Memory functions of Taiwanese American older adults

Memory complaints are common among older adults, of which ethnic minorities are the fastest growing group. Little is known about the memory function of Taiwanese American older adults.This article utilizes a cross-sectional, correlational design to examine the relationship between sleep, physical activity, depression, and memory self-efficacy and memory function and to determine the variance in memory function explained by the four independent variables and six control variables in Taiwanese American older adults. Memory self-efficacy correlated significantly with memory performance. Among the independent variables and control variables, age was the strongest predictor of memory function. A simultaneous multiple regression analysis showed that the four independent and six control variables together accounted for 41.8% of the variance in memory function. Results of this study are consistent with that of many other studies conducted in the United States: Memory declined with age.     

65～80岁老年患者睡眠质量与心理状况的相关性研究

目的 调查老年住院患者心理健康状况和睡眠质量情况,分析二者的相瓦关系.方法 纳入2005年10月-2007年10月在哈尔滨医科大学附属第四医院老年住院患者300例.采用匹兹堡睡眠质量评价老年住院患者的睡眠质量,以匹兹堡睡眠质量指数>8分作为睡眠障碍的标准,将300例患者按匹兹堡睡眠质量指数<5分,5～8分,>8分为3组.分别为70例、84例、146例;采用心理卫生自评量表(90项症状自评量表)评价患者心理状况.测试前向患者说明调查目的及意义,要求患者在1～2 h内独立完成答卷,各组间心理卫生自评量表得分比较采用方差分析,匹兹堡睡眠质量指数和心理卫生自评量表得分的相关性分析采用Spearman等级相关分析.结果 按意向处理分析,300例患者全部进入结果分析.(1)匹兹堡睡眠质量指数>8分的患者症状自评量表中躯体化、强迫、抑郁、焦虑、精神病性5个因子及总均分显著高于5～8分和<5分的患者,且匹兹堡睡眠质量指数得分越高,症状自评量表各因子及总得分越高.(2)症状自评量表躯体化、强迫、抑郁、焦虑、精神病性5个因子及总分与睡眠质昔呈显著正相关,其中其他、躯体化、强迫、3个因子与睡眠质量、入睡时间、睡眠时间、睡眠效率呈现非常显著正相关,郁抑郁、焦虑、和症状自评量表与睡眠效率呈显著正相关.结论 老年住院患者睡眠质量越差.焦虑分和抑郁分就愈高,呈显著正相关,并且促使焦虑,抑郁等多种情绪障碍的发生.说明住院老年人失眠不单单是一个睡眠生理紊乱,同时还有一个心理紊乱过程.     

Is somatization a significant depressive symptom in older Taiwanese Americans?

Adapting to psychosocial and physical changes can trigger nonspecific somatic complaints and depression. Somatization has been noted in all societies and cultures; however, it is more frequently observed in Asian populations. This study used the Geriatric Depression Scale (GDS) to screen 100 Taiwanese American older adults for depressive symptoms and found that seven participants (7%) experienced depressive symptoms (GDS >/= 14). Although the mean number of illnesses reported was significantly higher (t = -16.8, P <.001) in the depressive group, the seven individuals did not focus on physical symptoms during interview. They reported guilt, sadness, anger, resentment, loneliness, helplessness, hopelessness, inability to enjoy activities, and anhedonia. If older adults are given the time to express themselves, they are able to reveal their emotional pain and distress rather than remain preoccupied with somatic complaints. A simple depression screening tool, such as the GDS, can help detect depression.     

Illuminance,Subjective Sleep Quality,and Psychosomatic Health in Elderly Individuals Requiring Care: A Survey of Japan’s Hokuriku Region in Winter

We measured the illuminance exposure for 3 days in winter of a convenience sample of 44 elderly people certified as requiring support in Japan’s Hokuriku region. We calculated the illuminance ratio per minute during activity and while in bed and analyzed the relationship between illuminance, subjective sleep quality, and psychosomatic health. There was a significant negative correlation between illuminance and 15-item Geriatric Depression Scale scores. Multiple regression analysis indicated that depression scores were significantly related to age, level of required support, and illuminance. The findings suggest that environments without light and dark cycles increase depression scores in frail elderly people.     

Relationships between personal, depression and social network factors and sleep quality in community-dwelling older adults

Improving sleep quality is key to increasing life quality for the elderly. Clarifying the nature of sleep conditions and the factors that influence such is necessary to enrich the base of knowledge available to the clinical nursing profession and encourage effective nursing interventions in older populations. Purposes of this study were to describe sleep quality and identify the personal, depression and social network determinants of sleep quality among older people living independently. A cross-sectional research design was used, and 187 persons 65 years of age or older were recruited using two-stage random sampling from communities in Taipei City, Taiwan. All subjects were informed by the researchers and were asked to provide personal (demographic data, lifestyle behavior), depression, social network (perceived the relationships with and support from family, relatives/friends), and sleep quality (Chinese version of the Pittsburgh Sleep Quality Index, C-PSQI) information. Findings revealed that 25.7% of subjects were "poor sleepers" (attaining C-PSQI global scores > 5). The study identified significant relationships between three personal variables (alcohol consumption, educational level, and depressive tendencies), one social variable (relationships with relatives/friends) and sleep quality. Depression tendency, relationships with relatives/friends, college and above educational level, and habitual alcohol consumption accounted for 46.1% of sleep quality variance. Findings enrich the knowledge base by highlighting specific personal, depression and social network factors that could help nurses to assess sleep conditions more comprehensively. Nurses caring for older people should consider depression and social network factors (particularly the relationships with relatives/friends may play a discriminating role) as important determinants of sleep quality.     

Depression and Pain in Asian and White Americans With Knee Osteoarthritis

Few studies have examined the underlying psychosocial mechanisms of pain in Asian Americans. Using the biopsychosocial model, we sought to determine whether variations in depression contribute to racial group differences in symptomatic knee osteoarthritis pain between Asian Americans and non-Hispanic white Americans. The sample consisted of 100 participants, including 50 Asian Americans (28 Korean Americans, 9 Chinese Americans, 7 Japanese Americans, 5 Filipino Americans, and 1 Indian American) and 50 age- and sex-matched non-Hispanic white Americans with symptomatic knee osteoarthritis pain. The Centers for Epidemiologic Studies Depression Scale was used to assess symptoms of depression, and the Western Ontario and McMaster Universities Osteoarthritis Index and the Graded Chronic Pain Scale were used to measure clinical pain. In addition, quantitative sensory testing was used to measure experimental sensitivity to heat- and mechanically-induced pain. The results indicated that higher levels of depression in Asian Americans may contribute to greater clinical pain and experimental pain sensitivity. These findings add to the growing literature regarding ethnic and racial differences in pain and its associated psychological conditions, and additional research is warranted to strengthen these findings.

Health-related quality of life in low-income older African Americans

This study examined the relationships among comorbid conditions, symptom stress, depression, functional status and health-related quality of life (HRQOL) in low-income older African Americans with chronic diseases. A convenience sample of 83 older African American adults living in subsidized housing for elders participated in the study. Data were collected in face-to-face interviews. Participants reported lower scores on HRQOL than the SF-36 norms for age 60 or older in the general U.S. population. Comorbid conditions, symptom distress, depression, and functional status significantly predicted both the physical (F = 38.92, p < .001) and mental (F = 23.21, p < .001) health components of HRQOL, accounting for 63% of variance in the SF-36 physical health score and 55% of the variance in the SF-36 mental health score. The findings suggested that developing interventions to assist older African Americans to better manage their symptoms and depression are of prime importance for improving HRQOL.     

Health-Related Quality of Life in Low-Income Older African Americans

This study examined the relationships among comorbid conditions, symptom stress, depression, functional status and health-related quality of life (HRQOL) in low-income older African Americans with chronic diseases. A convenience sample of 83 older African American adults living in subsidized housing for elders participated in the study. Data were collected in face-to-face interviews. Participants reported lower scores on HRQOL than the SF-36 norms for age 60 or older in the general U.S. population. Comorbid conditions, symptom distress, depression, and functional status significantly predicted both the physical (F = 38.92, p < .001) and mental (F = 23.21, p < .001) health components of HRQOL, accounting for 63% of variance in the SF-36 physical health score and 55% of the variance in the SF-36 mental health score. The findings suggested that developing interventions to assist older African Americans to better manage their symptoms and depression are of prime importance for improving HRQOL.     

护理专业本科生焦虑抑郁状况及其与睡眠质量的关系

目的调查护理专业本科生的焦虑抑郁状况以及其与睡眠质量的关系,为改善护理专业本科生焦虑抑郁状况、提高睡眠质量提供依据。方法采用整群抽样的方法从某本科医学院校护理学院抽取150人作为研究对象。以焦虑自评量表(self anxiety scale,SAS)、抑郁自评量表(self-rating depression scale,SDS)及阿森斯失眠量表(athens insomnia scale,AIS)为评价工具,调查其焦虑抑郁状况的发生情况以及睡眠质量。采用SPSS 19.0统计软件进行数据分析。结果护理本科生的焦虑、抑郁症状的发生率分别为16.11%和20.13%,SAS、SDS总分分别为(41.32±7.94)和(44.70±9.94)分,评分显著升高,与常模比较差异有统计学意义(P0.01);护理本科生AIS总分为(9.78±4.77)分,其中89.9%的学生存在睡眠问题,80.5%的学生存在失眠状况;相关分析表明,SAS、SDS总分与AIS总分呈显著正相关性(P0.01)。结论需要调控护理专业本科生的焦虑抑郁情绪,加强心理疏导,及时查找原因,增加体育锻炼,消除影响其睡眠质量的因素,以促进护理专业本科生身心的全面发展。     

Prevalence,Factors, and Health Impacts of Chronic Pain Among Community-Dwelling Older Adults in China

BackgroundChronic pain (CP) is prevalent among older adults in many Western countries and its prevalence, factors, and self-reported or objective measured health impacts have been well documented. However, there is limited information on these aspects among Chinese community-dwelling older adults.AimsOur aim was to assess the prevalence of CP and identify its associated factors as well as health impacts among older adults in China.DesignCross-sectional design.SettingsCommunity settings.Participants/SubjectsA total of 1219 community-dwelling adults aged 60 years or older.MethodsData on CP, sociodemographic characteristics, comorbidity, cognitive function, and physical activity, as well as self-reported outcomes (functional disability, depression, quality of sleep, and undernutrition) and objective measured physical function, were obtained.ResultsAmong 1,219 participants, 41.1% reported CP, of whom 16.6% experienced moderate to severe pain. The risk of CP was higher among older women with comorbidity and with depression and lower among older adults with higher educational level as well as with adequate physical activity. CP had significant associations with inadequate physical activity, functional disability, depression, poorer quality of sleep, and undernutrition, as well as worsening physical performance, poorer standing balance, and chair stands.ConclusionsCP is a common problem among Chinese community-dwelling older adults, particularly among the most vulnerable subgroups, and has substantial impacts on self-reported functional disability, depression, poor quality of sleep, and undernutrition, as well as objective measured physical function. Therefore it is relevant for older adults to develop effective CP management programs.     

老年男性人群睡眠质量调查及影响因素分析

目的调查老年男性人群睡眠质量状况及相关影响因素。方法对进行健康体检的老年男性人群进行问卷调查,应用国际公认的匹兹堡睡眠质量指数(PSQI)量表评价睡眠质量,用Logistic回归模型筛选睡眠的影响因素。结果共纳入1132例60~99岁男性体检人群,平均(75.2±9.5)岁。低睡眠质量患病率为23.6%,且随年龄增长患病率增加。存在的睡眠问题主要是入睡时间≥30 min(占19.3%)、使用催眠药物(占18.8%)和主观睡眠质量差(占15.9%)。多因素分析显示,高龄(OR=2.31,95%CI:1.63~3.27)、焦虑得分高(OR=1.18,95%CI:1.10~1.25)及抑郁得分高(OR=1.16,95%CI:1.09~1.23)是低睡眠质量的危险因素。结论老年男性体检人群睡眠问题突出,心理健康状况影响睡眠质量。     

Prevalence and predictors of poor sleep quality in Korean older adults

The purposes of this study were to evaluate the levels of sleep quality and to examine its related factors in the elderly Korean adults. A cross‐sectional research design was used, and 157 adults, aged from 65 to 89, were recruited from five community health centres in Gyeonggi province and Seoul, Korea. All participants were informed about the purpose of the study and were asked to provide demographic characteristics, chronic conditions, self‐rated health, pain, depression, life satisfaction and sleep quality. More than 60% of the participants reported having poor sleep quality. Hierarchical multiple regression analysis showed that age, self‐rated health, pain and depression were related to poor sleep quality. The findings suggest that it is important to screen regularly for sleep quality, and attention to depression, poor self‐rated health and perceived pain were needed to improve sleep quality of older adults.     

Aging, health, and physical activity in Korean Americans

Little is known about the health benefits and the factors that influence physical activity among older adults from ethnically different backgrounds. The aim of this article is to provide a sociocultural context for understanding aging, health, and physical activity among older Korean Americans. Studies that focused on physical activity and exercise among older adults, older Koreans, or older Korean Americans were reviewed. The results of the review were integrated to better understand physical activity in older Korean Americans. Results from varied population-based, cross-sectional, and longitudinal studies that assessed the relationships among aging, health, and physical activity were relatively consistent in their findings. Many correlational studies found a strong, positive relationship between physical activity and health benefits and a moderately positive but sometimes mixed association between physical activity and quality of life among older adults. Additional research is needed to clarify the gap between physical activity and actual and predictive quality of life among older Korean Americans. Also, we need more evidences to show the effects of late-life physical activity or exercise on reducing or minimizing disablement in older Korean Americans.     

The effects of a symptom management intervention on symptom evaluation, physical functioning, and physical activity for women after coronary artery bypass surgery

The purpose of this subset analysis was to examine the effect of a symptom management (SM) intervention on postoperative symptom evaluation, physical functioning, and physical activity among the female participants (N = 40) of the larger parent study of coronary artery bypass graft patients aged 65 years and older. The intervention group (n = 23) had significantly lower fatigue scores at 6 weeks (Z = 1.96, P < .05) and higher levels of physical activity (Z = -1.71, P < .05) reflected in the expended kcal(-1) x kg x d(-1), as measured by the activity diary at 3 months after coronary artery bypass graft surgery. At 6 weeks and 3 months after surgery, there were significant correlations between cardiac surgery-related recovery symptoms (shortness of breath, fatigue, depression, incision pain, and sleep problems) and physical functioning (physical, vitality, and bodily pain functioning subscale scores), with correlations ranging from 0.31 to 0.46. Given that this was a subset analysis of a larger study, significant differences were not expected for all variables. Study findings support the need for a targeted (women-focused) and tailored (self-management recovery) intervention to assist females in recovering from coronary artery bypass graft surgery to improve symptom management, thereby enhancing physical functioning and physical activity outcomes.     

The effect of a simple traditional exercise programme (Baduanjin exercise) on sleep quality of older adults: a randomized controlled trial

BackgroundSleep disturbance is a major problem for older adults, calling for the development of alternative medicine techniques to help improve sleep quality in this population.ObjectivesThe purpose of this study was to explore the effectiveness of a Baduanjin exercise program on sleep quality in Taiwanese elderly.DesignA randomized controlled trial, longitudinal research design was employed.Setting and participantsThis study was conducted in an urban area of northern Taiwan. The inclusion criteria for participants were as follows: (1) community-dwelling older adults age 60 years or older; (2) no regular exercise within 6 months; (3) able to communicate; and (4) independent in self-care. Subjects were excluded if they had (1) depression tendency as demonstrated by the Chinese version of the Geriatric Depression Score of eight or higher; (2) impaired mobility; or (3) unstable health status. A total of 202 older people were screened for this study, 87 of whom were eligible according to the inclusion criteria. Of these, 55 completed the 12-week study.MethodsFifty-five participants were randomly assigned to the exercise group (27) or the control group (28). Those in the exercise group received 12 weeks of Baduanjin exercise training, while those in the control group had no intervention. The Pittsburg Sleep Quality Index was administered to subjects at four time points: before the intervention, and at the 4th, 8th, and 12th week after intervention.ResultsSubjects in the Baduanjin exercise group had significantly improved overall sleep quality, subjective sleep quality, sleep latency, sleep duration, sleep efficiency, and daytime dysfunction after 12 weeks of intervention (p < 0.001), while those in control group showed no significant difference in sleep quality. Compared with the control group, the Baduanjin exercise group reported significantly better sleep quality after four weeks of intervention which was maintained throughout the 12-week exercise period.ConclusionsThis study confirmed that the Baduanjin exercise program can improve sleep quality for Taiwanese community-dwelling older adults. We recommend application of this simple, gentle exercise program in older persons to improve their sleep quality.     

The effects of insomnia on older adults’ quality of life and daily functioning: A mixed-methods study

Insomnia in older adults has been linked to increased incidence of falls, depression and anxiety, cognitive impairment, institutionalization, and mortality, but traditional sleep assessment instruments, designed for the general adult population, fail to capture many of the experiences and causes that are unique to older adults. This mixed methods study elicited open narratives from 18 older adults (6 men,12 women, mean age 84, SD= 7.62, range 67–96) who reported chronic insomnia or disrupted sleep to learn how poor sleep affected their quality of life and daily functioning. The interviews were supplemented with three widely used self-report sleep instruments to provide baseline sleep quality and hygiene scores. Content analysis of the participants’ narratives revealed the overriding theme of Insomnia Is Exhausting, which exemplifies the physical and emotional strain this chronic condition creates, and four categories: A Bad Night, Self-Management, Stoicism and Consequences. The narratives revealed severe, negative effects on quality of life, including reduced functional capacity and increased stress, anxiety, and social isolation. The results of this study can be used as a foundation for interventions to enhance sleep quality for this population.     

穴位按摩训练对改善老年人睡眠质量及认知功能的效果

目的探讨穴位按摩训练对老年人睡眠质量及认知功能的影响。方法采用匹茨堡睡眠质量指数(PSQI)选取长沙市某社区睡眠质量下降(PSQI≥4分)的老年人82例,随机分为两组,试验组42例,对照组40例,试验组进行穴位按摩训练,并给予睡眠知识宣教,对照组只给予睡眠知识宣教。分别于干预前、干预3个月末、干预6个月末运用PSQI、爱泼沃斯嗜睡量表(ESS)、简易精神状态量表(MMSE)、韦氏记忆量表中国修订版(WMS-RC)中背数、图片回忆、联想学习、理解记忆4个分量表测量两组睡眠质量及认知功能,并进行比较分析。结果 PSQI、ESS、MMSE及WMS-RC 4个维度得分在干预主效应和交互作用上均存在统计学意义(P<0.05);除背数外,其余各变量在时间主效应上存在统计学意义(P<0.05)。结论穴位按摩训练能有效改善老年人的睡眠质量和认知功能。     

老年人参与身体活动对改善健康、生活质量和福祉效果的系统综述

目的 以世界卫生组织的相关重要文件作为研究的理论基础,建立老年人身体活动和康复活动架构,对老年人参与身体活动的健康和康复效果进行系统综述。方法 采用主题检索方式,检索Web of Science、PubMed、EBSCO、Google Scholar、中国知网和万方数据库建库至2021年6月30日与身体活动领域老年人身体活动和健康、生活质量相关的文献,提取文献内容,对老年人参与身体活动改善健康、生活质量和福祉的效果进行综述。结果 研究涉及的老年人参与的身体活动类别有有氧活动、发展肌肉的活动、发展骨骼的活动、平衡性活动和综合活动。老年人参与身体活动改善健康和康复效果,主要体现在改善身体健康和心理健康、促进社会适应和活动行为与营养;健康和康复影响主要体现在提高健康寿命,改善生活质量和福祉。在改善身体健康方面,老年人参与身体活动可以改善体适能、慢性疾病和身体功能;在改善心理健康方面,可以改善认知功能、情绪、人格特质和睡眠等。影响老年人身体活动参与和健康、康复效果的因素主要有个人因素和环境因素。结论 老年人参与所有形式的身体活动都可以提供健康效益,可促进健康老龄化,改善身体健康和心理健康,促进社会适应和活动行为与营养,提高健康寿命,改善生活质量和福祉。身体活动是一项健康相关服务,应促进老年人科学合理的身体活动,将身体活动与康复服务结合,促进老年人的健康、功能、福祉和生活质量。