Ageing International最新文献

The newly termed “emerging adult” family caregivers (ages 18–40) are the new sandwich generation, as they are increasingly providing care to their older family members with chronic, disabling, or other serious health conditions. However, little is known about young adult family caregivers, their attitude toward caregiving, their needs, their mental and health status, and their coping mechanism in the context of sustaining their caregiving role. An integrative review of young and emerging adult family caregivers was conducted to provide an understanding on the experience of family caregiving among young adults.

Measurement of biological age provides a means to quantify the aging process; however, its relationship with quality of Life in middle-aged adults remains underexplored. This study aimed to evaluate the correlation between biological age and quality of Life in adults aged 30 to 60 years. This cross-sectional study included participants of both genders. Data collected included sociodemographic information, medical history, anthropometric measurements, vital signs, musculoskeletal tests, subjective well-being assessments, and periodontal and paraclinical evaluations. Biological age was estimated using two. (i) a functional capacity algorithm and (ii) the Klemera-Doubal method. The correlation between biological age and quality of life—assessed using the World Health Organization Quality of Life Instrument (WHOQOL-BREF)—was analyzed using Pearson’s correlation and a multiple Linear regression model. A total of 125 participants were included, with a mean chronological age of 45.1 ± 9.4 years and a mean biological age of 47.1 ± 10 years; 46.4% were women. A significant negative correlation was found between biological age and overall quality of life (r = -0.534, p < 0.001; β = -732.5; 95% CI: -994.7 to -520.3; adjusted R² = 0.399, p < 0.001), as well as across all quality of Life domains. Each year of biological age exceeding chronological age was associated with a 27-point decrease in quality of life score. In conclusion, greater biological aging is associated with lower quality of life in middle-aged adults. Early identification of accelerated aging could lead to timely interventions aimed at improving quality of life and promoting healthy longevity.

Habitual night-time hot spring bathing, which is practiced to improve sleep disorders, is inversely associated with hypertension in adults aged ≥ 65 years. This study aimed to explore a nondrug intervention for insomnia by evaluating the effects of night-time hot spring bathing on sleep quality and quality of life (QOL) in older patients with hypertension. This prospective study evaluated the effects of night-time hot spring bathing on patients with primary hypertension (n = 28) aged 65 years or older (Japan Registry of Clinical Trials registration number: UMIN000051274). Between July 1, 2023, and February 29, 2024, participants were invited to a 1- to 3-day sleep promotion experience at our institute, which included night-time hot spring bathing and education on exercise and diet. Participants were encouraged to continue sleep-promoting activities during a 3-month follow-up period; sleep quality and QOL questionnaires were completed at 1 and 3 months post-intervention. There was a significant improvement in sleep quality according to the Pittsburgh Sleep Quality Index (p < 0.001). Patients also reported significantly improved QOL according to the SF-36® 1-month post-intervention and a significant improvement in mental health at both 1 and 3 months post-intervention (p = 0.013). Night-time hot spring bathing was significantly associated with improved sleep quality in older hypertensive patients. Prospective randomized controlled trials are needed to investigate whether night-time hot spring bathing can prevent diseases associated with sleep disorders in older adults, such as hypertension.

The number of older people diagnosed with dementia is rising in Indonesia. Older people were at risk of missing out on the necessary care and treatment because of a lack of awareness of dementia symptoms and screening. The purpose of this study was to investigate older people’s knowledge of dementia symptoms and the factors associated to their awareness of disorientation as one of early symptoms of dementia in the Special Region of Yogyakarta (DI Yogyakarta), Indonesia. This cross sectional study was conducted in 121 community in DI Yogyakarta. A total of 1.010 older people and 121 community health workers (CHWs) were interviewed via telephone. Participants were asked about their knowledge of early symptoms of dementia. Multiple logistic regression analysis were performed to examine factors associated with older people knowledge of the most common dementia symptom known by the older people. In general, this study found that Indonesia older people had low knowledge of early symptoms of dementia. Furthermore, older persons with education of junior high school and higher and participated in social activities had higher knowledge of disorientation as the most recognizable dementia symptoms compare to other variables as indicated by the proportion of 15.9% and 12.8% respectively. Additionally, the regression analysis found an association for both aforementioned variables with the knowledge of disorientation (p < 0.05). The knowledge of early symptoms of dementia among older persons was low. Campaign to disseminate information on dementia awareness is needed to increase the knowledge of older persons of dementia symptoms.

Objective

To assess the association between frailty, malnutrition, and food group intake among older adults.

Methods

A cross-sectional study was conducted on 1247 adults aged 60 and older who participated in the baseline phase of the Birjand Longitudinal Aging Study (BLAS). Participants were selected using a multistage stratified cluster sampling method. Frailty was assessed using both the frailty phenotype and frailty index approaches. Nutritional status was evaluated using the Mini Nutritional Assessment (MNA). Data on food group intake, sociodemographic characteristics, physical activity, activities of daily living, and sleep problems were collected. Statistical analysis was performed using STATA version 12. Chi-square tests and one-way ANOVA were used for group comparisons. Multinomial logistic regression models were applied to examine associations, adjusting for potential confounders.

Results

Based on the frailty index, 16.20% and 73.14% of participants were frail and prefrail, respectively. Poor nutritional status (malnourished or at risk) was observed in 26.54% of participants, and 49.93% of frail individuals had poor nutritional status. Malnourished individuals had significantly higher risks of frailty (RRR = 6.78; 95% CI: 3.39–13.58) and prefrailty (RRR = 2.36; 95% CI: 2.27–4.31). Higher fruit and vegetable intake was inversely associated with frailty. Those in the highest tertile had significantly lower frailty risk: 0.24 (95% CI: 0.12–0.48) for the frailty index and 0.52 (95% CI: 0.30–0.90) for the frailty phenotype. High intake of milk and dairy products also showed a protective effect (RRR = 0.46; 95% CI: 0.27–0.78). Other food groups showed no significant association.

Conclusion

Poor nutritional status is strongly associated with increased frailty risk in older adults. Fruit, vegetable, and dairy intake may have protective roles against frailty. Malnourished individuals had reduced intake of all major food groups.

Dance and Tai Chi have become increasingly used as health promotion interventions. This review and meta-analysis examines their efficacy in improving physical and mental health in non-clinical populations. Do dance and Tai Chi practices benefit physical health and psychological wellbeing? This review was registered on PROSPERO (CRD42022309436) and followed PRISMA (2020) guidelines. A comprehensive search was undertaken across eight databases. The primary search identified 9228 studies. Following title, abstract, and full-text screening, 38 studies met the inclusion criteria; 26 were Tai Chi-focused and 12 were dance-focused. The Kmet quality assessment tool produced a mean total score of 20±3.87 and mean summary score of 0.77±0.14 (range 0.46-1.0). Nineteen (50%) studies scored inadequate on its replicability, due to poor methodological details. Twenty-seven (71%) studies purposefully recruited participants over the age of 60. Participants in the included studies were predominantly female, with the proportion in each study from 65% to 95.1%. Meta-analysis indicates significant balance and mental health benefits from dance and Tai Chi interventions (p<0.01), one set of Tai Chi data reported a negative effect on balance (p=0.01). Dance and Tai Chi produced multiple benefits for physical and mental health among non-clinical populations. Their lack of intervention details, however, prevents future studies from replicating. The included studies highlighted a focus on fall prevention focusing mainly on an elderly female population. We recommend that future research assesses independent variables beyond balance and fall-related issues, and is conducted with young participants as well as male participants.

This research provides a comprehensive analysis of the research terrain concerning the intersection of social media and older adults. Through bibliometric analysis this research explores the existing literature on the subject, identifies key scholars in the field, provides insight into the historical context, present trends, and potential areas for future research. From the web of science data base, we retrieved 1211 articles. The analysis posits that the scholarly endeavours in the field of social media and older adults kick started in 2009, attaining zenith in 2023. Concurrently, citations per year hit an all-time high during the Covid-19 pandemic in 2020 with 3226 citations. Norm O’Rouke emerged as the leading researcher in the field. Notably, the United States has been the most prolific contributor to the research investigating the intersection between older adults and social media. Meanwhile, Germany distinguished as the most extensive research collaborator on the subject. Abstract clustering using topic modeling indicates that scholars in this field may delve into the topics such as dementia, pain management, COVID-19 related issues and psychological well-being to enhance comprehension on the social media adoption among older adults. Additionally, emerging topics like TikTok and misinformation (fake news) appear to be the novel dimensions to incorporate. The insights from this bibliometric analysis aim to assist researchers, especially those at the inception of their exploration into social media penetration among older adults. These insights can further guide in determining specific areas within the field to concentrate on, identifying dimensions to explore, and selecting potential collaborators for research endeavours.

Objective

This study examined the relationship between physical frailty and the Composite Cognitive Impairment Index (CII) because physical frailty is a significant risk factor for cognitive impairment.

Methods

The present study utilized data from the Longitudinal Aging Study in India (LASI) Wave 1 and included 55,199 (24,004 males and 31,115 females) individuals aged 45 years and above. Physical frailty and cognitive impairment were defined using the Modified Fried Frailty Phenotype Criteria and the Composite Cognitive Impairment Index (CII), respectively.

Results

The prevalence of physical frailty and cognitive impairment was 15.1% and 10.7%, respectively. Physically frail males and females had 1.72- and 1.60-times higher likelihoods of developing cognitive impairment, respectively (p < 0.001).

Discussion

Physical frailty was significantly associated with cognitive impairment. Of all the five components of physical frailty, weak hand grip strength posed the greatest risk to cognitive impairment. Incorporating exercises to enhance muscle strength and mass is crucial for mitigating cognitive decline with age.

The aim of this study is to examine older adults’ experience of receiving medical and care efforts from a Mobile Geriatric Team (MGT). A phenomenologically inspired approach guides this study to stay empirically close to the data while exploring the experiences of five older adults with comorbidity receiving medical and care efforts from a MGT. Three themes emerged from the interviews: The relief of integrated treatment, Reclaiming time from the emergency room, and Finding sanctuary at home. The findings reveal that older adults particularly valued the MGT’s comprehensive view of their medical history and medication, highlighting how this holistic approach provided significant comfort. Participants also emphasized the relief brought by staff continuity and the ability to receive acute medical treatments in the familiarity of their own homes, thereby avoiding the stress and inconvenience of emergency room visits. While reducing emergency room visits was a stated goal of the MGT, this study distinctively illuminates the profound positive impact of this outcome from the older adults’ perspective. These findings demonstrate a project successfully aligning with initiatives for good, close, and coordinated care, ultimately promoting health and well-being for older adults.

The aim of this review is to synthesise evidence on the effects of primary prevention interventions targeted at the drivers of elder abuse, and to identify the factors that influence the effectiveness of these interventions. The review was conducted in line with the Preferred Reporting Items for Systematic Reviews and Meta-Analyses (PRISMA) statement. The search for literature was performed in six databases: Ovid Medline, Ovid Embase, AgeLine, PsycINFO, Web of science, and Sociological abstracts. A narrative synthesis was used to summarize the results. The literature search yielded 10,987 articles of which four were eligible for inclusion. All four elder abuse primary prevention interventions were intergenerational programs. We found limited evidence that intergenerational programs can be effective elder abuse primary prevention strategies by countering ageism including overcoming age-related stereotypes in both community and institutional settings. The review points to limited evidence on the effects of primary prevention interventions targeted at the drivers of elder abuse. The current limited evidence, however, suggests that effective elder abuse prevention interventions are contingent on several factors including the type of implementation approaches used, and the specific mechanisms that may be at play during the implementation process.