Working Conditions and Health Among Italian Ageing Workers

In many European countries requirements for retirement have been tightened, causing an increase in work participation of older workers, in spite their potentially poorer health may limit their work ability. This study aimed at assessing the diffusion of health problems and exposure to unfavorable working conditions among ageing workers in two Italian surveys, as well as comparing them with those observed in the same surveys conducted before the 2011 Italian pension reform tightening the normal retirement age. The 2013 National Health Survey (NHS) and Labour Force Survey (LFS) were employed to assess the prevalence of poor perceived health, health conditions and functional limitations, and of exposure to physical, psychosocial and organization factors at work, among 60–64 years workers. Poisson regression models were used to estimate Prevalence Ratios of health outcomes and unfavorable working conditions in the two surveys, compared to data from the 2005 (NHS) and 2007 (LFS) corresponding surveys, respectively. Among both men and women, approximately one quarter had at least one physical disorder or functional limitations and 15% poor mental health. Exposure to different ergonomic factors (15–30%) and working during unsocial hours (19%) were particularly diffused. A significant increase in the prevalence of functional limitations and of working at night or during unsocial hours was found in 2013, compared to corresponding data from 2005 and 2007, respectively. Our results indicate that exposure to ergonomic and organizational hazards should be reduced among ageing workers, to avoid decreased work ability, health damage or early exit from the labour market.

Psychiatric and Physical Comorbidity in Elderly Attending the Geriatric Clinic of a Psychiatric Hospital

Background: Physical comorbidity is quite common in older adults. When psychiatric and medical conditions co-occur, the combination is associated with elevated symptom burden, functional impairment, decreased length and quality of life, and increased costs of treatment. To estimate the proportion and patterns of physical comorbidity in elderly psychiatric patients. Methods: A retrospective observational study was carried out in the Geriatric Clinic of National Institute of Mental Health and Hospital (NIMHH). Patient registry of the clinic was used to collect required information and 113 consecutive older adults with psychiatric disorders who attended the clinic in a three-month period, were enrolled for the study. Psychiatric diagnoses were made by psychiatrists, according to DSM-5 criteria. Medical diagnoses were made by specialist physicians by reviewing physicians’ prescriptions. Data analysis was done by using SPSS 23.0. Results: Most of the patients (58.4%) belonged to the 7th decade. Among 113 patients 90 (79.7%) had only psychiatric illness & 23 had (20.4%) comorbid physical disorders. Depressive disorders (30%) and dementia (22.1%) were the most common psychiatric reasons for consultation. Among the associated physical comorbidities hypertension (43.5%) and diabetes (34.8%) were the most commons. Conclusion: Co-occurrence of psychiatric and physical disorder conditions is very common in a clinical setting. Physical comorbidity may influence follow up consultation pattern. Bangladesh J Medicine July 2022; 33(1) : 40-43

The Connection Between Depression And Chronic Pain. A Cross-Sectional Study For Individuals With Chronic Pain In Hail Region

Chronic pain is a physical disorder and a critical factor in determining depression. Their synchronicity tends to worsen the risk of both disorders. The research to date has found little information about the relationship between them. This research aimed to provide new insights into the understanding of the relationship between chronic pain and depression among the residents of Hail city, to free patients from chronic pain-induced depression. Statistical data in this paper confirmed that more than half of patients with pain also suffer from depression or mood swings. Data were collected with an online, semistructured questionnaire; the obtained data were converted into statistical data using Microsoft Excel 2013. It was found that women are more likely than men to develop depression due to chronic pain. The main cause of depression in patients was a chronic headache, colitis, and rheumatoid arthritis respectively, and it was found that the most commonly used pain relief medications were NSAIDs and painkillers & on the other hand, the most frequently used antidepressants were selective serotonin reuptake inhibitors. According to our findings, the type of chronic disease and its link to the patient's gender, education level, and the type of pain relief drug taken are the major elements that determined this association. We must also remember the patient's extensive medical history with a chronic pain condition, which played a significant influence among our patients who took part in our survey. Moreover, it was noticed that most patients received adequate information from the pharmacist about their antidepressant medication. Finally, depression still ranks high as a major factor affecting an individual's life in general; therefore, this research could promote the identification of new causes and targets for chronic pain-induced depression.

Neighborhood Characteristics and Accelerated Aging: Evidence From the Health and Retirement Study

An individual’s rate of aging directly impacts one’s functioning, morbidity and mortality. Identifying factors related to accelerated or delayed aging may provide important information for potential areas of intervention. While race/ethnicity, socioeconomic status and behavior characteristics have been linked to biological aging, it is unclear whether neighborhood characteristics are associated with one’s rate of aging. We use a novel aging measure, Expanded Biological Age, from the 2016 Health and Retirement Study Venous Blood Study (HRS-VBS) to investigate whether individuals living with unfavorable neighborhood conditions are experiencing accelerated aging compared to those living in more favorable conditions. We constructed a summary measure of expanded biological age using 22 novel biomarkers in the HRS-VBS; we then regressed the summary measure on age and used the residuals as indicators of accelerated or delayed aging. We measured neighborhood physical disorder, presence of green space, and perceived social cohesion using the 2016 HRS Interviewer Observation data and Self-Administered Questionnaire. We find that individuals living with higher levels of neighborhood physical disorder appeared 1.05 years older biologically than the average for those of the same chronological age. Individuals living near green space including parks were 1.5 years younger biologically than expected based on their chronological age though this association was marginally significant. We did not find an association between neighborhood social cohesion and accelerated aging. This implies that living with severe neighborhood disorder, characterized by presence of disrepair, trash/litter, and abandoned structures, and living near green space, play an important role in who lives longer.

Social Isolation, Depressive Symptoms and Perceived Neighborhood Environment of Older Adults During COVID-19

Social isolation has been recognized as a social problem with negative effects on psychological well-being. Older adults are disproportionately affected by social isolation during the COVID-19 pandemic. Using data from the 2020 Health and Retirement Study COVID-19 Project, this study examined the relationship between social isolation and depressive symptoms among two groups of respondents differentiated by whether themselves or their social relationships were diagnosed with COVID-19. This study also explored the moderating role of perceived neighborhood environment. Depressive symptoms were measured using the eight-item CES-D. The index of social isolation was generated using five indicators, including living alone, no social participation, and less than monthly contact with children, family members, and friends. The moderator assessed two aspects of the neighborhood environment, including physical disorder and social cohesion. The results of bivariate analyses showed that respondents who were affected by COVID-19 were younger, more likely to be female, Hispanic, and Non-Hispanic Black, and with lower levels of social isolation. The results of multiple regression analyses indicated that social isolation was associated with more depressive symptoms, but this relationship was found to be only significant among respondents who were affected by COVID-19. Perceived neighborhood environment significantly moderated the relationship, as the effect of social isolation on depressive symptoms was stronger for respondents with more neighborhood physical disorders and less social cohesion. This study has implications for practice and policy, in that it underscored the importance of enacting strategies to improve the neighborhood environment, particularly for socially isolated older adults during the COVID-19.

Exploring How Neighborhood Characteristics and Psychosocial Resilience Affect Cognition Among Older Black Adults

Black older adults are at greater risk for poor cognitive health than Whites, and adverse neighborhood conditions may contribute to this disparity. Moreover, limited research examines how resilience is implicated in the relationship between neighborhoods and cognition among Blacks. Using 2006-2016 waves of the Health and Retirement Study, we examine how perceived neighborhood characteristics (physical disorder and social cohesion) and psychosocial resilience (social support, mastery, and sense of purpose) contribute to cognitive functioning among 1,655 Black adults ages 65+. Results from multilevel linear regression models show that greater physical disorder was associated with worse cognitive functioning, and this was attenuated after adjustment for socioeconomic status. We found a positive association between purpose and mastery with cognitive functioning, even after accounting for socioeconomic, psychosocial, and health-related characteristics. Thus, high levels of purpose and mastery may be protective for cognitive functioning among Black older adults in spite of experiencing negative neighborhood contexts.

Neighborhood-Level Predictors of Sexual Violence Across Intimate Partner and Non-Intimate Partner Relationships: A Case–Control Study

Ample research explores individual factors associated with sexual violence, yet individual, dyadic, and environmental influences on intimate partner sexual violence (IPSV) occurring in the larger context of non-intimate partner violence (NIPSV) remain relatively unexplored. The current study aimed to determine the extent to which county-level indicators in combination with individual and dyadic factors are associated with sexual violence across relationship types. Reported IPSV and NIPSV cases were obtained from the Tennessee Bureau of Investigation’s (TBI) online incident-based reporting system. County-level variables indicative of neighborhood physical disorder, violent crime, income inequality, firearm prevalence, and community alcohol use patterns were retrieved from the online resource County Health Rankings and Roadmaps. Using a nested case–control design, we determined significant sexual violence risk within younger cohorts and across relationship types, finding three significant county-level factors: 1) income inequality, 2) rate of firearm fatalities, and 3) percentage of female residents. Suggested prevention and intervention efforts include targeting younger age groups for IPSV and NIPSV education, developing resources for a range of relational partners, improving legal access and law enforcement training for reporting, and continued examination of the role of firearms.

Quality of life and satisfaction in surgical versus conservative treatment of nonsyndromic children with craniosynostosis

OBJECTIVE Craniosynostosis represents the second most common reason for referral to pediatric neurosurgery. However, the quality of life and neurodevelopmental impact of leaving this physical disorder uncorrected is poorly understood. METHODS This multicenter cross-sectional study identified previously managed nonsyndromic infants (< 24 months of age) with single-suture craniosynostosis at both pediatric neurosurgical centers in Alberta, Canada. The primary variable of interest was the allocated treatment (surgical vs conservative). The primary outcome was the Pediatric Quality of Life Inventory (PedsQL), a validated measure of quality of life examining physical, emotional, social, and school functioning. Treatment decision satisfaction and the reasons for selected management were quantified and collected directly from caregivers. RESULTS One hundred fourteen children met the inclusion criteria: 78% underwent surgery and 22% had conservative treatment. The most common suture affected was sagittal (54%), followed by metopic (33%), coronal (10%), and lambdoid (3%). Caregivers most commonly opted for surgery because of severe appearance (80%). Seventy-six percent and 72% of the caregivers of children with conservative management did so due to concerns of surgical risks and mild appearance, respectively. There was a statistically significant relationship between both the parents’ (p < 0.001) and the surgeon’s (p = 0.001) impression of a severe head shape and surgical management. Parental satisfaction with their child’s appearance as well as satisfaction with their treatment decision did not differ between management types. Regarding quality of life, on univariate analysis, the conservative group had a statistically higher physical summary score (p = 0.01), psychosocial summary score (p = 0.004), and mean total scale score (p = 0.003) compared to the surgical group. However, after adjusting for severity and age at consult, no significant independent associations between management type and any of the PedsQL summary scores were found. CONCLUSIONS Alberta families have a high number of children with craniosynostosis treated with conservative management. Conservatively managed infants were largely minimally affected patients, particularly those with metopic synostosis. The study found no independent association between management type (surgery vs conservative) and quality of life when adjusted for important patient factors.

Occupational groups and its physical and mental health correlates: results from the Singapore Mental Health Study 2016

Purpose The physical and mental wellbeing of an individual is impacted by the type occupation one does. This study aims to establish the prevalence of mental and physical disorders, the association of occupational groups and health-related quality of life, and the extent of work-loss and work-cut back in past 30 days among the employed in the Singapore resident population. Methods Data from a population-based, epidemiological survey of a representative sample of Singapore citizens and permanent residents aged 18 years and above were used. Lifetime diagnosis of select mental disorders was established using the World Health Organization’s Composite International Diagnostic Interview version 3.0 (WHO-CIDI 3.0). Data on nicotine dependence, work productivity, quality of life and socio-demographics were obtained via self-report. Ten major occupational groups based on the Singapore Standard Occupational Classification were included in the analysis. Results The sample comprised 4021 employed individuals who were predominantly males (54.7%) and aged 35–49 years (35.4%). ‘Service and sales workers’ (22.6%), ‘Professionals’ (17.3%) and ‘Legislators, senior officials and managers’ (16.4%) were the three largest occupational groups. Socio-demographic characteristics differed significantly (p < 0.001) across all occupational groups. Lifetime prevalence of mood disorders among the employed was 8.4% and the most prevalent physical disorder was chronic pain (18.9%). No significant differences were observed in work productivity loss across the occupational groups. Conclusions The disparities in the socio-demographic characteristics and prevalence of mental and physical disorders across occupational categories provide policymakers with vital information to pilot effective interventions that can improve the psychosocial and physical conditions at work.