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

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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Why Are Native Hawaiians Underrepresented in Hawai‘i's Older Adult Population? Exploring Social and Behavioral Factors of Longevity

Journal of Aging Research ◽

10.4061/2011/701232 ◽

2011 ◽

Vol 2011 ◽

pp. 1-8 ◽

Cited By ~ 18

Author(s):

Lana Sue Ka‘opua ◽

Kathryn L. Braun ◽

Colette V. Browne ◽

Noreen Mokuau ◽

Chai-Bin Park

Keyword(s):

Older Adult ◽

Native Hawaiian ◽

Adult Population ◽

Historical Trauma ◽

Health Indicators ◽

Native Hawaiians ◽

Future Research ◽

Behavioral Factors ◽

Poverty Level ◽

Older Adult Population

Native Hawaiians comprise 24.3% of Hawai‘i's population, but only 12.6% of the state's older adults. Few published studies have compared health indicators across ethnicities for the state's older adult population or focused on disparities of Native Hawaiian elders. The current study examines data from two state surveillance programs, with attention to cause of death and social-behavioral factors relevant to elders. Findings reveal that Native Hawaiians have the largest years of productive life lost and the lowest life expectancy, when compared to the state's other major ethnic groups. Heart disease and cancer are leading causes of premature mortality. Native Hawaiian elders are more likely to report behavioral health risks such as smoking and obesity, live within/below 100–199% of the poverty level, and find cost a barrier to seeking care. Indicated is the need for affordable care across the lifespan and health services continuum. Future research might explain behavioral factors as influenced by social determinants, including historical trauma on Native Hawaiian longevity.

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COLAEVA: Visual Analytics and Data Mining Web-Based Tool for Virtual Coaching of Older Adult Populations

Sensors ◽

10.3390/s21237991 ◽

2021 ◽

Vol 21 (23) ◽

pp. 7991

Author(s):

Jon Kerexeta Sarriegi ◽

Andoni Beristain Iraola ◽

Roberto Álvarez Sánchez ◽

Manuel Graña ◽

Kristin May Rebescher ◽

...

Keyword(s):

Older Adults ◽

Older Adult ◽

Visual Analytics ◽

Web Application ◽

Adult Population ◽

Research Area ◽

Web Based ◽

Virtual Coaching ◽

Evolution Analysis ◽

Older Adult Population

The global population is aging in an unprecedented manner and the challenges for improving the lives of older adults are currently both a strong priority in the political and healthcare arena. In this sense, preventive measures and telemedicine have the potential to play an important role in improving the number of healthy years older adults may experience and virtual coaching is a promising research area to support this process. This paper presents COLAEVA, an interactive web application for older adult population clustering and evolution analysis. Its objective is to support caregivers in the design, validation and refinement of coaching plans adapted to specific population groups. COLAEVA enables coaching caregivers to interactively group similar older adults based on preliminary assessment data, using AI features, and to evaluate the influence of coaching plans once the final assessment is carried out for a baseline comparison. To evaluate COLAEVA, a usability test was carried out with 9 test participants obtaining an average SUS score of 71.1. Moreover, COLAEVA is available online to use and explore.

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Communicating with the Older Adult Cancer Patient

Psycho-Oncology ◽

10.1093/med/9780190097653.003.0085 ◽

2021 ◽

pp. 678-684

Author(s):

Patricia A. Parker ◽

Smita C. Banerjee ◽

Beatriz Korc-Grodzicki

Keyword(s):

Risk Factors ◽

Older Adults ◽

Cognitive Impairment ◽

Psychological Distress ◽

Cancer Patients ◽

Older Adult ◽

Adult Population ◽

Healthcare Providers ◽

Multiple Morbidity ◽

Older Adult Population

The older adult population continues to increase. Among all known risk factors for developing cancer, the most important is growing old. Thus, caring for older adults with cancer is of increasing importance. This chapter describes important considerations involved in communicating with cancer patients including sensory impairment, cognitive impairment, multiple morbidity, polypharmacy, and psychological distress. It also describes how stereotyping and ageism affect communication with older adults with cancer. Finally, the chapter discusses ways to facilitate communication with older adult cancer patients and their families and provides an example of a training program that was created specifically to enhance communication between healthcare providers and older adult cancer patients and their families.

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Pressure injuries in the ageing population

Oxford Textbook of Geriatric Medicine ◽

10.1093/med/9780198701590.003.0053 ◽

2017 ◽

pp. 401-408

Author(s):

Cindy Kiely ◽

Magdalena Pupiales

Keyword(s):

Older Adult ◽

Pressure Ulcers ◽

Adult Population ◽

Incidence Rates ◽

Population Pressure ◽

Ageing Population ◽

Geriatric Population ◽

Bony Prominence ◽

Older Adult Population ◽

The Impact

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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Developing a model of resilience in older adulthood: a qualitative meta-synthesis

Ageing and Society ◽

10.1017/s0144686x20000112 ◽

2020 ◽

pp. 1-23

Author(s):

Claire A. Wilson ◽

Deanna Walker ◽

Donald H. Saklofske

Keyword(s):

Older Adults ◽

Protective Factors ◽

Older Adult ◽

Factor Model ◽

Adult Population ◽

Theoretical Models ◽

Older Individuals ◽

Older Adulthood ◽

Older Adult Population ◽

Qualitative Literature

Abstract The study of resilience in an older adult population is expanding rapidly. However, most theoretical models of resilience have been developed with children or young to middle-aged adults. The objective of the present study was to review systematically the qualitative literature examining resilience in older adults, and to develop a comprehensive model of resilience in older adulthood. A qualitative meta-synthesis was conducted to review the qualitative literature examining resilience from older adults’ perspectives. An exhaustive search of the literature revealed 1,752 articles. From these articles, 34 studies meeting inclusion criteria were selected for analysis. Across the 34 studies analysed, eight themes were revealed as important for achieving resilience later in life: perseverance and determination, self-efficacy and independence, purpose and meaning, positive perspective, social support, faith and prayer, previous experience and being proactive. These themes can be organised into a four-factor model: (a) Intrapersonal Protective Factors; (b) Interpersonal Protective Factors; (c) Spiritual Protective Factors; and (d) Experiential Protective Factors. This study presents a new model of resilience in older adulthood that is grounded in qualitative literature and is relevant and appropriate for an older adult population. This research may be useful for clinicians, support workers and researchers working with older individuals through improving our understanding of what contributes to resilience later in life.

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BMI, waist-to-height ratio and body fat mass in older adults: results from the Pronutrisenior project

Proceedings of The Nutrition Society ◽

10.1017/s0029665120001706 ◽

2020 ◽

Vol 79 (OCE2) ◽

Author(s):

Flora Correia ◽

Bruno M. P. M. Oliveira ◽

Rui Poínhos ◽

Anzhela Sorokina ◽

Cláudia Afonso ◽

...

Keyword(s):

Older Adults ◽

Older Adult ◽

Body Fat ◽

Fat Mass ◽

Adult Population ◽

Body Fat Mass ◽

Height Ratio ◽

Waist To Height Ratio ◽

Older Adult Population ◽

Geographical Characteristics

AbstractNear 20% of the Portuguese population is aged 65 years or above, a value similar to most developed countries. This older adult population also suffers from obesity and obesity-related pathologies. The environment encompasses a set of obesity determinants and knowing the associations between the environment and obesity may help health professionals and caregivers to provide for the older adults.In this study, we aimed to relate anthropometric measures with socio-demographic data in older adults.This is a cross-sectional study using data from the Pronutrisenior project, collected in Vila Nova de Gaia, Portugal. The sample consists of 456 older adults, aged 65 to 92 years without cognitive impairment. The sample consisted of older adults living at their homes. Socio-demographic, clinical, geographical, and anthropometric data was collected. The statistical analysis used IBM-SPSS-22.0 and consisted on descriptive statistics, Pearson correlations and UniANOVA. Significantly results (p < 0.05) are reported.These older adults were mostly females (54.2%) with a mean age of 73.8 years (sd = 6.3), mean body mass index (BMI) of 29.1kg/m2 (sd = 4.8), mean waist-to-height ratio (WHtR) of 0.623 (sd = 0.073) and mean percentage of body fat mass (%BFM) of 40.7% (sd = 8.9%) for females and 30.2% (sd = 8.5%) for males. BMI, WHtR and %BFM were positively correlated. In this sample of older adults, higher values of these measures were associated to being female, younger, less educated; to having articular pains and respiratory problems, and not having insomnia, hypertension, chewing problems nor hearing problems; to drink more liquids but not consuming dairy products daily; to not take nutritional supplements but to take more medicines; to be without somebody to talk to and to be more dependent; and to live in a house without stairs to climb and to live near other older adults, and in a more urbanized area with streets with steeper slopes.In this sample of older adults, obesity is related with health characteristics and those are related with socio-demographic and geographical characteristics of the area of residence. Besides the identification of risk factors for the older adult population, this information may help designing health care policies that takes in consideration the physical and geographical characteristics of the neighbourhood of the area of residence of the older adults.

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A Survey of Mobile Phone Use in Older Adults

Proceedings of the Human Factors and Ergonomics Society Annual Meeting ◽

10.1177/154193120705100101 ◽

2007 ◽

Vol 51 (1) ◽

pp. 1-5 ◽

Cited By ~ 5

Author(s):

Young Seok Lee

Keyword(s):

Older Adults ◽

Mobile Phone ◽

Older Adult ◽

Mobile Phones ◽

Adult Population ◽

The United States ◽

Mobile Phone Use ◽

Usage Patterns ◽

Basic Features ◽

Older Adult Population

Mobile phone adoption by older adults is radically increasing. As a part of multiple empirical studies to improve older adults' experiences with mobile phones, a survey was conducted to investigate a number of specific aspects of mobile phone use in the older adult population including motives of ownership, usage patterns, preferences on mobile phone features, and perceived usability of their own phones. A total of 154 older adults from 20 states of the United States who owned a mobile phone participated in this study. Results indicated that participants used a few basic features of mobile phones since they used them mainly for personal communication and safety reasons. Overall, participants perceived that their current phones offered marginal “ease of use”, but they found most usability problems with understanding error messages, inputting text, and understanding user manuals. The majority of older adults (over 50%) desired a phone with basic features that include making /receiving a call, phonebook, emergency call, voice message checking, speed dial, ringer change, and clock. However, effects of age and gender were found on mobile phone usage patterns and design preferences, which suggest a need of focusing on diverse groups within the older adult population.

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FRAILTY EXISTS IN YOUNGER ADULTS ADMITTED AS SURGICAL EMERGENCY LEADING TO ADVERSE OUTCOMES

Journal of Frailty & Aging ◽

10.14283/jfa.2017.28 ◽

2017 ◽

pp. 1-5

Author(s):

R. Smart ◽

B. Carter ◽

J. McGovern ◽

S. Luckman ◽

A. Connelly ◽

...

Keyword(s):

Older Adults ◽

Older Adult ◽

Adult Population ◽

Time Frame ◽

Adverse Outcomes ◽

Younger Adults ◽

Surgical Units ◽

Observational Cohort ◽

Comparative Group ◽

Older Adult Population

Background: Frailty is prevalent in the older adult population (≥65 years of age) and results in adverse outcomes in the emergency general surgical population. Objective: To determine whether frailty exists in the younger adult emergency surgical population (<65 years) and what influence frailty may have on patient related outcomes. Design: Prospective observational cohort study. Setting: Emergency general surgical admissions. Participants: All patients ≥40 years divided into 2 groups: younger adults (40-64.9 years) and older adult comparative group (≥65). Measurements: Over a 6-month time frame the following data was collected: demographics; Scottish Index of Multiple Deprivation (SIMD); blood markers; multi-morbidities, polypharmacy and cognition. Frailty was assessed by completion of the Canadian Study of Health and Ageing (CSHA). Each patient was followed up for 90 days to allow determination of length of stay, re-admission and mortality. Results: 82 young adults were included and the prevalence of frailty was 16% (versus older adults 38%; p=0.001) and associated with: multi-morbidity; poly-pharmacy; cognitive impairment; and deprivation. Frailty in older adults was only significantly associated with increasing age. Conclusions: This novel study has found that frailty exists in 16% of younger adults admitted to emergency general surgical units, potentially leading to adverse short and long-term outcomes. Strategies need to be developed that identify and treat frailty in this vulnerable younger adult population.

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The Sharing Economy in China’s Aging Industry: Applications, Challenges, and Recommendations (Preprint)

10.2196/preprints.27758 ◽

2021 ◽

Author(s):

Yaolin Hu ◽

Jian Wang ◽

Stephen Nicholas ◽

Elizabeth Maitland

Keyword(s):

Older Adults ◽

Older Adult ◽

Adult Population ◽

Sharing Economy ◽

Current State ◽

Industry Applications ◽

Aging Health ◽

Aging Societies ◽

Older Adult Population ◽

Rich Countries

BACKGROUND All aging societies face the challenge of allocating limited resources for the highest value of use. The sharing economy provides one method to address the imbalance between the demand and supply of health services to the older adult population. With a substantial aging population, China’s practices in the sharing aging industry may set examples for other “getting old before getting rich” countries. OBJECTIVE There is a gap in both the data and research on China’s aging industry sharing economy. This paper addresses these data and research lacunae by constructing a framework for the application of a sharing model in China’s aging industry, by assessing the current state of the aging industry sharing economy, by setting out the challenges to the sharing aging health care and service economy, and by making recommendations for the development of the aging industry sharing economy. METHODS This paper constructs a sharing economy framework in the aging industry covering four aspects (people, facilities, capital, and information) to test the current state and future prospects of China’s aging industry sharing economy. RESULTS In people sharing, we analyzed the sharing of emotional companionship, doctors, nurses, nursing attendants, and domestic helpers. We discussed facility sharing models from the point of land and housing, medical devices, and other items such as pensioner meals and shared medicine bins. We acknowledge that crowdfunding platforms have developed fast in China, but many older adult users faced problems in their operation. Information sharing is a developing field, which can optimize users’ experiences and should help older adults filter out misinformation, but China currently does not have adequate sharing information platforms for older adults. CONCLUSIONS We identified four major challenges in China’s aging industry sharing economy: poor adaptability to technology for older adults, mediocre quality of shared services, one-size-fits-all and the concept of the useless elderly, and shortage of qualified practitioners. We make recommendations for specific measures by governments, communities, and enterprises to improve the sharing economy in the aging industry.

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Taking Age-Friendly Campus Efforts to New PEAKS

Innovation in Aging ◽

10.1093/geroni/igab046.1495 ◽

2021 ◽

Vol 5 (Supplement_1) ◽

pp. 387-387

Author(s):

Pamela Elfenbein

Keyword(s):

Older Adults ◽

Older Adult ◽

Adult Population ◽

Wellness Programs ◽

Health And Wellness ◽

Cultural Activities ◽

Action Knowledge ◽

The University ◽

Older Adult Population

Abstract The University of North Georgia’s Personal Enrichment, Action, Knowledge Series (PEAKS) was developed as a monthly series of engaging and seasonally appropriate presentations and activities designed to expressly meet the needs of the region’s large and quickly growing older adult population during the Covid-19 pandemic and resultant isolation. The PEAKS programs are available virtually to allow for broad participation throughout the 30 county UNG service region. While we developed PEAKS to specifically reach-out to older adults in our region, we have found that our audience is actually multi-generational, actively engaging with our speakers and one another. AFU underpinnings for PEAKS include Principle #8 - To enhance access for older adults to the university's range of health and wellness programs and its arts and cultural activities; and #9 - To engage actively with the university's own retired community.

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