scholarly journals The Impact of Low Back Pain and Physical Activity on Mental and Physical Health Outcomes in Older Adults With Arthritis

2021 ◽  
Vol 5 (Supplement_1) ◽  
pp. 458-458
Author(s):  
Janiece Taylor ◽  
Natalie Regier ◽  
Minhui Liu ◽  
Sarah Szanton ◽  
Richard Skolasky

Abstract Nearly 50% of Americans aged 65 and above have been diagnosed with arthritis at any point in time, and an estimated 80% of adults experience low back pain (LBP) at some point in their lives. However, little is known about the experience of LBP in older adults with arthritis and whether or not it is related to adverse mental and physical health outcomes over and above those linked to arthritis. This study examined the relationship between LBP and four associated physical and mental health conditions (depression, insomnia, mobility limitations, and self-rated health) in older adults with arthritis. We also examined whether physical activity mediated the relationships between LBP and these four conditions. A cross-sectional analysis was conducted using data from the National Health and Aging Trends Study. Descriptive analyses and chi-square tests assessed whether there were demographic differences between persons with and without LBP. Binary logistic regressions found that participants with LBP were 30% more likely to endorse insomnia (95% confidence interval (CI) =1.1 to 1.5, p<.001), had 40% higher odds of depression (95% CI=1.1 to 1.6, p<.001), and 70% higher odds of poor self-rated health (95% CI=1.5 to 1.9, p<.001) than those without LBP. Activity mediated the relationship between LBP and the four health outcomes in unadjusted models. Findings indicate that LBP may be associated with adverse mental and physical health in older adults with arthritis, and treatment for older adults with arthritis and comorbid LBP should include interventions targeting LBP and routine assessment of mental and physical health.

Author(s):  
Adam G Gavarkovs

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.


GeroPsych ◽  
2014 ◽  
Vol 27 (1) ◽  
pp. 5-22 ◽  
Author(s):  
Silvia Sörensen ◽  
Jameson K. Hirsch ◽  
Jeffrey M. Lyness

Aging is associated with an increase in need for assistance. Preparation for future care (PFC) is related to improved coping ability as well as better mental and physical health outcomes among older adults. We examined the association of optimism with components of PFC among older adults. We also explored race differences in the relationship between optimism and PFC. In Study 1, multiple regression showed that optimism was positively related to concrete planning. In Study 2, optimism was related to gathering information. An exploratory analysis combining the samples yielded a race interaction: For Whites higher optimism, but for Blacks lower optimism was associated with more planning. High optimism may be a barrier to future planning in certain social and cultural contexts.


2021 ◽  
Vol 48 (3) ◽  
pp. 285-294
Author(s):  
Jeannie B. Concha ◽  
Kristen Kelly ◽  
Briana Mezuk

Background. Hispanics/Latinos in the United States experience both a health advantage and disadvantage in developing diabetes. Ethnic identity, a predictor of psychological well-being, has not been widely applied to physical health outcomes. The objective of this study is to apply what is known regarding ethnic identity and psychological health to physical health outcomes (diabetes) and to explore the moderating effect of education as a possible underlying mechanism of the Hispanic Health Advantage/Disadvantage. Specifically, this study examines (a) the association between ethnic identity and diabetes prevalence among adult Hispanics/Latinos and (b) determines whether education modifies this relationship. Method. Data come from the nationally representative adult U.S. household study, National Latino and Asian American Study (NLAAS), collected in 2001 to 2003 ( N = 1,746). Multiple logistic regression was conducted to examine the relationship between ethnic identity, education, and their interaction with likelihood of diabetes. Results. Hispanics/Latinos with high ethnic identity have a higher odds of reporting diabetes among those with 13 to 15 years of education (odds ratio: 1.84; 95% confidence interval: 1.16–2.92) and a lower odds among those with 16+ years of education (odds ratio: 0.53; 95% confidence interval: 0.34–0.84). Ethnic identity is associated with diabetes prevalence and the relationship is moderated by educational attainment. Conclusion. Given the growth, diversity, and diabetes disparities among Hispanics/Latinos, our buffering and exacerbating findings exemplify the complexity and fluidity of theory in understanding psychological/behavioral processes. The findings highlight the importance of designing targeted health interventions that take into account the diverse psychosocial and educational experiences of Hispanics/Latinos.


2014 ◽  
Vol 4 (5) ◽  
pp. 20140009 ◽  
Author(s):  
Michael R. Irwin

Sleep quality is important to health, and increasingly viewed as critical in promoting successful, resilient aging. In this review, the interplay between sleep and mental and physical health is considered with a focus on the role of inflammation as a biological pathway that translates the effects of sleep on risk of depression, pain and chronic disease risk in aging. Given that sleep regulates inflammatory biologic mechanisms with effects on mental and physical health outcomes, the potential of interventions that target sleep to reduce inflammation and promote health in aging is also discussed.


2021 ◽  
Author(s):  
Antonio Varela

Abstract Background Chronic pain in all its forms and the accompanying level of disability is a healthcare crisis that reaches epidemic proportions and is considered a world level crisis. Chronic non-specific low back pain contributes a significant proportion of chronic pain. Specific psychosocial factors and their influence on reported disability in a chronic non-specific low back pain (CNLBP) population was researched. Methods Psychosocial factors examined include fear, catastrophizing, depression, and pain self-efficacy. This cross-sectional correlational study examined the mediating role between pain self-efficacy and the specific psychosocial factors with reported disability. The study included 90 participants with CNLBP between 20 and 60 years of age. Participants completed the Fear Avoidance Belief Questionnaire, The Pain Catastrophizing Scale, The Patient Health Questionnaire-9, The Pain Self-Efficacy Questionnaire, and The Lumbar Oswestry Disability Index to measure fear of physical activity, pain catastrophizing, depression, pain self-efficacy, and reported disability, respectively. The study used multivariate regression and mediation analyses. Results The principal finding of the study was a strong inverse relationship between pain self-efficacy and reported disability. Further, pain self-efficacy was considered a statistic mediator for all psychosocial factors investigated within this data set. Pain self-efficacy was strongly considered to have a mediating role between reported fear of physical activity and disability, reported pain catastrophizing and disability, and reported depression and disability. Additionally, adjusting for age and reported pain levels proved to be statistically significant, and it did not alter the role of pain self-efficacy. Conclusion The results identified that pain self-efficacy had a mediating role in the relationship between the specific psychosocial factors of fear, catastrophizing, and depression and reported disability. Pain self-efficacy plays a more significant role in the relationships between specific psychosocial factors and reported disability with CNLBP than previously considered.


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