Elderly Segment Research Articles

Elicitation Study Based on the Theory of Planned Behaviour that analyses the intention to Adopt Electronic Commerce in the Elderly

The adoption of electronic commerce has been widely studied through various theories. However, the elderly segment has been relatively excluded from these studies. Focusing on older people is relevant due to the significant increase in the aging of the world population and the digital divide that marginalises them from the benefits of technological advances. In this context, and based on the theory of planned behaviour, this study aims to build an instrument that measures older people’s behavioural, normative, and control beliefs about electronic commerce. The instrument is developed through an elicitation study following a qualitative methodology. Thirty-four older Chilean people were interviewed based on a questionnaire of open questions associated with consequences, social referents, and obstacles to the use of electronic commerce. The 443 responses were examined through content analysis, which led to the determination of measures of behavioural beliefs, evaluation, normative beliefs, motivation to comply, control beliefs, and perceived facilitation. The measures determined are the basis for the proposal of a novel instrument that contains 66 items personalised to this age group. The findings of new variables obtained from the elicitation process highlight the importance of considering ad-hoc measurement scales in the development of public policies to promote the use of electronic commerce in older people. Future research could validate this instrument through a quantitative study in a sample of older people. The methodology followed can be replicated in this population to understand the use of other information technologies such as smartphones and social network sites, among others.

Dimensions of brand equity for the banking sector: A study in the elderly segment

The main objective of this research was to construct and validate an instrument to measure the value dimensions of banking brands in the elderly segment. For this purpose, a quantitative study was developed with a descriptive correlational design and participation of 403 Colombian seniors. An instrumental study also employed exploratory factor analysis to identify the underlying constructs and the most statistically robust item structure. The results show the existence of six dimensions: "loyalty and brand friendliness", "brand performance", "brand awareness", "brand association", "brand importance", and "perceived quality". All of these correspond to previous brand equity literature, except for the dimension "loyalty and brand friendliness", which emerges from the study as a single construct. Given the particularities of the elderly as a consumer, it is concluded that the banking sector should continue consolidating its brand value in this market segment. Since this sector has been showing a representative demographic growth at a global level, such goal is positioned as a fundamental objective for organisations that have a high market orientation.

Mortality in Germany during the COVID-19 Pandemic.

Is there sufficient scientific evidence for excess mortality caused by COVID-19? The German population, similar to the population of many other countries, is subject to fluctuations caused by multiple factors, including migration and aging. COVID-19 is one additional factor, superposing natural or seasonal mortality fluctuations. To give scientific evidence for excess mortality caused by COVID-19, it is essential to employ appropriate statistical tools. This study develops a score indicating excess mortality and studies its evolution over time. Applied to data provided by governmental authorities, the indicator discloses, without relating to causes of death explicitly, excess mortality at the end of 2020, in 2021, and in 2022. In addition, the indicator confirms that COVID-19 particularly impacted the elderly segment of the population.

The future of ambulatory surgery for geriatric patients.

The elderly segment of the population is growing rapidly worldwide. Older patients comprise a disproportionate percentage of the surgical caseload. Physiological changes are inevitable with aging; some may impact a patient's response to anesthesia and surgery. Careful evaluation of an elderly patient preoperatively is vital to proper patient selection for ambulatory surgeries, particularly for complex and lengthy procedures. Cognitive issues, frailty, and geriatric syndromes make a patient vulnerable and sometimes unsuitable for certain ambulatory procedures. Preoperative planning and interventions may improve outcomes for the elderly patient undergoing ambulatory surgery.

Tracking the digital health gap in elderly: A study in Italian remote areas

The Covid-19 pandemic has provided a major innovative thrust to public services regarding their digitization to continue providing an effective response to the population's needs and to reduce management costs. However, there has been a partial lack of those welfare policies that can provide an adequate response to the elderly segment of the population, which is most affected by the introduction of new technologies into the public sphere.This study analyses the digital gap in health in the elderly living in remote areas of Italy and investigates the use of digital devices for health purposes. It compares the use of digital solutions for health with people's common digital competencies and their willingness to use them. A descriptive analysis of the sample was constructed to verify the different responses of the elderly by age, gender, educational qualification, and geographic area. Furthermore, regression analyses have been conducted to test whether there is any dependent effect among the elderly's characteristics or geographic areas.The results highlight the existence of a potential digital health gap among the elderly in remote areas of Italy both due to infrastructural issues and the lack of digital skills. The latter are positively correlated with educational qualification, such that it is also possible to highlight differences between age groups analysed and shape future welfare policies to reduce digital inequality.

Geriatric Health in Saudi Arabia, A Review

Geriatric health is not separate from general population health, but maintaining a good health is difficult and different in old age. In order to achieve healthy geriatric community, it is necessary to know few aspects of old age. The design and implementation of comprehensive preventive health protocols for elders presents the medical profession with many challenges. Although a specific protocol must be modified to meet the unique needs of the individual patient, there are certain factors common to elderly segment of the population that may influence these protocols.

The Role of Oxidative Stress in the Aging Heart.

Medical advances and the availability of diagnostic tools have considerably increased life expectancy and, consequently, the elderly segment of the world population. As age is a major risk factor in cardiovascular disease (CVD), it is critical to understand the changes in cardiac structure and function during the aging process. The phenotypes and molecular mechanisms of cardiac aging include several factors. An increase in oxidative stress is a major player in cardiac aging. Reactive oxygen species (ROS) production is an important mechanism for maintaining physiological processes; its generation is regulated by a system of antioxidant enzymes. Oxidative stress occurs from an imbalance between ROS production and antioxidant defenses resulting in the accumulation of free radicals. In the heart, ROS activate signaling pathways involved in myocyte hypertrophy, interstitial fibrosis, contractile dysfunction, and inflammation thereby affecting cell structure and function, and contributing to cardiac damage and remodeling. In this manuscript, we review recent published research on cardiac aging. We summarize the aging heart biology, highlighting key molecular pathways and cellular processes that underlie the redox signaling changes during aging. Main ROS sources, antioxidant defenses, and the role of dysfunctional mitochondria in the aging heart are addressed. As metabolism changes contribute to cardiac aging, we also comment on the most prevalent metabolic alterations. This review will help us to understand the mechanisms involved in the heart aging process and will provide a background for attractive molecular targets to prevent age-driven pathology of the heart. A greater understanding of the processes involved in cardiac aging may facilitate our ability to mitigate the escalating burden of CVD in older individuals and promote healthy cardiac aging.

Multilevel analysis of injury severity of elderly motorcycle riders: The role of regional transport development

Objective Research specifically focusing on the elderly segment of motorcycle riders remains largely scarce, which represents a serious lack in understanding given the fast-growing trend of aging societies around the world. This article examines factors affecting the injury severity of elderly motorcycle riders in Taiwan using a multilevel model consisting of both individual and municipality levels. In particular, this study emphasized the role of municipality-level factors closely related to the municipality characteristics and policy considerations in directing local governments’ policies and implementing crash-prevention strategies and measures. Methods A multilevel logistic regression model was specified and estimated by using crash data of elderly motorcycle riders across 20 municipalities in Taiwan between 2012 and 2018. Principal component analysis was employed to identify the municipality-level factors. Results Individual-level factors such as being male, old age, no valid license, drunk driving, not wearing a helmet, turning or overtaking others, early morning and evening riding, errors in traffic signaling, and exceeding the speed limit have significant effects on injury severity. The highlighted municipality-level factor, the transport development index, demonstrates its significant effect on mitigating injury severity across municipalities. Conclusions Apart from considering individual factors such as driver-related, vehicle-related and road-side-related variables, this paper shed light on the role of transport development level of a municipality in analyzing the injury severity of elderly motorcycle riders. Policy implications in directing local governments’ policies and implementing crash-prevention strategies and measures are discussed and provided.

Molecular Interactions between Dietary Lipids and Bone Tissue during Aging.

Age-related bone disorders such as osteoporosis or osteoarthritis are a major public health problem due to the functional disability for millions of people worldwide. Furthermore, fractures are associated with a higher degree of morbidity and mortality in the long term, which generates greater financial and health costs. As the world population becomes older, the incidence of this type of disease increases and this effect seems notably greater in those countries that present a more westernized lifestyle. Thus, increased efforts are directed toward reducing risks that need to focus not only on the prevention of bone diseases, but also on the treatment of persons already afflicted. Evidence is accumulating that dietary lipids play an important role in bone health which results relevant to develop effective interventions for prevent bone diseases or alterations, especially in the elderly segment of the population. This review focuses on evidence about the effects of dietary lipids on bone health and describes possible mechanisms to explain how lipids act on bone metabolism during aging. Little work, however, has been accomplished in humans, so this is a challenge for future research.

Drug utilization study in geriatric patients visiting medicine OPD in tertiary care hospital

Background: Drug utilization study is of utmost importance in the elderly. The consumption of drug amongst elderly segment of society is maximum and many of them use at least three prescribed drugs, concurrently. One of the plausible explanation of usage of large number of medicines is prevalence of multi-morbidities as well as suffer from chronic and degenerative pathology amongst them along with the alteration of pharmacokinetics and pharmacodynamics of many drugs are altered with advanced age. Thus, the aim of this study was to assess current prescribing practices among physicians for geriatric patients in tertiary care hospital.Methods: A prospective, observational and cross-sectional study was conducted in Department of Pharmacology in collaboration with Department of Medicine in a tertiary healthcare hospital. As per inclusion criteria, patients visiting Medicine outpatient department (OPD) from 01 October 2018 to 31 December 2018 were enrolled in the study.Results: The average number of drugs per encounter was 4.1. 100% of the drugs were prescribed by their generic name and those prescribed from World Health Organization (WHO) list of essential medicines were 70.2%. Analysis of polypharmacy showed maximum 11 and minimum 1 drug was prescribed. Overall analysis of the drugs showed, the most common route of administration was orally. Drugs acting on cardiovascular system (CVS), gastrointestinal system (GI) system, analgesics and anti-inflammatory drugs and vitamins and mineral supplements constitute the major bulk of drug prescribed.Conclusions: In our study, though polypharmacy was found but it was necessary unavoidable, but was within the WHO standards of 1.6 to 4.8. Drugs acting on CVS and GI system were the most common drugs prescribed. Prescriptions with injections and steroids were less in the study population. All the drugs were prescribed by their generic name and most were present in the essential list of medicines.

Adult Immunization in Diabetes - Current Recommendations

Oral health is not separate from general health but maintaining oral health is definitely difficult and different in old age. Even though few elderly people have physical andor mental situation that call for particular interest in the dental workplace one should not presume that all elderly community shares these circumstances. In order to achieve health it is necessary to know few aspects of old age. In due course of old age body tissues get harder collection of waste products in body cells and loss of lubrication leads to impaired functions of various organs. There is wide evidence that periodontitis is a risk factor for certain systemic diseases and impaired oral health has been associated with mastication and nutritional problems especially among the elderly with highly negative effects on their quality of life. Although a specific protocol must be tailored to meet the unique needs of the individual patient there are certain factors common to elderly segment of the population that may influence these protocols.

Association of Blood Pressure With Stroke Risk, Stratified by Age and Stroke Type, in a Low-Income Population in China: A 27-Year Prospective Cohort Study.

Association of stroke risk with new blood pressure criterion 2017 is unknown in China. We assessed the association between blood pressure (BP) values and stroke risk in a low-income population in Tianjin, China. Systolic blood pressure (SBP) and diastolic blood pressure (DBP) values were categorized into five strata and strokes were recorded as stroke, ischemic stroke, and hemorrhagic stroke. Stroke risk was analyzed according to blood pressure stratum using Cox regression analysis. Overall, 4,017 residents (age, ≥18 years) were included in this prospective cohort study. Over a 27-year follow-up period (total, 86,515.78 person-years), 638 participants experienced first-ever strokes. The stroke risk was higher among individuals with SBPs ≥140 mmHg or DBPs ≥90 mmHg than among those with SBPs < 130 mmHg or DBPs < 80 mmHg (reference group), after adjusting for covariates. However, hemorrhagic stroke risk increased only in participants with SBPs ≥160 mmHg. The stroke risk increased for individuals < 65-years-old having BP values ≥130/80 mmHg and for individuals ≥65-years-old with BP values ≥160/90 mmHg. To reduce the stroke burden in China, target BP goals must be established for adults, with different targets for the middle-aged and the elderly segments of the population. These results are very important for guiding clinical practice and may be generalized to other developing countries experiencing rapid economic development and where transitions in the spectrum of prevalent diseases have occurred.

Oral health concerns in elderly: A review

Oral health is not separate from general health but maintaining oral health is definitely difficult and different in old age. Even though few elderly people have physical andor mental situation that call for particular interest in the dental workplace one should not presume that all elderly community shares these circumstances. In order to achieve health it is necessary to know few aspects of old age. In due course of old age body tissues get harder collection of waste products in body cells and loss of lubrication leads to impaired functions of various organs. There is wide evidence that periodontitis is a risk factor for certain systemic diseases and impaired oral health has been associated with mastication and nutritional problems especially among the elderly with highly negative effects on their quality of life. Although a specific protocol must be tailored to meet the unique needs of the individual patient there are certain factors common to elderly segment of the population that may influence these protocols.

A Set of Variables for the Elderly Accessibility in Urban Areas

Until a few years ago, the elderly were considered as fragile, lonely, marginalized citizens, unable to live independently and had generally been invisible in studies and planning instruments that involved the governance of urban transformations. In recent years, a major focus of attention has been paid to the matter in urban development policies too (OECD, 2015), which should be oriented towards the construction of an urban model aimed at reducing the social exclusion of the elderly. For this purpose, this contribution describes a first research segment developed by the University of Naples operating unit concerning the definition of a set of variables to measure accessibility of the elderly segment of the population to the neighbourhood scale. In particular, the paper pursues a twofold objective: cognitive and methodological. Firstly, to outline the cognitive framework on the issue of urban accessibility for the elderly through a review of the main studies on this topic, the plans of sustainable urban mobility, the service plans and the governance tools for urban transformation, as well as of the most recent European best practices. The cognitive framework shall allow identifying the limits to be overcome in the reorganisation of the city. Secondly, this paper is intended to identify the set of significant variables taken from the cognitive framework and quantify its specific weight. The paper also proposes a first parameterization of the variables in the GIS environment, which refer to quantitative geo-localized data rather than collected from sample surveys, such as interviews, widely used in literature.

The influence of maintenance therapy of rituximab on the survival of elderly patients with follicular lymphoma. A retrospective analysis from the database of the Czech Lymphoma Study Group

The rituximab maintenance (RM) therapy for follicular lymphoma is effective and clinically well tolerated, however there is limited data regarding this from the elderly segment of the population. This analysis was performed to evaluate the efficacy of RM in elderly patients 65 years of age and older and to assess the influence of the induction therapy with immunochemotherapy (R-CHEMO) on the treatment outcome in a real world setting. A total of 232 consecutive patients treated with first-line R-CHEMO and RM (RM1 group; n = 158) or observation (RM0 group; n = 74) were analyzed. The effect of which induction therapy (R-CHOP vs. R-CVP) and the response of the patients to the first-line therapy were also evaluated. The addition of RM improved the treatment results in elderly patients. The 5- year overall survival rate in patients receiving R-CHEMO + RM1 compared to patients receiving R-CHEMO + RM0, was 83.7% (95% CI 76.1–89%) and 64.3% (95% CI 51.8–74.3%), respectively, p = 0.0012. The induction therapy with R-CHOP was found to be more effective than R-CVP but it is necessary to point out higher age of patients in the R-CVP arm. The 5- year overall survival rate in patients using R-CHOP ± RM and R-CVP ± RM was 84.9% (95% CI 77.5–90%), and 65.0% (95% CI 50.1–76.4%), respectively, p = 0.0008. The patients who achieved CR + uCR after having received first-line therapy had better outcomes compared to patients in PR. The 5- year overall survival rate in uCR + CR patients treated with R-CHEMO + RM1 and PR patients treated with R-CHEMO + RM1 was 90.6% and 68.3%, respectively, p = 0.0019. Rituximab maintenance treatment in patients 65 years and older yielded improved survival rates in a real world clinical setting. The R-CHOP regimen seems to be a more effective induction agent than R-CVP but the outcome of less intensively treated patients with R-CVP + RM is also acceptable. The achievement of uCR + CR after first-line therapy is associated with a better outcome.

Envelhecimento populacional e suas implicações à gestão de marketing: Uma investigação no setor de academias de ginásticas

This work aims at analysing how gym academies are responding to the phenomenon of population ageing. Some research and studies have already pointed out specific needs of the elderly segment. However, this work intends to discuss the aging market and the supply of sports services and academies for individuals over 40 years old (the aging segment), who start to present physical needs and limitations associated with the aging process. The research approach is qualitative descriptive and the data was obtained through interviews with owners or staff of academies located in the metropolitan region of Campinas. The analysis of the results indicated the recognition of the potential of senior and mature consumers (between 40-59 years old). However none of the respondents had practices and services that exclusively met the needs of this group of consumers. In this context, the research sought to identify the factors and attributes most relevant to the supply of services of academies to the aging public, based on the recognition of the opportunity and the potential posed by this market. The study presents some contribution to the area of marketing services, as also adds relevant aspects to the development of businesses that seek this potential market.

The aging heart.

As the elderly segment of the world population increases, it is critical to understand the changes in cardiac structure and function during the normal aging process. In this review, we outline the key molecular pathways and cellular processes that underlie the phenotypic changes in the heart and vasculature that accompany aging. Reduced autophagy, increased mitochondrial oxidative stress, telomere attrition, altered signaling in insulin-like growth factor, growth differentiation factor 11, and 5'- AMP-activated protein kinase pathways are among the key molecular mechanisms underlying cardiac aging. Aging promotes structural and functional changes in the atria, ventricles, valves, myocardium, pericardium, the cardiac conduction system, and the vasculature. We highlight the factors known to accelerate and attenuate the intrinsic aging of the heart and vessels in addition to potential preventive and therapeutic avenues. A greater understanding of the processes involved in cardiac aging may facilitate our ability to mitigate the escalating burden of CVD in older individuals and promote healthy cardiac aging.

Using Correspondence Analysis to Explore the Relationship Between Information Sources and Elderly Tourist Segments

This research aimed 1) to segment the target market of New-Age Elderly tourists, and 2) to define the data source that each group of New-Age Elderly tourists used for their trip planning by collecting data from 420 samples of Thai tourists aged between 60-80 years old in tourist attractions in cities. It was found from the findings that we can group New-Age Elderly tourists into five segments. Having analyzed the relationship between sources of tourism information and five segments of New-Age Elderly tourists the results can be summarized as follows. The first segment (‘Worried’) stressed making decisions and only felt confident after reading and having seen pictures. This group then stressed using tourism sources from leaflets or brochures. The second segment (‘Accepting aging’), saw it as a fact of life that no one can control aging and that it should be accepted. They stressed using friends and relatives as sources of tourism information. The third segment (‘Firmly with changes’) dared to face up to new things and considered life as an adventure. Plus, they sought out new and unseen tourism destinations that seemed exciting and wild so, they stressed using tourism data sources from tourism magazines and TV programs. The fourth segment (‘Young at heart’) were those with life satisfaction, who loved having fun and always felt young. They wanted to travel and stressed using data sources directly from tour agencies. The fifth segment (‘Consciousness’) were conscious in their actions and did not dwell on the past. This segment stressed using information sources from articles in travel magazines, newspapers, or journals. This study provides more understanding about the concept of the New-Age Elderly that makes a contribution to both research in the area of the New-Age Elderly and for practitioners in the tourism industry.

Conditions of Work and Employment for Older Workers in Industrialized Countries: Understanding the Issues

Concern regarding older workers is not new to the ILO. In the late 1970s, the potential problems faced by aging societies around the world were discussed and debated in detail. The result of these activities was the creation of an international labour standard, the Older Workers Recommendation, 1980 (No. 162). This international standard was intended to frame the issues of concern regarding the employment and work circumstances of older workers and to stimulate action to improve them. Integral to this were provisions addressing the conditions of work and employment of older workers and the issues that needed to be considered when improving their circumstances. Consequently, the Recommendation includes conditions of work and employment provisions on age discrimination, working time and work organization, wages and older workers’ need to address family responsibilities. Using the ILO Recommendation as a framework, this paper explores these conditions of work and employment issues in greater depth. It commences by outlining reasons as to why there is at present a concern about the growth of the elderly segment of the population. It then highlights some of the problems older workers have faced in the past when remaining in or re-entering the paid labour market. While the authors suggest that the choice of continuing work should remain with older workers themselves, the paper outlines the situation that exists in the labour market of the countries with the most pressing concerns about extending the working lives of older workers. The paper addresses what is considered the largest obstacle for entry or re-entry of older workers in the labour market ― age discrimination ― and illustrates how it can be addressed. The attention of the work then turns to examining conditions of work in the form of working time and work organization, in order to determine which factors need to be considered for older workers to effectively and constructively contribute to the labour market. Wage issues, particularly seniority wage issues, are also considered. The paper then explores the under-examined, but nevertheless very real, problems faced by older workers who must reconcile work with family life. The paper concludes with a consideration of the factors that need to be taken into account in the future when developing conditions of work and employment policies for older workers and suggestions for how other countries, which may not currently experience this problem to the same extent, should consider addressing these issues in their own context.

Innovative Positioning as a Marketing Tool of Retailers on the Food Market

Objective : The aim of the paper is to develop the theory of retail business positioning as a part of marketing innovation-based strategy. It is proposed that innovative retail formats and business models should be included in it. Research Design & Methods : The critical literature review on the existing dimensions of business positioning as well as the new, suggested dimensions is made. General trends in food retailers’ positioning in Poland and the positioning strategy development of Carrefour are analysed in the form of examples and a short case study. They are based on the secondary sources like academic papers, retail magazines and companies’ web sites. Findings: On the fragmented food markets retailers position themselves by introducing format innovations and stressing low price. Then they have to reposition themselves by attributes other than price. Big mass merchandisers are now segmenters. Implications & Recommendations: In Poland the tendencies for buying natural, Fair Trade, diabetics, organic or functional products, as well as the focus on the elderly segment are opportunities for retailers. Yet, trading up creates new opportunities for discounters. Contribution & Value Added: The paper contributes to the theory of retail positioning by linking elements of the marketing and the entrepreneurship approaches. It also develops knowledge about the Polish retail food market.