scholarly journals Validity of Two Awake Wear-Time Classification Algorithms for activPAL in Youth, Adults, and Older Adults

2021 ◽  
pp. 1-12
Author(s):  
Jordan A. Carlson ◽  
Fatima Tuz-Zahra ◽  
John Bellettiere ◽  
Nicola D. Ridgers ◽  
Chelsea Steel ◽  
...  
Keyword(s):  
Older Adults ◽  
United Kingdom ◽  
Best Practices ◽  
Age Groups ◽  
Classification Algorithms ◽  
Wear Time ◽  
Self Rated Health ◽  
The Mean ◽  
Automated Algorithms ◽  
Multiple Assessment

Background: The authors assessed agreement between participant diaries and two automated algorithms applied to activPAL (PAL Technologies Ltd, Glasgow, United Kingdom) data for classifying awake wear time in three age groups. Methods: Study 1 involved 20 youth and 23 adults who, by protocol, removed the activPAL occasionally to create nonwear periods. Study 2 involved 744 older adults who wore the activPAL continuously. Both studies involved multiple assessment days. In-bed, out-of-bed, and nonwear times were recorded in the participant diaries. The CREA (in PAL processing suite) and ProcessingPAL (secondary application) algorithms estimated out-of-bed wear time. Second- and day-level agreement between the algorithms and diary was investigated, as were associations of sedentary variables with self-rated health. Results: The overall accuracy for classifying out-of-bed wear time as compared with the diary was 89.7% (Study 1) to 95% (Study 2) for CREA and 89.4% (Study 1) to 93% (Study 2) for ProcessingPAL. Over 90% of the nonwear time occurring in nonwear periods >165 min was detected by both algorithms, while <11% occurring in periods ≤165 min was detected. For the daily variables, the mean absolute errors for each algorithm were generally within 0–15% of the diary mean. Most Spearman correlations were very large (≥.81). The mean absolute errors and correlations were less favorable for days on which any nonwear time had occurred. The associations between sedentary variables and self-rated health were similar across processing methods. Conclusion: The automated awake wear-time classification algorithms performed similarly to the diary information on days without short (≤2.5–2.75 hr) nonwear periods. Because both diary and algorithm data can have inaccuracies, best practices likely involve integrating diary and algorithm output.

scholarly journals Music Interventions for Older Adults in Clinical Trials and Research Studies Across Cultures and Settings

2020 ◽  
Vol 4 (Supplement_1) ◽  
pp. 930-930
Author(s):  
Tara Rose ◽  
Elyse Manzo ◽  
Katherine Erickson ◽  
Joshua Valenzuela
Keyword(s):  
Older Adults ◽  
Best Practices ◽  
Music Therapy ◽  
Psychological Symptoms ◽  
Treatment Options ◽  
Age Groups ◽  
Memory Loss ◽  
Music Intervention ◽  
Eligibility Criteria ◽  
The U.S

Abstract Music interventions and music therapy have become more common globally as nonpharmacological treatment options for memory loss, pain management, reduction of behavioral and psychological symptoms, and increased quality of life. Knowledge of multiethnic interventions is important when creating evidence-based programs within culturally diverse countries, such as the U.S. The purpose of this systematic review is to analyze music interventions for older adults across the globe to better understand emerging best practices. A review of all trials registered at clinicaltrials.gov and registries in the WHO Registry Network containing the key words “music therapy” were included, regardless of intervention type. Of the 627 studies generated, 449 met the eligibility criteria, with 11% enrolling only older adults and 89% enrolling older adults along with other age groups. Studies were conducted in 6 continents, 48 countries (23% in the U.S.), and in 23 languages. Music interventions for specific medical conditions (64%) or medical procedures (24%) were the primary foci in studies. While studies crossed multiple continents, less than 2% referenced ethnicity or culture in the study details. Detailed data on intervention types, demographics, measures, settings, and methodology will be presented. Results suggest that best practices in music therapy are being developed world-wide for the multitude of health challenges faced by older adults and demonstrate the diversity of music interventions in both medical and community settings. Information from this review can be used to improve the implementation of music intervention programs and may be particularly beneficial in countries with diverse multicultural populations.

scholarly journals Behavioral health and new models of service delivery for an aging world: Public/private partnerships to develop best practices of care for older adults.

2019 ◽  
Vol 13 (1) ◽  
pp. 29-33
Author(s):  
William E. Hills
Keyword(s):  
Older Adults ◽  
Health Care ◽  
Best Practices ◽  
Behavioral Health ◽  
Age Groups ◽  
Rate Of Change ◽  
Good News ◽  
Research Education ◽  
The World ◽  
Aging Populations

Individual and societal initiatives in areas of research, education, and health care policy have resulted in unprecedented gains in life expectancy. It is true that today more people in the world are living longer and have opportunities for higher quality lives than ever before. However, the resulting rapid rise in number of older adults has become a source of concern: Experts of many countries, in anticipation of looming problems, such as overburdened health care and pension systems, are now seeking opportunities to work together to find common solutions for globally-shared problems. The good news is that while all countries are experiencing change brought on by aging populations, the rate of change varies substantially from country to country; differences in historical events have produced differences in demographic profiles. Some countries have relatively large numbers of older adults, comprising large percentages of their populations; others have fewer older adults, with slower growth in numbers and percentages of older adults relative to other age groups. These differences have led to variations for the type and pace of response mounted by individual countries for problems associated with increasingly large older adult populations. In turn, these variations in response provide opportunities for countries to learn from one another. This brief review will outline potential issues associated with aging populations and discuss strengths and challenges for the integration of primary medical care with behavioral health as an innovative, best practices approach to the provision of care for aging persons of the world.

scholarly journals Privacy Concerns Among Older Adults Using Voice Assistant Systems

2021 ◽  
Vol 5 (Supplement_1) ◽  
pp. 266-267
Author(s):  
Tiffany Driesse ◽  
Robert Roth ◽  
Xiaohui Liang ◽  
David Kotz ◽  
John Batsis ◽  
...  
Keyword(s):  
Older Adults ◽  
Cognitive Impairment ◽  
Daily Activity ◽  
Age Groups ◽  
Future Research ◽  
Privacy Concerns ◽  
Assistant Systems ◽  
Software Platforms ◽  
The Mean ◽  
Ambulatory Practice

Abstract Voice Assistant Systems (VAS) are software platforms that complete various tasks using voice commands (e.g., Amazon Alexa), with increasing usage by older adults. It is unknown whether older adults have significant privacy concerns with VAS. 55 participants were evaluated from ambulatory practice sites for a study on VAS detection of early cognitive decline. The mean age was 73.3±5.6 years, 58% female, 93% white, and 53% had mild cognitive impairment. Privacy concerns were assessed via Likert-based surveys. Participants believed data was used with consent (71%) and stored properly (67%); however, 71% wanted new privacy regulations, 43% were comfortable with daily activity monitoring, and 85% thought the data needs to be highly protected. Qualitative themes included “listening-in”, “tracking”, and unwanted sharing of information. Findings suggest that older adults do not have significant privacy concerns for VAS use, but requested additional regulations. Future research can compare VAS privacy concerns between age groups.

Still Feeling Better? Trends in Self-Rated Health of Older Adults in the U.S

2020 ◽  
pp. 016402752096365
Author(s):  
Esther O. Lamidi
Keyword(s):  
Older Adults ◽  
Age Groups ◽  
Later Life ◽  
The Elderly ◽  
Poor Health ◽  
Elderly Persons ◽  
Health Trends ◽  
Self Rated Health ◽  
Middle Aged Adults ◽  
Over Time

Previous analyses showed an overall pattern of improvement in self-rated health of U.S. older adults in the 1980s and the 1990s, but it was uncertain if the declining shares of elderly persons reporting fair or poor health would continue over the next decades. Using the 2000–2018 pooled data from the National Health Interview Survey, this study examined recent trends in self-rated health of adults aged 45 and older. The results showed important variations in self-rated health trends across age groups. Between 2000 and 2018, the shares of adults aged 60 and above reporting fair or poor health declined significantly while self-rated health trends for middle-aged adults worsened over time. Educational and racial/ethnic differentials in self-rated health persisted over time but there were important group variations. To further improve the health of the elderly population, it is important to consider changing health disparities in later life.

scholarly journals The Relationship among Community Environment, Behavior, Activity Ability, and Self-Rated Health of Older Adults: A Hierarchical and Multi-Dimensional Comparative Study

2021 ◽  
Vol 18 (14) ◽  
pp. 7387
Author(s):  
Zhenhua Zheng ◽  
Hong Chen
Keyword(s):  
Older Adults ◽  
Structural Equation ◽  
Environmental Governance ◽  
Age Groups ◽  
Household Survey ◽  
Equation Modeling ◽  
Walking Behavior ◽  
Community Environment ◽  
Self Rated Health ◽  
Environment And Behavior

Although the community environment is a known determinant of older adults’ health, it is unclear about the logical relationships among the community environment, behavior, activity ability, and health of older adults, and the differences between the different age groups. This study used a two-stage sampling method to conduct a household survey of people over 60 years old living in Xinhua Street, Shanghai, China. In total, 2783 valid samples were obtained. Of these, 1256 were males and 1627 were females, with an average age of 71.1 years. The statistical method used in this study was the structural equation modeling method. The effects of the community environment and behavior on the activity ability and self-rated health of older adults are different, and the path of health influence of older adults is different in different age groups. Community environment has more wider effects on older adults’ self-rated health, while behavior, including walking behavior and neighbor contacts, have a more intensive effect on the activity ability of older adults. The community environment has a significant positive effect on the activity ability of the younger group but not on that of the older group, which instead was significantly affected by the neighbor contacts. Therefore, refined environmental governance and targeted improvement and resolution of different types of health problems among different groups of older persons will contribute to the overall health of older adults.

scholarly journals Developing a Best Practices Guide for the Prevention of Problem Gambling Among Older Adults

2018 ◽  
Author(s):  
Nigel E Turner ◽  
Jamie Wiebe ◽  
Peter Ferentzy ◽  
Nadine Kauffman ◽  
Salaha Zaheer ◽  
...  
Keyword(s):  
Older Adults ◽  
Best Practices ◽  
Research And Development ◽  
Problem Gambling ◽  
Nous Avons ◽  
Service Providers ◽  
Age Groups ◽  
Development Project ◽  
Future Research ◽  
Transfert De Connaissances

The purpose of this research and development project was to describe the complete gambling experience and to develop best practices for the prevention of problem gambling among older adults (55 years and over) in Ontario. The challenging task of developing best practices involved integrated research and development, as well as knowledge translation and exchange (KTE) throughout the project. We developed a large, multi-organizational, multidisciplinary research team, as well as prevention and treatment work groups comprising investigators, KTE personnel, knowledge users, and service providers from key stakeholder organizations. Research dealing specifically with older adults is scarce; thus, research from other age groups was also drawn upon for this report. We incorporated a variety of types of evidence, including empirical, theoretical, expert opinion, practice-based, and normative. To obtain feedback ahead of finalizing the best practices, we disseminated preliminary best practices to key informants and other knowledge users and service providers. This feedback was incorporated into the current document. This paper presents the first set of evidence-based best practices for the prevention of problem gambling among older adults, including evidence sources, commentary, and references. We hope that these best practices help enhance prevention programs, services, and practices. In addition, we hope that this study prompts future research that examines areas that are currently insufficiently researched and helps provoke a dialogue that will lead to a broader knowledge base to guide prevention policies and practices directed at this growing segment of the population.RésuméCe projet de recherche et développement avait comme objectif de décrire l’expérience de jeu complète et de concevoir des pratiques exemplaires pour la prévention du jeu compulsif chez les adultes âgés de 55 ans et plus, en Ontario. La difficile tâche de développer des pratiques exemplaires comprenait la recherche et le développement intégrés et l’application et le transfert de connaissances tout au long du projet. Nous avons créé une grande équipe de recherche multidisciplinaire et multiorganisationnelle, ainsi que des groupes de travail sur la prévention et le traitement, composés de chercheurs, de personnel pour le transfert de connaissances, d’utilisateurs de connaissances et de fournisseurs de services provenant des principales organisations participantes. Les recherches portant spécifiquement sur les personnes plus âgées sont rares, ce qui explique le recours à la recherche sur d’autres groupes d’âge pour ce rapport. Nous avons incorporé divers types de données probantes, notamment des preuves empiriques et théoriques, des opinions d’experts et des preuves fondées sur la pratique et des faits. Pour obtenir des commentaires avant la finalisation des pratiques exemplaires, on a transmis les pratiques préliminaires aux informateurs clés et aux autres utilisateurs des connaissances et fournisseurs de services. Leur rétroaction a été intégrée dans le document actuel. Cet article présente la première série de pratiques exemplaires fondées sur des données probantes pour la prévention du jeu problématique chez les adultes en âge avancé, y compris les sources de preuves, les commentaires et les références. Nous souhaitons qu’elles puissent aider à améliorer les programmes, les services et les moyens de prévention. De plus, nous avons bon espoir que cette étude influencera les futures recherches pour l’examen de domaines actuellement peu étudiés et ouvrir un dialogue qui conduira à une base de connaissances plus large afin d’orienter les politiques et les pratiques de prévention destinées à ce segment croissant de la population.

Sexual satisfaction of middle-aged and older adults: longitudinal findings from a nationally representative sample

2020 ◽  
Author(s):  
Elżbieta Buczak-Stec ◽  
Hans-Helmut König ◽  
André Hajek
Keyword(s):  
Older Adults ◽  
Sexual Satisfaction ◽  
Age Groups ◽  
Sociodemographic Factors ◽  
Community Dwelling ◽  
Middle Aged ◽  
Random Coefficient Models ◽  
Self Rated Health ◽  
Nationally Representative ◽  
German Ageing Survey

Abstract Background whilst previous studies have investigated the determinants of sexual satisfaction (i) using longitudinal data or (ii) among older adults, only a few studies have done both at the sametime. Objective the purpose of this study was to investigate the determinants of sexual satisfaction longitudinally among middle-aged and older adults. Design nationally representative longitudinal study (German Ageing Survey—DEAS). Setting community-dwelling individuals in Germany. Data drawn from three waves (2002, 2008, 2011). Subjects individuals aged 40–95 (36.9% age group 65+). At wave 2 in the year 2002, n = 3,843 individuals took part. Methods well-established and widely used scales were used to quantify the independent variables. We included variables such as sociodemographic factors, self-rated health, physical functioning, depression and loneliness in our analysis. Sexual satisfaction was our outcome measure. Results were stratified by age (40–64, 65+). To take into account the multilevel data structure, we used random coefficient models. Results random-effects regressions showed that increased sexual satisfaction was consistently associated with the following variables in both age groups: lower number of physical illnesses, β = −0.03, P &lt; 0.001 (betas coefficients given for individuals 65 years and over); better self-rated health, β = −0.06, P &lt; 0.001; absence of depression, β = −0.16, P &lt; 0.01; and higher importance of sexuality and intimacy, β = 0.08, P &lt; 0.001. Moreover, sexual satisfaction was associated with having a partner: β = 0.16, P &lt; 0.001; living with a partner in the same household, β = 0.26, P &lt; 0.001; and a lower score of loneliness, β = −.28, P &lt; 0.001. In contrast, sexual satisfaction was, for example, not associated with cognitive functioning. Conclusions the most surprising findings were that among both middle-aged and older adults, almost the same determinants (with exception of sociodemographic factors) were associated with satisfaction with sexlife.

Dimensions of Self-Report about Everyday Memory in Young and Older Adults

1992 ◽  
Vol 34 (4) ◽  
pp. 311-323 ◽  
Author(s):  
Joan T. Erber ◽  
Lenore T. Szuchman ◽  
Sharon T. Rothberg
Keyword(s):  
Older Adults ◽  
Age Groups ◽  
Depression Scale ◽  
Young Group ◽  
Self Report ◽  
Willingness To Participate ◽  
Old Adults ◽  
Self Rated Health ◽  
Memory Improvement ◽  
The Relationship

This study investigated the relationship between several aspects of memory self-report, objective memory, attitude toward intellectual aging, self-rated health, and self-rated depression in young and older adults. Participants completed a self-report depression scale, and then rated their discomfort with eight categories of everyday forgetting and their attitudes toward intellectual aging. One week later, they rated how frequently they experience the same categories of forgetting, and then completed a battery of objective memory tests analogous to those categories. Ten days later, they rated their willingness to participate in both memory improvement classes and nonmemory classes. Older adults reported significantly more frequent failures but less discomfort with the failures than the young adults. Frequency, discomfort, and self-reported depression were all positively correlated in the older group, but not the young group. Young and old adults were equally positive about participating in memory classes, which both age groups preferred to nonmemory classes; the correlation between willingness to participate in memory classes and objective memory approached significance in the young, but not in the old. Attitude toward intellectual aging was correlated with frequency of and discomfort with forgetting in the older group.

scholarly journals Optimising health and economic impacts of COVID-19 vaccine prioritisation strategies in the WHO European Region

2021 ◽  
Author(s):  
Yang Liu ◽  
Frank G Sandmann ◽  
Rosanna C Barnard ◽  
Carl A.B. Pearson ◽  
Roberta Pastore ◽  
...  
Keyword(s):  
Older Adults ◽  
Decision Making ◽  
United Kingdom ◽  
World Health Organization ◽  
Age Groups ◽  
World Health ◽  
European Region ◽  
Life Years ◽  
Health Organization ◽  
Roll Out

Background: Countries in the World Health Organization (WHO) European Region differ in terms of the COVID-19 vaccine roll-out speed. We evaluated the health and economic impact of different age-based vaccine prioritisation strategies across this demographically and socio-economically diverse region. Methods: We fitted country-specific age-stratified compartmental transmission models to reported COVID-19 mortality in the WHO European Region to inform the immunity level before vaccine roll-out. Building upon broad recommendations from the WHO Strategic Advisory Group of Experts on Immunisation (SAGE), we examined four strategies that prioritise: all adults (V+), younger (20-59 year-olds) followed by older adults (60+) (V20), older followed by younger adults (V60), and the oldest adults (75+) (V75) followed by incremental expansion to successively younger five-year age groups. We explored four roll-out scenarios based on projections or recent observations (R1-4) - the slowest scenario (R1) covers 30% of the total population by December 2022 and the fastest (R4) 80% by December 2021. Five decision-making metrics were summarised over 2021-22: mortality, morbidity, and losses in comorbidity-adjusted life expectancy (cLE), comorbidity- and quality-adjusted life years (cQALY), and the value of human capital (HC). Six sets of infection-blocking and disease-reducing vaccine efficacies were considered. Findings: The optimal age-based vaccine prioritisation strategies were sensitive to country characteristics, decision-making metrics and roll-out speeds. Overall, V60 consistently performed better than or comparably to V75. There were greater benefits in prioritising older adults when roll-out is slow and when VE is low. Under faster roll-out, V+ was the most desirable option. Interpretation: A prioritisation strategy involving more age-based stages (V75) does not necessarily lead to better health and economic outcomes than targeting broad age groups (V60). Countries expecting a slow vaccine roll-out may particularly benefit from prioritising older adults. Funding: World Health Organization, Bill and Melinda Gates Foundation, the Medical Research Council (United Kingdom), the National Institute of Health Research (United Kingdom), the European Commission, the Foreign, Commonwealth and Development Office (United Kingdom), Wellcome Trust  

scholarly journals CONSEQUENCES OF ECONOMIC HARDSHIP AND SELF-RATED HEALTH AMONG OLDER ADULTS

2019 ◽  
Vol 3 (Supplement_1) ◽  
pp. S124-S125
Author(s):  
Yang Li ◽  
Jan Mutchler
Keyword(s):  
Older Adults ◽  
Age Groups ◽  
The United States ◽  
Economic Resources ◽  
Program Participation ◽  
Younger Adults ◽  
Self Rated Health ◽  
Excellent Health ◽  
Effect Of Age

Abstract Adequate economic resources ensure that older adults’ basic needs are met and facilitate a healthier lifestyle. Hardship signals unfulfilled needs experienced by individuals lacking adequate economic resources. Despite well-documented associations between indicators of hardship and self-rated health, little is known about whether hardship has the same impact on self-rated health across age groups. The purpose of this study was to investigate the association between hardship and self-rated health among older adults and determine whether this association differed by age. Employing data from the 2014 Survey of Income and Program Participation, we conducted logistic regression analysis to examine the association between hardship and self-rated health among adults age 55 and older in the United States, and the moderating effect of age on this relationship. Analyses were weighted using replicate weights provided by the survey. Indicators of hardship were dichotomized (1 = experienced hardship, 0 = no hardship). Analyses indicated that individuals who were unable to pay utility bills, unable to pay rent or mortgage, or who experienced food insecurity had lower odds of reporting good/very good/excellent health relative to those not experiencing these hardships. The association between hardship and self-rated health was shown to be less substantial among the oldest cohort (age 75 and older) relative to younger adults. Hardship is directly relevant to health outcomes as it represents the consequence of unfulfilled needs experienced by individuals lacking adequate economic resources. This study contributes to our understanding of the role of age in the association between hardship and self-rated health.

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