scholarly journals Trajectories of material living standards, physical health and mental health under a universal pension

2020 ◽  
Vol 74 (4) ◽  
pp. 362-368
Author(s):  
Joanne Allen ◽  
Fiona M Alpass
Keyword(s):  
Mental Health ◽  
New Zealand ◽  
Short Form ◽  
Adult Population ◽  
Later Life ◽  
Well Being ◽  
Living Standards ◽  
Poor Health ◽  
Material Hardship ◽  
Physical And Mental Health

ObjectiveAged pension schemes aim to support material and non-material well-being of older populations. The current work aimed to describe dominant trajectories of material living standards in the decades prior to and following eligibility for an aged pension, and describe associated trajectories of physical and mental health.MethodsLongitudinal data on living standards and indices of health Short Form 12 were collected over 2–12 years follow-up from 4811 New Zealand adults aged 55–76. Growth mixture models were used to identify dominant trajectories of living standards with age. Latent growth curve models were used to describe trajectories of physical and mental health associated with each living standards trajectory class.ResultsA group characterised by good living standards with age (81.5%) displayed physical and mental health scores comparable to those of the general adult population. Smaller groups experienced hardship but increasing living standards (11.8%) and hardship and declining living standards (6.8%). While both groups in hardship experienced poor health in the decade prior pension eligibility, mental health improved among those with increasing living standards, while physical and mental health declined among those with declining living standards.ConclusionUnder the current policy settings, a majority of older adults in New Zealand maintain a good level of living standards and health in later life. However, significant proportions experience material hardship and poor health in the decade prior to pension eligibility. Alleviation of material hardship may reduce health inequalities in later life.

scholarly journals Examining the Effectiveness of a Case Management Program for Custodial Grandparent Families

2012 ◽  
Vol 2012 ◽  
pp. 1-6 ◽  
Author(s):  
Lenora Campbell ◽  
Dana L. Carthron ◽  
Margaret Shandor Miles ◽  
LaShanda Brown
Keyword(s):  
Mental Health ◽  
Case Management ◽  
Behavioral Problems ◽  
Child Behavior Checklist ◽  
Short Form ◽  
Well Being ◽  
Management Program ◽  
Emotional And Behavioral Problems ◽  
Physical And Mental Health ◽  
Case Management Program

Researchers have identified complex needs of custodial grandparent families and lack of access to needed resources such as housing, financial and legal assistance, and health care. Case management links these families with needed services while helping them develop skills to promote their health and well-being. This paper describes a case management program for custodial grandparent families using a nurse-social worker case management team. data were collected from 50 grandparents and 33 children using surveys and semi-structured instruments. Physical and mental health outcomes were measured using Short Form-12 Health Survey (SF 12) to measure the perceived quality of health for grandparents and the Child Behavior Checklist to measure the emotional and behavioral functioning of grandchildren. Grandparents more positively perceived their mental health after participating in the program. Perceptions about physical health were generally the same before and after the program. Grandparents' reported that many grandchildren had emotional and behavioral problems in the clinical range. These findings highlight the need for further research on the mental health needs of children being parented by grandparents as well as determining effective models and interventions to minimize adverse effects of parenting on grandparents.

scholarly journals A Randomized Controlled Trial of Tai Chi for Tension Headaches

2007 ◽  
Vol 4 (1) ◽  
pp. 107-113 ◽  
Author(s):  
Ryan B. Abbott ◽  
Ka-Kit Hui ◽  
Ron D. Hays ◽  
Ming-Dong Li ◽  
Timothy Pan
Keyword(s):  
Mental Health ◽  
Intervention Program ◽  
Tai Chi ◽  
Controlled Trial ◽  
Adult Population ◽  
Well Being ◽  
Control Group ◽  
Physical And Mental Health ◽  
Tension Type Headaches ◽  
Headache Impact

This study examined whether a traditional low-impact mind–body exercise, Tai Chi, affects health-related quality-of-life (HRQOL) and headache impact in an adult population suffering from tension-type headaches. Forty-seven participants were randomly assigned to either a 15 week intervention program of Tai Chi instruction or a wait-list control group. HRQOL (SF-36v2) and headache status (HIT-6™) were obtained at baseline and at 5, 10 and 15 weeks post-baseline during the intervention period. Statistically significant (P< 0.05) improvements in favor of the intervention were present for the HIT score and the SF-36 pain, energy/fatigue, social functioning, emotional well-being and mental health summary scores. A 15 week intervention of Tai Chi practice was effective in reducing headache impact and also effective in improving perceptions of some aspects of physical and mental health.

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

2019 ◽  
Vol 32 (1) ◽  
pp. 135-139 ◽  
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.

The Use of Yoga for Physical and Mental Health Among Older Adults: A Review of the Literature

2009 ◽  
Vol 19 (1) ◽  
pp. 91-96 ◽  
Author(s):  
Donna Wang
Keyword(s):  
Mental Health ◽  
Older Adults ◽  
Scientific Evidence ◽  
Adult Population ◽  
Well Being ◽  
Preliminary Evidence ◽  
Physical And Mental Health ◽  
Mental Health Benefits ◽  
Improve Sleep Quality ◽  
Older Adult Population

The older adult population may greatly benefit from the practice of Yoga. This article reviews the scientific evidence supporting the use of Yoga with older adults. Nine studies were identified that examined either physical or mental health outcomes in older adults following a Yoga intervention. There is growing evidence that Yoga can improve physical well-being, including balance, range of motion, blood pressure, pain, fatigue, and general health. There is less evidence available that examines the cognitive and mental health benefits of Yoga for older adults. However, there is preliminary evidence that Yoga can improve sleep quality and depression. Only three of the reviewed studies were randomized controlled trials, and more studies of high methodological quality are needed. Implications for further research and practice are offered.

scholarly journals Health and well being of lesbian, gay, bisexual, transgender and intersex people aged 50 years and over

2018 ◽  
Vol 42 (2) ◽  
pp. 146 ◽  
Author(s):  
Mark Hughes
Keyword(s):  
Mental Health ◽  
Psychological Distress ◽  
General Population ◽  
Short Form ◽  
Well Being ◽  
Health Issues ◽  
Physical And Mental Health ◽  
Sexual Diversity ◽  
Increased Risk ◽  
Health And Well Being

Objectives The aim of the present study was to examine the health and well being of older lesbian, gay, bisexual, transgender and intersex (LGBTI) people, the health issues that concern them, the services they use and challenges accessing services. Methods This study comprised a survey of the health and well being of 312 LGBTI people aged 50 years and over in New South Wales. The survey included the Short-Form 12 (SF-12) measure of health-related quality of life, the Kessler 10 (K10) measure of psychological distress, and the three-item Loneliness Scale. Results Higher levels of psychological distress, lower mental health and greater loneliness were found among this sample than is typically found in the general population. Mental health was lower among carers and those not in a relationship, while psychological distress was greater among those living alone and those experiencing higher rates of loneliness. The most commonly accessed health service was a general practitioner (GP), with most respondents reporting that they were open about their sexuality to their GP and that they had a regular GP. Some reported difficulties accessing health services because of their gender or sexual diversity. Conclusions Although many older LGBTI people are well, both physically and mentally, they do appear to face increased risk of certain health issues compared with the general population. What is known about the topic? Overseas research indicates that older LGBTI people may be at greater risk of certain physical and mental health conditions than the general population. What does this paper add? This paper provides Australian data, using well-validated instruments, on the health and well being of older LGBTI people. It provides evidence of the health issues that older LGBTI people are most concerned about and the barriers they face in accessing services. What are the implications for practitioners? It is important for health practitioners to be aware that older LGBTI people appear to be at increased risk of certain physical and mental health issues, such as loneliness and psychological distress. Providing opportunities for clients to identify their gender or sexual diversity may assist in monitoring risk factors and enable referral to promote healthy aging.

Musculoskeletal Injury History Is Associated With Lower Physical and Mental Health in a Historical Cohort of Former National Football League Players

2020 ◽  
pp. 1-8
Author(s):  
Zachary Y. Kerr ◽  
Julianna Prim ◽  
J.D. DeFreese ◽  
Leah C. Thomas ◽  
Janet E. Simon ◽  
...  
Keyword(s):  
Mental Health ◽  
National Football League ◽  
Short Form ◽  
Well Being ◽  
Musculoskeletal Injury ◽  
Musculoskeletal Injuries ◽  
Physical And Mental Health ◽  
Historical Cohort ◽  
Professional Career ◽  
Management Interventions

Context: Little research has examined health-related quality of life in former National Football League (NFL) players. Objective: Examine the association of musculoskeletal injury history and current self-reported physical and mental health in former NFL players. Setting: Cross-sectional questionnaire. Patients or Other Participants: Historical cohort of 2,103 former NFL players that played at least one season between 1940 and 2001. Intervention: Players were grouped by self-reported professional career musculoskeletal injury history and whether injuries affected current health: (1) no musculoskeletal injury history; (2) musculoskeletal injury history, currently affected by injuries; and (3) musculoskeletal injury history, not currently affected by injuries. Main Outcome Measure: The Short Form 36 Measurement Model for Functional Assessment of Health and Well-Being (SF-36) yielded physical and mental health composite scores (PCS and MCS, respectively); higher scores indicated better health. Multivariable linear regression computed mean differences (MD) among injury groups. Covariates included demographics, playing history characteristics, surgical intervention for musculoskeletal injuries, and whether injury resulted in premature end to career. MD with 95% CI excluding 0.00 were deemed significant. Results: Overall, 90.3% reported at least one musculoskeletal injury during their professional football careers, of which 74.8% reported being affected by their injuries at time of survey completion. Adjusting for covariates, mean PCS in the “injury and affected” group was lower than the “no injury” (MD = −3.2; 95% CI: −4.8, −1.7) and “injury and not affected” groups (MD = −4.3; 95% CI: −5.4, −3.3); mean MCS did not differ. Conclusion: Many players reported musculoskeletal injuries, highlighting the need for developing and evaluating injury management interventions.

scholarly journals Physical Activity, Mental Health and Wellbeing during the First COVID-19 Containment in New Zealand: A Cross-Sectional Study

2021 ◽  
Vol 18 (22) ◽  
pp. 12036
Author(s):  
Wendy J. O’Brien ◽  
Claire E. Badenhorst ◽  
Nick Draper ◽  
Arindam Basu ◽  
Catherine A. Elliot ◽  
...  
Keyword(s):  
Mental Health ◽  
Physical Activity ◽  
New Zealand ◽  
High Activity ◽  
Short Form ◽  
Well Being ◽  
World Health ◽  
Moderate Activity ◽  
Health And Wellbeing ◽  
Study Results

Strategies implemented worldwide to contain COVID-19 outbreaks varied in severity across different countries, and established a new normal for work and school life (i.e., from home) for many people, reducing opportunities for physical activity. Positive relationships of physical activity with both mental and physical health are well recognised, and therefore the aim was to ascertain how New Zealand’s lockdown restrictions impacted physical activity, mental health and wellbeing. Participants (n = 4007; mean ± SD: age 46.5 ± 14.7 years, 72% female, 80.7% New Zealand European) completed (10–26 April 2020) an online amalgamated survey (Qualtrics): International Physical Activity Questionnaire: Short Form; Depression, Anxiety and Stress Scale-9; World Health Organisation-Five Well-Being Index; Stages of Change Scale. Positive dose–response relationships between physical activity levels and wellbeing scores were demonstrated for estimates that were unadjusted (moderate activity OR 3.79, CI 2.88–4.92; high activity OR 8.04, CI 6.07–10.7) and adjusted (confounding variables: age, gender, socioeconomic status, time sitting and co-morbidities) (moderate activity 1.57, CI 1.11–2.52; high activity 2.85, CI 1.97–4.14). The study results support previous research demonstrating beneficial effects of regular physical activity on mental health and wellbeing. Governments may use these results to promote meeting physical activity guidelines in order to protect mental health and wellbeing during the ongoing COVID-19 restrictions and future pandemics.

scholarly journals Physical Activity, Mental Health and Wellbeing During the first COVID-19 Containment in New Zealand: A Cross-sectional Study

2021 ◽  
Author(s):  
Wendy J O’Brien ◽  
Claire E Badenhorst ◽  
Nick Draper ◽  
Arindam Basu ◽  
Catherine A Elliot ◽  
...  
Keyword(s):  
Mental Health ◽  
Physical Activity ◽  
New Zealand ◽  
High Activity ◽  
Short Form ◽  
Well Being ◽  
World Health ◽  
Moderate Activity ◽  
Health And Wellbeing ◽  
Study Results

Strategies implemented worldwide to contain COVID-19 outbreaks varied in severity across different countries, and established a new normal for work and school life (i.e. from home) for many people, reducing opportunities for physical activity. Positive relationships of physical activity with both mental and physical health are well recognised, therefore the aim was to ascertain how New Zealand&rsquo;s lockdown restrictions impacted physical activity and mental health and wellbeing. Participants (n=4007; mean&plusmn;SD: age 46.5&plusmn;14.7y, 72% female, 80.7% New Zealand European) completed (10&ndash;26 April 2020) an online amalgamated survey (Qualtrics): International Physical Activity Questionnaire: Short Form; Depression, Anxiety and Stress Scale-9; World Health Organization-Five Well-being Index; Stages of Change Scale. Positive dose response relationships between physical activity levels and wellbeing scores were demonstrated for estimates that were unadjusted (moderate activity OR 3.79, CI 2.88-4.92; high activity OR 8.04, CI 6.07-10.7) and adjusted (confounding variables: age, gender, socioeconomic status, time sitting, co-morbidities) (moderate activity 1.57, CI 1.11-2.52; high activity 2.85, CI 1.97-4.14). The study results support previous research demonstrating beneficial effects of regular physical activity on mental health and wellbeing. Governments may use such results to promote meeting physical activity guidelines in order to protect mental health and wellbeing during the ongoing COVID-19 and future pandemics.

scholarly journals The Prevalence and Health Impacts of Frequent Work Discrimination and Harassment among Women Firefighters in the US Fire Service

2019 ◽  
Vol 2019 ◽  
pp. 1-13 ◽  
Author(s):  
Sara A. Jahnke ◽  
Christopher K. Haddock ◽  
Nattinee Jitnarin ◽  
Christopher M. Kaipust ◽  
Brittany S. Hollerbach ◽  
...  
Keyword(s):  
Mental Health ◽  
Health Outcomes ◽  
Physical Health ◽  
Well Being ◽  
Fire Service ◽  
Poor Health ◽  
Physical And Mental Health ◽  
Women Firefighters ◽  
The Impact ◽  
Mental And Physical Health

Intro. Both discrimination and harassment directly impact mental and physical health. Further, workplace discrimination degrades workplace culture and negatively impacts health behaviors, job-related outcomes, and family dynamics. Women represent a small proportion of the fire service and are often the targets of discrimination/harassment, yet little research documents the impact of such experiences. The purpose of this study was to evaluate the relationship between chronic work discrimination and/or harassment and women firefighters’ (FFs) physical and mental health, substance abuse, and job efficacy, stress, and satisfaction. Methods. Snowball sampling was used to solicit participation from women career FFs. Participants completed an online survey regarding physical and mental health, health behavior, job efficacy/stress/satisfaction, and family well-being. Logistic regression examined the impact of work discrimination-harassment severity on dichotomous variables. Results. 1,773 had complete data on their experiences with work-related discrimination and harassment. Women reported experiencing verbal (37.5%) and written (12.9%) harassment, hazing (16.9%), sexual advances (37.4%), and assaults (5.1%) in the fire service. FFs in the highest tertile of work discrimination-harassment severity reported over 40% more poor health days in the last 30 days (OR=1.42; 95%CI=1.33-1.51; p<0.001). Women who experienced moderate and severe discrimination/harassment had negative mental health outcomes including higher prevalence of depressive symptoms, anxiety, and PTSD symptoms. Those who experienced high rates of discrimination and/or harassment also were more likely to report issues with alcohol consumption. Conclusion. The impact of discrimination and harassment, related negative physical and mental outcomes, low levels of job satisfaction, and negative impact of these experiences on family/home stress likely take a significant toll on women in the fire service. Findings confirm and extend previous work suggesting there is a need to improve the mental and physical health of women FFs. Future work should examine the prospective relationship between discrimination/harassment and poor health outcomes and potential policies/practices to reduce these negative behaviors.

scholarly journals Job Characteristics, Job Preferences, and Physical and Mental Health in Later Life

2019 ◽  
Vol 5 ◽  
pp. 237802311983600
Author(s):  
Jessica Halliday Hardie ◽  
Jonathan Daw ◽  
S. Michael Gaddis
Keyword(s):  
Mental Health ◽  
Socioeconomic Status ◽  
Educational Attainment ◽  
Later Life ◽  
Well Being ◽  
Job Characteristics ◽  
Physical And Mental Health ◽  
Job Preferences ◽  
Wisconsin Longitudinal Study ◽  
The Life Course

Existing research linking socioeconomic status with work focuses primarily on the precursors (educational attainment) and outcomes (income) of work, rather than asking how diverse facets of work influence health. Using four waves of data from the Wisconsin Longitudinal Study, the authors evaluate whether multiple measures of respondent job characteristics, respondent preferences for those characteristics, and their interaction substantially improve the fit of sociological models of men’s and women’s physical and mental health at midlife and old age compared with traditional models using educational attainment, parental socioeconomic status, and income. The authors find that nonwage job characteristics predict men’s and women’s physical and mental health over the life course, although there is little evidence that the degree to which one’s job accords with one’s job preferences matters for health. These findings expand what is known about how work matters for health, demonstrating how the manner and condition under which one works has lasting impacts on well-being.

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