Older people living alone in Shanghai: A questionnaire survey of their life experience

Globally the number of older people living alone is increasing. Little is known about the life experience of older people living alone in Mainland China. This study aimed to explore older people's experience regarding different components of their lives. A cross‐sectional survey of 387 older people aged 60 years and above and living alone in two communities in Shanghai was conducted from April to July 2015. A structured questionnaire including 15‐item Geriatric Depression Scale, Activity of Daily Living Scale, UCLA Loneliness Scale version 3, Social Support Rate Scale and Older People's Quality of Life Questionnaire was used to assess the health status, loneliness, social support, quality of life and demographic information. A total of 15.7% of the participants rated their health as poor with 56.8% reporting chronic diseases and 26.9% reporting being depressed. A total of 71.1% of the participants reported a high level of functional ability. However, 54.3% and 21.7% of the participants reported a moderately and moderately high level of loneliness respectively. The median of SSRS was 30 and the mean of Older People's Quality of Life Questionnaire was 120.2, indicating a lower level of social support and quality of life. There were statistically significant differences in health, loneliness, social support and quality of life across the participants with different characteristics. Interventions to improve the health status, reduce loneliness, increase social support and maintain or improve quality of life of older people living alone in Shanghai could be developed and implemented. Potential interventions include providing frequent home care services, early detection of depression, encouraging more contacts from children and other family members, and providing support from other sources.     

Quality of life in older outpatients living alone in the community in Italy

There is limited knowledge on the relationship between the living conditions of community-dwelling older people and their quality of life (QOL) considered in all its specific domains. The purpose of this study was to determine (1) which dimensions of QOL were independently associated with living alone and (2) the independent correlates of these dimensions of QOL amongst older outpatients. We conducted a cross-sectional survey of 239 community-dwelling outpatients aged 65+ (mean age 81.5 years) consecutively referred to a geriatric medicine clinic in Italy between June and November 2009 (response rate 93%). Subjects underwent a comprehensive geriatric assessment including QOL, which was evaluated by using the Older People's QOL questionnaire. In multivariate logistic regression analyses, living alone was associated with the lowest score-based tertile of two specific dimensions of QOL out of seven, namely 'social relationships and participation' [odds ratio (OR) 2.73, 95% confidence interval (CI) 1.08-6.91] and 'home and neighbourhood' (OR 4.96, 95% CI 1.75-14.07), independently of the main demographic, social, functional and clinical characteristics of the subjects. Amongst the 107 subjects living alone, independent correlates of these dimensions of QOL were depression, having no caregiver and having never been married. Depression, having no caregiver and having never been married could provide a valuable means of identifying older people living alone who are at greater risk of a poor QOL and who would most benefit from effective social and medical interventions.     

Loneliness and social support of older people living alone in a county of Shanghai,China

China has an ageing population with the number of older people living alone increasing. Living alone may increase the risk of loneliness of older people, especially for those in China where collectivism and filial piety are emphasised. Social support may fill the need for social contacts, thereby alleviating loneliness. However, little is known about loneliness and social support of older people living alone in China. This study investigated loneliness and social support of older people living alone, by conducting a cross‐sectional questionnaire survey with a stratified random cluster sample of 521 community‐dwelling older people living alone in a county of Shanghai. Data were collected from November 2011 to March 2012. The instruments used included the UCLA Loneliness Scale version 3 and the Social Support Rate Scale. The participants reported a moderate level of loneliness. Their overall social support level was low compared with the Chinese norm. Children were the major source of objective and subjective support. Of the participants, 53.9% (n = 281) and 47.6% (n = 248) asked for help and confided when they were in trouble, but 84.1% (n = 438) never or rarely attended social activities. The level of loneliness and social support differed among the participants with different sociodemographic characteristics. There were negative correlations between loneliness and overall social support and its three dimensions. The findings suggest that there is a need to provide more social support to older people living alone to decrease their feelings of loneliness. Potential interventions include encouraging more frequent contacts from children, the development of one‐to‐one ‘befriending’ and group activity programmes together with identification of vulnerable subgroups.     

Quality of life and the related factors in Iranian transgender people: a cross-sectional study

Aim

This study aimed to evaluate the quality of life (QOL) of transgender (trans) people in Iran.

Subject and methods

In this cross-sectional study, participants were included in the study using the snowball sampling technique. Two hundred thirty-five transgender people from different provinces of Iran were identified and agreed to participate in the study. To measure the QOL of these individuals, we used the short form of the QOL SF-36 questionnaire, which was completed as self-administered.

Results

In this study, the highest and lowest mean scores of trans individuals’ QOL belong to the physical functioning (88.59?±?13.81) and bodily pain (30.78?±?25.68) domains, respectively. Moreover, the mean scores of mental health, emotional role, vitality, general health, and bodily pain domains were less than 50. Reassignment surgery, vocation, and age were significantly associated with quality of life score (P?<?0.05).

Conclusion

Iranian transgender individuals lack appropriate QOL. It seems that gender reassignment surgery and job creation for these individuals improve their QOL.

     

我国独居老人自评健康状况及其影响因素研究

目的 了解影响我国独居老人自评健康状况的影响因素,为改善我国独居老人健康及生活质量提供参考依据。方法 通过自评问卷调查方法,采用2018年中国老年健康影响因素跟踪调查（CLHLS）数据,了解独居老人健康状况,采用卡方检验以及多因素logistic 回归方法分析独居老人健康状况的影响因素。结果 1236名独居老年人中,自评健康较好的有551人,占比44.6%,较差的685人,占比55.4%;子女经常看望（OR =1.840,95%CI:1.080~3.135)、体育锻炼（OR =1.813,95%CI:1.385~2.372)、饮酒（OR =1.531,95%CI:1.061~2.209）、体检（OR =1.347,95%CI:1.033~1.756）、慢性病(OR =0.682,95%CI:0.532~0.875)、霉味(OR =0.533,95%CI:0.391~0.726)、睡眠6~9小时（OR =0.528,95%CI:0.393~0.710）、睡眠时间>9小时（OR =0.411,95%CI:0.283~0.597）与独居老人自评健康有关。结论 我国独居老人自评健康状况总体较差。应重视独居老人的子女关怀、生活行为方式、居住环境及慢性病状况等,更好地改善独居老人的健康状况。     

Quality of life is substantially worse for community-dwelling older people living with frailty: systematic review and meta-analysis

Quality of Life Research - Frailty is an important predictor of adverse health events in older people, and improving quality of life (QOL) is increasingly recognised as a focus for services in this...     

Activities of daily living,life orientation,and health-related quality of life among older people in nursing homes: a national cross-sectional study in China

Quality of Life Research - This study aimed to explore the current status of activities of daily living (ADLs), life orientation, and health-related quality of life (HRQoL) among older people in...     

中国城乡老年人群两年内日常生活活动能力受损发生情况及影响因素

目的 了解中国城乡社区老年人群2年内日常生活活动能力（ADL）下降情况及其影响因素。方法 调查对象来自老年期重点疾病预防和干预项目。该调查采用多阶段分层整群随机抽样的方法,于2015年从我国6个省份抽取23 803名研究对象进行基线调查,2017年进行随访,剔除死亡、失访、数据不完整和2015年基线调查ADL受损的研究对象后,共计18 785名≥ 60岁的老年人符合纳入标准。以第6次全国人口普查数据为标准人口对样本数据进行加权后,分析不同特征老年人群2年内ADL、基础性日常生活活动能力（BADL）和工具性日常生活活动能力（IADL）受损发生率,并采用多因素logistic回归模型分析相关影响因素。结果 经过2年的随访,队列人群中共有1 959例发生ADL受损,ADL受损的2年累计发生率为12.0%,其中,BADL受损的2年累计发生率为1.6%,仅IADL受损的2年累计发生率为10.4%。多因素logistic回归模型分析结果显示,增加仅BADL受损发生风险的因素是年龄增加、肥胖、≥ 2种共病以及认知功能异常;增加仅IADL受损发生风险的因素为年龄增加、女性、低体重和认知功能异常。降低仅IADL受损发生风险的因素包括小学或初中及以上文化程度、超重或肥胖。结论 年龄增加、认知功能异常均增加BADL和IADL受损发生的风险。患有≥ 2种疾病的老年人BADL受损风险较高;肥胖增加老年人BADL受损发生风险,但降低IADL受损发生风险;女性比男性发生IADL受损风险高;高文化程度的老年人IADL受损风险低。     

HIV感染者/AIDS患者生命质量调查及其影响因素分析

分析HIV感染者/AIDS患者的生命质量状况及其影响因素. 1.对象与方法:以2005年10月至2006年3月在湖北省艾滋病临床指导培训中心咨询就诊的HIV感染者/AIDS患者为调查对象.     

Use of psychoactive drugs and related falls among older people living in a community in Brazil

INTRODUCTION: Population aging in Brazil has increased the prevalence of neurodegenerative diseases (Parkinson's and Alzheimer's disease) and affective disorders (anxiety, depression), all common in old age. A retrospective study was carried out with the purpose of ascertaining if there is an association between falls and psychoactive medication use among older residents of a community in Brazil. METHODS: All residents aged 65+ (n=161) of one neighborhood of Campo Belo, Brazil (population of 48,000) were evaluated regarding the use of psychoactive drugs and the occurrence of falls in the 12 months preceding the study. Vision and hearing screenings were also performed. RESULTS: From the study population, 9.3% were taking prolonged half-life benzodiazepines, 4.4% anticonvulsants (mostly barbiturates), 2.5% antidepressants (all cyclics) and 8.1% alpha-methyldopa. No subject reported use of hypnotics, neuroleptics or drugs to treat Alzheimer's or Parkinson's diseases (except biperiden). As a whole, drugs that increase the risk of falls were used by 1/5 of this population. In the 12-month period preceding the study, 27 residents (16.8%) experienced falls and, of those, 4 (14.8%) had fracture(s). There was an independent association between psychoactive drug use and falls when variables such as age, gender, vision and hearing were controlled (p=0.02). CONCLUSIONS: Although the population of this neighborhood must be considered young (only 4% are 65 years old or more), there are already problems related to the use of psychoactive drugs among people. Prescribed anxiolytics, anticonvulsants, antidepressants and antihypertensives are not appropriate for this age group and their use is associated with falls.     

Quality of life of nasopharyngeal carcinoma survivors in Mainland China

The aim of this study is to evaluate the quality of life (QoL) of nasopharyngeal carcinoma (NPC) survivors. 192 NPC survivors treated in 1999 and 2000 were enrolled in this study. Median follow up was 3.6 years (range 2.4–4.6 years). The Chinese SF-36 questionnaire and a self-reported symptom checklist consisting of 14 items were completed at clinics. Sociodemographic factors and clinical information were also collected. Most functional domains of the Chinese SF-36 were significantly worse in NPC survivors compared to the normal population. Xerostomia, hearing loss, hypomnesia, dysphagia, and trismus were frequently reported symptoms. Sociodemographic variables including gender, age, dialect, educational level, monthly income, economic status, and number of comorbidities were univariate predictors of different SF-36 domains and symptoms. Patients with earlier T and N stage, irradiated by linear accelerator, with lower dose and weekly dose to nasopharynx and neck, and those who had anterior nasal radiation field reported better QoL. Multiple stepwise regression analysis showed that the number of comorbidities, monthly income, age, and T stage were independent factors affecting global QoL. We concluded that NPC survivors had worse QoL than the normal population and improving radiotherapy might increase physical and functional domain of QoL.     

Quality of life of people living with HIV and AIDS in Estonia

The assessment of quality of life is central to understanding how people's lives are affected by HIV infection. Estonia--the smallest of three Baltic countries--has experienced massive outbreak of HIV infection. Yet, little is known about the quality of life of HIV infected people in Estonia. The purposes of the present study were to adapt the World Health Organization's Quality of life HIV instrument (WHOQoL-HIV) into Estonian setting and to assess the quality of life in a sample of HIV-infected persons in Estonia.     

Health related quality of life in elderly people living in Bandar Abbas, Iran: a population-based study

Measuring health related quality of life of old people has become an important public health issue with the aging of population in developing countries. The aim of this study was to examine the health related quality of life of old people living in Bandar Abbas, Iran. This was a population-based study in which a random sample of 1000 individuals of the community aged over 60 years were interviewed using SF-36 questionnaire. Overall health related quality of life and relative differences between men and women and also between different age groups (60-75 years vs. >75 years) was assessed in this study. A total of 1000 elderly individuals completed the SF-36 questionnaire. Of all participants 499 (49.9%) were men, 501 (50.01%) women, 789 (78.9%) aged 60-75 years, and 211 (21.1) aged over 75 years. The logistic regression analysis showed the age over 75 years could increase the risk of lower score of physical [OR: 2.69, CI; (1.96-3.73] and mental [OR: 1.58, CI (1.16-2.15)] component summaries of SF-36 regardless other factors. Additionally, suffering from chronic diseases could decrease physical and mental scores of health related quality of life separately [OR: 8.6, CI; (4.37-16.94) and OR: 1.8, CI (1.1-2.99) respectively]. Women compared to men and illiterate old people compared to literate ones are more likely to perceive worse health related quality of life especially in physical component [OR: 1.35, CI; (1.01-1.81) and OR: 1.59, CI (1.12-2.24) respectively]. The findings of this study suggest that health related quality of life in old people is not only decreased by aging, but each of other factors such as female gender, illiteracy, and chronic diseases could decrease health related quality of life of old people.     

Risk factors in lip cancer: a questionnaire survey.

An analysis was made of potential risk factors of cancer of the lip in Finland. The series comprised 290 lip cancer patients, and the controls were 254 patients with squamous cell carcinoma of the skin of the head and neck, all reported to the Finnish Cancer Registry in 1972-1973. The results obtained in a questionnaire survey (response rate, 75%; 54% of the total series) indicated that the male lip cancer patients had engaged in outdoor work and smoking with significantly greater frequency than had the male controls. Together, these two risk factors posed a markedly increased risk (RR = 15.4). However, when the factors were analyzed separately, each excluding the effect of the other, no significant risk could be noted. The male lip cancer patients had recurrent herpetic infections with significantly greater frequency than did the male controls. No significant differences were apparent with respect to urban or rural residence. It is concluded that tobacco smoking and outdoor work probably act together to induce lip cancer. The mode of interaction between these factors and the etiologic role of herpesvirus are discussed.     

Validity and reproducibility of a self-administered food frequency questionnaire in older people

This study assesses the validity and reproducibility of a 145-item self-administered food frequency questionnaire (FFQ) in a representative older population aged 63 to 80. Semi-quantitative FFQs were completed by 89% of 3,654 residents attending a community-based eye study in Sydney, Australia. The FFQ's validity was assessed against three, four-day weighed food records (WFRs) completed four months apart by 79 people. A further 152 subjects completed a repeat FFQ about a year after the baseline FFQ, of whom 131 completed a second repeat FFQ about six weeks later. Both short and long-term reproducibility of the FFQ were assessed using data from these subjects. Comparison of the FFQ with the average of the three, four-day weighed food records resulted in energy-adjusted Spearman correlations above 0.5 for most of the nutrients. The proportion of subjects correctly classified to within one quintile category for each nutrient intake ranged from 57% for zinc to 82% for vitamin C, with most nutrients correctly classified within one quintile for about 70% of subjects. Quadratic weighted kappas were reasonable, between 0.3 and 0.5 for most nutrients. The FFQ was highly reproducible in the short term, with correlations for most nutrients about 0.70 to 0.80 and acceptably reproducible in the longer term, with correlations mostly 0.60 to 0.70. The results verity that it is possible to use relatively simple, but comprehensive, self-administered FFQs to study nutrient exposures in large-scale epidemiological studies of the elderly and to expect reasonably high FFQ response rates.     

Factors related to satisfaction level in daily life for older people]

The purpose of this study was to examine relations between satisfaction levels and life-style in daily life for older people. A questionnaire, based on 7 factors of life satisfaction level and 13 factors of life-style chosen after considering theoretical validity, was administered to 1,320 healthy people aged 60 or more in the community (665 males and 655 females). Remarkable gender and grade differences were confirmed in the "physical health" satisfaction level. Satisfaction level for "personal relations" related to the number of friends for both sexes and to volunteer activities for males. The influence of the life-style factor on satisfaction level was highest in physical health. The influence of the number of friends was high for each satisfaction level. It was inferred that there are many aspects of life-style backgrounds contributing to the satisfaction level of older people in the community, and individual satisfaction with daily life is affected by different life-style factors.     

苏州市成年社区人群血压季节性变化以及影响因素的流行病学研究

目的 探讨中国人群血压的季节性变化以及影响因素.方法 以中国慢性病前瞻性研究项目苏州点的基线调查(2004年11月至2008年6月)人群为对象(其中男性22 360人,女性30 900人),运用SAS统计软件分析比较调查期间人选对象的血压水平与室外气温的关系及联系强度和其他影响因素.结果 在校正年龄等因素后,研究对象的冬季血压水平显著高于夏季,其中男性两季SBP差值为8.8 mm Hg,女性为7.0 mm Hg.SBP与气温(＞10℃时)呈显著线性负相关,室外气温每降低10℃,SBP升高6.1 mm Hg.血压的季节性差异在老年人和低BMI人群中更为显著.结论 成人血压随室外温度的变化呈现较大的季节性波动.在高血压筛查、临床治疗以及流行病学调查分析中均应充分考虑血压的季节性波动变化.     

Work related risk factors for musculoskeletal complaints in the nursing profession: results of a questionnaire survey.

OBJECTIVES: To determine the prevalence of musculoskeletal complaints of the back, arms or neck, and legs among nurses, and to investigate the relation between these complaints and various work related and personal variables. METHODS: A questionnaire survey was carried out in four nursing homes in The Netherlands. RESULTS: The response was 95% and resulted in 846 completed questionnaires. It was found that a large proportion of the subjects regularly had back complaints (36%) but also had arm or neck (30%) and leg complaints (16%). Almost all respondents (89%) considered nursing work as physically strenuous. Most of them complained of working under time pressure (69%), increased work pressure (70%), and having no opportunity to take a break from the work (70%). The physical variables which seem to trouble the subjects most were lifting (65%), working in awkward postures (47%), and stooping (34%). Moreover, 53% of the subjects responded that the ergonomic lay out of the ward was disagreeable. Most of the work related variables under study seemed to be associated with musculoskeletal complaints. For all types of complaints the strongest associations were found with having to lift heavy loads. Apart from physical stress various aspects of work pressure showed strong associations with the occurrence of musculoskeletal complaints. The variables on the ergonomy of the ward showed less clear associations with musculoskeletal complaints than were found for physical stress and work pressure. CONCLUSIONS: From these results it may be concluded that future research of health risks of nursing work should have a wider focus than the relation between physical workload and low back pain.