Field Of Gerontology Research Articles

항산화제 섭취가 중년남성의 고강도 다빈도운동에 의한 신체산화 및 혈관노화 예방에 미치는 효과

In this study, in order to suggest a method to minimize the inevitable body oxidation in high-intensity exercise, nutritional supplementary therapy of antioxidant intake was effective in preventing physical aging due to body oxidation and vascular aging targeting high-intensity and frequent exercise performers. The purpose of this study is to find out what kind of effect it has and use it as a reference for research in the field of gerontology. The subjects of this study were 12 Cross-Fit male members in their 40s and 50s, who performed the same high-intensity Cross-Fit exercise 4 times a week for 8 weeks while taking antioxidants from the Intake Group, 6 people taking antioxidants provided by the researcher. Six non-intake groups who did not ingest were selected. The variables of body oxidation and vascular aging were measured as a pre-test immediately after the first exercise program was finished, and a post-test was conducted immediately after the last exercise program of week 8 was completed. During the study period, I.G consumed the antioxidant provided by the researcher at the prescribed time and dose, and N.G stopped taking supplements containing nutrients notified by the researcher. As a Results 1. Antioxidant intake significantly reduces the surge in lactate acid during high-intensity and frequent exercise. 2. Antioxidant intake significantly reduces the aging of APG during high-intensity and frequent exercise. 3. The intake of antioxidants has a significant effect in preventing body oxidation by reducing the rapid increase in lactate acid during high-intensity and frequent exercise. 4. The intake of antioxidants has a significant effect in preventing vascular aging by reducing the aging of APG during high-intensity and frequent exercise.

Awareness of age-related gains and losses as moderators of daily stress reactivity in middle- and older-adulthood.

ObjectivesAssociations between awareness of one’s own aging and wellbeing have received increasing attention in the field of gerontology over the last decade. The current study examines how between-person differences and within-person fluctuations of awareness of age-related change (AARC) relate to daily negative affect and vitality. Of key interest was the extent to which fluctuations in AARC moderated reactivity to stressor exposure. We predicted that higher positive perceptions of aging (AARC-gains) would buffer the relationship between daily stressors and negative affect/vitality. Conversely, we expected that higher negative perceptions (AARC-losses) may exacerbate the relationship between daily stressors and the outcome variables.MethodsData were collected from a community-based sample of 152 Australian adults aged 53–86 (M = 69.18, SD = 5.73). For 10 consecutive days, participants completed surveys on their smartphones measuring daily stressors, AARC, and affect (positive and negative). Bayesian hierarchical linear models were used to examine whether AARC-gains and AARC-losses moderated within-person associations of daily stressors and affect (i.e., stress reactivity).ResultsAt the between-person level, higher AARC-gains was associated with lower negative affect and higher vitality, whereas those reporting higher AARC-losses scored higher on negative affect and lower on vitality. Within-person variables revealed that on days when AARC-gains was higher and AARC-losses was lower, this corresponded with lower negative affect and higher vitality. There was no evidence in support of individual moderating effects of within-person AARC-losses or within-person AARC-gains on stress reactivity. A trend was evident in support of a three-way WP Stress severity × WP AARC-gains × WP AARC-losses interaction in the prediction of negative affect, indicating that on days when AARC-losses was higher, the association of stress severity with negative affect was weaker if AARC-gains was higher. Follow-up analyses modeling quadratic stress severity revealed a trend suggesting an interaction of within-person stress severity and within-person AARC-losses.DiscussionResults indicate that both individual differences and short-term fluctuations in AARC are associated with daily negative affect and vitality. The results provided qualified support for a possible protective role of AARC-gains in the context of stress reactivity.

The Effects of Psychoeducational Interventions Based on Mindfulness on Depression, Anxiety, and Stress Outcomes of Older Adults

People of the older ages are now the growing segment of the general population. Despite the individual diversities, older adults are perceived as associated with poor social and emotional functions. The present study aims to examine the effects of mindfulness-based psychoeducational interventions on the depression, anxiety, and stress outcomes of older adults. Thus, it highlights the significance of continuous research in the field of gerontology and awareness and offers suggestions for future research. In the study, the Pearson correlation research method is conducted. The target group consists of older adults aged 60 and over. Grandparents with grandchildren aged 0-6 who attend a pre-school in Bayrampaşa district of Istanbul province constitute the participants. According to repeated measures ANOVA analysis, DASS (Depression Anxiety Stress Scale) scores show a significant difference between before and after Mindfulness Training.

Population Aging in Latin America: A Salutogenic Understanding is Needed

As population aging advances, the urgency of observing healthcare models that seek to promote the comprehensiveness of the older person becomes evident. This short review explores some theoretical points that encourage the study of the Salutogenic Paradigm proposed by Antonovsky (1996), pondering the possible benefits for the gerontological field. Short readings, such as the one presented here, encourage us to explore and better understand the health of older adults and the care mechanisms that arise from it.

Indigenised approaches to addressing elder abuse in Uganda

Summary The social gerontological field has long called for a culturally appropriate framework to understand, prevent, and respond to elder abuse in the Global South. This emphasis is, in part, based on the notion that elder abuse is a cultural and structural concern that cannot be effectively addressed using mainstream social work approaches. Therefore, indigenised approaches are preferred while tackling cultural and structural forms of elder abuse. However, despite several attempts, there is limited research on indigenised approaches and practices within the gerontological social work field. Therefore, we investigated how social work could promote indigenised approaches to better address elder abuse. We explored this through in-depth semi-structured interviews with a purposive sample of 21 social workers. Findings Elder abuse is a cultural and structural social problem that requires family- and community-centred approaches premised on the Indigenous values of togetherness, reciprocity, solidarity, responsibility and love for humanity. These approaches must be embedded in people’s cultures and knowledge to address the social structural changes that have contributed to elder abuse in the Global South. Applications Social workers should strengthen family and community support to achieve social capital and inclusion for older people. This will not only enable families and communities to safeguard their older members, but also enhance community-based solutions to address elder abuse. Social work educators should engage in robust and rigorous research and curriculum change for social work education to enable the integration of post-colonial theories and approaches into social work training.

The Effect of Teaching Fundamentals of Geriatric Life on Nurses' Knowledge and Attitudes toward Aging

Introduction: Nurses are always involved with caring for elderly patients. They need to increase their knowledge and skills in the field of aging to provide effective care to elderly patients. Moreover, attitudes of nurses affect the quality of care for elderly people. Some interventions such as education are effective tools for improving nurses' knowledge and attitudes to better understand the problems of the elderly. The present study aims at determining the effect of teaching fundamentals of geriatric life on nurses' knowledge and attitudes toward aging.
 
 Methods: This was a quasi-experimental, pretest-posttest with control group study. It was performed on 91 nurses working in Meybod (44 nurses) and Ardakan Hospitals (47 nurses). Training sessions on fundamentals of geriatric life were conducted for the experimental group. The training program consisted of five training sessions in the field of geriatrics . Data collection instruments included: Palmore's Facts on Aging Quiz, and Kogan's Attitude Toward Older People Scale, which were completed three times before, immediately after, and two months after the intervention for both groups.
 
 Results: There was no significant difference in knowledge between the two groups before the intervention (p = 0.792). Yet, the knowledge score immediately and two months after the intervention showed a significant difference between the experimental and control groups (p < 0.01). The mean score of attitude before intervention was no significant difference between groups (p = 0.069). However, there was a significant difference in attitude score immediately and two months after the intervention between the experimental and control groups (p < 0.01).
 
 Conclusion: Teaching fundamentals of geriatric nursing to nurses improved their knowledge and attitudes toward the problems and needs of the elderls. Using retraining courses in the field of aging is recommended for nurses.

PRINCIPLES OF REMOVABLE DENTURE THERAPY

An important field of gerontology is the determination of a person’s biological age, in order to assess the changes produced in the body as time elapses. A considerable amount of research work conducted in this direction has proven that the morphological, physiological, biochemical, psychological and social involution changes are not identical in individuals of the same age, as such, the biological age does not usually correspond to the chronological, calendar age. Each individual has his/her own rate of aging, which follows more or less the physiological development of the senescence process. One of the most important categories of patients who go to the dentist today is the elderly. They usually present with a complex pathology due to the loss of a large number of dental units (very often subtotal edentulism), due to complications that have occurred over time and, last but not least, due to the pathophysiological specificity of this category of patients. The pathological conditions caused by the significant changes underwent by the dento-maxillary system functions may trigger severe homeostasis impairment in the remaining alveolar bone, in the oral mucosa, of the temporo-mandibular joint, of the masticatory and perioral muscles, as well as of the nervous system of the edentulous patient. Edentulism is an abnormal clinical condition in which the morphological and functional alteration processes were triggered long before, i.e. at the time of onset of the diseases that determined it.

Effect of a Psychological Empowerment Program on Life Satisfaction and Attitudes Towards Aging in Older Women Living in Tehran, Iran

Background and Aim Old age is a critical period in life. Due to advances in technologies and improvement in healthy conditions, the number of aged population is increasing. Hence, it is necessary to pay attention to their life satisfaction and attitudes towards aging. The present study aims to assess the effectiveness of a psychological empowerment program on life satisfaction and attitude towards aging in older women living in Tehran, Iran. Methods & Materials The study population consists of all women aged 60-70 years referred to a charity foundation in Tehran, Iran in 2020. Of these, 24 women were selected by a convenience sampling method. They were randomly assigned to the intervention (n=12) and control (n=12) groups. Using a pre-test/post-test design, the elderly first completed the life satisfaction index-Z and the attitude towards aging questionnaire. Then, the experimental group received the psychological empowerment program at 8 sessions. After the intervention, the questionnaires were completed again by both groups. Multivariate analysis of covariance was used to analyze the collected data in SPSS software, version 19. Ethical Considerations This study was approved by the Research Ethics Committee of Islamic Azad University of Arak Branch (Code: IR.IAU.ARAK.REC.1400.027). Results There was a significant difference in life satisfaction (F=9.673, P=0.006) and attitudes towards aging (F=8.385, P=0.009) between the two groups. The psychological empowerment program significantly improved life satisfaction and attitudes towards aging in older women. Conclusion The psychological empowerment program is effective in improving life satisfaction and attitude towards aging in older women living in Tehran. It can be used by experts in the fields of counseling, geriatrics, psychology, and health.

Inside aging masculinities and gerontological careers

This roundtable discussion is a creative contribution to this special issue on ‘aging masculinities’ based on questions posed by editor Stephen Katz to three leading senior scholars in the critical gerontological field in the United States. W. Andrew Achenbaum is a renowned historian who has devoted his career to writing about the relevance of past politics, cultures, and knowledges of aging to comprehending our current dilemmas. Thomas R. Cole is an acclaimed historical scholar and mentor to generations of Humanities researchers across the globe. His work also includes film, literature, ethics, and spirituality. Brian de Vries is a social gerontologist whose bold research on LGBTQ aging is a powerful voice in critiquing the multiple forms of discrimination, violence and hardships, and denied rights and life-chances imposed by hetero-patriarchal regimes in later life. That these men have shaped and been shaped by their work and advocacy is the key theme that inspires our conversation.

Social group "65 plus": Pandemic's ethical dilemma

Background: The conditions of the emergency create an unprecedented, but legitimate approach, when the rights and freedoms of the individual can be limited in the public interest. From the first days of the pandemic, a special social group of the population began to stand out, with the code name "65+".
 Aim: to give an ethical assessment of the attitude of society to the population group "65+", to show the contradiction between medical and bioethical approaches to the criteria for selecting a group.
 Materials and methods: The review of fundamental and modern works in the problem field was carried out. The empirical basis of the work was the materials of a sociological survey using Google forms (N = 520).
 Results: According to the analysis of statistical indicators of employment in the Russia before the pandemic (2019), the share of employees aged 6064 years was 32,4 %, in the range of 6569 years 13,7% of the size of the age group, which indicates the high social activity of the 65+ group (approximately every third or fourth pensioner continues to work) and demonstrates the labor potential of the group. At the same time, anti-epidemic measures related to restrictions on labor and social activity primarily affected this group, which led to stigmatization based on the age criterion. The long-term confrontation with the pandemic has weakened the psychological tactics of treating older patients that have not been fully developed in the national health care, based on the ethics of care. A survey of medical students (aged 2124) conducted in March 2021 showed that the majority (82,8 %) of respondents viewed restrictions as unacceptable discrimination.
 Conclusion: The review of updated research and the analysis of the current situation have shown that the phenomenon of the aging of the nation and the vulnerability of the older age group of the population to a new coronavirus infection have led to a contradiction in approaches to the considered age group from the standpoint of medicine and bioethics. The inherently humane measure of protection for a group that is especially vulnerable in terms of medical indicators began to be perceived by the society as a reason for stigmatization. The solution to the dilemma is possible in the context of the convergence of medical and human sciences in the interdisciplinary problem field of gerontology and geriatrics.

Intra-rater reliability and feasibility of the HexCom advanced disease complexity assessment model

AimTo study the intra-rater reliability and feasibility of the HexCom complexity assessment model by analyzing internal consistency, intra-rater reliability and response time. DesignTest–retest study with a selection of 11 clinical situations that cover the full scope of situations assessed by the HexCom model and which are responded to individually. LocationHome care, primary care, hospital and sociosanitary care. Two specialized palliative home care teams (PADES). ParticipantsA total of 20 professionals comprising 10 experts in palliative home care (PADES) and 10 professionals from general palliative care (primary care, hospital and sociosanitary care). These professionals came from the fields of family medicine (5), internal medicine (2), geriatrics (2), nursing (9), psychology (1) and social work (1). Main measurementsCronbach's alpha, weighted kappa, response time. ResultsCronbach's alpha of 0.91 for HexCom-Red and 0.87 for HexCom-Clin. Intra-rater reliability ranging from good to very good for HexCom-Red (kappa: 0.78–1) and from moderate to very good for HexCom-Clin (kappa: 0.58–0.91). Average response time of 0:57 for HexCom-Red and 3:80min for HexComClin. ConclusionsHexCom-Red and HexCom-Clin are reliable tools and feasible for use by all professionals involved in both general and specialized palliative care at different levels.

COVID-19 and Spelled Ageism: What Effect Does the Pandemic Have on Older People?

The major aim of this discussion is to spotlight the ageism that has appeared during COVID-19. Here we discuss about how the older people are wrongly presented in our community and their less value in the society. During this pandemic, COVID-19 resulted into major cause of death for older adults. Ageism is generally seen in the western and developing societies, and here older people are seen with false beliefs and judgments. To overcome this, the health authorities should consider older adults to be an integral part of the population, they should not feel burdened by them. Objective: The article provides a review of the literature on behaviour and attitudes toward ageism and older adults in the world and discusses the facts and findings on the basis of the review of literature on aging, age stereotypes, impact of ageism on older people, as well as their link to culture and society. Methods: The review articles was published from June 2020 to January 2021 and indexed in the electronic databases Web of Science, PubMed, and WHO official website. Electronic searches were made with visual scanning of reference lists and hand searching of leading journals in the field of aging and social gerontology.

Expert consensus on enteral nutrition support for elderly patients with critical illness in China (2022)

Elderly patients with critical illness are more prone to have malnutrition and impaired immune function. How to improve the nutritional status of elderly patients with critical illness is important. At present, no consensus has been reached. In order to standardize the nutritional support strategies for elderly patients with critical illness, Chinese Geriatric Society and Critical Care Medicine Division of Chinese Geriatric Society took the lead in organizing experts in the fields of critical medicine, geriatrics, evidence-based medicine and clinical nutrition to summarize the new evidence in the field of enteral nutrition support for elderly patients with severe illness at home and abroad, and jointly formulated the Expert consensus on enteral nutrition support for elderly patients with critical illness in China (2022). In the consensus, the GRADE recommendation principle and improved Delphi method were adopted to formed 19 recommendations, including the timing, the dose and dosage of enteral nutrition, nutrition support-related complications, perioperative enteral nutrition support, to provide reference basis for enteral nutrition support treatment of elderly severe patients.

Effective Behaviors in Work Teams: Spanish Adaptation of the Individual Behavior Analysis Scale.

There are hardly any instruments to measure teamwork behaviors from an individual approach. This applies both in interprofessional teams or not, and in teams involved in health, social care, and other areas. The Individual Behavior Analysis (IBA) scale measures efficacious behavior in work teams. It is one of the few instruments proposed in the literature to measure personal skills necessary for teamwork. Only a previous exploratory analysis of the scale was informed in another study. This article analyzes its internal structure using different confirmatory factor analyses and its internal consistency, with a sample of 815 employees working for Spanish social organizations in the geriatric field, both private and public. The results of the definitive version adapted to Spanish, referred to as Individual Behavior Analysis −25, indicate a good fit of the model to the data and good reliability. Factor analysis confirmed the existence of two factors: Communication skills and Acceptance, with good internal consistency coefficients. This scale is a useful instrument for assessing, based on the reviewed literature, two of the most important individual skills an efficacious team should have.

Identification of Seniors at Risk: transcultural adaptation for Brazilian Portuguese.

ABSTRACTObjective To perform cross-cultural adaptation of the Identification of Seniors at Risk tool.Methods This methodological study was based on the guidelines process proposed by Beaton, attending the stages of translation, back-translation, judgment by judges and content validation of the Identification of Seniors at Risk tool. The goal of this tool is to allow the identification of the elderly at risk for hospitalization, composed of six dichotomous questions (yes or no) related to functional decline, comorbidities, previous hospitalization (last 6 months), visual impairment, significant changes in memory and polypharmacy. Two bilingual translators and 16 health professionals with hospital and academic performance in the fields of geriatrics and gerontology participated in the study.Results Differences were observed between the initial translations and the final version. Changes were made to questions 1, 3, 4 and 6. In the last question, an item was modified to meet the Brazilian polypharmacy criterion. After the cross-cultural adaptation, the tool showed 100% agreement between the judges.Conclusion Brazilian Identification of Seniors at Risk has indexes of verbal comprehension and high content validity.

La desesperanza como predictora de la soledad en adultos mayores

Background and objectiveHopelessness is characterized by a set of negative cognitive schemas about the future, conceptualized on the basis of three dimensions: affective, motivational and cognitive. This construct is linked to loneliness, the incidence of which in older adults is increasingly high. The aim of this research is to test whether hopelessness factors predict levels of loneliness in older adults. Material and methods138 non-institutionalized persons from Valencia city between 65-90 years old participated, with a mean age of 73.67 (SD=4.8), and 59.4% were women. The Beck Hopelessness Scale (BHS) and University of California Los Angeles Loneliness Scale (UCLA) were administered to assess participants. ResultsThe motivational and cognitive factors acted as statistically significant predictors of loneliness, while the affective factor was not presented as a significant factor. The final model obtained an R2adj=.442, F(3, 87)=23.97, p<.001. ConclusionsLoneliness is a phenomenon of great concern in the field of gerontology due to its high incidence and impact. The results indicate that hopelessness, specifically loss of motivation and negative expectations about the future, are critical issues for the development of feelings of loneliness in older adults. Thus, it is relevant to pay attention to these variables in order to apply loneliness prevention programs.

Connecting Science With Bold Decision Making to Improve Air Quality for All.

In the grips of an ongoing respiratory pandemic, it is critical that we address the deep-rooted injustices of air pollution and its disparate effects on public health across the country. To do so, we must leverage the best available science to inform effective and equitable policy choices. This journal, and the invaluable field of gerontology, shines a light on the harmful connections between air pollution and the disproportionate health threats that affect historically disadvantaged and overburdened communities, including the often-overlooked geriatric population. For older adults, more exposure to air pollution is linked with declines in both the body and mind—when particulate matter pollutant levels are high, the risk of frailty is 27% higher (1) and error rates in cognitive function are 1.5 times greater (2). The conclusions in these studies serve as a call to action to improve our air quality management across local, state, and...

Building a national network of student leaders in gerontology: Reflections on the student representative program

ABSTRACT The Canadian Association on Gerontology’s Student Connection facilitates a national Student Representative program to promote the field of gerontology at local post-secondary institutions. Student Representatives are expected to host professional development and networking events on their campus to bring together students interested in the field of aging. Student-run groups help foster interest in aging-related careers and research, yet few studies explore how these groups are developed and sustained. As part of this quality improvement project, we examined (1) who participates as a Student Representative; (2) why students choose to participate in the program; and (3) how Student Representatives fulfil their role (including barriers and facilitators). We conclude with a discussion of the challenges that the Student Connection’s executive committee has faced supporting this national network and identify opportunities to further enhance the program. Practical implications to support student engagement and promote sustainability of student-driven aginginterest groups are outlined.

Profiguration, Active Ageing, and Creativity: Keys for Quality of Life and Overcoming Ageism.

This article is based on qualitative analysis of interviews and focus groups conducted with participants enrolled in the Senior Programme of the University of Lleida, the City Council of Lleida, and care homes, as well as professional workers in the field of gerontology and related areas. It presents the analysis of interviews focused on the participants’ life trajectories, ageing, creativity, self-perception, and quality of life. The study aimed to examine how creativity influences the maintenance and improvement of a sense of wellbeing in older adults, and to reflect on how the perception of old age and of oneself changes through creative activity and active engagement across the life span. The article is framed within a new concept in sociology and the social sciences—‘profiguration’, which is the key element in the promotion and strengthening of intergenerational interdependence, education, wellbeing, social participation, and active ageing.

Who wants to work in geriatrics: Findings from a national survey of physicians and nurse practitioners

BackgroundAs the United States population is aging, there is a chronic shortage of geriatrics- and gerontology- trained clinicians despite a variety of incentives. With primary care clinicians also in short supply, health systems are trying to cope with the increasing demand for care for older adults PurposeThe purpose of this study was to examine respondents' willingness to recommend their career to others and beliefs about changes necessary to enhance the supply of appropriately prepared clinicians MethodsThis study used a national survey of a stratified sample of 276 physicians and 134 nurse practitioners working in primary care and geriatric practices. FindingsAmong nurse practitioner respondents, 29% would "definitely" recommend a career as a geriatrician vs. seventeen percent of physicians; thirteen percent of physicians would "definitely" recommend a career as a nurse practitioner specializing in adult/gerontology vs. 42% for nurse practitioners. Those trained in geriatrics were more likely to recommend a career in the field. DiscussionNurse practitioners and physicians differ in their willingness to recommend careers in in gerontology and geriatrics, but less than a majority would strongly recommend careers in either specialty. Based on clinical reports, substantial reforms in payment and reimbursement for services may be necessary to bolster the geriatric field's attractiveness, and better prepare the workforce to care for older adults.