Planning Ahead: Using the Theory of Planned Behavior to Predict Older Adults’ Intentions to Use Hospice if Faced With Terminal Illness

2017 ◽  
Vol 38 (4) ◽  
pp. 572-591 ◽  
Author(s):  
Lusine Nahapetyan ◽  
Pamela Orpinas ◽  
Anne Glass ◽  
Xiao Song

Hospice is underutilized in the United States, and many patients enroll for short periods of times. The purpose of this cross-sectional study was to identify significant predictors of intentions to use hospice in community-dwelling older adults. The Theory of Planned Behavior informed the selection of predictors. Data were collected from 146 White older adults ( M age = 69.5; 69% females). Multiple linear regression analyses showed that higher hospice knowledge, normative beliefs that support hospice utilization, higher perceived control to use hospice, and preferences for end-of-life care that favor comfort and quality of life over living as long as possible were significant predictors of intentions to use hospice. In spite of being a sample of mostly highly educated older adults, almost half did not know about funding for hospice. These results provide better understanding of where to focus interventions to educate older adults about hospice, ideally in advance of a crisis.

Work ◽  
2021 ◽  
pp. 1-10
Author(s):  
Rakhi Issrani ◽  
Mohammad Khursheed Alam

BACKGROUND: Due to an unavailability of a vaccine, one of the efficient methods to prevent the spread of the novel coronavirus (COVID-19) is by applying self-isolation (SI). Hence there is an urgent need to investigate the factors leading to an individuals’ willingness to choose to self-isolate. OBJECTIVES: The current study utilized the Theory of Planned Behavior (TPB) as a conceptual model and aimed to investigate the extent to which subjective norms, personal attitudes and perceived control influences an individual’s willingness to self-isolate during COVID-19 risk. METHOD: A cross-sectional study was performed on 800 Saudi respondents aged≥18 years by using a validated self-administered questionnaire about factors related to willingness to self-isolate during COVID-19 pandemic risk based on the TPB. The effects of different variables on SI were analyzed by using ordinal logistic regression model. RESULTS: A total of 756 (94.5% ) were completed and analyzed. Subjective norms and perceived control over the behavior significantly (p <  0.05) influenced the intention of willingness to self-isolate, while attitude was found to be insignificant. The odds of letting others to know about self COVID status were 2.40 times higher than not telling the neighbors or colleagues. A statistically significant difference (p≤0.001) existed between males and females regarding the willingness to self-isolate. Similarly the odds of willingness to self-isolate with a presence of disabled person in family were 2.88 times higher than the absence of a disability in the family. Few recommendations for the policymakers that are needed to curb the spread of COVID-19 infection are also proposed. CONCLUSION: The outcomes of study might be considered as an initial understanding of the factors that significantly influences an individual’s willingness to SI when facing an unprecedented pandemic risk. Additionally, these factors provide a plan for policymakers to encourage citizens for self-isolation during pandemic infections.


2012 ◽  
Vol 20 (1) ◽  
pp. 1-14 ◽  
Author(s):  
Mark W. Swanson ◽  
Eric Bodner ◽  
Patricia Sawyer ◽  
Richard M. Allman

Little is known about the effect of reduced vision on physical activity in older adults. This study evaluates the association of visual acuity level, self-reported vision, and ocular disease conditions with leisure-time physical activity and calculated caloric expenditure. A cross-sectional study of 911 subjects 65 yr and older from the University of Alabama at Birmingham Study of Aging (SOA) cohort was conducted evaluating the association of vision-related variables to weekly kilocalorie expenditure calculated from the 17-item Leisure Time Physical Activity Questionnaire. Ordinal logistic regression was used to evaluate possible associations while controlling for potential confounders. In multivariate analyses, each lower step in visual acuity below 20/50 was significantly associated with reduced odds of having a higher level of physical activity, OR 0.81, 95% CI 0.67, 0.97. Reduced visual acuity appears to be independently associated with lower levels of physical activity among community-dwelling adults.


Author(s):  
Yoshihiro Kugimiya ◽  
Masanori Iwasaki ◽  
Yuki Ohara ◽  
Keiko Motokawa ◽  
Ayako Edahiro ◽  
...  

Oral hypofunction, resulting from a combined decrease in multiple oral functions, may affect systemic-condition deterioration; however, few studies have examined the association between oral hypofunction and general health among older adults. In this cross-sectional study, we examined the relationship between oral hypofunction and sarcopenia in community-dwelling older adults. We included 878 adults (268 men and 610 women, mean age 76.5 ± 8.3 years). Tongue coating index, oral moisture, occlusal force, oral diadochokinesis (/pa/,/ta/,/ka/), tongue pressure, mas-ticatory function, and swallowing function were evaluated as indicators of oral hypofunction. Grip strength, gait speed, and skeletal muscle mass index were measured as diagnostic sarcopenia parameters. The association between oral hypofunction and sarcopenia was examined via logistic regression using sarcopenia as the dependent variable. Oral hypofunction prevalence was 50.5% overall, 40.3% in men, and 54.9% in women. The prevalence of sarcopenia was 18.6% overall, 9.7% in men, and 22.5% in women. A logistic regression showed oral hypofunction, age, body mass index, higher-level functional capacity, and serum albumin level were significantly associated with sarcopenia. Sarcopenia occurred at an increased frequency in patients diagnosed with oral hypofunction (odds ratio: 1.59, 95% confidence interval: 1.02–2.47); accordingly, oral hypofunction appears to be significantly associated with sarcopenia.


2021 ◽  
Vol 11 (1) ◽  
Author(s):  
Kousuke Iwai-Saito ◽  
Yugo Shobugawa ◽  
Jun Aida ◽  
Katsunori Kondo

AbstractPneumonia is a leading cause of mortality among older adults worldwide. Recently, several studies reported that frailty was associated with mortality among older adults hospitalized due to respiratory infectious diseases, including pneumonia. However, it is unknown whether frailty is associated with susceptibility to and severity of pneumonia in functionally-independent community-dwelling older adults. In this study, we examined whether frailty increased the susceptibility to pneumonia and hospitalization in older adults. We used cross-sectional data from the Japan Gerontological Evaluation Study; the data was collected by using mail-based, self-reported questionnaires from 177,991 functionally-independent community-dwelling older adults aged ≥ 65 years. Our results showed that frailty was significantly associated with both occurrence of and hospitalization due to pneumonia after adjustments with covariates; (Preference ratio {PR} 1.92, 95% confidence interval {95% CI} [1.66–2.22] and PR 1.80, 95% CI [1.42–2.28], respectively, p < 0.001 for the both). Pre-frailty was associated only with the occurrence of pneumonia. Besides, the instrumental activity of daily living, physical strength, nutrition status, oral function, homeboundness, and depression status in frail older adults were associated with either or both occurrence of and hospitalization due to pneumonia. Our results suggest that frailty influenced the susceptibility to and severity of pneumonia in older adults.


Author(s):  
Takafumi Abe ◽  
Kenta Okuyama ◽  
Tsuyoshi Hamano ◽  
Miwako Takeda ◽  
Masayuki Yamasaki ◽  
...  

Although some neighborhood environmental factors have been found to affect depressive symptoms, few studies have focused on the impact of living in a hilly environment, i.e., land slope, on depressive symptoms among rural older adults. This cross-sectional study aimed to investigate whether a land slope is associated with depressive symptoms among older adults living in rural areas. Data were collected from 935 participants, aged 65 years and older, who lived in Shimane prefecture, Japan. Depressive symptoms were assessed using the Zung Self-Rating Depression Scale (SDS) and defined on the basis of an SDS score ≥ 40. Land slopes within a 400 m network buffer were assessed using geographic information systems. Odds ratios (ORs) with 95% confidence intervals (CIs) of depressive symptoms were estimated using logistic regression. A total of 215 (23.0%) participants reported depressive symptoms. The land slope was positively associated with depressive symptoms (OR = 1.04; 95% CI = 1.01–1.08) after adjusting for all confounders. In a rural setting, living in a hillier environment was associated with depressive symptoms among community-dwelling older adults in Japan.


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