Self-reported health and functional limitations among older people in the Kassena-Nankana District, Ghana

Abstract Background The importance of social and economic capital as predictors of health is widely documented, yet the complexity of interactions between them and effects on older people’s health is still unclear. Combining the material and psychosocial explanations of health, this study explores the potential interactions between social and economic capital in influencing older adults’ health in urban and rural China. Methods Using data from the China Family Panel Survey, physical and mental health in 2018 were regressed on social and economic capital indicators in 2016, controlling for sociodemographic characteristics of 3535 respondents aged 65 and older. Rothman’s synergy index was calculated to investigate potential interaction effects. Results Economic hardships were significantly related to both self-reported health and mental health. Neighborhood cohesion and social participation were significantly associated with mental health for all, bonding trust was significantly associated with mental health for urban older people. We found no significant associations between social capital components and self-reported health. There was an interaction effect between low neighborhood cohesion and economic hardships, and between low social participation and economic hardships, creating an increased burden of poor mental health. The interaction effect between low bonding trust and economic hardships on mental health was apparent only among urban older people. Conclusions Geographical settings are important factors in the complexity between social and economic capital in affecting older health. Intervention efforts directed towards reducing simultaneously multiple dimensions of deprivation, such as poverty, social exclusion, social isolation, could be helpful in improving older people’s health. In materially deprived places, policies to promote health equity by improving social capital but without eliminating poverty may be less effective.

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Perspectives on egressibility of older people with functional limitations

Fire Safety Journal ◽

10.1016/j.firesaf.2021.103509 ◽

2021 ◽

pp. 103509

Author(s):

Erik Smedberg ◽

Gunilla Carlsson ◽

Giedre Gefenaite ◽

Björn Slaug ◽

Steven M. Schmidt ◽

...

Keyword(s):

Older People ◽

Functional Limitations

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306Association between polypharmacy and mortality in the community-dwelling older population: a data linkage study

International Journal of Epidemiology ◽

10.1093/ije/dyab168.675 ◽

2021 ◽

Vol 50 (Supplement_1) ◽

Author(s):

Johan Van der Heyden ◽

Finaba Berete ◽

Brecht Devleesschauwer ◽

Karin De Ridder ◽

Olivier Bruyère ◽

...

Keyword(s):

Older People ◽

Functional Limitations ◽

Critical Evaluation ◽

Community Dwelling ◽

Health Care Use ◽

Mortality Data ◽

Health Interview Survey ◽

Health Interview ◽

Interview Survey ◽

The Impact

Abstract Background Literature findings on the association between polypharmacy and mortality in older people are not consistent. Appropriate tools, making use of linkages, are helpful to investigate this further. Methods Data of participants of the Belgian Health Interview Survey 2013 aged ≥ 65 years (n = 1950) were linked with billing data and 5 year’s mortality follow-up information. Polypharmacy was defined as concomitant use of ≥ 5 medicines in the past 24 hours or ≥ 5 recent prescriptions of reimbursed medicines. The impact of polypharmacy on mortality was assessed through mortality rate ratios (MRR) from a Poisson regression model adjusting for gender, age, multimorbidity, functional limitations and health care use, and including interactions. Results The prevalence of polypharmacy was 38,3%. Age and disability status were effect modifiers in the association between polypharmacy and mortality. Whereas polypharmacy was significantly associated with mortality among people aged 65-79 years (MRR 2.52; 95% CI 1.67-3.80), this was not so for the 80 + (MRR 1.46; 95% CI 0.93-2.29). Polypharmacy was a mortality predictor among people with no/moderate functional limitations (MRR 2,29; 95% CI 1.61-3.25), but not for those with severe functional limitations (MRR 1,22; 95% CI 0.67-2.34). Conclusions By linking health interview survey, billing and mortality data further insights can be gained on the association between polypharmacy and mortality. Key messages A critical evaluation of polypharmacy in older people below 80 years and in people without severe functional limitations may reduce mortality in these population groups.

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Type of Disaster Exposure Affects Functional Limitations of Older People 6 Years Later

The Journals of Gerontology Series A ◽

10.1093/gerona/glz258 ◽

2019 ◽

Vol 75 (11) ◽

pp. 2139-2146

Author(s):

Rachel Pruchno ◽

Maureen Wilson-Genderson ◽

Allison R Heid ◽

Francine P Cartwright

Keyword(s):

Older People ◽

Natural Disasters ◽

Traumatic Stress ◽

Functional Limitations ◽

Hurricane Sandy ◽

Ongoing Research ◽

Property Loss ◽

Traumatic Distress ◽

Independent Effects ◽

Disaster Exposure

Abstract Background Natural disasters, including earthquakes, tsunamis, tornadoes, and hurricanes, are traumatic events that simultaneously affect the lives of many people. Although much is known about the effects that natural disasters have on mental health, little is known about how natural disasters affect physical health. These analyses add to the literature by examining the ways in which four types of disaster exposure (geographic, peri-traumatic stress, personal and property loss, and poststorm hardship) experienced by older people during and after Hurricane Sandy affected functional limitations. Methods We analyzed five waves of data from the ORANJ BOWL panel (“Ongoing Research on Aging in New Jersey: Bettering Opportunities for Wellness in Life”) using multilevel mixed-effects models. Results We found that although peri-traumatic stress and poststorm hardship each had independent effects on functional limitations, the effects of peri-traumatic stress dominated and were evident 6 years after the hurricane. Geographic exposure and personal/property loss were not associated with functional limitations. Conclusions These findings add important information to what is known about older people who experience a natural disaster and suggest opportunities for intervention. Finding that an individual’s emotional response during the disaster plays an important role in the development of functional limitations suggests that reduction of exposure to traumatic stress during a storm (ie, evacuation from a storm area) may be important for older people. Likewise, interventions immediately after a disaster that target older people who experience high levels of peri-traumatic distress may be needed in order to alleviate functional limitations before they develop.

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Using Multilevel Path Modeling to Examine the Statistical Effect of Transport Deprivation on the Self-Reported Health and Mental Health of Older People Who Live Alone and in Rural Areas

10.4135/9781526423429 ◽

2017 ◽

Author(s):

Stefanie Doebler

Keyword(s):

Mental Health ◽

Older People ◽

Rural Areas ◽

The Self ◽

Path Modeling ◽

Statistical Effect ◽

Reported Health

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COMPETENCY DEVELOPMENT IN EDUCATING HEALTH CARE SPECIALISTS AT WORK WITH OLDER PEOPLE

SOCIETY INTEGRATION EDUCATION Proceedings of the International Scientific Conference ◽

10.17770/sie2019vol4.3780 ◽

2019 ◽

Vol 4 ◽

pp. 56

Author(s):

Dina Berloviene ◽

Gunta Beta ◽

Dita Role ◽

Dagnija Deimante ◽

Alida Samusevica

Keyword(s):

Health Care ◽

Older People ◽

Functional Limitations ◽

Psychosocial Problems ◽

Future Health ◽

Term Care ◽

Study Programme ◽

Care And Support ◽

Health And Social Care ◽

Future Health Care

Health and social care specialists who work with older people and provide systematic direct and indirect professional care and support to people older than 65 and to their families, thus ensuring various care and support services in different environments including preventive, supportive, disease management, recuperative, paliative, short-term and long-term care, need specific competences in order to understand and ensure older people’s needs and care. Older people and especially frail older people can have problems that are interlinked, for instance, cognitive and functional limitations that are combined with psychosocial problems and social isolation. In order to develop students’ competence at work with older people- understanding and empathy, it is necessary to research these problems during the study process by integrating study courses that would ensure emphatic and reasonable attitude and action in clinical practice in the sphere of health and social welfare when taking care of older patients. Aim - To characterize acquisition process of professional competences of future health care specialists that are to be developed purposefully and applied when working with old people. Methodology – Analysis of study course descriptions in the study programme “Nursing”. Results - RSU study programme “Nursing” contains clearly defined descriptions of professional competences.

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Depression symptoms as mediators of inequalities in self-reported health: the case of Southern European elderly

Journal of Public Health ◽

10.1093/pubmed/fdx173 ◽

2017 ◽

Vol 40 (4) ◽

pp. 756-763 ◽

Cited By ~ 4

Author(s):

T Leão ◽

J Perelman

Keyword(s):

Chronic Diseases ◽

Fixed Effects ◽

Statistical Significance ◽

Functional Limitations ◽

Age Groups ◽

European Population ◽

Vulnerable Groups ◽

Depression Symptoms ◽

Health Issues ◽

Reported Health

Abstract Background Inequalities in the distribution of self-reported health (SRH) have been widely reported. Its higher expressivity among women, elderly and least educated groups has been partly attributed to differences in their health perceptions. However, this subjectivity may be masking the burden of mental illness in these groups. Thus, we sought to understand if depression symptoms mediate inequalities in SRH. Methods SHARE waves 4 and 6, pertaining to Spain, Italy and Portugal, were used (n2011 = 8517, n2015 = 11 046). Inequalities in SRH were calculated, comparing the risk amongst education level, gender and age groups, adjusting for chronic diseases, functional limitations and country fixed effects. We then tested depression symptoms as mediators. Results Depression symptoms were associated with poor SRH (odds ratio (OR)2011 = 1.379, OR2015 = 1.384, P < 0.001). Their inclusion reduced the magnitude of the association between SRH and education, annulled the statistical significance for age, and reversed the gender effect. As expected, chronic diseases and functional limitations remained significant predictors of poor SRH. Conclusions Depression symptoms, together with chronic diseases and functional limitations, explain the poorer SRH of the least educated, female and older groups in the Southern European population. Therefore, tackling inequalities in SRH must require focusing on mental health issues, which disproportionately affect the most vulnerable groups.

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