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Purpose To examine the relationship between environmental ambience and psychological well-being of persons with dementia. Design A secondary analysis was conducted using observational data with repeated measures. A total of 1,857 observations from 177 persons with dementia in 17 nursing homes and 6 assisted living facilities were included. Methods Psychological well-being was measured by observed displays of positive and negative emotional expressions. The environmental ambience was assessed by two subscales of the Ambiance Scale: Engaging and Soothing. Multilevel modeling was used to account for hierarchical structures in the data. Findings An engaging environment was associated with more positive emotional expressions after controlling for covariates. However, a soothing environment was associated with neither positive nor negative emotional expressions. Conclusions Results suggest that the environment is an important consideration for administrators and clinicians as they respond to the mandate to actively plan and provide care to persons with dementia. Clinical Relevance An environment that is relevant and interesting may promote a sense of well-being and support resident-centered care. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Aim We examined the relationship between cognitive impairment and dental care utilization among older adults in the USA. Methods A total of 329 older adults aged 70 years and older in West Virginia, USA, were included in the present analyses. We carried out multivariate ordinal regression analyses. Results Individuals with dementia were less likely to visit a dentist regularly, and more time had passed since their last dental visit compared with individuals with normal cognitive function. However, the pattern of dental care utilization for those with cognitive impairment, not dementia did not differ from individuals with normal cognition. A perceived greater social network and having dental insurance were associated with increased dental care utilization. Conclusions Less dental care utilization might contribute to the oral health problems often observed among individuals with dementia. Efforts to increase the use of dental care should include cost-effective options for dental insurance. In addition, educating formal and informal caregivers on the importance of dental care might be beneficial, as these individuals are in the best position to facilitate dental care for individuals with dementia. Geriatr Gerontol Int 2015; 15: 255-260. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Objectives To examine the relationship between cognitive function and self-reported oral health-related quality of life ( HRQoL) in community-dwelling older adults. Design Cross-sectional. Setting Community in West Virginia. Participants Two hundred twenty-six community-dwelling older adults. Measurements Oral HRQoL was measured using the Geriatric Oral Health Assessment Index ( GOHAI) (range 12-60), and cognitive function was assessed using a comprehensive neuropsychological test battery. Dental professionals performed oral health examinations. Results Participants with normal cognitive function had higher GOHAI total scores (mean 55.1), indicating better oral HRQoL, than participants with cognitive impairment without dementia ( CIND) (mean 52.3) and mild dementia (mean 51.0). The difference remained significant after controlling for sociodemographic, health status, comorbidity, and clinical dental status covariates. Conclusion Oral HRQoL, as measured using the GOHAI, was better in participants with normal cognitive function than in those with CIND of mild dementia in the population studied. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Objectives: To examine the effectiveness of a media literacy‐based smoking prevention program based on Ajzen's theory of planned behavior in female adolescents. Methods: This quasi‐experimental study was conducted with female high school students aged 16–17 years in Seoul, Republic of Korea. The program provided eight sessions over 4 weeks. Quantitative data were collected before and after online surveys in an intervention (n = 21) and control (n = 21) groups, and analyzed using mixed analysis of variance. Qualitative data on participation experiences was collected by requesting the participants to answer open‐ended questions once a week during the intervention and performing co‐occurrence analysis of specific terms in the responses was conducted through text mining. Results: Although the program decreased smoking intention and increased smoking media literacy in the intervention group, there were no significant differences between the groups. Qualitative results obtained from the intervention group showed cognitive and behavioral changes in the perception of the harmfulness of e‐cigarettes in the media and the expression of a willingness to overcome the temptation to smoke. Conclusions: Our findings show that the enhancement of smoking media literacy, specifically by correcting misconceptions regarding e‐cigarettes promoted by the new media, contributes smoking prevention in female adolescents. It supports calls for an expanded role of public health professionals in health education at the school level. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]