scholarly journals Continue or not to continue? Attitudes towards deprescription among community-dwelling older adults in China

2021 ◽  
Vol 5 (Supplement_1) ◽  
pp. 836-837
Author(s):  
Jie Tan ◽  
Chenkai Wu ◽  
Li Zhang ◽  
Ying Wang ◽  
Lihui Chen

Abstract Inappropriate prescribing of medications and polypharmacy among older adults could lead to avoidable harms. It is hence vital to stop potentially inappropriate medications in this vulnerable group. An approach coined ‘deprescribing’ has been used to describe a patient-centerd process of optimizing medication regimens. But patient resistance to discontinuing medication use is a significant barrier to deprescribing. The present study aims to describe attitudes towards deprescribing and to examine individual-based characteristics that might be associated with these attitudes among community-dwelling older adults in China. We conducted a cross-sectional study through in-person interviews using the validated Patients’ Attitudes Towards Deprescribing questionnaire in two communities through the community-based physical examination platform. Participants were 65 years and older and had at least one chronic disease and one regular prescription medication. Of the 1,897 participants in the study, the average age was 74 years and 1,023 (53.9%) were women. The majority had one chronic disease (n=1,364 [71.9%]) and took 1-2 medications (n=1,483 [78.2%]). A total of 947 (50.0%) older adults reported being willing to stop taking one or more of their medicines if their physician said it was possible, and 1204 (63.5%) older adults wanted to stop a medicine been taking for a long time. Chronological age, marital status, number of chronic diseases, and self-rated health status were associated with the attitudes towards deprescribing. This study showed that half of the participants were willing to cease a medication that their physician though was no longer required. Individual-level factors were associated with attitudes towards deprescribing.

2021 ◽  
Author(s):  
Jie Tan ◽  
MinHong Wang ◽  
XiaoRui Pei ◽  
Quan Sun ◽  
ChongJun Lu ◽  
...  

Abstract Background: Inappropriate prescribing of medications and polypharmacy among older adults are associated with a wide range of adverse outcomes. It is critical to understand the attitudes towards deprescribing—reducing the use of potentially inappropriate medications (PIMs)—among this vulnerable group. Such information is particularly lacking in low - and middle-income countries.Methods: The present study examined attitudes towards deprescribing and individual-based characteristics that might be associated with these attitudes among community-dwelling older adults in China. We conducted a cross-sectional study through in-person interviews using the Patients' Attitudes Towards Deprescribing (PATD) and the revised PATD (rPATD) (version for older adults) questionnaires in two communities through the community-based physical examination platform in China. Participants were 65 years and older and had at least one chronic disease and one regular prescription medication.Results: Of the 1,897 participants in this study, average age was 73.8 years (SD=6.2 years) and 1,023 (53.9%) were women. The majority had one chronic disease (n=1,364 [71.9%]) and took 1-2 medications (n=1,483 [78.2%]). A total of 947 (50.0%) older adults reported being willing to stop taking one or more of their medicines if their physician said it was possible, and 1,204 (63.5%) older adults wanted to stop a medicine been taking for a long time. We did not find Individual-level factors to be associated with attitudes towards deprescribing. Conclusions: The proportions of participants’ willingness to deprescribing were much lower than what prior investigations among western populations reported. It is important to identify the reasons for the low wiliness to deprescribe and develop a patient-centered and practical deprescribing guideline that is suitable for Chinese older adults.


Author(s):  
Yoshihiro Kugimiya ◽  
Masanori Iwasaki ◽  
Yuki Ohara ◽  
Keiko Motokawa ◽  
Ayako Edahiro ◽  
...  

Oral hypofunction, resulting from a combined decrease in multiple oral functions, may affect systemic-condition deterioration; however, few studies have examined the association between oral hypofunction and general health among older adults. In this cross-sectional study, we examined the relationship between oral hypofunction and sarcopenia in community-dwelling older adults. We included 878 adults (268 men and 610 women, mean age 76.5 ± 8.3 years). Tongue coating index, oral moisture, occlusal force, oral diadochokinesis (/pa/,/ta/,/ka/), tongue pressure, mas-ticatory function, and swallowing function were evaluated as indicators of oral hypofunction. Grip strength, gait speed, and skeletal muscle mass index were measured as diagnostic sarcopenia parameters. The association between oral hypofunction and sarcopenia was examined via logistic regression using sarcopenia as the dependent variable. Oral hypofunction prevalence was 50.5% overall, 40.3% in men, and 54.9% in women. The prevalence of sarcopenia was 18.6% overall, 9.7% in men, and 22.5% in women. A logistic regression showed oral hypofunction, age, body mass index, higher-level functional capacity, and serum albumin level were significantly associated with sarcopenia. Sarcopenia occurred at an increased frequency in patients diagnosed with oral hypofunction (odds ratio: 1.59, 95% confidence interval: 1.02–2.47); accordingly, oral hypofunction appears to be significantly associated with sarcopenia.


2021 ◽  
Vol 11 (1) ◽  
Author(s):  
Kousuke Iwai-Saito ◽  
Yugo Shobugawa ◽  
Jun Aida ◽  
Katsunori Kondo

AbstractPneumonia is a leading cause of mortality among older adults worldwide. Recently, several studies reported that frailty was associated with mortality among older adults hospitalized due to respiratory infectious diseases, including pneumonia. However, it is unknown whether frailty is associated with susceptibility to and severity of pneumonia in functionally-independent community-dwelling older adults. In this study, we examined whether frailty increased the susceptibility to pneumonia and hospitalization in older adults. We used cross-sectional data from the Japan Gerontological Evaluation Study; the data was collected by using mail-based, self-reported questionnaires from 177,991 functionally-independent community-dwelling older adults aged ≥ 65 years. Our results showed that frailty was significantly associated with both occurrence of and hospitalization due to pneumonia after adjustments with covariates; (Preference ratio {PR} 1.92, 95% confidence interval {95% CI} [1.66–2.22] and PR 1.80, 95% CI [1.42–2.28], respectively, p < 0.001 for the both). Pre-frailty was associated only with the occurrence of pneumonia. Besides, the instrumental activity of daily living, physical strength, nutrition status, oral function, homeboundness, and depression status in frail older adults were associated with either or both occurrence of and hospitalization due to pneumonia. Our results suggest that frailty influenced the susceptibility to and severity of pneumonia in older adults.


Author(s):  
Takafumi Abe ◽  
Kenta Okuyama ◽  
Tsuyoshi Hamano ◽  
Miwako Takeda ◽  
Masayuki Yamasaki ◽  
...  

Although some neighborhood environmental factors have been found to affect depressive symptoms, few studies have focused on the impact of living in a hilly environment, i.e., land slope, on depressive symptoms among rural older adults. This cross-sectional study aimed to investigate whether a land slope is associated with depressive symptoms among older adults living in rural areas. Data were collected from 935 participants, aged 65 years and older, who lived in Shimane prefecture, Japan. Depressive symptoms were assessed using the Zung Self-Rating Depression Scale (SDS) and defined on the basis of an SDS score ≥ 40. Land slopes within a 400 m network buffer were assessed using geographic information systems. Odds ratios (ORs) with 95% confidence intervals (CIs) of depressive symptoms were estimated using logistic regression. A total of 215 (23.0%) participants reported depressive symptoms. The land slope was positively associated with depressive symptoms (OR = 1.04; 95% CI = 1.01–1.08) after adjusting for all confounders. In a rural setting, living in a hillier environment was associated with depressive symptoms among community-dwelling older adults in Japan.


2021 ◽  
Vol 9 ◽  
Author(s):  
Karina Stella Aoki Ferreira ◽  
Tamires Terezinha Gallo da Silva ◽  
Jarbas Melo Filho ◽  
Natacha Verônica Bazanella ◽  
Audrin Said Vojciechowski ◽  
...  

Objective: Verify the intra- and inter-rater reliability of the HOME FAST BRAZIL—Self-reported version and correlate household environmental risks with the history of falls by community-dwelling older adults.Method: Cross sectional study with 50 community-dwelling older adults who were screened by the cut-off point of the Mini Mental State Exam and replied to the HOME FAST BRAZIL—Self-reported version using two evaluators, on three occasions. The reliability analysis was determined by the Intra-class Correlation Coefficient (ICC), considering ICC &gt; 0.70 as adequate. To test the correlations, the Spearman test was used.Results: The mean age of the participants was 73.2 ± 5.8 years. The inter- rater reliability of HOME FAST BRAZIL—Self-reported version was ICC 0.83 (IC95%, 0.70–0.90) and the Intra- reliability ICC 0.85 (IC95%, 0.74–0.91). A risk of falls was verified in 88% of the sample and four environmental risks presented significant correlations with the history of falls.Conclusions: The HOME FAST BRAZIL—Self-reported version presented adequate reliability for the evaluation of household environmental risks for community-dwelling older adults. Risks such as inadequate armchairs/ sofas, the absence of anti-slip mats in the shower recess, the presence of pets and inadequate beds require attention in the evaluation of household risks, due to their correlation with the occurrence of falls.


2021 ◽  
Author(s):  
Jacqueline Giovanna De Roza ◽  
David Wei Liang Ng ◽  
Blessy Koottappal Mathew ◽  
Teena Jose ◽  
Ling Jia Goh ◽  
...  

Abstract BackgroundFalls in older adults is a common problem worldwide. Fear of falling (FoF) is a consequence of falls which has far-reaching implications including activity restriction, functional decline and reduced quality of life. This study aimed to determine the factors associated with FoF in a segment of Singapore’s community-dwelling older adults. MethodsThis descriptive cross-sectional study recruited a convenience sample of adults aged 65 and above from 4 primary care clinics from September 2020 to March 2021. Data were collected on demographic factors and clinical factors including history of falls and frailty as determined by the Clinical Frailty Scale (CFS). FoF was measured using the Short Falls Efficacy Scale–International (Short FES-I), cut-off score of 14 and above indicated high FoF. Logistic regression was used to determine predictors of high FoF.ResultsOut of 360 older adults, 78.1% were Chinese and 59.7% females. The mean age was 78.3 years and 76 (21.1%) had a history of falls in the past six months. Almost half (43.1%) were mildly to moderately frail and most (80.6%) had three or more chronic conditions. The mean FoF score was 15.5 (SD 5.97) and 60.8% reported high FoF. Logistic regression found that Malay ethnicity (OR = 5.81, 95% CI 1.77 – 19.13), use of walking aids (OR = 3.67, 95% CI = 1.54 – 8.77) and increasing frailty were significant predictors for high FoF. The odds of high FoF were significantly higher in pre frail older adults (OR = 6.87, 95% CI = 2.66 – 17.37), mildly frail older adults (OR =18.58, 95% CI = 4.88 – 70.34) and moderately frail older adults (OR = 144.78, 95% CI = 13.86 – 1512.60).ConclusionsFoF is a prevalent and compelling issue in community-dwelling older adults, particularly those with frailty. The demographic and clinical factors identified in this study will be helpful to develop targeted and tailored interventions for FoF.


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