scholarly journals Sociodemographic Factors Associated With Changes in Successful Aging in Spain: A Follow-Up Study

2017 ◽  
Vol 30 (8) ◽  
pp. 1244-1262 ◽  
Author(s):  
Joan Domènech-Abella ◽  
Jaime Perales ◽  
Elvira Lara ◽  
Maria Victoria Moneta ◽  
Ana Izquierdo ◽  
...  

Objective:Successful aging (SA) refers to maintaining well-being in old age. Several definitions or models of SA exist (biomedical, psychosocial, and mixed). We examined the longitudinal association between various SA models and sociodemographic factors, and analyzed the patterns of change within these models. Method: This was a nationally representative follow-up in Spain including 3,625 individuals aged ≥50 years. Some 1,970 individuals were interviewed after 3 years. Linear regression models were used to analyze the survey data. Results: Age, sex, and occupation predicted SA in the biomedical model, while marital status, educational level, and urbanicity predicted SA in the psychosocial model. The remaining models included different sets of these predictors as significant. In the psychosocial model, individuals tended to improve over time but this was not the case in the biomedical model. Conclusion: The biomedical and psychosocial components of SA need to be addressed specifically to achieve the best aging trajectories.

BMJ Open ◽  
2017 ◽  
Vol 7 (10) ◽  
pp. e016358 ◽  
Author(s):  
Nafeesa N Dhalwani ◽  
Radia Fahami ◽  
Harini Sathanapally ◽  
Sam Seidu ◽  
Melanie J Davies ◽  
...  

ObjectivesAssess the longitudinal association between polypharmacy and falls and examine the differences in this association by different thresholds for polypharmacy definitions in a nationally representative sample of adults aged over 60 years from England.DesignLongitudinal cohort study.SettingThe English Longitudinal Study of Ageing waves 6 and 7.Participants5213 adults aged 60 or older.Main outcome measuresRates, incidence rate ratio (IRR) and 95% CI for falls in people with and without polypharmacy.ResultsA total of 5213 participants contributed 10 502 person-years of follow-up, with a median follow-up of 2.02 years (IQR 1.9–2.1 years). Of the 1611 participants with polypharmacy, 569 reported at least one fall within the past 2 years (rate: 175 per 1000 person-years, 95% CI 161 to 190), and of the 3602 participants without polypharmacy 875 reported at least one fall (rate: 121 per 1000 person-years, 95% CI 113 to 129). The rate of falls was 21% higher in people with polypharmacy compared with people without polypharmacy (adjusted IRR 1.21, 95% CI 1.11 to 1.31). Using ≥4 drugs threshold the rate of falls was 18% higher in people with polypharmacy compared with people without (adjusted IRR 1.18, 95% CI 1.08 to 1.28), whereas using ≥10 drugs threshold polypharmacy was associated with a 50% higher rate of falls (adjusted IRR 1.50, 95% CI 1.34 to 1.67).ConclusionsWe found almost one-third of the total population using five or more drugs, which was significantly associated with 21% increased rate of falls over a 2-year period. Further exploration of the effects of these complex drug combinations in the real world with a detailed standardised assessment of polypharmacy is greatly required along with pragmatic studies in primary care, which will help inform whether the threshold for a detailed medication review should be lowered.


Author(s):  
Maria Priscila Wermelinger Ávila ◽  
Jimilly Caputo Corrêa ◽  
Alessandra Lamas Granero Lucchetti ◽  
Giancarlo Lucchetti

The aim of this study was to longitudinally investigate the association between resilience and mental health in older adults and to determine the influence of physical activity on this relationship. A total of 291 older adults were included in a 2-year follow-up study. Adjusted linear regression models evaluated the association between resilience at baseline and mental health after 2 years in sufficiently and insufficiently physically active older adults. A negative correlation was found between resilience at baseline and depression, anxiety, and stress after 2 years for the overall sample. This association changed after stratifying the group. Sufficiently physically active individuals made greater use of the resilience components “Self-Sufficiency” and “Perseverance,” whereas insufficiently physically active individuals made greater use of “Meaning of Life” and “Existential Singularity.” Physical activity can influence the relationship between resilience and mental health. These results can help guide the devising of more effective interventions for this age group.


2020 ◽  
pp. 019394592095205
Author(s):  
Donald E. Bailey ◽  
Jia Yao ◽  
Qing Yang

Illness uncertainty is prevalent in patients awaiting liver transplant. We described high levels of illness uncertainty in these patients and examined relationships between uncertainty and person factors and the antecedents of uncertainty. Mishel uncertainty in illness scale was used to measure illness uncertainty. We used modes and interquartile range (IQR) to describe illness uncertainty levels in 115 patients. Multiple logistic and linear regression models estimated the associations of uncertainty with hypothesized antecedents. High total illness uncertainty score was reported by 15.6% of the patients. After adjusting for all variables, illness uncertainty was associated with two antecedents of uncertainty, low social well-being (OR = 0.816; p = .025) and low self-efficacy (OR = 0.931; p = .013). Complexity was negatively associated with social well-being; ambiguity and inconsistency were negatively associated with self-efficacy. One in seven patients experienced high illness uncertainty. Social well-being and self-efficacy were negatively related to illness uncertainty.


2020 ◽  
Vol 21 (19) ◽  
pp. 7201
Author(s):  
Valérie Gagné-Ouellet ◽  
Edith Breton ◽  
Kathrine Thibeault ◽  
Carol-Ann Fortin ◽  
Véronique Desgagné ◽  
...  

The aim of this study was to identify placental DNA methylation (DNAm) variations associated with adiposity at 3 years of age. We quantified placental DNAm using the Infinium MethylationEPIC BeadChips. We assessed associations between DNAm at single-CpGs and skinfold thickness using robust linear regression models adjusted for gestational age, child’s sex, age at follow-up and cellular heterogeneity. We sought replication of DNAm association with child adiposity in an independent cohort. We quantified placental mRNA levels for annotated gene using qRT-PCR and tested for correlation with DNAm. Lower DNAm at cg22593959 and cg22436429 was associated with higher adiposity (β = −1.18, q = 0.002 and β = −0.82, q = 0.04). The cg22593959 is located in an intergenic region (chr7q31.3), whereas cg22436429 is within the TFAP2E gene (1p34.3). DNAm at cg22593959 and cg22436429 was correlated with mRNA levels at FAM3C (rs = −0.279, p = 0.005) and TFAP2E (rs = 0.216, p = 0.03). In an independent cohort, the association between placental DNAm at cg22593959 and childhood adiposity was of similar strength and direction (β = −3.8 ± 4.1, p = 0.36), yet non-significant. Four genomic regions were also associated with skinfold thickness within FMN1, MAGI2, SKAP2 and BMPR1B genes. We identified placental epigenetic variations associated with adiposity at 3 years of age suggesting that childhood fat accretion patterns might be established during fetal life.


2021 ◽  
Author(s):  
David Disabato ◽  
Todd Barrett Kashdan ◽  
James Doorley ◽  
Kerry Kelso ◽  
Kristina Volgenau ◽  
...  

Background: Although preliminary research has explored the possibility of optimal well-being after depression, it is unclear how rates compare to anxiety. Using Generalized Anxiety Disorder (GAD) and Panic Disorder (PD) as exemplars of anxiety, we tested the rates of optimal well-being one decade after being diagnosed with an anxiety disorder. Based on reward deficits in depression, we pre-registered our primary hypothesis that optimal well-being would be more prevalent after anxiety than depression as well as tested two exploratory hypotheses.Method: We used data from the Midlife in the United States (MIDUS) study, which contains a nationally representative sample across two waves, 10 years apart. To reach optimal well-being, participants needed to have no symptoms of GAD, PD, or major depressive disorder (MDD) at the 10 year follow-up and exceed cut-offs across nine dimensions of well-being.Results: The results failed to support our primary hypothesis. Follow-up optimal well-being rates were highest for adults previously diagnosed with MDD (8.7%), then PD (6.1%), and finally GAD (0%). Exploratory analyses revealed optimal well-being was approximately twice as prevalent in people without anxiety or depression at baseline and provided partial support for baseline well-being predicting optimal well-being after anxiety. Results were largely replicated across different classifications of optimal well-being.Limitations: Findings are limited by the somewhat unique measurement of anxiety in the MIDUS sample as well as the relatively high rate of missing data.Conclusions: We discuss possible explanations for less prevalent optimal well-being after anxiety vs. depression and the long-term positivity deficits from GAD.


2021 ◽  
Vol 12 ◽  
Author(s):  
Anna Larysz ◽  
Izabella Uchmanowicz

Background: The nursing profession is predisposed toward depressed mood and depressive symptoms. The multidirectionality and intensity of stressors in the nurses' occupational environment are of great significance in this respect. The study aimed to evaluate the impact of selected sociodemographic factors on depressive symptoms among cardiac nurses.Methods: This cross-sectional study included 336 cardiac nurses (302 women and 34 men) and was conducted between December 2019 and September 2020 in four hospital cardiac units in Wroclaw, Poland. Sociodemographic data were collected using a self-developed survey. The following standardized instruments were used for the study outcomes: Patient Health Questionnaire-9 (PHQ-9) and Beck Depression Inventory (BDI).Results: The study among cardiac nurses showed mild depression in 11.61%, moderate depression in 5.06%, and severe depression in 2.68%. Linear regression models showed that significant (p < 0.05) predictors of the PHQ-9 score included (1) higher occupational education (bachelor's degree), graduation “only” from medical high school or “other” education; (2) work experience of 16–20 years; (3) living in a relationship; (4) living in a rural area. Linear regression models showed that significant (p < 0.05) predictors of the BDI score included (1) higher occupational education (bachelor's degree); (2) graduation “only” from medical high school or “other” education; (3) living in a relationship.Conclusions: Depressive symptoms are a significant problem among Polish cardiac nurses. The prevalence of depressive symptoms is affected by the education level, employment form, marital status, and place of residence.


Author(s):  
Carlo Aleci

The damage to the visual field is the main outcome of glaucoma. Basically, there are two different approaches to establish the rate of the functional loss in this clinical condition: event-based analysis and trend-based analysis. The event-based analysis, that relies on the occurrence of pre-established events to detect the progression of the visual field damage, cannot quantify the decay rate of sensitivity. In turn, the trend-based analysis, that aims to measure the rate of progression according to linear regression models, requires a long follow-up. Despite considerable effort, there is still no consensus on the optimal procedure, and a gold standard is still missing. This paper provides a quick overview of the topic as a tribute to the researchers engaged in this field.


2021 ◽  
Vol 5 (Supplement_1) ◽  
pp. 744-744
Author(s):  
Amanda Leggett ◽  
Hyun Jung Koo ◽  
Lindsay Kobayashi ◽  
Jessica Finlay ◽  
Hannah Lee ◽  
...  

Abstract The COVID-19 pandemic has challenged the physical and mental health of older adults, yet it is unknown how much older adults worry about their own exposure. As older adults are at increased risk for severe complications from COVID-19, understanding patterns of worry may inform public health guidelines and interventions for this age group. We investigated older adults’ worry about COVID-19 in the early months of the pandemic and associations with familial/friend’s diagnosis or disease symptoms. Data comes from the baseline (April/May 2020), one-month, and two-month follow-up surveys from the COVID-19 Coping Study, a national longitudinal cohort study of US adults aged ≥55. We used linear regression models to investigate the association between self-reported familial/friend diagnosis or symptoms with pandemic worry, accounting for demographic factors and individual diagnosis or experience of COVID-19 symptoms. Participants (Baseline=4379, 1 month= 2553, 2 month=2682) were 67 years old on average, 72% were female, 5.7% were non-White, and 80.5% had a college degree. At baseline, 26.6% of participants had friends or family who had been diagnosed or experienced symptoms of COVID-19. Having friends or family diagnosed or with symptoms of COVID-19 (B=0.08, SE=0.04, p<.05), being female (B=0.42, SE=0.03, p<.001), and having higher educational attainment (B=0.06, SE=0.02, p<.001) were significantly associated with greater worry about COVID-19. These associations were consistent over 3 months. Understanding if worry about the pandemic correlates with following public health guidelines is a key next step so intervention strategies can prioritize older adults and their social networks.


2021 ◽  
Vol 5 (Supplement_1) ◽  
pp. 721-721
Author(s):  
Lindsay Wilkinson ◽  
Julie Masters ◽  
Julie Blaskewicz Boron

Abstract Prior research has demonstrated the impact of the COVID-19 pandemic on feelings of loneliness, but relatively little is known about loneliness in the context of senior living communities (SLCs). Indeed, the pandemic has led SLCs to enact new safety precautions, including visitor restrictions, intended to reduce the spread of COVID-19, which may have serious consequences for the psychosocial well-being of residents. Drawing on a sample of 733 adults ages 54 to 100 living in one of nine SLCs in December 2020 (response rate = 60%), linear regression models were used to examine whether perceived communication between SLCs and residents during the COVID-19 pandemic influenced feelings of loneliness. Analyses also considered whether this association varied as a function of education. Our findings reveal that 53% of respondents were very lonely during the pandemic. However, older adults who perceived that their SLC had been helpful to their understanding of the pandemic were significantly less lonely (p < 0.01), adjusting for sociodemographic and health characteristics. Moreover, we found that less educated older adults derived the greatest benefit from effective communication about the pandemic (p < 0.05). Those with less education reported feeling lonelier if they did not perceive that their SLC communicated in a way that helped them better understand the pandemic; there was no such association for those with higher education. The findings from this study provide support for the resource substitution hypothesis and demonstrate the importance of communication in alleviating feelings of loneliness during the COVID-19 pandemic.


2018 ◽  
Vol 213 (5) ◽  
pp. 638-644 ◽  
Author(s):  
Fanfan Zheng ◽  
Baoliang Zhong ◽  
Xiaoyu Song ◽  
Wuxiang Xie

BackgroundLittle is known about the effect of persistent depressive symptoms on the trajectory of cognitive decline.AimsWe aimed to investigate the longitudinal association between the duration of depressive symptoms and subsequent cognitive decline over a 10-year follow-up period.MethodThe English Longitudinal Study of Ageing cohort is a prospective and nationally representative cohort of men and women living in England aged ≥50 years. We examined 7610 participants with two assessments of depressive symptoms at wave 1 (2002–2003) and wave 2 (2004–2005), cognitive data at wave 2 and at least one reassessment of cognitive function (wave 3 to wave 7, 2006–2007 to 2014–2015).ResultsThe mean age of the 7610 participants was 65.2 ± 10.1 years, and 57.0% were women. Of these, 1157 (15.2%) participants had episodic depressive symptoms and 525 participants (6.9%) had persistent depressive symptoms. Compared with participants without depressive symptoms at wave 1 and wave 2, the multivariable-adjusted rates of global cognitive decline associated with episodic depressive symptoms and persistent depressive symptoms were faster by –0.065 points/year (95% CI –0.129 to –0.000) and –0.141 points/year (95% CI –0.236 to –0.046), respectively (P for trend < 0.001). Similarly, memory, executive and orientation function also declined faster with increasing duration of depressive symptoms (all P for trend < 0.05).ConclusionsOur results demonstrated that depressive symptoms were significantly associated with subsequent cognitive decline over a 10-year follow-up period. Cumulative exposure of long-term depressive symptoms in elderly individuals could predict accelerated subsequent cognitive decline in a dose-response pattern.Declaration of interestNone.


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