scholarly journals The Effect of Vaccines on Older African Americans Emotional Experiences During the COVID-19 Pandemic

2021 ◽  
Vol 5 (Supplement_1) ◽  
pp. 727-727
Author(s):  
Sophie Hanna ◽  
Dwana Bass ◽  
Sarah Shair ◽  
Loraine DiCerbo ◽  
Bruno Giordani ◽  
...  
Keyword(s):  
African Americans ◽  
Health And Safety ◽  
The United States ◽  
Community Dwelling ◽  
Minority Population ◽  
Emotional Experiences ◽  
State Institute ◽  
Older African Americans ◽  
Black Elders ◽  
Age Range

Abstract The COVID-19 pandemic is an unprecedented health emergency that has forced a change in the daily life of all individuals across the nation for over a year. As vaccinations have begun in Detroit, we examined their effect on older African Americans’ emotional experiences and intent to get vaccinated during the pandemic to help understand how persons make decisions to accept vaccinations. For this study, 194 community-dwelling older African Americans (mean age = 75, age range = 64-94) were recruited from the Wayne State Institute of Gerontology Healthier Black Elders Center and general Detroit area. A telephone survey was administered to assess pandemic experience including demographics, emotional responses (e.g., gratitude, happiness, anger, fear), everyday stressors (e.g., economic problems, reduced privacy), and vaccination attitude (e.g., concern over safety, intent to vaccinate). Of the 194 participants, 149 completed the survey before the first vaccination occurred in the United States on December 15, 2020, and 45 completed the survey after. Participants had not yet been vaccinated, but 67% said they would as soon as available. Participants in the post-vaccination group, as compared to pre-vaccination group, showed increases in stress-related locus of control (p=.03) and reported being more likely to get vaccinated (p=.02). They showed decreased worry about availability of health and safety supplies (p=.01), reduced perceived stress (p=.02), and a decrease in fears of COVID-19 (p=.05) and vaccination safety (p<.001). The current study highlights the effect of vaccinations on the attitudes and emotions experienced by an older minority population living in an urban area.

scholarly journals Older African Americans’ Perspectives on Exposure to Structural Discrimination Across Contexts and the Life Course

2020 ◽  
Vol 4 (Supplement_1) ◽  
pp. 689-689
Author(s):  
Sarah LaFave ◽  
Sarah Szanton ◽  
Roland Thorpe
Keyword(s):  
African Americans ◽  
Life Course ◽  
Healthcare Services ◽  
Community Dwelling ◽  
Structured Interviews ◽  
Older African Americans ◽  
Environmental Toxin ◽  
Development Of Instrument ◽  
The Life Course ◽  
Interpersonal Level

Abstract This presentation reports on findings from the first phase of a mixed methods study aimed at developing an instrument to assess older African Americans’ exposure to structural racial discrimination. We conducted semi-structured interviews with older African Americans about their perspectives on and exposure to structural discrimination. Participants (n=20) were community-dwelling African Americans aged fifty and older in Baltimore, MD. Participants described exposure to structural discrimination that had accumulated across the life course and across the contexts of education, employment, healthcare services, criminal justice system, neighborhood factors, media and marketing of unhealthy products, environmental toxin exposures, and income, credit and wealth. In the next phase of the study, we will incorporate these findings into the development of instrument items. Developing and testing a tool to assess exposure to discrimination beyond the interpersonal level is an important step in identifying solutions to mitigate the contribute of discrimination to racial health disparities.

scholarly journals FEASIBILITY OF A LOW-DOSE FRAILTY PREVENTION INTERVENTION AMONG OLDER AFRICAN AMERICANS

2019 ◽  
Vol 3 (Supplement_1) ◽  
pp. S293-S293
Author(s):  
Heather A Fritz ◽  
Wassim Tarraf ◽  
Pragnesh Patel
Keyword(s):  
African Americans ◽  
Low Dose ◽  
Healthy Lifestyle ◽  
Primary Care Clinic ◽  
Later Life ◽  
Community Dwelling ◽  
Feasibility Trial ◽  
Care Clinic ◽  
Prevention Intervention ◽  
Older African Americans

Abstract Older African Americans (OAA) are at high risk for becoming frail in later life. Interventions can reverse or delay frailty, yet OAA have largely been excluded from frailty intervention research. Many interventions are also time and resource intensive, making them inaccessible to socially disadvantaged OAA. We present results of a feasibility trial of a low dose frailty prevention intervention among 60 community-dwelling, pre-frail OAA aged 55+ recruited from a primary care clinic between June 1st and October 31st 2018. Using a 2-arm RCT, participants were assigned to the intervention, which was delivered by an occupational therapist (OT) and comprised of four sessions over four months (an OT evaluation, and sessions on healthy dietary practices, increasing physical activity, and maintaining a healthy lifestyle), or enhanced usual care (publicly available information about healthy lifestyle, home safety, and local elder services). Feasibility criteria were set a priori at 75% for participant retention (including attrition due to death/hospitalization), 80% for session engagement, 2 participants/week for mean participant accrual, and 90% for program satisfaction. Participants were 65% female with an average age of 76.58 years, 51.67% of which lived alone and 51.67% lived off of less than 15K per year. Feasibility metrics were met. The study recruited 2.5 participants per week and retained 75% of participants who attended 95% of scheduled sessions. Mean satisfaction scores were 93%. The intervention was feasible to deliver. Qualitative findings from exit interviews suggested changes to the program dose, structure, and content that could improve it for future use.

P4-237: Attitudes about brain health among older African Americans in the United States

2006 ◽  
Vol 2 ◽  
pp. S586-S586
Author(s):  
Sarah B. Laditka ◽  
James N. Laditka ◽  
Sara Wilcox ◽  
Courtney B. Davis ◽  
Marcia J. Lane ◽  
...  
Keyword(s):  
United States ◽  
African Americans ◽  
The United States ◽  
Brain Health ◽  
Older African Americans

scholarly journals Feasibility of a Texting Intervention to Improve Medication Adherence Among Older HIV+ African Americans: A Mixed-Method Pilot Study

2019 ◽  
Vol 5 ◽  
pp. 233372141985566 ◽  
Author(s):  
Marta E. Pagan-Ortiz ◽  
Paul Goulet ◽  
Laura Kogelman ◽  
Sue E. Levkoff ◽  
Patricia Flynn Weitzman
Keyword(s):  
Medication Adherence ◽  
Pilot Study ◽  
African Americans ◽  
Mixed Method ◽  
Self Efficacy ◽  
Text Messaging ◽  
The United States ◽  
Self Report ◽  
Art Adherence ◽  
Older African Americans

Antiretroviral therapy (ART) is the primary treatment for HIV, and adherence to it is crucial to addressing health disparities. Approximately half of individuals in the United States living with HIV are African Americans, and those over 45 years of age are more likely to die early from HIV/AIDS than their White counterparts. This mixed-method pilot study evaluated the feasibility of a text-based mobile phone intervention designed to improve ART adherence among older African Americans with HIV. Feasibility was assessed via implementation, participant adherence, acceptability, and satisfaction, as well as short-term impact on medication adherence, adherence-related self-efficacy, and positive affect. The intervention utilized pill reminder, motivational, and health educational texts. Participants ( N = 21) ranged in age from 50 to 68 years. Outcomes were evaluated via quantitative results from self-report measures and qualitative data from four focus groups. There was no attrition in participation. After 8 weeks, participants reported statistically significant improvements in medication adherence, but not in self-efficacy or affect scores. Qualitative findings highlight the psychologically supportive potential of the intervention, challenges to adherence, as well as suggestions for improvement. The study demonstrates that a text messaging intervention may be feasible for older African Americans with HIV, and helpful in supporting ART adherence.

scholarly journals Self-Reported Sleep in Older African Americans and White Americans

2016 ◽  
Vol 26 (4) ◽  
pp. 521 ◽  
Author(s):  
Arlener D. Turner ◽  
Andrew S. Lim ◽  
Sue E. Leurgans ◽  
David A. Bennett ◽  
Aron S. Buchman ◽  
...  
Keyword(s):  
Sleep Apnea ◽  
African Americans ◽  
Sleep Quality ◽  
Activities Of Daily Living ◽  
Sleep Disorders ◽  
Daily Living ◽  
Community Dwelling ◽  
Mobility Disability ◽  
Older African Americans ◽  
Impaired Sleep

<p class="Pa7"><strong>Objective: </strong>Assess the relationship of self-reported sleep quality and possible sleep disorders with disability in a racially diverse sample of community-dwelling older adults.</p><p class="Pa7"><strong>Methods: </strong>Participants included 943 non-demented older African Americans (n=452) and Whites (n=491) from two cohort studies, the Minority Aging Research Study (MARS) and the Rush Memory and Aging Project (MAP). Participants completed a 32-item questionnaire assessing sleep quality and the possible presence of three sleep disorders (sleep apnea, restless leg syndrome [RLS] and REM behavior disorder [RBD]). Disability was assessed with scales that quantified the ability to perform instru­mental activities of daily living (IADL), basic activities of daily living (ADL), and physical mobility activities.</p><p class="Pa7"><strong>Results: </strong>More than half of the participants reported impaired sleep quality (51%), or the possible presence of at least one sleep disorder (57%; sleep apnea 44%, RLS 25% and RBD 7%). Sleep quality was rated poorer in African Americans, those with advancing age and fewer years of educa­tion (all P&lt;.05). Only sleep apnea risk was associated with age (P&lt;.02). In logistic regression models adjusted for age, sex, years of education, and race, both sleep quality and disorders were associated with disability (sleep quality with mobility disabil­ity (P&lt;.001), sleep apnea risk with mobility disability and IADL disability (all P&lt;.001) and RLS symptoms with mobility disability (P&lt;.01).</p><p class="Pa7"><strong>Conclusions: </strong>Results indicate that self-assessed impaired sleep is common in old age and is associated with disability. <em></em></p><p class="Pa7"><em>Ethn Dis.</em>2016;26(4):521-528; doi:10.18865/ ed.26.4.521</p><strong></strong>

scholarly journals SEX IN NURSING HOMES? A PRELIMINARY ANALYSIS OF INTERVIEWS WITH COMMUNITY-DWELLING ADULTS

2019 ◽  
Vol 3 (Supplement_1) ◽  
pp. S853-S854
Author(s):  
Rachael Spalding ◽  
Emma Katz ◽  
Barry Edelstein
Keyword(s):  
Sexual Activity ◽  
Sexual Behaviors ◽  
Family Members ◽  
The United States ◽  
Community Dwelling ◽  
Measurement Tool ◽  
Structured Interviews ◽  
Term Care ◽  
Potential Risks ◽  
Age Range

Abstract Most older adults living in long-term care settings (LTCs) indicate that expressing their sexuality is important to them (Doll, 2013). However, negative views of late-life sexuality persist in the United States (Robinson & Molzahn, 2007), particularly among nursing staff in LTCs. Staff often express discomfort regarding residents’ sexual lives (Bouman, Arcelus, & Benbow, 2007), despite the fact that LTCs are residents’ homes where private behaviors such as sexual activity might be expected to occur. Little is known about the general public’s attitudes towards sexual behaviors in LTCs. Attitudes of LTC residents’ family members is particularly important, as they are most likely to visit residents and to care about their quality of life, in turn informing facility policies and management. In this study, we took preliminary steps toward gathering this information by focusing on attitudes of community-dwelling adults. Using an iterative approach, we conducted semi-structured interviews with community-dwelling adults (n = 9; age range = 18 – 65 years) regarding their beliefs about romantic relationships and sexual behaviors among LTC residents. Major themes were identified through thematic content analysis. Participants indicated favorable attitudes towards residents’ sexual expression as a means of combatting loneliness and fostering emotional intimacy. Other themes included residents’ rights to privacy, potential risks of sexual behavior, and the need to consider how individuals may differ in their ability to consent to sexual activity. This data is intended to inform the development of a measurement tool for use with LTC residents’ family members.

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