Journal of Aging and Health最新文献

BackgroundSocial frailty has not been studied in the Philippines, a Southeast Asian country with distinct sociocultural characteristics.ObjectiveTo (i) develop and validate the Social Frailty Index-Philippines (SFI-Phil), using all-cause mortality (up to 4 years) as the outcome and (ii) evaluate performance of SFI-Phil across age, sex, and residence.MethodsPerforming regression analyses on baseline and 4-year follow-up data from 5153 older adults aged 60+ from the nationally representative Longitudinal Study of Ageing and Health in the Philippines (LSAHP), we selected and validated a parsimonious model of social predictors.ResultsThe resulting 6-item SFI-Phil demonstrated satisfactory accuracy in predicting mortality up to 4 years (C-statistic 0.640, 95% confidence interval [CI]: 0.608-0.673) in a validation sample and across demographic strata, although better amongst 60-69 year olds, men, and urban residents.ConclusionSFI-Phil, developed considering Philippines's sociocultural context, can be used to assess social frailty among older adults in the Philippines.

ObjectivesThis study examines the bidirectional influences between functional disability and depressive symptoms in middle-aged and older couples, emphasizing the temporal dynamics and co-development of partners' experiences.MethodsLongitudinal data were drawn from the Health and Retirement Study (2002-2020), focusing on married couples (N = 4109 couples). Dyadic cross-lagged panel models and latent trajectory analyses were employed.ResultsFunctional disability had a stronger influence on depressive symptoms than the reverse. Spouses' disability trajectories were synchronized with similar baseline levels and rates of change, but synchrony did not predict depressive symptoms. Husbands' disability disproportionately affected wives' mental health compared to the reverse.ConclusionsThe findings elucidate the directionality underlying the relationship between depressive symptoms and functional limitations. Couples' functional disability development was synchronous. Tailored and targeted disability preventive interventions may have mental health benefits for both partners.

ObjectivesThis study examines whether social strain and support from various sources are associated with accumulation of chronic conditions in older adults.MethodsGrowth mixture modeling was used to investigate which network sources of support and strain were related to morbidity accumulation over 12 years among 5,321 individuals over age 50 in the Health and Retirement Study.ResultsHigher overall social support-comfort provided by others-was associated with a greater likelihood of belonging to the low morbidity trajectory class versus the high and increasing morbidity classes, but overall social strain-tense or conflictual interactions-was not. The source of support/strain mattered, and support from children was a more consistent predictor of trajectory classes than support from other sources.DiscussionThe importance of social support, particularly from children, suggests that psychosocial interventions could be developed and tailored to the children of older adults to promote healthier aging.

ObjectiveTo identify subgroups of midlife and older adults from the United States (US), defined by specific combinations of factors, who are more or less likely to meet age-specific sleep duration recommendations.MethodsParticipants (n = 3,124) aged ≥ 40 years were drawn from the 2011-2018 National Health and Nutrition Examination Survey cycles. The primary outcome was meeting age-specific sleep duration recommendations (7 to 9 hours per night) to promote optimal health. Signal detection analysis was used to identify subgroups, defined by combinations of socio-demographic, clinical, cardiometabolic, and behavioral factors, that predicted whether participants met age-specific sleep duration recommendations.ResultsThe mean age of participants was 58.3 (standard error = 0.3) years, with a mean sleep duration of 7.3 (standard error = 0.03) hours/night. Overall, 64.3% met the age-specific sleep duration recommendations. Eight subgroups were identified through signal detection, with race/ethnicity being the primary splitting variable. The subgroup most likely to meet the sleep duration recommendations (82.9%; 353/426) identified as Non-Hispanic White, had a poverty income ratio score ≥ 3.2 (indicating household income 3.2 times the poverty threshold), and had no history of trouble sleeping. In contrast, the subgroup least likely to meet the sleep duration recommendations (45.0%; 144/320) identified as racial/ethnic minorities, had a history of trouble sleeping, and engaged in less than 324 minutes of moderate-to-vigorous physical activity per week.ConclusionsFindings from this cross-sectional study highlight the importance of examining combinations of factors to systematically identify subgroups more or less likely to meet age-specific sleep duration recommendations for optimal health. Future research should explore how these factors change over time to inform public health strategies aimed at improving sleep health among US midlife and older adults, particularly those from racial and ethnic minority backgrounds.

Objective: Drawing upon the socio-ecological framework, this study examines whether the neighborhood environment moderates the relation between falling frequency and physical activity (PA) behavior among adults 55 years or older. Methods: At baseline, participants (N = 430) reported number of falls during the past 12 months and leisure-time PA during the past month. At follow-up, PA was assessed weekly using the Physical Activity Scale for Elderly for four consecutive weeks. We used the Bike Score^TM, Walk Score®, and Index of Relative Rurality to capture objective attributes of the neighborhood environment. Results: The relation between falling frequency and PA was negative and tended to be stronger for recurrent fallers who lived in a neighborhood environment that was less bikeable, less walkable, and more rural. Discussion: This study offers novel quantitative insights that underscore the importance of examining how personal and environmental factors combine to influence PA behavior in the context of fall prevention and management.

ObjectivesThis paper aims to apply a novel demographic technique to update - and extend to sub-national regions - estimates of the lifetime probability of admission to residential aged care.MethodsMaking optimal use of Australian data sources on aged care usage, mortality and population, this study adopts a two-population life table approach to produce an updated set of national probability estimates and first-time regional estimates.ResultsThe probability of admission generally increases with age: nationally, lifetime probability at age 65 is 50% for women and 37% for men, rising to 55% and 46%, respectively, at age 85. This general pattern varied somewhat across regions.DiscussionThe regional results point to inequities in the uptake of care, thereby informing providers, governments, aged care advocates and anyone interested in equity of access.

Objectives: Hearing difficulty is prevalent in older adulthood and projected to increase via global aging, particularly among men. Currently, there is limited research on how this gender disparity might vary by country. Methods: Using 2018 data (n = 29,480) from the Health and Retirement Study (HRS) international family of studies, we investigate gender disparities in hearing difficulty among respondents ages 55-89 from the United States (n = 12,566), Mexico (n = 10,762), and Korea (n = 6152) with country-specific ordinal logistic regression models that progressively adjust for demographic, social, and health indicators. Results: In the United States, men's hearing difficulty disadvantage was consistently observed. In Mexico, men's hearing difficulty disadvantage was explained by the interactive effect of gender and age group but resurfaced after adjusting for comorbidities. In Korea, there was consistently no gender difference in hearing difficulty. Discussion: Our results highlight the heterogeneity in older men's hearing difficulty disadvantage among a diverse group of aging countries.

Although research has linked ageism and pain to increased stress in older adults, their influence on stress within the context of pandemics has not been adequately examined. Our objective was to investigate relationships among pain, ageism, and pandemic-related stress in older adults using structural equation modeling (SEM) and mediation analysis. We hypothesized that pain would exert a direct and/or indirect influence on pandemic-related stress, and ageism a direct influence. Data were collected from 486 North American older adults in January 2024. Participants completed measures of pain, ageism, and pandemic-related stress. SEM and mediation analyses yielded evidence suggesting ageism and pain influence pandemic-related stress, although ageism mediated pain's impact on pandemic-related stress. This study underscores how pain and ageism can impact older adults' psychological well-being during pandemics. Findings highlight a potential need for public health interventions to address ageism and pain during future waves of COVID-19 or other global health crises.

BackgroundThis study examined whether patterns of relationship quality between parents and adult children were associated with the onset of ADL disability in later life.Research Design and MethodsUsing data from the Health and Retirement Study (N = 8,101), we studied whether support, strain, and patterns of relationships between parents and adult children were related to age of onset of ADL disability among parents.ResultsGreater support from adult children (based on parental report) was associated with later onset of ADL disability, and greater social strain was associated with earlier onset of disability. Compared to high-quality relationships, adverse, indifferent, and ambivalent relationships were associated with an earlier onset of ADL disability over time.DiscussionIt is important to acknowledge the complexity of relationships between parents and their adult children to understand how patterns of quality within these relationships influence ADL functioning in later life among parents.

We investigated the changes in home care clients' vision and hearing over 18 months and examined the role of sensory impairments in maintaining their functioning. We used data from the Finnish Resident Assessment Instrument (RAI) database (n = 7013). Sensory impairment status was categorized by type (single or dual) and severity (mild or moderate/severe). The association between sensory impairment and functioning over 18 months was examined using binary logistic regression analysis with generalized estimating equations. Of 7013 home care clients, 48% had sensory impairment at baseline. Over 18 months, sensory impairment improved in 7% (n = 482) and worsened in 23% (n = 1605) of the clients. Sensory impairments were associated with impaired physical, cognitive, and psychosocial functioning at baseline. Especially moderate to severe dual impairment was associated with increased impairment in cognitive and physical functioning over time. Sensory impairments should be considered as an integral part of maintaining home care clients' overall health and well-being.