scholarly journals Effects of social network diversity in the disablement process: a comparison of causal inference methods and an outcome-wide approach to the Indonesian Family Life Surveys, 2007–2015

2020 ◽  
Vol 19 (1) ◽  
Author(s):  
Julia Schröders ◽  
Fatwa Sari Tetra Dewi ◽  
Maria Nilsson ◽  
Mark Nichter ◽  
Miguel San Sebastian
Keyword(s):  
Older Adults ◽  
Social Network ◽  
Health Outcomes ◽  
Health Effects ◽  
Family Life ◽  
Process Model ◽  
Healthy Aging ◽  
Men And Women ◽  
Disablement Process ◽  
Wide Range

Abstract Background Social networks (SN) have been proven to be instrumental for healthy aging and function as important safety nets, particular for older adults in low and middle-income countries (LMICs). Despite the importance of interpreting health outcomes in terms of SN, in many LMICs – including Indonesia – epidemiological studies and policy responses on the health effects of SN for aging populations are still uncommon. Using outcome-wide multi-method approaches to longitudinal panel data, this study aims to outline more clearly the role of SN diversity in the aging process in Indonesia. We explore whether and to what degree there is an association of SN diversity with adult health outcomes and investigate potential gender differences, heterogeneous treatment effects, and effect gradients along disablement processes. Methods Data came from the fourth and fifth waves of the Indonesian Family Life Survey fielded in 2007–08 and 2014–15. The analytic sample consisted of 3060 adults aged 50+ years. The primary exposure variable was the diversity of respondents’ SN at baseline. This was measured through a social network index (SNI), conjoining information about household size together with a range of social ties with whom respondents had active contact across six different types of role relationships. Guided by the disablement process model, a battery of 19 outcomes (8 pathologies, 5 impairments, 4 functional limitations, 2 disabilities) were included into analyses. Evidence for causal effects of SN diversity on health was evaluated using outcome-wide multivariable regression adjustment (RA), propensity score matching (PSM), and instrumental variable (IV) analyses. Results At baseline, 60% of respondents had a low SNI. Results from the RA and PSM models showed greatest concordance and that among women a diverse SN was positively associated with pulmonary outcomes and upper and lower body functions. Both men and women with a high SNI reported less limitations in performing activities of daily living (ADL) and instrumental ADL (IADL) tasks. A high SNI was negatively associated with C-reactive protein levels in women. The IV analyses yielded positive associations with cognitive functions for both men and women. Conclusions Diverse SN confer a wide range of strong and heterogeneous long-term health effects, particularly for older women. In settings with limited formal welfare protection, intervening in the SN of older adults and safeguarding their access to diverse networks can be an investment in population health, with manifold implications for health and public policy.

scholarly journals Tools for advancing research into social networks and cognitive function in older adults

2013 ◽  
Vol 26 (4) ◽  
pp. 533-539 ◽  
Author(s):  
Hiroko H. Dodge ◽  
Oscar Ybarra ◽  
Jeffrey A. Kaye
Keyword(s):  
Older Adults ◽  
Social Networks ◽  
Social Network ◽  
Cognitive Function ◽  
Health Outcomes ◽  
Social Engagement ◽  
Brain Aging ◽  
Epidemiological Studies ◽  
Dementia Risk ◽  
Wide Range

People are good for your brain. Decades of research have shown that individuals who have a larger number of people in their social network or higher quality ties with individuals within their network have lower rates of morbidity and mortality across a wide range of health outcomes. Among these outcomes, cognitive function, especially in the context of brain aging, has been one area of particular interest with regard to social engagement, or more broadly, socially integrated lifestyles. Many studies have observed an association between the size of a person's social network or levels of social engagement and the risk for cognitive decline or dementia (e.g. see review by Fratiglioni et al., 2004). The dementia risk reduction associated with a larger social network or social engagement shown by some epidemiological studies is fairly large. The population effect size of increasing social engagement on delaying dementia disease progression could exceed that of current FDA approved medications for Alzheimer's disease.

Impact of relative muscle power on hospitalization and all-cause mortality in older adults

2021 ◽  
Author(s):  
Jose Losa-Reyna ◽  
Julian Alcazar ◽  
Jose Carnicero ◽  
Ana Alfaro-Acha ◽  
Carmen Castillo-Gallego ◽  
...  
Keyword(s):  
Older Adults ◽  
Mortality Risk ◽  
Healthy Aging ◽  
Muscle Power ◽  
Handgrip Strength ◽  
Relative Power ◽  
Men And Women ◽  
Adjusted Risk ◽  
Power Group ◽  
All Cause Mortality

Abstract Background The purpose of this study was to evaluate the relationship of lower-limb muscle power with mortality and hospitalization. Methods A total of 1928 subjects from the Toledo Study for Healthy Aging were included. Muscle power was assessed with the 5-repetition STS test and subjects were classified into different groups of relative power (i.e. normalized to body mass) according to sex-specific tertiles and their inability to perform the test. Mean follow-up periods for hospitalization and all-cause mortality were 3.3 and 6.3 years, respectively. Results Compared to the high relative muscle power group, men with low (HR [95%CI]= 2.1 [1.2-3.6]) and women with very low and low (HR [95%CI]= 4.7 [3.0-7.4] and 1.8 [1.2-2.7]) relative power had an increased age-adjusted risk of hospitalization. After adjusting for several covariates (age, physical activity, BMI education, depression, comorbidities, disability and handgrip strength) these effects were attenuated (men and women with very low relative power: HR [95%CI]= 1.6 [0.9-2.9] and 2.8 [1.6-4.9]). The very low relative muscle power group had also an increased all-cause mortality risk (age-adjusted) in both men and women (HR [95%CI]= 2.3 [1.4-3.9] and 2.9 [1.6-5.3]). After adjusting for all the covariates, a significantly increased mortality risk was observed only in men (HR [95% CI]= 2.1 [1.1-3.8], (women HR [95% CI]= 1.6 [0.8-3.2]), with very low levels of relative power. Conclusion Relative muscle power was independently and negatively associated with mortality and hospitalization in older adults. An augmented all-cause mortality risk was noted in the lowest group of relative muscle power.

Poor Social Network, Not Living Alone, Is Associated With Incidence of Adverse Health Outcomes in Older Adults

2019 ◽  
Vol 20 (11) ◽  
pp. 1438-1443 ◽  
Author(s):  
Ryota Sakurai ◽  
Hisashi Kawai ◽  
Hiroyuki Suzuki ◽  
Hunkyung Kim ◽  
Yutaka Watanabe ◽  
...  
Keyword(s):  
Older Adults ◽  
Social Network ◽  
Health Outcomes ◽  
Living Alone ◽  
Adverse Health ◽  
Adverse Health Outcomes

scholarly journals Childhood Physical Abuse Casts a Very Long Shadow: Physical and Mental Illness Among Older Adults

2021 ◽  
Vol 5 (Supplement_1) ◽  
pp. 313-313
Author(s):  
Esme Fuller-Thomson ◽  
Anna S Buhrmann
Keyword(s):  
Mental Health ◽  
Older Adults ◽  
Health Outcomes ◽  
Physical Health ◽  
Physical Abuse ◽  
Later Life ◽  
Canadian Community Health Survey ◽  
Childhood Physical Abuse ◽  
Childhood Experiences ◽  
Wide Range

Abstract A burgeoning literature indicates adverse childhood experiences (ACEs) are associated with chronic illness. Most research, to date, has not focused on health outcomes among older adults. The objectives of the current study were to identify the prevalence and adjusted odds of two mental health and six physical health conditions among survivors of childhood physical abuse (CPA) who were aged 60 and older (n=409) in comparison to their peers who had not been physically abused (n=4,659). Data were drawn from a representative sample of older British Columbians in the Canadian Community Health Survey. Logistic regression analyses took into account sex, race, age, immigration status, marital status, education, income, smoking, obesity, binge drinking and number of other ACEs. For 3 health outcomes, CPA survivors had adjusted odds ratio more than twice that of their peers (Anxiety OR=2.22; 95% CI=1.46, 3.38; Depression OR=2.17; 95% CI=1.57, 3.01; COPD OR=2.03; 95% CI=1.40, 2.94). For CPA survivors, the adjusted odds ratios were more than 50% higher for cancer (OR=1.71; 95% CI=1.31, 2.24), migraine (OR=1.67; 95% CI=1.15, 2.45) and debilitating chronic pain (OR=1.58; 95% CI=1.22, 2.03), and 33% higher for arthritis (OR=1.33; 95% CI=1.05, 1.69). CPA was not significantly associated with either heart disease or diabetes (p>.05). The association between CPA and two mental health and four physical health outcomes remained significant, even after controlling for sociodemographic characteristics, health behaviors and other ACEs. Further research is needed to investigate potential pathways through which childhood physical abuse is linked to a wide range of chronic later-life health problems.

The Role of Informal and Formal Leisure Activities in the Disablement Process

2008 ◽  
Vol 67 (3) ◽  
pp. 231-257 ◽  
Author(s):  
Megan C. Janke ◽  
Laura L. Payne ◽  
Marieke Van Puymbroeck
Keyword(s):  
Older Adults ◽  
Process Model ◽  
Functional Limitations ◽  
Leisure Activities ◽  
Regression Analyses ◽  
Moderating Effects ◽  
Leisure Involvement ◽  
Perceptions Of Disability ◽  
Disablement Process

The disablement process model has been used as a framework to investigate factors that accelerate or decelerate disablement among older adults. Although very little is known about the direct and moderating effects of involvement in leisure activities on the disablement process, research has suggested that participation in leisure activities may serve as a factor affecting the disablement pathways. Using longitudinal data from individuals aged 65 and older ( N = 535) in the Americans' Changing Lives study, we examined the influence of leisure involvement on the disablement process model. Through regression analyses, we found that involvement in informal and formal leisure activities was significantly associated with the disablement process in this sample of older adults, and that the effect of informal and formal leisure on disablement changed across time points and at different phases of the pathway. Results suggest that leisure activities may be protective of cognitive health and mitigate the effect of functional limitations, perceptions of disability, and depressive symptoms among older adults.

scholarly journals EARLY-LIFE ADVERSITY AND ADULT MENTAL AND BEHAVIORAL HEALTH OUTCOMES: AN INTERSECTIONAL APPROACH

2019 ◽  
Vol 3 (Supplement_1) ◽  
pp. S695-S695
Author(s):  
Chioun Lee ◽  
Lexi Harari ◽  
Jennifer Coons
Keyword(s):  
Health Outcomes ◽  
Behavioral Health ◽  
Black Men ◽  
Early Life ◽  
Process Model ◽  
White Men ◽  
Low Ses ◽  
Family Instability ◽  
Men And Women ◽  
And Gender

Abstract There is much research confirming the link between experiencing early life adversities (ELAs) and adverse health outcomes in adulthood. Further, experiencing co-occurring ELAs rather than one ELA appears to be the rule rather than the exception, and leads to poorer health outcomes. However, information on how ELAs cluster and differentially harm the health of different intersectional groups is lacking. The stress process model suggests that intersectional configurations of race and gender are differentially exposed to ELAs and as a result, some groups suffer worse outcomes than others. We examine the risks of experiencing different clusters of ELAs—low childhood socioeconomic status (SES), family instability, and child abuse—among four intersectional groups (white men, white women, Black men, Black women). We also investigate whether experiencing these ELAs is responsible for the association between having a particular racial and gender configuration and adverse mental and behavioral health outcomes. Data come from a subsample of the Midlife in the U.S. Study (n = 2,076). Black men and women have the highest risk of experiencing all three ELA configurations. Men, regardless of race, have a higher risk of experiencing low SES while women are more vulnerable to low SES/family instability and all three ELAs. Black men and women appear to suffer the worst mental health outcomes, while Black and white men experience more drug/alcohol abuse than their female counterparts. ELAs, especially the co-occurrence of all three ELAs, partially mediate most of these associations, but more so for women than men.

scholarly journals Loneliness of Older Adults: Social Network and the Living Environment

2019 ◽  
Vol 16 (3) ◽  
pp. 406 ◽  
Author(s):  
Astrid Kemperman ◽  
Pauline van den Berg ◽  
Minou Weijs-Perrée ◽  
Kevin Uijtdewillegen
Keyword(s):  
Older Adults ◽  
Social Networks ◽  
Social Network ◽  
Healthy Aging ◽  
Life Cycle Stage ◽  
Living Environment ◽  
Mobility Limitations ◽  
Perceived Safety ◽  
Age Related ◽  
Comprehensive Framework

The social participation and integration of older adults are important aspects of healthy aging. However, in general, older adults have smaller social networks than their younger counterparts due to changes in their life cycle stage, such as retirement or age-related losses, along with a declining health and increasing mobility limitations. Consequently, with increasing age, an increasing proportion of older people experience feelings of loneliness and social isolation. Previous studies that have analyzed the relationships between loneliness, social networks, and the living environment have often been based on bivariate relationships or included only a limited number of variables. Therefore, the aim of this study was to analyze multiple relationships in a more comprehensive framework. Data were collected using a survey among 182 adults aged 65 years and over in the Netherlands. A Bayesian belief network (BBN) modeling approach was used that derives all direct and indirect relationships between the variables. The results showed that feelings of loneliness are directly related to satisfaction with one’s social network and neighborhood attachment and are indirectly related to perceived safety and satisfaction with local amenities and services. This knowledge is relevant to urban planners and policy makers who focus on creating livable and healthy social neighborhoods for the aging population.

scholarly journals ESPO/ Behavioral and Social Sciences Section Symposium: Promoting Behaviors That Support Healthy Aging

2020 ◽  
Vol 4 (Supplement_1) ◽  
pp. 586-587
Author(s):  
Elliane Irani ◽  
Briana Sprague ◽  
Luke Stoeckel
Keyword(s):  
Social Sciences ◽  
Physical Activity ◽  
Older Adults ◽  
African American ◽  
Health Behaviors ◽  
Health Outcomes ◽  
Large Scale ◽  
Healthy Aging ◽  
Protective Effects ◽  
Healthy Behaviors

Abstract Maintaining healthy behaviors has been linked to positive emotional and physical health outcomes. Older adults are at a greater risk for functional decline and can benefit from the protective effects of health behaviors. The purpose of this symposium is to present and highlight: (1) innovative research linking health behaviors and health outcomes among older adults, and (2) work of emerging scholars in the Behavioral and Social Sciences (BSS) section. The papers highlight findings from descriptive studies and randomized trials testing behavioral health interventions. O’Brien and Hess describe patterns of engagement in health-promoting activities and highlight mediating and moderator factors. Fausto and colleagues report on physical activity and cognitive health benefits of a multi-level intervention focused on heart and brain health for older African American residents of public and subsidized housing. Still and colleagues assess the efficacy of a multi-component technology-based intervention on hypertension self-management in African American older adults. Nehrkorn-Bailey and colleagues report on the pilot testing of AgingPLUS, an intervention targeting attitudinal and motivational barriers to physical activity and highlight improvements in grip strength and blood pressure. Lastly, Wierenga and colleagues test an emotion regulation intervention following a cardiac event and highlight the intervention’s potential efficacy in improving mental health and physical activity. These papers underscore the importance of promoting healthy behaviors in older adults and the need for large-scale interventions that support healthy aging. As discussant, Atienza will assess the strengths and limitations of these papers, and consider how emerging scholars can contribute to the field.

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