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Social networks are associated with individual's health and well-being. Working life offers opportunities to create and maintain social networks, while retirement may change these networks. This study examined how the number of ties in social network changes across the retirement transition. The study population consisted of 2319 participants (84% women, mean age 63.2 years) from the Finnish Retirement and Aging study. Information about social network ties, including the number of ties in the inner, middle and outer circles of the social convoy model, was gathered using annual postal surveys before and after retirement. Three repeat surveys per participant covered the retirement transition and the post-retirement periods. Mean number of network ties was 21.6 before retirement, of which 5.6 were situated in the inner, 6.9 in the middle and 9.1 in the outer circle. The number of ties in the outer circle decreased by 0.67 (95% CI − 0.92, − 0.42) during the retirement transition period, but not during the post-retirement period (0.11, 95% CI − 0.33, 0.12) (interaction period * time, p = 0.006). The pattern of change in these ties did not differ by gender, occupational status, marital status, number of chronic diseases and mental health during the retirement transition period. The number of ties in the inner and middle circles overall did not decrease during these periods. The number of peripheral relationships decreased during the retirement transition but not after that, suggesting that the observed reduction is more likely to be associated with retirement rather than aging. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Objective: Alzheimer patients (AD) are known to be at risk for malnutrition and their older spouses may also have nutritional problems. The aim of our study was to clarify the association of caregivers' sex on the nutrient intake of AD couples. Setting: Our study uses the baseline data of a randomized nutritional trial exploring the effectiveness of nutrition intervention among home-dwelling AD patients. Participants: The central AD register in Finland was used to recruit AD patients living with a spousal caregiver, 99 couples participated in our study. Measurements: Nutritional status was assessed using the Mini-Nutritional Assessment (MNA). Nutrient intakes for both AD patients and their spouses were calculated from 3-day food diaries. Results: The mean age of caregivers and AD spouses was 75.2 (SD 7.0) and 77.4 years (SD 5.6), respectively. According to the MNA, 40% of male and 52% of female AD spouses were at risk for malnutrition. Among male caregivers, the mean energy and protein intakes were 1605 kcal (SD 458) and 0.93g/body kg (SD 0.30), whereas the respective figures for their female AD spouses were 1313 kcal (SD 340) and 0.86 g/body kg (SD 0.32), respectively. Among female caregivers, the mean energy and protein intakes were 1536 kcal (SD 402) and 1.00 g/body kg (SD 0.30), whereas the respective figures for their male AD spouses were 1897 kcal (SD 416) and 1.04 g/body kg (SD 0.30). The interaction between male caregiver sex and lower energy (p<0.001) and lower protein intake (p=0.0048) (adjusted for age and MMSE) was significant. Similar differences between caregiver sexes were observed with the intake of various nutrients. Conclusions: A gender difference exists in the ability to cope with caregiver responsibilities related to nutrition. A need exists for tailored nutritional guidance among older individuals and especially among male caregivers. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Social activity and health correlate in old age, but less is known about what explains this association. The aim of this study was to investigate whether mobility, cognitive functioning, and depressive symptoms mediate the association between social activity and mortality risk, or whether they alternatively should be considered as prerequisites for social activity in older Finnish men and women. In 1988, 406 men and 775 women aged 65-84 years took part in face-to-face interviews about their health, socioeconomic status, and social activities. Confirmatory factor analyses were used to form latent variables describing collective and productive social activity. Latent variable models were used to investigate the possible pathways among social activity, mobility, cognitive functioning, depressive symptoms, and mortality risk. In the 21-year follow-up, 89 % of men and 81 % of women had died. Collective and productive social activity correlated with a lower risk for mortality among men and women. Part of the association between social activity and mortality was mediated by mobility. Cognitive functioning and depressive symptoms were not mediators in the association. Instead, good cognitive functioning and having less depressive symptoms were prerequisites for participating in collective social activity among men and women. Among men, good cognitive functioning, and among women, good cognitive functioning and having less depressive symptoms were prerequisites for productive social activity. The health-enhancing influences of social activity may be partly explained by better mobility among persons who are socially active. Moreover, social activity may maintain mobility and thus decreases mortality risk, as many social activities also include physical activity. Better cognitive functioning and having less depressive symptoms should be considered as prerequisites for participating in social activities. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Background: A global My Migraine Voice survey was conducted in 31 countries among 11,266 adults who suffered from ≥4 monthly migraine days (MMD). The aim of this retrospective observational survey-based study was to analyse the country specific results in Finland in order to understand the impact of migraine based on disease severity. Methods: The included participants (3%, n = 338/11,266) were stratified by mean MMDs into 4 ≤ MMD < 8 (n = 133), 8 ≤ MMD < 15 (n = 139) and MMD ≥ 15 (n = 66) subgroups. Comorbidities, migraine-related emotional burden and impact on daily living and work productivity and activity impairment (WPAI) were assessed. Subgroup analysis on healthcare resource utilization (HCRU) due to migraine was assessed by visits to healthcare practitioners (HCPs) during the past 6 months and by hospitalizations and emergency room (ER) visits during the past 12 months. The group difference was tested using the one-way ANOVA and for categorical variables using the Chi-squared test. The association between HCRU and MMD and number of comorbidities was assessed using negative binomial regression analysis. Results: Mean age was 44 years, 93% were women and 67% (n = 227) were employed. Chronic migraine (CM, MMD ≥ 15) was reported in 19.5% of the respondents. The negative impact on daily functioning and emotional burden increased significantly by migraine frequency. Mean number of comorbidities was 2.4, and mean number of HCP visits during the previous 6 months was 5.9. Increase in migraine frequency and comorbidities was associated with higher HCRU. Eighty-eight percent of the respondents reported negative impact on working life and 52% experienced overall work productivity impairment. Over previous month, the mean number of missed working days for all respondents was 2.8 days of which 54% were paid sick leave days, and in CM up to 6.0 days and 30%, respectively. Both absenteeism and presenteeism were higher in the CM group. Conclusions: The emotional and functional burden was high, and the societal burden increased by frequency and severity of migraine, as shown by higher HCRU and reduced work productivity. There is a need to improve quality of care in migraine and improve migraine management related issues in both healthcare and society in Finland. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]