The Impact of DSM-IV Symptom and Clinical Significance Criteria on the Prevalence Estimates of Subthreshold and Threshold Anxiety in the Older Adult Population

The prevalence of pressure ulcers has been reported to range from 4.1 to 32.2% in the older adult population. Pressure ulcers, also known as decubitus ulcers, bedsores, and pressure sores, are defined as localized injury to the skin and/or underlying structures, usually over a bony prominence as result of pressure or pressure in combination with shear. Within the geriatric population, prevalence and incidence rates tend to be high due to multifactorial risk factors such as comorbidities, changes in functional status, nutritional habits, medications affecting the skin, and physiological changes. The impact of pressure ulcers spans physical, emotional, social, and economic dimensions, and is of concern throughout the healthcare continuum. The aim of this chapter is to illustrate the aetiologic complexity of pressure ulcers in the geriatric population and summarize a comprehensive approach to prevention and management of pressure ulcers.

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Improving older adults’ vaccination uptake: are existing measures of vaccine hesitancy valid and reliable for older people?

10.1101/2021.09.29.21263161 ◽

2021 ◽

Author(s):

Nicola Cogan ◽

Allyson J. Gallant ◽

Louise A. Brown Nicholls ◽

Susan Rasmussen ◽

David Young ◽

...

Keyword(s):

Older Adults ◽

Older Adult ◽

Discriminant Validity ◽

Adult Population ◽

Vaccine Uptake ◽

Vaccine Hesitancy ◽

Future Research ◽

Vaccination Uptake ◽

Older Adult Population ◽

The Impact

ABSTRACTOlder adults are particularly vulnerable to vaccine-preventable diseases (VDU), due to decreased immunity and increased comorbidity. Vaccination can support healthy ageing and help reduce morbidity, mortality, and loss of quality of life associated with VPDs. Despite the availability of effective vaccines, many countries, including the UK, fail to reach recommended coverage levels. Psychosocial factors are recognised as providing important insights into the determinants of vaccination uptake. Little research has sought to establish psychometrically sound scales of vaccine attitudes with older adults. In the present study, a total of 372 UK-based participants (65-92 years, M = 70.5 yrs, SD = 4.6) completed a cross-sectional, online survey measuring health and socio-demographic characteristics in relation to vaccination uptake for influenza, pneumococcal and shingles. Two recently developed vaccination attitude scales, the 5C scale and the Vaccination Attitudes Examination (VAX) scale, were also administered to test their reliability and validity for use with an older adult population. Additional scales used to examine convergent and discriminant validity, the Beliefs about Medicines Questionnaire, the Perceived Sensitivity to Medicines Scale, the Medical Mistrust Index, the Perceived Stress Scale, and the Interpersonal Support Evaluation List, were included. The factor structure of the 5C and VAX scales was confirmed. Both scales showed good internal reliability, convergent, discriminant and concurrent validity, supporting their use with older adult populations. The 5C and VAX scales were found to be reliable and valid psychosocial measures of vaccine hesitancy and acceptance within a UK-based, older adult population. Future research could use these scales to evaluate the impact of psychological antecedents of vaccine uptake, and how concerns about vaccination may be understood and addressed among older adults.Ethics approval & informed consentEthical approval (34/26/11/2019/Staff Williams) was granted by the School of Psychological Sciences and Health Ethics Committee, University of Strathclyde. (SEC19/20: Williams, Nicholls, Rasmussen, Young & Gallant). Approved on 8th January 2020.

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Sarcopenia, a Neurogenic Syndrome?

Journal of Aging Research ◽

10.1155/2013/791679 ◽

2013 ◽

Vol 2013 ◽

pp. 1-10 ◽

Cited By ~ 27

Author(s):

Ping Kwan

Keyword(s):

Older Adult ◽

Physiological Activity ◽

Adult Population ◽

Intimate Relationship ◽

Therapeutic Interventions ◽

Muscular System ◽

Cellular Environment ◽

The World ◽

Older Adult Population ◽

The Impact

Sarcopenia is an aging-associated condition, which is currently characterized by the loss of muscle mass and muscle strength. However, there is no consensus regarding its characterization hitherto. As the world older adult population is on the rise, the impact of sarcopenia becomes greater. Due to the lack of effective treatments, sarcopenia is still a persisting problem among the global older adults and should not be overlooked. As a result, it is vital to investigate deeper into the mechanism underlying the pathogenesis of sarcopenia in order to develop more effective therapeutic interventions and to inscribe a more uniform characterization. The etiology of sarcopenia is currently found to be multifactorial, and most of the pharmacological researches are focused on the muscular factors in aging. Although the complete mechanism underlying the development of sarcopenia is still waiting to be elucidated, we propose in this article that the primary trigger of sarcopenia may be neurogenic in origin based on the intimate relationship between the nervous and muscular system, namely, the motor neuron and its underlying muscle fibers. Both of them are affected by the cellular environment and their physiological activity.

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The Epidemiology of Psychiatric Disorders in Quebec's Older Adult Population

The Canadian Journal of Psychiatry ◽

10.1177/070674370805301208 ◽

2008 ◽

Vol 53 (12) ◽

pp. 822-832 ◽

Cited By ~ 103

Author(s):

Michel Préville ◽

Richard Boyer ◽

Sébastien Grenier ◽

Micheline Dubé ◽

Philippe Voyer ◽

...

Keyword(s):

Mental Health ◽

Older Adults ◽

Psychiatric Disorders ◽

Older Adult ◽

Prevalence Rate ◽

Adult Population ◽

Specific Phobia ◽

Minor Depression ◽

Dsm Iv ◽

Older Adult Population

Objective: To document the prevalence of psychiatric disorders in Quebec's older adult population. Method: Data came from the Enquête sur la santé des aînés study conducted in 2005–2006 using a representative sample ( n = 2798) of community-dwelling older adults. Results: Our results indicate that 12.7% of the respondents met the Diagnostic and Statistical Manual of Mental Disorders, Fourth Edition (DSM-IV) criteria for depression, mania, anxiety disorders, or benzodiazepine dependency. The 12-month prevalence rate of major depression was 1.1% and the prevalence of minor depression 5.7%. A total of 5.6% of the respondents reported an anxiety disorder. The most prevalent anxiety disorders were specific phobia (2.0%), obsessive–compulsive disorder (OCD) (1.5%), and generalized anxiety disorder (GAD) (1.2%). Agoraphobia without panic disorder and panic disorder were reported by 0.3% and 0.6% of the respondents, respectively. The prevalence rate of benzodiazepine dependency was 2.3%. The 12-month comorbidity prevalence rate between any psychiatric disorders was 2.2%. Among those with depressive disorder, the most frequent comorbidity was observed between minor depression and specific phobia (4.3%), GAD (4.3%), OCD (3.7%), and mania (1.3%). Further, only 39% of those having at least one active DSM-IV diagnosis reported having used health services for their psychological distress symptoms during the previous 12 months. Among those who consulted health services, 85% visited a general practitioner. Conclusions: Our results indicate that a large proportion of the elderly population in Quebec presents mental health needs. Longitudinal research focusing on the individual and social consequences of mental health problems reported by older adults is needed to avoid misinterpretation of this finding.

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Becoming Visionary: Evaluation of a Comprehensive Eye Exam Clinic Within a Geriatric Rehabilitation Setting

Canadian Journal of Optometry ◽

10.15353/cjo.78.457 ◽

2016 ◽

Vol 78 (3) ◽

pp. 6

Author(s):

Jennifer Klein ◽

Cathryn Schmidt ◽

Aleem Bandali ◽

Ross McKenzie

Keyword(s):

Older Adult ◽

Vision Loss ◽

Adult Population ◽

Visual Impairments ◽

Hospital Setting ◽

Geriatric Rehabilitation ◽

The Past ◽

Risk Of Falls ◽

Older Adult Population ◽

The Impact

In the older adult population, visual impairments are highly prevalent, but largely undiagnosed. Research has shown that such visual impairments increase the risk of falls, depression, and mortality amongst older adults. Studies are lacking that examine the impact of implementing an eye exam clinic within a hospital setting. The goal of this proposed study was to evaluate the feasibility of having community optometrists offer a Comprehensive Eye Exam (CEE) Clinic for detecting vision loss within a geriatric rehabilitation setting. Findings revealed 83% of participants were diagnosed with detectable vision problem of which more than half were previously undiagnosed. One third of participants had not seen an eye specialist within the past two years. The CEE Clinic was implemented with minimal expenses, low workload burden on staff, and detected significant vision issues among many participants.

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The effect of protein supplementation and its timing on energy intake and appetite in a middle-older aged adult population

Proceedings of The Nutrition Society ◽

10.1017/s0029665120005583 ◽

2020 ◽

Vol 79 (OCE2) ◽

Author(s):

Esme Tuttiett ◽

Elizabeth Williams ◽

Bernard Corfe ◽

Emma Stevenson ◽

Tom Hill

Keyword(s):

Whey Protein ◽

Energy Intake ◽

Older Adult ◽

Protein Intake ◽

Phase 1 ◽

Adult Population ◽

Protein Supplementation ◽

Macronutrient Intake ◽

Older Adult Population ◽

The Impact

AbstractIntroductionWith ageing there is a reduction in muscle mass and strength, termed sarcopenia. A further consequence of ageing is a reduction in appetite and this can result in a reduced energy intake and malnutrition. Increased dietary protein intake may reduce the risk of sarcopenia, however, protein is particularly satiating. Increasing protein intake in the older adult population, without a reduction of overall energy intake and appetite is desirable. The primary aim of this study was to investigate the effect of protein supplementation on dietary intake and appetite. A further aim was to explore whether the time of consumption (morning vs evening) modified the impact of protein on energy intake and appetite.Materials and methodsTwenty-four middle-older aged (50–75 years) participants were recruited to a randomised cross-over trial. In phase 1 (pre-supplementation) participants completed a 3d food diary and were asked to report hunger and appetite using visual analogue scale questionnaires. In the second and third phases, participants consumed a whey protein gel (containing 20 g protein and 376kJ of energy) for 4 days at either the evening (before bed) or in the morning (after breakfast) and completed the same tasks as phase 1. There was a 1-week wash-out period before crossing over to the alternative time point. Repeated measures ANOVA was used to analyse the data.ResultsThere was no significant difference in average daily energy and macronutrient intake provided by the habitual diet in the pre-supplementation phase compared to the whey protein supplementation phases, irrespective of timing (p > 0.05). Similarly, no significant differences were observed in reported feelings of hunger and appetite (p > 0.05).DiscussionContrary to expectations, the addition of a 20g/day whey protein supplement did not alter subsequent energy and macronutrient intake when consumed over a 4-day period in this middle-older adult population. This may be due to the low-calorie composition of the supplement, or the timing of the intake. This research helps to inform protein delivery strategies, however different product formulations need to be explored, and studies of longer duration are required to understand the impact of prolonged supplementation on eating behaviour.

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