Spatial proximity as a behavioral marker of relationship dynamics in older adult couples

2021 ◽  
pp. 026540752110500
Author(s):  
Brian G. Ogolsky ◽  
Shannon T. Mejia ◽  
Alexandra Chronopoulou ◽  
Kiersten Dobson ◽  
Christopher R. Maniotes ◽  
...  

Background: Close relationships in older adulthood are characterized by heightened interdependence, which has implications for health and well-being as partners age together. Purpose: We describe a novel method that uses partners’ spatial proximity to examine the dynamics of interpersonal relationships. Research Design: In a sample of 10 older adult couples over a 14-day study period, we linked a continuous measure of partners’ spatial proximity with partners’ heart rates—a physiological marker of arousal. Results: Cross-correlations showed that proximity was consistently associated with each partner’s heart rate, but the magnitude and sequence of the correlation varied from day-to-day, suggesting that the coupling of proximity and heart rate is a dynamic of the interaction, rather than the couple. Additionally, our predictive model showed that all three time-series were necessary for optimal prediction, demonstrating that proximity and partners’ heart rates are dynamically intertwined. Conclusion: Together, these results demonstrate meaningful and predictable variation in couple dynamics at the momentary level that consists of a complex association between physiological and spatial proximity.

2019 ◽  
Vol 8 (2) ◽  
pp. 247-267 ◽  
Author(s):  
Travis Kadylak

Phubbing refers to the nonverbal behavior of glancing at, or using, one’s mobile phone during a face-to-face (FtF) interaction, whereby the mobile-phone-checking behavior is perceived to breach expectations of attention or etiquette. In general, phubbing can negatively affect interpersonal relationships and well-being. When younger family members’ phubbing behavior is perceived by older adult relatives as a violation of their conversational expectations, these older adults may feel ignored and disrespected. This study may be the first to investigate the associations between intergenerational family phubbing expectancy violations and indicators of well-being among older adults. Survey data were derived from a sample of U.S. Internet users aged 65 or above ( n = 679). The results suggested that both perceived frequency of family phubbing and family phubbing expectancy violations were inversely associated with mattering and indicators of well-being. Study limitations and potential directions for future research are discussed.


GeroPsych ◽  
2019 ◽  
Vol 32 (1) ◽  
pp. 41-52
Author(s):  
Matthew C. Costello ◽  
Shane J. Sizemore ◽  
Kimberly E. O’Brien ◽  
Lydia K. Manning

Abstract. This study explores the relative value of both subjectively reported cognitive speed and gait speed in association with objectively derived cognitive speed. It also explores how these factors are affected by psychological and physical well-being. A group of 90 cognitively healthy older adults ( M = 73.38, SD = 8.06 years, range = 60–89 years) were tested in a three-task cognitive battery to determine objective cognitive speed as well as measures of gait speed, well-being, and subjective cognitive speed. Analyses indicated that gait speed was associated with objective cognitive speed to a greater degree than was subjective report, the latter being more closely related to well-being than to objective cognitive speed. These results were largely invariant across the 30-year age range of our older adult sample.


2001 ◽  
Vol 6 (1) ◽  
pp. 15-25 ◽  
Author(s):  
Harald Walach ◽  
Stefan Schmidt ◽  
Yvonne-Michelle Bihr ◽  
Susanne Wiesch

We studied the effect of experimenter expectations and different instructions in a balanced placebo design. 157 subjects were randomized into a 2 × 4 factorial design. Two experimenters were led to expect placebos either to produce physiological effects or not (pro- vs. antiplacebo). All subjects except a control group received a caffeine placebo. They were either made to expect coffee, no coffee, or were in a double-blind condition. Dependent measures were blood pressure, heart rate, well-being, and a cognitive task. There was one main effect on the instruction factor (p = 0.03) with the group “told no caffeine” reporting significantly better well-being. There was one main effect on the experimenter factor with subjects instructed by experimenter “proplacebo” having higher systolic blood pressure (p = 0.008). There was one interaction with subjects instructed by experimenter “proplacebo” to receive coffee doing worse in the cognitive task than the rest. Subjects instructed by experimenter “antiplacebo” were significantly less likely to believe the experimental instruction, and that mostly if they had been instructed to receive coffee. Contrary to the literature we could not show an effect of instruction, but there was an effect of experimenters. It is likely, however, that these experimenter effects were not due to experimental manipulations, but to the difference in personalities.


Med Phoenix ◽  
2017 ◽  
Vol 2 (1) ◽  
pp. 34-37
Author(s):  
Akhilesh Kumar Jha ◽  
Bikranta Rimal ◽  
Tarannum Khatun

Background: Ultrasonography is the reliable and safe way for the evaluation of pregnancy. Heart rate can be detected more confidently from the Ultrasonography. Heart rate is an important parameter for the evaluation of early pregnancy. The purpose of this study was to evaluate the normal heart rate in embryos/fetuses between 6 and 8 weeks of gestation.Method: In our region people are poor and most of them do not know the benefit of regular follow up examination during pregnancy. So most of pregnant women come to our centre at late stage of pregnancy. The number of pregnancy cases is good in our centre but the number of early pregnancy cases coming to regular follow up examination is low. Thus the study was conducted in 51 normal singleton pregnancies undergoing routine ultrasound examination during the first trimester of pregnancy. The duration of study was 6 weeks.Result: Out of 51 singleton pregnancies, 20 cases (39.2%) heart rate were between 131-150 beat per minute and 25 cases (49.0 %) heart rate were between 151-170 beat per minute. However 4 cases (7.8%) were between 110-120 beat per minute and 2 cases (3.9%) were more than 171 beat per minute. There were zero cases above the 180 beat per minute.Conclusion: The result of this study will help to evaluate abnormal and normal fetal heart rate so that early clinical decision whether to continue the pregnancy or terminate it can be taken, as Ultrasonography is only the method used in screening fetal well being in most of the region of our country.Med Phoenix Vol.2(1) July 2017, 34-37


Author(s):  
Deborah Carr ◽  
Vera K. Tsenkova

The body weight of U.S. adults and children has risen markedly over the past three decades. The physical health consequences of obesity are widely documented, and emerging research from the Midlife in the United States study and other large-scale surveys reveals the harmful impact of obesity on adults’ psychosocial and interpersonal well-being. This chapter synthesizes recent research on the psychosocial implications of body weight, with attention to explanatory mechanisms and subgroup differences in these patterns. A brief statistical portrait of body weight is provided, documenting rates and correlates of obesity, with a focus on race, gender, and socioeconomic status disparities. The consequences of body weight for three main outcomes are described: institutional and everyday discrimination, interpersonal relationships, and psychological well-being. The chapter concludes with a discussion of the ways that recent integrative health research on the psychosocial consequences of overweight and obesity inform our understanding of population health.


2020 ◽  
Vol 4 (Supplement_1) ◽  
pp. 313-313
Author(s):  
Brianne Olivieri-Mui ◽  
Sandra Shi ◽  
Ellen McCarthy ◽  
Dae Kim

Abstract Frailty may differentially impact how older adult males and females perceive sexual functioning, an important part of well-being. We assessed the level of frailty (robust, pre-frail, frail) for anyone with data on 11 sexual functioning questions asked in wave 2 of the National Social Life, Health, and Aging Project, 2010-2011 (n=2060). Questions covered five domains: overall sexual function (OSF), sexual function anxiety (SFA), changes in sexual function (CSF), erectile/vaginal dysfunction (EVD), and masturbation. Logistic regression identified sex differences in frailty and reporting worse sexual functioning. Linear regression predicted the number of domains reported as worse. Among males (n=1057), pre-frailty meant higher odds of reporting SFA (OR 1.8 95%CI 1.2-6.6), CSF (OR 1.7 95%CI 1.1-2.7), and EVD (OR 1.5 95%CI 1.0-2.2). Among females (n=1003), there was no difference in reporting by frailty. Females were more likely to report worse OSF (Robust: OR 7.4, 95%CI 4.8-11.4; Pre-frail: OR 6.2, 95%CI 3.9-9.9; Frail: OR 3.4 95%CI 1.7-6.6), but less likely to report SFA (Robust OR .3, 95%CI .2-.5; Pre-frail OR .2, 95%CI .1-.3; Frail OR .2 95%CI .1-.3). Pre-frail and frail females reported fewer domains as worse (Pre-frail coefficient -0.21 SE 0.09, Frail -0.43 SE 0.14). As frailty worsened, males reported more domains as worse (Pre-frail 0.24 SE 0.07, Frail 0.29 SE 0.08). Self-reported sexual functioning differs by sex at all levels of frailty, and reporting by males, but not females, changes with frailty. Providers should be aware that sexual functioning is of importance to both sexes despite varying degrees of frailty.


2021 ◽  
Vol 13 (13) ◽  
pp. 7263
Author(s):  
Aaron Rillo-Albert ◽  
Unai Sáez de Sáez de Ocáriz ◽  
Antoni Costes ◽  
Pere Lavega-Burgués

The education of pleasant interpersonal relationships is one of the great challenges of modern physical education. Learning to live together sustainably is also learning to transform conflicts and the negative emotions elicited by them. The aim of this study was to determine the effect of the GIAM pedagogical model (of the Motor Action Research Group) through cooperation-opposition traditional sporting games with competition in the presence of motor conflicts (conflict transformation; relational well-being) and on emotional regulation (management of negative emotions; emotional well-being). Empirical research was carried out using an associative strategy (explanatory study) involving 222 secondary school students (Mage = 14.86; SD = 0.65). A seven-session pedagogical intervention was carried out based on a championship using the Marro (Prisoner’s Bar) game. The students answered two validated questionnaires of socio-emotional well-being, the Games and Emotions Scale (GES-II) and the Motor Conflict Questionnaire (MCQ), at three phases during the experience (beginning, middle, and end). The findings showed that, through the GIAM model, motor conflicts and the intensity of negative emotions were reduced. It was found that conflicts and negative emotions are part of the same phenomenon and that through an appropriate pedagogical program it is possible to turn them into experiences of socio-emotional well-being.


2021 ◽  
pp. 089826432199332
Author(s):  
Wanda Rietkerk ◽  
Jannet de Jonge-de Haan ◽  
Joris P. J. Slaets ◽  
Sytse U. Zuidema ◽  
Debby L. Gerritsen

Objectives: Goal setting and motivational interviewing (MI) may increase well-being by promoting healthy behavior. Since we failed to show improved well-being in a proactive assessment service for community-dwelling older adults applying these techniques, we studied whether implementation processes could explain this. Methods: Goals set during the comprehensive geriatric assessment were evaluated on their potential for behavior change. MI and goal setting adherence wasassessed by reviewing audiotaped interactions and interviewing care professionals. Results: Among the 280 goals set with 230 frail older adults (mean age 77 ± 6.9 years, 59% women), more than 90% had a low potential for behavior change. Quality thresholds for MI were reached in only one of the 11 interactions. Application was hindered by the context and the limited proficiency of care professionals. Discussion: Implementation was suboptimal for goal setting and MI. This decreased the potential for improved well-being in the participating older adults.


Animals ◽  
2021 ◽  
Vol 11 (2) ◽  
pp. 442
Author(s):  
Meiqing Wang ◽  
Ali Youssef ◽  
Mona Larsen ◽  
Jean-Loup Rault ◽  
Daniel Berckmans ◽  
...  

Heart rate (HR) is a vital bio-signal that is relatively easy to monitor with contact sensors and is related to a living organism’s state of health, stress and well-being. The objective of this study was to develop an algorithm to extract HR (in beats per minute) of an anesthetized and a resting pig from raw video data as a first step towards continuous monitoring of health and welfare of pigs. Data were obtained from two experiments, wherein the pigs were video recorded whilst wearing an electrocardiography (ECG) monitoring system as gold standard (GS). In order to develop the algorithm, this study used a bandpass filter to remove noise. Then, a short-time Fourier transform (STFT) method was tested by evaluating different window sizes and window functions to accurately identify the HR. The resulting algorithm was first tested on videos of an anesthetized pig that maintained a relatively constant HR. The GS HR measurements for the anesthetized pig had a mean value of 71.76 bpm and standard deviation (SD) of 3.57 bpm. The developed algorithm had 2.33 bpm in mean absolute error (MAE), 3.09 bpm in root mean square error (RMSE) and 67% in HR estimation error below 3.5 bpm (PE3.5). The sensitivity of the algorithm was then tested on the video of a non-anaesthetized resting pig, as an animal in this state has more fluctuations in HR than an anaesthetized pig, while motion artefacts are still minimized due to resting. The GS HR measurements for the resting pig had a mean value of 161.43 bpm and SD of 10.11 bpm. The video-extracted HR showed a performance of 4.69 bpm in MAE, 6.43 bpm in RMSE and 57% in PE3.5. The results showed that HR monitoring using only the green channel of the video signal was better than using three color channels, which reduces computing complexity. By comparing different regions of interest (ROI), the region around the abdomen was found physiologically better than the face and front leg parts. In summary, the developed algorithm based on video data has potential to be used for contactless HR measurement and may be applied on resting pigs for real-time monitoring of their health and welfare status, which is of significant interest for veterinarians and farmers.


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