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Author(s):  
Jing Guo ◽  
Nicole Schupf ◽  
Emily Cruz ◽  
Yaakov Stern ◽  
Richard P Mayeux ◽  
...  

Abstract Background Current evidence on the association between Mediterranean diet (MeDi) intake and activities of daily living (ADL) is limited and inconsistent in older adults. Methods This study included 1696 participants aged ≥ 65 years in the Washington Heights-Inwood Community Aging Project (WHICAP) study. The MeDi score was calculated based on data collected from the Willett’s semi-quantitative food frequency questionnaire. The multivariable-adjusted Cox regression model was applied to examine the association of MeDi score with risks of disability in basic (BADL) and instrumental ADL (IADL), as well as the overall ADL (B-IADL). Results 832 participants with incident ADL disability were identified over a median follow-up of 5.39 years. The continuous MeDi score was significantly associated with decreased risk of disability in B-IADL (hazard ratio [HR] = 0.95, 95% confidence interval [CI] = 0.91 to 0.99, p = 0.018) in a model adjusted for age, sex, race/ethnicity, educational level, and dietary calories intake but was no longer significant after additionally adjusted for multiple comorbidities and physical activities (0.97 [0.93, 1.01], p = 0.121). The continuous MeDi score was significantly associated with decreased risk of disability in B-IADL (0.92 [0.85, 1.00], p = 0.043) and BADL (0.90 [0.82, 0.99], p = 0.030) in non-Hispanic Whites, but not in non-Hispanic Blacks and Hispanics (p > 0.05 for all). Conclusions Higher MeDi score was associated with decreased risk of ADL disability, particularly in non-Hispanic Whites.


2021 ◽  
pp. 089011712110553
Author(s):  
Cheryl Jones ◽  
Marley Gibbons ◽  
Kate Magsamen-Conrad ◽  
Kathleen T. Ulanday ◽  
Jessica Watterson ◽  
...  

Purpose To test the feasibility of introducing ‘Free Time for Wellness’ (FT4W) an intervention to increase healthy behaviours and reduce the risk of cancer. Design Feasibility study; Setting: Washington Heights, New York, USA is a low socioeconomic status area. Subjects Mothers aged 18 and above with children under 12 years of age and living in Washington Heights were recruited. Intervention FT4W, a community-based intervention delivered through a neighbourhood-based app, offering weekly dance and yoga classes, food pantry visits and group playdates. Childcare professionals cared for participants' children during wellness activities. Measures A bespoke before and after survey was designed and tested for its ability to collect relevant data to assess the impact of FT4W. Outcomes included recruitment rates, participation, attrition, acceptability, and success of the community champion. Analysis Comparisons of proportions and means Results Twenty-one mothers participated in the study of which 90% attended ≥ 1 FT4W activity; 65% ≥ 2; 52% ≥ 3. The survey was completed by a 100% of participants indicating it was easy to understand and not too burdensome. All measures detected change in constructs from baseline to follow-up. Availability of childcare was the most commonly (66%) reported reason participants were able to engage in the offered wellness activities. Conclusion Conducting a larger-scale trial to assess the impact of FT4W is feasible considering 4 major lessons. (1) Recruitment, retention, and acceptability rates were high; however, moms need additional support to increase participation in wellness activities and improve tech literacy. (2) Research measures were sensitive enough to detect change, but the timing of assessments needs to be considered. (3) Participants greatly valued access to professional childcare. (4) The Community Champion is a necessary, but difficult role to fill that requires careful consideration by the Institutional Review Board (IRB).


2021 ◽  
pp. 154041532110575
Author(s):  
Roman Pabayo ◽  
Claire Benny ◽  
Sze Yan Liu ◽  
Erin Grinsteyn ◽  
Peter Muennig

Objectives: In the United States, Hispanics are more likely to experience financial barriers to mental health care than non-Hispanics. We used a unique survey to study the effect of these financial barriers on the severity of depressive symptoms among Hispanics who had previously been diagnosed as having depression. Methods: This cross-sectional study used data from the 2015 Washington Heights Community Survey, administered to 2,489 households in Manhattan, New York City. Multiple regression models and propensity score matching were used to estimate the association between financial barriers to mental health care and depressive symptoms and the likelihood of being clinically depressed. Results: Among those diagnosed with depression, those with financial barriers to mental health services or counseling had significantly higher (β = 0.36, 95% CI = 0.03, 0.70) depressive symptoms. When propensity score matching was utilized, those with financial barriers to mental health services had significantly greater depressive symptoms (β = 0.63, 95% CI = 0.37, 0.89) and were significantly more likely to be currently depressed (OR = 2.38, 95% CI = 1.46, 3.89), in comparison to those who had access. Conclusions: Making mental health care more affordable and therefore more accessible to Hispanics is one step toward mitigating the burden on mental illness and decreasing health disparities.


2021 ◽  
Vol 21 (1) ◽  
Author(s):  
Lauren C. Houghton ◽  
Marley P. Gibbons ◽  
Jeanette Shekelle ◽  
Ingrid Oakley-Girvan ◽  
Jessica L. Watterson ◽  
...  

Abstract Background Physical activity is central to chronic disease prevention. Low resource mothers face structural barriers preventing them from increasing their physical activity to reduce their chronic disease risk. We co-designed an intervention, with the ultimate goal of building social cohesion through social media to increase physical activity for low resourced mothers in urban settings. Methods In 2019, we interviewed 10 mothers of children (< 12 years) living in Washington Heights, Manhattan. The interviews were transcribed and coded for themes that guided the creation of a co-design workshop. Washington Heights-based mothers (n = 16) attended a co-design workshop to generate the blueprint for the Free Time for Wellness intervention. Results Mothers in our sample had limited time, external support and resources, which hindered them from increasing their physical activity; we learned that in addition to physical health, mental health was a concern for participants. Participants had varying degrees of self-efficacy and trust in social media. Bringing mothers and researchers together in a co-design workshop, we identified types of physical activities they would enjoy participating in, the ideal time to do so, the kind of childcare they needed, and their preferences for communication with the community champion. The interviews and workshop highlighted the need for a community space that mothers and children could co-occupy. The intervention was designed to be 3 months’ worth of sample programming with one activity per week, rotating between dance, yoga, food pantry visits and group playdates. Participants were invited to bring their children to a space with one room for the ‘participants only’ activity and a second room in which professional childcare providers supervised the children. Conclusions Through this two-phased co-design process, we created an intervention with mothers in an urban community with the goal of using social media to bring them together for wellness, primarily through increased physical activity. Despite the co-design of this intervention with a specific community, there are some universal applications of our findings, and of the use of co-design workshops, to other settings.


2021 ◽  
Vol 12 ◽  
Author(s):  
Preeti Sunderaraman ◽  
Stephanie Cosentino ◽  
Nicole Schupf ◽  
Jennifer Manly ◽  
Yian Gu ◽  
...  

ObjectivesMyocyte Enhancer Factor 2C (MEF2C) is identified as a candidate gene contributing to the risk of developing Alzheimer’s disease. However, little is known about whether MEF2C plays a role in specific aspects of cognition among older adults. The current study investigated the association of common variants in the MEF2C gene with four cognitive domains including memory, visuospatial functioning, processing speed and language among non-demented individuals.MethodParticipants from two ethnic groups, Non-Hispanic White (NHW; n = 537) and Caribbean Hispanic (CH; n = 1,197) from the Washington Heights-Inwood Community Aging Project (WHICAP) study, were included. Genetic association analyses using WHICAP imputed genome-wide data (GWAS) were conducted for the various cognition domains.ResultsSingle nucleotide polymorphisms (SNP) variants in the MEF2C gene showed nominally significant associations in all cognitive domains but for different SNPs across both the ethnic groups. In NHW participants, the strongest associations were present for memory (rs302484), language (rs619584), processing speed (rs13159808), and visuospatial functioning (several SNPs). In CH, strongest associations were observed for memory (rs34822815), processing speed (rs304141), visuospatial functioning (rs10066711 and rs10038371), and language (rs304153).DiscussionMEF2C variant-cognitive associations shed light on an apparent role for MEF2C in both memory and non-memory aspects of cognition in individuals from NHW and CH ancestries. However, the little overlap in the specific SNP-cognition associations in CH versus NHW highlights the differences in genetic architectural variations among those from different ancestries that should be considered while studying the MEF2C gene.


2021 ◽  
Author(s):  
Indira C. Turney ◽  
Patrick J. Lao ◽  
Miguel Arce Rentería ◽  
Kay Igwe ◽  
Joncarlos Berroa ◽  
...  

ABSTRACTINTRODUCTIONNumerous neuroimaging studies demonstrated racial and ethnic disparities in brain health at older ages. It remains unclear whether racial and ethnic disparities increase with aging and whether they are already apparent in midlife.METHODSWe investigated differences in MRI markers of aging and cerebrovascular disease in 969 participants from the Washington Heights-Inwood Columbia Aging Project (WHICAP; mean age: 75 years) and 496 participants from the Offspring study (mean age: 55 years) across race and ethnicity (white, Black, Latinx).RESULTSOlder whites had greater cortical thickness compared with Latinxs, who also had greater thickness than Blacks. Cortical thickness was similar across race in the middle-aged cohort. Regarding white matter hyperintensity (WMH) volume, Blacks had disproportionately greater WMH volume compared to both whites and Latinxs at older ages. Racial disparities are already apparent in midlife, where Blacks have disproportionately greater WMH than whites.DiscussionThese findings suggest that racial disparities in WMH volume are already apparent in midlife.


2020 ◽  
Vol 16 (S10) ◽  
Author(s):  
Yian Gu ◽  
Jennifer J Manly ◽  
Nicole Schupf ◽  
Richard Mayeux ◽  
Adam M Brickman

Neil Simon ◽  
2020 ◽  
pp. 39-46
Author(s):  
Alan Cooper
Keyword(s):  

2020 ◽  
Vol 16 (10) ◽  
pp. 1393-1401
Author(s):  
Chen Zhao ◽  
Angeliki Tsapanou ◽  
Jennifer Manly ◽  
Nicole Schupf ◽  
Adam M. Brickman ◽  
...  

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