Effects of Cognitive Functioning and Education on Later-Life Health Numeracy

Gerontology ◽  
2020 ◽  
Vol 66 (6) ◽  
pp. 582-592
Author(s):  
Laura Zamarian ◽  
Lukas Lenhart ◽  
Melanie Nagele ◽  
Ruth Steiger ◽  
Elke Ruth Gizewski ◽  
...  

<b><i>Introduction:</i></b> Previous studies have shown an association between a high health numeracy and good cognitive functioning. <b><i>Objective:</i></b> To investigate the moderation effect of education on this relationship and which brain structures support health numeracy. <b><i>Methods:</i></b> We examined 70 healthy older persons (66% females; mean ± SD: age, 75.73 ± 4.52 years; education, 12.21 ± 2.94 years). The participants underwent a T1-weighted 3-T MRI and a neuropsychological assessment including a health numeracy task. Statistical parametric mapping was applied to identify focal changes in cortical thickness throughout the entire brain and to correlate image parameters with behavioral measures. <b><i>Results:</i></b> Executive functions and mental calculation emerged as predictors of health numeracy (<i>B</i> = 0.22, <i>p</i> &#x3c; 0.05, and <i>B</i> = 0.38, <i>p</i> &#x3c; 0.01). An interaction was found between education and executive functions (<i>B</i> = –0.16, <i>p</i> = 0.01) and between education and mental calculation (<i>B</i> = –0.11, <i>p</i> &#x3c; 0.05). Executive functions and mental calculation had an impact on health numeracy in participants with a low to intermediate edu­cation (≤12 years) but not in those with a higher education (&#x3e;12 years). Health numeracy scores were associated with cortical thickness in the right dorsomedial prefrontal cortex and the right superior temporal gyrus (<i>p</i> = 0.01). <b><i>Conclusions:</i></b> Older people with a higher education perform better in health numeracy tasks than those with a lower education. They have access to previously acquired knowledge about ratio concepts and do not need to rely on executive functions and computational skills. This is highly relevant when decisions about health care have to be made.

2015 ◽  
Vol 67 ◽  
pp. 27-34 ◽  
Author(s):  
Meiling Li ◽  
Heng Chen ◽  
Junping Wang ◽  
Feng Liu ◽  
Yifeng Wang ◽  
...  

2020 ◽  
Author(s):  
Li Xiang ◽  
Timothy J Crow ◽  
William D Hopkins ◽  
Neil Roberts

Abstract Comparative study of the structural asymmetry of the human and chimpanzee brain may shed light on the evolution of language and other cognitive abilities in humans. Here we report the results of vertex-wise and ROI-based analyses that compared surface area (SA) and cortical thickness (CT) asymmetries in 3D MR images obtained for 91 humans and 77 chimpanzees. The human brain is substantially more asymmetric than the chimpanzee brain. In particular, the human brain has 1) larger total SA in the right compared with the left cerebral hemisphere, 2) a global torque-like asymmetry pattern of widespread thicker cortex in the left compared with the right frontal and the right compared with the left temporo-parieto-occipital lobe, and 3) local asymmetries, most notably in medial occipital cortex and superior temporal gyrus, where rightward asymmetry is observed for both SA and CT. There is also 4) a prominent asymmetry specific to the chimpanzee brain, namely, rightward CT asymmetry of precentral cortex. These findings provide evidence of there being substantial differences in asymmetry between the human and chimpanzee brain. The unique asymmetries of the human brain are potential neural substrates for cognitive specializations, and the presence of significant CT asymmetry of precentral gyrus in the chimpanzee brain should be further investigated.


2019 ◽  
Vol 7 (1) ◽  
pp. 9-20
Author(s):  
Inna Yeung

Choice of profession is a social phenomenon that every person has to face in life. Numerous studies convince us that not only the well-being of a person depends on the chosen work, but also his attitude to himself and life in general, therefore, the right and timely professional choice is very important. Research about factors of career self-determination of students of higher education institutions in Ukraine shows that self-determination is an important factor in the socialization of young person, and the factors that determine students' career choices become an actual problem of nowadays. The present study involved full-time and part-time students of Institute of Philology and Mass Communications of Open International University of Human Development "Ukraine" in order to examine the factors of career self-determination of students of higher education institutions (N=189). Diagnostic factors of career self-determination of students studying in the third and fourth year were carried out using the author's questionnaire. Processing of obtained data was carried out using the Excel 2010 program; factorial and comparative analysis were applied. Results of the study showed that initial stage of career self-determination falls down on the third and fourth studying year at the university, when an image of future career and career orientations begin to form. At the same time, the content of career self-determination in this period is contradictory and uncertain, therefore, the implementation of pedagogical support of this process among students is effective.


2016 ◽  
Vol 9 (14) ◽  
pp. 166-181
Author(s):  
Elvis Pinzón Laitón

El escrito demuestra que los(as) jóvenes del sector ru- ral, con relación a la educación superior, requieren de una pronta y justa atención por parte del Estado para ayudarlos(as) a superar las dificultades que afrontan una vez terminan la educación media, de modo que no vean frustrado el desarrollo de su proyecto de vida. Enfatiza en la importancia de la formulación y ejecución de polí- ticas públicas claras y adecuadas a las necesidades de los egresados de aquellos municipios distantes a las universi- dades, caso específico los de Tununguá, Boyacá, Colom- bia. Defiende la educación como el medio más importante para el desarrollo del sector rural en el país; esto implica cobertura, ayuda económica, orientación a las familias y compromiso del (la) joven para hacer parte de procesos formativos a nivel profesional en el campo de conocimien- to de su preferencia, y de esta forma acceder a otros estilos de vida para su familia, en el marco de un país que recono- ce el derecho a la igualdad.The writing shows that the young’s of the rural sector in relation to higher education, require a prompt and fair attention of the state to help to overcome the difficulties they face once, they finish their media education studies, frustrating the development of the life project, of each teenage, which is built in this time lapse. It focuses on the importance of the formulation and execution of clear public politics suitable to the necessity of the graduates of those towns distant of the universities as is the specific case of Tununguá (Boyacá, Colombia). It defends the ed- ucation line the most suitable media for the development of the rural sector in our country. It implies coverage, economic help, orientation to the families and commit- ment of the young to make part of formative processes at professional level in the knowledge field the student selects and on this way to get other life styles for their families inside the framework of a country that promul- gates the right to equality. 


2019 ◽  
Vol 1 (2) ◽  
pp. 1-27
Author(s):  
Ashley Floyd Kuntz

Abstract Student protests have developed on campuses throughout the country in response to controversial speakers. Overwhelmingly, these protests have been framed as conflicts over the right to free speech and the importance of free inquiry on college campuses. This essay reframes conflicts like these as moral disagreements over the role of individuals and institutions in producing and disseminating knowledge that supports or undermines justice within a pluralistic, democratic society. Using the specific case of Charles Murray’s visit to Middlebury College in spring 2017 and drawing insight from social moral epistemology, the essay aims to clarify the moral concerns at stake in clashes over controversial speakers and to identify possibilities to advance the moral aims of institutions of higher education in response to such events.


Author(s):  
Cassandra L. Yacovazzi

By the 1840s, convent narratives gained more middle-class, respectable readers, moving away from descriptions of sex and sadism and focusing instead on convent schools and the education of young women. Popular works such as Protestant Girl in a French Nunnery described "tricks" used by nuns to convert female pupils and lure them into convents. Such literature warned that as neither wives nor mothers, nuns could not train the right kind of women for America. The focus on convent schools converged with the common or public school movement. At the same time, teaching became an acceptable occupation for women, prompting more women to seek opportunities for higher education. This chapter compares the approach to education among nuns and other female teachers alongside the caricatures of convent schools in anti-Catholic print culture. I seek to answer why convent schools faced such heightened animosity even as teaching became feminized.


2021 ◽  
Vol 11 (1) ◽  
Author(s):  
Sung Eun Kim ◽  
Jangyun Lee ◽  
Sae Yong Lee ◽  
Hae-Dong Lee ◽  
Jae Kun Shim ◽  
...  

AbstractThe purpose of this study was to investigate how the ball position along the mediolateral (M-L) direction of a golfer causes a chain effect in the ground reaction force, body segment and joint angles, and whole-body centre of mass during the golf swing. Twenty professional golfers were asked to complete five straight shots for each 5 different ball positions along M-L: 4.27 cm (ball diameter), 2.14 cm (ball radius), 0 cm (reference position at preferred ball position), – 2.14 cm, and – 4.27 cm, while their ground reaction force and body segment motions were captured. The dependant variables were calculated at 14 swing events from address to impact, and the differences between the ball positions were evaluated using Statistical Parametric Mapping. The left-sided ball positions at address showed a greater weight distribution on the left foot with a more open shoulder angle compared to the reference ball position, whereas the trend was reversed for the right-sided ball positions. These trends disappeared during the backswing and reappeared during the downswing. The whole-body centre of mass was also located towards the target for the left-sided ball positions throughout the golf swing compared to the reference ball position, whereas the trend was reversed for the right-sided ball positions. We have concluded that initial ball position at address can cause a series of chain effects throughout the golf swing.


Author(s):  
Viktória Tamás ◽  
Gabriella Sebestyén ◽  
Szilvia Anett Nagy ◽  
Péter Zsolt Horváth ◽  
Ákos Mérei ◽  
...  

AbstractNeglect is a severe neuropsychological/neurological deficit that usually develops due to lesions of the posterior inferior parietal area of the right hemisphere and is characterized by a lack of attention to the left side. Our case is a proven right-handed, 30-year-old female patient with a low-grade glioma, which was located in the temporo-opercular region and also in the superior temporal gyrus of the right hemisphere. Upon presurgical planning, the motor, language, and visuospatial functions were mapped. In order to achieve this, the protocol for routine magnetic resonance imaging and navigated transcranial magnetic stimulation has been expanded, accordingly.


Author(s):  
Herbert E. Ainamani ◽  
Godfrey Z. Rukundo ◽  
Timothy Nduhukire ◽  
Eunice Ndyareba ◽  
Tobias Hecker

Abstract Background Child maltreatment poses high risks to the mental health and cognitive functioning of children not only in childhood but also in later life. However, it remains unclear whether child maltreatment is directly associated with impaired cognitive functioning or whether this link is mediated by mental health problems. Our study aimed at examining this research question among children and adolescents in Uganda. Methods A sample of 232 school-going children and adolescents with a mean age of 14.03 (SD = 3.25) was assessed on multiple forms of maltreatment using the Maltreatment and Abuse Chronology Exposure—Pediatric Version (pediMACE). Executive functions were assessed by the Tower of London task and working memory by the Corsi Block Tapping task, while mental health problems were assessed using the Child PTSD Symptom Scale for PTSD and the Center for Epidemiological Studies Depression Scale for Children (CES-DC). Results In total, 232 (100%) of the participant reported to have experienced at least one type of maltreatment in their lifetime including emotional, physical, and sexual violence as well as neglect. We found a negative association between child maltreatment and executive functions (β = − 0.487, p < 0.001) and working memory (β = − 0.242, p = 0.001). Mental health problems did not mediate this relationship. Conclusions Child maltreatment seems to be related to lower working memory and executive functioning of affected children and adolescents even after controlling for potential cofounders. Our study indicates that child maltreatment the affects children’s cognitive functionality beyond health and well-being.


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