scholarly journals Social Determinants of Cognitive Health: Studies on Physical and Social Environments and Cognition

2021 ◽  
Vol 5 (Supplement_1) ◽  
pp. 380-380
Author(s):  
Kexin Yu ◽  
Kheng Siang (Ted) Ng ◽  
Patricia Heyn
Keyword(s):  
Older Adults ◽  
Social Environment ◽  
Social Determinants ◽  
Physical Environment ◽  
Living Environment ◽  
Social Environments ◽  
Cognitive Health ◽  
The Social ◽  
Living Environments ◽  
The Impact

Abstract Living environments profoundly influence the aging process. This symposium presents research on two main aspects of the living environment and their relationships with cognitive health. The living environment is broadly defined, including both physical and social aspects. The physical environment is the characteristics of the built environment, such as tripping hazard in the home, cleanness of the community streets, and presence of deserted buildings, etc. The social environment is the cohesiveness with other people living in the neighborhood. Living environments have multiple layers; the physical environments encompass both in-home and in-community domains, whereas the social environment can be categorized as domestic versus community cohesiveness. This symposium includes studies with investigation scopes spanning from the micro to mezzo levels. The first presentation scrutinizes the buffering effect of marital relationships, as a form of domestic social environments, on cognition among older adults with vision and hearing impairments. Using the NHATS dataset, the second presentation examines social isolation as a potential mediator for the association between physical, social environments and global cognitive functioning. The third presentation evaluates the impact of living environments on cognition among Canadian older adults with multimorbidity. The last presentation examines how the physical environment affects sleep quality and thus influences older adults’ cognition. All four presentations are closely linked to the overarching theme of evaluating the environmental impact on cognition and provide possible explanations mediating the association observed. This symposium contributes to advancing gerontological knowledge by offering new perspectives on the social determinants of cognitive health.

scholarly journals Brazilian Children’s Understanding of the Quality of Life in Their Living Environment: A Qualitative Study

2020 ◽  
Vol 17 (14) ◽  
pp. 5101
Author(s):  
Camilla Aparecida Silva de Oliveira ◽  
Andréa Maria Duarte Vargas ◽  
Fernanda de Morais Ferreira ◽  
Efigênia Ferreira e Ferreira
Keyword(s):  
Quality Of Life ◽  
Content Analysis ◽  
Qualitative Study ◽  
Social Environment ◽  
Physical Environment ◽  
Living Environment ◽  
Public And Private ◽  
The Social ◽  
Graphic Elements

(1) Objective: To understand the perception of Brazilian children about the Quality of Life (QoL) considering their living environment. (2) Methods: This is a qualitative study conducted with children aged 6–10 years, from a medium-sized Brazilian municipality, recruited from public and private schools. An adaptation of the “draw, write, and say” method was used to collect data. At first, all children (n = 252) drew a “neighborhood with QoL”. On the same day, the researcher analyzed the graphic elements of the representations and intentionally selected the two best-detailed drawings from each class (n = 49) and the children were invited to narrate them. The narratives were analyzed through content analysis. (3) Results: Two major themes emerged from the content analysis, namely, the physical environment and social environment. The first included the needs to live in a community, such as housing, places of leisure, essential services, and natural elements. The second was relationships with family and friends. (4) Conclusion: The children presented the meaning of an environment with QoL, pointing out essential items to have this ideal environment. The social environment and the physical environment were perceived interdependently; that is, any change in one of these aspects may affect children’s QoL.

scholarly journals The impact of pedagogical concepts of social environment on the organization of the physical environment

2016 ◽  
Vol 14 (2) ◽  
pp. 257-264
Author(s):  
Milan Tanic ◽  
Danica Stankovic ◽  
Vojislav Nikolic ◽  
Aleksandra Kostic
Keyword(s):  
Social Environment ◽  
Influencing Factors ◽  
Physical Environment ◽  
Basic Research ◽  
Social Activities ◽  
Qualitative Properties ◽  
Research Framework ◽  
Initial Assumption ◽  
The Social ◽  
The Impact

The paper discusses the implications of the social environment on the modern pedagogical process and their interdependence with the physical environment. The initial assumption is that pedagogical processes form certain types of social activities which encourage the development of the appropriate physical environment. Different patterns of social environment are defined by the typological analysis of social activities in the pedagogical process. In addition, the basic research framework implies the cooperation of various forms of social environment and the influencing factors on the organization of the physical environment in terms of contextual changes in the pedagogical process. Defined qualitative properties suggest the creation of a polyvalent physical environment that offers a whole range of intermediate forms for the implementation of various forms of social activities in the pedagogical process.

scholarly journals The Impact of Social Environment on the Sexual Self-Regulation of University Students in Uganda

2020 ◽  
Vol 1 (2) ◽  
pp. 75-88
Author(s):  
Musa Muwaga ◽  
Fuad Nashori ◽  
Achmad Sholeh
Keyword(s):  
University Students ◽  
Social Environment ◽  
Undergraduate Students ◽  
Self Regulation ◽  
Factor Loading ◽  
Accurate Information ◽  
Social Environments ◽  
Chi Square ◽  
The Social ◽  
The Impact

Most societies consider sexual self-regulation to represent a general temptation control mechanism, postponing gratification. This study aims to determine the social environment's impact on university students' sexual self-regulation in Uganda. The data were obtained using convenience technique sampling of undergraduate students at university "X" in Uganda. Students voluntarily completed the questionnaire in a regular classroom setting. The questionnaire elicited information regarding sexual regulative capacities like seeking accurate information from social environments like family, peer, and university environments. The data were analyzed using both univariate analyses (chi-square and analysis of variance and logistic regression. The results indicated that the social environment had a positive and significant relationship with sexual self-regulation and university students with a value of 1t1 ≥1.96, and factor loading≥0.50 was significant. These results should be considered by those working with university students in human sexuality and human development

scholarly journals The Impact of Shared Versus Individual Office Space on Therapist Appraisal of Their Work Environment

2018 ◽  
Vol 13 (1) ◽  
pp. i26
Author(s):  
Shane L Rogers ◽  
Stephen J Edwards ◽  
Rebecca Perera
Keyword(s):  
Mental Health ◽  
Work Environment ◽  
Social Environment ◽  
Working Conditions ◽  
Physical Environment ◽  
Primary Objective ◽  
Physical Work ◽  
Office Space ◽  
The Social ◽  
The Impact

Objective:  The primary objective was to investigate the impact of shared versus individual office space on therapist appraisal of the work physical and social environment, and overall appraisal of working conditions. Method:  Therapists (n = 59) from Child and Adolescent Mental Health Services in Western Australia were surveyed about their appraisal of the social and physical work environment, in addition to their overall appraisal of working conditions. Results:  Compared to therapists with individual offices, therapists occupying shared office space reported lower appraisal of the work physical environment and lower overall appraisal of working conditions. No difference was found between groups for appraisal of the work social environment. Additionally, when statistically controlling for office space, both the appraisal of the social and physical environment made an independent contribution to the prediction of overall work satisfaction. Conclusion:  This research reveals that shared office space can negatively impact therapist appraisal of their work environment and reduce overall appraisal of working conditions. Additionally, results reveal the high importance of the physical environment for staff satisfaction in a mental health service.

Mobile Health Interventions to Support Caregivers of Older Adults: An Equity-Focused Systematic Review (Preprint)

2021 ◽  
Author(s):  
Anna Garnett ◽  
Melissa Northwood ◽  
Justine Ting ◽  
Ruheena Sangrar
Keyword(s):  
Systematic Review ◽  
Older Adults ◽  
Social Determinants Of Health ◽  
Mobile Health ◽  
Social Determinants ◽  
Determinants Of Health ◽  
Health Technologies ◽  
Health And Wellbeing ◽  
The Social ◽  
The Impact

BACKGROUND Caregivers provide crucial support to older adults so they can remain safely in their homes as they age. Over time, caregivers’ own health can be negatively impacted by their caregiving role. The social determinants of health, such as gender and socioeconomic status, can influence assuming a caregiving role as well as the impacts of caregiving on the caregiver. While programs exist to support caregivers, uptake of these services does not match the need for services expressed by caregivers. Research suggests that supportive interventions offered via mobile health technologies have the potential to increase caregiver accessibility of supportive services. However, a knowledge gap exists regarding the extent to which the social determinants of health are considered in the design, implementation, and evaluation of mobile health (mHealth) interventions intended to support caregivers of older adults. Furthermore, a comprehensive review of the impact of mHealth interventions in this population does not exist. OBJECTIVE To conduct a systematic review to: (1) determine how health inequities are considered in the design, implementation, and evaluation of mHealth interventions for caregivers of older adults using Cochrane-Equity's PROGRESS-Plus framework; and (2) synthesize evidence of the impacts of caregiver-focused mHealth interventions. METHODS A systematic review was conducted in five databases and articles published between January 2010 and June 2021 were included if they evaluated or explored the impacts of mHealth interventions on the health and wellbeing of informal caregivers of older adults. mHealth interventions were defined as those that caregivers of older adults accessed via mobile or wireless devices. RESULTS A total of 28 articles met the inclusion criteria and were included in the systematic review. The interventions evaluated by the included studies sought to help caregivers make connections with services, facilitate the caregiving process, and promote the caregivers’ health and wellbeing. The PROGRESS-Plus framework factors were mainly considered in the results, discussion, and limitations sections of included studies. Some PROGRESS-Plus factors such as sexual orientation, religion and occupation, received little to no consideration in all phases of intervention design, implementation, or evaluation. Overall, findings of this review suggest that mHealth interventions were positively received by users. Such interventions may have the potential to reduce caregiver burden and positively impact caregivers’ physical and mental health while supporting them in their caregiving role. Study findings highlight the importance of available supports to help facilitate caregivers’ use of mHealth interventions particularly early on as well as the use of appropriate language and text. CONCLUSIONS Successful uptake and spread of mHealth interventions to support caregivers of older adults will depend on creating opportunities for inclusive involvement of a broad range of stakeholders at all stages of design, implementation, and assessment. CLINICALTRIAL PROSPERO CRD42021239584; https://www.crd.york.ac.uk/prospero/display_record.php?RecordID=239584

scholarly journals SOCIAL FRAILTY IN RECENTLY RELOCATED SEMI-INDEPENDENT OLDER ADULTS

2019 ◽  
Vol 3 (Supplement_1) ◽  
pp. S899-S899
Author(s):  
Suzanne Dupuis-Blanchard ◽  
Catherine Bigonnesse ◽  
Danica Maillet ◽  
Odette Gould ◽  
Melissa Andrews ◽  
...  
Keyword(s):  
Older Adults ◽  
Social Determinants ◽  
Continuum Of Care ◽  
Structured Interviews ◽  
Care Community ◽  
The Social ◽  
Qualitative Descriptive ◽  
Demographic Surveys ◽  
Study Participants ◽  
The Impact

Abstract Although most older adults live outside of care institutions, not all seniors choose to live in traditional family homes. Among those who relocate, some relocate too early while others are pre-frail or frail when they relocate. Social frailty – the interaction between social vulnerability and frailty – could contribute to these untimely relocations. The goal of this study was to inform the concept of social frailty by examining a population of semi-independent older adults who recently relocated to a continuum of care community. The objectives of this study were to: 1) understand the influence of the social determinants of health on the relocation process; 2) explore whether relocation increases or reduces social frailty; and 3) measure the level of post-relocation frailty in study participants. This mixed method study combined semi-structured interviews on the relocation process, the frailty identification tool PRISMA-7, and socio-demographic surveys. Twenty-nine recently relocated seniors were recruited with the assistance of a Citizens' Advisory Committee along with advertisements, presentations, information booths, and word of mouth. Qualitative descriptive thematic analysis and descriptive statistical analyses were used to examine the relationship between frailty, socio-demographic variables and relocation. Findings indicated that several social determinants contributed to frailty and that relocation into a continuum of care community could mitigate some aspects of social frailty. A conceptual framework on the influence of social frailty on relocation is discussed. More research is needed to inform the concept of social frailty and to better understand the impact of social factors on frailty.

scholarly journals Examining Social Isolation as a Mediator for the Environmental Influence on Cognitive Functioning

2021 ◽  
Vol 5 (Supplement_1) ◽  
pp. 380-380
Author(s):  
Kexin Yu
Keyword(s):  
Older Adults ◽  
Cognitive Functioning ◽  
Social Environment ◽  
Social Isolation ◽  
Healthy Aging ◽  
Environmental Influence ◽  
Mediating Effect ◽  
Social Environments ◽  
Cognitive Health ◽  
Community Disorder

Abstract Environments serve as one of the most pervasive stimuli to the brain, shaping cognitive functionality through neuroplasticity. Both the physical and social environments of living could affect the cognitive functioning of older adults. Nonetheless, the mechanisms on how the environments “get under the skin” are unknown. This study examines the potential mediating effect of social isolation on the relationships between environment and cognitive health. Wave 9 data from the National Healthy Aging Trend Study was employed. The working sample includes 2,313 older adults. Path analysis results showed that in-home disorder was positively related to social isolation. A more cohesive social environment was negatively related to social isolation. Higher social isolation scores were associated with worsen global cognitive functioning. In-home disorder, community disorder, and social environment had significant direct effects on cognitive health after adjusting for the mediating effect. Social Isolation partially mediates the environmental influence on cognitive functioning.

Health Promotion for Older Americans in the 21st Century

2000 ◽  
Vol 14 (6) ◽  
pp. 371-379 ◽  
Author(s):  
Meredith Minkler ◽  
Helen Schauffler ◽  
Kristen Clements-Nolle
Keyword(s):  
Older Adults ◽  
Health Promotion ◽  
Social Environment ◽  
21St Century ◽  
Physical Environment ◽  
Behavioral Risk ◽  
Older Americans ◽  
The Social ◽  
The Individual

Objectives. To provide a broad overview of the role of the individual, the physical environment, and the social environment on health and functioning in older adults (65 and older), and to highlight interventions and recommendations for action on each of these levels. Data Sources. Published studies and government reports on health and functioning in older Americans and on the individual, social, and physical environmental contributors to health were identified through journal and government documents review and computer library searches of medical and social science data bases for 1980–1999. Study Selection. Preference was given to published studies and government reports that focused specifically on behavioral and environmental contributors and barriers to health promotion in Americans 65 and older and/or that highlighted creative interventions with relevance to this population. Both review articles and presentations of original research were included, with the latter selected based on soundness of design and execution and/or creativity of intervention described. Data Extraction. Studies were examined and their findings organized under three major headings: (1) behavioral risk factors and risk reduction, including current government standards for prevention and screening; (2) the role of the physical environment; and (3) the role of the social environment in relation to health promotion of older adults. Data Synthesis. Although most attention has been paid to the role of behavioral factors in health promotion for older adults, a substantial body of evidence suggests that physical and social environmental factors also play a key role. Similarly, interventions that promote individual behavioral risk reduction and interventions targeting the broader social or physical environment all may contribute to health in the later years. Conclusions. With the rapid aging of America's population, increased attention must be focused on health promotion for those who are or will soon be older adults. Promising intervention strategies addressing the individual, the physical environment, and the social environment should be identified and tested, and their potential for replication explored, as we work toward a more comprehensive approach to improving the health of older Americans in the 21st century.

scholarly journals The Effect of the Social and Physical Environment on Children’s Independent Mobility to Neighborhood Destinations

2015 ◽  
Vol 12 (s1) ◽  
pp. S84-S93 ◽  
Author(s):  
Hayley E. Christian ◽  
Charlotte D. Klinker ◽  
Karen Villanueva ◽  
Matthew W. Knuiman ◽  
Sarah A. Foster ◽  
...  
Keyword(s):  
Social Environment ◽  
Physical Environment ◽  
Green Space ◽  
Independent Mobility ◽  
Large Size ◽  
The Social ◽  
Different Types ◽  
Social And Physical Environment ◽  
Context Specific ◽  
The Impact

Background:Relationships between context-specific measures of the physical and social environment and children’s independent mobility to neighborhood destination types were examined.Methods:Parents in RESIDE’s fourth survey reported whether their child (8–15 years; n = 181) was allowed to travel without an adult to school, friend’s house, park and local shop. Objective physical environment measures were matched to each of these destinations. Social environment measures included neighborhood perceptions and items specific to local independent mobility.Results:Independent mobility to local destinations ranged from 30% to 48%. Independent mobility to a local park was less likely as the distance to the closest park (small and large size) increased and less likely with additional school grounds (P < .05). Independent mobility to school was less likely as the distance to the closest large park increased and if the neighborhood was perceived as unsafe (P < .05). Independent mobility to a park or shops decreased if parenting social norms were unsupportive of children’s local independent movement (P < .05).Conclusions:Independent mobility appears dependent upon the specific destination being visited and the impact of neighborhood features varies according to the destination examined. Findings highlight the importance of access to different types and sizes of urban green space for children’s independent mobility to parks.

THE IMPACT OF THE PHYSICAL ENVIRONMENT ON RESIDENTS’ SELF-RATED HEALTH: A CASE STUDY IN PENANG, MALAYSIA

2020 ◽  
Vol 6 (1) ◽  
pp. 109
Author(s):  
Massoomeh Hedayati ◽  
Aldrin Abdullah ◽  
Mohammad Javad Maghsoodi Tilaki
Keyword(s):  
Physical Environment ◽  
Fear Of Crime ◽  
Structural Equation ◽  
Well Being ◽  
Living Environment ◽  
Housing Quality ◽  
Self Rated Health ◽  
Environment And Health ◽  
The Impact ◽  
The Relationship

There is continuous debate on the impact of house quality on residents’ health and well-being. Good living environment improves health, and fear of crime is recognised as a mediator in the relationship between physical environment and health. Since minimal studies have investigated the relationship, this study aims to examine the impact of the house quality on fear of crime and health. A total of 230 households from a residential neighbourhood in Malaysia participated in the study. Using structural equation modelling, the findings indicate that housing quality and fear of crime can account for a proportion of the variance in residents’ self-rated health. However, there is no significant relationship between housing quality and fear of crime. Results also show that fear of crime does not mediate the relationship between housing quality and health. This study suggests that the environment-fear relationship should be re-examined theoretically.  

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