Introduction

2021 ◽  
pp. 1-12
Author(s):  
Maxwell Hartt ◽  
Samantha Biglieri
Keyword(s):  
Older Adults ◽  
Aging Population ◽  
Community Level ◽  
World Health ◽  
Community Members ◽  
Public And Private ◽  
Health And Wellbeing ◽  
The World ◽  
The Difference ◽  
Private Actors

This chapter provides a background on how community-level factors can be the difference between enabling and disabling older adults, which sheds light on the debates and discussions needed to help Canadians age better. It gives an overview and critique of the World Health Organization's (WHO) Age-Friendly City (AFC) model. It also fills the disciplinary and geographic gap in the aging literature by focusing on the local and generates a wider, more inclusive, discussion on aging in Canadian communities. The chapter embraces debates from a range of disciplines, public and private actors, and individual community members and highlights the diversity of challenges, opportunities, and policies influencing and being influenced by Canada's aging population. It addresses the questions on how well Canada's homes support the health and wellbeing of older adults and what can be done to make it better.

scholarly journals A Commentary on Blue Zones®: A Critical Review of Age-Friendly Environments in the 21st Century and Beyond

2021 ◽  
Vol 18 (2) ◽  
pp. 837 ◽  
Author(s):  
Hannah R. Marston ◽  
Kelly Niles-Yokum ◽  
Paula Alexandra Silva
Keyword(s):  
Older Adults ◽  
Interdisciplinary Research ◽  
Global Scale ◽  
World Health ◽  
Critical Approach ◽  
Environmental Press ◽  
Health And Wellbeing ◽  
The World ◽  
Future Work ◽  
The Impact

This paper explores the intersection of the World Health Organization’s (WHO) concepts of age-friendly communities and The Blue Zones® checklists and how the potential of integrating the two frameworks for the development of a contemporary framework can address the current gaps in the literature as well as consider the inclusion of technology and environmental press. The commentary presented here sets out initial thoughts and explorations that have the potential to impact societies on a global scale and provides recommendations for a roadmap to consider new ways to think about the impact of health and wellbeing of older adults and their families. Additionally, this paper highlights both the strengths and the weaknesses of the aforementioned checklists and frameworks by examining the literature including the WHO age-friendly framework, the smart age-friendly ecosystem (SAfE) framework and the Blue Zones® checklists. We argue that gaps exist in the current literature and take a critical approach as a way to be inclusive of technology and the environments in which older adults live. This commentary contributes to the fields of gerontology, gerontechnology, anthropology, and geography, because we are proposing a roadmap which sets out the need for future work which requires multi- and interdisciplinary research to be conducted for the respective checklists to evolve.

scholarly journals Functional difficulties and toileting among older adults in Ghana: evidence from the World Health Organization Study on global AGEing and adult health (SAGE) Ghana Wave 1

2021 ◽  
pp. 1-23
Author(s):  
Kofi Awuviry-Newton ◽  
Kylie Wales ◽  
Meredith Tavener ◽  
Paul Kowal ◽  
Julie Byles
Keyword(s):  
Older Adults ◽  
Marital Status ◽  
Conceptual Framework ◽  
World Health ◽  
Adult Health ◽  
Care Needs ◽  
Functional Difficulties ◽  
The World ◽  
Health Organization ◽  
Global Ageing

Abstract Ghana's older population is projected to increase in coming decades and as a result will see increasing care needs. Understanding the functional difficulties older adults experience, and the associated factors, will help identify relevant intervention to assist older adults in meeting their care needs. This study aimed to analyse the prevalence of functional difficulties among older adults in Ghana, and examine how the World Health Organization International Classification of Functioning, Disability and Health (WHO-ICF) conceptual framework can relate to toileting difficulty to understand the factors that increase older adults’ care needs. Data were for 5,096 adults aged ⩾50 years from the WHO Study on global AGEing and adult health (SAGE) Ghana Wave 1. Difficulties were assessed using self-reported difficulty on 22 functional items, including toileting. Multivariate logistic regression tested associations between toileting and other factors as related to the WHO-ICF conceptual framework. Older adults reported climbing one flight of stairs without resting as a common functional difficulty. Difficulty eating was the item least identified. Toileting difficulty was ranked second among five total activities of daily living difficulties. Age, marital status, self-reported health, memory, bodily pain, short- and far-distance vision, obesity, stroke, chronic lung disease, trust at individual and neighbourhood level, toilet facility type, socialising with co-workers, and public and religious meeting attendance were statistically significantly associated with toileting difficulty in the final parsimonious model. Post-hoc analysis testing interaction revealed that interaction existed between female sex and never married marital status (p = 0.04), and obesity and widowed marital status (p = 0.01), with toileting as the outcome. A significant level of functional difficulty existed among Ghanaian older adults in this sample. Toileting difficulty was associated with factors across different components in the WHO-ICF, emphasising functional, social and environmental factors related to this fundamental human activity.

scholarly journals COVID-19 Pandemic: The Lived Experiences of Older Adults in Aged Care Homes

2020 ◽  
Vol 11 (3) ◽  
pp. 299-317
Author(s):  
Shi Yin Chee
Keyword(s):  
Older Adults ◽  
Lived Experiences ◽  
Well Being ◽  
Aged Care ◽  
Care Homes ◽  
World Health ◽  
Phenomenological Method ◽  
Structured Interviews ◽  
The World ◽  
Health Organization

The COVID-19 pandemic has caused untold fear and suffering for older adults across the world. According to the World Health Organization, older adults in aged care homes are at a higher risk of the infection living in an enclosed environment with others. This article adopts a qualitative approach using Colaizzi’s phenomenological method to explore the lived experiences of older adults during COVID-19. Between December 2019 and June 2020, 10 in-depth, semi-structured interviews were conducted with participants aged 60 years and above in two aged care homes. The lived tension that has penetrated all participants’ stories in five themes of the meanings described as ‘disconnected in a shrinking world’ filled with uncertainties. COVID-19 has brought unprecedented challenges and disproportionate threat onto older adults’ lives, relationships and well-being. The overarching message was that older adults believe that ‘this too shall pass’ and regain their freedom that was lost during the pandemic.

scholarly journals Understanding health education, health promotion and public health

2021 ◽  
Vol 9 (01) ◽  
pp. 1-7
Author(s):  
Kitty R. Van Teijlingen ◽  
Bhimsen Devkota ◽  
Flora Douglas ◽  
Padam Simkhada ◽  
Edwin R. Van Teijlingen
Keyword(s):  
Public Health ◽  
Health Promotion ◽  
Health Education ◽  
World Health ◽  
Education And Health ◽  
The World ◽  
The Difference ◽  
Health Organization ◽  
The Individual ◽  
Theoretical Overview

Across the globe, there can be confusion about the difference between the concepts of health education, health promotion and, often also, public health. This confusion does not limit itself to the individual terms but also to how these terms relate to each other. Some use terms such as health education and health promotion interchangeably; others see them clearly as different concepts. In this theoretical overview paper, we have first of all outlined our understanding of these individual terms. We suggest how the five principles of health promotion as outlined by the World Health Organization (WHO, 1984) fit into Tannahill’s (2009) model of three overlapping areas: (a) health education; (b) prevention of ill health; and (c) health protection. Our schematic overview places health education within health promotion and health promotion itself in the center of the overarching disciplines of education and public health. We hope our representation helps reduce confusion among all those interested in our discipline, including students, educators, journalists, practitioners, policymakers, politicians, and researchers.

scholarly journals The Road to Healthy Ageing: What Has Indonesia Achieved So Far?

Nutrients ◽  
2021 ◽  
Vol 13 (10) ◽  
pp. 3441
Author(s):  
Ray Wagiu Basrowi ◽  
Endang Mariani Rahayu ◽  
Levina Chandra Khoe ◽  
Erika Wasito ◽  
Tonny Sundjaya
Keyword(s):  
Healthy Aging ◽  
Adult Population ◽  
Aging Population ◽  
The Elderly ◽  
World Health ◽  
Nutrition Status ◽  
The Road ◽  
The World ◽  
Key Issues ◽  
Health Organization

The World Health Organization (WHO) has projected that the world should prepare for an aging society. As the fourth most populous country in the world, the elderly population in Indonesia is also continuously growing. In 2010, the proportion of the elderly group was merely 5%, and it is expected to increase to 11% in 2035. Understanding the current situation of the adult population in Indonesia would be crucial to prepare for the future aging population. This article analyzed the current socio-demographic status, nutrition status, nutrient intake, and health profile of the current Indonesian adult population through a literature review. The key issues to prepare for healthy aging in Indonesia are summarized. Acknowledging the profile of the adult and senior adult population in Indonesia will provide beneficial information for all stakeholders in preparing Indonesia for a better healthy aging population with improved quality of life.

scholarly journals Evolution of COVID19 new cases in 16 countries and Scenarios for Brazil using metaphorical analysis of Board, Inverted Pyramid and Papyri

2020 ◽  
Vol 8 (4) ◽  
pp. 560-607 ◽  
Author(s):  
Jonas Gomes da Silva
Keyword(s):  
World Health ◽  
Future Research ◽  
Business Managers ◽  
Public And Private ◽  
Inverted Pyramid ◽  
Unified Health System ◽  
The World ◽  
The Usa ◽  
Health Organization ◽  
Metaphorical Analysis

Since the end of 2019, the world has become aware of a new virus that has emerged in China, which in February 2020 was called by the World Health Organization (WHO, 2019) as Coronavirus disease (COVID19). Due to its fast transmission, at 18:32 (GMT) on March 29, 2020, the world has officially accounted for about 710,950 new confirmed cases with 33,553 deaths and 150,734 recovered cases (Worldometers, 2020). The pandemic has become the newest challenge for several nations, especially the USA, Italy, China, Spain, Germany, Iran, for being the most affected, and since Brazil is a continental country with disabilities in its Unified Health System, it could be in the next two months among the five most affected. Thus, the main objective of the research is analyze the evolution of new cases of COVID19 in 16 countries to present short-term scenarios and recommendations for Brazil to face the pandemic. The research is applied, as its results and recommendations can be applied with adaptation by government authorities, business managers and citizens. The research is descriptive, with a qualitative and quantitative approach, based on bibliographic and documentary research, involving the study of articles, reports, manuals and other technical documents related to the subject. For the creation of scenarios, data collection focused on the number of new cases registered in 16 countries, including Brazil, as well as in the development of an approach using metaphorical analysis of the Board, the Inverted Pyramid and Papyri. The main conclusion is that even though no country is prepared to face epidemics and pandemics (NTI, JHU and EIU, 2019), among the 16 countries investigated, Thailand, Finland, Australia, South Korea, Denmark and Sweden are benchmarks that Brazil could study in order not to repeat the scenarios of China, USA, Italy and Spain. At the end, ten recommendations are made for future research and also to public and private managers.

scholarly journals Comparison of Measures adopted to combat COVID 19 Pandemic by different countries in WHO regions

2020 ◽  
Vol 32 (2 (Supp)) ◽  
pp. 288-299
Author(s):  
Shubha DB ◽  
Malathesh Undi ◽  
Rachana Annadani ◽  
Ayesha Siddique
Keyword(s):  
Virus Disease ◽  
Management Strategies ◽  
Vital Role ◽  
Control Measures ◽  
World Health ◽  
Contact Tracing ◽  
Limited Information ◽  
The World ◽  
The Difference ◽  
Health Organization

Since the emergence of Corona Virus Disease 19 (COVID 19) in China in December 2019, a lot of significant decisions have been taken by the World Health Organization (WHO) and several countries across the globe. As the world reels under the threat of rapid increase in the number of cases and is planning strategies with the limited information available on the virus, it is essential to learn from the experience of countries across the globe. Hence, we selected a few countries in five WHO regions based on their COVID 19 caseload, management strategies and outcome and compared some of the important measures taken by them to contain the spread of infection. Strategies like extensive testing and contact tracing, strict quarantine and isolation measures, Hospital preparedness, complete restriction of non-essential travel, strict border control measures and social distancing measures play a vital role in containment of the spread. All the countries faced the novel strain of virus and implemented similar strategies as per the guidance of WHO, but the extent of preparedness, swiftness with which the decisions were made and the scale of measures made the difference.

scholarly journals Conflict of Interest in Nutrition: Where’s the Power? Comment on "Towards Preventing and Managing Conflict of Interest in Nutrition Policy? An Analysis of Submissions to a Consultation on a Draft WHO Tool"

2020 ◽  
Author(s):  
Jody Harris ◽  
Nicholas Nisbett ◽  
Stuart Gillespie
Keyword(s):  
World Health Organization ◽  
Conflict Of Interest ◽  
New World ◽  
World Health ◽  
Management Tool ◽  
Private Companies ◽  
Public And Private ◽  
Health Organization ◽  
Power Needs ◽  
Private Actors

Actual or perceived conflict of interests (COIs) among public and private actors in the field of nutrition must be managed. Ralston et al expose sharply contrasting views on the new World Health Organization (WHO) COI management tool, highlighting the contested nature of global debates. Both the WHO COI tool and the Ralston et al paper are largely quiet on aspects of power among different actors, however, which we argue is integral to these conflicts. We suggest that power needs to be acknowledged as a factor in COI; that it needs to be systematically assessed in COI tools using approaches we outline here; and that it needs to be explicitly addressed through COI mechanisms. We would recommend that all actors in the nutrition space (not only private companies) are held to the same COI standards, and we would welcome further studies such as Ralston et al to further build accountability.

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