Vulnerability and quality of life of older persons in the community in different situations of family care

ABSTRACT Objective: to correlate socio-contextual aspects, physical vulnerability and quality of life of older persons in the community in different situations of family care. Methods: epidemiological, a cross-sectional and analytical study, with elderly people in the community (n=769), with application of the instruments: Vulnerable Elders Survey-13 (VES-13), World Health Organization Quality of Life for Older Persons (WHOQOL-OLD) and the World Health Organization Quality of Life (WHOQOL-BREF); and socio-contextual data questionnaire. Results: the population assessed presented an average of regular quality of life in both the WHOQOL-BREF and the WHOQOL-OLD. Older non-vulnerable persons (62.2%) and those with close family contact (82.6%) have a better quality of life than the vulnerable (p<0.0001). Conclusion: lower quality of life scores and more distant families are related to vulnerable elderly people; thus, the assessment of family proximity and physical vulnerability of older persons is shown to be an important factor in improving quality of life.

Study on the Applicability of the Exterior Condition Assessment to Evaluate The Physical Vulnerability of Check Dams

Check dams are a typical structural approach used in watershed disaster management systems. Currently, approximately 12,000 check dams have been estimated to be constructed on mountain streams in Korea. More than 90% of these have been constructed in the last 20 years. This rapid increase over a short period of time has attracted attention to the necessity of maintenance strategies for check dams. The purpose of this study is to examine the applicability of the exterior condition assessment to evaluate the degree of deterioration in check dams. We classify the typical damage types of check dams and describe its key characteristics. Moreover, we apply a modified version of the condition assessment for large dams to meet the characteristics of check dams.

Relationship between vulnerability and life satisfaction in older population in Russia

The article examines the relationship between various components of vulnerability and life satisfaction among older people in Russia. Empirically, the study bases on data from the first wave of the WHO Study on Global Ageing and Adult Health (SAGE) for 2007–2010. The analysis showed that physical vulnerability, or frailty, is associated with a significantly lower level of life satisfaction of the older population. At the same time, there are differences in this relationship between age groups, and an increase in the physical vulnerability of individuals aged 75–89 years old reduces their subjective well-being to a greater extent in comparison with the group of individuals aged 60–74 years old. The financial situation of individuals also plays a significant role: lack of income to cover daily needs negatively affects subjective well-being. Socializing with friends is another predictor of life satisfaction in older age.

Rethinking of Environmental Health Risks: A Systematic Approach of Physical–Social Health Vulnerability Assessment on Heavy-Metal Exposure through Soil and Vegetables

In the field of environmental health risk assessment and management research, heavy metals in soil are a constant focus, largely because of mining and metallurgical activities, and other manufacturing or producing. However, systematic vulnerability, and combined research of social and physical vulnerability of the crowd, have received less attention in the research literature of environmental health risk assessment. For this reason, tentative design modelling for comprehensive environmental health vulnerability, which includes the index of physical and social vulnerability, was conducted here. On the basis of experimental data of heavy-metal pollution in soil and vegetables, and population and societal survey data in Daye, China, the physical, social, and comprehensive environmental health vulnerabilities of the area were analyzed, with each village as an evaluation unit. First, the polluted and reference areas were selected. Random sampling sites were distributed in the farmland of the villages in these two areas, with two sampling sites per village. Then, 204 vegetable samples were directly collected from the farmland from which the soil samples had been collected, composed of seven kinds of vegetables: cowpea, water spinach, amaranth, sweet potato leaves, tomato, eggplant, and pepper. Moreover, 400 questionnaires were given to the local residents in these corresponding villages, and 389 valid responses were obtained. The results indicated that (1) the average physical vulnerability values of the population in the polluted and reference areas were 3.99 and 1.00, respectively; (2) the village of Weiwang (WW) had the highest physical vulnerability of 8.55; (3) vegetable intake is exposure that should be paid more attention, as it contributes more than 90% to physical vulnerability among the exposure pathways; (4) arsenic and cadmium should be the priority pollutants, with average physical vulnerability value contributions of 63.9% and 17.0%, respectively; (5) according to the social vulnerability assessment, the village of Luoqiao (LQ) had the highest social vulnerability (0.77); (6) for comprehensive environmental health vulnerability, five villages near mining activities and two villages far from mine-affected area had high physical and social vulnerability, and are the urgent areas for environmental risk management. In order to promote environmental risk management, it is necessary to prioritize identifying vulnerable populations in the village-scale dimension as an innovative discovery.

Analysis of human physical vulnerability using static equilibrium techniques of a Hazard flood for the determination of unsafe areas in the city of Catacaos – Piura, Peru

Heavy rains and El Niño phenomenon are recurring natural phenomena at a national level. These can cause floods due to the overflowing of rivers, which, when close to cities, can cause both human and material losses. The district of Catacaos, located in the city of Piura, was the one with the highest number of injuries due to the flood caused by El Niño phenomenon in 2017. This phenomenon causes a large amounts of rainfalls due to the presence of abnormally warm waters along the northern coast of Peru [1]. It is for this reason that the need arose to carry out an analysis of the physical vulnerability due to instability of people through static equilibrium, in said district, in order to present maps of unsafe areas in the face of this phenomenon. In this investigation, flood hazard maps are generated simulating the one presented in 2017, using 2D hydraulic modeling. For the generation of vulnerability curves, the instability analysis is performed by moment and drag force. Finally, maps with unsafe areas are made using ArcGis software. Where the results obtained indicate that 29.37% of the city was flooded. Likewise, the vulnerability maps generated show us that women and men over 18 years of age in the city of Catacaos would be vulnerable to dragging and overturning in the face of floods in 16.54% and 13.21%, respectively, of the total studied area. This information will be useful for the development of future evacuation plans during floods, carried out by national entities.

Discrete Affective States, Cortisol, and Self-Rated Health in Old Age

Old age is a developmental phase in which physical vulnerability increases and discrete affective states are uniquely important. The current project combines data from four studies (total N = 476 participants) to investigate within-person fluctuations in salivary cortisol (a marker of physiological arousal), seven discrete affective states, and the moderating role of self-rated health. Each participant provided affect reports and collected salivary cortisol 5-7 times a day for a 7-day period, and rated their health status. Multi-level models showed that cortisol levels were decreased in moments when participants felt happier, more relaxed, and more interested than usual and increased in moments when participants felt angrier, more nervous, more overwhelmed, and sadder than usual. Associations of happy, nervous, overwhelmed, and sad with cortisol were more pronounced in participants of better as compared to those of worse self-rated health. Findings suggest that higher HPA reactivity may indicate preserved health in older adults.

Physical vulnerability assessment of settlements in lahar hazard prone areas along the river originated from Merapi Volcano

Merapi Vulcano is one of the most active volcanoes in the world. This volcano has a secondary hazard that is lahar flow. This research refers to the 2010 eruption of Merapi Vulcano in Indonesia. Eventhough there was a phreatic eruption in 2018, it did not increase the deposition of lahar material on its slopes. The communities living along the lahar prone rivers have various vulnerabilities including physical, social, economic and environmental vulnerability. This research aims to determine the physical vulnerability distribution of settlement in lahar hazard prone areas alongside Pabelan River. This study is a descriptive quantitative research using secondary data and spatial analysis. The results of this research show that the high vulnerability distribution covers the area of Mungkid Sub-district and Sawangan Sub-district as many as 5 clusters or equal to 7.49% of the research area. The medium level of physical vulnerability is Dukun Sub-district, Mungkid Sub-district and Muntilan Sub-district as many as 26 clusters or equal to 41.27% of the research area. The low physical vulnerability of settlements is scattered in Dukun Sub-district, Mungkid Sub-district, Muntilan Sub-district and Sawangan Sub-district as much as 32 clusters or equal to 50.79% of the research area. It can be concluded that the physical vulnerability of settlements in lahar hazar prone along the Pabelan river after the 2010 eruption of Merapi Vulcano is dominated by low vulnerability.

Exploring carer burden amongst those caring for a child or adolescent with an eating disorder during COVID-19

Background Carer burden amongst carers of youth with an eating disorder is substantial and if not addressed can lead to negative outcomes for the patient, carer and family. The Coronavirus Disease 2019 (COVID-19) pandemic has made caring for youth with an ED even more onerous and preliminary research is beginning to emerge demonstrating the profound negative impact the pandemic is having upon individuals with EDs and their carers. Main In this review, we briefly summarize what is known about carer burden in families where a young person has an ED, consider the additional impact consequent to COVID-19 and highlight the need for interventions aimed at alleviating this. Pre-COVID-19 research identifies high levels of psychological and physical strain amongst those caring for a child with an ED. Themes are beginning to emerge as to why COVID-19 may further exacerbate carer burden: (1) reduced access to ED services; (2) increased physical vulnerability and exacerbation of psychiatric co-morbidity amongst youth with EDs; (3) increased practical demands placed on carers; and (4) social isolation and decreased social support. Conclusion The COVID-19 pandemic poses a specific threat to the mental health of youth with EDs and their carers. Given the salient role families play in caring for youth with an ED, attending to carer burden is imperative. Supporting carers through all phases of their child’s ED journey by offering adaptive and flexible supportive services which accommodate time constraints, geographic barriers and possible COVID-19 spread is essential.