Factors associated with functional dependence in older adults: a secondary analysis of the National Study on Health and Aging, Mexico, 2001]

OBJECTIVES: To identify factors associated with dependence for basic activities of daily living (BADL) and instrumental activities of daily living (IADL) in elderly adults in Mexico. METHODS: A cross-sectional study of data from the first round of Mexico's National Study on Health and Aging, 2001, was undertaken. The sample consisted of 7 171 participants, 60 years of age or older. Multifactorial regression analysis was used to identify associations between BADL and IADL dependence and lifestyle, sociodemographics, family background, and health history, from childhood to present. RESULTS: The mean age of the participants was 69.4 +/- 7.6 years of age, with a range of 60-105 years; females made up 53.4% of the sample. The BADL- and IADL-dependent groups had a higher mean age (P < 0.01), were predominantly female (P < 0.01), had a greater incidence of illiteracy, and reported a significantly higher number of chronic diseases and greater frequency of pain than did the independent participants. Among the 521 (7.3%) BADL-dependent, there was a higher percentage who were single or widowed (P < 0.01), and their self-assessed health was poorer, than that of the independent (P < 0.01). Among the 603 (8.4%) IADL-dependent, significant, independently associated factors were age, cerebrovascular and other chronic diseases, depression, vision issues, excessive pain, and amputation of a limb. Absence of childhood trauma and fewer years of employment were related to a lower incidence of IADL dependence. CONCLUSIONS: Functional dependence in older adults is directly related to aging and has multiple determinants. Awareness of these determinants should help design health programs that can identify individuals who are at high risk of losing their independence, and implement interventions for slowing or reversing the process.     

The Bambui Health and Aging Study (BHAS): factors associated with the treatment of hypertension in older adults in the community

The objective of this study was to investigate the factors associated with the treatment of hypertension among older adults living in the community. All residents (n = 1,742) of Bambuí, Minas Gerais State, Brazil (15,000 inhabitants) aged > or = 60 years were selected, and 1494 (85.8%) were interviewed and examined. Of these, 919 (61.5%) were hypertensive, 704 were aware of their condition (study population), and 578 were under treatment. Only 38.8% of the individuals under treatment presented controlled systolic and diastolic pressures (< 140 and < 90 mmHg, respectively). Independent associations with treatment of hypertension were found for, in decreasing order of magnitude: less time elapsed since the last blood pressure measurement, greater number of physician visits in the past 12 months, higher body mass index, female gender, history of coronary disease, changes in diet due to arterial hypertension, and higher family income. Our results show that the factors most strongly associated with treatment of hypertension (use of health services) could be modified through adequate health policies for older adults.     

Undernutrition as a major risk factor for death among older Brazilian adults in the community-dwelling setting: SABE survey

Objective

To investigate the independent association between undernutrition and death in older adults in a community-dwelling setting.

Methods

This retrospective study was based on the Health, Well-being and Ageing survey conducted in 2000 that included 1170 older adults (≥60 y) from São Paulo, Brazil. Death occurrences were considered through March, 2007. The variables analyzed were undernutrition (Mini-Nutritional Assessment), gender, income, muscle strength, hip fracture, smoking habits, cancer, depression, diabetes, coronary heart disease, chronic lung disease, cerebral vascular disease, and hypertension. A hierarchical multivariate analysis by logistic regression was performed according to age groups (60–74 and ≥75 y).

Results

Undernutrition frequency was higher in adults ≥75 y old (2.6% versus 2.4%). The frequency of death in undernourished subjects was higher in the 60- to 74-y-old group (7.6%) than in those ≥75 y old (3.9%). Undernutrition was the strongest independent risk factor for death (P < 0.05) in the 60- to 74-y-old group (odds ratio 6.05, 95% confidence interval 5.76–6.35) and in the ≥75-y-old group (odds ratio 2.76, 95% confidence interval 2.51–3.04). All other variables were also associated with death, except for hip fracture and cerebral vascular disease, in the two age groups and hypertension in the 60- to 74-y-old group; however, the effect of these variables was less.

Conclusion

Undernutrition represented the strongest risk factor for death in Brazilian community-dwelling older adults 60 to 74 y old and showed a stronger association than for adults ≥75 y old.     

The Bambui Health and Aging Study (BHAS): factors associated with awareness of hypertension among older adults

This study aimed to assess factors associated with awareness of hypertension among older adults living in the community. All the 919 hypertensive participants (aged: >or= 60 years) from the baseline cohort in Bambui, Minas Gerais State, Brazil, were selected. 76.6% of these individuals did not know that they were hypertensive. The following variables showed both a positive and independent association with awareness of being hypertensive: female gender (OR = 2.04; 1.45-2.87); health perception as bad/very bad (OR = 1.93; 1.16-3.20); attempt to lose weight in the last 12 months (OR = 1.86; 1.14-3.04); number of visits to a doctor during this period (1-3: OR = 2.14; 1.34-3.41; >or= 4: OR = 2.23; 1.76-5.03), and less time elapsed since the last blood pressure measurement (OR = 2.97; 1.69-4.93). A negative association was found for age >or= 80 years (OR = 0.40; 0.24-0.68). These results call our attention to the importance of: 1) access to health services by senior citizens, so that their hypertension is diagnosed and treated and 2) information provided by the health care service, so that individuals are aware of being hypertensive and can receive satisfactory treatment.     

Factors associated with untreated hypertension among older adults: results of the Mexican Health and Aging Study, 2001]

OBJECTIVE: To determine factors associated with failure to adhere to treatment for diagnosed hypertension among a representative sample of older Mexican adults living in the community. METHODS: A cross-sectional study of 2,029 individuals 65 years of age or older with diagnosed hypertension who participated in the Mexican Health and Aging Study, carried out during the summer of 2001. The survey collected information on several demographics (age, sex, schooling, whether living alone, and employment status, among others), any chronic illnesses, symptoms of depression, cognitive deterioration, body mass index, smoking, alcohol consumption, and difficulty performing basic and instrumental activities of daily living. Simple and multifactorial logistical regression analyses were used to evaluate the association among the study variables and self-reported untreated high blood pressure. RESULTS: Of the 2,029 participants, 437 (21.5%) reported not following any treatment whatsoever for controlling their hypertension; 1,584 (78.1%) affirmed they were complying with treatment; and 8 (0.4%) did not respond to this question. The multifactorial analysis adjusted for confounding variables (age, sex, symptoms of depression, and cognitive deterioration) showed that only a low number of years of schooling (adjusted odds ratio [OR] = 1.70; 95% confidence interval [95%CI]: 1.10-2.64; P = 0.02 for 1-6 years of schooling and adjusted OR = 3.32; 95%CI: 2.10-5.24; P < 0.01 for no schooling), alcohol consumption (adjusted OR = 1.52; 95%CI: 1.14-2.03; P = 0.01), and urinary incontinence (adjusted OR = 1.61; 95%CI: 1.15-2.26;P < 0.01) were independently associated with hypertension. CONCLUSIONS: Hypertension is a common and important issue among older adults in Mexico. To obtain better medication compliance, doctors prescribing or modifying hypertension treatment should taken into account whether or not the patient suffers from urinary incontinence, consumes alcohol, and/or has a low level of schooling.     

Rates of influenza vaccination in older adults and factors associated with vaccine use: A secondary analysis of the Canadian Study of Health and Aging

Background  

Influenza vaccination has been shown to reduce morbidity and mortality in the older adult population. In Canada, vaccination rates remain suboptimal. We identified factors predictive of influenza vaccination, in order to determine which segments of the older adult population might be targeted to increase coverage in influenza vaccination programs.     

The Health, Well-Being, and Aging ("SABE") survey: methodology applied and profile of the study population]

This document outlines the methodology of the Salud, Bienestar y Envejecimiento (Health, Well-Being, and Aging) survey (known as the "SABE survey"), and it also summarizes the challenges that the rapid aging of the population in Latin America and the Caribbean imposes on society in general and especially on health services. The populations of the countries of Latin America and the Caribbean are aging at a rate that has not been seen in the developed world. The evaluation of health problems and disability among older adults in those countries indicates that those persons are aging with more functional limitations and worse health than is true for their counterparts in developed nations. In addition, family networks in Latin America and the Caribbean are changing rapidly and have less capacity to make up for the lack of protections provided by social institutions. The multicenter SABE study was developed with the objective of evaluating the state of health of older adults in seven cities of Latin America and the Caribbean: Bridgetown, Barbados; Buenos Aires, Argentina; Havana, Cuba; Mexico City, Mexico; Montevideo, Uruguay; Santiago, Chile; and S?o Paulo, Brazil. The SABE survey has established the starting point for systematic research on aging in urban areas of Latin America and the Caribbean. Comparative studies of these characteristics and with this comparative nature should be extended to other countries, areas, and regions of the world in order to expand the knowledge available on older adults.     

Dietary protein intake is associated with lean mass change in older, community-dwelling adults: the Health, Aging, and Body Composition (Health ABC) Study

BACKGROUND: Dietary surveys suggest that many older, community-dwelling adults consume insufficient dietary protein, which may contribute to the age-related loss of lean mass (LM). OBJECTIVE: The objective of the study was to determine the association between dietary protein and changes in total LM and nonbone appendicular LM (aLM) in older, community-dwelling men and women. DESIGN: Dietary protein intake was assessed by using an interviewer-administered 108-item food-frequency questionnaire in men and women aged 70-79 y who were participating in the Health, Aging, and Body Composition study (n=2066). Changes in LM and aLM over 3 y were measured by using dual-energy X-ray absorptiometry. The association between protein intake and 3-y changes in LM and aLM was examined by using multiple linear regression analysis adjusted for potential confounders. RESULTS: After adjustment for potential confounders, energy-adjusted protein intake was associated with 3-y changes in LM [beta (SE): 8.76 (3.00), P=0.004] and aLM [beta (SE): 5.31 (1.64), P=0.001]. Participants in the highest quintile of protein intake lost approximately 40% less LM and aLM than did those in the lowest quintile of protein intake (x+/-SE: -0.501+/-0.106 kg compared with -0.883+/-0.104 kg for LM; -0.400+/-0.058 kg compared with -0.661+/-0.057 kg for aLM; P for trend<0.01). The associations were attenuated slightly after adjustment for change in fat mass, but the results remained significant. CONCLUSION: Dietary protein may be a modifiable risk factor for sarcopenia in older adults and should be studied further to determine its effects on preserving LM in this population.     

中国社区老年人群营养不良患病率Meta分析

目的对中国社区老年人群营养不良患病率进行Meta分析。方法通过PubMed、Embase、The Cochrane Library、Web of Science、万方数据资源系统、中国期刊全文数据库, 检索2011年8月1日至2021年7月31日的中国地区社区老年人群(≥60岁)营养状况研究的相关文献, 根据不同文献中营养评估筛查工具定义营养不良。拟合随机效应模型计算患病率, 并根据纳入文献数据情况进行亚组分析和组间差异分析。结果共有13篇文献符合纳入标准, 包括19 938名≥60岁的参与者。营养不良诊断标准和界定共计7种方法。文献报告的营养不良患病率水平差异较大(2.4%～52.5%), 其中7篇文献报告了营养不良风险的患病率(21.3%～67.0%)。Meta分析显示, 中国社区老年人群营养不良和营养不良风险合并患病率为41.2%(95%CI:29.5%～54.0%, I2=99.6%, P<0.05), 且2017年后患病率低于2017年以前(29.6%vs. 66.6%, χ2=274.20, P<0.05)、男性低于女性(44.9%vs. 52.2%, χ2=1...     

Health systems responsiveness among older adults: Findings from the World Health Organization Study on global AGEing and adult health

ABSTRACT

Health system responsiveness is an indicator that can be used for evaluating how well healthcare systems respond to people's needs in non-clinical areas such as communication, autonomy and confidentiality. This study analyses health system responsiveness from the perspective of community-dwelling adults aged 50 and over in China, Ghana, India, the Russian Federation and South Africa using cross-sectional data from the World Health Organization Study on global AGEing and adult health. The aim is to assess and compare how individual, health condition and healthcare factors impact differently on outpatient and inpatient responsiveness.

Poor responsiveness is measured according to participants’ responses to questions on a five-point Likert scale. Five univariate and multiple logistic regression models test associations between individual, health condition and healthcare factors and poor responsiveness. The final model adjusts for country.

Key results are that travel time is a major contributor to poor responsiveness across all countries. Similarly there are wealth inequalities in responsiveness. However no clear difference in responsiveness was observed in presentations for chronic versus other types of conditions.

This study provides an interesting baseline on older patients’ perceived treatment within outpatient and inpatient facilities in five diverse low- and middle-income countries.     

Understanding determinants of nutrition, physical activity and quality of life among older adults: the Wellbeing, Eating and Exercise for a Long Life (WELL) study

ABSTRACT: BACKGROUND: Nutrition and physical activity are major determinants of health and quality of life; however, there exists little research focusing on determinants of these behaviours in older adults. This is important, since just as these behaviours vary according to subpopulation, it is likely that the determinants also vary. An understanding of the modifiable determinants of nutrition and physical activity behaviours among older adults to take into account the specific life-stage context is required in order to develop effective interventions to promote health and well-being and prevent chronic disease and improve quality of life. METHODS: The aim of this work is to identify how intrapersonal, social and environmental factors influence nutrition and physical activity behaviours among older adults living in urban and rural areas. This study is a cohort study of adults aged 55-65 years across urban and rural Victoria, Australia. Participants completed questionnaires at baseline in 2010 and will complete follow-up questionnaires in 2012 and 2014. Self-report questionnaires will be used to assess outcomes such as food intake, physical activity and sedentary behaviours, anthropometry and quality of life. Explanatory variables include socioeconomic position, and measures of the three levels of influence on older adults' nutrition and physical activity behaviours (intrapersonal, social and perceived environmental influences). DISCUSSION: Obesity and its determinant behaviours, physical inactivity and poor diet are major public health concerns and are significant determinants of the quality of life among the ageing population. There is a critical need for a better understanding of the determinants of nutrition and physical activity in this important target group. This research will provide evidence for the development of effective policies and programs to promote and support increased physical activity and healthy eating behaviours among older adults.     

Myeloperoxidase polymorphism and cognitive decline in older adults in the Health, Aging, and Body Composition Study

Myeloperoxidase, an antimicrobial enzyme, produces oxidative free radicals. Rarely found in normal brain tissue, myeloperoxidase has been detected in microglia associated with Alzheimer's disease plaques. The authors examined a G-463A polymorphism in the promoter region of the myeloperoxidase gene (MPO) to determine the relation of MPO variants to cognitive decline over 4 years in a cohort of adults, aged 70-79 years at baseline (1997-1998), recruited from Memphis, Tennessee, and Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania, into the Health, Aging, and Body Composition Study. In this sample, 8% of the participants had the AA, 36.9% the AG, and 55.2% the GG genotype of MPO. The frequency of AA and AG genotypes was higher in Blacks than Whites (11.2% vs. 5.9%, and 44.1% vs. 32.9%, respectively). Multivariate logistic regression analyses showed that, for participants with the MPO AA genotype, cognitive decline was 1.58 (95% confidence interval: 1.07, 2.35) times more likely than for participants with the AG genotype and 1.96 (95% confidence interval: 1.33, 2.88) times more likely than for those with the GG genotype. Interactions between MPO and race, sex, or the apolipoprotein gene were not significant. In this sample, MPO AA, associated with decreased production of myeloperoxidase, was found to be a risk factor for cognitive decline.     

Health Extension in New Mexico: An Academic Health Center and the Social Determinants of Disease

The Agricultural Cooperative Extension Service model offers academic health centers methodologies for community engagement that can address the social determinants of disease. The University of New Mexico Health Sciences Center developed Health Extension Rural Offices (HEROs) as a vehicle for its model of health extension. Health extension agents are located in rural communities across the state and are supported by regional coordinators and the Office of the Vice President for Community Health at the Health Sciences Center. The role of agents is to work with different sectors of the community in identifying high-priority health needs and linking those needs with university resources in education, clinical service and research. Community needs, interventions, and outcomes are monitored by county health report cards. The Health Sciences Center is a large and varied resource, the breadth and accessibility of which are mostly unknown to communities. Community health needs vary, and agents are able to tap into an array of existing health center resources to address those needs. Agents serve a broader purpose beyond immediate, strictly medical needs by addressing underlying social determinants of disease, such as school retention, food insecurity, and local economic development. Developing local capacity to address local needs has become an overriding concern. Community-based health extension agents can effectively bridge those needs with academic health center resources and extend those resources to address the underlying social determinants of disease.     

Aging in selected anthropometric dimensions in a rural Zapotec-speaking community in the Valley of Oaxaca,Mexico

Stature, weight, arm circumference, triceps skinfold and grip strength were measured in a cross-sectional sample of 116 men and 113 women, 20–82 years of age, from a rural Zapotec-speaking community in the Valley of Oaxaca in southern Mexico. Mortality statistics, growth, and maturity status of children in the village are indicative of chronic mild-to-moderate under-nutrition. Adult Zapotecs are smaller, lighter and leaner than reference data for better-off populations. Sex differences are clearly evident for stature, fatness and grip strength. Body weight shows little sex difference after 40 years of age. Estimated mid-arm muscle circumference, however, is larger in males at all ages except over 60 years. Weight, arm circumference, the triceps skinfold and estimated muscle circumference are generally lowest in women 20–39 years, most likely reflecting the depletion of energy stores due to successive pregnancies and lactation. When stature is adjusted for the estimated loss associated with aging, there is suggestion of a secular increase in males but not in females. Sampling variation, small numbers at the older ages, and perhaps selective out migration must be considered in evaluating possible secular effects. Although absolute grip strength of adult Zapotecs is less than that of better-off samples of adults, grip strength per unit body weight is similar.     

Wellbeing in Secondary Education (WISE) Study to Improve the Mental Health and Wellbeing of Teachers: A Complex System Approach to Understanding Intervention Acceptability

Teaching staff report poorer mental health and wellbeing than the general working population. Intervention to address this issue is imperative, as poor wellbeing is associated with burnout, presenteeism, and adverse student mental health outcomes. The Wellbeing in Secondary Education (WISE) intervention is a secondary school-based programme aimed at improving the mental health and wellbeing of teachers and students. There are three components: awareness-raising for staff; a peer support service delivered by staff trained in Mental Health First Aid (MHFA); and Schools and Colleges Mental Health First Aid (MHFA) training for teachers. A cluster randomised controlled trial with integrated process and economic evaluation was conducted with 25 secondary schools in the UK (2016–2018). The intervention was largely ineffective in improving teacher mental health and wellbeing. This paper reports process evaluation data on acceptability to help understand this outcome. It adopts a complex systems perspective, exploring how acceptability is a dynamic and contextually contingent concept. Data sources were as follows: interviews with funders (n?=?3); interviews with MHFA trainers (n?=?6); focus groups with peer supporters (n?=?8); interviews with headteachers (n?=?12); and focus groups with teachers trained in Schools and Colleges MHFA (n?=?7). Results indicated that WISE intervention components were largely acceptable. Initially, the school system was responsive, as it had reached a ‘tipping point’ and was prepared to address teacher mental health. However, as the intervention interacted with the complexities of the school context, acceptability became more ambiguous. The intervention was seen to be largely inadequate in addressing the structural determinants of teacher mental health and wellbeing (e.g. complex student and staff needs, workload, and system culture). Future teacher mental health interventions need to focus on coupling skills training and support with whole school elements that tackle the systemic drivers of the problem.

     

Consumption of sugar- and fat-modified foods among rural older adults: the Rural Nutrition and Health (RUN) Study

This study examines the levels of and factors associated with consumption of sugar and fat-reduced foods in sample of rural, ethnically diverse older adults. Data were collected from 122 older adults, including demographic and health characteristics and six 24-hour recalls over 16-month period. About one-quarter of sweetened foods were modified, while intake of fat-modified foods ranged from 4.4 to 76.1%. Few differences in intake of modified foods were observed by gender and ethnic groups. Diabetes status was associated with higher use of sugar-modified foods. This study shows high level of acceptance of sugar- and fat-modified foods among rural older adults across variety of demographic and health characteristics.