scholarly journals Does Money Matter? Characteristics Associated With Joint Pain Medication Access Among Older Adults

2021 ◽  
Vol 5 (Supplement_1) ◽  
pp. 108-108
Author(s):  
Aviad Tur-Sinai ◽  
Netta Bentur ◽  
Jennifer Shuldiner

Abstract The experience of pain is a widespread phenomenon among adults, especially older adults, and entails high costs to both individuals and society. The objective of the current research is to determine if the ability to pay and supplementary insurance are factors associated with pain medication among individuals over 50. Data came from Survey of Health, Aging and Retirement in Europe (SHARE). The sample included 64,281 individuals 50+ from nineteen European countries and Israel. Joint pain was common with one out of three reporting joint pain. Prevalence of pain was similar among different age groups, and more women reported joint pain. Among those in pain, about 21.5% of the individuals reported mild pain, 52.9% moderate and 26% severe pain. In the multivariate logistic regression, we found that men and those older than 60 suffered more from joint pain, while controlling for education and subjective assessment of the ability to cope economically (Able to make ends meet). A large percentage of those with pain were not taking medication to manage their pain, and there were significant demographic differences between those that did and did not take medication. Those that took medication were younger, male, had more education, were able to cope economically and had supplementary insurance. Our study showed that about half of the individuals with pain were not taking medication to manage their pain. Our results demonstrate that among individuals over 50 in Europe income is strongly associated with taking pain medication and that there is economic inequity in medication access.

2019 ◽  
Vol 21 (Supplement_6) ◽  
pp. vi199-vi199
Author(s):  
Alvina Acquaye ◽  
Kathleen Wall ◽  
Mark Gilbert ◽  
Terri Armstrong

Abstract Research in young adult (YA) patients is novel, particularly in central nervous system tumors like ependymomas. Stagnant survival outcomes in YAs are concerning compared to improvements within pediatric and older adults. Additionally, uncertainty of the impact of treatment on psychosocial and behavioral outcomes during an essential developmental stage warrants attention. The purpose of this report is to explore ependymoma YA outcomes data to inform care. Adult ependymoma (n=191) patients participating in a web-based outcomes study completed clinical data and validated questionnaires (EQ-5D, MDASI-BT). YAs 18–39 (n= 58) were compared to older adults (OAs) >40 (n=133). Participants were predominantly female (68%), with tumor location in brain (29%) or spine (71%). The majority of YAs (67%) reported seeing a physician within 6 months from symptom onset, whereas OAs were more likely to delay for 7 months or longer. Headaches (brain tumor 70%) and numbness (spine tumor73%) were common presenting symptoms for both age groups. 76% of YAs were working before diagnosis, however 27% stopped work, 18% reduced hours, 7% switched jobs and 2% lost their job after diagnosis. At time of participation, most participants were not on active treatment (61%), but both YA and OA frequently endorsed use of pain medication (37%). Tumor recurrence was more common in YAs (30%) compared to OAs (19%). Common moderate to severe symptoms in YAs included distress (27%) and fatigue/sadness (18%) with brain tumors compared to fatigue (56%) and distress/disturbed sleep/drowsiness (36%) with spine tumors. Over a third of YAs reported some impact on general health (usual activities, pain/discomfort, and anxiety/depression). Despite stable disease, YAs with ependymoma experienced mood and lifestyle challenges and reported significant symptoms and use of pain medication. Further exploration is needed on the impact of cancer-related effects on YAs to gain insight on appropriate management and care.


2019 ◽  
Vol 19 (4) ◽  
pp. 797-803 ◽  
Author(s):  
Maiju K. Marttinen ◽  
Hannu Kautiainen ◽  
Maija Haanpää ◽  
Heini Pohjankoski ◽  
Hanna Vuorimaa ◽  
...  

Abstract Background and aims Pain is an evident factor affecting the quality of life in all age groups. The objective was to examine the prevalence of self-reported SF-36 bodily pain and pain-related factors in community-dwelling older adults. Methods One thousand four hundred and twenty adults aged 62–86 years self-reported SF-36 bodily pain during the previous month. For the analysis, four pain groups were formed (group I [0–45, moderate to very severe pain intensity and interference], group II [47.5–70], group III [77.5–90], and group IV [100, no pain at all]). Additional questionnaire-provided data regarding education, wealth, life habits, and morbidity, as well as clinical data were considered. Results The overall pain prevalence was 78% (SF-36 bodily pain score <100). The prevalence of cohabiting, as well as the years of education and household income were found to decrease with an increasing SF-36 bodily pain score. The prevalence of a BMI of over 30 and of central obesity emerged as the highest in group I. Morbidities were found to be most prevalent in group I. Conclusions A high prevalence of intense and interfering pain was reported. Multiple factors that were found to relate to pain have previously been demonstrated to associate with social exclusion. Increasing attention should be paid to distinguishing these factors in patients with pain, as well as targeted pain assessment and measures to improve the sense of community among older adults. Implications There is a lack of large studies that examine a wide scale of pain-related factors in the older adult population. To distinguish subjects with multiple such factors would help medical professionals to target their attention to patients at a high risk of chronic pain.


2019 ◽  
Vol 62 (5) ◽  
pp. 1258-1277 ◽  
Author(s):  
Megan K. MacPherson

PurposeThe aim of this study was to determine the impact of cognitive load imposed by a speech production task on the speech motor performance of healthy older and younger adults. Response inhibition, selective attention, and working memory were the primary cognitive processes of interest.MethodTwelve healthy older and 12 healthy younger adults produced multiple repetitions of 4 sentences containing an embedded Stroop task in 2 cognitive load conditions: congruent and incongruent. The incongruent condition, which required participants to suppress orthographic information to say the font colors in which color words were written, represented an increase in cognitive load relative to the congruent condition in which word text and font color matched. Kinematic measures of articulatory coordination variability and movement duration as well as a behavioral measure of sentence production accuracy were compared between groups and conditions and across 3 sentence segments (pre-, during-, and post-Stroop).ResultsIncreased cognitive load in the incongruent condition was associated with increased articulatory coordination variability and movement duration, compared to the congruent Stroop condition, for both age groups. Overall, the effect of increased cognitive load was greater for older adults than younger adults and was greatest in the portion of the sentence in which cognitive load was manipulated (during-Stroop), followed by the pre-Stroop segment. Sentence production accuracy was reduced for older adults in the incongruent condition.ConclusionsIncreased cognitive load involving response inhibition, selective attention, and working memory processes within a speech production task disrupted both the stability and timing with which speech was produced by both age groups. Older adults' speech motor performance may have been more affected due to age-related changes in cognitive and motoric functions that result in altered motor cognition.


GeroPsych ◽  
2018 ◽  
Vol 31 (4) ◽  
pp. 205-213 ◽  
Author(s):  
Kathryn L. Ossenfort ◽  
Derek M. Isaacowitz

Abstract. Research on age differences in media usage has shown that older adults are more likely than younger adults to select positive emotional content. Research on emotional aging has examined whether older adults also seek out positivity in the everyday situations they choose, resulting so far in mixed results. We investigated the emotional choices of different age groups using video games as a more interactive type of affect-laden stimuli. Participants made multiple selections from a group of positive and negative games. Results showed that older adults selected the more positive games, but also reported feeling worse after playing them. Results supplement the literature on positivity in situation selection as well as on older adults’ interactive media preferences.


2014 ◽  
Vol 28 (3) ◽  
pp. 124-135 ◽  
Author(s):  
Daniela Czernochowski

Errors can play a major role for optimizing subsequent performance: Response conflict associated with (near) errors signals the need to recruit additional control resources to minimize future conflict. However, so far it remains open whether children and older adults also adjust their performance as a function of preceding response conflict. To examine the life span development of conflict detection and resolution, response conflict was elicited during a task-switching paradigm. Electrophysiological correlates of conflict detection for correct and incorrect responses and behavioral indices of post-error adjustments were assessed while participants in four age groups were asked to focus on either speed or accuracy. Despite difficulties in resolving response conflict, the ability to detect response conflict as indexed by the Ne/ERN component was expected to mature early and be preserved in older adults. As predicted, reliable Ne/ERN peaks were detected across age groups. However, only for adults Ne/ERN amplitudes associated with errors were larger compared to Nc/CRN amplitudes for correct trials under accuracy instructions, suggesting an ongoing maturation in the ability to differentiate levels of response conflict. Behavioral interference costs were considerable in both children and older adults. Performance for children and older adults deteriorated rather than improved following errors, in line with intact conflict detection, but impaired conflict resolution. Thus, participants in all age groups were able to detect response conflict, but only young adults successfully avoided subsequent conflict by up-regulating control.


Author(s):  
Robbee Wedow ◽  
Daniel A. Briley ◽  
Susan E. Short ◽  
Jason Boardman

This chapter uses twin pairs from the Midlife in the United States study to investigate the genetic and environmental influences on perceived weight status for midlife adults. The inquiry builds on previous work investigating the same phenomenon in adolescents, and it shows that perceived weight status is not only heritable, but also heritable beyond objective weight. Subjective assessment of physical weight is independent of one’s physical weight and described as “weight identity.” Importantly, significant differences are shown in the heritability of weight identity among men and women. The chapter ends by discussing the potential relevance of these findings for broader social identity research.


2021 ◽  
Vol 21 (1) ◽  
Author(s):  
Cheryl Johnson ◽  
Moses Kumwenda ◽  
Jamilah Meghji ◽  
Augustine T. Choko ◽  
Mackwellings Phiri ◽  
...  

Abstract Background Despite the aging HIV epidemic, increasing age can be associated with hesitancy to test. Addressing this gap is a critical policy concern and highlights the urgent need to identify the underlying factors, to improve knowledge of HIV-related risks as well as uptake of HIV testing and prevention services, in midlife-older adults. Methods We conducted five focus group discussions and 12 in-depth interviews between April 2013 and November 2016 among rural and urban Malawian midlife-older (≥30 years) men and women. Using a life-course theoretical framework we explored how age is enacted socially and its implications on HIV testing and sexual risk behaviours. We also explore the potential for HIV self-testing (HIVST) to be part of a broader strategy for engaging midlife-older adults in HIV testing, prevention and care. Thematic analysis was used to identify recurrent themes and variations. Results Midlife-older adults (30–74 years of age) associated their age with respectability and identified HIV as “a disease of youth” that would not affect them, with age protecting them against infidelity and sexual risk-taking. HIV testing was felt to be stigmatizing, challenging age norms, threatening social status, and implying “lack of wisdom”. These norms drove self-testing preferences at home or other locations deemed age and gender appropriate. Awareness of the potential for long-standing undiagnosed HIV to be carried forward from past relationships was minimal, as was understanding of treatment-as-prevention. These norms led to HIV testing being perceived as a threat to status by older adults, contributing to low levels of recent HIV testing compared to younger adults. Conclusions Characteristics associated with age-gender norms and social position encourage self-testing but drive poor HIV-risk perception and unacceptability of conventional HIV testing in midlife-older adults. There is an urgent need to provide targeted messages and services more appropriate to midlife-older adults in sub-Saharan Africa. HIVST which has often been highlighted as a tool for reaching young people, may be a valuable tool for engaging midlife-older age groups who may not otherwise test.


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