scholarly journals The Moderating Impact of Attending Services on the Effect of Older Adults’ Discrimination Experiences on Loneliness

2020 ◽  
Vol 4 (Supplement_1) ◽  
pp. 323-323
Author(s):  
Dahee Kim ◽  
Kyuho Lee

Abstract Research has shown that perceived discriminations impact physical and mental health in later life. Discrimination experiences could make older adults consider themselves as a social misfit and decrease their social interactions, which finally increases their loneliness. Religious behaviors has been reported as a key factor of a lower sense of isolation. Considering that religious behaviors provide opportunities to engage in more extensive social networks and have supportive social ties with community members, attending religious services might decrease the impact of older adults’ perceived discrimination on loneliness. The current research aims to examine the moderating role of religious services attendance in the association between older adults’ perceived discrimination and loneliness. We used data of 4,488 adults aged 50 to 80 (M=66.27, SD=10.15) from the Health and Retirement Study (HRS) collected in 2012 and 2014. Linear regression analysis was performed to investigate whether older adults’ religious service attendance might decrease the impact of their perceived discriminations in daily life on the level of loneliness. The results indicated that more perceived discriminations older adults face on a daily basis were significantly associated with higher levels of loneliness. However, participants who frequently attended religious services showed a lower impact of perceived discriminations on their loneliness. These findings highlight the positive effects of engaging in religious activities on discriminated older adults’ social well-being. These findings also emphasize the role of the religious community as a social resource for socially marginalized older adults.

2020 ◽  
Vol 25 (8) ◽  
pp. 382-387
Author(s):  
Karen Freer

The article ‘Social frailty: the importance of social and environmental factors in predicting frailty in older adults’ published in the British Journal of Community Nursing in 2019 reviewed the concept and models of frailty and how the role of social and environmental circumstances interplay. To better inform interventions within the community, the impact of social isolation and environmental disorder on frailty and the wellbeing of an individual patient are further explored. This paper describes the case of a 76-year-old man, Tommy, who was living with frailty and how an individualised care plan was undertaken, evidencing the positive effects that an integrated approach from health, social care, housing and the voluntary sector can offer. Multifaceted interventions are described, which were used to reverse frailty and change Tommy's future for the better.


2021 ◽  
Author(s):  
Ligiana Pires Corona ◽  
Flavia Cristina Drummond Andrade ◽  
Tiago Silva Alexandre ◽  
Tábatta Renata Pereira Brito ◽  
Daniella Pires Nunes ◽  
...  

Abstract Background Anemia is the most common hematological abnormality among older adults, and it is associated with decreased physical performance. But the role of hemoglobin in the absence of anemia remains unclear. Thus, this study aimed to assess the impact of hemoglobin levels on physical performance in Brazilian older adults without anemia. Methods The study is longitudinal in that it relies on two waves of the Saúde, Bem-Estar e Envelhecimento (SABE; Health, Well-being, and Aging) study: 2010 and 2015–2016. Mixed-effects linear regression was used to determine the effects of the hemoglobin concentrations on the Short Physical Performance Battery-SPPB over time among the 1,020 who had complete data and did not have anemia in 2010. In the follow-up, there were 562 without anemia. Analyses were stratified by sex. Results In analyses adjusted for age, education, grip strength, comorbidities, and body mass index, hemoglobin levels were positively associated with physical performance scores among older women (β = 0.15, p < 0.05) and men (β = 0.18, p < 0.05) without anemia. Conclusion Our study demonstrates that higher hemoglobin levels were associated with better physical performance among older men and women without anemia. This finding is important because, in clinical practice, most health professionals focus on the World Health Organization definition of anemia. Our study suggests the importance of hemoglobin levels among older adults, even those without anemia.


2020 ◽  
Author(s):  
Birthe Macdonald ◽  
Gizem Hülür

Abstract Background and Objectives The current COVID-19 pandemic and social distancing measures are an extreme stressor that might result in negative emotional experiences and feelings of loneliness. However, it is possible that social relationships might have a protective effect. In the present study, we examine how the COVID-19 pandemic affected older adults’ well-being and loneliness, and the role of structural and functional characteristics of social relationships. Research Design and Methods We use data from 99 older adults in Switzerland who participated (a) in a three-week micro-longitudinal study on social relationships and well-being in 2019 and (b) in a weekly online survey during four weeks of the COVID-19 lockdown. Results Our findings show that the global pandemic had substantial adverse effects on older adults’ emotional well-being and loneliness. In addition, aspects of social relationships were related to loneliness both before and during the pandemic. Only one functional feature of social relationships (satisfaction with communication during the pandemic) buffered adverse effects of the major stressful event. Discussion and Implications Although the social distancing measures during COVID-19 presented a major stressor for older adults’ well-being and loneliness, being able to maintain social communication to a satisfactory level during that time reduced this effect. Therefore, enabling older adults to stay in touch with their social circle based on their personal preferences might reduce the impact that any future lockdown might have on their well-being.


2021 ◽  
Vol 6 ◽  
Author(s):  
Tobias Peter Ackermann ◽  
Alexander Seifert

Among older adults, engagement in education can potentially have positive effects on cognition and psychological well-being and can prevent social isolation. The aim of this study is to investigate the role of individual motivations specific to older learners that underlie the frequency of participation at a senior university and how health or socioeconomic dimensions may affect the possibilities for participation. With data on participants from the senior university program at the University of Zurich (N = 811), we show that greater individual motivations regarding different aspects of learning have an effect on the frequency of lecture attendance, while other life circumstances do not. However, the findings show that when different forms of motivation are compared, instrumental motivation—meaning that the intention to use the gained knowledge now or in the future is responsible for the participant’s learning aspirations—is the only motivation that significantly increases lecture attendance. Hence, we conclude that to increase people’s engagement in this specific form of education in later life and to intensify lecture attendance, these programs should meet participants expectations.


Psibernetika ◽  
2018 ◽  
Vol 11 (1) ◽  
Author(s):  
Novi Kosalina

<p><em>There were images that older adults are predominantly senile, unproductive, poor in health, and useless. In fact, there are many older adults who still optimally function, such as on religious activities. Religious activities give positive impact for these older adults life. Having social support from religious community and give sense of meaning and purpose. Older adults can have subjective wellbeing, which can decrease depression risk and health problems. Subjective wellbeing is evaluation about one’s happiness, on emotional, psychological, and social aspect. This research was conducted as an effort to understanding in much deeper and more comprehensive way about subjective wellbeing in older adults who is active in religious activities.  There are four subjects that involved in this research. They were 67-77 years old, widowed, and active in religious activities. This research is using interview method, conducted in about one month. Results indicate that all subjects have subjective wellbeing.</em></p><p><em> </em></p><p><strong><em>Keyword:</em></strong><em> Older Adults, Subjective Well-Being, Religious Activities</em></p>


2021 ◽  
Vol 12 ◽  
Author(s):  
Carol A. Holland ◽  
Alexis Boukouvalas ◽  
Danielle Clarkesmith ◽  
Richard Cooke

Autobiographical memory specificity has been associated with cognitive function, depression, and independence in older adults. This longitudinal study of 162 older adults moving to active supported living environments tracks changes in the role of the ability to recall specific autobiographical memory as a mediator between underlying cognitive function, or depression, and outcome perceived health or independence (e.g., Instrumental Activities of Daily Living, IADLs), across 18 months, as compared with controls not moving home. Clear improvements across time in autobiographical specificity were seen for residents but not controls, supporting the role of a socially active environment, and confirmed by correlation with number of activities reported in diaries, although the impact of diary activities on the effect of time on autobiographical specificity was not found. The role of autobiographical specificity in mediating general cognition and outcome functional limitations was clear for social limitations at 12 and 18 months, but its role in mediating effects of executive function and perceived health persisted throughout. The role of specificity in mediating between depression and perceived health, IADLs, and Functional Limitations persisted throughout. Analysis examining autobiographical specificity and depression as joint mediators between cognition and independence showed a forward effect such that higher specificity scores reduced the negative mediation effect of depression on independence. Finally, data showed the reduction of many of these mediations over time, supporting the role of autobiographical memory in times of change in a person's social situation. Data support potential autobiographical memory intervention development.


2021 ◽  
Vol 3 (2) ◽  
pp. 188-199
Author(s):  
Tabish Nawab ◽  
Beyza Nur Aktaş ◽  
Tusawar Iftikhar Ahmad ◽  
Ruqayya Ibraheem

The issue of combining school & work has taken considerable focus in the past years from policymakers, advocates and researchers. In the literature, the role of household wealth, combining school & work is still an unresolved issue. The researchers have contradicting views about the impact of household wealth on combining child school & work. Child labor and low schooling attendance are found pervasive issues worldwide, particularly in developing countries. This study aims to explore the impact of household wealth on combining child school & work, particularly focusing on the wealth index of the household. For this purpose, microdata having 18471 observations from Multiple Indicator Cluster Survey Balochistan (2010) has been utilized. The binary logistic model has been applied for the children (5-15 years) activity whether they are combining school & work or not. The main finding of this paper is the wealth status of households which has a statistically significant and positive influence on combining child school & work. Both mother and father's education is positively associated with combining school & work. In addition, mother and father being alive played a vital role in their children’s combined activities of schooling & work rather than doing nothing because the expectations of child schooling are high in parent's lives. Furthermore, gender, age of the child, and area of residence are positive effects combining school & work. The children from urban zones are more likely to be involved in combining school & work. The policy of this paper suggests that education is the key to break child labor in society by providing education facilities for both girls and boys equally. In addition to policy recommendations, there should be crucial steps to provide a better economic environment for the well-being of the masses to enhance their economic condition especially in rural and deprived areas of Balochistan, and the applicability of child labor laws needs to be focused on.Keywords:


Author(s):  
Anne-Rigt Poortman

AbstractShared physical custody, or more generally, frequent contact with both parents is often assumed to benefit children, but having to move back and forth between parents’ homes may also be harmful, particularly when parents live far apart. This study examined the role of spatial mobility in the association between frequent parent-child contact and multiple child outcomes. Using the New Families in the Netherlands survey, analyses firstly showed that frequent parent-child contact, on average, was found to be not or modestly associated with better child outcomes. Second, spatial mobility mattered, but in varying ways. Long travel times were negatively associated with children’s contact with friends and their psychological well-being, but positively related to educational performance. Furthermore, frequent commutes were negatively associated with how often children saw their friends, but positively associated with child psychological well-being. Third, and most importantly, the impact of parent-child contact and frequent commutes on child outcomes were found to be dependent on traveling time. For child psychological well-being and contact with friends, frequent parent-child contact and/or frequent commutes were found to have positive effects when travel distances were short, but these positive effects disappeared when traveling times increased.


2021 ◽  
Vol 5 (Supplement_1) ◽  
pp. 290-290
Author(s):  
Calia Morais ◽  
Michael Robinson ◽  
Roger Fillingim ◽  
Emily Bartley

Abstract Chronic low back pain is the leading cause of disability among older adults. The impact of psychological factors, including high levels of stress, are associated with increased risk for pain. Despite the growing evidence suggesting that psychological well-being is associated with better health outcomes, limited research has examined positive psychological factors in the context of pain among older adults. In this secondary data analyses of we examined the association of perceived stress on pain and physical functioning, and the moderating role of positive affect and well-being (PAW) on these relationships. A total of 60 adults over the age of 60 completed completed questionnaires assessing perceived stress (Perceived Stress Scale) and positive affect and well-being (Neuro-QOL PAW). The Back Performance Scale measured back-related physical functioning and movement-evoked pain. We hypothesized that PAW would be inversely associated with pain outcomes and would moderate the relationship between perceived stress and pain. Bivariate correlations assessed the association between study variables, while the interaction of PAW and perceived stress was examined via linear regression. Age (r=.30), income (r=.28), and being married (r=.32) were associated with higher PAW scores, while there was an inverse association with movement-evoked pain (r=-.28). After controlling for demographic covariates, moderation analysis revealed that higher levels of perceived stress were associated with poorer physical functioning, but only among those with lower positive affect and well-being (b=0.14). As seen, examining the influence of positive psychological functioning on pain-related outcomes has important clinical implications that may promote positive pain adaptation in this population.


Author(s):  
Patrick D. Gajewski ◽  
Michael Falkenstein

Healthy aging is associated with changes in sensory, motor, cognitive, and emotional functions. Such changes depend on various factors. In particular, physical activity not only improves physical and motor but also cognitive and emotional functions. Observational (i.e., associations) and cross-sectional studies generally show a positive effect of regular physical exercise on cognition in older adults. Most longitudinal randomized controlled intervention studies also show positive effects, but the results are inconsistent due to large heterogeneity of methodological setups. Positive changes accompanying physical activity mainly impact executive functions, memory functions, and processing speed. Several factors influence the impact of physical activity on cognition, mainly the type and format of the activity. Strength training and aerobic training yield comparable but also differential benefits, and all should be used in physical activities. Also, a combination of physical activity with cognitive activity appears to enhance its effect on cognition in older age. Hence, such combined training approaches are preferable to homogeneous trainings. Studies of brain physiology changes due to physical activity show general as well as specific effects on certain brain structures and functions, particularly in the frontal cortex and the hippocampus, which are those areas most affected by advanced age. Physical activity also appears to improve cognition in patients with mild cognitive dysfunction and dementia and often ameliorates the disease symptoms. This makes physical training an important intervention for those groups of older people. Apart from cognition, physical activity leads to improvement of emotional functions. Exercise can lead to improvement of psychological well-being in older adults. Most importantly, exercise appears to reduce symptoms of depression in seniors. In future intervention studies it should be clarified who profits most from physical activity. Further, the conditions that influence the cognitive and emotional benefits older people derive from physical activity should be investigated in more detail. Finally, measures of brain activity that can be easily applied should be included as far as possible.


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