Relationship Between Severity of Comorbidities and Self-Perceptions of Aging

Abstract An older adult with negative self-perceptions of aging (SPA) can lead to lower self-rated health and a higher risk of mortality. To stay a positive SPA, keep a healthier status is very important. However, evidence also proved that health conditions, like a physical limitation, could predict the level of SPA. Older adults usually have a higher prevalence rate of chronic diseases than the younger population, which can adversely impact them. The purpose of this study is to determine the relationship between the severity of comorbidities and the change of SPA during a time. I examined data in 7,034 people from the 2012 wave Health and Retirement Study (HRS) and followed the respondents who have answer the SPA scale in the leave-behind questionnaire in 2016. The generalized estimating equation was used to analyze the relationship between the severity of comorbidities and SPA in different waves. To measure the severity of comorbidities, a reduced index of the comorbidities severity scale (CmSS) was created to collect the health condition from HRS. Results statistical model shows that an individual with more severity of comorbidities may have a more negative SPA. However, the relationship does not follow through with the times. These findings enhance the previous study that there are relationships between severity of comorbidities and SPA. The benefit of this study is to use a different measurement to identify the severity of comorbidities and extend to more in-depth research.

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Chronic Illnesses and Depressive Symptoms Among Older People: Functional Limitations as a Mediator and Self-Perceptions of Aging as a Moderator

Journal of Aging and Health ◽

10.1177/0898264317711609 ◽

2017 ◽

Vol 30 (8) ◽

pp. 1188-1204 ◽

Cited By ~ 4

Author(s):

Jina Han

Keyword(s):

Depressive Symptoms ◽

Health Care Professionals ◽

Functional Limitations ◽

Chronic Illnesses ◽

Older Americans ◽

Self Perceptions ◽

Longitudinal Mediation ◽

Perceptions Of Aging ◽

The Relationship ◽

Retirement Study

Objective: This research examined the mediation of functional limitations in the relationship between chronic illnesses and depressive symptoms among older Americans along with tests for the moderation of self-perceptions of aging. Method: Data from the Health and Retirement Study (2008, 2010, and 2012) were used. Longitudinal mediation models were tested using a sample of 3,382 Americans who responded to psychosocial questions and were over 65 years old in 2008. Results: Functional limitations mediated the linkage between chronic illnesses and depressive symptoms. Negative self-perceptions of aging exacerbated the effects of chronic illnesses on depressive symptoms. Discussion: Health care professionals should be aware of depressive symptoms in older adults reporting chronic illnesses and particularly in those reporting functional limitations. To decrease the risk of depressive symptoms caused by chronic illnesses, negative self-perceptions of aging may need to be challenged.

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The relationship between remission and health-related quality of life in a cohort of SLE patients

Rheumatology ◽

10.1093/rheumatology/key349 ◽

2018 ◽

Vol 58 (4) ◽

pp. 628-635 ◽

Cited By ~ 8

Author(s):

Michel W P Tsang-A-Sjoe ◽

Irene E M Bultink ◽

Maaike Heslinga ◽

Lilian H van Tuyl ◽

Ronald F van Vollenhoven ◽

...

Keyword(s):

Quality Of Life ◽

Global Assessment ◽

Short Form ◽

Estimating Equation ◽

Generalized Estimating Equation ◽

Health Related Quality ◽

Related Quality ◽

Health Related ◽

The Relationship

Abstract Objective To investigate the relationship between remission and health-related quality of life (HRQoL) in patients with SLE in a longitudinal observational cohort. Methods HRQoL was measured at cohort visits using the physical and mental component score (PCS and MCS, respectively) of the Short Form 36 questionnaire. Definitions of Remission in SLE remission categories (no remission/remission on therapy/remission off therapy) were applied. Determinants of PCS and MCS were identified with simple linear regression analyses. Association between remission and HRQoL was assessed using generalized estimating equation models. Results Data from 154 patients with 2 years of follow-up were analysed. At baseline 60/154 (39.0%) patients were in either form of remission. Patients in remission had higher Short Form 36 scores in all subdomains compared with patients not in remission. PCS was positively associated with remission and employment, and negatively associated with SLICC damage index, ESR, medication, patient global assessment and BMI. MCS was positively associated with Caucasian ethnicity and negatively associated with patient global assessment. In generalized estimating equation analysis, a gradual and significant increase of PCS was observed from patients not in remission (mean PCS 36.0) to remission on therapy (41.8) to remission off therapy (44.8). No significant difference in MCS was found between remission states. Conclusion we show a strong and persistent association between remission and PCS, but not MCS. These results support the relevance (construct validity) of the Definition of Remission in SLE remission definitions and the further development of a treat-to-target approach in SLE.

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Episodic Memory in Later Life: Benefits of Prayer and Meditation

Journal of Holistic Nursing ◽

10.1177/0898010119898547 ◽

2020 ◽

Vol 38 (1) ◽

pp. 30-40

Author(s):

Nirmala Lekhak ◽

Tirth R. Bhatta ◽

Jaclene A. Zauszniewski

Keyword(s):

Older Adults ◽

Episodic Memory ◽

Regression Models ◽

Secondary Analysis ◽

Later Life ◽

Estimating Equation ◽

Generalized Estimating Equation ◽

Positive Effect ◽

Retirement Study ◽

Over Time

Purpose: To examine the effects of prayer and meditation on the episodic memory of older adults. Design: Secondary analysis of Health and Retirement Study (HRS). Method: Drawing from a subsample of HRS ( n = 1,135), this study utilized generalized estimating equation regression models to examine the effects of meditation and prayer on changes in episodic memory of older adults over time. Findings: Findings show a statistically significant positive effect of the use of prayer (0.50, p < .05) on episodic memory score at baseline. We also observed a slight gain in episodic memory over time for older adults who used prayer (0.04, p = .05). Meditation was not found to have a statistically significant effect on changes in memory in later life. Conclusion: This study illustrates the benefits of prayer in preserving memory and provides much needed empirical basis for community-level interventions to enhance memory in later life.

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Measuring Self-Perceptions of Aging: Differences Between Measures When Predicting Health Outcomes

Innovation in Aging ◽

10.1093/geroni/igaa057.1555 ◽

2020 ◽

Vol 4 (Supplement_1) ◽

pp. 481-481

Author(s):

Jordan Boeder ◽

Dwight Tse

Keyword(s):

Health Outcomes ◽

Psychological Health ◽

Well Being ◽

Population Based ◽

Physiological Indicators ◽

Self Perceptions ◽

Age Related ◽

Ongoing Development ◽

Perceptions Of Aging ◽

The Relationship

Abstract The majority of self-perceptions of aging (SPA) research uses either a combination of the Age-related Cognition (AgeCog) scales of Ongoing Development and Physical Loss, or the Attitudes Towards Own Aging (ATOA) subscale to assess views on aging. Although these scales are used interchangeably, the valence (positive/negative) and the specificity of the view on aging (domain-based/general) being assessed are not consistent. This study investigates how different measures of SPA relate to one another and whether they differentially predict various types of health outcomes (psychological/physiological; well-being/ill-being). Data from the 2008 and 2014 waves of the German Aging Survey (DEAS; n=3,745), a population-based representative survey of adults aged 40 to 95, was used to examine the relationship between the AgeCog scales and the ATOA subscale, as well as the differences in the types of health outcomes each predicts. The correlations between the AgeCog scales and the ATOA were higher than the correlation between the AgeCog scales (p < .001). The AgeCog scale of Ongoing Development significantly predicted psychological health outcomes across a six-year period, while the AgeCog scale of Physical Loss and the ATOA subscale predicted both physiological and psychological health outcomes. Evidence supports using the AgeCog scale of Ongoing Development to predict domain-relevant, psychological health outcomes. However, the multidimensionality of SPA is best measured by the ATOA subscale or a combination of the two AgeCog scales. Both forms of measurement were found to maximize the amount of explained variance for psychological and physiological indicators of well-being and ill-being.

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The influence of self-perceptions of aging on cognitive functioning in older adult dyads

10.32469/10355/85861 ◽

2021 ◽

Author(s):

◽

Hanamori F. Skoblow

Keyword(s):

Cognitive Functioning ◽

Older Adult ◽

Social Influences ◽

Romantic Partners ◽

Delayed Recall ◽

Older Adulthood ◽

Self Perceptions ◽

Cohabiting Couples ◽

Perceptions Of Aging ◽

Retirement Study

Older adults who report negative self-perceptions of aging (SPA) perform worse on memory tests and perceive their memory abilities to be worse than their counterparts who report positive SPA. Research suggests that romantic partners influence one another's experience and appraisal of aging. Thus, this study examined whether individuals' SPA impacted their own and their partner's memory longitudinally. Using three waves of data from the Health and Retirement Study (HRS), we conducted actor-partner interdependence models with 933 married or cohabiting couples aged 50 to 88 to determine whether positive and negative dimensions of SPA influenced change in episodic memory (i.e., immediate and delayed recall) and self-rated memory over eight years. Partners' SPA were positively correlated at baseline (positive [equals] .393, p [less than] .001; negative [equals] .441, p [less than] .001), however, we did not find evidence that SPA was associated with change in episodic or self-rated memory in either the actor or the partner. These findings indicate that individuals' SPA is related to their partners', but researchers should continue to investigate the degree to which social influences of SPA impact cognitive functioning in older adulthood.

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Social Relationships and Self-Perceptions of Aging

Innovation in Aging ◽

10.1093/geroni/igaa057.1456 ◽

2020 ◽

Vol 4 (Supplement_1) ◽

pp. 450-450

Author(s):

Hanamori Skoblow ◽

Christine Proulx

Keyword(s):

Older Adults ◽

Relationship Quality ◽

Social Relationships ◽

Repeated Measures ◽

Cross Sectional ◽

Friend Support ◽

Self Perceptions ◽

Interpersonal Factors ◽

Perceptions Of Aging ◽

Retirement Study

Abstract Recent research has demonstrated that social relationships are positively associated with self-perceptions of aging (SPA; Santini et al., 2019), although to date, this evidence is cross-sectional. The current study builds on previous work and explores the longitudinal relation between social relationships and SPA, and whether these associations might be buffered by perceived mastery. Using repeated measures data from three waves (2008, 2012, and 2016) of the Health and Retirement Study (HRS), we examined how relationship quality (i.e., support and strain) influenced self-perceptions of aging among adults aged 65+ (n = 1477). Greater support from friends in 2008 was significantly associated with better SPA in 2016, and this effect was amplified by high levels of mastery in 2012. That is, older adults with high mastery and high friend support reported more positive SPA than individuals with less mastery or friend support, controlling for gender, age, race, education, income, depressive symptoms, self-rated health, and baseline SPA. Relationship quality with spouse, children, and other family members were not significant predictors of SPA, nor did mastery moderate the association between these relationships and SPA. These results provide evidence for the importance of interpersonal factors such as friendship quality and individual factors in understanding older adults’ perceptions of the aging process.

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There Is Still Time to Be Active: Self-Perceptions of Aging, Physical Activity, and the Role of Perceived Residual Lifetime Among Older Adults

Journal of Aging and Physical Activity ◽

10.1123/japa.2018-0380 ◽

2019 ◽

Vol 27 (6) ◽

pp. 807-815

Author(s):

Ann-Kristin Beyer ◽

Maja Wiest ◽

Susanne Wurm

Keyword(s):

Physical Activity ◽

Older Adults ◽

Later Life ◽

Residual Lifetime ◽

Self Perceptions ◽

Negative Effect ◽

Perceptions Of Aging ◽

Health Promotion Interventions ◽

The Relationship

Self-perceptions of aging (SPA) are a resource in later life. As aging is accompanied with perceptions of the finitude of life, it is assumed that perceived residual lifetime may play a role in the relationship between SPA and health behavior. Among older adults aged 65 years and older, the present study tested whether the relationships between gain- and loss-related SPA and two kinds of physical activity are moderated by perceived residual lifetime. Data were based on 2.367 participants over a 3-year period. Participants with less gain-related SPA were less likely to walk on a regular basis; however, a longer residual lifetime compensated for this negative effect. In addition, participants did sports more often if they not only held less loss-related SPA but also perceived a longer residual lifetime. These results emphasize the importance of perceived residual lifetime in health promotion interventions targeting physical activity in older adults.

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Who Has an Unsuccessful Observation Care Stay?

Healthcare ◽

10.3390/healthcare6040138 ◽

2018 ◽

Vol 6 (4) ◽

pp. 138 ◽

Cited By ~ 1

Author(s):

Gelareh Gabayan ◽

Brian Doyle ◽

Li-Jung Liang ◽

Kwame Donkor ◽

David Huang ◽

...

Keyword(s):

Estimating Equation ◽

Generalized Estimating Equation ◽

Inpatient Service ◽

Intestinal Infections ◽

Sample Data ◽

Medicare Patients ◽

Prolonged Observation ◽

Nationally Representative ◽

The Relationship ◽

Successful Observation

Background: With the recent increase use of observation care, it is important to understand the characteristics of patients that utilize this care and either have a prolonged observation care stay or require admission. Methods: We a conducted a retrospective cohort study utilizing 5% sample data from Medicare patients age ≥65 years that was nationally representative in the year 2013. We performed a generalized estimating equation (GEE) logistic regression analysis to evaluate the relationship between an unsuccessful observation stay (defined as either requiring an inpatient admission from observation or having a prolonged observation stay) compared to having successful observation care. Observation cut offs of “successful” vs. “unsuccessful” were based on the CMS 2 midnight rule. Results: Of 154,756 observation stays in 2013, 19 percent (n = 29,604) were admitted to the inpatient service and 34,275 (22.2%) had a prolonged observation stay. The two diagnoses most likely to have an unsuccessful observation stay were intestinal infections (OR 1.56, 95% CI 1.32–1.83) and pneumonia (OR 1.26, 95% CI 1.13–1.41). Conclusion: We found patients placed in observation care with intestinal infections and pneumonia to have the highest odds of either being admitted from observation or having a prolonged observation stay.

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Emergency department increased use of observation care for elderly medicare patients

Journal of Hospital Administration ◽

10.5430/jha.v7n3p9 ◽

2018 ◽

Vol 7 (3) ◽

pp. 9 ◽

Cited By ~ 2

Author(s):

Gelareh Z. Gabayan ◽

Li-Jung Liang ◽

Brian Doyle ◽

David Yu-Chuang Huang ◽

Catherine A. Sarkisian

Keyword(s):

Emergency Department ◽

Estimating Equation ◽

Generalized Estimating Equation ◽

Inpatient Service ◽

Medicare Beneficiaries ◽

The Past ◽

Medicare Patients ◽

Nationally Representative ◽

Using Data ◽

The Relationship

Background: Over the past decade, a growing number of older Medicare beneficiaries visit the emergency department (ED) and have been placed in observation care. We investigated and compared the prevalence and factors associated with patients age ≥ 65 years with Medicare insurance who are placed in the hospital, observation care, or discharged following an ED visit.Methods: We conducted a retrospective cohort study using data from a nationally representative 5% sample of Medicare patients age ≥ 65 years during the year 2013. We performed multiple generalized estimating equation (GEE) logistic regression analyses to assess the relationship between placement in a hospital vs. discharge, observation care vs. discharge, and observation care vs. admission.Results: Of 537,455 Medicare beneficiaries age ≥ 65 years who visited an ED in 2013, 48.0% (N = 258,083) were discharged, 10.5% (N = 56,184) placed in observation care, and 41.5% (N = 223,188) were admitted to the inpatient service following the ED visit. The top 2 diagnoses associated with placement in the hospital vs. discharge were ischemic heart disease and renal disease. Patients with symptomatic diagnoses such as chest pain and dizziness were more likely to be placed in observation care following an ED visit as compared to admission to the hospital.Conclusions: Compared to prior studies, we found a greater number of older Medicare ED patients placed in observation care and a lower number admitted to the hospital. Most common diagnoses of placement in observation care were symptom-based as compared to being admitted to the hospital which were disease-based.

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The Relationship between Democracy embracement and COVID-19 reported casualties worldwide

10.1101/2021.01.11.21249549 ◽

2021 ◽

Author(s):

Muhammad R. Hussein ◽

Thamer AlSulaiman ◽

Mohamed Habib ◽

Engy A. Awad ◽

Islam Morsi ◽

...

Keyword(s):

Free Speech ◽

International Aid ◽

Estimating Equation ◽

Generalized Estimating Equation ◽

The World ◽

Vaccine Distribution ◽

The Relationship ◽

Additional Explanation ◽

Longitudinal Dataset ◽

Country Specific

AbstractBackgroundThe COVID-19 toll of cases and deaths followed an uneven pattern across the world. The literature has partly explained the observed discrepancy between the different countries by country-specific and systemic patterns worldwide. In this study, we propose an additional explanation that the magnitude of COVID-19 toll reported to the WHO could be influenced by the level of free speech and Democracy in the reporting countries.MethodsWe constructed a longitudinal dataset including the daily COVID-19 count of cases and deaths worldwide and each country’s respective score on the Freedom in the World index. We applied two Generalized Estimating Equation models to investigate if a country’s reported toll count of COVID-19 cases and deaths is related to that country’s freedom level. We controlled for factors identified in the current literature to affect the pandemic’s spread.ResultsA country’s score on the Freedom In the World Index was associated with its reported COVID-19 cases count (57028.43, 95% CI 985.3619 - 113071.5, P= 0.0461) and deaths count (3473.273, 95% CI1217.12-5729.42, P=.002). Also, despite having almost equal shares of the world’s population, countries at the bottom category of the Freedom index reported 21% and 11% of the COVID-19 toll cases and death counts reported by countries of highest scores on the index, respectively.ConclusionsThe known magnitude of the COVID-19 pandemic’s morbidity and mortality appears to be as transparent as the reporting countries uphold free speech and Democracy. This pattern could potentially misguide international aid and global vaccine distribution plans.

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