A Study on the Evidence-Based Sports Policy for the Elderly: Focused on an Effect of Social Well-being among Middle-aged and Elderly

ABSTRACTBackground:Despite its increasing personal and societal impact, assessment of late-life anxiety has received relatively little attention in psychiatric research. Differential symptom presentation and physical comorbidities among the elderly, relative to younger cohorts creates a need for anxiety measures that are psychometrically validated in the elderly.Methods:The present study examined the factor structure and discriminant validity of the state-trait inventory for cognitive and somatic anxiety (STICSA) in a sample of Italian middle-aged and older adults. Participants were 396 community-dwelling middle-aged (50–64 years) and older (≥65 years) adults. In addition to the STICSA, participants completed two depression measures and a general well-being survey with physical and mental health subscales.Results:Factor analysis supported the validity of both state–trait and cognitive–somatic distinctions underlying the STICSA, all dimensions exhibited excellent internal consistency (Cronbach's α coefficients ≥ 0.86), and correlations with depression measures provided limited evidence for differentiation of anxious and depressive symptoms. The STICSA also showed evidence of discriminating anxious symptoms from physical health symptoms, a particularly relevant feature of a valid anxiety measure in elderly samples.Conclusions:The STICSA appears to be a valid measure of cognitive and somatic anxiety in the elderly.

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Poor balance, bilateral upper limb phocomelia, no previous exercise: a challenging combination for fall prevention in a middle-aged thalidomide survivor

BMJ Case Reports ◽

10.1136/bcr-2019-231345 ◽

2020 ◽

Vol 13 (1) ◽

pp. e231345

Author(s):

Dee Morrison

Keyword(s):

Fall Prevention ◽

Adult Life ◽

Well Being ◽

The Elderly ◽

Great Success ◽

Middle Aged ◽

Additional Risk ◽

Exercise Routine ◽

Gait Abnormalities ◽

Health And Well Being

Poor balance and falls pose substantial risks to health and well-being. Thalidomide survivors with arm defects have an additional risk being unable to protect themselves in a fall. Generic exercise information to improve strength and balance is increasingly available to the elderly. However, disability can carry a lifetime risk. Identifying and correcting underlying musculoskeletal issues, correction of gait abnormalities together with establishing an appropriate exercise routine that is affordable, convenient and fun should improve outcomes at any stage of adult life. This can be challenging, not least in those who have never previously exercised and who are now middle aged or older. The Thalidomide Trust piloted focused support for a middle-aged thalidomide survivor with bilateral radial club hands and increasing balance issues who had never previously exercised. This met with great success improving his strength, balance, gait and posture together with ensuring an established exercise routine to maintain the improvement.

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The Influence of Subjective Age on Subjective Well-Being and Depression in Middle-Aged and the Elderly: The Mediating Effect of Meaning in Life

Korea Gerontological Society ◽

10.31888/jkgs.2019.39.2.363 ◽

2019 ◽

Vol 39 (2) ◽

pp. 363-388

Author(s):

Eunbyul Lee ◽

Soo Rim Noh

Keyword(s):

Meaning In Life ◽

Well Being ◽

The Elderly ◽

Mediating Effect ◽

Subjective Well Being ◽

Subjective Age ◽

Middle Aged

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Age Shall not Weary Them: Mental Health in the Middle-Aged and the Elderly

Australian & New Zealand Journal of Psychiatry ◽

10.1080/00048670701392817 ◽

2007 ◽

Vol 41 (7) ◽

pp. 581-589 ◽

Cited By ~ 26

Author(s):

Julian N. Trollor ◽

Tracy M. Anderson ◽

Perminder S. Sachdev ◽

Henry Brodaty ◽

Gavin Andrews

Keyword(s):

Mental Health ◽

Anxiety Disorders ◽

Mental Disorder ◽

Community Sample ◽

Large Population ◽

Well Being ◽

The Elderly ◽

Community Dwelling ◽

Middle Aged ◽

Demographic Correlates

Objective: The prevalence of mental disorders in the elderly is disputed. The debate in this area can be informed by data from large population surveys that contain sufficient elderly participants. The aim of the present paper was to provide the first direct comparison of the prevalence and demographic correlates of ICD-10 anxiety and affective disorders in the middle-aged and the elderly. Method: The 12 month prevalence and demographic correlates of affective and anxiety disorders were compared in a community sample of middle-aged and elderly Australian residents who took part in the Australian National Mental Health and Well-being Survey (NMHWS). Results: One in seven middle-aged participants and one in 16 elderly participants experienced symptoms consistent with any anxiety or affective disorder in the preceding 12 months. Compared to the middle-aged participants, the elderly had lower rates for most affective and anxiety disorders, and for the combined presence of any disorder. Demographic correlates of mental disorder, especially marital status, were different for the two groups. Conclusions: Community-dwelling elderly in Australia have lower rates of mental disorder compared to the middle-aged. Differences in demographic correlates between groups support the notion that the determinants of mental disorder in the elderly differ substantially from those in middle age.

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The Effects of Significant International Sports Events on Hungarian Suicide Rates

Crisis ◽

10.1027/0227-5910/a000352 ◽

2016 ◽

Vol 37 (2) ◽

pp. 148-154 ◽

Cited By ~ 2

Author(s):

Karoly Bozsonyi ◽

Peter Osvath ◽

Sandor Fekete ◽

Lajos Bálint

Keyword(s):

Significant Relationship ◽

Olympic Games ◽

Arima Model ◽

Age Groups ◽

The Elderly ◽

Intervention Analysis ◽

Middle Aged ◽

Sports Events ◽

Sport Events ◽

The Olympic Games

Abstract. Background: Several studies found a significant relationship between important sport events and suicidal behavior. Aims: We set out to investigate whether there is a significant relationship between the raw suicide rate and the most important international sports events (Olympic Games, FIFA World Cup, UEFA European Championship) in such an achievement-oriented society as the Hungarian one, where these sport events receive great attention. Method: We examined suicide cases occurring over 15,706 days between January 1, 1970, and December 31, 2012 (43 years), separately for each gender. Because of the age-specific characteristics of suicide, the effects of these sport events were analyzed for the middle-aged (30–59 years old) and the elderly (over 60 years old) generations as well as for gender-specific population groups. The role of international sport events was examined with the help of time-series intervention analysis after cyclical and seasonal components were removed. Intervention analysis was based on the ARIMA model. Results: Our results showed that only the Olympic Games had a significant effect in the middle-aged population. Neither in the older male nor in any of the female age groups was a relationship between suicide and Olympic Games detected. Conclusion: The Olympic Games seem to decrease the rate of suicide among middle-aged men, slightly but significantly.

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Prospective Memory Development Across the Lifespan

European Psychologist ◽

10.1027/1016-9040/a000380 ◽

2020 ◽

Vol 25 (3) ◽

pp. 162-173 ◽

Cited By ~ 1

Author(s):

Sascha Zuber ◽

Matthias Kliegel

Keyword(s):

Prospective Memory ◽

Healthy Aging ◽

Present Model ◽

Current Knowledge ◽

Well Being ◽

The Elderly ◽

Cognitive Factors ◽

Everyday Functioning ◽

Integrative Framework

Abstract. Prospective Memory (PM; i.e., the ability to remember to perform planned tasks) represents a key proxy of healthy aging, as it relates to older adults’ everyday functioning, autonomy, and personal well-being. The current review illustrates how PM performance develops across the lifespan and how multiple cognitive and non-cognitive factors influence this trajectory. Further, a new, integrative framework is presented, detailing how those processes interplay in retrieving and executing delayed intentions. Specifically, while most previous models have focused on memory processes, the present model focuses on the role of executive functioning in PM and its development across the lifespan. Finally, a practical outlook is presented, suggesting how the current knowledge can be applied in geriatrics and geropsychology to promote healthy aging by maintaining prospective abilities in the elderly.

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