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Guided by the theories of social capital and stress-buffering, we examined how the association between low acculturation and poor mental health among older immigrants would be modified by social capital in ethnic communities (social cohesion, social engagement, perceived ethnic density, and the quality of social interaction). Using data from the Study of Older Korean Americans (N = 2,150, Mean age = 73.4), direct and interactive effect models were examined. Lower acculturation was associated with a greater level of psychological distress, and their link was modified by social cohesion (β =.19, p <.01) and negative social interactions (β = −.97, p <.01). Findings suggest that the mental health risk associated with low acculturation could be intensified when older immigrants perceive low sense of cohesion in their ethnic communities or have negative interactions with ethnic community members. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Purpose: Non-melanoma skin cancer (NMSC) is the most frequent neoplasm today, worldwide. This type of tumour presents low mortality but causes a major psychosocial impact on the patient. Studies have shown that the patient's quality of life (as detected by questionnaire scores in this respect) improves as the care process advances. The main aim of the present study is to identify the factors that are related to this favourable evolution. Methods: This descriptive cross-sectional study included patients with cervicofacial NMSC, confirmed by skin biopsy. The patients were asked to complete the Skin Cancer Index questionnaire at the time of diagnosis and subsequently at 1 week, 1 month and 6 months after treatment. Relevant demographic variables were recorded, together with information on health status and the treatment received. Results: A total of 229 patients with biopsy-confirmed cervicofacial NMSC were included in the study population, and 220 completed the quality of life questionnaires at the necessary time points during the care process. Some variables—sex, education, marital status, history of anxiety or depression, tumour type, the treatment received and the VAS score in this respect—were found to have a statistically significant influence on the degree of improvement recorded in the quality of life questionnaire scores during follow-up. Conclusions: The quality of life questionnaire scores of patients with cervicofacial NMSC improve following treatment, but this progression is not homogeneous among patients. We identify the variables that are related to a greater degree of improvement on the questionnaire scales (overall, emotional and social-aesthetic). [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Responding to the public health significance of Alzheimer's Disease (AD) and lack of information on AD‐related issues in Asian Americans, the present study examined the prevalence and predictors of three stigmatising beliefs about AD (beliefs that associate AD with a normal process of ageing, family embarrassment and social avoidance) using a sample of Asian Americans representing diverse ethnic groups (Chinese, Asian Indian, Korean, Vietnamese, Filipino and other Asians) and a broad age range (18–98). Guided by the Sociocultural Health Belief Model, multivariate regression models of stigmatising beliefs about AD examined the effect of demographic characteristics (age, gender, marital status, education and ethnicity) and immigration and culture‐related variables (proportion of life in the U.S., English proficiency and acculturation). Data came from the 2015 Asian American Quality of Life survey (N = 2,609). Results indicate that the prevalence of stigmatising beliefs about AD varied across ethnicities. More than 63% of Vietnamese associated AD with a normal process of ageing, and about 10% of Chinese reported that they would feel embarrassed if their family member had AD. Logistic regression analyses demonstrated that advanced age, male gender, low education and limited English proficiency increased the odds of reporting one or more stigmatising beliefs about AD. The findings suggest varying degrees of AD‐related misconceptions and stigmatisation and call attention to the need for culturally sensitive AD education in Asian communities. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The complexity of some diseases—as well as the inherent toxicity of certain drugs—has led to an increasing interest in the development and optimization of drug-delivery systems. Polymeric nanoparticles stand out as a key tool to improve drug bioavailability or specific delivery at the site of action. The versatility of polymers makes them potentially ideal for fulfilling the requirements of each particular drug-delivery system. In this review, a summary of the state-of-the-art panorama of polymeric nanoparticles as drug-delivery systems has been conducted, focusing mainly on those applications in which the corresponding disease involves an important morbidity, a considerable reduction in the life quality of patients—or even a high mortality. A revision of the use of polymeric nanoparticles for ocular drug delivery, for cancer diagnosis and treatment, as well as nutraceutical delivery, was carried out, and a short discussion about future prospects of these systems is included. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]