Healthy Aging Research Articles

Within- and between-person associations of time-varying determinants with snacking in older adults: an EMA study.

Promoting healthy snacking is important in addressing malnutrition, overweight and obesity among an ageing population. However, little is known about the factors underlying snacking behaviour in older adults. The present study aimed to explore within- and between-person associations between determinants (i.e. intention, visibility of snacks, social modelling and emotions) and snacking behaviours (i.e. decision to snack, health factor of the snack and portion size) in older adults (60+). Conducting a two-part intensive longitudinal design, data was analysed from 48 healthy older adults consisting of (1) an event-based self-report ecological momentary assessment (EMA) diary every time they had a snack and (2) a time-based EMA questionnaire on their phone 5 times per day. Analysis through generalised linear mixed models indicated that higher intention to snack healthily leads to healthier snacking while higher levels of social modelling and cheerfulness promote unhealthier choices within individuals. At the between-person level, similar results were found for intention and social modelling. Visibility of a snack increased portion size at both a within- and between-person level, while the intention to eat a healthy snack only increased portion size at the between-person level. No associations were found between the decision to snack and all determinants. This is the first study to investigate both within- and between-person associations between time-varying determinants and snacking in older adults. Such information holds the potential for incorporation into just-in-time adaptive interventions, allowing for personalised tailoring, more effective promotion of healthier snacking behaviours and thus, pursuing the challenge of healthy ageing.

Citizen science as a vehicle to address multiple policy objectives: Case studies from Australia.

Despite increasing interest in citizen science as an approach to engage members of the public in research and decision making about health and wellbeing, there is a lack of practical evidence to guide policy and practice organisations to utilise these approaches. In this study we investigated how and why citizen science came to be incorporated into the work of two policy organisations. We offer two in-depth case studies of Australian government organisations which have utilised citizen science in environmental and healthy ageing policy. Interviews with organisational informants and relevant documents were analysed inductively to explore how citizen science came to be adopted, legitimised and supported. Citizen science was utilised to address multiple organisational objectives, including increasing community participation in science; enhancing individuals' wellbeing, learning, and skills, and generating data to support research and policy in a relatively cost-effective manner. In both cases, grant funding was a mechanism to support citizen science, with project delivery facilitated through academic-policy partnerships and led by external academic or community partners. Although citizen science is relatively new in policy and practice settings, this study underscores the value of these approaches in realising co-benefits for organisations, academics, and community members. The support and advocacy of senior managers as 'champions', and a willingness to invest in trialling new approaches to address policy problems are necessary ingredients to foster acceptance and legitimacy of citizen science. SO WHAT?: Citizen science initiatives can be strategically utilised by health promotion organisations to enact priorities related to genuine community involvement, support research and innovation and facilitate collaboration and partnerships between academic, policy and community stakeholders.

Intersectional inequalities in the transition to grandparenthood and cognitive functioning: A longitudinal Multilevel Analysis of Individual Heterogeneity and Discriminatory Accuracy (MAIHDA).

In aging societies, more people become vulnerable to experiencing cognitive decline. Simultaneously, the role of grandparenthood is central for older adults and their families. Our study investigates inequalities in the level and trajectories of cognitive functioning among older adults, focusing on possible intersectional effects of social determinants and grandparenthood as a life course transition that may contribute to delaying cognitive decline. Using longitudinal data from the Survey of Health, Ageing and Retirement in Europe, we analyzed a sample of 19,953 individuals aged 50-85 without grandchildren at baseline. We applied Multilevel Analysis of Individual Heterogeneity and Discriminatory Accuracy to investigate variation in cognitive functioning across 48 intersectional strata, defined by sex/gender, migration, education, and occupation. We allowed the impact of becoming a grandparent on cognitive functioning trajectories to vary across strata by including random slopes. Intersectional strata accounted for 17.43% of the overall variance in cognitive functioning, with most of the stratum-level variation explained by additive effects of the stratum-defining characteristics. Transition to grandparenthood was associated with higher cognitive functioning, showing a stronger effect for women. Stratum-level variation in the grandparenthood effect was modest, especially after accounting for interactions between grandparenthood and the stratum-defining variables. This study highlights the importance of social determinants for understanding heterogeneities in older adults' level of cognitive functioning and its association with the transition to grandparenthood. Cumulative disadvantages negatively affect cognitive functioning, hence adopting an intersectional lens is useful to decompose inequalities and derive tailored interventions to promote equal healthy aging.

Neuromodulatory effects of parietal high-definition transcranial direct-current stimulation on network-level activity serving fluid intelligence.

Fluid intelligence (Gf) involves rational thinking skills and requires the integration of information from different cortical regions to resolve novel complex problems. The effects of non-invasive brain stimulation on Gf have been studied in attempts to improve Gf, but such studies are rare and the few existing have reached conflicting conclusions. The parieto-frontal integration theory of intelligence (P-FIT) postulates that the parietal and frontal lobes play a critical role in Gf. To investigate the suggested role of parietal cortices, we applied high-definition transcranial direct current stimulation (HD-tDCS) to the left and right parietal cortices of 39 healthy adults (age 19-33years) for 20min in three separate sessions (left active, right active and sham). After completing the stimulation session, the participants completed a logical reasoning task based on Raven's Progressive Matrices during magnetoencephalography. Significant neural responses at the sensor level across all stimulation conditions were imaged using a beamformer. Whole-brain, spectrally constrained functional connectivity was then computed to examine the network-level activity. Behaviourally, we found that participants were significantly more accurate following left compared to right parietal stimulation. Regarding neural findings, we found significant HD-tDCS montage-related effects in brain networks thought to be critical for P-FIT, including parieto-occipital, fronto-occipital, fronto-parietal and occipito-cerebellar connectivity during task performance. In conclusion, our findings showed that left parietal stimulation improved abstract reasoning abilities relative to right parietal stimulation and support both P-FIT and the neural efficiency hypothesis. KEY POINTS: Abstract reasoning is a critical component of fluid intelligence and is known to be served by multispectral oscillatory activity in the fronto-parietal cortices. Recent studies have aimed to improve abstract reasoning abilities and fluid intelligence overall through behavioural training, but the results have been mixed. High-definition transcranial direct-current stimulation (HD-tDCS) applied to the parietal cortices modulated task performance and neural oscillations during abstract reasoning. Left parietal stimulation resulted in increased accuracy and decreased functional connectivity between occipital regions and frontal, parietal, and cerebellar regions. Future studies should investigate whether HD-tDCS alters abstract reasoning abilities in those who exhibit declines in performance, such as healthy ageing populations.

Alzheimer's Disease and Small Vessel Disease Differentially Affect White Matter Microstructure.

Alzheimer's disease (AD) and cerebral small vessel disease (cSVD), the two most common causes of dementia, are characterized by white matter (WM) alterations diverging from the physiological changes occurring in healthy aging. Diffusion tensor imaging (DTI) is a valuable tool to quantify WM integrity non-invasively and identify the determinants of such alterations. Here, we investigated main effects and interactions of AD pathology, APOE-ε4, cSVD, and cardiovascular risk on spatial patterns of WM alterations in non-demented older adults. Within the prospective European Prevention of Alzheimer's Dementia study, we selected 606 participants (64.9 ± 7.2 years, 376 females) with baseline cerebrospinal fluid samples of amyloid β1-42 and p-Tau181 and MRI scans, including DTI scans. Longitudinal scans (mean follow-up time = 1.3 ± 0.5 years) were obtained in a subset (n = 223). WM integrity was assessed by extracting fractional anisotropy and mean diffusivity in relevant tracts. To identify the determinants of WM disruption, we performed a multimodel inference to identify the best linear mixed-effects model for each tract. AD pathology, APOE-ε4, cSVD burden, and cardiovascular risk were all associated with WM integrity within several tracts. While limbic tracts were mainly impacted by AD pathology and APOE-ε4, commissural, associative, and projection tract integrity was more related to cSVD burden and cardiovascular risk. AD pathology and cSVD did not show any significant interaction effect. Our results suggest that AD pathology and cSVD exert independent and spatially different effects on WM microstructure, supporting the role of DTI in disease monitoring and suggesting independent targets for preventive medicine approaches.

Examining dynamic developmental trends: the interrelationship between age-friendly environments and healthy aging in the Chinese population—evidence from China Health and Retirement Longitudinal Study, 2011–2018

BackgroundThe objective of this research is to investigate the dynamic developmental trends between Age-Friendly Environments (AFE) and healthy aging in the Chinese population.MethodsThis study focused on a sample of 11,770 participants from the CHARLS and utilized the ATHLOS Healthy Aging Index to assess the level of healthy aging among the Chinese population. Linear mixed model (LMM) was used to explore the relationship between AFE and healthy aging. Furthermore, a cross-lagged panel model (CLPM) and a random-intercept cross-lagged panel model (RI-CLPM) were used to examine the dynamic developmental trends of healthy aging, taking into account both Between-Person effects and Within-Person effects.ResultsThe results from LMM showed a positive correlation between AFE and healthy aging (β = 0.087, p < 0.001). There was a positive interaction between the geographic distribution and AFE (central region * AFE: β = 0.031, p = 0.038; eastern region * AFE: β = 0.048, p = 0.003). In CLPM and RI-CLPM, the positive effect of healthy aging on AFE is a type of Between-Person effects (β ranges from 0.147 to 0.159, p < 0.001), while the positive effect of AFE on healthy aging is Within-Person effects (β ranges from 0.021 to 0.024, p = 0.004).ConclusionFirstly, individuals with high levels of healthy aging are more inclined to actively participate in the development of appropriate AFE compared to those with low levels of healthy aging. Furthermore, by encouraging and guiding individuals to engage in activities that contribute to building appropriate AFE, can elevate their AFE levels beyond the previous average level, thereby improving their future healthy aging levels. Lastly, addressing vulnerable groups by reducing disparities and meeting their health needs effectively is crucial for fostering healthy aging in these populations.

Aging in the Digital Age: Public Beliefs About the Potential of Virtual Reality (VR) for the Aging Population

This paper responds to the scholarly call for investigating the role of technology consumption in promoting healthy aging—it aims to identify the public's beliefs about the potential of virtual reality technology (VR) for the well-being of older adults. The study utilized a big-data methodology and employed machine learning to scrape comments made by social media users on the most popular YouTube videos that discuss older people's use of VR technology. After the data cleaning process, the study was left with 1,917 comments out of 3,952 that were then subject to analysis through thematic, emotion, and sentiment analyses. The findings revealed three themes of the public beliefs: 1) empowerment through technology, generational adaptability, and learning; 2) social and ethical implications of VR for healthy aging; and 3) cognitive and physical engagement. The emotion and sentiment analyses indicated that the general public has a predominantly positive perception of the application of virtual reality technology for older people. In summary, the synthesis of the results from the three analyses suggested that VR has the potential to empower seniors and promote mental and physical activity while also highlighting the importance of maintaining genuine connections and ethical standards.

Body composition analysis using dual-energy x-ray absorptiometry in an Egyptian pediatric sickle cell disease cohort.

Growth failure is commonly encountered in sickle cell disease (SCD). Tissue compartment growth and development are subsequently likely to be altered in such patients. We aimed to analyze body composition in an Egyptian pediatric SCD cohort using dual-energy x-ray absorptiometry (DEXA), one of the most comprehensive and noninvasive assessment methods available. Forty children with SCD ≤18years and 40 healthy youngsters age- and gender-matched were enrolled. Patients' demographic, clinical, and laboratory parameters were obtained from their archived files. All patients and controls were subjected to body composition assessment using a MedixDR-Whole Body DEXA System. In SCD patients; weight and height relative to age Z scores were significantly lower (p<.001), total body lean was significantly higher (p=.006), and total body fat percentage was lower, yet the difference was not statistically significant (p=.09). There were no statistically significant variations in bone mineral density or content, basal metabolic rate, subcutaneous adipose tissue, android/gynoid fat ratio, and visceral adipose tissue. There were no significant gender disparities between SCD patients and controls. Faltering growth in children with SCD should be addressed with a multidisciplinary approach including nutritional support, correction of anemia, and proper medical care. Body composition parameters assessed using DEXA were comparable between cases and controls apart from total body lean. Further clinical studies are needed with multicenter cooperation and a larger sample size to assess the usefulness of DEXA as an assessment tool for body composition in children with SCD.

Single-value brain activity scores reflect both severity and risk across the Alzheimer's continuum.

Single-value scores reflecting the deviation from (FADE score) or similarity with (SAME score) prototypical novelty-related and memory-related functional magnetic resonance imaging (fMRI) activation patterns in young adults have been proposed as imaging biomarkers of healthy neurocognitive aging. Here, we tested the utility of these scores as potential diagnostic and prognostic markers in Alzheimer's disease (AD) and risk states like mild cognitive impairment (MCI) or subjective cognitive decline (SCD). To this end, we analyzed subsequent memory fMRI data from individuals with SCD, MCI, and AD dementia as well as healthy controls (HC) and first-degree relatives of AD dementia patients (AD-rel) who participated in the multi-center DELCODE study (N = 468). Based on the individual participants' whole-brain fMRI novelty and subsequent memory responses, we calculated the FADE and SAME scores and assessed their association with AD risk stage, neuropsychological test scores, CSF amyloid positivity, and ApoE genotype. Memory-based FADE and SAME scores showed a considerably larger deviation from a reference sample of young adults in the MCI and AD dementia groups compared to HC, SCD and AD-rel. In addition, novelty-based scores significantly differed between the MCI and AD dementia groups. Across the entire sample, single-value scores correlated with neuropsychological test performance. The novelty-based SAME score further differed between Aβ-positive and Aβ-negative individuals in SCD and AD-rel, and between ApoE ε4 carriers and non-carriers in AD-rel. Hence, FADE and SAME scores are associated with both cognitive performance and individual risk factors for AD. Their potential utility as diagnostic and prognostic biomarkers warrants further exploration, particularly in individuals with SCD and healthy relatives of AD dementia patients.

A machine learning approach to evaluate the impact of virtual balance/cognitive training on fall risk in older women

A machine learning approach to evaluate the impact of virtual balance/cognitive training on fall risk in older women

Years of Healthy Life among Older Adults in Brazil: An Analysis Based on the Global Activity Limitation Indicator, 1998 and 2008

The aim of the study was to calculate life expectancy and Healthy Life Expectancy (HLY) through a Global Activity Limitation Indicator (GALI) proxy among Brazilian older adults according to sex for the years 1998 and 2008. The study was carried out using data from the Brazilian National Household Sample Survey (PNAD) and from Abbreviated Life Tables in 2000 and 2010 from Brazilian Institute of Demographic Geography and Statistics (IBGE) by sex. The activity limitation-free life expectancy was estimate based on the GALI for both sexes using the Sullivan method. The results showed an increase in life expectancy in the period for both sexes. The time of life without activity limitations in 2008 has decreased for men. For women, a reduction in percentage of the time lived without activity limitation has been shown. A small advantage in favor of men compare to women’s health was found. Comparing the two periods, the proportion of years expected to be lived without activity limitation was higher in 1998 than in 2008 and for both sexes. There are still many uncertainties about how the country is actually ageing. Given this context, an effort to maintain constant health monitoring through different indicators such as GALI is essential. At the same time, strengthening local and regional policies, aiming to build solid paths and mechanisms to promote an active and healthy ageing of its population must be a target.

Association between executive functions and COMT Val108/158Met polymorphism among healthy younger and older adults: A preliminary study.

Genetic variability in the dopaminergic system could contribute to age-related impairments in executive control. In this study, we examined whether genetic polymorphism for catechol-O-methyltransferase (COMT Val158Met) is related to performance on updating, shifting and inhibition tasks. We administered a battery of executive tasks assessing updating, shifting and inhibition functions to 45 older and 55 younger healthy participants, and created composite z-scores associated to each function. Six groups were created based on genetic alleles (Val/Val, Val/Met, Met/Met) derived from the COMT gene and age (younger, older). Age and genotype effects were assessed with t-test and ANOVA (p<0.05). A lower performance was observed in the older group for the three executive processes, and more particularly for inhibition. Moreover, older participants homozygous for the Val allele have a lower performance on the inhibition composite in comparison to younger Val/Val. These results confirm presence of executive performance decrease in healthy aging. With regard to genetic effect, older participants seem particularly disadvantaged when they have a lower baseline dopamine level (i.e., Val/Val homozygous) that is magnified by aging, and when the executive measure emphasize the need of stable representations (as in inhibition task requiring to maintain active the instruction to not perform an automated process).

Study of the Relation between Aging and Pesticides: A Review

Aims: The main aim of this study was to use specific data from the literature on ageing, correlating this with the pesticide contamination, in order to understand the relationship with an increasingly ageing population. Study Design: A systematic review was performed. Place and Duration of Study: Laboratory of Biomathematics of the Federal University of Alfenas, Minas Gerais State, Brazil, between April 2023 and August 2023. Methodology: A systematic search of articles was performed using the CAPES Periodic platform, a searcher from the Education Ministry of Brazil that contains Web of Science, Scopus, MedLine, from August 2020 to May 2023. For this review, the subject’s “aging theory”; “neuroscience and pathologies to aging”; “aging and aging-associated changes”; “pesticides and pesticide toxicity”; “pesticide toxicity and neurotoxicity”; “longevity and healthy aging”; “aging human and pesticides” were searched together using the type of material “articles” in English language. Some articles about “population growth”; “world population”; “population-aging” were used for epistemological composition of this work content subjects. Results: From the 19.720 articles after the exclusion and the inclusion criteria made with the subjects most pertinent to the objectives of this work; 19.570 articles were excluded, remaining 150 ones, of which 116 were qualitative in scope and 34 quantitative. Conclusion: The complex relationship between the pesticide contamination and the condition of the exposed individual may be associated with premature ageing and a greater susceptibility to debilitating age-related diseases. Although technology is increasingly improved in its innovations, health and environmental regulations have not been able to rid the production processes of their potential to pollute the environment and cause health problems for those exposed to them.

Improvement of both human and animal memory by synergy between fructooligosaccharide and L‐theanine function establishing a safe and effective food supplement

AbstractAging is classically associated with a decline of cognitive abilities, especially in relation to memory. While the development of potential treatments for neurodegenerative diseases has been in sharp focus, mild cognitive impairment (MCI), a form of age‐related memory loss, in the absence of severe functional impairment, a condition experienced by many healthy adults, has received relatively little attention. Advances in this space would make significant contributions to the goal of healthy aging and may also help promote cognitive performance across the wider population. The individual action of either fructooligosaccharide (FOS) or L‐theanine, both natural plant‐derived molecules, has been tentatively linked with improvements in cognition, but our understanding remains far from complete. We therefore determined the effect of different dose combinations of FOS and L‐theanine (termed MT‐01/GBL‐Memory1) in mice against FOS and L‐theanine monotherapy. FOS and L‐theanine were found to synergistically enhance murine memory in our animal tests at a dose of 100 mg/kg (coefficient of drug interaction (CDI) &lt; 1). In a subsequent human trial, we demonstrated that MT‐01 improved the memory of healthy adults after 1 month of consumption. Our results suggest that a combination of FOS and L‐theanine synergistically enhances murine memory within a specific dose range. We show that this plant natural product regimen also improves human memory in a population of healthy adults. MT‐01 therefore represents a novel, safe, and effective dietary supplement to promote human memory and cognition.

Nutrition for dementia prevention: a state of the art update for clinicians.

Dementia prevalence continues to rise. It is therefore essential to provide feasible and effective recommendations to encourage healthy brain ageing and reduce dementia risk across the population. Appropriate nutrition represents a potential strategy to mitigate dementia risk and could be recommended by clinicians as part of mid-life health checks and other health initiatives to reduce dementia prevalence. The purpose of this review is to provide a clinician-focused update on the current state of the knowledge on nutrition and dementia prevention. Narrative review. Strong evidence exists to support the consumption of healthy, plant-based dietary patterns (e.g. Mediterranean, MIND or Nordic diet) for maintaining cognitive function and reducing dementia risk in later life and is supported by dementia prevention guideline from leading public health bodies (e.g. World Health Organization). Emerging evidence suggests potential cognitive benefits of consuming specific nutrients/foods (e.g. n-3 fatty acids or fish, flavonols and B-vitamins) and multi-nutrient compounds (e.g. Fortasyn Connect). Challenges and opportunities for integrating nutritional/dietary interventions for dementia prevention into clinical practice are explored in this review. Appropriate nutrition represents an important factor to help facilitate healthy cognitive ageing and allay dementia risk. The information provided in this article can help clinicians provide informed opinions on appropriate nutritional strategies as part of mid-life Health Checks and other risk reduction initiatives.

Biomarker signatures associated with ageing free of major chronic diseases: results from a population-based sample of the EPIC-Potsdam cohort.

A number of biomarkers denoting various pathophysiological pathways have been implicated in the aetiology and risk of age-related diseases. Hence, the combined impact of multiple biomarkers in relation to ageing free of major chronic diseases, such as cancer, cardiovascular disease and type 2 diabetes, has not been sufficiently explored. We measured concentrations of 13 biomarkers in a random subcohort of 2,500 participants in the European Prospective Investigation into Cancer and Nutrition Potsdam study. Chronic disease-free ageing was defined as reaching the age of 70years within study follow-up without major chronic diseases, including cardiovascular disease, type 2 diabetes or cancer. Using a novel machine-learning technique, we aimed to identify biomarker clusters and explore their association with chronic disease-free ageing in multivariable-adjusted logistic regression analysis taking socio-demographic, lifestyle and anthropometric factors into account. Of the participants who reached the age of 70years, 321 met our criteria for chronic-disease free ageing. Machine learning analysis identified three distinct biomarker clusters, among which a signature characterised by high concentrations of high-density lipoprotein cholesterol, adiponectin and insulin-like growth factor-binding protein 2 and low concentrations of triglycerides was associated with highest odds for ageing free of major chronic diseases. After multivariable adjustment, the association was attenuated by socio-demographic, lifestyle and adiposity indicators, pointing to the relative importance of these factors as determinants of healthy ageing. These data underline the importance of exploring combinations of biomarkers rather than single molecules in understanding complex biological pathways underpinning healthy ageing.

Lemon Flavonoid Extract Eriomin Improves Pro/Antioxidant Status and Interferes with Cholesterol Metabolism without Affecting Serum Cholesterol Levels in Aged Rats

This study aimed to assess the antioxidant capacity of lemon flavonoid extract Eriomin® (LE) and its impact on cholesterol metabolism in the context of healthy aging. We orally treated 24-month-old male Wistar rats with an LE (40 mg/kg) suspended in 0.3 mL of sunflower oil. At the same time, control groups received an equal volume of sunflower oil (CON) or remained untreated (ICON) daily for 4 weeks. We examined LE’s effects on superoxide dismutase and catalase- and glutathione-related enzyme activities, the concentration of lipid peroxides and protein carbonyls, total oxidant status (TOS) and antioxidant status (TAS), and oxidative stress index (OSI) in the liver, jejunum, and ileum. We also measured total cholesterol, its biosynthetic precursors (lanosterol, lathosterol, desmosterol), its degradation products (bile acid precursors) in the serum, liver, jejunum, and ileum, and serum phytosterols (intestinal absorption markers). LE reduced TOS, TAS, and OSI (p &lt; 0.05) compared with control values, indicating its consistent antioxidant action in all examined organs. LE lowered hepatic desmosterol (p &lt; 0.05) while also reducing 7α- and 24-hydroxycholesterol levels in the liver and ileum (p &lt; 0.01). Serum cholesterol, hepatic gene expression, and the immunostaining intensity of CYP7A1 were unchanged. In conclusion, LE exerted non-enzymatic antioxidant effects and reduced cholesterol degradation, reducing its biosynthesis products, thereby maintaining serum cholesterol levels.

Identification of the needs and priorities of older people and stakeholders in rural and urban areas of Santo Andre, Brazil.

There are few data reporting the needs and priorities of older adults in Brazil. This hampers the development and/or implementation of policies aimed at older adults to help them age well. The aim of this study was to understand areas of importance, priorities, enablers and obstacles to healthy ageing as identified by older adults and key stakeholders in both urban and rural environments. Two locations were selected, one urban and one rural in the municipality of Santo André, in the metropolitan region of São Paulo (SP). Workshops for older adults (>60 y) and stakeholders were conducted separately in each location. The workshops incorporated an iterative process of discussion, prioritisation and ranking of responses, in roundtable groups and in plenary. Areas of commonality and differences between older adult and stakeholder responses were identified by comparing responses between groups as well as mapping obstacles and enablers to healthy ageing identified by older adults, to the priorities identified by stakeholder groups. The socio-ecologic model was used to categorise responses. There were few shared responses between stakeholders and older adults and little overlap between the top ranked responses of urban and rural groups. With respect to areas of importance, both stakeholder groups ranked policies for older people within their top five reponses. Both older adult groups ranked keeping physically and mentally active, and nurturing spirituality. There was a marked lack of congruence between older adults' obstacles and enablers to healthy ageing and stakeholder priorities, in both urban and rural settings. Most responses were located within the Society domain of the socio-ecologic model, although older adults also responded within the Individual/ Relationships domains, particularly in ranking areas of most importance for healthy ageing. Our results highlight substantial differences between older adults and stakeholders with respect to areas of importance, priorities, enablers and obstacles to healthy ageing, and point to the need for more engagement between those in advocacy and policymaking roles and the older people whose needs they serve.

The effects of work on cognitive functions: a systematic review

IntroductionCognitive functions play a crucial role in individual’s life since they represent the mental abilities necessary to perform any activity. During working life, having healthy cognitive functioning is essential for the proper performance of work, but it is especially crucial for preserving cognitive abilities and thus ensuring healthy cognitive aging after retirement. The aim of this paper was to systematically review the scientific literature related to the effects of work on cognitive functions to assess which work-related factors most adversely affect them.MethodWe queried the PubMed and Scopus electronic databases, in February 2023, according to the PRISMA guidelines (PROSPERO ID number = CRD42023439172), and articles were included if they met all the inclusion criteria and survived a quality assessment. From an initial pool of 61,781 papers, we retained a final sample of 64 articles, which were divided into 5 categories based on work-related factors: shift work (n = 39), sedentary work (n = 7), occupational stress (n = 12), prolonged working hours (n = 3), and expertise (n = 3).ResultsThe results showed that shift work, occupational stress, and, probably, prolonged working hours have detrimental effects on cognitive functioning; instead, results related to sedentary work and expertise on cognitive functions are inconclusive and extremely miscellaneous.DiscussionTherefore, workplace health and well-being promotion should consider reducing or rescheduling night shift, the creation of less demanding and more resourceful work environments and the use of micro-breaks to preserve workers’ cognitive functioning both before and after retirement.Systematic review registrationhttps://www.crd.york.ac.uk/prospero/display_record.php?ID=CRD42023439172, identifier CRD42023439172.

Arriba por la Vida Estudio: a randomized controlled trial promoting standing behavior to reduce sitting time among postmenopausal Latinas.

Postmenopausal Hispanic/Latina (N = 254) women with a body mass index (BMI) ≥ 25kg/m2 were randomized to an intervention to reduce sitting time or a comparison condition for 12weeks. The standing intervention group received three in-person health-counseling sessions, one home visit, and up to eight motivational interviewing calls. The heart healthy lifestyle comparison group (C) received an equal number of contact hours to discuss healthy aging. The primary outcome was 12-week change in sitting time measured via thigh-worn activPAL. Group differences in outcomes were analyzed using linear mixed-effects models. Participants had a mean age of 65 (6.5) years, preferred Spanish language (89%), BMI of 32.4 (4.8) kg/m2, and sat for an average of 540 (86) minutes/day. Significant between-group differences were observed in reductions of sitting time across the 12-week period [Mdifference (SE): C - 7.5 (9.1), SI - 71.0 (9.8), p < 0.01]. Results demonstrate that coaching models to reduce sitting are feasible and effective.