Meanings and experiences associated with computer use of older immigrant adults of lower socioeconomic status

2018 ◽  
Vol 85 (2) ◽  
pp. 146-157 ◽  
Author(s):  
Lynne C. Andonian

Background. Immigrant older adults are a substantial demographic composing 12% to 30% of older adults in the United States and Canada, yet no research has addressed the meanings associated with computer use for low-socioeconomic-status and immigrant older adults. Purpose. The study explored the meanings, occupational engagement, and experiences associated with computer use. Method. A mixed-methods approach, qualitative participatory action research (photovoice) and survey (Computer Proficiency Questionnaire), was used. Data collection consisted of narratives, focus groups, and Likert scale responses for nine participants. Findings. The participants expressed the meanings they associated with computer use as freedom, personal growth, and engagement. Computers promote occupational engagement in social participation, education, and leisure. Implications. The findings of personal growth may inform occupational therapy interventions using computers to enable adjustment to changes related to aging and wellness. Social participation and education were motivators for computer use, which may inform computer engagement strategies for this population.

Author(s):  
Sachiko Sasaki ◽  
Akinori Sato ◽  
Yoshie Tanabe ◽  
Shinji Matsuoka ◽  
Atsuhiro Adachi ◽  
...  

Physical activity (PA) is a key determinant of health in older adults. However, little is known about the effect of social factors on PA among older adults during the coronavirus disease 2019 (COVID-19) pandemic. Therefore, we aimed to clarify the association between socioeconomic status, social participation, and PA during the pandemic. A cross-sectional study was conducted on 999 community-dwelling residents aged 65–90 years. A self-administered questionnaire was used to collect socioeconomic status, social participation, and PA data in August 2020. Multivariable logistic regression analyses were used to calculate the odds ratios (ORs) for the associations between socioeconomic status, social participation, and maintaining PA. For both sexes, PA was reduced by approximately 5–10% after the onset of COVID-19-related distancing restrictions. Men with a low socioeconomic status were less physically active (OR = 0.49, 95% CI: 0.30–0.82). Women who reported social participation had higher odds of maintaining PA (OR = 1.67, 95% CI: 1.13–2.45) during the restrictions. Higher socioeconomic status and social participation levels before the COVID-19 pandemic may have helped older adults to maintain PA during the COVID-19 pandemic. Further research is needed to clarify the potential effects of these factors on the health of older adults.


2021 ◽  
pp. 238008442110356
Author(s):  
D.J. Gaskin ◽  
H. Zare ◽  
R. McCleary ◽  
O. Kanwar ◽  
A.L. Davis

Objective: To identify predictors of unmet dental needs for adults 18 y of age or older in the United States. Method: Using the Aday and Andersen framework and data from the 2018 Behavioral Risk Factor Surveillance System (BRFSS), we ran logistic regression to estimate predictors for adults of not having a dental visit within 5 y and having lost any teeth using a national sample of 155,060 survey respondents. Results: Results showed that predisposing factors (age, race/ethnicity, gender, and educational attainment) and enabling factors (income and health insurance status) are important predictors for losing teeth due to decay or gum disease. Men, the elderly, and less educated and low-income residents were less likely to have seen a dentist within the past 5 y and more likely to have lost their permanent teeth. Compared to non-Hispanic White adults, Hispanics adults were more likely to have had a dental visit within the past 5 y. Unmet dental needs varied across states. People living in states with extensive Medicaid dental care benefit coverage were less likely to lose their teeth and more likely to have had a dental visit within the past 5 y. Conclusion: Efforts to improve oral health should address unmet dental needs of men and adults with low socioeconomic status. Studying the variation between state oral health care programs could further our understanding of how public policy can improve population oral health. Knowledge Transfer Statement: Men, non-Hispanic Blacks, mixed and other race minorities, and low socioeconomic status adults are most at risk of unmet dental needs. States can address these needs by expanding Medicaid coverage for adults.


2014 ◽  
Vol 204 (6) ◽  
pp. 436-440 ◽  
Author(s):  
Ruoling Chen ◽  
Zhi Hu ◽  
Li Wei ◽  
Kenneth Wilson

BackgroundPeople from lower socioeconomic groups have a higher risk of mortality. The impact of low socioeconomic status on survival among older adults with dementia and depression remains unclear.AimsTo investigate the association between socioeconomic status and mortality in people with dementia and late-life depression in China.MethodUsing Geriatric Mental Status – Automated Geriatric Examination for Computer Assisted Taxonomy (GMS-AGECAT) we interviewed 2978 people aged ⩾60 years in Anhui, China. We characterised baseline socioeconomic status and risk factors and diagnosed 223 people with dementia and 128 with depression. All-cause mortality was followed up over 5.6 years.ResultsIndividuals with dementia living in rural areas had a three times greater risk of mortality (multivariate adjusted hazard ratio (HR) = 2.96, 95% CI 1.45–6.04) than those in urban areas, and for those with depression the HR was 4.15 (95% CI 1.59–10.83). There were similar mortality rates when comparing people with dementia with lowv.high levels of education, occupation and income, but individuals with depression with lowv.high levels had non-significant increases in mortality of 11%, 50% and 55% respectively.ConclusionsOlder adults with dementia and depression living in rural China had a significantly higher risk of mortality than urban counterparts. Interventions should be implemented in rural areas to tackle survival inequality in dementia and depression.


2011 ◽  
Vol 1231 (1) ◽  
pp. 56-64 ◽  
Author(s):  
Owhofasa O. Agbedia ◽  
Vijay R. Varma ◽  
Christopher L. Seplaki ◽  
Teresa E. Seeman ◽  
Linda P. Fried ◽  
...  

2015 ◽  
Vol 23 (2) ◽  
pp. 180-186 ◽  
Author(s):  
Shilpa Dogra ◽  
Ban Al-Sahab ◽  
James Manson ◽  
Hala Tamim

The purpose of the current study was to determine whether aging expectations (AE) are associated with physical activity participation and health among older adults of low socioeconomic status (SES). A cross-sectional analysis of a sample of 170 older adults (mean age 70.9 years) was conducted. Data on AE, physical activity, and health were collected using the 12 item Expectations Regarding Aging instrument, the Healthy Physical Activity Participation Questionnaire, and the Short Form-36, respectively. Adjusted linear regression models showed significant associations between AE and social functioning, energy/vitality, mental health, and self-rated general health, as well as physical activity. These results suggest that AE may help to better explain the established association between low SES, low physical activity uptake, and poor health outcomes among older adults.


2019 ◽  
Vol 37 (15_suppl) ◽  
pp. e18173-e18173
Author(s):  
Richard Stephen Sheppard ◽  
Adewumi Adekunle ◽  
Stefani Beale ◽  
Meena Ahluwalia

e18173 Background: Follicular Lymphoma (FL) is a the second most common Non Hodgkin's Lymphoma (NHL) diagnosed in the United States with 2.6 per 100,000 men and women per year from 2011 to 2015 when age adjusted as per the National Cancer Institute with the number of deaths of 0.5 per 100,000 men and women per year. It known that FL is one of the most clinically indolent NHL and due to this, survival rates are generally more favorable when compared to other B Cell Lymphomas. With this study, we aim to analyse socioeconomic and racial disparities in the survival rates for FL. Methods: The authors identified patients diagnosed with FL between 1973 and 2015 using the Surveillance, Epidemiology, and End Results (SEER) database. Overall survival was estimated and compared between racial/ethnic groups using the log-rank test. Our outcome variables were 1-year, 5-year and mortality. Our independent variables were race and socioeconomic status. We controlled for age, demographic characteristics, time of diagnosis, pathological classification, treatment and socioeconomic status. Results: A total of 66 127 patients were identified; 90% of the patients were White, 4% Black, and 4% Asian. We noted significant differences in disease presentation, socioeconomic status, and outcomes. Asian/Pacific Islander had the lowest survival with a mean of 228 survival months, Blacks had a mean survival months of 237, and Whites had a mean survival months of 234. Conclusions: Disparities exist in the care and outcomes of FL. A low socioeconomic status is correlated with decreased survival.


2017 ◽  
Vol 33 (10) ◽  
pp. 551-556 ◽  
Author(s):  
Barret Rush ◽  
Katie Wiskar ◽  
Leo Anthony Celi ◽  
Keith R. Walley ◽  
James A. Russell ◽  
...  

Objective: Associations between low socioeconomic status (SES) and poor health outcomes have been demonstrated in a variety of conditions. However, the relationship in patients with sepsis is not well described. We investigated the association of lower household income with in-hospital mortality in patients with sepsis across the United States. Methods: Retrospective nationwide cohort analysis utilizing the Nationwide Inpatient Sample (NIS) from 2011. Patients aged 18 years or older with sepsis were included. Socioeconomic status was approximated by the median household income of the zip code in which the patient resided. Multivariate logistic modeling incorporating a validated illness severity score for sepsis in administrative data was performed. Results: A total of 8 023 590 admissions from the 2011 NIS were examined. A total of 671 858 patients with sepsis were included in the analysis. The lowest income residents compared to the highest were younger (66.9 years, standard deviation [SD] = 16.5 vs 71.4 years, SD = 16.1, P < .01), more likely to be female (53.5% vs 51.9%, P < .01), less likely to be white (54.6% vs 76.6%, P < .01), as well as less likely to have health insurance coverage (92.8% vs 95.9%, P < .01). After controlling for severity of sepsis, residing in the lowest income quartile compared to the highest quartile was associated with a higher risk of mortality (odds ratio [OR]: 1.06, 95% confidence interval [CI]: 1.03-1.08, P < .01). There was no association seen between the second (OR: 1.02, 95% CI: 0.99-1.05, P = .14) and third (OR: 0.99, 95% CI: 0.97-1.01, P = .40) quartiles compared to the highest. Conclusion: After adjustment for severity of illness, patients with sepsis who live in the lowest median income quartile had a higher risk of mortality compared to residents of the highest income quartile. The association between SES and mortality in sepsis warrants further investigation with more comprehensive measures of SES.


2015 ◽  
Vol 12 (1) ◽  
pp. 119-136 ◽  
Author(s):  
Nicholas Vargas

AbstractSome scholars argue that Latina/os in the United States may soon become White, much like the supposed Whitening of Eastern European immigrant groups in the early twentieth century. High rates of White racial identification on surveys among Latina/os is one explanation provided for this assertion. However, personal identification is but one element of racial boundary maintenance. It is when personal identification is externally validated that it is most closely associated with group-based experiences. This article maps components of the White-Latino racial boundary that may be permeable to White expansion by examining conditions under which Latina/os self-identify as Whiteandreport that they are externally classified as White by other Americans. Employing novel data from the 2006 Portraits of American Life Study, this article shows that nearly 40% of Latina/os sometimes self-identify as White, yet a much smaller proportion—only 6%—report being externally classified as White by others. Moreover, logistic regression analyses suggest that for those with light phenotypical features and high levels of socioeconomic status, the odds of reported external Whitening are increased. Interestingly, phenotypically light Latina/os with low-socioeconomic-status levels have low probabilities of reporting external classification as White when compared to their phenotypically light and high-socioeconomic-status counterparts, suggesting that the combination of both skin color and class may be central to the White-Latino racial boundary. Results also indicate that many who report external Whitening do not prefer to self-identify as White. In sum, multidimensional measures of racial classification indicate that only a very small minority of Latina/os may be “becoming White” in ways that some previous researchers have predicted.


2014 ◽  
Vol 25 (2) ◽  
pp. 746-756 ◽  
Author(s):  
Shreya Kangovi ◽  
Kathryn Levy ◽  
Frances K. Barg ◽  
Tamala Carter ◽  
Judith A. Long ◽  
...  

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