A comparison of prehension force control in young and elderly individuals

Age-related changes were investigated in the control of precision grip force during the lifting and holding of objects with slippery (silk) and nonslippery (sandpaper) surface textures. Two groups of active elderly adults comprising individuals aged 69–79 years (n = 10), and 80–93 years (n = 10) together with a group of young adults aged 18–32 years (n = 10) participated in the study. Each subject lifted a free weight (3N) during which time gripping and lifting forces were monitored. The elderly subjects, especially the individuals in the 81–93 year group, had a larger number of fluctuations in the grip force rate curve and longer force application time than the younger subjects during lifting. The effect of prior experience with one surface on the following different surface was more pronounced in the younger subjects than the elderly subjects. These results suggest a decline in programmed force production capacity with increased age. The fingers of the elderly subjects were more slippery and they exhibited a greater safety margin of the grip force while holding the object than the younger adults. The overall results demonstrated that precision grip force control capacity declines with advancing age. It is suggested that this decline is due mainly to age-related changes in skin properties, and cutaneous sensibility functions, and in part to central nervous system function.     

宁夏农村学龄儿童卫生服务利用公平性的动态研究

目的 这项研究在于掌握宁夏农村地区学龄儿童卫生服务利用现状及卫生服务利用公平性的动态变化,为政府部门了解学龄儿童卫生服务利用情况提供数据支撑,为学龄儿童健康促进方案的科学发展提供基础依据。方法 利用“农村居民家庭卫生健康询问调查”2009年开始的基准数据,以及2011、2012、2015和2019年随访调查数据,最终选取年龄为7~12岁并且调查时在家常住（指在家居住时间≥0.5年）的学龄儿童作为本次研究对象。利用χ2检验对不同收入水平组间的率进行比较,使用集中指数（concentration index,CI）衡量不同收入水平群体间卫生服务利用公平性的变化。结果 两周就诊情况经趋势χ2检验显示不同调查年份之间差异有统计学意义（χ2 = 16.189,P = 0.004）;χ2检验显示,不同收入水平的人群在2011年（χ2 = 13.416,P = 0.028）、2012年（χ2 = 22.489,P = 0.009）存在统计上的显著差异。其他四年CI均为正值,只有2011年CI为负值,但是比较五次调查CI的绝对值,可以发现其保持下降。两周患病未就诊情况经趋势χ2检验显示不同调查年份之间差异有统计学意义（χ2 = 4.905,P = 0.027）。CI值均为负值,并且绝对值表现为下降态势,不公平程度正在减弱。住院情况经趋势χ2检验显示不同调查年份之间差异没有统计学意义（χ2 = 0.047,P = 0.829）。CI值均为正值,说明卫生服务利用偏向于高收入人群,绝对值整体上是下降的,表现为齿状波动样。结论 在农村学龄儿童中,卫生服务利用水平较低,五次调查发现不公平程度正在逐渐减小。     

重庆市高校涉老专业学生养老服务从业意愿及影响因素研究

目的:探究高校涉老专业学生养老服务从业意愿及影响因素,为改善养老服务人才供给提供决策依据。方法:采用分层随机抽样法,通过主成分分析、相关性分析和Logistic逐步回归模型分析高校涉老专业学生养老服务从业意愿及其影响因素。结果:纳入有效样本711份,72.86%的高校涉老专业学生愿意从事养老服务行业,主成分分析和二元Logistic逐步回归结果显示,户籍属性、家庭经济状况、照顾老人经历、与祖辈关系程度、薪酬待遇、工作特征和行业环境是高校涉老专业学生养老服务从业意愿选择的影响因素(P<0.05)。结论:举国家之力改善养老服务行业薪酬待遇与行业环境、合理设置岗位职责,降低工作风险、强度和压力,应成为提升涉老专业学生从业意愿的首要任务。     

成都市家庭医生服务现状的定性研究

目的 本研究针对成都市基层医疗卫生服务机构,调查分析了家庭医生服务开展现况、存在的问题,以及家医服务平台的建设情况并提出了改进建议。方法 本研究共抽取了成都市六个基层社区卫生服务机构,对每家机构的1名管理人员和1个家庭医生团队分别进行深入访谈和专题小组访谈,调查时间为2020年12月—2021年2月。结果 成都市双向转诊取得一定成效,但下转难情况依然突出;有偿签约效果不好,居民就诊观念需转变;基层卫生技术人员不足,家医服务增加了日常工作量;家医信息化平台存在诸多问题,功能亟需改善;家医的绩效考核制度有一定激励作用,但仍需完善;基层卫生投入不足,家医政策落地难。结论 规范分级诊疗秩序,畅通双向转诊通道;加强官方媒体宣传力度,转变居民就诊观念;提升基层职业吸引力,培养优质人才;加强信息化建设,完善家庭医生信息化服务平台;健全家庭医生绩效考核制度,调动工作积极性;完善家医配套政策与措施,强化基层机构服务能力。     

社会融合对流动老人基本公共卫生服务利用的影响研究

目的 了解流动老人基本公共卫生服务利用情况,以及社会融合对基本公共卫生服务利用的影响。方法 于2021年7—12月,采用方便抽样的方法,抽取广州市、深圳市、江门市452名流动老人进行问卷调查。采用二元logistic回归模型分析流动老人社会融合对建立健康档案、接受健康教育和老年人健康管理之间的影响。结果 在452名流动老人中,60.8%建立了居民健康档案,接受过健康教育和老年人健康管理的分别有64.4%和60.0%。Logistic分析结果显示,流动老人的居民健康档案行为受到月消费水平（B = 0.368,P＜0.05）、社区文体活动参与程度（B = 0.362,P＜0.01）、居留意愿（B = 0.408,P＜0.001）、年龄（B = - 0. 513,P＜0.01）、户籍类型（B = 0.742,P＜0.01）、流动类型（B = - 0.539,P＜0.05）等变量的影响;健康教育服务利用行为受到社区文体活动参与程度（B = 0.354,P＜0.01）、年龄（B = - 0.411,P＜0.05）、户籍类型（B = 0.561,P＜0.05）的影响;老年人健康管理服务利用行为受到社区文体活动参与程度（B = 0.291,P＜0.01）、居留意愿（B = 0.239,P＜0.05）、年龄（B = - 0.474,P＜0.05）、流动类型（B = - 0.471,P＜0.05）、流动时间（B = 0.225,P＜0.05）、流动目的（B = 0.328,P＜0.01）的影响。结论 流动老人基本公共卫生服务利用率较低,社会融合会对流动老人的基本公共卫生服务利用产生积极影响。可以通过提高流动老人获得基本公共卫生服务的能力和社会融合水平来促进流动老人的基本公共卫生服务利用,从而实现基本公共服务均等化。     

Exploring online identity construction for the caregivers of adults living with dementia and the value of interactions with health and social care professionals

Becoming an informal caregiver for an adult living with dementia has been shown to have a significant impact upon the conception of identity. This study aimed to identify how identity is constructed online amongst caregivers of individuals living with dementia and how healthcare interactions can influence identity development through the analysis of online web blogs. Sixteen online blogs (172 entries) were selected through purposive and snowball sampling, and discourse analysis was used to analyse online identity construction for informal caregivers of adults living with dementia. Six areas of online identity construction were identified: changing family role; powerful expert social campaigner; being an advocate; guardian of their relative's selfhood; sustaining creative and spiritual individuality and wider community member in online and real life. Further to this, the importance of health and social care service interactions in the development of caregiver identity revealed that professionals must ensure person-centred service contacts for caregivers. This is a challenging task in the pandemic climate where interactions between health and social care professionals and caregivers are limited due to isolation measures. It is evident that the blog format can provide a forum through which the identity of the caregiver of an adult living with dementia can evolve. The six areas of identity construction reveal the multifaceted nature of identity for the caregiver and the value of belonging to an online community both in relation to identity construction and support. This finding is especially applicable in the current pandemic when accessing a face-to-face community is challenging for caregivers who may be shielding or living in isolation. The findings of this research can aid health and social care professionals in understanding the development of caregiver identity and in providing appropriate support during service interactions, on accessing virtual and face to face community support.     

How to stay motivated: A focus group study of Norwegian caregivers' experiences with community healthcare services to their parents with dementia

Motivation to provide care is a significant predictor of informal caregiving among family caregivers of persons with dementia. Adequate support is an important source of help and relief to caregivers, but fragmentation of dementia care services is common and better ways of supporting these caregivers are needed. Knowledge of adult-child caregivers' motivation and how this motivation is influenced by community healthcare services is lacking. The aim of this study is therefore to describe and explore adult children's experiences with community healthcare services for their home-dwelling parent with dementia and how these influence their caregiver motivation. The study applied a qualitative design based on three focus group interviews with 15 of these caregivers (40–69 years) in Norway in 2017. The study results indicate three categories supporting adult children's sustained motivation as caregivers: (a) caregivers prioritize their parent's need for healthcare services over their own need for support; (b) caregivers need acknowledgement through respect and involvement; and (c) caregivers need timely information and competence as the dementia progresses. To stimulate collaboration among adult-child caregivers, their parents with dementia, and community healthcare services, we claim that a relationship-centred care framework could be emphasised as a way of supporting sustained motivation among caregivers to parents with dementia as part of community healthcare services.     

我国农村居民健康感知影响因素分析*

摘 要：2019年8月,重庆市荣昌区作为全国567个紧密型县域医共体建设试点县之一,以“人通、医通、财通”为抓 手,加快整合医疗卫生资源,促进医疗卫生工作重心下移和资源下沉,积极推动分级诊疗制度建设,为辖区内居民提供全方 位的健康服务。     

Increases in Naloxone Administrations by Emergency Medical Services Providers During the COVID-19 Pandemic: Retrospective Time Series Study

BackgroundThe opioid crisis in the United States may be exacerbated by the COVID-19 pandemic. Increases in opioid use, emergency medical services (EMS) runs for opioid-related overdoses, and opioid overdose deaths have been reported. No study has examined changes in multiple naloxone administrations, an indicator of overdose severity, during the COVID-19 pandemic.ObjectiveThis study examines changes in the occurrence of naloxone administrations and multiple naloxone administrations during EMS runs for opioid-related overdoses during the COVID-19 pandemic in Guilford County, North Carolina (NC).MethodsUsing a period-over-period approach, we compared the occurrence of opioid-related EMS runs, naloxone administrations, and multiple naloxone administrations during the 29-week period before (September 1, 2019, to March 9, 2020) and after NC’s COVID-19 state of emergency declaration (ie, the COVID-19 period of March 10 to September 30, 2020). Furthermore, historical data were used to generate a quasi-control distribution of period-over-period changes to compare the occurrence of each outcome during the COVID-19 period to each 29-week period back to January 1, 2014.ResultsAll outcomes increased during the COVID-19 period. Compared to the previous 29 weeks, the COVID-19 period experienced increases in the weekly mean number of opioid-related EMS runs (25.6, SD 5.6 vs 18.6, SD 6.6; P<.001), naloxone administrations (22.3, SD 6.2 vs 14.1, SD 6.0; P<.001), and multiple naloxone administrations (5.0, SD 1.9 vs 2.7, SD 1.9; P<.001), corresponding to proportional increases of 37.4%, 57.8%, and 84.8%, respectively. Additionally, the increases during the COVID-19 period were greater than 91% of all historical 29-week periods analyzed.ConclusionsThe occurrence of EMS runs for opioid-related overdoses, naloxone administrations, and multiple naloxone administrations during EMS runs increased during the COVID-19 pandemic in Guilford County, NC. For a host of reasons that need to be explored, the COVID-19 pandemic appears to have exacerbated the opioid crisis.     

Web Data Mining: Validity of Data from Google Earth for Food Retail Evaluation

To overcome the challenge of obtaining accurate data on community food retail, we developed an innovative tool to automatically capture food retail data from Google Earth (GE). The proposed method is relevant to non-commercial use or scholarly purposes. We aimed to test the validity of web sources data for the assessment of community food retail environment by comparison to ground-truth observations (gold standard). A secondary aim was to test whether validity differs by type of food outlet and socioeconomic status (SES). The study area included a sample of 300 census tracts stratified by SES in two of the largest cities in Brazil, Rio de Janeiro and Belo Horizonte. The GE web service was used to develop a tool for automatic acquisition of food retail data through the generation of a regular grid of points. To test its validity, this data was compared with the ground-truth data. Compared to the 856 outlets identified in 285 census tracts by the ground-truth method, the GE interface identified 731 outlets. In both cities, the GE interface scored moderate to excellent compared to the ground-truth data across all of the validity measures: sensitivity, specificity, positive predictive value, negative predictive value and accuracy (ranging from 66.3 to 100%). The validity did not differ by SES strata. Supermarkets, convenience stores and restaurants yielded better results than other store types. To our knowledge, this research is the first to investigate using GE as a tool to capture community food retail data. Our results suggest that the GE interface could be used to measure the community food environment. Validity was satisfactory for different SES areas and types of outlets.