scholarly journals A systematic review of self-report measures used in epidemiological studies to assess alcohol consumption among older adults

PLoS ONE ◽  
2021 ◽  
Vol 16 (12) ◽  
pp. e0261292
Author(s):  
Kjerstin Tevik ◽  
Sverre Bergh ◽  
Geir Selbæk ◽  
Aud Johannessen ◽  
Anne-S. Helvik
Keyword(s):  
Older Adults ◽  
Alcohol Consumption ◽  
Epidemiological Studies ◽  
Recall Period ◽  
Heavy Episodic Drinking ◽  
Self Report ◽  
Screening Tools ◽  
Diagnostic Tools ◽  
Drinking Patterns ◽  
Wide Range

Background There is a lack of standardization regarding how to assess and categorize alcohol intake in older adults. The aim of this study was to systematically review methods used in epidemiological studies to define drinking patterns and measure alcohol consumption among older adults. Methods A systematic search was conducted in the MEDLINE, PubMed, PsycINFO, EMBASE, and CINAHL databases for studies published from January 2009 to April 2021. Studies were included if they were observational studies with a quantitative design; the mean age of the participants was ≥ 65 years; questionnaires, screening tools, or diagnostic tools were used to define alcohol consumption; and alcohol consumption was self-reported. Results Of 492 studies considered, 105 were included. Among the 105 studies, we detected 19 different drinking patterns, and each drinking pattern had a wide range of definitions. The drinking patterns abstaining from alcohol, current drinking, and risk drinking had seven, 12 and 21 diverse definitions, respectively. The most used questionnaire and screening tools were the quantity-frequency questionnaire, with a recall period of 12 months, and the full and short versions of the Alcohol Use Disorders Identification Test, respectively. Conclusion No consensus was found regarding methods used to assess, define, and measure alcohol consumption in older adults. Identical assessments and definitions must be developed to make valid comparisons of alcohol consumption in older adults. We recommend that alcohol surveys for older adults define the following drinking patterns: lifetime abstainers, former drinkers, current drinkers, risk drinking, and heavy episodic drinking. Standardized and valid definitions of risk drinking, and heavy episodic drinking should be developed. The expanded quantity-frequency questionnaire including three questions focused on drinking frequency, drinking volume, and heavy episodic drinking, with a recall period of 12 months, could be used.

A Cross-Sectional Analysis of Factors that Influence the Detection of Depression in Older Primary Care Patients

2005 ◽  
Vol 39 (4) ◽  
pp. 262-265 ◽  
Author(s):  
Jon J Pfaff ◽  
Jon J Pfaff ◽  
Osvaldo P Almeida
Keyword(s):  
Mental Health ◽  
Primary Care ◽  
Older Patients ◽  
Depressive Symptomatology ◽  
Depression Scale ◽  
Epidemiological Studies ◽  
Self Report ◽  
Screening Tools ◽  
Cross Sectional ◽  
Summary Sheet

Objective: To determine the characteristics of depressed older patients whose mental health status is detected by their general practitioner (GP). Method: Cross-sectional analytical design of 218 patients scoring above the cut-off (≥ 16) of the Center for Epidemiological Studies – Depression Scale (CES-D), from a sample of 916 consecutive patients aged 60 years or over attending one of 54 randomly selected GPs in Western Australia. Prior to their medical consultation, patients completed a self-report questionnaire, which included questions about depressive symptomatology (CES-D). Following the consultation, general practitioners recorded the patient's presenting complaint(s), medication information, and mental health details on a patient summary sheet. Results: Among these 218 patients, 39.9% (87/218) were correctly classified as depressed by their GP. Detection of depressive symptomatology was associated with patients who acknowledged taking sleeping tablets (OR = 2.6, 95% CI = 1.3–5.4), had CES-D scores indicative of major depression (≥ 22) (OR = 2.8, 95% CI = 1.4–5.6) and were thought to be at risk for suicide (OR = 35.1, 95% CI = 4.5–274.2). Conclusions: While GPs are most apt to detect depression among older patients with prominent mental health symptoms, many patients in this age group silently experience significant depressive symptomatology and miss the opportunity for effective treatment. The routine use of screening tools in primary care is recommended to enhance the detection rate of depression in older adults.

Alcohol use among older adults

2010 ◽  
Vol 20 (1) ◽  
pp. 56-68 ◽  
Author(s):  
Philip D St John ◽  
Wanda M Snow ◽  
Suzanne L Tyas
Keyword(s):  
Older Adults ◽  
Alcohol Consumption ◽  
Alcohol Use ◽  
Alcohol Intake ◽  
Alcohol Misuse ◽  
Heavy Episodic Drinking ◽  
Policy Makers ◽  
Alcohol Interventions ◽  
Screening Questionnaires ◽  
Moderate Alcohol Intake

SummaryAlcohol use is common in older adults and is associated with numerous health and social problems. Recent evidence suggests that in addition to level of alcohol consumption, drinking pattern may also be important. Moderate alcohol intake may confer some cardiac benefits, while heavy episodic drinking seems particularly problematic. Detecting alcohol misuse in older adults is difficult since clinical acumen is often poor, screening questionnaires have serious limitations and laboratory tests are not diagnostic. Brief alcohol interventions to reduce alcohol consumption appear useful in younger populations, but are less studied in older adults. While there is increasing research into the issue of alcohol use among older adults, clinicians and policy-makers must rely on limited evidence when making clinical decisions.

scholarly journals Psychometric Properties of NASA-TLX and Index of Cognitive Activity as Measures of Cognitive Workload in Older Adults

2020 ◽  
Vol 10 (12) ◽  
pp. 994
Author(s):  
Hannes Devos ◽  
Kathleen Gustafson ◽  
Pedram Ahmadnezhad ◽  
Ke Liao ◽  
Jonathan D. Mahnken ◽  
...  
Keyword(s):  
Older Adults ◽  
Cognitive Activity ◽  
Event Related Potentials ◽  
Self Report ◽  
Cognitive Workload ◽  
Wide Range ◽  
Related Potentials ◽  
The Mean ◽  
Nasa Tlx ◽  
Index Of Cognitive Activity

Cognitive workload is increasingly recognized as an important determinant of performance in cognitive tests and daily life activities. Cognitive workload is a measure of physical and mental effort allocation to a task, which can be determined through self-report or physiological measures. However, the reliability and validity of these measures have not been established in older adults with a wide range of cognitive ability. The aim of this study was to establish the test–retest reliability of the National Aeronautics and Space Administration Task Load Index (NASA-TLX) and Index of Cognitive Activity (ICA), extracted from pupillary size. The convergent validity of these measures against event-related potentials (ERPs) was also investigated. A total of 38 individuals with scores on the Montreal Cognitive Assessment ranging between 17 and 30 completed a working memory test (n-back) with three levels of difficulty at baseline and at a two-week follow-up. The intraclass correlation coefficients (ICC) values of the NASA-TLX ranged between 0.71 and 0.81, demonstrating good to excellent reliability. The mean ICA scores showed fair to good reliability, with ICCs ranging between 0.56 and 0.73. The mean ICA and NASA-TLX scores showed significant and moderate correlations (Pearson’s r ranging between 0.30 and 0.33) with the third positive peak of the ERP at the midline channels. We conclude that ICA and NASA-TLX are reliable measures of cognitive workload in older adults. Further research is needed in dissecting the subjective and objective constructs of cognitive workload.

Comparison of Self-Report of Dysphagia Using the Eating Assessment Tool and the Sydney Swallowing Questionnaire in Community Dwelling Older Adults

2021 ◽  
pp. 1-7
Author(s):  
Aarthi Madhavan ◽  
Nicole Shuman ◽  
Claire Snyder ◽  
Nicole Etter
Keyword(s):  
Older Adults ◽  
Assessment Tool ◽  
Community Dwelling ◽  
Self Report ◽  
Screening Tools ◽  
Medical Diagnoses ◽  
Age Related ◽  
Swallowing Problems ◽  
Patient Reported ◽  
Community Dwelling Older Adults

Purpose Patient-reported outcomes (PROs) are an important feature in clinical evaluation of swallowing. The Eating Assessment Tool (EAT-10) and the Sydney Swallow Questionnaire (SSQ) are two validated dysphagia PROs commonly used in healthy older adult populations as screening tools for swallowing problems. The purpose of this study is to compare the consistency of the EAT-10 and SSQ scores for self-reported swallowing difficulties in a group of community-dwelling older adults (CDOA) completing both questionnaires. Method A total of 316 individuals over the age of 60 years completed the EAT-10, SSQ, and provided demographic data, including a self-report of any medical diagnoses. Participants were excluded if they had any diagnoses known to cause dysphagia. Questionnaire responses were analyzed for frequencies of responses across all participants. Results Seventy-five participants were identified as having dysphagia by the EAT-10 (23.7%), while 30 participants were identified by the SSQ (9.49%). When comparing the results of the two assessments, the scales agreed on 289 out of 316 participants (91%). There was a disagreement on the results in 27 of the 316 participants, with 26 of these self-reporting dysphagia symptoms on the EAT-10 but not on the SSQ. Conclusions Two commonly used dysphagia PROs resulted in different prevalence rates of self-reported dysphagia in a group of CDOA. CDOAs may need questionnaires specifically validated for them with special consideration for specific age-related risk factors, to ensure accurate early identification.

Screening broad beans (Vicia faba) for magnesium deficiency. I. Growth characteristics, visual deficiency symptoms and plant nutritional status

2004 ◽  
Vol 31 (5) ◽  
pp. 529 ◽  
Author(s):  
Yuda Hariadi ◽  
Sergey Shabala
Keyword(s):  
Vicia Faba ◽  
Growth Characteristics ◽  
Screening Tools ◽  
Diagnostic Tools ◽  
Pigment Analysis ◽  
Plant Yield ◽  
Mg Deficiency ◽  
Deficiency Symptoms ◽  
Broad Beans ◽  
Wide Range

We used broad beans (Vicia faba L.) as a case study to characterise the development of magnesium (Mg) deficiency symptoms in plants and make a comparative evaluation of the suitability of various physiological characteristics as prospective tools for early diagnosis of Mg deficiency. Growth characteristics were measured at monthly intervals from plants grown in soil solution with a wide range of Mg concentrations (from 1 to 200 ppm). The data were then correlated with plant yield responses, pigment composition and nutrient content in leaves, as well as with visual deficiency symptoms. At the age of 4 weeks, no visual symptoms of deficiency were evident even for plants grown at 1 ppm (severe Mg deficiency). Shoot growth characteristics were very similar for a wide range of treatments, although a pronounced difference in plant yield was observed at the end of the experiment. It appears that neither plant biomass nor leaf area are good indicators for use as diagnostic tools for detection of Mg deficiency in broad beans. Although pigment analysis revealed some difference between treatments, at no age was it possible to distinguish between moderately Mg-deficient (10 or 20 ppm) and sufficient (50–80 ppm) treatments. Leaf elemental analysis for Mg content remained the most sensitive and accurate indicator of Mg deficiency in broad beans. However, it is unsuitable for screening purposes as it is both costly and time-consuming. There is a need for less expensive but effective, rapid screening tools of Mg deficiency in crops at early stages of plant ontogeny.

Longitudinal dimensions of alcohol consumption and dietary intake in the Framingham Heart Study Offspring Cohort (1971–2008)

2020 ◽  
pp. 1-10
Author(s):  
Niyati Parekh ◽  
Yong Lin ◽  
Melany Chan ◽  
Filippa Juul ◽  
Nour Makarem
Keyword(s):  
Alcohol Consumption ◽  
Dietary Intake ◽  
Adult Life ◽  
Epidemiological Studies ◽  
Drinking Patterns ◽  
Mixed Effect ◽  
Sugary Drinks ◽  
Significant Difference ◽  
Binge Drinkers ◽  
Drinking Frequency

Abstract Existing studies addressing alcohol consumption have not captured the multidimensionality of drinking patterns, including drinking frequency, binge drinking, beverage preference and changes in these measures across the adult life course. We examined longitudinal trends in drinking patterns and their association with diet over four decades in ageing US adults from the Framingham Offspring Study (n 4956; baseline mean age 36·2 years). Alcohol intake (drinks/week, drinking frequency, beverage-specific consumption, drinks/occasion) was assessed quadrennially from examinations 1 to 8. Participants were classified as binge drinkers, moderate drinkers or heavy drinkers (4+ and 5+ drinks/occasion; ≤1 and ≤2 drinks/d and >7 and >14 drinks/week for women and men, respectively). Dietary data were collected by a FFQ from examinations 5 to 8 (1991–2008). We evaluated trends in drinking patterns using linear mixed effect models and compared dietary intake across drinking patterns using heterogeneous variance models. Alcohol consumption decreased from 1971 to 2008 (3·7 v. 2·2 oz/week; P < 0·05). The proportion of moderate (66 v. 59·3 %), heavy (18·4 v. 10·5 %) and binge drinkers (40·0 v. 12·3 %) declined (P < 0·05). While average wine consumption increased (1·4 v. 2·2 drinks/week), beer (3·4 v. 1·5 drinks/week) and cocktail intake (2·8 v. 1·2 drinks/week) decreased. Non-binge drinkers consumed less sugary drinks and more whole grains than binge drinkers, and the latter consumed more total fat across all examinations (P < 0·05). There was a significant difference in consumption trends of total grains by drinking level (P < 0·05). In conclusion, alcohol drinking patterns are unstable throughout adulthood. Higher intakes were generally associated with poorer diets. These analyses support the nuanced characterisation of alcohol consumption in epidemiological studies.

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.

Biological Markers of Substance Use

2015 ◽  
Author(s):  
Lawrence D. Snell ◽  
Sanjiv V. Bhave ◽  
Laszlo Takacs ◽  
Boris Tabakoff
Keyword(s):  
Alcohol Consumption ◽  
Diagnostic Tests ◽  
Insurance Coverage ◽  
Health And Safety ◽  
Legal Issues ◽  
Self Report ◽  
Diagnostic Tools ◽  
Clinical Settings ◽  
History Of ◽  
Public Health And Safety

Ascertaining an individual’s history of alcohol consumption is an important component in the proper treatment of accidental trauma or acute or chronic illness, as well as for matters of public health and safety, legal issues, insurance coverage, and the management of and recovery from hazardous/harmful levels of alcohol consumption. Although self-report of alcohol consumption in both research and clinical settings represents the most common mode of assessment, there is long-standing interest in developing objective measures of alcohol consumption that do not rely on the ability or willingness of a person to truthfully report consumption. Biologic diagnostic tests or biomarkers can provide information on current and past quantity and frequency of alcohol consumption. This chapter discusses and evaluates many of the biomarker candidates that have been investigated and provides insights into future searches for optimal diagnostic tools to provide biologic evidence of duration, quantity, and frequency of individual alcohol consumption. We have included a limited discussion of biomarkers for assessing cannabis use since cannabis and alcohol use many times are a concomitant feature of intoxication.

Validation of the MedUseQ: A Self-Administered Screener for Older Adults to Assess Medication Use Problems

2018 ◽  
Vol 32 (5) ◽  
pp. 509-523
Author(s):  
Rebecca L. Berman ◽  
Madelyn Iris ◽  
Kendon J. Conrad ◽  
Carrie Robinson
Keyword(s):  
Older Adults ◽  
Phase 1 ◽  
Medication Use ◽  
Community Dwelling ◽  
Screening Tools ◽  
Nonprescription Drugs ◽  
Patient Centered ◽  
Convenience Sample ◽  
Study Objective ◽  
Wide Range

Background: Older adults taking multiple prescription and nonprescription drugs are at risk for medication use problems, yet there are few brief, self-administered screening tools designed specifically for them. Objective: The study objective was to develop and validate a patient-centered screener for community-dwelling older adults. Methods: In phase 1, a convenience sample of 57 stakeholders (older adults, pharmacists, nurses, and physicians) participated in concept mapping, using Concept System® Global MAXTM, to identify items for a questionnaire. In phase 2, a 40-item questionnaire was tested with a convenience sample of 377 adults and a 24-item version was tested with 306 older adults, aged 55 and older, using Rasch methodology. In phase 3, stakeholder focus groups provided feedback on the format of questionnaire materials and recommended strategies for addressing problems. Results: The concept map contained 72 statements organized into 6 conceptual clusters or domains. The 24-item screener was unidimensional. Cronbach's alpha was .87, person reliability was acceptable (.74), and item reliability was high (.96). Conclusion: The MedUseQ is a validated, patient-centered tool targeting older adults that can be used to assess a wide range of medication use problems in clinical and community settings and to identify areas for education, intervention, or further assessment.

scholarly journals Screening for mood disorders after stroke: a systematic review of psychometric properties and clinical utility

2014 ◽  
Vol 45 (1) ◽  
pp. 29-49 ◽  
Author(s):  
L.-J. Burton ◽  
S. Tyson
Keyword(s):  
Psychometric Properties ◽  
Clinical Utility ◽  
Geriatric Depression Scale ◽  
Depression Scale ◽  
Self Report ◽  
Screening Tools ◽  
Stroke Survivors ◽  
Communication Problems ◽  
Wide Range ◽  
Patient Health

BackgroundRoutine mood screening is recommended after stroke. However, clinicians report difficulty selecting appropriate tools from the wide range available. We aimed to systematically review the psychometric properties and clinical utility of mood screening tools for stroke survivors.MethodElectronic databases (AMED, EMBASE, CINAHL, Medline and PsycINFO) were searched to identify studies assessing the sensitivity and specificity of mood screening tools. Tools that demonstrated at least 80% sensitivity and 60% specificity with stroke survivors with identifiable cut-off scores indicating major and/or any mood disorder in at least one study were selected and clinical utility was assessed. Those with high clinical utility (against predefined criteria) were selected for recommendation.ResultsThirty papers examining 27 screening tools were identified and 16 tools met the psychometric and clinical utility criteria: 10 were verbal self-report tools, four were observational and two incorporated visual prompts for those with communication problems. Only the Stroke Aphasic Depression Questionnaire –Hospital version (SADQ-H) met all the psychometric and utility criteria. The nine-item Patient Health Questionnaire (PHQ-9) can detect major depression and the 15-item Geriatric Depression Scale (GDS-15) can identify milder symptoms; both are feasible to use in clinical practice. The Hospital Anxiety and Depression Scale (HADS) was the only tool able to identify anxiety accurately, but clinical utility was mixed.ConclusionsValid and clinically feasible mood screening tools for stroke have been identified but methodological inconsistency prevented recommendations about the optimal cut-off scores.

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