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BackgroundRespiratory infectious diseases (RIDs) are a global public health problem, characterized by strong infectivity, high transmissibility, and a high incidence in the population. This study aimed to explore RID prevention behaviors among older adults and analyze their influencing factors.MethodsA cross-sectional study was conducted to examine RID prevention behaviors among 2219 Chinese older adults. Analysis of variance and the Kruskal–Wallis test were used to compare behaviors among subjects with different characteristics. Pearson's correlation analysis was used to assess the relationships between knowledge, skills, and behavior, and a generalized linear model was used for multi-factor analysis.ResultsThe participants in this questionnaire survey were predominantly older adults individuals aged 65–70 years (45.65%), with no more than a primary school educational level (86.70%). Univariate analysis revealed statistically significant associations between age, education, place of residence, living condition, marital status, annual income in the past year, type of medical insurance, health status, smoking status, drinking status, weekly exercise durations, and sleep status in older adults and their RID prevention behavior. Pearson's correlation analysis indicated a moderate correlation between knowledge, skills, and behavioral scores. Multivariate analysis identified place of residence, annual income, smoking habits, alcohol consumption, exercise frequency, knowledge level, and skill level as influential factors for behaviors related to the prevention and control of RID in older adults.ConclusionOur results confirm the importance of a healthy lifestyle in RID prevention among older adults, especially in terms of smoking, alcohol consumption, and regular exercise, and provide empirical evidence for the development of health promotion programs for older adults people, particularly in rural areas.

In today's digitalized era, embracing new and emerging technologies is a requirement to remain competitive. The present research investigates the adoption of artificial intelligence (AI) by the elderly in the European landscape, emphasizing the importance of individuals' digital skills. As has already been globally recognized, the most imminent demographic challenge is no longer represented by the rapid growth of the population but by its aging. Thus, the paper initially analyzed European perspectives on AI adoption, also discussing the importance of focusing on seniors. A bibliometric analysis was required afterward, and the review of the resulting relevant scientific publications uncovered gaps in understanding the relationship between older individuals and AI, particularly in terms of digital competence. Further exploration considered the EU population's digital literacy and cultural influences using Hofstede's model, while also identifying potential ways to improve the elderly's digital skills and promote the adoption of AI. Results indicate a growing interest in AI adoption among the elderly, underscoring the urgent need for digital skills development. The imperative of personalized approach implementations, such as specialized courses, personalized training sessions, or mentoring programs, was underscored. Moreover, the importance of targeted strategies and collaborative efforts to ensure equitable participation in the digital age was identified as a prerequisite for AI adoption by seniors. In terms of potential implications, the research can serve as a starting point for various stakeholders in promoting an effective and sustainable adoption of AI among older citizens in the EU. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Objective To systematically evaluate the status and influencing factors of dry skin in the elderly.Methods The PubMed, Embase, Web of Science, CNKI, CBM, VIP and Wan-Fang databases were systematically searched from the establishment of each database to June, 2023. Literature screening, quality evaluation, and information extraction were conducted independently by two researchers, and Meta-analysis of incidence and influencing factors was performed using Stata 17.0 software.Results 19 literatures were included, all cross-sectional studies, including 69,260 elderly patients, of whom 24,580 had dry skin. The results of Meta-analysis showed that the incidence of dry skin in the elderly was 49%[95CI%(36%, 61%)]. The results of subgroup analysis showed that the incidence of dry skin was higher among elderly people in men, from nursing institutions and in the European regions. The prevalence of dry skin in the elderly was also relatively high in the literature with a sample size

Abstract Background ‘Perturbation-based balance training’ (PBBT) is a training method that was developed to improve balance reactive responses to unexpected balance loss. This training method is more effective in reducing fall rates than traditional balance training methods. Many PBBTs are performed during standing or treadmill walking which targeted specifically step reactive responses, we however, aimed to develop and build a mechatronic system that can provide unexpected perturbation during elliptical walking the Elliptical Perturbation System (the EPES system), with the aim of improving specifically the trunk and upper limbs balance reactive control. Methods This paper describes the development, and building of the EPES system, using a stationary Elliptical Exercise device, which allows training of trunk and upper limbs balance reactive responses in older adults. Results The EPES system provides 3-dimensional small, controlled, and unpredictable sudden perturbations during stationary elliptical walking. We developed software that can identify a trainee’s trunk and arms reactive balance responses using a stereo camera. After identifying an effective trunk and arms reactive balance response, the software controls the EPES system motors to return the system to its horizontal baseline position after the perturbation. The system thus provides closed-loop feedback for a person’s counterbalancing trunk and arm responses, helping to implement implicit motor learning for the trainee. The pilot results show that the EPES software can successfully identify balance reactive responses among participants who are exposed to a sudden unexpected perturbation during elliptical walking on the EPES system. Conclusions EPES trigger reactive balance responses involving counter-rotation action of body segments and simultaneously evoke arms, and trunk reactive response, thus reactive training effects should be expected.

Background: 'Perturbation-based balance training' (PBBT) is a training method that was developed to improve balance reactive responses to unexpected balance loss. This training method is more effective in reducing fall rates than traditional balance training methods. Many PBBTs are performed during standing or treadmill walking which targeted specifically step reactive responses, we however, aimed to develop and build a mechatronic system that can provide unexpected perturbation during elliptical walking the Elliptical Perturbation System (the EPES system), with the aim of improving specifically the trunk and upper limbs balance reactive control. Methods: This paper describes the development, and building of the EPES system, using a stationary Elliptical Exercise device, which allows training of trunk and upper limbs balance reactive responses in older adults. Results: The EPES system provides 3-dimensional small, controlled, and unpredictable sudden perturbations during stationary elliptical walking. We developed software that can identify a trainee's trunk and arms reactive balance responses using a stereo camera. After identifying an effective trunk and arms reactive balance response, the software controls the EPES system motors to return the system to its horizontal baseline position after the perturbation. The system thus provides closed-loop feedback for a person's counterbalancing trunk and arm responses, helping to implement implicit motor learning for the trainee. The pilot results show that the EPES software can successfully identify balance reactive responses among participants who are exposed to a sudden unexpected perturbation during elliptical walking on the EPES system. Conclusions: EPES trigger reactive balance responses involving counter-rotation action of body segments and simultaneously evoke arms, and trunk reactive response, thus reactive training effects should be expected. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Abstract Background The Covid-19 pandemic and associated visiting restrictions have challenged communication with others for older people residing in nursing homes. Aim The aim of this study was to explore residents’ experiences of encounters and communication with staff and relatives and friends during the Covid-19 pandemic. Design An exploratory study with an inductive approach. Methods Semi-structured telephone interviews with 16 Swedish nursing home residents were conducted. Data were analyzed using qualitative content analysis; the study reports according to the COREQ checklist. Results Three main categories emerged: (1) Mixed feelings and experiences of encounters with nursing staff, (2) Adapting to hampered communication and finding strategies to overcome language barriers, and (3) Facing pandemic restrictions and living an adjusted life. Nine subcategories are reported within these categories. Residents mainly reported good encounters with staff and receiving the care they needed, but unhelpful encounters were also reported. To manage communication with staff with limited Swedish language skills, residents developed several strategies. During the visiting ban, residents felt secure but also lonely. Staying connected with the outside world required residents to use the phone and handle other digital aids, such as video calls, but lack of technical skills among staff hindered frequent use of video calls. Conclusion This study highlights how residents can feel safe in extreme situations, but increased competence, including digital literacy and language skills, among staff is required. Care providers should provide relevant information to residents and staff and employ competent staff. Findings indicate that communication plans need to include enabling communication for residents both within and outside nursing homes, taking staff language skills into consideration.

Objectives: Frailty has become an independent risk factor for adverse outcomes in critically ill patients. This study aimed to explore the predictive ability of two electronic medical record-based frailty assessment tools, the Hospital Frailty Risk Score (HFRS) and Frailty Index based on physiological and laboratory tests (FI-lab), for long-term adverse prognosis in older critically ill survivors. Design: Retrospective observational study. Setting and Participants: 9,082 critically ill survivors aged ≥ 65 years. Measurements: The HFRS and the 33-item FI-lab were constructed based on the published literature. Cox and logistic regression models assessed the association between frailty and 1-year mortality and post-discharge care needs. Results: 2,586 patients died within 1 year of follow-up. In fully adjusted models, frailty assessed using both the HFRS (per point, hazard ratio [HR] 1.06, 95% confidential interval [CI] 1.05–1.06; intermediate frailty risk, HR 2.00, 95% CI 1.78–2.25; high frailty risk, HR 3.06, 95% CI 2.68–3.50) and FI-lab (per 0.01 points, HR 1.03, 95% CI 1.03–1.03; intermediate frailty risk, HR 1.59, 95% CI 1.44–1.76; high frailty risk, HR 2.30, 95% CI 2.06–2.57) was associated with mortality. Addition of frailty indicators improved the predictive validity of the Sequential Organ Failure Assessment score for mortality (HFRS alone Δ C-index 0.034; FI-lab alone Δ C-index 0.016; HFRS and FI-lab combined Δ C-index 0.042). The HFRS but not the FI-lab was associated with higher probability of post-discharge care needs. Conclusion: Both the HFRS and FI-lab could independently predict 1-year mortality in older critically ill survivors. Adding the HFRS to the SOFA score model improved it more than adding the FI-lab. The greatest improvement was achieved when both frailty indicators were used together. These findings suggest that electronic medical record-based frailty assessment methods can be useful tools for predicting long-term outcomes in older critically ill patients. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Copyright of Studia Paedagogica Ignatiana is the property of Jesuit University Ignatianum in Krakow and its content may not be copied or emailed to multiple sites or posted to a listserv without the copyright holder's express written permission. However, users may print, download, or email articles for individual use. This abstract may be abridged. No warranty is given about the accuracy of the copy. Users should refer to the original published version of the material for the full abstract. (Copyright applies to all Abstracts.)

Copyright of Folklore Studies / Tautosakos Darbai is the property of Institute of Lithuanian Literature & Folklore and its content may not be copied or emailed to multiple sites or posted to a listserv without the copyright holder's express written permission. However, users may print, download, or email articles for individual use. This abstract may be abridged. No warranty is given about the accuracy of the copy. Users should refer to the original published version of the material for the full abstract. (Copyright applies to all Abstracts.)

Abstract Background Tai Chi (TC), as one of mild to moderate exercise therapies specifically recommended by clinical practice guideline from the American College of Physician, is a viable option for chronic non-specific low back pain (CNLBP) treatment. Nevertheless, limited studies focused on the effect of different weekly frequencies of TC in elders with CNLBP. This superiority study aims to compare the differences of TC with different weekly frequencies in elders with CNLBP on the premise of proving its effectiveness, and identifying whether mindfulness mediates the effect of TC on treatment outcomes. Methods In total, 284 senior citizens with CNLBP will be recruited in this single-centre, randomised, single-blinded (outcome assessors, data managers and the statistician), parallel controlled trial. Participants will be randomly divided into either one of three TC groups (1, 3, or 5 sessions/week, on the basis of weekly health educational lectures) or weekly health educational lectures, sustaining for 12 weeks, followed by 12 weeks of follow-up after the end of intervention. The primary outcome (the changes of LBP intensity at rest) will be measured at baseline before randomisation and immediately after the completion of weeks 4, 8 and 12 of the intervention, and the end of follow-up (week 24) using the visual analogue scale (VAS, 0–10 cm) to put a mark on the VAS scale to show how severities of their average low back pain have been over the past 24 h. Secondary outcomes, including Beck Depression Inventory-II, Pain Catastrophising Scale and Five Facet Mindfulness Questionnaire, Oswestry Disability Index and Short Form-36, will be measured at baseline and immediately after the completion of week 12 of the intervention and end of follow-up. The intention-to-treat and per-protocol principles will be used to analyse outcomes with a setting at α = 0.05 as statistical significance. Discussion This comprehensive and detailed protocol will be the first trial to compare the effectiveness of different weekly frequencies of TC in elders with CNLBP. The outcomes may provide valuable data about the choice of the ideal number of sessions to further normalise the application of exercise for clinicians. Trial registration Chinese clinical trial registry ChiCTR2200058190 . Registered on 1 April 2022.

Abstract Background Femoral neck fracture and lacunar cerebral infarction (LCI) are the most common diseases in the elderly. When LCI patients undergo a series of traumas such as surgery, their postoperative recovery results are often poor. Moreover, few studies have explored the relationship between LCI and femoral neck fracture in the elderly. Therefore, this study will develop a ML (machine learning)-based model to predict LCI before surgery in elderly patients with a femoral neck fracture. Methods Professional medical staff retrospectively collected the data of 161 patients with unilateral femoral neck fracture who underwent surgery in the Second Affiliated Hospital of Wenzhou Medical University database from January 1, 2015, to January 1, 2020. Patients were divided into two groups based on LCI (diagnosis based on cranial CT image): the LCI group and the non-LCI group. Preoperative clinical characteristics and preoperative laboratory data were collected for all patients. Features were selected by univariate and multivariate logistic regression analysis, with age, white blood cell (WBC), prealbumin, aspartate aminotransferase (AST), total protein, globulin, serum creatinine (Scr), blood urea nitrogen (Bun)/Scr, lactate dehydrogenase (LDH), serum sodium and fibrinogen as the features of the ML model. Five machine learning algorithms, Logistic regression (LR), Gradient Boosting Machine (GBM), Extreme Gradient Boosting (XGBoost), Random Forest (RF), and Decision tree (DT), were used in combination with preoperative clinical characteristics and laboratory data to establish a predictive model of LCI in patients with a femoral neck fracture. Furthermore, indices like the area under the receiver operating characteristic (AUROC), sensitivity, specificity, and accuracy were calculated to test the models’ performance. Results The AUROC of 5 ML models ranged from 0.76 to 0.95. It turned out that the RF model demonstrated the highest performance in predicting LCI for femoral neck fracture patients before surgery, whose AUROC was 0.95, sensitivity 1.00, specificity 0.81, and accuracy 0.90 in validation sets. Furthermore, the top 4 high-ranking variables in the RF model were prealbumin, fibrinogen, globulin and Scr, in descending order of importance. Conclusion In this study, 5 ML models were developed and validated for patients with femoral neck fracture to predict preoperative LCI. RF model provides an excellent predictive value with an AUROC of 0.95. Clinicians can better conduct multidisciplinary perioperative management for patients with femoral neck fractures through this model and accelerate the postoperative recovery of patients.

The number of elderly influencers on Instagram is increasing. When analyzing a sample of corresponding posts, it is noticeable that fashion, especially fancy or vintage fashion, plays a central role. By choosing extraordinary looks, elderly influencers, whose age is by no means concealed, communicate self-determination and independence from the opinions of others – both also in connection with life experience. Their followers consider them as cool and empowering: this way, they can positively influence society’s perception of elderly people, take away younger recipients’ fear of aging, and act as role models. However, a noticeable divide emerges, as the elderly influencers are apparently well-educated and presumably also wealthy and enjoy good health. In social comparison, many of those of the same age would probably perform poorly. Therefore, it can be concluded that elderly influencer may be beneficial to their recipients and to society as a whole, but that addressing the social conditions that enable old people to live a fulfilled life is largely ignored.

This study examined the relationship between general population characteristics and diet-related factors pertaining to eating alone for older adults (65 years and older) in Korea. This study used the Korea National Health and Nutrition Examination Survey (KNHANES), 2016–2020, and the target population was 7037 Koreans aged 65 years or older who participated in the nutritional survey and health interview. Eating alone variables were classified as follows. Eating together all day means "eating together", eating only one meal a day means "1/day", eating two meals a day alone means "2/day", and "3/day" means eating three meals a day alone. The main results are as follows. The rate of moderate or severe food insecurity was 3.41% in the "eating together" group to 7.86% in the "3/day" group, which was 4.45% higher in the "3/day" group. Fruit + vegetable intake among food intake lowered by about 35 g from 301.2 g in the "eating together" group to 266.2 g in the "3 day" group. In addition, as a result of analyzing the prevalence of depression using the PHQ-9 score, the "3/day" group had a 1.775 to 2.464 times higher risk of depression than the "eating together" group. Finally, EQ-5D variables and quality of life scores were significantly lowered from the "eating together" group to the "3/day" group. Overall, higher frequency of eating alone was associated with food safety, essential food intake, and quality of life. Based on these results, it is thought that a dietary life support program such as the eating together program is necessary to improve the quality of life of the older people who eat alone. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The number of elderly influencers on Instagram is increasing. When analyzing a sample of corresponding posts, it is noticeable that fashion, especially fancy or vintage fashion, plays a central role. By choosing extraordinary looks, elderly influencers, whose age is by no means concealed, communicate self-determination and independence from the opinions of others - both also in connection with life experience. Their followers consider them as cool and empowering: this way, they can positively influence society's perception of elderly people, take away younger recipients' fear of aging, and act as role models. However, a noticeable divide emerges, as the elderly influencers are apparently well-educated and presumably also wealthy and enjoy good health. In social comparison, many of those of the same age would probably perform poorly. Therefore, it can be concluded that elderly influencer may be beneficial to their recipients and to society as a whole, but that addressing the social conditions that enable old people to live a fulfilled life is largely ignored. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Background: The Covid-19 pandemic and associated visiting restrictions have challenged communication with others for older people residing in nursing homes. Aim: The aim of this study was to explore residents' experiences of encounters and communication with staff and relatives and friends during the Covid-19 pandemic. Design: An exploratory study with an inductive approach. Methods: Semi-structured telephone interviews with 16 Swedish nursing home residents were conducted. Data were analyzed using qualitative content analysis; the study reports according to the COREQ checklist. Results: Three main categories emerged: (1) Mixed feelings and experiences of encounters with nursing staff, (2) Adapting to hampered communication and finding strategies to overcome language barriers, and (3) Facing pandemic restrictions and living an adjusted life. Nine subcategories are reported within these categories. Residents mainly reported good encounters with staff and receiving the care they needed, but unhelpful encounters were also reported. To manage communication with staff with limited Swedish language skills, residents developed several strategies. During the visiting ban, residents felt secure but also lonely. Staying connected with the outside world required residents to use the phone and handle other digital aids, such as video calls, but lack of technical skills among staff hindered frequent use of video calls. Conclusion: This study highlights how residents can feel safe in extreme situations, but increased competence, including digital literacy and language skills, among staff is required. Care providers should provide relevant information to residents and staff and employ competent staff. Findings indicate that communication plans need to include enabling communication for residents both within and outside nursing homes, taking staff language skills into consideration. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Introduction: The rapid growth of the elderly population, challenges and the importance of mental health of the elderly, need to pay attention to mental health and the factors affecting it are inevitable. The aim of this study was to determine the predictors of mental health in the elderly with the role of social support and loneliness. Methods: In this correlational study, 318 elderly subjects who were registered in comprehensive health centers of Bushehr were selected by simple random sampling. The study data were collected using a Perceived Social Support (MSPSS), the Revised Loneliness (UCLA) and General Health Questionnaire-28 (GHQ). Data were analyzed through SPSS 19, using the Spearman correlation and linear regression tests. Results: The Mean±SD of age of older adults was 66.74 ± 5.87 years. Their Mean±SD scores of social support (families and friends) and loneliness were 43.57±7.19 (15.99 ±2.59 and 12.05 ±3.22) and 32.37 ±8.60, respectively. In explaining the variance of the mental health, the share of social support and loneliness was 10.5 and 6.9%. The research results indicated that the friend support and loneliness with β =-0.236 and β = 0.308, respectively, had a statistically significant relationship with mental health (P

BackgroundThe reluctance of individuals to obtain solid vaccine-induced immunity represents a fundamental challenge to containing the spread of SARS-CoV-2, including its highly mutated variants. We aimed to assess vaccination acceptance and associated factors for the COVID-19 vaccine booster dose among elderly people (≥60 years old) in China, providing a theoretical and practical reference for universal vaccination policy.MethodsA national anonymous survey was conducted in mainland China from May 25 to June 8, 2022, using a stratified random sampling method. Individuals 60 years of age and above were the target population. A chi-squared test and Cochran-Armitage test for trend were used to compare and examine vaccine acceptance rates by characteristics. Via a backward stepwise method, multivariable logistic regression models were established to assess factors associated with booster dose acceptance. Two-sided P < 0.05 was considered statistically significant.ResultsOf 3,321 eligible participants, 82.8% (95% CI: 81.5–84.1%) were willing to receive COVID-19 vaccine booster shots. Concerns about contraindications (38.3%), vaccine safety (32.0%), and limited movement (28.0%) were the main reasons for vaccine hesitancy. Nearly one-third still believed that the booster dose was unnecessary after receiving the initial vaccination. Older adults with a low level of perceived barriers (aOR = 1.86, 95% CI, 1.03–3.38), a high level of perceived benefit (aOR = 2.31, 95% CI, 1.38–3.87), and higher cues to action (moderate, aOR = 2.22, 95% CI, 1.39–3.56; high, aOR = 5.46, 95% CI: 3.44–8.67) were more likely to accept the booster dose. Other major factors affecting the booster dose acceptance rate were occupation, time spent on social media, vaccination history, and a high knowledge score for COVID-19 and vaccines. In addition, for those over 70 years of age, rising awareness of susceptibility could be a better gateway for improving their willingness to get vaccinated.ConclusionsA total of 82.8% of recruited older adults were willing to receive the booster dose. Acceptance behaviors were closely related to occupation, time spent on social media, vaccination history, knowledge factors, perception of barriers, and benefit, as well as action cues. Targeted public health measures are a priority for improving the vaccination coverage of valid immunity among the elderly population, not only to prevent infection and poor prognosis caused by emerging variants but also to reduce the huge disease and economic burden caused by the long-term sequelae after SARS-CoV-2 infection.

Background: Tai Chi (TC), as one of mild to moderate exercise therapies specifically recommended by clinical practice guideline from the American College of Physician, is a viable option for chronic non-specific low back pain (CNLBP) treatment. Nevertheless, limited studies focused on the effect of different weekly frequencies of TC in elders with CNLBP. This superiority study aims to compare the differences of TC with different weekly frequencies in elders with CNLBP on the premise of proving its effectiveness, and identifying whether mindfulness mediates the effect of TC on treatment outcomes.Methods: In total, 284 senior citizens with CNLBP will be recruited in this single-centre, randomised, single-blinded (outcome assessors, data managers and the statistician), parallel controlled trial. Participants will be randomly divided into either one of three TC groups (1, 3, or 5 sessions/week, on the basis of weekly health educational lectures) or weekly health educational lectures, sustaining for 12 weeks, followed by 12 weeks of follow-up after the end of intervention. The primary outcome (the changes of LBP intensity at rest) will be measured at baseline before randomisation and immediately after the completion of weeks 4, 8 and 12 of the intervention, and the end of follow-up (week 24) using the visual analogue scale (VAS, 0-10 cm) to put a mark on the VAS scale to show how severities of their average low back pain have been over the past 24 h. Secondary outcomes, including Beck Depression Inventory-II, Pain Catastrophising Scale and Five Facet Mindfulness Questionnaire, Oswestry Disability Index and Short Form-36, will be measured at baseline and immediately after the completion of week 12 of the intervention and end of follow-up. The intention-to-treat and per-protocol principles will be used to analyse outcomes with a setting at α = 0.05 as statistical significance.Discussion: This comprehensive and detailed protocol will be the first trial to compare the effectiveness of different weekly frequencies of TC in elders with CNLBP. The outcomes may provide valuable data about the choice of the ideal number of sessions to further normalise the application of exercise for clinicians.Trial Registration: Chinese clinical trial registry ChiCTR2200058190 . Registered on 1 April 2022. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Neighborhood social cohesion is a prominent psychosocial factor during the pandemic, and trust in neighbors is critical for implementing health prevention-related behaviors with public health messages. We planned to specifically explore the association between neighborhood social cohesion and vaccine acceptability among older adults (≥60 years) in China. Using a random stratified sampling method, an anonymous cross-sectional online survey was conducted in mainland China via a professional scientific data platform from May 25 to June 8, 2022. A revised Social Cohesion Scale was applied to evaluate the level of neighborhood social cohesion. Of the 3,321 recruited respondents aged 60 and above, 82.8% (95% CI: 81.5–84.1) reported their willingness to be vaccinated. With all significant covariates adjusted, older adults with moderate (aOR = 1.77, 95% CI: 1.04–3.04) and high level of social cohesion (aOR = 2.21, 95% CI: 1.29–3.77) were more likely to receive the booster dose. Our findings remained robust in a series of models after controlling for different covariates. Uncertainty about contraindications (38.3%), underestimation of their vulnerability (33.1%), and concerns about vaccine safety (32.0%) were the three main reasons for vaccine hesitancy. Therefore, building a harmonious community environment, strengthening neighborhood communication and exchange, and making good use of peer education among neighbors may become a breakthrough to promote herd immunity, especially for vulnerable older adults with limited social networks.

ABSTRACT Objectives: to develop and test a board game for fall prevention in older adults in the community. Methods: a descriptive study, carried out through the use of game design elements (narrative, mechanics, aesthetics and technology), the Health Promotion Model, assessment by experts and testing with older adults. For assessment, the Concordance Index was used, considering it greater than 80%. Results: three prototypes and the final version were developed. The game’s narrative was based on promotion model, comprising individual aspects, benefits and barriers in behavior to prevent falls. The mechanics outlined goals and rules. Aesthetics encompassed layout and illustrations. The technology involved board, cards, pin, roulette and instruction manual. The game was assessed by 36 experts and 31 older women from the community, with a Concordance Index of 93.22% and 99%, respectively. Conclusions: the game developed and tested was considered an adequate educational strategy for fall prevention.

Background: Decreasing and preventing isolation and social loneliness among the elderly are important fields for policymaking and action commitment in social health. Evidence shows that the nature and spectrum of an individual’s social network including the quality and quantity of social relations and contact frequency can affect the old people’s health considerably. Social participation leads to a decrease in mortality and depression and improves people’s cognitive function. Since few interventions on assessment of the effect of social participation on old people’s loneliness have been done, this study was conducted to determine the impact of the educational program of social participation on the feeling of loneliness. Methods: This is a quasi-experimental study based on convenience sampling method, on 239 elderly people aged ≥60 years living in rural regions of Baiza. The intervention was held for the intervention group during five weeks through five 60-80 minute educational sessions. The data were collected by CCHS-SP and UCLA Loneliness Feeling Questionnaires before and after the intervention in the experiment and control groups. The data were analyzed usingSPSS (version19). Results: The significance level was assumed 0.05 in statistical analysis. After one month of educational intervention program, the mean score of social participation increased in the intervention group from 6.17±3.86 to 17.98±3.84 after the intervention. The findings showed a remarkable improvement in loneliness feeling scores of the mentioned group form 62.24±.7.53 to 28.86±6.88 after the intervention (p

Ageing implicates a remodeling of our immune system, which is a consequence of the physiological senescence of our cells and tissues coupled with environmental factors and chronic antigen exposure. An immune system that senesces includes more differentiated cells with accumulation of highly differentiated CD4 and CD8 T cells. The pool of naive T cells decreases with the exponential thymic involution induced by age. Differentiated T cells have similar, if not higher, functional capacities but scarce studies are looking at the impact of senescence among specific T cells. After a stimulation, other immune cells (monocytes, dendritic cells and NK) are functionally altered during ageing. It is as if the immune system was more efficient at the basal level, but less efficient after a stimulation in the old compared to young people, likely due to less reserve. Concerning the clinical impact, older people are more prone to certain pathogens and their clinical manifestations differ from the younger people. Severe flu and VZV reactivation are more frequent with an altered cellular response to vaccination. Vaccination failure can have detrimental consequences in people presenting frailty criteria. Old people frailty is majored by their comorbidities and diseases like cancer. Thus, chemotherapies are employed with circumspection in older patients. The use of anti-PD-1/PD-L1 immunotherapies is therefore attractive, because of less side effects with a better response compared to chemotherapy. Old persons inclusion is lacking in current studies and clinical trials. Some subgroups or pooled analyses confirm the gain in response without increased toxicities in older patients but their inclusion criteria differ from the real-life practice. Specific studies focusing on this population are needed because of the increasing cancer incidence with age and the overall ageing of the population.

Copyright of Pensamiento y Acción Multidisciplinaria is the property of Universidad Catolica del Maule. Escuela de Trabajo Social and its content may not be copied or emailed to multiple sites or posted to a listserv without the copyright holder's express written permission. However, users may print, download, or email articles for individual use. This abstract may be abridged. No warranty is given about the accuracy of the copy. Users should refer to the original published version of the material for the full abstract. (Copyright applies to all Abstracts.)

Background: Given the prevalence of the omicron variant and decreased immunity provided by vaccines, it is imperative to enhance resistance to COVID-19 in the old population. We planned to explore the hesitancy rate toward the booster dose of the COVID-19 vaccine and the association between risk perception and the abovementioned rate among people aged 60 and older. Methods: This national cross-sectional study was conducted in mainland China from 25 May to 8 June 2022, targeting people who were 60 years old or above. Four dimensions were extracted from the Health Belief Model (HBM) to assess participants' perceived risk levels, including perceived susceptibility, perceived severity, perceived barriers, and perceived benefit. An independent Chi-square test was used to compare the vaccine hesitancy rates among different groups stratified by characteristics. Univariable and multivariable logistic regression models were performed to explore the associations between risk perception and hesitancy rate. Results: Of 3321 participants, 17.2% (95% CI: 15.9–18.5%) were hesitant about booster shots of COVID-19 vaccines. Believing that they were ineligible for vaccination due to certain illnesses (38.3%), concern about vaccine safety (32.0%), believing the booster shots were unnecessary (33.1%), and their limitation on movements (28.0%) were the main reasons for vaccine hesitation. Adjusted by all the selected covariates, people with low perception level of susceptibility (aOR = 1.39, 95% CI: 1.00–1.92) and benefit (low: aOR = 3.31, 95% CI: 2.01–5.45; moderate: aOR = 2.23, 95% CI: 1.75–2.85) were less likely to receiving the booster dose, and the same results were found in people with higher perceived barriers (moderate: aOR = 2.67, 95% CI: 2.13–3.35; high: aOR = 2.04, 95% CI: 1.14–3.67). Our estimates were stable in all four models. Conclusions: In total, 17.2% of the people aged 60 years and older in China were hesitant about booster dose of COVID-19 vaccines, and it was closely associated with a lower level of perceived susceptibility and benefit, as well as a higher level of perceived barriers. Concerns about contraindications, vaccine safety, and limited movements were the main reasons for vaccine hesitancy. Targeted public health measure is a priority to improve the understanding of the elderly on their own susceptibility and vulnerability and clear the obstacles to vaccination. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Background: Aging is a significant risk factor in chronic pain development with extensive disability and greater health care costs. Mind-body exercise (MBE) has been scientifically proven to affect the pain intensity and physical health. Objectives: To assess the effects of MBE modes (Tai Chi, yoga, and qigong) for treating chronic pain among middle-aged and old people, compared with nonactive and active treatment, as well as function, quality of life, and adverse events. Methods: We searched PubMed, Embase, Web of Science, Cochrane Library, China National Knowledge Infrastructure (CNKI), Wanfang Database, and Chinese Scientific Journals Full-Text Database (VIP) till March 2022. No restrictions were chartered within the year and language of publication. We included randomized controlled trials of MBE treatment in middle-aged and elderly people with chronic pain. The overall certainty of evidence was evaluated by using the GRADE approach. Results: A total of 17 studies (n = 1,332) were included in this review. There was low-certainty evidence indicating that MBE had a moderate effect on reducing pain compared with the nonactive and active control group (standard mean difference (SMD): −0.64, 95% confidence interval (CI): −0.86 to −0.42, P < 0.001). Very-low-certainty evidence showed that the pooled SMD for the functional improvement was −0.75 (95% CI: −1.13 to −0.37, P < 0.001). Low-certainty evidence presented that no influence was observed in physical component summary (SMD: 0.23, 95% CI: −0.16 to 0.62, P = 0.24) and mental component summary (SMD: −0.01, 95% CI −0.39 to 0.36, P = 0.95). Conclusion: Our results indicated that MBE was an effective treatment for reducing symptoms of middle-aged and elderly people with chronic pain compared with nonactive and active control groups. TC and qigong had obvious benefits for knee osteoarthritis in self-reported function, but the efficacy of chronic low back pain was uncertain. No significant benefit of MBE on quality of life in older adults with chronic pain was found. More high-quality RCTs should be conducted to explore the efficacy and mechanism of MBE on chronic pain in middle-aged and elderly people from various dimensions, such as affective and cognitive dimensions. Systematic Review Registration: https://www.crd.york.ac.uk/PROSPERO/display%5frecord.php?RecordID=316591, identifier CRD42022316591. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Abstract Background Older people who are non-weight-bearing after a lower limb fracture are at risk of poor outcomes but there are no clinical guidelines for this group of patients. Given the paucity of the research evidence base, we conducted a consensus exercise to ascertain expert opinion about the management of this group. Methods A three-round e-Delphi technique was planned to use the online JISC survey tool with a multidisciplinary panel of health professionals. Panellists were invited by email via professional organisations and UK NHS Trusts. The initial statements for this study were prepared by the authors based upon the findings of their scoping review. Consensus required >/= 70% agreement with statements. Results Only 2 survey rounds were required. Ninety panellists, representing seven clinical disciplines, reached consensus for 24 statements about general issues (osteoporosis detection and management, falls risk reduction and nutrition) and specific non-weight bearing issues (such as the need for activity to be promoted during this period). Conclusions These findings can be used in the generation of a clinical guideline for this group of patients.

Monica Hermann,1 Nina Carstens,2 Lars Kvinge,1 Astrid Fjell,1,3 Marianne Wennersberg,4 Kjersti Folleso,5 Knut Skaug,6 Ake Seiger,7 Berit Seiger Cronfalk,3,8 Anne-Marie Bostrom1,3,9 1Department of Health and Caring Sciences, Western Norway University of Applied Sciences, Stord, Norway; 2Hospital Pharmacies Enterprise, Western Norway, Bergen, Norway; 3Department of Neurobiology, Care Sciences and Society, Division of Nursing, Karolinska Institutet, Stockholm, Sweden; 4FOUSAM, Western Norway University of Applied Sciences, Haugesund, Norway; 5Bømlo Municipality, Hordaland, Norway; 6Department of Research and Innovation, Helse Fonna HF, Haugesund, Norway; 7Division of Clinical Geriatrics, Department of Neurobiology, Care Sciences and Society, Karolinska Institutet, Stockholm, Sweden; 8Department of Health Care Sciences, Palliative Research Centre Ersta Sköndal Bräcke University College, Stockholm, Sweden; 9Theme Aging, Karolinska University Hospital, Huddinge, SwedenCorrespondence: Monica Hermann Tel + 47 53491477Email monica.hermann@hvl.noBackground: Risks associated with polypharmacy and drug–drug interactions represent a challenge in drug treatment, especially in older adults. The aim of the present study was to assess the use of prescription and non-prescription drugs and the frequency of potential drug–drug interactions in home-dwelling older individuals.Methods: A cross-sectional study design was applied. Data were collected during preventive home visits among individuals aged ≥ 75 in three separate communities of Western Norway. A questionnaire, which was filled out by the individual, their next-of-kin, and the nurse performing the home visit was used for the collection of demographic and clinical data (age, sex, medication use, diagnoses, need of assistance with drug administration). Potential drug–drug interactions were identified electronically by IBM Micromedex Drug Interaction Checking. Point prevalence of potential drug–drug interactions and polypharmacy (≥ 5 drugs) were calculated. Binary logistic regression analyses were performed to assess factors potentially associated with polypharmacy or potential drug–drug interactions.Results: Among the 233 individuals (mean age 78± 3 years, 46% male) included in the study, 43% used ≥ 5 drugs, 3.4% ≥ 10 drugs, while 4.3% used no drugs. In 54% of the 197 individuals using two or more drugs, at least one potential drug–drug interaction was detected. Low-dose aspirin and simvastatin were most frequently involved in potential drug–drug interactions. In total, 25% of the individuals reported current use of drugs sold over the counter of which more than 95% were analgesic drugs. Potential drug–drug interactions involving ibuprofen were identified in nine of 11 (82%) individuals using over-the-counter ibuprofen.Conclusion: The study revealed a high prevalence of polypharmacy and potential drug–drug interactions with both prescription and non-prescription drugs in older home-dwelling individuals. Close monitoring of the patients at risk of drug–drug interactions, and increased awareness of the potential of over-the-counter drugs to cause drug–drug interactions, is needed.Keywords: drug–drug interactions, polypharmacy, home-dwelling, old people

BackgroundAging is a significant risk factor in chronic pain development with extensive disability and greater health care costs. Mind-body exercise (MBE) has been scientifically proven to affect the pain intensity and physical health.ObjectivesTo assess the effects of MBE modes (Tai Chi, yoga, and qigong) for treating chronic pain among middle-aged and old people, compared with nonactive and active treatment, as well as function, quality of life, and adverse events.MethodsWe searched PubMed, Embase, Web of Science, Cochrane Library, China National Knowledge Infrastructure (CNKI), Wanfang Database, and Chinese Scientific Journals Full-Text Database (VIP) till March 2022. No restrictions were chartered within the year and language of publication. We included randomized controlled trials of MBE treatment in middle-aged and elderly people with chronic pain. The overall certainty of evidence was evaluated by using the GRADE approach.ResultsA total of 17 studies (n = 1,332) were included in this review. There was low-certainty evidence indicating that MBE had a moderate effect on reducing pain compared with the nonactive and active control group (standard mean difference (SMD): −0.64, 95% confidence interval (CI): −0.86 to −0.42, P < 0.001). Very-low-certainty evidence showed that the pooled SMD for the functional improvement was −0.75 (95% CI: −1.13 to −0.37, P < 0.001). Low-certainty evidence presented that no influence was observed in physical component summary (SMD: 0.23, 95% CI: −0.16 to 0.62, P = 0.24) and mental component summary (SMD: −0.01, 95% CI −0.39 to 0.36, P = 0.95).ConclusionOur results indicated that MBE was an effective treatment for reducing symptoms of middle-aged and elderly people with chronic pain compared with nonactive and active control groups. TC and qigong had obvious benefits for knee osteoarthritis in self-reported function, but the efficacy of chronic low back pain was uncertain. No significant benefit of MBE on quality of life in older adults with chronic pain was found. More high-quality RCTs should be conducted to explore the efficacy and mechanism of MBE on chronic pain in middle-aged and elderly people from various dimensions, such as affective and cognitive dimensions.Systematic Review Registrationhttps://www.crd.york.ac.uk/PROSPERO/display_record.php?RecordID=316591, identifier CRD42022316591.

Starting from the assumption that the COVID-19 pandemic has had the strongest impact on social groups that were already vulnerable and marginalized, and underlined existing social inequalities, I focus on some of the consequences of pandemic control measures on the daily lives of elderly people. In the first part of the paper, I deal with the “positioning” of elderly people in the context of COVID-19 protection measures - which, following the recommendations of the World Health Organization, were adopted by individual countries - discussing the features of ageism that can be read from them. Later I focus on the characteristics of protection measures in nursing homes in Croatia and, using as material media articles that thematize the lives of the people in these institutions, indicate some of the consequences of a strict prevention regime on the lives of these people, their mental and physical health but also some of the fundamental human rights, such as dignity, freedom, and equality.

Abstract Background Balance control, and specifically balance reactive responses that contribute to maintaining balance when balance is lost unexpectedly, is impaired in older people. This leads to an increased fall risk and injurious falls. Improving balance reactive responses is one of the goals in fall-prevention training programs. Perturbation training during standing or treadmill walking that specifically challenges the balance reactive responses has shown very promising results; however, only older people who are able to perform treadmill walking can participate in these training regimes. Thus, we aimed to develop, build, and pilot a mechatronic Perturbation Stationary Bicycle Robotic system (i.e., PerStBiRo) that can challenge balance while sitting on a stationary bicycle, with the aim of improving balance proactive and reactive control. Methods This paper describes the development, and building of the PerStBiRo using stationary bicycles. In addition, we conducted a pilot randomized control trial (RCT) with 13 older people who were allocated to PerStBiRo training (N = 7) versus a control group, riding stationary bicycles (N = 6). The Postural Sway Test, Berg Balance Test (BBS), and 6-min Walk Test were measured before and after 3 months i.e., 20 training sessions. Results The PerStBiRo System provides programmed controlled unannounced lateral balance perturbations during stationary bicycling. Its software is able to identify a trainee’s proactive and reactive balance responses using the Microsoft Kinect™ system. After a perturbation, when identifying a trainee’s trunk and arm reactive balance response, the software controls the motor of the PerStBiRo system to stop the perturbation. The pilot RCT shows that, older people who participated in the PerStBiRo training significantly improved the BBS (54 to 56, p = 0.026) and Postural Sway velocity (20.3 m/s to 18.3 m/s, p = 0.018), while control group subject did not (51.0 vs. 50.5, p = 0.581 and 15 m/s vs. 13.8 m/s, p = 0.893, respectively), 6MWT tended to improve in both groups. Conclusions Our participants were able to perform correct balance proactive and reactive responses, indicating that older people are able to learn balance trunk and arm reactive responses during stationary bicycling. The pilot study shows that these improvements in balance proactive and reactive responses are generalized to performance-based measures of balance (BBS and Postural Sway measures).

Remote monitoring of a fall condition or activities and daily life (ADL) of elderly patients has become one of the essential purposes for modern telemedicine. Internet of Things (IoT) and artificial intelligence (AI) techniques, including machine and deep learning models, have been recently applied in the medical field to automate the diagnosis procedures of abnormal and diseased cases. They also have many other applications, including the real-time identification of fall accidents in elderly patients. The goal of this article is to review recent research whose focus is to develop AI algorithms and methods of fall detection systems (FDS) in the IoT environment. In addition, the usability of different sensor types, such as gyroscopes and accelerometers in smartwatches, is described and discussed with the current limitations and challenges for realizing successful FDSs. The availability problem of public fall datasets for evaluating the proposed detection algorithms are also addressed in this study. Finally, this article is concluded by proposing advanced techniques such as lightweight deep models as one of the solutions and prospects of futuristic smart IoT-enabled systems for accurate fall detection in the elderly. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Purpose: The aim of this study was to investigate the differential effects of Tai Chi vs. brisk walking on cognitive function among individuals aged 60 and greater. Patients and Methods: For participant recruitment, a health talk was arranged at two communities in which two different exercise modalities (Tai Chi and brisk walking) were assigned to participants of each community free of charge. The intervention programs lasted 10 weeks, with three 60-min training sessions per week. General cognitive ability and specific cognitive outcomes were measured using the Chinese version of the Montreal Cognitive Assessment (MoCA). Results: A significant interaction on total scores of the MoCA was observed (F = 11.15, p < 0.05). Post hoc analysis indicated significant improvements on general cognitive performance as measured in performance on the MoCA for both exercise groups at the end of 10 weeks. A significant interaction was only observed on the delayed recall sub-domain (F = 12.93, p < 0.001). Results from post hoc analysis indicate that the Tai Chi group had a significantly better memory performance relative to brisk walking group (p < 0.05). Specifically, significant improvement was observed in Tai Chi group (p < 0.05), but not in the brisk walking group. Both exercise groups demonstrated significant improvements from baseline to Week 10, which emerged in visualspatial ability (p < 0.05) and attention performance (p < 0.001). Lastly, animal naming and orientation significantly benefited from brisk walking (p < 0.05) and Tai Chi training (p < 0.05), respectively. Conclusion: Tai Chi and brisk walking as the most commonly used, culture-specific mind-body exercise method have been proven to be effective in improving general cognitive performance and specific cognitive domains. Furthermore, differential effects of two different exercise modalities on cognitive domains were observed, which has provided insightful information for customized exercise programs. Finally, aging individuals who are experiencing cognitive decline should either take Tai Chi classes regularly or engage in brisk walking, which could contribute to brain health. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Objectives: The increasing trend in aging population raises the need to pay attention to the daily activities of the elderly and their social support as an effective factor in promoting their health. This study aims to investigate the correlation of perceived social support and demographic variables with the Activities of Daily Living (ADL) in older adults living in rural communities in Iran. Methods & Materials: This is a descriptive-analytical study with cross-sectional design conducted on 430 elderly people aged ≥60 years living in a rural community in Iran (Bayza county located 45 km away from Shiraz city) who were selected using a convenience sampling method. Procidano & Heller’s Perceived Social Support - Family Scale (PSS-Fa) and the ADL scale for the elderly were used for data collection. The ADL questionnaire’s internal consistency by calculating Cronbach’s alpha coefficient was obtained 0.96. The PSS-Fa with a Cronbach’s alpha coefficient ranging from 0.88 to 0.91 has acceptable internal consistency. The reliability of its Persian version using Cronbach’s alpha coefficient was obtained 87%. Data were analyzed in SPSS V. 25 software using multivariate ANOVA and regression analysis. Results: The mean±SD age of the participants was 69.67±7.067 years. The mean score of PSS-Fa and the ADL scale was reported 16.55± 5.16 and 55.10±3.07, respectively. Perceived social support, education and age had significant effect correlation with the ability to perform ADL in the elderly (P0.05). The age factor was inversely correlated with the ability to perform ADL; hence, the independence of older adults decreases with the increase of age. Conclusion: Many demographic variables and social support affect the ability to perform ADL in the elderly. Social support can be used as a social investment to improve the quality of life of the elderly. Therefore, considering that one of the duties of health care providers is to improve the health status of the elderly, it is necessary for health care providers to increase social support and maintain and promote a healthy and active life for them through educational programs and periodic physical examinations.

Andrés Soto-Varela,1,2 Marcos Rossi-Izquierdo,3 María del-Río-Valeiras,4 Isabel Vaamonde-Sánchez-Andrade,4 Ana Faraldo-García,4 Antonio Lirola-Delgado,4 Sofía Santos-Pérez1,2 1Division of Neurotology, Department of Otorhinolaryngology, Complexo Hospitalario Universitario, Santiago de Compostela, Spain; 2Department of Surgery and Medical-Surgical Specialities, University of Santiago de Compostela, Santiago de Compostela, Spain; 3Department of Otorhinolaryngology, University Hospital Lucus Augusti, Lugo, Spain; 4Department of Otorhinolaryngology, Complexo Hospitalario Universitario, Santiago de Compostela, SpainCorrespondence: Andrés Soto-VarelaDivision of Neurotology, Department of Otorhinolaryngology, Complexo Hospitalario Universitario de Santiago, Travesía da Choupana, s/n, Santiago de Compostela 15706, SpainTel +34981951155Email andres.soto@usc.esPurpose: Vestibular rehabilitation (VR) using posturography systems has proved useful in improving balance among elderly patients with postural instability. However, its high cost hinders its use. The objective of this study is to assess whether two different protocols of VR with posturography, one of them longer (ten sessions) and the other shorter (five sessions), show significant differences in the improvement of balance among old patients with instability.Patients and Methods: This is a prospective, experimental, single-center (Department of Otorhinolaryngology of a tertiary referral hospital), randomized (into balanced patient blocks) study with two parallel arms, in 40 people over 65 years of age, with instability and at a high risk of falling. The percentage of the average balance (composite) in the sensory organization test (SOT) of the CDP (main outcome measure), other CDP scores, time and steps in the “timed up and go” test, scores of Dizziness Handicap Inventory (DHI), short Falls Efficacy Scale – International (short FES-I), and Vertiguard were compared before and 3 weeks after VR between both intervention groups.Results: The two treatment groups (20 patients per group) were comparable in age, sex, and pre-VR balance evaluation. In both groups, we observed a significant improvement in global balance (composite) after VR (49± 11.34 vs 57± 13.48, p=0.007, in the group undergoing 10 sessions; 51± 12.55 vs 60± 12.99, p=0.002, 5 sessions). In both groups, we also observed improvements in other posturographic parameters (in the SOT and limits of stability) but not in the timed up and go scores or in the questionnaires. Comparison of the improvement level achieved in both groups revealed no significant differences between them.Conclusion: The protocols of vestibular rehabilitation by posturography of 5 sessions in elderly patients with postural instability are as effective as those of 10 sessions for improving balance among elderly patients with postural instability.Trial Registration: ClinicalTrials.gov identifier: NCT03034655. Registered on 25 January 2017.Keywords: instability, balance, old people, computerized dynamic posturography, mobile posturography, vertiguard

El objetivo del artículo es responder a dos importantes preguntas relacionadas con la igualdad intergeneracional en bienestar emocional: ¿Son las personas mayores tan felices como las jóvenes? ¿Cuál es la relación entre edad y felicidad? El actual consenso académico considera que tal relación adopta la forma de una curva en “U”, es decir, la felicidad sería alta en la juventud, descendería llegando a un mínimo hacia la mitad del curso vital, y remontaría hasta alcanzar de nuevo un alto nivel en la vejez. Según esta tesis, las personas mayores serían tan felices como las jóvenes. Sin embargo, estos resultados están condicionados por las propias limitaciones metodológicas del análisis de regresión. Además, estos análisis pretenden describir la relación genérica y universal existente entre un concepto abstracto de edad y la felicidad. Pero como era previsible, la variable edad, desprovista de todo contenido social, tiene una escasa influencia en la felicidad de las personas. Estos estudios carecen de interés sociológico alguno porque ocultan la verdadera relación existente entre la “edad social” de las personas y su felicidad. Tras exponer una crítica a los análisis de regresión, tal y como son habitual y convencionalmente aplicados por los científicos sociales, se propone segmentar la variable edad, estudiando el bienestar emocional de las personas en las distintas etapas de su ciclo vital (niñez, juventud, edad adulta, edad madura y vejez) utilizando análisis descriptivos multivariables. Se demuestra, así, que la relación edad-felicidad adopta la forma de una “ola” o “S” tumbada y que, por tanto, la felicidad de los mayores es bastante inferior a la de los jóvenes. The article aims to answer two important questions, both linked to emotional well-being throughout lifetime: Are old as happy as young people? What is the relationship between age and happiness? The current academic consensus states that the relationship between age and subjective well-being follows a "U-Shape". Happiness would be high in youngsters, would decrease to a minimum about midlife, and would ascend to reach again a high point in old age. Then, according to this thesis, old would be as happy as young people. However, we show that these research results come from the own methodological constraints of regression analysis. Additionally, these analyses try to find the generic and universal relationship between age, considered as an abstract variable, and happiness. But, not surprisingly, an age variable devoid of any social content and context has a meagre influence on people happiness. These inquiries lack any sociological interest because hide more than reveal the actual relationship between “social age” and happiness. The article deploys a critique of the irreflexive and conventional way in which regression analysis is used by social scientists. The segmentation of age in five stages (childhood, youthfulness, adulthood, maturity and old age), and descriptive multivariate analysis are proposed as the best methodology to study happiness throughout the lifetime. Finally, it is proved that the age-happiness relationship follows the pattern of a “wave” or “S lying down-shape”. Therefore, the happiness of the old is much lower than that of young people.

PurposeThe aim of this study was to investigate the differential effects of Tai Chi vs. brisk walking on cognitive function among individuals aged 60 and greater.Patients and MethodsFor participant recruitment, a health talk was arranged at two communities in which two different exercise modalities (Tai Chi and brisk walking) were assigned to participants of each community free of charge. The intervention programs lasted 10 weeks, with three 60-min training sessions per week. General cognitive ability and specific cognitive outcomes were measured using the Chinese version of the Montreal Cognitive Assessment (MoCA).ResultsA significant interaction on total scores of the MoCA was observed (F = 11.15, p < 0.05). Post hoc analysis indicated significant improvements on general cognitive performance as measured in performance on the MoCA for both exercise groups at the end of 10 weeks. A significant interaction was only observed on the delayed recall sub-domain (F = 12.93, p < 0.001). Results from post hoc analysis indicate that the Tai Chi group had a significantly better memory performance relative to brisk walking group (p < 0.05). Specifically, significant improvement was observed in Tai Chi group (p < 0.05), but not in the brisk walking group. Both exercise groups demonstrated significant improvements from baseline to Week 10, which emerged in visualspatial ability (p < 0.05) and attention performance (p < 0.001). Lastly, animal naming and orientation significantly benefited from brisk walking (p < 0.05) and Tai Chi training (p < 0.05), respectively.ConclusionTai Chi and brisk walking as the most commonly used, culture-specific mind-body exercise method have been proven to be effective in improving general cognitive performance and specific cognitive domains. Furthermore, differential effects of two different exercise modalities on cognitive domains were observed, which has provided insightful information for customized exercise programs. Finally, aging individuals who are experiencing cognitive decline should either take Tai Chi classes regularly or engage in brisk walking, which could contribute to brain health.

Copyright of Retos: Nuevas Perspectivas de Educación Física, Deporte y Recreación is the property of Federacion Espanola de Asociaciones de Docentes de Educacion Fisica and its content may not be copied or emailed to multiple sites or posted to a listserv without the copyright holder's express written permission. However, users may print, download, or email articles for individual use. This abstract may be abridged. No warranty is given about the accuracy of the copy. Users should refer to the original published version of the material for the full abstract. (Copyright applies to all Abstracts.)

Purpose: Becoming widowed is a stressful health-threatening event causing major life changes. We explored how widowed people experience becoming widowed and examined if these experiences are quantitatively associated with widowhood. Methods: A multi-methods study using an exploratory sequential mixed-methods approach including a qualitative descriptive study with widowed people from Denmark and a Swedish cohort study. Qualitative interviews (n = 9) were analysed using qualitative content analysis, describing experiences as explained by the widowed people. The quantitative association of the experiences was examined by identifying proxies for the qualitative experiences of widowhood in the cohort study and examining the occurrence in widowed people compared to married people (n = 1,095). Results: Six categories of experiences emerged: the circumstances around spousal death, mental health and well-being, physical health, social relations, activities and practicalities. The quantitative examination showed a significant association with widowhood regarding mental and physical health problems. Conclusion: The circumstances around spousal death and the time before spousal death, in general, were important to how participants felt being widowed. Being ill negatively affected mental health and well-being, partly because of the inability to participate in activities and social relations. This is important, as health problems are more common among widowed people than married people. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The aimed to evaluate the effects of low and moderate-intensity aerobic exercise on psychological well-being (PWB) and quality of life (QoL) among older people. Forty-five male Iranian adults aged 65–80 years were selected according to the eligibility criteria and randomly assigned to a low-intensity group (LIG) (40–50% of maximum heart rate), moderate-intensity group (MIG) (60–70% of maximum heart rate) and control group (CG). The exercise protocols consisted of 12 weeks of aerobic exercise (two sessions per week). Psychological well-being and QoL were assessed through the Ryff's Psychological Well-being Scale and the World Health Organization QoL Questionnaire. The statistical analysis for psychological well-being indicated that a significant main group (between-group) (F = 11.777, p < 0.001, ηp2 = 0.359), time (within-group) (F = 58.983, p < 0.001, ηp2 = 0.584) and interaction effect (group × time) (F = 20.146, p < 0.001, ηp2 = 0.490) for PWB total score. Bonferroni post-hoc tests revealed that the PWB total score in the MIG group was more significant than both LIG (p = 0.003) and CG (p < 0.001). Results for PWB components including self-acceptance, positive relationships with others, autonomy, purposeful life, and environmental mastery revealed no significant differences (p > 0.05). While there was a significant difference between the groups for personal growth component. Bonferroni post-hoc tests revealed that the personal growth in the MIG group was more significant than both LIG (p = 0.028) and CG (p < 0.001). Result for QoL indicated significant differences for the main group (F = 13.277, p < 0.001, ηp2 = 0.387), time (F = 25.533, p < 0.001, ηp2 = 0.378) and interaction effect (F = 9.992, p < 0.001, ηp2 = 0.332) for QoL total scale. Bonferroni post-hoc tests revealed that the QoL total scale in the MIG group was more significant than both LIG (p = 0.003) and CG (p < 0.001). Results for QoL components including Physical health, Social relationships, Health environment revealed no significant differences (p > 0.05), while there was a significant difference between the groups for the Psychological health component. Bonferroni post-hoc tests revealed that the Psychological health in the MIG group was more significant than both LIG (p = 0.009) and CG (p = 0.002). Therefore, aerobic exercise improves PWB and QoL in older adults, moderate-intensity exercise seems to produce higher benefits than low-intensity, demonstrating a positive dose-response relationship.

On the basis of a literature review and a corpus of fourteen semi-directive interviews, the aim of this article is to relate the vulnerability factors of the Reunion Island, those of the elderly in this French overseas department and those possibly caused by residential mobility. For this purpose, a macroscopic analysis and an individual analysis are proposed with vulnerability factors in the economic, health, social and environmental domains. These two levels of analysis indicate call for a fine territorial approach to better understand the vulnerability of old people and its interactions with a residential mobility.

The book Quality of Life of Old Dependent People in Romania presents a part of the research results obtained during 2018-2020 in the research project with the same name. In the context of a pronounced process of population ageing and raising needs of social services for old people, the publication of this volume becomes very important. The book contains a comprehensive review of the literature regarding quality of life in old age, the results obtained during the research on old dependent people in Romania and measures of social policy developed in the process of consultation of experts in the field using the Policy Delphi method.

Introduction: Aqueduct stenosis (AS) in old people is a rare pathological entity. I report a case of a 66 years old woman with severe ataxia, cognitive deterioration, loss of sphincters control (gatism). Clinical, neuro-radiologic and therapeutic considerations are discussed. Case presentation: A 66 years old woman with a 6 months history of mild cerebral trauma by car accident without losing consciousness, present 2 months before hospitalization severe ataxia, cognitive disorders, gatism. At the time of trauma, brain scanner performed in another institution showed minimal fronto-basal cerebral contusions and blood collection around the brain stem. One month after a new unenhanced brain scan all previous lesions are gone. At admission, an abnormal enlargement of lateral and third ventricles are remarked both on unenhanced CT and MRI scan of the brain explained by cerebral aqueductal stenosis. Ventricular open pressure was 350 mm H2O. A ventriculoperitoneal shunt with a variable pressure valve was installed. The surgery went uneventful and the patient recovered as expected. 6-month follow-up visit the patient was symptom-free, with a fine intellectual recovery.

Copyright of Methaodos: Social Science Journal / Methaodos: Revista de Ciencias Sociales is the property of Departamento de Ciencias de la Comunicacion y Sociologia, Universidad Rey Juan Carlos and its content may not be copied or emailed to multiple sites or posted to a listserv without the copyright holder's express written permission. However, users may print, download, or email articles for individual use. This abstract may be abridged. No warranty is given about the accuracy of the copy. Users should refer to the original published version of the material for the full abstract. (Copyright applies to all Abstracts.)

Introduction: Aqueduct stenosis (AS) in old people is a rare pathological entity. I report a case of a 66 years old woman with severe ataxia, cognitive deterioration, loss of sphincters control (gatism). Clinical, neuro-radiologic and therapeutic considerations are discussed. Case presentation: A 66 years old woman with a 6 months history of mild cerebral trauma by car accident without losing consciousness, present 2 months before hospitalization severe ataxia, cognitive disorders, gatism. At the time of trauma, brain scanner performed in another institution showed minimal fronto-basal cerebral contusions and blood collection around the brain stem. One month after a new unenhanced brain scan all previous lesions are gone. At admission, an abnormal enlargement of lateral and third ventricles are remarked both on unenhanced CT and MRI scan of the brain explained by cerebral aqueductal stenosis. Ventricular open pressure was 350 mm H2O. A ventriculoperitoneal shunt with a variable pressure valve was installed. The surgery went uneventful and the patient recovered as expected. 6-month follow-up visit the patient was symptom-free, with a fine intellectual recovery. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

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Copyright of Bulletin of the Institute of Ethnography of the Serbian Academy of Sciences & Arts / Glasnik Etnografskog Instituta SANU is the property of Institute of Ethnography, SASA and its content may not be copied or emailed to multiple sites or posted to a listserv without the copyright holder's express written permission. However, users may print, download, or email articles for individual use. This abstract may be abridged. No warranty is given about the accuracy of the copy. Users should refer to the original published version of the material for the full abstract. (Copyright applies to all Abstracts.)

This article explored the differences between Ahmad Hassan and Siradjuddin Abbas understanding on reward prize hadith, the methods used and the factors influencing differences. As a cadre of the two competing groups, these two scholars formulated an understanding of the reward of hadith to legitimize the understanding of each group.The results of the study found that Ahmad Hassan viewed that reward prize hadith contrary to al-Qur’an and rejected all methods of resolution. So this hadithwas a da’if quality and Mardud status. Besides, Siradjuddin Abbas looked at the reward prize hadith wasṣaḥiḥ quality and maqbūl status using a correlative approach. Understanding rewards prize hadith by Ahmad Hassan and Siradjuddin Abbas disputed of religious understanding between the Young People and the Old People and influenced the socio-cultural context of the mid-XX century