scholarly journals The Effect of High-Density Built Environments on Elderly Individuals’ Physical Health: A Cross-Sectional Study in Guangzhou, China

Author(s):  
Rongrong Zhang ◽  
Song Liu ◽  
Ming Li ◽  
Xiong He ◽  
Chunshan Zhou

The built environment refers to the objective material environment built by humans in cities for living and production activities. Existing studies have proven that the built environment plays a significant role in human health, but little attention is paid to the elderly in this regard. At the same time, existing studies are mainly concentrated in Western developed countries, and there are few empirical studies in developing countries such as China. Based on POI (point of interest) data and 882 questionnaires collected from 20 neighborhoods in Guangzhou, we employ multilevel linear regression modeling, mediating effect modeling, to explore the path and mechanism of the impact of the built environment on elderly individuals’ physical health, especially the mediating effects of physical and social interaction activity. The results show that the number of POIs, the distance to the nearest park and square, and the number of parks and squares are significantly positively correlated with the physical health of the elderly, while the number of bus and subway stations and the distance to the nearest station are significantly negatively correlated. Secondly, physical activity and social networks play a separate role in mediating the effect of the built environment on elderly individuals’ physical health. The results enrich the research on the built environment and elderly individuals’ health in the context of high-density cities in China and provide some reference basis for actively promoting spatial intervention and cultivating a healthy aging society.

Author(s):  
Chul-Ho BUM ◽  
John Arthur JOHNSON ◽  
Chulhwan CHOI

Background: Leisure activities contribute to a healthy retirement and increase the life satisfaction of the elderly, who may suffer from a stronger sense of emotional isolation, depression, and loneliness. Methods: A total of 397 elderly Koreans aged 65 and over participated in this study on the differences in healthy aging and happiness depending on type of leisure activity (i.e., active, passive, and social activities). A cross-sectional survey design with a purposive sampling method to collect data were employed. SPSS 23.0 was used to conduct descriptive statistics analysis, reliability analysis, validity analysis, and one-way MANOVA. Results: In terms of social health, the passive leisure participants had relatively lower mean scores than the other two groups. For the physical health factor, the active leisure participants had higher mean scores. There were no statistically significant differences in the levels of psychological health and happiness with life for the elderly participating in the active, passive, and social leisure activities. This study found that only active leisure activities help the elderly to enjoy their old age by increasing their physical health, indicating that the dissatisfaction and unhappiness incurred with the natural aging process can only be offset by a physical lifestyle. Furthermore, passive leisure activities that are enjoyed alone may impede a socially-healthy aging process. Conclusion: While all forms of leisure activity can provide emotional stability, active leisure activity was deemed the most important in this study, as it helped resolve the most significant hurdle to maintaining health.


2014 ◽  
Vol 35 (4) ◽  
pp. 305-315 ◽  
Author(s):  
Panagiotis Gkorezis ◽  
Eugenia Petridou ◽  
Panteleimon Xanthiakos

Purpose – Leader-member exchange (LMX) has been proposed as a core mechanism which accounts for the impact of various antecedents on employee outcomes. As such, the purpose of this paper is to examine the mediating effect of LMX regarding the relationship between leader positive humor and employees’ perceptions of organizational cynicism. Design/methodology/approach – Data were collected from 114 public employees. In order to examine the authors’ hypotheses hierarchical regression analysis was conducted. Findings – As hypothesized, results demonstrated that LMX mediates the relationship between leader positive humor and organizational cynicism. Research limitations/implications – Data were drawn from public employees and, therefore, this may constrain the generalizability of the results. Also, the cross-sectional analysis of the data cannot directly assess causality. Originality/value – This is the first empirical study to examine the mediating effect of LMX in the relationship between leader humor and employees’ perceptions of organizational cynicism.


2013 ◽  
Vol 16 (1) ◽  
pp. 117-126 ◽  
Author(s):  
Mariana Martinez Orlando ◽  
Maria Stella Peccin da Silva ◽  
Império Lombardi Junior

INTRODUCTION: Ageing has become a huge public health challenge due to the need to find solutions for improving quality of life. OBJECTIVE: This study aimed to assess quality of life, muscle strength, balance and physical capacity among elderly practitioners and non-practitioners of physical activity. MATERIALS AND METHODS: An observational, cross-sectional study was carried out involving 74 elderly individuals in the city of Santos (state of São Paulo, Brazil), divided into two groups: practitioners and non-practitioners of physical activity. The International Physical Activity Questionnaire was used for the classification of the participants. The generic SF-36 questionnaire was used to assess quality of life. The Berg scale was used for the analysis of balance. Dynamometry was used for the muscle strength test. The six-minute walk test was used for the assessment of physical capacity. RESULTS: Significant differences were found between elderly practitioners and non-practitioners of physical activity regarding quality of life (p = 0.001), muscle strength (p = 0.001), balance (p = 0.001) and physical capacity (p = 0.001). The data also showed that aspects of quality of life were strongly correlated with physical capacity among the non-practitioners of physical activity (r = 0.741). CONCLUSION: Elderly individuals in the city of Santos (Brazil) who practice physical activity have better quality of life, muscle strength, physical capacity and balance in comparison to those who do not practice physical activity.


2018 ◽  
Vol 10 (11) ◽  
pp. 3918 ◽  
Author(s):  
Lovro Štefan ◽  
Vlatko Vučetić ◽  
Goran Vrgoč ◽  
Goran Sporiš

The main purpose of the present study was to explore the associations of sleep duration and sleep quality with self-rated health. In this cross-sectional study, participants were 894 elderly individuals. Self-rated health, sleep duration, and sleep quality were self-reported. The associations were examined using multiple logistic regression analyses.After adjusting for sex, physical activity, smoking consumption, alcohol consumption, psychological distress, socioeconomic status, and chronic disease/s, sleeping <6 h (OR (Odds ratio) = 3.21; 95% CI (95 percent confident interval) 1.61 to 6.39), 6–7 h (OR = 2.47; 95% CI 1.40 to 4.36), 8–9 h (OR = 3.26; 95% CI 1.82 to 5.83), and >9 h (OR = 3.62; 95% CI 1.57 to 8.34) and having ‘poor’ sleep quality (≥5 points; OR = 2.33; 95% CI 1.46 to 3.73) were associated with ‘poor’ self-rated health. When sleep duration and sleep quality were entered simultaneously into the model, the same associations remained. Our findings provide evidence that both ‘short’ and ‘long’ sleep and ‘poor’ sleep quality are associated with ‘poor’ self-rated health. Thus, interventions that promote healthy sleep hygiene in the elderly are warranted.


Author(s):  
Kashifa Yasmin ◽  
Prof. Dr. Najib Ahmad Marzuki

<p><em>Shortage of the nurses is an important issue in the developing and developed countries. The aim of this paper is to determine the impact of organizational commitment on intention to quit among psychiatric nurses. Based on the model of casual turnover this study assessed the direct effect of organizational commitment on nurse’s intention to quit. The cross sectional data was collected from three hundred five nurses of psychiatric hospitals in Punjab, Pakistan. Structural equation modeling was applied to achieve the objectives. The results revealed that affective commitment and normative commitment have significant impact while continuous commitment has not significant effect on nurse’s intention to quit.  So, the commitment of nurse to hospital goals, missions, and values is not enough to predict her intention to quit from job in the hospital. This study recommends that, the government and policy makers should look beyond forces in their internal and external environment, when considering how to reduce employee’s turnover intentions. This study recommends that future researchers should examine the impact of work environment on intention to quit though burnout as a unit variable. This study contributes socially and economically.</em></p><p><em> </em></p>


2021 ◽  
Vol 1 (1) ◽  
pp. 66
Author(s):  
Anggun Tsabitah Rachmah ◽  
Noer Saelan Tadjudin

Pemerintah Indonesia selama pandemi COVID-19 menerapkan PSBB (Pembatasan Sosial Berskala Besar) dimana PSBB tersebut membuat aktivitas masyarakat dibatasi, dampaknya juga bisa dirasakan pada lansia di Panti Wreda sehingga dapat menyebabkan timbulnya gangguan depresi. Penelitian ini bertujuan untuk mengetahui hubungan pandemi COVID-19 dan PSBB dengan gangguan depresi pada lansia di Panti Wreda Hana Ciputat Jakarta. Penelitian ini menggunakan metode analitik observational dengan desain studi cross sectional. Penelitian ini dilakukan di Panti Wreda Hana Ciputat Jakarta terhadap lansia sejumlah 56 subjek penelitian yang terdiri dari perempuan 48 orang dan laki-laki 8 orang. Dari 56 subjek penelitian jumlah laki-laki 8 (14,3%) dan perempuan 48 (85,7%). Sebelum terjadinya pandemi COVID-19 dan PSBB, subjek penelitian yang tidak depresi sejumlah 49 subjek (87,5 %), kemungkinan besar depresi 6 subjek (10,7%), dan yang mengalami depresi 1 subjek (1,8%). Selama pandemi COVID19 dan PSBB, subjek penelitian yang tidak depresi 38 subjek (67,9%), kemungkinan besar depresi 14 subjek (25%), dan yang mengalami depresi 4 subjek (7,1%). Berdasarkan hasil uji Chi-square nilai p= 0,000. Dapat disimpulkan terdapat hubungan pandemi COVID-19 dan PSBB dengan gangguan depresi pada lansia di Panti Wreda Hana Ciputat Jakarta. The Government of Indonesia during the COVID-19 pandemic implemented PSBB (Large-Scale Social Restrictions) where the PSBB made community activities restricted, the impact can also be felt on the elderly in nursing home so that it can cause depressive disorders. This research was done in order to determine the relationship of the COVID-19 pandemic and PSBB with depressive disorders in the elderly at the Ciputat Hana Nursing Home in Jakarta. This study used an observational analytic method with a cross sectional study design. The research was conducted at the Ciputat Hana Nursing Home in Jakarta for 56 elderly subjects. In the nursing home consist of 48 women and 8 men. In 56 research subjects, there were 8 (14,3%) men and 48 (85,7%) women. Before the Pandemic of COVID-19 and PSBB, there were 49 (87,5%) research subjects who were not depressed, 6 (10,7%) research subjects who were most likely depressed, and 1 (1,8%) research subject who were depressed. During the Pandemic of COVID-19 and PSBB, there were 38 (67,9%) research subjects who were not depressed, 14 (25%) research subjects who were most likely depressed, and 4 (7,1%) research subjects who were depressed. Based on Chi-Square test result, the value of P = 0,000. In conclusion, there is a correlation between the pandemic of COVID-19 and PSBB with depression disorder in the elderly at Ciputat Hana Nursing Home in Jakarta.


PeerJ ◽  
2020 ◽  
Vol 8 ◽  
pp. e8365 ◽  
Author(s):  
Yanfang Peng ◽  
Qin Zhu ◽  
Biye Wang ◽  
Jie Ren

Background Working memory updating (WMU), a controlled process to continuously adapt to the changing task demand and environment, is crucial for cognitive executive function. Although previous studies have shown that the elderly were more susceptible to cognitive interference than the youngsters, the picture of age-related deterioration of WMU is incomplete due to lack of study on people at their middle ages. Thus, the present study investigated the impact of age on the WMU among adults by a cross-sectional design to verify whether inefficiency interference control accounts for the aging of WMU. Methods In total, 112 healthy adults were recruited for this study; 28 old adults (21 female) ranging from 60 to 78 years of age; 28 middle-age adults (25 female) ranging from 45 to 59 years of age; 28 adults (11 female) ranging from 26 to 44 years of age; and 28 young adults (26 female) ranging from 18 to 25 years of age. Each participant completed a 1-back task. The inverse efficiency score was calculated in various sequences of three trials in a row to quantify the performance of WMU for adults of various ages. Results Inverse efficiency score of both young groups (young adult and adult) were significantly shorter than the old group in both Repeat-Alternate (RA, including □□○ and ○○□) and Alternate-Alternate (AA, including ○□○ and □○□) sequential patterns and they were additionally better than the middle-age group in AA sequential pattern. Conclusion With the increase of difficulty in the task, the difference in reactive interference control between young and middle age was gradually revealed, while the difference between young and old remained to apparent. The degradation of WMU aging may begin from middle-age and presents selective impairment in that only reactive interference control, but not proactive interference control, shows pronounced age-related decline. The preliminary results can inform future studies to further explore the whole lifespan trajectories of cognitive functions.


2018 ◽  
Vol 8 (2) ◽  
pp. 107-111 ◽  
Author(s):  
Waris Qidwai ◽  
Imdad Ali Khushk ◽  
Fizzah Farooq ◽  
Muhammad Yusuf Hafiz ◽  
Kashmira Nanji

Background: Worldwide, some one million people pass the sixty year old threshold every month (Ageing, WHO). Between 2010 and 2050, the number of older people in less developed countries is projected to increase. Methods: Cross-sectional study conducted in Outpatient clinics (OPD) of two hospitals in Karachi from April to May 2013. Elderly (> 60 years of age) visiting the clinics were consecutively recruited. 477 elderly were approached and a pretested, structured questionnaire was used to obtain information. Data was analyzed using SPSS version 19 and Pearson chi-square test was used to identify the factors related to choosing of "Old Age Homes". Results: A total of 400 participants were selected. Fifty-five percent of the elderly were in between 60 to 65 years of age and majority was males 54.8 percent. Elderly were aware of the presence of "Old Age Homes" in Pakistan, however only 7 percent choose to live in there. The main reason was found to be that the elderly did not want to go away from their families and loved ones. Conclusion: In conclusion, majority of the participants felt insecure to live in a home with strangers. However, "Old Age Homes" were preferred choice for those with chronic diseases or those living alone. Media should initiate public education programs to reduce social stigmas in seeking alternate long-term care services outside of the family.


2021 ◽  
Vol 124 ◽  
pp. 03006
Author(s):  
Abdul Mutalib Embong ◽  
Norzamziah Afzainizam ◽  
Mariati Norhashim ◽  
Amirsaman Ahmadi

Population ageing; where there is growth in the percentage of older persons in the population; is becoming a worldwide phenomenon due to better healthcare and lower birth rates. The phenomenon of population ageing brings with it both challenges and opportunities. The challenges of an ageing population include social, health and economic support of the elderly. Malaysia is recognizing the need to address this issue of financially supporting an ageing population. The purpose of the paper was to investigate the impact of business on the financial well-being (FWB) of the ageing, specifically the government retirees. A questionnaire-based survey was conducted among retirees who were in business throughout Malaysia that employed a cross sectional design. Forty-one respondents were successfully interviewed. Statistical procedures for the analyses included descriptive analysis and a profile analysis using scatterplot on the perceived business performance vs financial well-being. The survey revealed that the majority of the respondents operated business in the services, trade or retail industries which were set up and fully owned by themselves. Resource wise, the majority had very low financial capital, human capital and social capital. The study provides some empirical evidence that the retirees in business may be categorized into opportunity driven and necessity driven groups. The paper concludes that there is a need to find alternative income generation methods for the necessity driven group. Making paid work accessible to the elderly must be urgently put on the national agenda.


2022 ◽  
Vol 8 ◽  
Author(s):  
Yifan Zhou ◽  
Yanping Hu ◽  
Jianfeng Luo ◽  
Yinwen Li ◽  
Haiyun Liu ◽  
...  

Introduction: Previous studies have suggested that sensory loss is linked to falls. However, most of these studies were cross-sectional designed, focused on single sensory loss, and were conducted in developed countries with mixed results. The current study aims to investigate the longitudinal relationship between hearing loss (HL), vision loss (VL) and dual sensory loss (DSL) with falls among middle-aged and older Chinese population over 7 years.Methods: The data was obtained from the China Health and Retirement Longitudinal Survey (CHARLS). In total, 7,623 Chinese older adults aged over 45 were included at baseline 2011 in this study. Self-reported falls and HL/VL/DSL were accepted. Other confounding variables included age, sex, BMI, educational level, marital status, various physical disorders and lifestyles. The impact of baseline sensory status on baseline prevalence of falls and incident falls over 7 years were assessed using logistic regression analyses. A logistic mixed model was used to assess the association between time-varying sensory loss with incident falls over 7 years after adjusted with multi-confounding factors.Results: Single and dual sensory loss groups had significantly higher prevalence of falls compared to no sensory loss (NSL) group (DSL: 22.4%, HL: 17.4%, VL: 15.7%, NSL: 12.3%). Baseline HL (OR: 1.503, 95% CI: 1.240–1.820), VL (OR: 1.330, 95% CI: 1.075–1.646) and DSL (OR: 2.061, 95% CI: 1.768–2.404) were significantly associated with prevalence of falls. For longitudinal observation over 7 years, baseline HL/DSL and persistence of all types of sensory loss were associated with incidence of falls. Time-varying HL (OR: 1.203, 95% CI: 1.070–1.354) and DSL (OR: 1.479, 95% CI: 1.343–1.629) were associated with incident falls after adjusted with multi-confounders, while VL was not.Conclusion: HL and DSL are significantly associated with both onset and increased incidence of falls over 7 year's observation in middle-aged and elderly Chinese population. Persistence or amelioration of sensory loss status could exert divergent influences on incidence of falls, which should be considered in the development of falls-prevention public health policies for aging population.


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