history of HF. Despite substantial epidemiological evidence of the relationship between diabetes and HF, data from available interventional trials assessing the effect of a glucose-lowering strategy on CV outcomes are limited. To provide some insight into these issues, we describe in this review the recent important data to understand the natural course of CV disease in diabetic individuals and the role of hyperglycemia at different times in the progression of HF.


1987 ◽  
Vol 53 (4) ◽  
pp. 295-299 ◽  
Author(s):  
Marleen Pugach ◽  
Mara Sapon-Shevin

The calls for educational reform that have dominated the professional and lay literature for the past few years have been decidedly silent in discussing the role of special education either as a contributor or a solution to the problems being raised. As an introduction to this “Special Focus” on the relationship between general educational reform and special education, this article summarizes some of the more prominent reports with regard to their treatment (and nontreatment) of special education. The impact of proposed reforms for the conceptualization and operation of special education is the subject of the five articles that follow.


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