Search

Background Method Results Conclusion Study Registration Many models and theories are used to increase the self‐management of individuals with type 2 diabetes. This study aims to examine the effect of information, motivation, behavioural skills (IMB) model‐based diabetes education and motivational interviewing program on health belief, self‐efficacy, self‐management, and metabolic control in adults with type 2 diabetes.The study is a single‐blind, randomised controlled trial. The study was conducted between 2021 and 2022 with intervention (n = 30) and control groups (n = 30). The intervention group applied the diabetes education and motivational interviews program for 12 weeks that was created based on the IMB model. The study data were collected with a socio‐demographic questionnaire, Diabetes Knowledge Scale, Health Belief Scale, Self‐Efficacy Scale, and Self‐Management Scale.In the post‐test and follow‐up measurements, the mean scores of the intervention group on the knowledge, health belief, self‐efficacy, and self‐management scale were significantly higher than those of the control group, while the HbA1c% and body mass index (BMI) values of the intervention group showed a significant decrease over time. However, there was no difference between the groups in the post‐test BMI and HbA1c% values.The nurse‐led intervention was found to be effective in increasing information, health belief, self‐efficacy, self‐management, and decreasing HbA1c%, BMI in adults with type 2 diabetes.The study was registered in ClinicalTrials NCT05030844. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Summary Sleep quality is fundamental to physical and mental health. Recent research shows that the COVID‐19 pandemic has affected individuals’ sleep quality. This study aims to investigate whether the containment and health policies (Oxford Coronavirus Government Response Tracker indexes) adopted by European countries and Israel during the pandemic are related to sleep problems in people aged 50 and over. A cross‐sectional study was conducted using a logistic regression analysis based on data from the Survey of Health, Ageing and Retirement in Europe, collected in 27 European countries and Israel, in 2021. The results show that containment and health policies affect older adults’ sleep, once we neutralise the influence of the sociodemographic, economic, and health characteristics of the individuals and close contact with COVID‐19. In fact, the more containment and health policies, the fewer chances of sleep problems. A possible explanation for this is that these policies give people over 50 a sense of safety and security in relation to COVID‐19, which may reduce sleep problems. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Introduction: This study aimed to investigate the association between handgrip strength and suicidal ideation in representative samples of adults aged ≥50 years from six LMICs (China, Ghana, India, Mexico, Russia, and South Africa). Methods: Cross‐sectional, community‐based data from the World Health Organization's Study on Global Aging and Adult Health were analyzed. Handgrip strength quintiles by sex were created based on the average value of two handgrip measurements of the dominant hand. Self‐reported information on past 12‐month suicidal ideation was collected. Multivariable logistic regression analysis was conducted to assess associations. Results: Data on 34,129 individuals were analyzed [mean (SD) age 62.4 (16.0) years; age range 50–114 years; 52.1% females]. After adjustment for potential confounders, in the overall sample, compared to the handgrip strength quintile with the highest values [Quintile 1 (Q1)], Q2, Q3, Q4, and Q5 were associated with significant 2.15 (95% CI = 1.05–4.39), 2.78 (95% CI = 1.06–7.32), 3.53 (95% CI = 1.68–7.42), and 6.79 (95% CI = 2.80–16.48) times higher odds for suicidal ideation. Conclusions: Lower handgrip strength was significantly and dose‐dependently associated with higher odds for suicidal ideation in adults aged ≥50 years from LMICs. Future longitudinal studies are needed to understand the underlying mechanisms, and whether increasing general muscular strength and physical function may lead to reduction in suicidal ideation. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Aim: To understand the experiences of individuals who undergo LEA due to DFU after disability. Design: A descriptive research design in qualitative research. Methods: Semi‐structured interviews were used in this qualitative descriptive study. Eleven middle‐aged patients (45–59 years) who underwent LEA due to DFU were purposively selected and interviewed. Qualitative data were thematically analysed. Results: Three themes and 10 subthemes were identified. The themes were (1) role function confusion, (2) self‐concept stress and (3) unreasonable objective support. Subthemes included (1) weakened career role, (2) family role reversal, (3) social role restriction, (4) over‐focusing on appearance, (5) immersion in patient experience, (6) living with faith, (7) polarization of independent consciousness, (8) low perceived benefits of peer support, (9) existence of treatment disruption and (10) poor participation in medical decision‐making. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

This study examines the impact of leisure activities on leisure domain and life domain satisfactions and subjective well‐being (SWB) and explores the differences between genders in these associations, using data from 316 middle‐aged adults. The results suggest that sports and travel & outdoor activities have the greatest impact on physiological, psychological, and relaxing satisfactions. Social activities are key ingredients in social, psychological, and physiological satisfactions as seen by men, whereas cultural activities and hobbies are important in women's psychological satisfaction. While relaxing and social satisfactions are important in men's SWB, psychological satisfaction is the most important factor in women's SWB. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The relationship between sex‐specific blood biomarkers and memory changes in middle‐aged adults remains unclear. We aimed to investigate this relationship using the data from the Framingham Heart Study (FHS). We conducted association analysis, partial correlation analysis, and causal dose–response curves using blood biomarkers and other data from 793 middle‐aged participants (≤ 60 years) from the FHS Offspring Cohort. The results revealed associations of adiponectin and fasting blood glucose with midlife memory change, along with a U‐shaped relationship of high‐density lipoprotein cholesterol with memory change. No significant associations were found for the other blood biomarkers (e.g., amyloid beta protein 42) with memory change. To our knowledge, this is the first sex‐specific network analysis of blood biomarkers related to midlife memory change in a prospective cohort study. Our findings highlight the importance of targeting cardiometabolic risks and the need to validate midlife‐specific biomarkers that can accelerate the development of primary preventive strategies. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Background: This study tested a hypothesised model of the effects of adverse life events on the mental health of middle‐aged and older adults living alone, as mediated by thought suppression and help‐seeking behaviours, considering gender differences. Methods: A questionnaire survey was conducted on a sample of 1202 (622 men; 580 women) individuals from 247445 residents aged 50–79 in District A of Tokyo. The questionnaire items covered parameters on adverse life events, help‐seeking behaviour, thought suppression, and mental health status. Results: Multiple group structural equation‐modelling analysis revealed that the seriousness of adverse life events, help‐seeking behaviours, and mental health scores were higher in women than in men. No significant gender differences were observed in thought suppression. The findings support all three proposed hypotheses: severe adverse life events will: (a) give rise to help‐seeking behaviours, which will have a positive effect on mental health; (b) intensify thought suppression, which will harm mental health; and (c) inhibit help‐seeking behaviour, especially in single middle‐aged and older adult men. Conclusion: There is a need to develop interventional programs based on the theory of replacement thinking to encourage help‐seeking behaviours in middle‐aged and older adults. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Grip strength in midlife can predict physical disability in senior years. Recent evidence shows the critical role of nutritional status on muscle function. We aimed to elucidate whether adherence to a particular dietary pattern would be associated with abnormal muscle strength among middle‐aged people. In this cross‐sectional study, a semiquantitative Food Frequency Questionnaire was used to assess the dietary intake of 2781 participants in the Ravansar Non‐Communicable Chronic Disease (RaNCD) cohort. Major dietary patterns from 28 main food groups were extracted using principal component analysis. Binary logistic regression was used to determine the association between the tertiles of the major dietary patterns and muscle strength status. Two major dietary patterns were identified: the "mixed dietary pattern" that heavily loaded with fruits, vegetables, nuts, dairies, sweets, legumes, dried fruits, fish, red meat, butter, whole grains, natural juices, poultry, pickles, olive, industrial juice, egg, processed meat, and snacks and "unhealthy dietary pattern" that heavily loaded by fats, sugar, refined grains, soft drink, salt, organ meat, tea, and coffee. Adherence to the mixed dietary pattern (OR = 1.03, 95% CI = 0.8–1.33, P for trend = 0.77) and the unhealthy dietary pattern (OR = 1.01, 95% CI = 0.79–0.13, P for trend = 0.89) did not associate with abnormal muscle strength. This study suggests that the dietary pattern involving the consumption of healthy and unhealthy food does not have an effect on muscle strength in middle‐aged adults. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The Fitness Versus Body Fat Hypothesis argues that cardiorespiratory fitness (CRF) plays a more important role in cardiovascular health than adiposity. It remains poorly understood whether CRF or adiposity accounts for a greater amount of variation in measures of brain health. We examined the contribution of CRF, adiposity, and their interaction with hippocampal structure. This study included 124 sedentary adults (M = 44.34) with overweight/obesity (Body Mass Index mean = 32.43). FMRIB's Integrated Registration and Segmentation Tool was used to segment the hippocampus. Using hierarchical regression, we examined whether CRF, assessed via a submaximal graded exercise test, or adiposity, assessed as percent body fat using dual‐energy x‐ray absorptiometry (DXA) was associated with left and right hippocampal volume. Vertex‐wise shape analysis was performed to examine regional shape differences associated with CRF and adiposity. Higher CRF was significantly associated with greater left hippocampal volume (p =.031), with outward shape differences along the surface of the subiculum and CA1 regions. Adiposity was not associated with left or right hippocampal volume or shape. The interaction between adiposity and CRF was not significant. Neither CRF nor adiposity were associated with thalamus or caudate nucleus volumes or shapes, two control regions. Higher CRF, but not adiposity, was related to greater left hippocampal volume, with outward shape differences along the surface of the subiculum and CA1 regions in a midlife sample with overweight/obesity. These findings indicate that, within the context of obesity, CRF is an important contributor to hippocampal structure, highlighting the importance of interventions targeting CRF. Impact Statement: The Fitness Versus Body Fat Hypothesis argues that CRF plays a more important role in cardiovascular health than adiposity. For the first time, we extend the debate to brain health and demonstrate that higher CRF, but not adiposity, is associated with greater volume and outward shape differences along the surface of the subiculum and CA1 regions of the left hippocampus. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Background: Alcohol use and its associated problems are on the rise in China. In this study, we examined the associations between alcohol use and cognitive functioning in a representative sample of adults aged 45 years and older in China. Methods: Baseline data for 16,328 participants of the China Health and Retirement Longitudinal Study were analyzed. Alcohol use was measured by drinking status (never, former, moderate, and at‐risk drinkers), number of standard drinks per week, and years of drinking. Cognitive functioning was assessed for visuospatial ability, episodic memory, orientation/attention, and overall cognitive functioning. Multivariate linear and logistic regressions were used to examine the independent association between alcohol use and cognitive functioning controlling for age, gender, education, domestic partner status, and depressive symptoms. Results: The study participants were, on average, 66 years old (median 59, range 45 to 102). The prevalence of ever drinking during lifetime and current at‐risk drinking (>14 drinks per week) in this population was 34.6 and 6.7%, respectively. Drinking was more common among men with 48.8% being ever drinkers and 14.4% current at‐risk drinkers, respectively. At‐risk drinkers, compared to people who never drank alcohol, had worse episodic memory (β = −0.11, p = 0.048). Moreover, number of standard drinks per week was associated with worse episodic memory (β = −0.001, p = 0.02). None of the other measures of alcohol use was associated with the overall or domain‐specific cognitive functioning. Conclusions: At‐risk drinking status was associated with worse episodic memory. Clinicians should incorporate alcohol use assessment into routine care for middle‐aged and older adults in China and provide them with resources and strategies to effectively manage their alcohol use. This may help preserve episodic memory in this population. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Recommendations promote a diversified and optimal but not excessive consumption of dairy products. Their efficiency may depend on sociodemographic and economic factors, for which little information is available. Links between these factors and dairy intake were investigated in a large sample of French adults. Dietary intakes were assessed using at least six 24-h dietary records collected during a 2-year period from 4574 adults aged 45-60 years. The cost of each food item was estimated from national data. Sociodemographic and economic characteristics were assessed by self-administered questionnaires. Compliance with the current dairy recommendation, distribution of the dairy budget and calcium inadequacy were compared by logistic regression and covariance analyses. Thirty-five percent of subjects complied with the three-per-day dairy recommendation, with more men than women exceeding this (36.2% versus 26.5%, P < 0.0001). The proportion of the dairy budget spent on milk increased with age in men ( P = 0.002); in women, it was inversely associated with occupational category ( P = 0.009) and residence in an urban area ( P = 0.0001). The proportion of this budget spent on cheese increased with education level in women ( P = 0.04) and decreased with age in men ( P = 0.03). In men, the consumption of cream desserts decreased with age ( P = 0.006) and education level ( P = 0.002). Dietary calcium inadequacy was more prevalent in women than in men (32.7% versus 14.2%, P < 0.0001). Among women, this prevalence was higher in older subjects ( P < 0.0001) and those who lived alone ( P = 0.005). Although compliance with dairy recommendation needs to be improved, sociodemographic and economic factors should be taken into account to improve the efficiency of targeted public health messages. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Objectives To compare rate of acute stress disorder (ASD) and intensity of acute stress symptoms (ASS) in younger, middle-aged and older Israeli citizens exposed to missile attacks during the second Lebanon war. Method A telephone survey of a random sample of residents in the northern area of Israel was conducted in July 2006, during the third week of Lebanon war. Respondents were divided into groups aged 18–40, 41–69 and 70+. ASD and ASS were measured by the Acute Stress Interview questionnaire and by war-related exposure variables and demographic data. Results Exposure variables were similar in the three age groups. Older respondents reported lower intensity of ASS and obtained lower means for each of the symptoms criteria than the young adults, while the middle-aged adults were in between the younger and the older group. ASD criteria were met by 13.2% of the younger, 4.7% of middle-aged and 4.3% of older respondents (p > 0.05), and subsyndromal ASD was found in 20.5%, 14.1% and 4.4% (p < 0.05) respectively. Twenty-two percent of ASS variance was explained by younger age, female gender and higher perceived proximity to missile falling. Conclusions Older adults reacted to the war situation with lower level of acute stress symptoms. Long-term effects of war on different age groups should be further studied. Copyright © 2007 John Wiley & Sons, Ltd. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

We examined time perspective and self-esteem in adolescents, young adults, middle-aged adults, and older adults. Time perspective was measured with scales that assess relative orientations and relationships among the past, present, and future. Age effects were examined with standard analytic strategies to determine categorical differences between age groups and with new statistical techniques designed to show continuous age patterns. Findings indicated that (1) thinking about the future was greatest for adolescents and young adults and lowest for middle-aged and older adults, and thinking about the present increased across ages; (2) fewer adolescents and middle-aged participants perceived that the time periods were interrelated compared to younger and older adults; and (3) across ages, a greater emphasis towards the past compared to other time periods was associated with lower self-esteem, whereas emphasizing the present and the future jointly was associated with higher self-esteem., (© 2021 The British Psychological Society.)

Stimulus overselectivity refers to the phenomenon whereby stimulus control over behavior is exerted only by a limited subset of the total number of stimuli present during discrimination learning. It often is displayed by individuals with autistic spectrum disorders or learning disabilities, but is not exclusive to those groups. The present studies investigated the impact of aging on stimulus control and overselectivity. Three age groups--18-22, 47-55, and 70-80 year olds--were studied in two experiments. All participants were trained on a simple discrimination task, randomly assigned to one of two conditions (either with or without a distractor task), and then tested for the emergence of overselectivity (Experiment 1). In Experiment 2 responding controlled by the overselected stimulus elements was reduced by introducing a verbal punisher. In subsequent tests, control of behavior by the previously underselected elements from Experiment 1 was enhanced across the two younger age groups but not the oldest group of participants. The results are discussed in relation to the attention-deficit and overshadowing accounts of overselectivity. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]