Changes in health behaviors, mental and physical health among older adults under severe lockdown restrictions during the COVID-19 pandemic in Spain

AbstractBackgroundWe aimed to examine main changes in health behaviors, mental and physical health among older adults under severe lockdown restrictions during the COVID-19.MethodsWe used prospective data from 3041 participants in four cohorts of community-dwelling individuals aged ≥65 years in Spain. Data were obtained using validated questionnaires through a pre-pandemic face-to-face interview and a telephone interview conducted between weeks 7 to 15 after the beginning the COVID-19 lockdown. Lineal or multinomial, as appropriate, regression models with adjustment for the main confounders were used to assess changes in the outcome variables from the pre-pandemic to the confinement period, and to identify their associated factors.ResultsOn average, the confinement was not associated with a deterioration in lifestyle risk factors (smoking, alcohol intake, diet or weight), except for a decreased physical activity and increased sedentary time, which reversed with the end of confinement. However, chronic pain worsened, and moderate declines in mental health, that did not seem to reverse after restrictions were lifted, were observed. Several subgroups of individuals were at increased risk of developing unhealthier lifestyles or mental health decline with confinement: (i)-males (for physical activity and sedentariness), (ii)-those with greater social isolation (for diet, physical activity, mental health), (iii)-feelings of loneliness (for diet, sleep quality, mental health), (iv)-poor housing conditions (for diet, physical activity, TV viewing time), (v)-unhealthy sleep duration (for physical activity and sedentariness), and (vi-worse overall health or chronic morbidities (for physical activity, screen time, mental health). On the other hand, previously having a greater adherence to the Mediterranean diet and doing more physical activity protected older adults from developing unhealthier lifestyles with confinement.ConclusionsThe lockdown during the first wave of the COVID-19 in Spain, which was one of the most restrictive in Europe, only led to minor average changes in health behaviors among older adults. However, mental health was moderately affected. If another lockdown were imposed on this or future pandemics, public health programs should specially address the needs of older individuals with male sex, greater social isolation, poor housing conditions and chronic morbidities, because of their greater vulnerability to the enacted movement restrictions

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Changes in Health Behaviors, Mental and Physical Health among Older Adults under Severe Lockdown Restrictions during the COVID-19 Pandemic in Spain

International Journal of Environmental Research and Public Health ◽

10.3390/ijerph18137067 ◽

2021 ◽

Vol 18 (13) ◽

pp. 7067

Author(s):

Esther García-Esquinas ◽

Rosario Ortolá ◽

Iago Gine-Vázquez ◽

José A. Carnicero ◽

Asier Mañas ◽

...

Keyword(s):

Mental Health ◽

Physical Activity ◽

Older Adults ◽

Social Isolation ◽

Community Dwelling ◽

Housing Conditions ◽

Older Individuals ◽

Lifestyle Risk Factors ◽

Increased Risk ◽

Lifestyle Risk

We used data from 3041 participants in four cohorts of community-dwelling individuals aged ≥65 years in Spain collected through a pre-pandemic face-to-face interview and a telephone interview conducted between weeks 7 to 15 after the beginning of the COVID-19 lockdown. On average, the confinement was not associated with a deterioration in lifestyle risk factors (smoking, alcohol intake, diet, or weight), except for a decreased physical activity and increased sedentary time, which reversed with the end of confinement. However, chronic pain worsened, and moderate declines in mental health, that did not seem to reverse after restrictions were lifted, were observed. Males, older adults with greater social isolation or greater feelings of loneliness, those with poorer housing conditions, as well as those with a higher prevalence of chronic morbidities were at increased risk of developing unhealthier lifestyles or mental health declines with confinement. On the other hand, previously having a greater adherence to the Mediterranean diet and doing more physical activity protected older adults from developing unhealthier lifestyles with confinement. If another lockdown were imposed during this or future pandemics, public health programs should specially address the needs of older individuals with male sex, greater social isolation, sub-optimal housing conditions, and chronic morbidities because of their greater vulnerability to the enacted movement restrictions.

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Greenspace to facilitate the positive physical activity and mental health outcomes of older adults in Canada

Western Undergraduate Research Journal Health and Natural Sciences ◽

10.5206/wurjhns.2014-15.9 ◽

2014 ◽

Vol 5 (1) ◽

Author(s):

Adam G Gavarkovs

Keyword(s):

Mental Health ◽

Physical Activity ◽

Older Adults ◽

Health Outcomes ◽

Physical Health ◽

Physical Inactivity ◽

Positive Relationship ◽

Current System ◽

Health Conditions ◽

Mental And Physical Health

The link between physical inactivity and poor health outcomes is well established. Older adults are especially at risk for many health conditions, and are one of the most inactive populations in Canada. Increasing levels of neighbourhood greenness has shown a positive relationship with walking and exercise behaviours, which in turn affects both mental and physical health. Currently in Ontario, the provincial Planning Act outlines the process of parkland dedication that individual municipalities are responsible for carrying out. This policy brief will discuss the inadequacies of the current system in effectively creating greenspace for older adults, and will propose several recommendations to resolve these issues.

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Impact of COVID-19 on Older Adults: Changes in Health Access, Health, Socialization and Adaptive Coping Activities

Innovation in Aging ◽

10.1093/geroni/igab046.2702 ◽

2021 ◽

Vol 5 (Supplement_1) ◽

pp. 731-731

Author(s):

Judith Scott ◽

Sara Qualls ◽

Stacy Yun

Keyword(s):

Mental Health ◽

Older Adults ◽

Health Service ◽

Health Behaviors ◽

Physical Health ◽

Service Access ◽

Adaptive Coping ◽

Health Service Access ◽

The Impact ◽

Mental And Physical Health

Abstract Indirect effects of stay-at-home guidelines may negatively affect mental health by reducing health self-care behaviors and engagement in social participation. This study reports on the impact of the COVID-19 pandemic on community-dwelling older adults’ perceived physical and mental health and everyday health behaviors. 126 older adults participated in a county-wide telephone survey during June-July of 2020, asking about changes in mental and physical health, and adaptations in health behaviors. We investigated the effects of three negative everyday health behavior changes during the pandemic (changes in health services access, perceived changes in health, and increased social isolation) as well as two positive everyday health behaviors (adherence to stay-at-home guidelines to reduce risk, and adaptive coping activities) on mental health and COVID-related distress. Examples of active coping strategies were stockpiling resources, spiritual practices, or outreach to others. Descriptive statistics, bivariate correlations, and multiple regressions characterized the impact of COVID-19 on perceived mental health. Descriptive data included changes in health service access, changes in mental and physical health, reduced social engagement, increased adherence to guidelines, and increased adaptive coping activities. Significant predictors of mental health impact of the pandemic were changes in health service access (β = .18, p < .05), health changes (β = .25, p < .01), and adaptive coping activities (β = .21, p < .05). Findings suggest COVID-19 distress may be alleviated with improved health care access and increased social contact. Mental health challenges may also benefit from increased engagement in adaptive coping activities.

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Health impacts of the “Stay at Home” order on community dwelling older adults and how technologies may help: A focus group study (Preprint)

10.2196/preprints.25779 ◽

2020 ◽

Author(s):

Jessica Daly ◽

Colin Depp ◽

Sarah Graham ◽

Dilip V. Jeste ◽

Ho-Cheol Kim ◽

...

Keyword(s):

Older Adults ◽

Focus Group ◽

Physical Health ◽

Social Isolation ◽

Community Dwelling ◽

Potential Game ◽

Viral Spread ◽

The Impact ◽

Mental And Physical Health ◽

At Home

BACKGROUND The COVID-19 pandemic has resulted in nearly 250,000 deaths as of mid-November 2020 with 80% of those being people over 65 years of age. Since March 2020, preventive measures including lockdowns, social isolation, quarantine and social distancing have been implemented to reduce viral spread. These measures, while effective for risk prevention, may contribute to increased social isolation and loneliness among older adults and negatively impact mental and physical health. OBJECTIVE A qualitative study was conducted to identify the impact of the “Stay-at-Home” order on older adults living in a Continued Care Senior Housing Community (CCSHC) in southern California. METHODS Four 90-minute focus groups were convened using the Zoom communications platform during May 2020 with 21 CCSHC residents participating. Participants were asked to describe how they were managing during the “stay-at-home” mandate that was implemented in March 2020, including impact on their physical and mental health. Transcripts of each focus group were analyzed using qualitative methods. RESULTS Four themes emerged from the qualitative data including: Impact of Quarantine on Health and Well-Being; 2 - Communication Innovation; 3 - Effective Ways of Coping with Quarantine; and 4 – Improving Access to Technology and Training. Participants reported a threat to their mental and physical health directly tied to quarantine and exacerbated by social isolation and decreased physical activity. Technology was identified as a lifeline for many who are socially isolated from friends and family. CONCLUSIONS Technology access, connectivity, and literacy are potential game-changers to supporting the mental and physical health of older adults and must be prioritized. CLINICALTRIAL N/A

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Health Impacts of the Stay-at-Home Order on Community-Dwelling Older Adults and How Technologies May Help: Focus Group Study

JMIR Aging ◽

10.2196/25779 ◽

2021 ◽

Vol 4 (1) ◽

pp. e25779

Author(s):

Jessica R Daly ◽

Colin Depp ◽

Sarah A Graham ◽

Dilip V Jeste ◽

Ho-Cheol Kim ◽

...

Keyword(s):

Older Adults ◽

Focus Group ◽

Physical Health ◽

Social Isolation ◽

Technology Use ◽

Community Dwelling ◽

Potential Game ◽

The Impact ◽

Mental And Physical Health ◽

At Home

Background As of March 2021, in the USA, the COVID-19 pandemic has resulted in over 500,000 deaths, with a majority being people over 65 years of age. Since the start of the pandemic in March 2020, preventive measures, including lockdowns, social isolation, quarantine, and social distancing, have been implemented to reduce viral spread. These measures, while effective for risk prevention, may contribute to increased social isolation and loneliness among older adults and negatively impact their mental and physical health. Objective This study aimed to assess the impact of the COVID-19 pandemic and the resulting “Stay-at-Home” order on the mental and physical health of older adults and to explore ways to safely increase social connectedness among them. Methods This qualitative study involved older adults living in a Continued Care Senior Housing Community (CCSHC) in southern California, USA. Four 90-minute focus groups were convened using the Zoom Video Communications platform during May 2020, involving 21 CCSHC residents. Participants were asked to describe how they were managing during the “stay-at-home” mandate that was implemented in March 2020, including its impact on their physical and mental health. Transcripts of each focus group were analyzed using qualitative methods. Results Four themes emerged from the qualitative data: (1) impact of the quarantine on health and well-being, (2) communication innovation and technology use, (3) effective ways of coping with the quarantine, and (4) improving access to technology and training. Participants reported a threat to their mental and physical health directly tied to the quarantine and exacerbated by social isolation and decreased physical activity. Technology was identified as a lifeline for many who are socially isolated from their friends and family. Conclusions Our study findings suggest that technology access, connectivity, and literacy are potential game-changers to supporting the mental and physical health of older adults and must be prioritized for future research.

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The glass is not half empty: optimism, pessimism, and health among older adults

International Psychogeriatrics ◽

10.1017/s1041610219000498 ◽

2019 ◽

Vol 32 (1) ◽

pp. 135-139 ◽

Cited By ~ 1

Author(s):

Michael D. Barnett ◽

Ellen A. Anderson

Keyword(s):

Mental Health ◽

Older Adults ◽

Physical Health ◽

Short Form ◽

Well Being ◽

Community Dwelling ◽

Physical And Mental Health ◽

Cross Sectional Survey ◽

Life Orientation Test ◽

Health And Well Being

ABSTRACTObjectives:Optimism and pessimism are distinct constructs that have demonstrated independent relationships with aspects of health and well-being. The purpose of this study was to investigate whether optimism or pessimism is more closely linked with physical and mental health among older adults.Design:Cross-sectional survey.Participants:Community-dwelling older adults (N = 272) ages 59–95 in the southern United States.Measurements:The Life Orientation Test—Revised and the Short Form 8.Results:At the bivariate level, optimism was associated with higher physical health and mental health, while pessimism was associated with lower physical health and mental health. Multiple-regression analyses as well as comparison of correlation coefficients found that pessimism was more closely associated with physical health and mental health than optimism.Conclusions:These results add to the literature suggesting that, in terms of older adults’ health and well-being, avoiding pessimism may be more important than being optimistic.

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The relationship between attitudes to aging and physical and mental health in older adults

International Psychogeriatrics ◽

10.1017/s1041610212000774 ◽

2012 ◽

Vol 24 (10) ◽

pp. 1674-1683 ◽

Cited By ~ 75

Author(s):

Christina Bryant ◽

Bei Bei ◽

Kim Gilson ◽

Angela Komiti ◽

Henry Jackson ◽

...

Keyword(s):

Mental Health ◽

Older Adults ◽

Physical Health ◽

Successful Aging ◽

Satisfaction With Life ◽

Community Dwelling ◽

Satisfaction With Life Scale ◽

Physical And Mental Health ◽

Negative Stereotypes ◽

Positive Attitudes

ABSTRACTBackground: Attitudes are known to exert a powerful influence on a range of behaviors. The objective of this study was to investigate the contribution of attitudes toward one's own aging to satisfaction with life and physical and mental health measured in a sample of community-dwelling older adults.Methods: Adults who were part of a larger study of health and well-being in rural and regional Australia aged ≥60 years (N = 421) completed a cross-sectional postal survey comprising the Attitudes to Aging Questionnaire, the 12-Item Short Form Health Survey (SF-12), the Satisfaction with Life Scale, the Geriatric Anxiety Inventory, and the Center for Epidemiological Studies Depression Scale.Results: Overall, attitudes to aging were positive in this sample. More positive attitudes to aging were associated with higher levels of satisfaction with life, better self-report physical and mental health on the SF-12, and lower levels of anxiety and depression, after controlling for confounding variables. Better financial status and being employed were both associated with more positive attitudes to aging and better self-reported physical health. Relationship status was also significantly associated with mental health and satisfaction with life, but not physical health.Conclusion: The promotion of successful aging is increasingly becoming important in aging societies. Having positive attitudes to aging may contribute to healthier mental and physical outcomes in older adults. Overcoming negative stereotypes of aging through change at the societal and individual level may help to promote more successful aging.

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Online-Delivered Group and Personal Exercise Programs to Support Low Active Older Adults’ Mental Health During the COVID-19 Pandemic: Randomized Controlled Trial (Preprint)

10.2196/preprints.30709 ◽

2021 ◽

Author(s):

Mark R Beauchamp ◽

Ryan M Hulteen ◽

Geralyn R Ruissen ◽

Yan Liu ◽

Ryan E Rhodes ◽

...

Keyword(s):

Mental Health ◽

Older Adults ◽

Physical Health ◽

Primary Outcome ◽

Controlled Trial ◽

Exercise Program ◽

Depression Symptoms ◽

Intervention Effects ◽

Psychological Flourishing ◽

Mental And Physical Health

BACKGROUND In response to the COVID-19 pandemic, experts in mental health science emphasized the importance of developing and evaluating approaches to support and maintain the mental health of older adults. OBJECTIVE The aim of this study was to assess whether a group-based exercise program relative to a personal exercise program (both delivered online) and waitlist control (WLC) can improve the psychological health of previously low active older adults during the early stages of the COVID-19 pandemic. METHODS The Seniors COVID-19 Pandemic and Exercise (SCOPE) trial was a 3-arm, parallel randomized controlled trial conducted between May and September 2020 in which low active older adults (aged ≥65 years) were recruited via media outlets and social media. After baseline assessments, consented participants were randomized to one of two 12-week exercise programs (delivered online by older adult instructors) or a WLC condition. A total of 241 older adults (n=187 women) provided baseline measures (via online questionnaires), were randomized (ngroup=80, npersonal=82, ncontrol=79), and completed measures every 2 weeks for the duration of the trial. The trial’s primary outcome was psychological flourishing. Secondary outcomes included global measures of mental and physical health, life satisfaction, and depression symptoms. RESULTS The results of latent growth modeling revealed no intervention effects for flourishing, life satisfaction, or depression symptoms (P>.05 for all). Participants in the group condition displayed improved mental health relative to WLC participants over the first 10 weeks (effect size [ES]=0.288-0.601), and although the week 12 effect (ES=0.375) was in the same direction the difference was not statistically significant (P=.089). Participants in the personal condition displayed improved mental health, when compared with WLC participants, in the same medium ES range (ES=0.293-0.565) over the first 8 weeks, and while the effects were of a similar magnitude at weeks 10 (ES=0.455, P=.069) and 12 (ES=0.258, P=.353), they were not statistically significant. In addition, participants in the group condition displayed improvements in physical health when compared with the WLC (ES=0.079-0.496) across all 12 weeks of the study following baseline. No differences were observed between the personal exercise condition and WLC for physical health (slope P=.271). CONCLUSIONS There were no intervention effects for the trial’s primary outcome (ie, psychological flourishing). It is possible that the high levels of psychological flourishing at baseline may have limited the extent to which those indicators could continue to improve further through intervention (ie, potential ceiling effects). However, the intervention effects for mental and physical health point to the potential capacity of low-cost and scalable at-home programs to support the mental and physical health of previously inactive adults in the COVID-19 pandemic. CLINICALTRIAL ClinicalTrials.gov NCT04412343; https://clinicaltrials.gov/ct2/show/NCT04412343

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Frailty as a Moderator of the Relationship Between Social Isolation and Health Outcomes in Community-Dwelling Older Adults

10.20944/preprints202102.0091.v1 ◽

2021 ◽

Author(s):

Fereshteh Mehrabi ◽

François Béland

Keyword(s):

Mental Health ◽

Older Adults ◽

Health Outcomes ◽

Cognitive Decline ◽

Social Isolation ◽

Social Participation ◽

Social Connectedness ◽

Extended Family ◽

Community Dwelling ◽

Community Dwelling Older Adults

This research investigated the effects of social isolation on frailty and health outcomes and tested whether these associations varied across different levels of frailty. We performed a multivariate analysis of data from the first wave of the FRéLE study among 1,643 Canadian older adults aged 65 years and over. We assessed social isolation using social participation, social networks, and support from various social ties, namely, friends, children, extended family, and partner. Frailty predicted disability, comorbidity, depression, and cognitive decline. Less social participation was associated with IADLs, depression, and cognitive decline. The absence of friends was associated with depression and cognitive impairment. Less social support from children and partner was related to comorbidity, depression, and cognitive decline. Overall, social isolation is linked to mental health, rather than physical health. The associations of having no siblings, receiving less support from friends, and participating less in social activities with ADL limitations, depression, and cognitive decline were higher among frail than pre-frail and robust older adults. This study corroborates the pivotal role of social connectedness, particularly the quality of relationships, on the mental health of older adults. Public health policies on social relationships are paramount to ameliorate the health status of frail older adults.

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Relationships Between Changes in Self-Reported Physical Activity and Sedentary Behaviours and Health During the Coronavirus (COVID-19) Pandemic in France and Switzerland

10.31236/osf.io/ydv84 ◽

2020 ◽

Cited By ~ 5

Author(s):

Boris Cheval ◽

Hamsini Sivaramakrishnan ◽

Silvio Maltagliati ◽

Layan Fessler ◽

Cyril Forestier ◽

...

Keyword(s):

Mental Health ◽

Physical Activity ◽

Physical Health ◽

Health Consequences ◽

Physical And Mental Health ◽

Sedentary Behaviours ◽

Mental And Physical Health

The coronavirus disease 2019 (COVID-19) pandemic may have detrimental effects on physical and mental health, but physical activity can help people to cope with stress, thereby mitigating its potential negative health consequences. In our study, we investigated whether changes in physical activity and sedentary behaviours are associated with changes in mental and physical health during the COVID-19 lockdown.

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