Ageing International最新文献

Thailand has entered into a state of super-aging society, leading to a rapid increase in the prevalence of dementia. However, current research on dementia within the community remains scarce. Therefore, the aims of this study were to determine the prevalence of dementia and its associated factors in the community. A cross-sectional study was carried out on individuals registered as older adults at one primary care unit in Khon Kaen between February and May 2024. The participants were chosen using systematic random sampling, and dementia was identified using the Thai version of the Rowland Universal Dementia Assessment Scale (RUDAS), while potential risk factors were collected. The study included a total of 350 older adults. The prevalence of dementia was 31.1%. Among the participants with dementia, significant difficulties were observed in memory recall, visuoconstructional drawing, and judgement. The results of multivariate logistic regression analyses showed that advancing age (adjusted odds ratio [AOR] for age groups 70–79 years and over 80 years were 18.46 and 7.61, respectively), hearing impairment (AOR 5.01), subjective memory complaints (AOR 2.76), past or current alcohol use (AOR 2.83), daytime sleepiness (AOR 3.08), and partial dependence (AOR 15.16) were associated with dementia. Dementia is prevalent among Thai older adults in community setting and has shown an increase of the figure over the last decade. Several modifiable factors, including hearing impairment, subjective memory complaints, alcohol consumption, daytime sleepiness, and functional dependency, have been identified as potential pathways for dementia prevention and early detection facilitation.

Sleep problems are a frequent condition in older adults. Good mobility is a critical factor for maintaining health and well-being. The association between both variables is still poorly understood. The objective was to verify the association between sleep problems and mobility difficulties among community-dwelling older adults. This was a cross-sectional study, with 6,929 older adults (≥ 60 years), from the Brazilian Longitudinal Study of Aging (2019–2021). Exposure variables were sleep problems: insomnia (initial, intermediate, and final), poor sleep quality, and daytime sleepiness. Outcomes were mobility difficulties (yes/no): walking (100 m and 1 km), running 1 km, climbing one flight of stairs, and getting up from a chair. Multivariate logistic regression analyses were performed to investigate the associations. Older adults with insomnia (initial, intermediate, and final), poor sleep quality, and daytime sleepiness had between 1.80 (95%CI 1.34; 2.42) and 1.92 (95%CI 1.50; 2.45) greater odds of reporting difficulty in walking 100 m, 1.59 (95%CI 1.29; 1.95) and 1.75 (95%CI 1.41; 2.18) of reporting difficulty in walking 1 km, 1.63 (95%CI 1.28; 2.06) and 2.30 (95%CI 1.71; 3.10) of reporting difficulty in climbing one flight of stairs; 1.45 (95%CI 1.11; 1.90) and 1.79 (95%CI 1.32; 2.44) of reporting difficulty in getting up from a chair. Older adults with initial and final insomnia, and poor sleep quality had between 1.28 (95%CI 1.01; 1.62) and 2.09 (95%CI 1.46; 3.00) greater odds of reporting difficulty in running 1 km. These results reinforce the importance of periodically evaluating older adults’ sleep health in order to prevent their mobility difficulties.

Dietary Approaches to Stop Hypertension (DASH) are a recommended non-pharmacological dietary strategy for mitigating hypertension and averting its potential complications. In Zimbabwe the DASH interventions are available through a dietician in tertiary health care institutions. However, there are a number of barriers faced in accessing this service. This study explores the barriers to facility-based DASH among older adult patients in Gweru. In this qualitative study, twenty older adults with hypertension and their caregivers and eight healthcare workers provided information on their experiences with facility-based DASH. Barriers to facility-based DASH are - participant factors (financial challenges, limited family support, patient`s negative attitude, and fear); healthcare worker factors (limited knowledge due to absence of a formal curriculum on DASH and pressure of work) and system level barriers (unavailability of BP machines, unavailability of hypertension medication and distance to health facility). It is important to consider community-based DASH given the above barriers to the facility-based model.

Purpose in life is associated with improved physical and mental health, especially in later life. However, research to date suggests challenges to sustaining purpose in life into older age, with research also showing that older adults focus less on the future, potentially impacting upon levels of purpose captured in measures oriented to the future. The present study aimed to examine whether temporal focus influences the association between age and purpose in life scores, using three purpose in life measures, each with differences in their temporal focus. Participants (N = 312, M age = 48.5 years, SD = 18.3) were split into control, or past, present, or future positive self-induction groups to induce temporally focused thinking prior to completing three purpose in life measures. The induction asked participants to focus on a part of their life that is going as well as it possibly could be (wording adjusted for temporal condition). Affect was measured pre and post induction. All data were collected online via Prolific. The data revealed greater purpose in life with age across all three purpose measures. However, relative to the control condition, these age-related improvements in purpose were reduced in the present-induction condition for all three measures of purpose, and in the future-induction condition for one of the measures of purpose. This study re-frames existing conceptions of challenges in finding purpose in older age to present a positive story of greater purpose with increasing age, particularly when temporal perspective is unconstrained. Motivational and emotional factors potentially underpinning older adults’ purpose in life and psychological well-being are discussed. Public Significance Statement. Research has emphasised the importance of maintaining a sense of purpose in later life, with links to health and longevity. While research to date identified difficulties in achieving purpose in life in older age, our findings offer a new perspective whereby older adults report greater purpose in life, and this is irrespective of whether they are focusing on the past, present, or future.

The purpose of this study was to investigate whether gait speed and sedentary behavior are related to instrumental activities of daily living (IADL) in older people using a daycare center. In this cross-sectional study, we examined 98 older adults who received rehabilitation at a daycare center in Japan from January to March 2024. Participants were 65 years or older, able to walk with or without aids, and provided consent. We excluded those who could not use accelerometers or who missed more than two weeks due to ill health. Participant characteristics such as age, gender, body mass index (BMI), nutritional status, level of long-term care, comorbidities, physical function, physical activity, and IADL were investigated. Pearson’s correlation coefficient and Spearman’s rank correlation coefficient were used to examine the interrelationship between IADL and each measure, and multiple regression analysis examined factors associated with IADL. IADL of the analyzed subjects (n = 41, 82.7 ± 5.3 years, male 48.8%) showed significant interrelationships with gait speed, handgrip strength, number of steps, sedentary behavior, and light physical activity (p < 0.05). Gait speed showed a significant interrelationship with handgrip strength, 30-s chair stand test, and number of steps, and sedentary behavior was significantly interrelated with BMI, number of steps, and light physical activity (p < 0.05). Gait speed (p = 0.001, 95% CI: 0.944 to 3.453) and sedentary behavior (p = 0.004, 95% CI: -0.012 to -0.002) were identified as factors associated with IADL. Gait speed and sedentary behavior were revealed as related factors associated with IADL in older people using a daycare center.

India, classified as a lower-middle-income country, is witnessing a significant rise in its older adult (60+) population. Despite this demographic shift, there remains a limited understanding of the factors affecting quality of life (QOL) among older adults in India. The present study aimed to assess the QOL using the WHOQOL-BREF scale and identify the factors influencing the older adult population in the Siwan district of Bihar, India. A cross-sectional study was conducted among 476 older adults aged 60 years and older during 2021-22. The WHOQOL-BREF tool was utilized to measure the QOL, with data entry was carried out in Microsoft Excel and statistical analysis conducted using STATA v 16.0. Descriptive statistics, including frequencies, box plots, and mean ± SD, were employed to summarize overall and domain-specific QOL scores. Inferential statistics, such as t-tests, ANOVA, and multiple linear regression analysis, was used to explore the relationships between various factors and the QOL. The study found an average QOL score of 44.9 ± 8.9, with the lowest scores in the physical domain (40.6 ± 9.4) and the highest in the social relationship domain (53.1 ± 17.6). The key determinants of the QOL were found to be the age group 70–79 years [β = −6.19, 95% CI: −7.86, −4.51], aged 80 years and older [β = −10.38, 95% CI: −12.74, −8.03], single marital status [β = −2.17, 95% CI: −3.69, −0.65], being OBC category [β = 3.30, 95% CI: 1.17, 5.42], being General caste [β = 6.50, 95% CI: 3.95, 9.05], and being Muslim [β = −2.75, 95% CI: −4.59, −0.91]. The study highlighted that QOL tends to decline with increasing age, while higher caste status is linked to better QOL. Among the factors examined, age, marital status, caste, and religion were found to be the most significant determinants influencing the well-being of older adults.

In Indian society, ‘filial piety’ or ‘seva’ is the norm, where younger family members, especially sons and grandchildren, care for older parents. In the past, older individuals were highly esteemed and were key to family decision-making, and they received social security support from the younger generation. Decreasing fertility and increasing adult migration have reduced the number of young generations to older adult care, especially in rural areas. The economic status of older parents and household dynamics influence living arrangements, which were independently explored in previous studies. Using micro-level survey data, this study describes household and economic dynamics and explores the perceptions of older parents who live alone or only with their spouses, aiming to identify the most suitable theoretical model(s) for understanding intergenerational relations in contemporary India. The study reveals that 28% of households were one-generation, 28% were two-generation, and 44% had three or more generations. About 29% of older parents lived alone or with only their spouse, whereas 37% of parents of migrants lived alone or with only their spouse. Furthermore, parents with migrant sons were more likely to live alone or only with their spouses. Parents who own farmland were less likely to live alone or only with their spouses. Economic stability and property ownership enable multiple generations to live alongside each other. Older parents prioritize their children’s well-being over personal comfort, often due to concerns about financial constraints, altruism, and family ties. Understanding these dynamics is crucial for policymakers and social service providers to create tailored initiatives for older individuals with diverse needs and preferences.

This scoping review examines the healthcare needs, barriers, and practices of refugee older adults, with a focus on their healthcare access and utilization. Refugee older adults were defined as refugees who are 55 years of age or older. Utilizing the JBI methodology for scoping reviews, this study analyzed the data extracted from sources published in English between January 2010 and February 2024. Refugee older adults’ healthcare needs were: culturally safe healthcare needs, illness related healthcare needs, and support for activities of daily living. Major barriers to healthcare access and utilization were financial constraints, language and communication challenges, transportation difficulties, and systemic inefficiencies and resource constraints. Their healthcare seeking behaviors and practices were shaped by their health literacy levels, and cultural and religious beliefs. A significant preference for culturally safe, and community-based, healthcare interventions influenced by ‘traditional’ practices and family support was noted. The findings stress the need for healthcare policies that integrate the diverse needs of older refugees, that involve enhancements in language support, transportation access, and the development of inclusive and culturally-safe healthcare provision models to improve their health and wellbeing.

Sleep quality significantly impacts physical and mental health. Given the importance of emotional health particularly for older individuals, the relationship between sleep quality and emotional well-being among the older adults in Kermanshah City was examined. A correlational study was carried out through an analytical approach with participation of a group of older adults from Kermanshah in 2023. Four hundred participants aged 65 and above were selected through a multistage sampling process incorporating clustering and simple randomization methods. Data collection tools were demographic forms, the Pittsburgh Sleep Quality Index, and assessments for positive and negative effects. There was an equal gender distribution in the participants, with a mean age of 76.51 years. The mean sleep quality score was 8.9, with mean scores for positive and negative emotions equal to 29.65 and 25.86, respectively. In addition, 90% of participants reported poor sleep quality. A strong and significant inverse correlation was found between sleep quality scores and positive emotional states (r = -0.69); and a direct, strong correlation with negative emotional states (r = 0.73). There is significant correlation between sleep quality and the emotional states of the older adults. Improved sleep quality may enhance emotional well-being. Developing effective interventions is crucial and necessary. Such measures could substantially contribute to the well-being in this age group, potentially reducing healthcare costs and the social burdens of related issues.