scholarly journals A Clinical Bridge between Family Caregivers and Older Adults: The Contribution of Patients’ Frailty and Optimism on Caregiver Burden

2021 ◽  
Vol 18 (7) ◽  
pp. 3406
Author(s):  
Alberto Sardella ◽  
Vittorio Lenzo ◽  
Angela Alibrandi ◽  
Antonino Catalano ◽  
Francesco Corica ◽  
...  
Keyword(s):  
Older Adults ◽  
Family Caregivers ◽  
Caregiver Burden ◽  
Frailty Index ◽  
Dispositional Optimism ◽  
Related Factors ◽  
Life Orientation Test ◽  
Life Orientation ◽  
Frailty Status ◽  
Personal Time

The association between caregiver burden and the physical frailty of older adults has been the object of previous studies. The contribution of patients’ dispositional optimism on caregiver burden is a poorly investigated topic. The present study aimed at investigating whether older adults’ multidimensional frailty and optimism might contribute to the burden of their family caregivers. The Caregiver Burden Inventory was used to measure the care-related burden of caregivers. The multidimensional frailty status of each patient was evaluated by calculating a frailty index, and the revised Life Orientation Test was used to evaluate patients’ dispositional optimism. The study involved eighty family caregivers (mean age 64.28 ± 8.6) and eighty older patients (mean age 80.45 ± 7.13). Our results showed that higher frailty status and lower levels of optimism among patients were significantly associated with higher levels of overall burden and higher burden related to the restriction of personal time among caregivers. Patients’ frailty was additionally associated with caregivers’ greater feelings of failure, physical stress, role conflicts, and embarrassment. Understanding the close connection between patient-related factors and the burden of caregivers appears to be an actual challenge with significant clinical, social, and public health implications.

scholarly journals Dispositional Optimism and Context Sensitivity: Psychological Contributors to Frailty Status Among Elderly Outpatients

2021 ◽  
Vol 11 ◽  
Author(s):  
Alberto Sardella ◽  
Vittorio Lenzo ◽  
George A. Bonanno ◽  
Gabriella Martino ◽  
Giorgio Basile ◽  
...  
Keyword(s):  
Gait Speed ◽  
Frailty Index ◽  
Dispositional Optimism ◽  
Context Sensitivity ◽  
University Hospital ◽  
Physical Factors ◽  
Sensitivity Index ◽  
Life Orientation Test ◽  
Frailty Status ◽  
Elderly Outpatients

The association of resilience-related factors with frailty is a recent research topic. Dispositional optimism and context sensitivity are two psychological factors that differently contribute to individual resilience. This study aimed at investigating whether dispositional optimism and context sensitivity might contribute to a multifactorial model of frailty, together with established relevant factors such as cognitive and physical factors. This cross-sectional study involved 141 elderly outpatients (42 males and 99 females) aged ≥65 years, who were referred to the Geriatrics and Multidimensional Evaluation Clinic of the University Hospital of Messina. We used the following measures: the Mini-Mental State Examination (MMSE) to screen for global cognitive functioning; 4-m gait speed and handgrip strength to measure physical performance; a 35-item Frailty Index (FI) to evaluate patients’ frailty status; the revised Life Orientation Test (LOT-R) to gauge dispositional optimism; and the Context Sensitivity Index (CSI) to measure context sensitivity. We found that LOT-R (β = −0.190, p = 0.038), CSI (β = −0.191, p = 0.035), and MMSE (β = −0.466, p < 0.001) were all significantly associated with FI. Gait speed was only marginally associated with FI (β = −0.184, p = 0.053). The present study showed a novel association of dispositional optimism and context sensitivity with frailty among elderly outpatients. These preliminary findings support a multidimensional approach to frailty in which even peculiar psychological features might provide a significant contribution.

Dispositional Optimism and Well-Being in College Students: Self-Efficacy as a Mediator

2018 ◽  
Vol 46 (5) ◽  
pp. 783-792 ◽  
Author(s):  
Yulan Yu ◽  
Jun Luo
Keyword(s):  
College Students ◽  
Self Efficacy ◽  
Dispositional Optimism ◽  
Well Being ◽  
Mediating Effect ◽  
Subjective Well Being ◽  
Life Orientation Test ◽  
Life Orientation ◽  
General Self Efficacy ◽  
Orientation Test

We used the General Self-Efficacy Scale, the Life Orientation Test Revised, and the Revised Oxford Happiness Scale to investigate the correlations among dispositional optimism, self-efficacy, and subjective well-being in 2,578 college students. The results showed that self-efficacy, dispositional optimism, and well-being were significantly positively correlated with one another. In addition, the influence of dispositional optimism on subjective well-being was partially mediated by self-efficacy, with the mediating effect accounting for 31.6% of the total effect.

The Patterns of Caregiving Activities for Family Caregivers of Older Adults in Hong Kong: An Exploratory Latent Class Analysis

2020 ◽  
Author(s):  
Jing Huang ◽  
Pui Hing Chau ◽  
Edmond Pui Hang Choi ◽  
Bei Wu ◽  
Vivian W Q Lou
Keyword(s):  
Older Adults ◽  
Hong Kong ◽  
Activities Of Daily Living ◽  
Latent Class Analysis ◽  
Family Caregivers ◽  
Caregiver Burden ◽  
Daily Living ◽  
Latent Class ◽  
Class Analysis ◽  
High Demand

Abstract Objectives This study identified the classes (i.e., patterns) of caregivers’ activities, based on their engagements in caregiving activities, and explored the characteristics and the caregiver burden of these classes. Methods This study was a secondary analysis of a cross-sectional survey on the profiles of family caregivers of older adults in Hong Kong. A latent class analysis approach was adopted to classify family caregivers (N = 932) according to their routine involvements in 17 daily caregiving activities: 6 activities of daily living (ADLs) and 8 instrumental activities of daily living activities (IADLs) in addition to emotional support, decision making, and financial support. Multinomial logistic regression and multiple linear regression illuminated the characteristics of the classes and compared their levels of caregiver burden. Results The family caregivers fell into 5 classes: All-Round Care (High Demand, 19.5%), All-Round Care (Moderate Demand, 8.2%), Predominant IADLs Care (High Demand, 23.8%), Predominant IADLs Care (Moderate Demand, 32.5%), and Minimal ADLs and IADLs Care (Low Demand, 16.0%). These classes exhibited different characteristics in terms of care recipients’ cognitive statuses and caregiver backgrounds. The levels of caregiver burden differed across classes; the All-Round Care (High Demand) class experienced the highest levels of caregiver burden. Discussion This study contributes to existing scholarship by turning away from a predefined category of care tasks to explore the patterns of caregiving activities. By identifying caregiving activity patterns and understanding their associated characteristics and caregiver burden, prioritizing and targeting caregiver support interventions better is possible.

scholarly journals Is there an association between ageist attitudes and frailty?

2019 ◽  
Vol 19 (1) ◽  
Author(s):  
Douglas Salguero ◽  
Juliana Ferri-Guerra ◽  
Nadeem Y. Mohammed ◽  
Dhanya Baskaran ◽  
Raquel Aparicio-Ugarriza ◽  
...  
Keyword(s):  
Older Adults ◽  
Logistic Regression ◽  
Multinomial Logistic Regression ◽  
Frailty Index ◽  
Cross Sectional Study ◽  
Community Dwelling ◽  
Outcome Variable ◽  
Cross Sectional ◽  
Logistic Regression Models ◽  
Frailty Status

Abstract Background Frailty is defined as a state of vulnerability to stressors that is associated with higher morbidity, mortality and healthcare utilization in older adults. Ageism is “a process of systematic stereotyping and discrimination against people because they are old.” Explicit biases involve deliberate or conscious controls, while implicit bias involve unconscious processes. Multiple studies show that self-directed ageism is a risk factor for increased morbidity and mortality. The purpose of this study was to determine whether explicit ageist attitudes are associated with frailty in Veterans. Methods This is a cross-sectional study of Veterans 50 years and older who completed the Kogan’s Attitudes towards Older People Scale (KAOP) scale to assess explicit ageist attitudes and the Implicit Association Test (IAT) to evaluate implicit ageist attitudes from July 2014 through April 2015. We constructed a frailty index (FI) of 44 variables (demographics, comorbidities, number of medications, laboratory tests, and activities of daily living) that was retrospectively applied to the time of completion of the KAOP and IAT. Odds ratios (ORs) and 95% confidence intervals (CIs) were calculated by multinomial logistic regression models with frailty status (robust, prefrail and frail) as the outcome variable, and with KAOP and IAT scores as the independent variables. Age, race, ethnicity, median household income and comorbidities were considered as covariates. Results Patients were 89.76% male, 48.03% White, 87.93% non-Hispanic and the mean age was 60.51 (SD = 7.16) years. The proportion of robust, pre-frail and frail patients was 11.02% (n = 42), 59.58% (n = 227) and 29.40% (n = 112) respectively. The KAOP was completed by 381 and the IAT by 339 participants. In multinomial logistic regression, neither explicit ageist attitudes (KAOP scale score) nor implicit ageist attitudes (IAT) were associated with frailty in community dwelling Veterans after adjusting for covariates: OR = .98 (95% CI = .95–1.01), p = .221, and OR:=.97 (95% CI = .37–2.53), p = .950 respectively. Conclusions This study shows that neither explicit nor implicit ageist attitudes were associated with frailty in community dwelling Veterans. Further longitudinal and larger studies with more diverse samples and measured with other ageism scales should evaluate the independent contribution of ageist attitudes to frailty in older adults.

scholarly journals The association between motor capacity and mobility performance: frailty as a moderator

2019 ◽  
Vol 16 (1) ◽  
Author(s):  
Carl-Philipp Jansen ◽  
Nima Toosizadeh ◽  
M. Jane Mohler ◽  
Bijan Najafi ◽  
Christopher Wendel ◽  
...  
Keyword(s):  
Older Adults ◽  
Frailty Index ◽  
Community Dwelling ◽  
Daily Routine ◽  
Cross Sectional ◽  
Mobility Performance ◽  
Frailty Status ◽  
Walking Performance ◽  
And Performance ◽  
The Relationship

Abstract Background In older adults, the linkage between laboratory-assessed ‘motor capacity’ and ‘mobility performance’ during daily routine is controversial. Understanding factors moderating this relationship could help developing more valid assessment as well as intervention approaches. We investigated whether the association between capacity and performance becomes evident with transition into frailty, that is, whether frailty status moderates their association. Methods We conducted a cross-sectional analysis of the observational Arizona Frailty Cohort Study (ClinicalTrials.gov identifier: NCT01880229) in a community-dwelling cohort in Tucson, Arizona. Participants were N = 112 older adults aged 65 years or older who were categorized as non-frail (n = 40), pre-frail (n = 53) or frail (n = 19) based on the Fried frailty index. Motor capacity was quantified as normal (NWS) and fast walking speed (FWS). Mobility performance was quantified as 1) cumulated physical activity (PA) time and 2) everyday walking performance (average steps per walking bout; maximal number of steps in one walking bout), measured by a motion sensor over a 48 h period. Hierarchical linear regression analyses were performed to evaluate moderation effects. Results Unlike in non-frail persons, the relationship between motor capacity and mobility performance was evident in pre-frail and frail persons, confirming our hypothesis. A moderating effect of frailty status was found for 1) the relationship between both NWS and FWS and maximal number of steps in one bout and 2) NWS and the average steps per bout. No moderation was found for the association between NWS and FWS with cumulated PA. Conclusion In pre-frail and frail persons, motor capacity is associated with everyday walking performance, indicating that functional capacity seems to better represent mobility performance in this impaired population. The limited relationship found in non-frail persons suggests that other factors account for their mobility performance. Our findings may help to inform tailored assessment approaches and interventions taking into consideration a person’s frailty status.

scholarly journals Attitudes of Teenage Mothers towards Pregnancy and Childbirth

2020 ◽  
Vol 17 (4) ◽  
pp. 1411
Author(s):  
Agnieszka Bałanda-Bałdyga ◽  
Anna Bogusława Pilewska-Kozak ◽  
Celina Łepecka-Klusek ◽  
Grażyna Stadnicka ◽  
Beata Dobrowolska
Keyword(s):  
Dispositional Optimism ◽  
Cross Sectional Study ◽  
Teenage Mothers ◽  
Cross Sectional ◽  
Life Orientation Test ◽  
Life Orientation ◽  
Pregnancy And Childbirth ◽  
Early Motherhood ◽  
Age Attitudes ◽  
Orientation Test

The problem of early motherhood is still a serious medical and social problem in many countries around the world. The aim of this study was to analyze the attitudes of teenage mothers towards pregnancy and childbirth. A retrospective cross-sectional study was conducted with the use of an original questionnaire containing a test to measure attitudes on a five-point Likert scale and a Life Orientation Test-Revised (LOT-R) to assess dispositional optimism. The study involved 308 teenage mothers between 13 and 19 years of age. Attitudes of teenage mothers towards pregnancy and childbirth were more often positive (90.6%) than negative (9.4%). Sociodemographic features determining the attitudes of teenage mothers towards both their pregnancy and childbirth included their age, marital status, current occupation, and main source of income. The type of attitude adopted by teenage mothers towards pregnancy and childbirth was significantly related to the level of their dispositional optimism.

Effect of Dispositional Optimism on Comparative Risk Perceptions for Developing Aids

1994 ◽  
Vol 74 (3) ◽  
pp. 843-846 ◽  
Author(s):  
Kevin R. Fontaine
Keyword(s):  
Individual Differences ◽  
Risk Perception ◽  
University Students ◽  
Risk Perceptions ◽  
Dispositional Optimism ◽  
University Student ◽  
Life Orientation Test ◽  
Life Orientation ◽  
Comparative Risk ◽  
Orientation Test

The present study investigated the effects of individual differences along the dimension of dispositional optimism-pessimism on comparative risk perception in relation to the prospect of developing AIDS. 104 university students completed the Life Orientation Test of Scheier and Carver and estimated the likelihood of AIDS happening to themselves and the average university student. A split at the median on the Life Orientation Test divided subjects into optimists and pessimists. Dispositional optimists and pessimists rated their own likelihood of developing AIDS as less than that of the average student. Moreover, subjects classified as optimistic and pessimistic did not differ significantly in their ratings of comparative risk perception.

Female Varsity Athletes’ Perceptions of How They Became Optimistic in Sport

2017 ◽  
Vol 31 (1) ◽  
pp. 30-41 ◽  
Author(s):  
Hayley L. deBeaudrap ◽  
John G.H. Dunn ◽  
Nicholas L. Holt
Keyword(s):  
Early Adulthood ◽  
Personal Narratives ◽  
Dispositional Optimism ◽  
Negative Experiences ◽  
Life Orientation Test ◽  
Life Orientation ◽  
Domain Specific ◽  
Analysis Methodology ◽  
Semistructured Interviews ◽  
Varsity Athletes

The purpose of this study was to explore female varsity athletes’ perceptions of how they developed high levels of dispositional optimism in sport. Eighty-three female varsity athletes completed a domain-specific version of the Life Orientation Test (LOT: Scheier & Carver, 1985). Nine participants (M age = 19.33 years, SD = 1.5) who had high dispositional optimism in sport then completed individual semistructured interviews. Interpretive Phenomenological Analysis methodology was used. Results showed that during childhood, participants perceived that their parents were supportive, provided feedback, and allowed them to have choice over the sports they played. During adolescence, coaches began to play an important role and participants were also able to learn about being optimistic through the positive and negative experiences they encountered. During early adulthood, participants developed personal narratives about the ways in which they approached sport with optimism.

Personal resources and daily life fatigue in caregivers of persons with paraplegia

2014 ◽  
Vol 12 (4) ◽  
pp. 29-40
Author(s):  
Agnieszka Woźniewicz ◽  
Joanna Kalinowska ◽  
Małgorzata Anna Basińska ◽  
Bogdan Pietrulewicz
Keyword(s):  
Family Caregivers ◽  
Sense Of Coherence ◽  
Daily Life ◽  
Assessment Scale ◽  
Personal Resource ◽  
Life Orientation Test ◽  
Life Orientation ◽  
Resource Levels ◽  
Orientation Test ◽  
Individual Examination

Abstract Taking care of a paraplegic may contribute to the caregiver’s fatigue. Sixty family caregivers participated in our study, out of which 30 provided care for paraplegics in hospital, and 30 for paraplegics at home. The Orientation to Life Qestionnaire (SOC-29) was used to measure individual sense of coherence, The Life Orientation Test - Revised for dispositional optimism, The Polish Resiliency Assessment Scale for resiliency, and The Daily Life Fatigue Questionnaire for daily life fatigue. In order to collect data about caregivers an individual examination was applied. People with higher personal resource levels such as sense of coherence, optimism and resiliency are characterized by less severe daily life fatigue.

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