Longitudinal study of heart size in older people.

ObjectivesSelf-medication with over-the-counter medicines (OTCs) and prescription-only medicines (POMs) are both pervasive in China, although the latter is an inappropriate practice. We examined the relationship between socioeconomic status (SES) and self-medication with OTCs versus POMs.MethodsMultivariate logistic regressions based on the Andersen framework were estimated using a subsample of respondents aged 45 years and over from the China Health and Retirement Longitudinal Study collected between 2011 and 2013 (n=23 699). As dependent variables, we used OTC and POM consumption without a medical prescription. SES was operationalised by household income per capita and education. Control variables included health indicators, demographic characteristics, and health behaviours.ResultsIn our study sample, 32.69% and 15.02% of people aged 45 years and over had self-medicated with OTCs and POMs in the 4 weeks before the survey, respectively. OTC use by income exhibited an inverse U shape. Respondents from middle income groups were more likely to self-medicate with OTCs compared with those from the lowest and highest income groups. In contrast, respondents from the lowest income group were more inclined to self-medicate with POMs. There was a clear trend towards more self-medication with OTCs, but not POMs, among those with higher educational attainment.ConclusionPeople with low income tended to rely on self-medication with POMs for treatment, which is risky and of low quality. A health education programme for older people, particularly those living in low-income households, aimed at improving the quality of self-medication behaviour is warranted. Urgent measures are needed to address the issue of easy access to POMs at community pharmacies, and to improve access to formal medical care among the low-income population.

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A longitudinal study of nurses’ career choices: The importance of career expectations on employment in care of older people

Journal of Advanced Nursing ◽

10.1111/jan.13847 ◽

2018 ◽

Vol 75 (2) ◽

pp. 348-356

Author(s):

Bente Abrahamsen

Keyword(s):

Longitudinal Study ◽

Older People ◽

Career Choices ◽

Career Expectations

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Relationship between multidimensional prognostic index and incident depressive symptoms in older people: Findings from the Irish Longitudinal Study on Ageing

International Journal of Geriatric Psychiatry ◽

10.1002/gps.5331 ◽

2020 ◽

Vol 35 (10) ◽

pp. 1097-1104

Author(s):

Nicola Veronese ◽

Ai Koyanagi ◽

Lee Smith ◽

Marco Solmi ◽

Barbara Senesi ◽

...

Keyword(s):

Depressive Symptoms ◽

Longitudinal Study ◽

Older People ◽

Prognostic Index

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Predictors of change in health-related quality of life among older people with depression: a longitudinal study

International Psychogeriatrics ◽

10.1017/s1041610209990950 ◽

2009 ◽

Vol 21 (6) ◽

pp. 1171-1179 ◽

Cited By ~ 30

Author(s):

Sally Wai-chi Chan ◽

Helen FK Chiu ◽

Wai-tong Chien ◽

William Goggins ◽

David Thompson ◽

...

Keyword(s):

Quality Of Life ◽

Social Support ◽

Longitudinal Study ◽

Older People ◽

Activities Of Daily Living ◽

Daily Living ◽

Health Related Quality ◽

Related Quality ◽

Health Related

ABSTRACTBackground: Depression is a common psychological problem among older people. Health-related quality of life (HRQoL) is now recognized by healthcare providers as an important treatment goal for people with depression. This study aimed to identify predictors of change in HRQoL among older people with depression.Methods: In a longitudinal study, data were collected when participants were newly diagnosed with a depressive disorder at a regional outpatient department in Hong Kong and 12 months later. Seventy-seven Chinese participants aged 65 years or older completed the study. Measures included the Physical Health Condition Checklist (PHCC), Geriatric Depression Scale (GDS), Modified Barthel Index (MBI), Instrumental Activities of Daily Living (IADL) scale, Social Support Questionnaire (SSQ), and World Health Organization Quality of Life Scale-Brief Version (WHOQOL).Results: Significant improvements between the first and second assessments were noted in the total WHOQOL scores, GDS scores, and the number of the social support. The results of linear regression models showed that the increases in the IADL scores and decreases in the PHCC and GDS scores were significantly associated with higher final WHOQOL scores.Discussion: Treatment for depression was effective in improving the participants’ overall condition and their perceived HRQoL. The results suggest that interventions to alleviate older people's level of depression, manage their physical ill health and enhance their instrumental activities of daily living ability could help improve their perceived HRQoL.

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What is the prevalence of untreated depression and death ideation in older people? Data from the Irish Longitudinal Study on Aging

International Psychogeriatrics ◽

10.1017/s104161021700299x ◽

2018 ◽

Vol 30 (9) ◽

pp. 1393-1401 ◽

Cited By ~ 16

Author(s):

Robert Briggs ◽

Katy Tobin ◽

Rose Anne Kenny ◽

Sean P. Kennelly

Keyword(s):

Longitudinal Study ◽

Older People ◽

Depression Scale ◽

Composite International Diagnostic Interview ◽

Population Level ◽

Pharmacological Therapy ◽

Community Dwelling ◽

Late Life Depression ◽

Antipsychotic Therapy ◽

Cross Sectional

ABSTRACTObjective:Late life depression (LLD) confers significant morbidity and mortality but is well recognized that it often goes undetected or untreated. The objective of this study is to quantify the burden of untreated depression and death ideation (DI) at a population level.Design:Cross-sectional study ascertaining the prevalence of, and factors associated with, untreated depression and DI.Setting:This study, embedded within the Irish Longitudinal Study on Ageing, involves over 7,000 community-dwelling people aged ≥50 years.Measurements:Depression was defined as Centre for Epidemiological Studies Depression scale ≥16 indicating current clinically relevant depressive symptoms or Composite International Diagnostic Interview indicative of major depressive episode within the last year. Participants not prescribed antidepressants/antipsychotics were defined as untreated. To define DI, participants were asked “In the last month, have you felt like you would rather be dead?”Results:In total, 12% (839/7,055) met criteria for depression with 29% (241/839) on pharmacological therapy. Those with untreated depression were less likely to endorse symptoms of persistent low mood or worthlessness, but there was no difference in age or general practitioner (GP) visits compared to those on treatment. Over 3% (223/7,055) of participants had DI and less than one-third had visited their GP within the last year.Conclusions:This study demonstrates that two-thirds of depressed older people are not prescribed antidepressant/antipsychotic therapy. It is important to raise awareness of depression among older people and healthcare professionals, with particular focus on the fact that LLD is not an inevitable consequence of ageing and effective treatment is available.

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Polypharmacy is a risk factor for hospital admission due to a fall: evidence from the English Longitudinal Study of Ageing

BMC Public Health ◽

10.1186/s12889-020-09920-x ◽

2020 ◽

Vol 20 (1) ◽

Author(s):

P. Zaninotto ◽

Y. T. Huang ◽

G. Di Gessa ◽

J. Abell ◽

C. Lassale ◽

...

Keyword(s):

Older Adults ◽

Longitudinal Study ◽

Older People ◽

Hospital Admission ◽

Prescription Drugs ◽

Hospital Admissions ◽

Competing Risk ◽

Risk Of Falls ◽

Nationally Representative ◽

English Longitudinal Study

Abstract Background Falls amongst older people are common; however, around 40% of falls could be preventable. Medications are known to increase the risk of falls in older adults. The debate about reducing the number of prescribed medications remains controversial, and more evidence is needed to understand the relationship between polypharmacy and fall-related hospital admissions. We examined the effect of polypharmacy on hospitalization due to a fall, using a large nationally representative sample of older adults. Methods Data from the English Longitudinal Study of Ageing (ELSA) were used. We included 6220 participants aged 50+ with valid data collected between 2012 and 2018.The main outcome measure was hospital admission due to a fall. Polypharmacy -the number of long-term prescription drugs- was the main exposure coded as: no medications, 1–4 medications, 5–9 medications (polypharmacy) and 10+ medications (heightened polypharmacy). Competing-risk regression analysis was used (with death as a potential competing risk), adjusted for common confounders, including multi-morbidity and fall risk-increasing drugs. Results The prevalence of people admitted to hospital due to a fall increased according to the number of medications taken, from 1.5% of falls for people reporting no medications, to 4.7% of falls among those taking 1–4 medications, 7.9% of falls among those with polypharmacy and 14.8% among those reporting heightened polypharmacy. Fully adjusted SHRs for hospitalization due to a fall among people who reported taking 1–4 medications, polypharmacy and heightened polypharmacy were 1.79 (1.18; 2.71), 1.75 (1.04; 2.95), and 3.19 (1.61; 6.32) respectively, compared with people who were not taking medications. Conclusions The risk of hospitalization due to a fall increased with polypharmacy. It is suggested that prescriptions in older people should be revised on a regular basis, and that the number of medications prescribed be kept to a minimum, in order to reduce the risk of fall-related hospital admissions.

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