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Chronic pain is common in older people. However, little is known about how pain is experienced in residents of retirement villages ('villages'), and how pain intensity and associations are experienced in relation to characteristics of residents and village living. We thus aimed to examine pain levels, prevalence and associated factors in village residents. The current paper is a cross‐sectional analysis of baseline data from the 'Older People in Retirement Villages' study in Auckland, New Zealand. Between July 2016 and August 2018, 578 village residents were interviewed face‐to‐face by gerontology nurse specialists, using interRAI Community Health Assessment (CHA) and customised survey. We used a validated pain scale and multivariable logistic regression analyses adjusted for pre‐specified confounders. Residents' median age was 82 years; 420 (73%) were female; 270 (47%) exhibited/reported daily pain, and in 11% this was severe. After controlling for confounders, daily pain was positively associated with self‐reported arthritis (OR = 3.88, 95% CI = 2.57–5.87), poor/fair self‐reported health (OR = 3.19, 95% CI = 1.29–7.93), having no health clinic on‐site (OR = 1.76, 95% CI = 1.10–2.83), and minimal fatigue (diminished energy but completes normal day‐to‐day activities) (OR = 1.77, 95% CI = 1.11–2.81). Similar associations were observed for levels of pain. We conclude that levels of pain and prevalence of daily pain are high in village residents. Self‐reported arthritis, self‐reported poor/fair health, no health clinic on‐site and minimal fatigue are all independently associated with a higher risk of daily pain and with levels of pain. This study suggests potential opportunities for villages to better provide on‐site support to decrease prevalence and severity of pain for their residents, and thus potentially increase wellbeing and quality‐of‐life, though as we cannot prove causality, more research is needed. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Based on the rich extant research in the field of mental health in acculturation, it is calling to identify religion as one of the meditative variables of the relationship between acculturation and mental health. In addition, little knowledge exists about the detailed religious experience of Chinese migrants in Ireland. This research adopted classic grounded theory to guide data collection and analysis. The findings show that Christian faith plays a significant role as a mediator in the cross-cultural adaptation of the participants with two aspects of the mental impacts: helping to cope with mental stress and providing spiritual satisfaction. The results in this paper are part of the findings from an investigation of the religious experience of the participants during their cross-cultural adaptation in Ireland. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

A school's commitment to promoting health extends beyond students' efforts to encompass parental involvement and must recognize the critical role of parents in enhancing overall student well-being. This study, conducted in 27 schools across Lebanon, assessed parents' awareness of their children's physical and mental health. A school health campaign involved direct medical interventions on 7184 students, followed by phone interviews with 3880 parents to compare their responses with the medical findings. Discordances ranged from extreme mismatches (≥50%) to mild mismatches (<15%), with notable disparities in incomplete vaccination (67.8%), BMI (59%), and mental health indicators (expressions of sadness (69.1%), loneliness (61.0%), and anxiety (53.4%)). Factors such as school type, child's age, governorate, family income, parents' occupation, education level, and marital status significantly influenced discordance rates. Notably, mental health aspects exhibited higher disparities, emphasizing the need for improved communication between parents, physicians, and children. Bridging these gaps could empower parents with better knowledge, fostering environments conducive to lifelong healthy behaviors in children. The study underscores the urgency for enhanced communication strategies to bridge discrepancies and ensure a more comprehensive understanding of children's physical and mental well-being. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

This paper examines the relationships between self-reported loneliness and living arrangements. A structured questionnaire with some open-ended questions was administered face-to-face in English, Hindi or Punjabi to a sample of 161 elderly South Asian immigrants 60 or more years of age living in Edmonton, Alberta, Canada in 2003. The majority of respondents said that they never felt lonely. More than one in three (37.3%) respondents indicated that they felt lonely occasionally, frequently or all of the time. Those living alone were significantly more likely to report feeling lonely at least occasionally than were those living with others, especially those living with their spouse in an extended family. The fact that South Asian immigrant seniors typically lived with others, often in an extended family with or without their spouse, and rarely lived alone protected them to some extent from loneliness. However, our findings showed that among those living with others, it was the amount of waking time spent alone at home and the quality of family relationships rather than living arrangement per se that significantly predicted self-reported loneliness. Nevertheless, living in a larger household was associated with spending less time alone. We discuss plausible influences of culture on expectations regarding family and social relationships and on the meaning of being alone, as well as practical implications for addressing loneliness in a multi-cultural society. [ABSTRACT FROM PUBLISHER]

Loneliness (inclusive social loneliness and emotional loneliness) of older adults is a prominent public health issue internationally. Factors consistently associated with loneliness are age, gender, education, living arrangements, social network, and functional status. Intergenerational co‐living with spouse and adult children is important for the exchange of social, emotional, practical, and financial support provided to older adults. Co‐living with migrant domestic workers (MDWs) to care for older adults became an emergent phenomenon internationally, particularly in Asian countries. According to the convoy model of social relations, the effect of co‐living with MDWs on older adults' loneliness is unknown. This study examined (1) the prevalence of loneliness among community‐dwelling older adults; and (2) the association between co‐living with MDWs and older adult loneliness. Using the Chinese version of the 6‐item De Jong Gierveld Loneliness Scale on loneliness, 380 older adults were interviewed at busy points in Hong Kong, including subway stations. 35.3% of older adults experienced moderate‐to‐severe loneliness. Linear regression was performed to examine the association between co‐living with MDWs and loneliness. The results showed that co‐living with MDWs was significantly associated with lower levels of overall loneliness (β = −0.636; p =.022) and emotional loneliness (β = −0.298, p =.039), but not for social loneliness (β = −0.337, p =.084). While MDWs could be an attachment figure for older adults, they might not be effective in promoting the social integration of older adults. There is a need to investigate the barriers of social integration faced by older adults co‐living with MDWs. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Migration processes are listed within the primary factors facilitating the heterosexual spread of HIV. The study examines the relationship between social support, sexual HIV risk behaviors and sexually transmitted infections (STIs) among 1342 male migrant and non-migrant market workers from Barakholka Market in Almaty, Kazakhstan. Results: (1) higher level of perceived social support [Enhancing Recovery in Coronary Heart Disease (ENRICHD) Social Support Instrument (ESSI score)] was associated with a lower likelihood of having sex with a female sex worker (FSW) [OR = 0.952 (0.927, 0.978) p < .001]; (2) higher availability of friends was associated with a higher likelihood of having STIs [OR = 1.244 (1.007, 1.537), p < .05]; (3) larger network size was associated with a higher likelihood of having STIs [OR = 1.201 (1.026, 1.407), p < .05]; (4) loneliness was associated with an increased likelihood of having unprotected sex with any female partner [RR = 1.102 (1.027, 1.182), p < .05]. Results suggest that social support factors should be considered as a component of HIV and STI prevention programs for male migrant workers from Central Asia in Kazakhstan. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Objectives:To investigate the roles of reasons for living (RFL) and meaning in life (MIL) in potentially promoting mental health and well-being and protecting against suicide ideation among community-residing older adults and to investigate the psychometric properties of the Reasons for Living Scale-Older Adult version (RFL-OA). Method:Of 173 older adults initially recruited into a longitudinal study on late-life suicide ideation, 109 completed the RFL-OA and measures of cognitive and physical functioning and positive and negative psychological factors at a two-year follow-up assessment. We tested a model in which RFL and MIL protect against suicide ideation, controlling for demographic and clinical factors. We also assessed the psychometric properties of the RFL-OA in community-residing older adults, investigating its internal consistency and its convergent (MIL, perceived social support, and life satisfaction), divergent (loneliness, depressive symptom severity, and suicide ideation), and discriminant validity (cognitive and physical functioning). Results:RFL-OA scores explained significant variance in suicide ideation, controlling for age, sex, depressive symptom severity, and loneliness. MIL explained significant unique variance in suicide ideation, controlling for these factors and RFL, and MIL significantly mediated the association between RFL and suicide ideation. Psychometric analyses indicated strong internal consistency (α = .94), convergent, divergent, and discriminant validity for the RFL-OA relative to positive and negative psychological factors and cognitive and physical functioning. Conclusion:These findings add to a growing body of literature suggesting merit in investigating positive psychological factors together with negative factors when assessing suicide risk and planning psychological services for older adults. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Objectives:To investigate the psychometric properties of the Geriatric Suicide Ideation Scale (GSIS) among community-residing older adults. Method:We recruited 173 voluntary participants, 65 years and older, into a 2+ year longitudinal study of the onset or exacerbation of depressive symptoms and suicide ideation. We assessed the internal consistency of the GSIS and its four component subscales, and its shorter and longer duration test–retest reliability, convergent (depression, social hopelessness, and loneliness), divergent (psychological well-being, life satisfaction, perceived social support, and self-rated health), discriminant (basic and instrumental activities of daily living and social desirability), criterion (history of suicide behavior), and predictive validity (future suicide ideation). Results:The GSIS demonstrated strong test–retest reliability and internal consistency. Baseline GSIS scores were significantly positively associated with suicide risk factors, negatively associated with potential resiliency factors, and not associated with functional impairment or social desirability. GSIS scores significantly differentiated between participants with as compared to those without a history of suicide behavior. Baseline GSIS scores significantly predicted suicide ideation at a 2+ year follow-up assessment. Conclusion:Findings suggest strong measurement characteristics for the GSIS with community-residing older adults, including impressive consistency over time. These results are consistent with research attesting to the empirical and pragmatic strengths of this measure. These findings have implications for the monitoring of suicide risk when aiming to enhance mental health and well-being and prevent suicide in later life. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]