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Aim To describe the core competencies of gerontological nurse specialists and investigate the factors that contribute to the development of core competencies. Design A descriptive cross‐sectional study was conducted from August 2015–March 2016. Methods The descriptive study of gerontological nurse specialists’ core competencies used a self‐assessment instrument with three first‐level domains (attitude, skill and knowledge) and 9 s‐level dimensions. A total of 225 gerontological nurse specialists from ten provinces in China were selected by a convenience sampling method. Results The average core competency score of the gerontological nurse specialists was 3.78, in the middle level(3.30–4.17/5.00). Core competency was associated with gerontological nurse specialists’ age (p = .005), professional title (p = .017), hospital level (p = .006) and passion for geriatric nursing (p = .000). The average scores of attitude, skill and knowledge were 4.45, 4.02 and 4.18, respectively. All first‐level domains were related to age (p ≤ .021) and passion for geriatric nursing (p ≤ .008); knowledge and skill were associated with professional title (p ≤ .045) and attitude and skill were associated with hospital level (p ≤ .020).

To verify the validity of functional health literacy scale and analyze what influences functional health literacy. Using convenience sampling method based on cross-sectional data to select 589 left-behind senior high-school students in an ethnic minority area, using the functional health literacy scale. The scale results were relatively strong, and the absolute fitness index, value-added fitness index, and simple fitness index reached the fitness standards. The overall functional health literacy score was (0.65 ± 0.12), which falls within the upper middle class. Gender(t = 2.40, P

A majority of nurses struggled with a negative emotion of anger, doubt, fear, or anxious, uncomfortable in the face of death and dying. However, little was known about community health care providers’ in China. Therefore, we conducted a study to investigate their knowledge and attitudes toward end-of-life care and analyze its influencing factors. To provide reference for developing effective strategies to promote end-of-life care in China. A total of 132 community health care providers of 10 community health care centers in Changzhi city were investigated by a Questionnaire of Knowledge and Attitudes toward Caring for the Dying from May, 2017 to December, 2017, and data was analyzed by SPSS 22.0 software. Of the 132 community health care providers who were under investigation, 70 knew about hospice care, but they rated their overall content on end-of-life care as inadequacy, especially in communication skills and knowledge of pain management. The average score of attitudes was 3.47 (SD = 0.44), the lowest score was in the subscale of nurse−patient communication, which was 2.91 (SD = 0.65). Health care providers who had worked for more than 11 years, who had experiences of the death of relatives or friends, and who had previous experiences of caring for terminal patients had more positive attitudes toward caring for the dying (P

In the present study, we investigated whether polymorphism of ARNTL2 (BMAL2) gene rs2306074 T/C was associated with susceptibility of Alzheimer disease (AD) in Chinese population. A case–control method was employed in this study. 296 unrelated AD patients and 423 control subjects were recruited in current study. The prevalence of C carriers in BMAL2 gene rs2306074 T/C in AD patients was significantly higher than that of control subjects in both the whole sample and APOE e 4 non-carriers (in the whole sample: χ 2 = 5.938, P = 0.012; in APOE e 4 non-carriers: χ 2 = 9.048, P

Objective: The goal of this study was to determine the relationship between living arrangements and risk for depression among older people. Method: MEDLINE, EMBASE, The Cochrane Library database was used to identify potential studies. The studies were divided into cross-sectional and longitudinal subsets. Qualitative meta-analysis of the cross-sectional studies and longitudinal studies was performed, respectively. For prevalence and incidence rates of depression, odds ratio (OR) and relative risk (RR) were calculated, respectively. Results: The qualitative meta-analysis showed that older people living alone had a higher risk of depression than those not living alone (OR: 1.44; 95% confidence interval [95% CI]: 1.04–1.99); Relative risk (RR: 1.27, 95% CI: 0.89–1.80) and those living with families (OR: 2.59, 95% CI: 1.60–4.20). Older people living in a nursing home (OR: 2.90, 95% CI: 0.94–8.94; RR: 1.94, 95% CI: 1.18–3.20) or institutionalized setting (OR: 1.86, 95% CI: 1.37–2.52; RR: 2.03, 95% CI: 1.12–3.70) had a higher risk of depression than those living in home. Conclusions: Despite the methodological limitations of this meta-analysis, living arrangements appear related to the risk for depression in the older population. Older persons living alone, in a nursing home, or in an institutionalized setting have higher risk for depression.

This study was conducted to examine age-related differences in cognitive function, and their relation to higher-level competence of elderly living in an urban community.Participants were 438 individuals (males 168, females 270) aged 70 to 84 years living in an urban community in Tokyo. Three cognitive performance tests, the Wechsler Adult Intelligence Scale-Revised (WAIS-R) Digit Symbol, Word Fluency Test, and the WAIS-R Digit Span, were employed for estimating cognitive function, and the TMIG Index of Competence for measuring higher-level competence. In the Index, three constructions: "Instrumental Self-Maintenance", "Intellectual Activity", and "Social Role" were involved.Age-related differences in the cognitive tests were analyzed using ANCOVA controlling for educational year. Age-related differences between younger elderly (70-79 years old) and older elderly (80-84 years old) were observed with the WAIS-R Digit Symbol, Word Fluency Test and the WAIS-R Digit Span. The results indicate that information processing speed, executive function and primary memory in community-dwelling elderly continue to decline in old age, and this trend is salient in the old-old. We carried out partial correlation analysis and multiple regression analysis for exploring the relationships between cognitive function and the sub-scales in the TMIG Index of Competence, controlling for age and educational year. Cognitive function was significantly and positively related with the sub-scales in the Index, this being especially robust for "Intellectual Activity". The results suggest that higher-level competence can be modestly determined with reference to cognitive function, and "Intellectual Activity" may have a stronger relation with cognitive function than the other two sub-scales in the Index.

We conducted a comprehensive mass health examination for elderly subjects aged 70 or above, living in the community, to assess early deterioration to long-term care conditions and promote healthy and successful aging ("Otasha-Kenshin"). In this study, we clarified characteristic differences between participants and non-participants.A mass health examination was offered in October 2001 to 863 community elderly, including individuals suffering from falls (and fractures), incontinence, malnutrition, depression, mild cognitive impairment and less of functional capacity. Among the total, 438 (50.8%) opted for the "Otasha-Kenshin" examination. Differences in characteristics between the participants and non-participants were examined, parameters including sex and age distribution, self-rated health, functional capacity by the TMIG Index of Competence, depressed status by the General Health Questionnaire (GHQ), subjective well-being by the Philadelphia Geriatric Center Morale Scale: A revision (PGC-MS), frequency of falls, and prevalence of chronic diseases. The comparison was based on the results of measurements from the final survey conducted in 2000.1) The participation rate in the "Otasha-Kenshin" was 49.0% in males and 51.0% in females. The average age was 75.3 year olds in participants and 76.4 in non-participants, the difference being significant (t = 3.97, P0.0001). 2) Non-participants had a significantly lower level of self-rated health than participants. 3) There was no significant difference in hand grip strength between participants and non-participants. 4) Non-participants showed significantly lower level of functional capacity and subjective well-being, and they were more likely to be in a depressed state than participants. 5) There was no significant difference in fall rate between participants and non-participants. 6) The prevalence of hypertension and diabetes (found in more than 5% among the subjects surveyed in 2000) was not significantly different between participants and non-participants.With aging of society, new and specialized health maintenance systems for the elderly are essential, both for the prevention of deterioration to a long-term care condition (a bed-ridden status) and for the promotion of successful aging with autonomy. Participants in "Otasha-Kenshin" appear to be healthier and more independent than non-participants who were more frail and at higher risk group of a long-term care condition and a bed-ridden status. The major reason for non-participation in the health examination found in this study was subjective or mental deterioration rather than the presence of chronic illness or any geriatric syndrome per se. Frail elderly people like the non-participants in this study should be encouraged and mentally supported to avoid aggravation of their health status through intensive or specialized health surveillance system such as home-visit nursing.