Search

Abstract Background The presence of sensory impairment among older age cohorts exerts a significant impact on both individuals and society generally. Although the impact of dietary patterns on health is vital across all stages of life, there still a paucity of comprehensive research on the association between dietary variety and sensory impairments. Objective To investigate the potential relationship between dietary diversity and the prevalence of visual and hearing impairment or dual sensory impairments (visual and hearing impairment) among the oldest old population. Methods This is a cross-sectional study relied on data obtained from the 2018 survey conducted by the Chinese Longitudinal Healthy Longevity Survey (CLHLS). Subjects aged 80 and older with complete vision and hearing data were included in the study. Multivariate logistic regression models were developed to examine the association between dietary components and visual and hearing impairment while controlling for age, gender, socioeconomic demographic factors, living habits, other food habits, and general health status. Results The study included 10,093 participants, with an average age of 92.29 ± 7.75 years. Vision and hearing function were assessed based on the ability to distinguish the direction of the break in the circle and the requirement for hearing aids, respectively. Upon controlling for confounding variables, individuals with a greater Dietary Diversity Score (DDS, the number of food groups, range: 1–11) had a reduced likelihood of experiencing visual impairment (odds ratio [OR] = 0.944, 95% confidence interval [CI], 0.915—0.974) and dual sensory impairment (OR = 0.930, 95% CI, 0.905—0.955). In comparison to the low dietary variety group (insufficient dietary diversity, DDS

Abstract Background Functional capacity is recognized as a central factor for health in old age and not all studies that seek to clarify the role of social relationships in functional capacity are conclusive. The subject has only been studied in a limited way in Latin America, a region that is aging prematurely, with evidence primarily from developed countries, which have experienced a more gradual aging of their population. This longitudinal study aimed to determine how aspects of social relationships impact the functionality of older Chileans. Methodology We conducted a cohort study of 2,265 people aged 60 years or older who lived in the community and resided in Greater Santiago, Chile. Five aspects of social relationships were considered at baseline (participation in groups, clubs, or organizations; number of people in the household; participation in recreational activities; perception of material support, help or advice, and marital status), from which a cluster analysis by conglomerate was performed and used as the exposure of interest. Functional limitation (FL) was the dependent variable, classified as a limitation in at least 1 basic activity of daily living or 1 instrumental activity or 2 advanced activities. The control variables considered were: sex, age, educational level, multimorbidity, depression and years of follow-up. Survival analyses using a Cox proportional hazard regression and multilevel logistic regressions (person level and follow-up wave level) were performed. Results The identified clusters were four: “without social participation and does not live alone”; “without a partner and without social participation”; “no perception of support and no social participation”; “with participation, partner and perception of support”. Social relationship clusters predicted FL incidence and FL reporting during follow-up. Being in the clusters "without social participation and does not live alone" and "without partner and without social participation" were risk factors for incident FL and report of FL during follow-up, compared to being in the reference cluster "with participation, partner and perception of support. Conclusions In summary, our study showed that participating in social organizations, not living alone and having a partner are protective factors for presenting and developing functional limitation in old age for community-living Chileans in an urban area.

Background The "Fourteenth Five-Year Plan for Healthy Aging" proposes to promote the realization of healthy aging, which not only requires the elderly to be healthy, but also pays attention to the security. With the deepening of the aging society, there is a significant gap in the level of participation of the current pension insurance system for urban and rural residents in various provinces. Under this background, it is of great significance to study the endowment insurance system. Objective To describ the spatial distribution of the basic old-age insurance participation level of urban and rural residents in 31 provinces in China from 2013 to 2020, to observe the spatial correlation and difference of the participation level among provinces, to analyze the relevant influencing factors, and to provide suggestions for the government and medical and health administrative departments to formulate the old-age insurance policy. Methods The data for this study is sourced from the China Statistical Yearbook from 2014 to 2021. The level of participation in urban and rural residential insurance is calculated based on the ratio of the number of urban and rural residents participating in basic pension insurance by region in the public management, social security, and social organization modules to the end of year population in the population clump. The various indicators of influencing factors are all from the 2014-2021 China Statistical Yearbook. Using ArcGIS 10.8 statistical analysis software, the basic pension insurance participation levels of urban and rural residents in 31 provinces were matched with provincial administrative divisions in China. Descriptive research and analysis were conducted on the differences in pension insurance participation levels among 31 provinces. Using methods such as global spatial autocorrelation and Getis Ord Gi * local hotspots, the spatial correlation and hot and cold spots of participation levels were studied, Study the relevant influencing factors by combining geographic detectors. Results Overall, from 2013 to 2020, the number and level of urban and rural resident insurance participants in China had been continuously increasing year by year; from a vertical structure perspective, there were significant differences in the level of insurance participation among provinces; from a horizontal perspective, from 2013 to 2020, the growth rate of most provinces was positive. The participation level of basic pension insurance for urban and rural residents in 31 provinces of China from 2013 to 2020 had spatial correlation. The central provinces were hot areas, while Shanghai is a cold area. The influencing factors on the participation rate were economic development factors, social development factors, policy factors, and cultural and educational factors in descending order. Conclusion The overall level of participation in basic pension insurance for residents has been increasing year by year, but there are differences in the level of participation and growth rate among provinces. The level of economic development is an important factor affecting the level of participation in basic pension insurance for residents.

In recent years, the number of elderly individuals has been increasing worldwide. With this increase, there is also an increase in many factors that negatively affect the quality of life of elderly individuals and prevent them from performing daily living activities. The increase in these factors causes new problems to arise in the lives of elderly individuals. In line with aging, various problems are observed biologically, phenotypically, and functionally. These problems cause serious problems in the lives of elderly individuals. In addition to the natural aging process, frailty and pre-frailty phenotype often accompany these individuals due to a decrease in functional capacity and muscle strength, disrupting the healthy aging process. Especially with the inclusion of a frailty diagnosis, elderly individuals struggle to maintain their daily activities, and their quality of life is negatively affected. Additionally, physical activity and exercise have a very important place in fragile societies in order to eliminate these negativities. However, just because elderly individuals experience the same problems does not necessarily mean that the same exercise programs will be applied. The symptoms of problems experienced by elderly individuals should be examined separately. On the other hand, in addition to the problem experienced, other disorders such as frailty may be observed in elderly individuals. Therefore, it is important to comprehensively evaluate elderly individuals for frailty and develop individualized rehabilitation programs. The aim of this study is to emphasize the importance of physical activity and promote healthy aging in elderly frail individuals. In conclusion, this study emphasizes the importance of physical activity in minimizing the effects of frailty and potentially reversing frailty-related outcomes in elderly individuals.

Abstract Centenarians, those aged 100 years or older, are considered the most successful biological aging model in humans. This population is commonly characterized by a low prevalence of chronic diseases, with favorable maintenance of functionality and independence, thus determining a health phenotype of successful aging. There are many factors usually associated with extreme longevity: genetics, lifestyles, diet, among others. However, it is most likely a multifactorial condition where protective factors contribute individually to some extent. The gut microbiota (GM) has emerged as a potential factor associated with the establishment of a favorable health phenotype that allows for extreme longevity, as seen in centenarians. To understand the possible impact generated by the GM, its changes, and the probable causes for successful aging, the aim of this review was to synthesize evidence on the role of the GM as a potential protective factor for achieving extreme longevity, using its relationship with centenarians.

Purpose: This study investigated the adequacy of improvements in locomotive syndrome (LS) and other clinical outcomes after total knee arthroplasty (TKA) for medial knee osteoarthritis. Methods: A total of 74 patients who underwent unilateral primary TKA were evaluated pre-operatively and 3, 6, and 12 months post-TKA using the 25-question Geriatric Locomotive Function Scale (GLFS-25) to evaluate the severity of LS, the Japanese Knee Osteoarthritis Measure (JKOM), the Knee Society Score (KSS), the timed up and go (TUG) test, and range of motion of the knee joint (ROM). The GLFS-25 score and the severity of LS were compared between these patients and independent ambulatory community dwellers (273 males and 477 females). Results: The GLFS-25, JKOM, KSS, TUG scores, and ROM significantly improved post-operatively. The pre-operative incidence of LS stage 3, indicating the worst locomotive function, decreased from 81.1% to 24.3% at the final follow-up. However, the median (interquartile range) GLFS-25 score of 13 (6–23) seemed much worse, and the incidence of LS stage 3 of 24.3% seemed much higher even 12 months post-TKA compared with independent ambulatory community dwellers. Conclusions: The GLFS-25 score and other clinical outcome scales significantly improved after TKA. However, improvements in locomotive functions were not adequate as approximately 25% of patients remained with LS stage 3. Besides ordinary rehabilitation programmes after TKA, some interventions, such as more rigorous muscle exercises, would be necessary to obtain greater improvements in LS.

The Human Development Index (HDI) is a proxy for the social and economic level of countries, which is related to the health and well-being of older adults. This study aimed to examine the moderating effect of the HDI on the relationship between frailty and health-related quality of life among European older adults. Participants were 23,972 older adults (53.2% female, M = 74.2 years old, SD = 6.75 years old) from 24 European countries, joining wave 8 (2020) of the Survey of Health, Aging, and Retirement in Europe (SHARE). Multilevel modeling was used to analyze nested data. Significant differences in health-related quality of life among the several European Union countries were observed (intraclass correlation coefficient [ICC] = 0.18, LRT (1) = 5568.07, p < .001). The HDI has been shown to moderate the relationship between frailty and health-related quality of life among older adults, buffering the impact of frailty on the health-related quality of life. Since healthy aging is a priority for the European Union, policies mitigating the impact of HDI on the relationship between frailty and health-related quality of life should be implemented. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

About 1.8 million older adults receive rental assistance in the United States, but surprisingly little is known about their health, especially among the growing number of older housing choice voucher (HCV) holders. This is the first known study to use nationally representative data (2006–2018) from the National Health Interview Survey merged with Department of Housing and Urban Development (HUD) administrative data to describe the health of older HUD renters (N = 4,582) living in public housing, multifamily housing, or receiving an HCV. Logistic regression models were used to examine potential health differences by HUD program type. Contrary to expectations, the results suggest that older HCV holders were more likely to experience health challenges compared to older adults with project-based assistance. The results bring awareness to the health challenges experienced by older HCV holders and emphasize the need for future research to examine why older HCV holders are more likely to experience these health challenges. Policy makers and program administrators must consider how the HCV program has significantly aged in the past two decades and consider what program and policy changes are necessary to ensure that older adults have access to affordable housing that matches their changing needs and preferences. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

This study investigates the role of locality (a task/material‐related variable), demographic factors (age, education, and sex), cognitive capacities (verbal working memory [WM], verbal short‐term memory [STM], speed of processing [SOP], and inhibition), and morphosyntactic category (time reference and grammatical aspect) in verb‐related morphosyntactic production (VRMP). A sentence completion task tapping production of time reference and grammatical aspect in local and nonlocal configurations, and cognitive tasks measuring verbal WM capacity, verbal STM capacity, motor SOP, perceptual SOP, and inhibition were administered to 200 neurotypical Greek‐speaking participants, aged between 19 and 80 years. We fitted generalized linear mixed‐effects models and performed path analyses. Significant main effects of locality, age, education, verbal WM capacity, motor SOP, and morphosyntactic category emerged. Production of time reference and aspect did not interact with any of the significant factors (i.e., age, education, verbal WM capacity, motor SOP, and locality), and locality did not interact with any memory system. Path analyses revealed that the relationships between age and VRMP, and between education and VRMP were partly mediated by verbal WM; and the relationship between verbal WM and VRMP was partly mediated by perceptual SOP. Results suggest that subject‐, task/material‐ and morphosyntactic category‐specific factors determine accuracy performance on VRMP; and the effects of age, education, and verbal WM on VRMP are partly indirect. The fact that there was a significant main effect of verbal WM but not of verbal STM on accuracy performance in the VRMP task suggests that it is predominantly the processing component (and not the storage component) of verbal WM that supports VRMP. Lastly, we interpret the results as suggesting that VRMP is also supported by a procedural memory system whose efficiency might be reflected in years of formal education. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The concept of successful aging has raised much debate and intrigued researchers for over four decades. However, a consensus regarding its definition and measurement has not yet been reached, which narrates the main impediment of successful aging research. The main goal of this study was to validate a proposed multidimensional model of successful aging, with its five components: physiological/physical, cognitive, psychological/emotional, social, and subjective self-rated successful aging. A community-dwelling sample of 790 older adults living in the Republic of Croatia participated in the study, but the final analyzes were conducted on a sample of 767 participants, aged 65 to 98 years (M = 73.86 years, SD = 6.53), 58.8% of which were women. The construct validity of the proposed 5-component model was tested using a confirmatory factor analysis, and by comparing the model with several other theoretical models with 2, 3 or 4 components of successful aging. Results showed that the 5-component model fits the data the best thus confirms the multidimensional nature of successful aging. Partial metric invariance of the structure of the proposed model was found for younger and older age groups, and full metric invariance was established for both gender groups. This 5-factor model is a step forward in the development of a sound and comprehensive multidimensional definition of successful aging. Clear and comprehensive conceptualization of the successful aging construct is important, not only for research purposes, but also within the context of its practical application in developing policies which promote successful aging. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Background: The assessment of language deficits can be valuable in the early clinical diagnosis of neurodegenerative disorders, including Alzheimer's disease (AD). Objective: The present study aims to explore whether language markers at the macrostructural level could assist with the placement of an individual across the dementia continuum employing production data from structured narratives. Methods: We administered a Picture Sequence Narrative Discourse Task to 170 speakers of Greek: young healthy controls (yHC), cognitively intact healthy elders (eHC), elder participants with subjective cognitive impairment (SCI), with mild cognitive impairment (MCI), and with AD dementia at the mild/moderate stages. Structural MRIs, medical history, neurological examination, and neuropsychological/cognitive screening determined the status of each speaker to appropriately groupthem. Results: The data analysis revealed that the Macrostructure Index, Irrelevant Info, and Narration Density markers can track cognitive decline and AD (p < 0.001; Macrostructural Index: eHC versus AD Sensitivity 93.8%, Specificity 74.4%, MCI versus AD Sensitivity 93.8%, Specificity 66.7%; Narration Density: eHC versus AD Sensitivity 90.6%, Specificity 71.8%, MCI versus AD Sensitivity 93.8%, Specificity 66.7%). Moreover, Narrative Complexity was significantly affected for subjects with AD, Irrelevant Info increased in the narrations of speakers with MCI and AD, while Narration Length did not appear to indubitably differentiate between the cognitively intact groups and the clinical ones. Conclusions: Narrative Macrostructure Indices provide valuable information on the language profile of speakers with(out) intact cognition revealing subtle early signs of cognitive decline and AD suggesting that the inclusion of language-based assessment tools would facilitate the clinical process. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Objective This study aimed to explore the mediating effect of digital health literacy on the aging expectations and healthy aging of rural empty nest elderly. Methods Using a multi-stage sampling method, a questionnaire survey was conducted on 457 rural empty nest elderly individuals in Chengde, Hebei Province, with the use of general information questionnaires, digital health literacy assessment scales, healthy aging scales, and aging expectation scales. Mediation effect testing procedures and Bootstrap procedures were applied to analyze and validate the mediating effect. Results The scores for healthy aging, aging expectations, and digital health literacy among rural empty nest elderly in Chengde were (96.77±11.90), (34.98±8.96), and (34»90±17.18), respectively. Correlation analysis showed that digital health literacy, aging expectations, and healthy aging were positively correlated with each other among rural empty nest elderly in Chengde (P<0.001). The results of the mediation effect test indicated that digital health literacy partially mediated the relationship between aging expectations and healthy aging among rural empty nest elderly, with a mediation effect ratio of 14.53%. Conclusion The healthy aging of rural empty nest elderly in Chengde was at a moderate level. Aging expectations directly influenced healthy aging and also indirectly influenced healthy aging tlirough digital health literacy. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Many older adults are increasingly embracing digital technology in the Republic of Korea. This study investigated the relationship between the digital skills of Korean older adults and their perceived health status and digital technology application for health promotion. This mixed-method study comprised a community survey of 434 older adults aged ≥65 in two cities in South Korea, followed by focus group interviews. Five types of digital skills, 'operational internet skills', 'information navigation skills', 'social skills', 'creative skills', and 'mobile skills', were measured using the LSE digital skill measurement instrument. Multivariable analysis identified the influence of digital skills on health-related outcomes. Among them, 'social skills' associated positively with self-rated health (β 0.37, 95%CI 0.08, 0.65). 'Information navigation skills' contributed positively to the use of digital technology and the internet for a healthy lifestyle in terms of improving eating habits (β 0.43, 95%CI 0.09, 0.77), accessing healthcare (β 0.53, 95%CI 0.21, 0.85), and accessing long-term care services (β 0.45, 95%CI 0.11, 0.79). Thematic analysis revealed that the study participants use Korean language-based resources such as Naver and Kakao Talk for social connection to promote a healthy lifestyle. This study concludes that encouraging initial and sustained use of the internet and enhancing digital skills among Korean older adults can promote active and healthy aging. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Tackling the issue of healthy aging in society is complex. It requires an interdisciplinary perspective and different forms of innovation. This article provides a commentary on the role of innovation policy in addressing healthy aging, particularly in the UK context. We argue that the wide range of economic activities related to healthy aging is part of a hybrid domain rather than a single sector. This represents a new generation of innovation policy for healthy aging which prioritizes understanding how different actors can be connected to support a spectrum of types of innovation which will contribute to providing better goods, services, and practices for older people. We explore social innovation as it relates to hybrid domains such as healthy aging and discuss the role of place in creating policy which generates both societal and market value. We recommend that policymakers use these concepts to build a better understanding of the economies that are evolving around healthy aging and where opportunities exist to better conceptualize, connect, and support actors, initiatives, and places to optimize economic potential and social outcomes. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

This study aimed to assess the trends of healthy aging and investigate its determinants in the middle-aged population. This was a longitudinal study. The sample comprised 3043 participants aged 45–59 years from the China Longitudinal Study of Health and Retirement 2011–2018. We plotted the prevalence across four waves and used ordered logistic models to investigate the determinants of cumulative times of healthy aging. We enrolled 3043 middle-aged people in our study. The prevalence of healthy aging is 28.2% at baseline but subsequently decreased to 19.72% at wave 4. Active socializing consistently ranked the lowest among the five dimensions. Participants with older age (odds ratio [OR] = 0.95, 95% confidence interval [CI] = 0.94–0.97), low monthly income (OR = 0.82, 95% CI: 0.69–0.97) or lived in urban (OR = 0.81, 95% CI: 0.70–0.94) were less likely to have per time increase in healthy aging. Participants with more than primary school degree (OR = 1.79, 95% CI: 1.31–2.46), high life satisfaction (OR = 2.38, 95% CI: 1.86–3.06), and good self-report health (OR = 1.97, 95% CI: 1.66–2.34) were more likely to have healthy aging. The number of middle-aged individuals in China who achieved healthy aging is declining and eventually less than one in five, which was far from ideal. Particular attention should be paid to older, women, urban dwellers, individuals with low income, low life satisfaction or poor self-report health. It is urgent to develop public health policies to improve the health and well-being of the middle-aged population. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Background This study investigated the association between previous incarceration and various geriatric and chronic health conditions among adults 50 and older in the United States. Methods Data came from the National Longitudinal Study of Adolescent to Adult Health—Parent Study (AHPS) collected in 2015–2017, including 2 007 individuals who participated in the parent study (Parent Sample) and 976 individuals who participated in the spouse/partner study (Spouse/Partner Sample). Multiple logistic regression was used to investigate the relationship between previous incarceration and geriatric syndromes (dementia, difficulty walking, difficulty seeing, difficulty with activities of daily living) and chronic health conditions (self-reported poor/fair health, diagnosis of cancer, hypertension, diabetes, heart disease, stroke, chronic lung disease, depression, and alcohol use [4 or more drinks per week]). Results In adjusted analyses, respondents with previous incarceration in the AHPS had significantly higher odds of reporting difficulty walking, activities of daily living difficulty, cancer diagnosis, depression diagnosis, and chronic lung disease (adjusted odds ratios [aORs] = 2.21–2.95). Respondents in the AHPS spouse/partner study reported higher odds of difficulty seeing, cancer, depression, chronic lung disease, and heavy alcohol use (aORs = 1.02–2.15). Conclusions Previous incarceration may have an adverse impact on healthy aging. Findings highlight the importance of addressing the enduring health impacts of incarceration, particularly as individual transition into older adulthood. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

With the rapid aging of the global population, China's old urban areas, especially historical urban areas, are facing a more severe aging situation. In the context of heritage protection, the development and regeneration of historical urban areas are restricted. They usually face the aging and decay of housing, infrastructure, and public service facilities, which are harmful neighborhood environmental factors to the health development of older adults. Since the World Health Organization adopted "healthy aging" as a development strategy to deal with population aging, the mental health of older adults has become an increasingly important public health issue. A growing body of research demonstrates the positive impact of blue spaces (including oceans, rivers, lakes, wetlands, ponds, etc.) on older adults' mental health, yet evidence on the potential of blue spaces in a historical environment to promote mental health among older adults remains limited. Therefore, exploring the neighborhood impact of blue space on the mental health of older adults has become a new entry point to provide an age-friendly environment for older adults in the ancient city. This study uses multi-source data such as community questionnaire data, remote sensing images, urban street view images, and environmental climate data of the ancient city of Suzhou, to extract a variety of blue space quantitative indicators, and uses the hierarchical linear model and mediation effect model to explore the neighborhood impact of blue space exposure in the historical environment on older adults, to try to explore the impact path and formation mechanism behind it. The result is that exposure to neighborhood blue space in Suzhou's historic urban area is significantly related to the mental health of older adults. Additionally, neighborhood blue space exposure improves the mental health of older adults by relieving stress and promoting physical activities and social interaction. The health effects of neighborhood blue space exposure vary among elderly groups with different age and income stratifications, and have a greater impact on the healthy lifestyle and mental health of older adults in younger and lower-income aging groups. Based on a multidisciplinary theoretical perspective, this study enriches the empirical literature on the impact of blue space on the mental health of older adults in historical environments and provides a scientific basis for the regeneration planning of "healthy neighborhoods" and "healthy aging" in historical urban areas. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Copyright of Istanbul Gelisim University Journal of Health Sciences / İstanbul Gelişim Üniversitesi Sağlık Bilimleri Dergisi is the property of Istanbul Gelisim Universitesi Saglik Bilimleri Yuksekokulu 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.)

Healthy aging has emerged as a crucial issue with the increase in the geriatric population worldwide. Food-derived sulfur-containing amino acid ergothioneine (ERGO) is a potential dietary supplement, which exhibits various beneficial effects in experimental animals although the preventive effects of ERGO on aging and/or age-related impairments such as frailty and cognitive impairment are unclear. We investigated the effects of daily oral supplementation of ERGO dissolved in drinking water on lifespan, frailty, and cognitive impairment in male mice from 7 weeks of age to the end of their lives. Ingestion of 4 ~ 5 mg/kg/day of ERGO remarkably extended the lifespan of male mice. The longevity effect of ERGO was further supported by increase in life and non-frailty spans of Caenorhabditis elegans in the presence of ERGO. Compared with the control group, the ERGO group showed significantly lower age-related declines in weight, fat mass, and average and maximum movement velocities at 88 weeks of age. This was compatible with dramatical suppression by ERGO of the age-related increments in plasma biomarkers (BMs) such as the chemokine ligand 9, creatinine, symmetric dimethylarginine, urea, asymmetric dimethylarginine, quinolinic acid, and kynurenine. The oral intake of ERGO also rescued age-related impairments in learning and memory ability, which might be associated with suppression of the age-related decline in hippocampal neurogenesis and TDP43 protein aggregation and promotion of microglial shift to the M2 phenotype by ERGO ingestion. Ingestion of ERGO may promote longevity and healthy aging in male mice, possibly through multiple biological mechanisms. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Background: The presence of sensory impairment among older age cohorts exerts a significant impact on both individuals and society generally. Although the impact of dietary patterns on health is vital across all stages of life, there still a paucity of comprehensive research on the association between dietary variety and sensory impairments. Objective: To investigate the potential relationship between dietary diversity and the prevalence of visual and hearing impairment or dual sensory impairments (visual and hearing impairment) among the oldest old population. Methods: This is a cross-sectional study relied on data obtained from the 2018 survey conducted by the Chinese Longitudinal Healthy Longevity Survey (CLHLS). Subjects aged 80 and older with complete vision and hearing data were included in the study. Multivariate logistic regression models were developed to examine the association between dietary components and visual and hearing impairment while controlling for age, gender, socioeconomic demographic factors, living habits, other food habits, and general health status. Results: The study included 10,093 participants, with an average age of 92.29 ± 7.75 years. Vision and hearing function were assessed based on the ability to distinguish the direction of the break in the circle and the requirement for hearing aids, respectively. Upon controlling for confounding variables, individuals with a greater Dietary Diversity Score (DDS, the number of food groups, range: 1–11) had a reduced likelihood of experiencing visual impairment (odds ratio [OR] = 0.944, 95% confidence interval [CI], 0.915—0.974) and dual sensory impairment (OR = 0.930, 95% CI, 0.905—0.955). In comparison to the low dietary variety group (insufficient dietary diversity, DDS < 4), the high dietary diversity group (sufficient dietary diversity, DDS ≥ 4) exhibited a decreased risk of visual impairment (OR = 0.820, 95% CI, 0.713—0.944) and dual sensory impairment (OR = 0.751, 95% CI, 0.667—0.846). However, no statistically significant correlation was observed between dietary diversity and the presence of only hearing impairment (OR = 0.924, 95% CI, 0.815—1.047) (P < 0.05). Conclusions and implications: The synthesis of research findings suggests that following diverse dietary patterns and healthy nutritional practices may be an effective and affordable way to prevent age-related decline in visual impairment and dual sensory impairment. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Background: Functional capacity is recognized as a central factor for health in old age and not all studies that seek to clarify the role of social relationships in functional capacity are conclusive. The subject has only been studied in a limited way in Latin America, a region that is aging prematurely, with evidence primarily from developed countries, which have experienced a more gradual aging of their population. This longitudinal study aimed to determine how aspects of social relationships impact the functionality of older Chileans. Methodology: We conducted a cohort study of 2,265 people aged 60 years or older who lived in the community and resided in Greater Santiago, Chile. Five aspects of social relationships were considered at baseline (participation in groups, clubs, or organizations; number of people in the household; participation in recreational activities; perception of material support, help or advice, and marital status), from which a cluster analysis by conglomerate was performed and used as the exposure of interest. Functional limitation (FL) was the dependent variable, classified as a limitation in at least 1 basic activity of daily living or 1 instrumental activity or 2 advanced activities. The control variables considered were: sex, age, educational level, multimorbidity, depression and years of follow-up. Survival analyses using a Cox proportional hazard regression and multilevel logistic regressions (person level and follow-up wave level) were performed. Results: The identified clusters were four: "without social participation and does not live alone"; "without a partner and without social participation"; "no perception of support and no social participation"; "with participation, partner and perception of support". Social relationship clusters predicted FL incidence and FL reporting during follow-up. Being in the clusters "without social participation and does not live alone" and "without partner and without social participation" were risk factors for incident FL and report of FL during follow-up, compared to being in the reference cluster "with participation, partner and perception of support. Conclusions: In summary, our study showed that participating in social organizations, not living alone and having a partner are protective factors for presenting and developing functional limitation in old age for community-living Chileans in an urban area. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The aging population is placing pressure on the healthcare system, and the private sector is innovating healthcare through digitalization. Mobile applications for medical escort services (MA-MES) could become a sustainable healthcare tool, assisting adult children in scheduling escorts to accompany their elderly parents to medical appointments. This creates new collaborative methods and service processes for healthcare services. This research applies the Unified Theory of Acceptance and Use of Technology 2 (UTAUT 2) model to identify the intentions of adult children to use MA-MES for their elderly parents. Data were gathered from 350 individuals in the age group of 20 to 59 years and analyzed using structural equation modeling (SEM). The findings indicated that the performance expectancy (PE), effort expectancy (EE), social influence (SI), price value (PV), and perceived trust (PT) significantly increased behavioral intentions (BI). Perceived risk (PR) mediated the relationship between PT and BI, while age moderated the effects of PT on BI. Cohabitation with elderly parents moderated the effects of SI and PT on BI. This research proposes a unique model to predict the intentions of adult children to use MA-MES for their aging parents. It provides insights enabling managers to carry out continuous innovation in MA-MES. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Background: Adherence to the Canadian 24-Hour Movement Guidelines (24 H-MG) has been associated with a reduced risk of developing various chronic conditions. However, its association with frailty and all-cause mortality has not been investigated. Therefore, our primary and secondary objective was to investigate the association between adherence to the 24 H-MG and frailty and mortality, respectively. Methods: This study included 2739 individuals (age = 50.6 ± 18.1 years; male = 1370 (50.0%)) from the 2005–2006 cycle of the National Health and Nutrition Examination Survey (NHANES). Frailty was quantified with a 46-item frailty index and analyzed cross-sectionally using linear regression. All-cause mortality data were obtained from the National Death Index and was analyzed prospectively over 10 years using Cox regression. The primary exposure variable was six individual and combined 24 H-MG components including the moderated-to-vigorous physical activity, light physical activity, sedentary time, recreational screen time, sleep, and strength training guidelines. All analyses were stratified into two age groups (younger: 20–64 and older adults 65 + years). Results: Our cross-sectional analyses demonstrated an inverse dose-response relationship between the number of individual 24 H-MG components met and frailty level in adults aged 20–64 (β = -0.439 (95% C.I. = -0.551:-0.328)) and 65+ (β = -0.322 (95% C.I. = -0.490:-0.154)). Of the individual guideline components, following the moderate-to-vigorous physical activity (MVPA) guideline in individuals aged 20–64 and the recreational screen time guideline in adults aged 65 + was associated with lower frailty (p < 0.001). There was no clear prospective relationship between adherence to the combined 24 H-MG and mortality. Of the individual guideline components, only meeting the MVPA guideline component in the 65 + group was prospectively associated with reduced mortality risk (HR = 0.48 (95% C.I. = 0.25–0.93)). Conclusion: Adherence to the Canadian 24 H-MG may be protective against frailty. Increasing MVPA and decreasing recreational screen time may be important behaviors to consider for frailty prevention and should be investigated further. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Purpose: The number of older people with poor oral health diagnosed with cancer is increasing rapidly. However, integration of oral health in cancer care for older people to prevent or minimize oral health complications of cancer treatments is uncommon, except in head and neck oncology. The aim of this review is to describe the need, role of, and factors influencing the integration of oral health(care) into the treatment of older people with cancer. Methods: MEDLINE, CINAHL, PubMed, Scopus, and Web of Science databases were searched for papers published in the last 10 years that focus on oral health in older people diagnosed with cancer, the impact of oral health on cancer therapy, and integrated oral health in cancer treatment. Results: From 523 related papers, 68 publications were included and summarized as follows: (1) oral complications associated with cancer therapies, (2) the need for oral healthcare in older people with cancer, (3) the role of integration of oral health in cancer care, and (4) influencing factors such as ageism, interprofessional education and collaborations, oral healthcare workforce, oral health literacy, and financial considerations. Conclusion: Integration of oral healthcare is highly recommended for the overall well-being of older people with cancer to prevent, minimize, and manage complications in cancer treatment. However, oral healthcare has not been integrated in cancer care yet, except for head and neck cancers. This review identified a notable gap in the literature, highlighting the need for research on integration of oral healthcare in geriatric oncology. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Objectives In aging societies, more people become vulnerable to experiencing cognitive decline. Simultaneously, the role of grandparenthood is central for older adults and their families. Our study investigates inequalities in the level and trajectories of cognitive functioning among older adults, focusing on possible intersectional effects of social determinants and grandparenthood as a life course transition that may contribute to delaying cognitive decline. Methods Using longitudinal data from the Survey of Health, Aging, and Retirement in Europe, we analyzed a sample of 19,953 individuals aged 50–85 without grandchildren at baseline. We applied multilevel analysis of individual heterogeneity and discriminatory accuracy to investigate variation in cognitive functioning across 48 intersectional strata, defined by sex/gender, migration, education, and occupation. We allowed the impact of becoming a grandparent on cognitive functioning trajectories to vary across strata by including random slopes. Results Intersectional strata accounted for 17.43% of the overall variance in cognitive functioning, with most of the stratum-level variation explained by additive effects of the stratum-defining characteristics. Transition to grandparenthood was associated with higher cognitive functioning, showing a stronger effect for women. Stratum-level variation in the grandparenthood effect was modest, especially after accounting for interactions between grandparenthood and the stratum-defining variables. Discussion This study highlights the importance of social determinants for understanding heterogeneities in older adults' level of cognitive functioning and its association with the transition to grandparenthood. Cumulative disadvantages negatively affect cognitive functioning, hence adopting an intersectional lens is useful to decompose inequalities and derive tailored interventions to promote equal healthy aging. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

• This cross sectional study aimed to explore the relationships between family functioning, self-neglect, and healthy aging among older adults living alone in rural China. • The findings revealed a significant positive association between family functioning and healthy aging, underscoring the crucial role of family support in promoting health during later life stages. • The findings identified the mediating role of self-neglect in this relationship, with the mediating effect accounting for 40.84 % of the total impact. This study aims to investigate the mediating role of self-neglect among older adults in the relationship between family functioning and healthy aging. A questionnaire survey was conducted between June and September 2023, involving 255 older adults living alone in rural China. The healthy ageing, self-neglect, and family functioning was assessed using the Healthy Aging Instrument;the Elderly Self-neglect Assessment (Rural);and Family Adaptation, Partnership, Growth, Affection, and Resolve (APGAR) scale. Positive correlations were found between family functioning and healthy aging (r = 0.363, p < 0.05). Moreover, self-neglect was identified as a significant mediator, explaining 40.84 % of the total effect. Among older adults living alone in rural China, family functioning is significantly associated with healthy aging, with self-neglect mediating this relationship. These findings suggest that community-based interventions aimed at improving family functioning and addressing self-neglect behaviors might be beneficial for promoting healthy aging in this population. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

• It is essential to study the factors of well-being in community-dwelling older adults. • Effect of diverse productive activities on life satisfaction (LS) is less explored. • We found a dose-response relation for each additional productive activity on life satisfaction. • Odds of LS is 2.27 times higher in persons with 4 productive activities than none. Few studies have reported an association between diversity in productive activities and life satisfaction; hence, this cross-sectional study conducted in Japan aimed to clarify this association. We assessed the life satisfaction of 4,498 Japanese community-dwelling older adults engaged in productive activities (e.g., paid work, volunteering, taking care of children, and supporting others) using the Life Satisfaction Scale. We took the sum of the number of engaging productive activities as the diversity in productive activities score. A dose-response relationship was observed for each additional productive activity on life satisfaction. Participants who engaged in one, two, three, or four productive activities were more likely to have higher life satisfaction than those who did not engage; the odds ratios (95 % confidence intervals) were 1.19 (1.02–1.39), 1.19 (1.00–1.42), 1.71 (1.37–2.13), and 2.27 (1.58–3.27), respectively. Diversity in productive activities may enhance higher life satisfaction likelihood among Japanese community-dwelling older adults. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

This study investigated the relationship between physical activity, inactivity, physical function, and sleep in older adults with a frailty phenotype. A total of 184 pre-frail/frail older adults were included. Physical activity, inactive behavior, and sleep parameters were assessed using a wrist-worn accelerometer. Participants were categorized into four groups based on their levels of inactivity and physical activity. The results showed that individuals with lower levels of inactivity had better lower body mean velocity and sleep regularity than those with higher levels of inactivity. Physically active older adults exhibited faster gait speed and performed better in lower body strength tests than physically inactive participants. Further analysis revealed that specific combinations of inactivity and physical activity were associated with varying levels of physical function. The findings highlight the importance of physical activity and the negative impact of inactivity on physical function and sleep in older adults with a frailty phenotype. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Background: As a population ages, blood pressure levels gradually increase, leading to a higher incidence of hypertension and increased cardiovascular diseases risk. This study examines factors affecting hypertension grading among centenarians in the Hainan Province. Methods: Data from 2014 to 2016 were accessed from the cross-sectional database “Hypertension Levels and Epidemiological Characteristics of the Elderly and Centenarians in Hainan province of China”. This study included 690 centenarians with hypertension. Hypertension grading was the dependent variable, analyzed against independent variables including demographic information (sex, age, ethnicity, education level, marital status, cohabitation, and regional distribution), lifestyle factors (smoking, alcohol consumption, and physical activity), body mass index (BMI), and comorbid conditions (diabetes and hyperlipidemia). Logistic regression models, adjusted for these factors, were used to assess the determinants of hypertension grading among the participants. Results: Multivariate regression analysis, after adjusting for other variables, revealed significant associations between BMI, low-density lipoprotein (LDL) levels, and hypertension grades. Individuals with BMI below 18.5 kg/m² had a 0.614-fold lower risk of developing grade III hypertension (odds ratio [OR]: 0.614, 95% confidence interval [CI]: 0.390–0.966, p = 0.0350) and a 0.586-fold lower risk for grade II hypertension (OR: 0.586, 95% CI: 0.402–0.852, p = 0.0052). Furthermore, individuals with elevated LDL levels had a 6.087-fold greater risk of progressing from grade I to grade III hypertension (OR: 6.087, 95% CI: 1.635–22.660, p = 0.0071) and a 4.356-fold greater risk of progressing from grade II to grade III hypertension (OR: 4.356, 95% CI: 1.052–18.033, p = 0.0423). Additionally, individuals of Li ethnicity had 1.823-fold greater risk of progressing from grade I to grade II hypertension compared to those of Han ethnicity (OR: 1.823, 95% CI: 1.033–3.218, p = 0.0383). Conclusions: A BMI below 18.5 kg/m², elevated LDL, and ethnicity emerged the primary factors associated with hypertension grading in centenarians. To reduce the risk of hypertension, it is crucial for centenarians to maintain a healthy weight, normal LDL levels, and adopt dietary habits including a low-cholesterol and low-fat diet. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Healthy aging requires the maintenance of good physical and cognitive activity. However, as they age, older adults often experience a decline in physical and cognitive activity, leading to a more sedentary lifestyle. Some older adults may not have a choice but to become increasingly sedentary as they age due to injury or deteriorated physicality. As such, they require assistive technologies to aid in their daily lives and activities to maintain healthy cognitive function. Social Robots are a newer form of assistive technology, specifically designed for social interactions and gameplay. As with other assistive technologies, compliance barriers to their acceptance and use for meaningful, seated activities among older adults are expected. To better explore this phenomenon, improve quality of life and understand what drives older adults to accept and use newer forms of technology like social robots, this conceptual paper conjoins two theoretical frameworks: The Activity Theory of Aging (ATA) and the Unified Theory of Acceptance and Use of Technology (UTAUT). As social robots hold great promise for improving the quality of life for older adults, exploring what driving factors could enable their greater acceptance and use is essential to furthering this field of study within Australia. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Most older individuals prefer to age in place during their later years; however, achieving this aspiration presents significant challenges. Naturally Occurring Retirement Communities (NORCs) represent a potential option for promoting healthy aging, both from the perspective of meeting seniors' real needs and cost-effectiveness. This article aims to analyze the distribution of NORCs in Australia and compares census data from 2011 to 2021 to understand the overall distribution patterns and changes across the nation, by providing a localized analysis of the hotspot distribution of NORCs in eight Greater Capital Cities. The study employs methods of geovisualization, Global Moran's I, and Getis-Ord Gi* analysis to examine the spatial correlations and clustering effects of NORCs. The results indicate that NORCs are rapidly growing in Australia, with their distribution primarily influenced by sea change and urbanization. Understanding the trends in NORC distribution can assist the government in developing effective and localized policies and interventions to help older Australians to better age in place. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The objective of the Every Walk You Take initiative was to co-design and test, in a pilot study, a sustainable mHealth intervention prototype (mobile app) to promote physical activity. This prototype would help to identify the barriers to and facilitators of active living in individuals older than 55 years. A prototype of the intervention was co-designed by a community of stakeholders in Barcelona who were familiar with the social and economic burden of aging in high-income societies. The app's functionalities included recommendations for healthy routes in the city (parks, pedestrian lanes, and streets) according to environmental variables (air quality and climate) and personal preferences (route difficulty, distance, and geolocation), and ecological momentary assessments (pictures and voice notes) were collected to identify the barriers to and facilitators of performing these routes. To test the app, a pilot study was conducted over two 7-day cycles with citizen scientists recruited at the life-long learning centers of two deprived neighborhoods in Barcelona. A total of 21 citizen scientists (mean age = 67 (standard deviation = 7)), 86% of them female, collected 112 comments and 48 pictures describing their perceived barriers to and facilitators of active living. Every Walk You Take is a new, validated, and sustainable mHealth intervention that is directly involved in health promotion, as it empowers the citizens of Barcelona to play an active role in their own healthcare. This intervention has the potential to be implemented in different cities around the world to collect information on the community determinants of health and health assets. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Background: One of the most essential needs of all people is providing, enhancing the health level, and adopting a lifestyle that promotes health. It is the most significant and practical way to keep older persons' wellbeing and promote healthy aging. Aim: To investigate the effects of health promotion program on healthy aging, wellbeing and health promoting behaviour among community dwelling older adults. Methods: Four randomly selected health centers out of a total of 38 were used for the study, which was carried out in the Mansoura District within the Dakahlia governorate. Based on inclusion and exclusion criteria, a purposive sample of 94 older adults from 110 older persons enrolled in the above-mentioned setting was selected, 75 older adults were included in the final analysis. Tools: Four tools were used; Structured Interview Questionnaire, Healthy Aging Instrument (HAI), Modified Wellbeing Assessment Tool, and Health Promoting Lifestyle Profile-II Questionnaire (HPLP-II). Results: All healthy aging factors, wellbeing domains, and health promoting behaviour dimensions of the study group showed significant improvement after the program implementation (p <0.0001). This improvement appears in young old married female, with university education, who still working, had enough income, living with family, and with good health status. Also, highly statistically significant positive correlations (p<0.001) were found between wellbeing, healthy aging, and health promoting behaviour in the study group. Conclusion: Health promotion program has a positive effect on older adults' healthy aging, wellbeing, and health promoting behaviour. Recommendations: To promote older adults' health and decrease the prevalence of chronic illnesses and multiple complications due to lack of healthy lifestyle, it is recommended to implement health promotion lifestyle programs. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Background: With the vision of healthy aging, the Egyptian Academy of Bone and Muscle Health followed an established guideline development process to create the Egyptian 24-h movement clinical guideline for adults aged 50 years and older adults. This guideline highlights the significance of movement behaviors across the whole 24-h day. Online databases (PubMed, Embase, and Cochrane Library) were searched for relevant peer-reviewed studies that met the a priori inclusion criteria. Results: A total of 53 studies met the inclusion criteria. Leveraging evidence from the review of the literature led to the development of 27 statements answering the 5 key questions. Results revealed a major change in the previous basic understandings as it shifts away from focussing on a sole movement behavior to the combination of all the movement behaviors. Based on this, the final guideline was developed providing evidence-based recommendations for a "Healthy 24-Hour Day", comprising a mix of light-intensity and moderate-to-vigorous-intensity physical activity, sleep, and sedentary behavior. Conclusion: The developed guidelines are meant to help in the decision-making process and are intended for use by adults and older both nationally and internationally; also, for endorsement by the policy-makers. Dissemination and implementation efforts would impact positively on both health professionals and researchers and would also be useful to interested members of the public sector. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

As we are facing an aging society, anti-aging strategies have been pursued to reduce the negative impacts of aging and increase the health span of human beings. Gut microbiota has become a key factor in the anti-aging process. Modulation of gut microbiota by fecal microbiota transplantation (FMT) to prevent frailty and unhealthy aging has been a hot topic of research. This narrative review summarizes the benefits of FMT for health span and lifespan, brains, eyes, productive systems, bones, and others. The mechanisms of FMT in improving healthy aging are discussed. The increased beneficial bacteria and decreased pathological bacteria decreased gut permeability and systemic inflammation, increased short-chain fatty acid (SCFA) and SCFA-producing bacteria, and other factors are listed as mechanisms of FMT to improve healthy aging. The points that need to be considered to ensure the optimal outcomes of FMT are also discussed, such as recipients' age, sex, genetic background, and gut microbiota after FMT. Although this field is still in its infancy, it has shown that FMT has great potential to improve healthy aging. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Introduction : Age-related changes (e.g., cognitive, physiologic) can affect an individual's mobility and increase risks for falls and motor-vehicle crashes, which are leading causes of injuries and injury deaths among older Americans. To address this issue, CDC developed MyMobility Plan (MMP) products to help older adults make plans to reduce injury risks and promote safe mobility. In 2019, MMP products were disseminated to older adults and partner organizations. Dissemination strategies consisted of digital and print distribution and partner outreach. Methods : To assess dissemination efforts, a process (or implementation) evaluation was conducted from January to June 2019. Data were collected for 17 indicators (e.g., counts of webpage visits, product downloads, social media posts). Key informant interviews were conducted with partners, and qualitative analyses of interview data were undertaken to identify key themes related to their dissemination experiences. Results : Findings showed the dissemination resulted in 13,425 product downloads and print copy orders and reached almost 155,000 individuals through email subscriber lists, websites, webinars, and presentations. It is unknown what proportion of these individuals were older adults. Social media metrics were higher than expected, and 58 partners promoted products within their networks. Partner interviews emphasized the need for guidance on dissemination, collaboration with local partners, and integration of the products within a program model to ensure broader reach to and use by older adults. Conclusions : The evaluation of the dissemination campaign identified strategies that were successful in creating exposure to the MMP and others that could improve reach in the future. Those strategies include meaningful and early partner engagement for dissemination. Practical applications : Building in evaluation from the start can facilitate development of appropriate data collection measures to assess project success. Engaging partners as active disseminators in the planning stages can help increase the reach of public health tools and resources. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Neighbourhood environments shape older adults' social interactions. This research conceptualises a comprehensive set of perceived and objective measures of neighbourhood social and built environments, including third places, with older adults' social interactions. In Melbourne, based on the person-environment fit framework, mediation analyses showed that the perceived social environment measures of community spirit, participation in community groups and belonging to suburb, were the strongest predictors of social interactions, followed by a few types of perceived third places. Our findings suggest that policymakers should focus on how the objective environment characteristics are interpreted as levers when planning for changes. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Physical activity is a protective factor against brain atrophy, while loss of brain volume could also be a determinant of physical activity. Therefore, we aimed to explore the bidirectional association of physical activity with brain structures in middle-aged and older adults from the UK Biobank. Overall, 3027 participants (62.45 ± 7.27 years old, 51.3% females) had data at two time points. Hippocampal volume was associated with total (β=0.048, p FDR =0.016) and household (β=0.075, p FDR <0.001) physical activity. Global fractional anisotropy (β=0.042, p FDR =0.028) was also associated with household physical activity. In the opposite direction, walking was negatively associated with white matter volume (β=-0.026, p FDR =0.008). All these associations were confirmed by the linear mixed models. Interestingly, sports at baseline were linked to hippocampal and frontal cortex volumes at follow-up but these associations disappeared after adjusting for multiple comparisons (p all >0.104). In conclusion, we found more consistent evidence that a healthier brain structure predicted higher physical activity levels than for the inverse, more established relationship. • The association between brain structure and physical activity seems more consistent. • Hippocampal, and global fractional anisotropy linked to housework at follow-up. • Sports were borderline linked to hippocampal and frontal volumes at follow-up. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Objectives Although higher activity diversity is associated with higher well-being at the between-person level, it is unknown whether a day with higher activity diversity is related to higher well-being within persons. Within 24 hr per day, there are a limited number of activities on which individuals could spend their time and energy. Personal resources could influence the expenditure of energy and thus the experience with daily activities. This study examined daily associations between activity diversity and well-being and whether age and self-related health moderated the associations. Methods For seven times per day over 2 weeks, 129 retired older adults (M age = 73.9 years, SD age = 5.6) reported their present activity engagement and positive and negative affect. Daily activity diversity was operationalized as the number of different activity types reported per day. Daily positive and negative affect were assessed as the average of a range of high- and low-arousal affective states. Self-rated health was assessed with an item from the 12-Item Short-Form Health Survey at baseline. Results Multilevel models showed that daily activity diversity was unrelated, on average, to daily positive or negative affect at the between- and within-person levels. Daily activity diversity was associated with lower daily positive affect in participants with lower self-rated health, but the Johnson-Neyman regions of significance were outside of the range of observed data. Discussion Divergent patterns were observed in the within-person associations between activity diversity and well-being across participants. Results are discussed in the context of time use and well-being in older age. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

INTRODUCTION: This study investigates the effect of apolipoprotein E (APOE) genotype on neurology plasma biomarkers in cognitively healthy Super‐Seniors. METHODS: Three hundred seventy plasma specimens from Super‐Senior participants ≥ 85 years old, who have never been diagnosed with dementia, cancer, diabetes, cardiovascular, or major pulmonary disease, were analyzed on the Quanterix Simoa HD‐X analyzer using commercial Neurology 4‐plex E and phosphorylated tau (p‐tau)181 assays. RESULTS: Eighty (22%) participants were APOE ε4 carriers and 290 (73%) were non‐carriers. No significant differences were found between APOE ε4 carriers and non‐carriers regarding age, sex, or Mini‐Mental State Examination scores. In APOE ε4 carriers, plasma amyloid beta 42/40 was lower and p‐tau181 and glial fibrillary acidic protein were higher compared to non‐APOE ε4 carriers. After adjusting for demographic variables, p‐tau181 was the only biomarker to remain significantly associated with APOE ε4 carrier status. DISCUSSION: APOE ε4 genotype modifies plasma p‐tau181 concentration in seniors resilient to age‐related clinical disease, suggesting that some Super‐Seniors may have Alzheimer's disease pathology without progressing to cognitive decline. Highlights: Healthy seniors enable identification of associations that may be masked by disease.Plasma phosphorylated tau (p‐tau)181 concentrations associate with apolipoprotein E (APOE) ε4 carriership in healthy seniors.APOE should be accounted for when interpreting p‐tau181, regardless of disease. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Dozens of data prove that the DNA damage accumulates during human aging and that lifestyle factors contribute to the accumulation of DNA alteration. Telomeres are nucleoprotein complexes located at the ends of chromosomes, serving to protect DNA integrity by acting as caps. Telomere length decreases with age, which promotes cell senescence. Shortened telomeres accelerate aging and can lead to cells apoptosis. Telomere shortening is associated with biological aging and can be influenced by factors such as inflammation and oxidative stress. Recent evidence supports that telomere length of skeletal muscle cells and leukocytes may be positively associated with healthy living and inversely correlated with the risk of age-related syndromes, including obesity, cancer, chronic pain, diabetes, cardiovascular disease, and stress. In this paper, recent studies are summarized to examine the possible influence of exercise on telomere length. Higher levels of exercise or physical activity are related to longer telomere lengths in several populations, and athletes tend to have longer telomere lengths than non-athletes. This relationship is particularly clear in older individuals, proposing a role of physical activity in preventing the typical age-induced decrements in telomere length. It is proposed that physical activity has a positive effect on the rate of telomere length shortening. In particular, the athletes tend to have longer telomere than sedentary individuals. Exercise has a beneficial outcome on telomere length compared with usual care or inactivity. The evidence gathered to date shows that especially aerobic exercise slows the decline in telomere length. It is fundamental to emphasize how this is important not to overdo it, that is, overtraining must be avoided. Anyway, physical activity and exercise can have both restorative and protective effects and, as such, show great probable to improve well-being and increase longevity. Future studies is needed to mechanistically examine the properties of diverse modalities of exercise on telomere length in middle-aged and older subjects. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Introduction: Previous social prescribing work highlights a range in the types and number of outcomes used in published studies. We aimed to describe social prescribing outcome core areas and instruments to build capacity for future research and program evaluation. Methods: This was a modified umbrella review following standard guidelines. We registered the study and searched multiple databases (all languages and years); inclusion criteria were peer-reviewed publications containing outcomes for self-described social prescribing for adults aged 18 years and older. The last search date was 9 July 2023. From the included systematic reviews, we identified primary studies using the same inclusion criteria. For primary studies, we sorted extracted outcomes and instruments into six core areas using a published taxonomy. We located information on instruments' description and measurement properties and conducted two rating rounds for (1) the quality of systematic reviews and (2) reporting of instruments in primary studies. We conducted a narrative synthesis of reviews, primary studies and outcomes (PROSPERO 2023 CRD42023434061). Results: We identified 10 systematic reviews and 33 primary studies for inclusion in our review. Outcomes covered most core taxonomy areas, with an emphasis on psychosocial factors (e.g. well-being) and less emphasis on cognition, physical activity, and caregivers and volunteers. We noted few studies provided detailed information on demographic data of participants or measurement properties of instruments. Conclusion: This synthesis provides an overview and identifies knowledge gaps for outcomes and instruments used in social prescribing interventions. This work forms the basis of our next step of identifying social prescribing-related outcomes that matter most across interested parties, such as individuals providers and decision makers. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Objectives: In recent years, there has been a growing academic interest in investigating the determinants of healthy aging. The main objective of this study was to investigate the association between oral status, as defined by tooth loss and denture use, and healthy aging among Chinese older adults over a four‐year duration. Methods: The data were derived from the 2014 and 2018 waves of the Chinese Longitudinal Healthy Longevity Survey. Descriptive statistics and multivariate logistic regression analysis were employed for statistical analysis. Results: The results suggest that older adults with ≥20 natural teeth have a higher likelihood of experiencing healthy aging compared to those with fewer than 20 natural teeth. In the fully adjusted model, only older adults with ≥20 natural teeth demonstrated a higher rate of healthy aging compared to those with 0 natural teeth, with an OR (95% CI): 2.09 (1.54–2.84). Conclusions: These results highlight the importance of maintaining ≥20 teeth for promoting healthy aging among Chinese older adults. Furthermore, wearing dentures can, to varying degrees, mitigate the adverse effects of tooth loss on healthy aging. Rehabilitative interventions, such as the utilization of dentures and other clinical strategies, play a pivotal role in enhancing the oral health status of older individuals. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Centenarians, those aged 100 years or older, are considered the most successful biological aging model in humans. This population is commonly characterized by a low prevalence of chronic diseases, with favorable maintenance of functionality and independence, thus determining a health phenotype of successful aging. There are many factors usually associated with extreme longevity: genetics, lifestyles, diet, among others. However, it is most likely a multifactorial condition where protective factors contribute individually to some extent. The gut microbiota (GM) has emerged as a potential factor associated with the establishment of a favorable health phenotype that allows for extreme longevity, as seen in centenarians. To understand the possible impact generated by the GM, its changes, and the probable causes for successful aging, the aim of this review was to synthesize evidence on the role of the GM as a potential protective factor for achieving extreme longevity, using its relationship with centenarians. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Translational research has documented the conjoint beneficial relationships between dietary and physical activity habits concerning weight maintenance. However, the precise interplay between diet and exercise impacting body composition remains unclear, challenging personalized interventions. This study aimed to explore potential interactions and effect modifications of these factors affecting the body mass index (BMI) within an online adult cohort. Data from 11,883 NUTRiMDEA cohort participants were analyzed in this cross-sectional study, categorizing individuals by age, sex, and BMI using linear regression models to assess the interactions between lifestyle factors and adiposity. Significant differences emerged in anthropometry, lifestyle, and health-related quality of life (HRQoL) across categories. The combined effect of diet and physical activity had a greater impact on BMI than physical activity or Mediterranean diet adherence alone, with lower BMI as physical activity levels increased (β: −0.5) and adherence to the Mediterranean diet decreased, where a modification effect between them was identified (β: −0.28). Participants with lower Mediterranean diet adherence displayed superior BMI when physical activity was low, but when activity levels were higher, their BMI aligned with those with healthier dietary habits. An interaction link between lifestyle factors and BMI was found, showing the differential effects of the Mediterranean diet and physical activity combination concerning adiposity. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Aging is a process that represents the accumulation of changes in organism overtime. In biological level, accumulations of molecular and cellular damage in aging lead to an increasing risk of diseases like sarcopenia. Sarcopenia reduces mobility, leads to fall‐related injuries, and diminishes life quality. Thus, it is meaningful to find out novel therapeutic strategies for sarcopenia intervention that may help the elderly maintain their functional ability. Oxidative damage‐induced dysfunctional mitochondria are considered as a culprit of muscle wasting during aging. Herein, we aimed to demonstrate whether myricanol (MY) protects aged mice against muscle wasting through alleviating oxidative damage in mitochondria and identify the direct protein target and its underlying mechanism. We discovered that MY protects aged mice against the loss of muscle mass and strength through scavenging reactive oxygen species accumulation to rebuild the redox homeostasis. Taking advantage of biophysical assays, peroxiredoxin 5 was discovered and validated as the direct target of MY. Through activating peroxiredoxin 5, MY reduced reactive oxygen species accumulation and damaged mitochondrial DNA in C2C12 myotubes. Our findings provide an insight for therapy against sarcopenia through alleviating oxidative damage‐induced dysfunctional mitochondria by targeting peroxiredoxin 5, which may contribute an insight for healthy aging. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

As Kyrgyzstan undergoes significant demographic transitions, with an increasing aging population, the intersection of healthy aging and cardiovascular health emerges as a critical aspect of public health. We explore the relationship of healthy aging and cardiovascular health, underlining both the opportunities and challenges inherent in this demographic shift. Applying the World Health Organization's concept of "intrinsic capacity" and the "Integrated Care for Older People" (ICOPE) approach, we suggest strategies for addressing these crucial public health issues. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Copyright of Chinese Journal of Clinical Healthcare is the property of Chinese Journal of Clinical Healthcare 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: Social support and social networks have long been postulated to impact health outcomes but their impact on life expectancy and disability in older adults remains poorly quantified. METHODS: As part of the Cardiovascular Health Study, we followed 5,749 adults aged 65 years and older from 4 US field centers for 25 years. We assessed the Lubben social network score [range 0-50] and a social support score [range 0-24] derived from the Interpersonal Support Evaluation List (ISEL-12) in two consecutive years starting at study recruitment. We used remaining years of life (YOL) from study enrollment to death to approximate life expectancy. We defined years of active life (YAL) as the number of study years in which participants lived without any difficulties in activities of daily living. We used compression of disability to reflect the proportion of life lived able (YAL/YOL). We used linear regression to adjust for socio-demographics and comorbidity. RESULTS: The mean (standard deviation [SD]) scores were 32.3 ± 6.8 points for social network score and 8.3 ± 2.4 points for social support score. For every 1-SD increase in social network score, adjusted participant life expectancy was 0.40 years higher (95% CI 0.22-0.58; p

IntroductionBlack students attending predominantly White institutions (PWIs) versus historically Black colleges and universities (HBCUs) report more harmful discrimination and develop worse mental health outcomes, potentially offsetting the established benefits of college for lowering dementia incidence.MethodsBlack participants in two cohorts (the Kaiser Healthy Aging and Diverse Life Experiences [KHANDLE] and the Study of Healthy Aging in African Americans [STAR]) who had attended college (N = 716) self-reported the college name (classified as HBCU vs. PWI) and completed three waves of executive function (EF) and verbal episodic memory (VEM) assessments. HBCU effects on cognitive level and decline were estimated using adjusted linear mixed-effects models.ResultsHBCU (vs. PWI) attendees averaged better EF (β = 0.05 [-0.22, 0.32]) and VEM (β = 0.21 [-0.06, 0.46]) at age 70 though neither association was statistically significant. HBCU attendance was associated with slightly faster VEM decline (β = -0.03 [-0.05, 0.00]).DiscussionHarmonized analyses with larger studies are needed to estimate important effects of HBCU attendance.HighlightsHigher education is robustly linked to lower dementia risk, yet Black-White inequities persist among college-educated adults. Black students attending predominantly White institutions (PWIs) versus historically Black colleges and universities (HBCUs) report more harmful discrimination and develop worse mental health outcomes, which may offset the established benefits of college for lowering dementia incidence. HBCU (vs. non-HBCU) attendees averaged better executive function and verbal episodic memory (VEM) at average age 70, though confidence intervals were wide and associations were not statistically significant, and averaged slightly faster decline in VEM. Harmonized analyses using larger nationally representative studies are likely needed to avoid underestimating the health effects of HBCU attendance.