Life Of Elderly Individuals Research Articles

Elevated miR-124-3p in the aging colon disrupts mucus barrier and increases susceptibility to colitis by targeting T-synthase.

The risk of colitis and colorectal cancer increases markedly throughout adult life, endangering the health and lives of elderly individuals. Previous studies have proposed that bacterial translocation and infection are the main risk factors for these diseases. Therefore, in the present study, we aimed to identify the underlying mechanism by focusing on the mucus barrier function and mucin‐type O‐glycosylation. We evaluated alterations in the colon mucus layer in 2‐, 16‐, and 24‐month‐old mice and aged humans. Aged colons showed defective intestinal mucosal barrier and changed mucus properties. The miR‐124‐3p expression level was significantly increased in the aged distal colonic mucosa, which was accompanied by an increase in pathogens and bacterial translocation. Meanwhile, T‐synthase, the rate‐limiting enzyme in O‐glycosylation, displayed an age‐related decline in protein expression. Further experiments indicated that miR‐124‐3p modulated O‐glycosylation by directly targeting T‐synthase. Moreover, young mice overexpressing miR‐124‐3p exhibited abnormal glycosylation, early‐onset, and more severe colitis. These data suggest that miR‐124‐3p predisposes to senile colitis by reducing T‐synthase, and the miR‐124‐3p/T‐synthase/O‐glycans axis plays an essential role in maintaining the physiochemical properties of colonic mucus and intestinal homeostasis.

Influences of lower limb edema on daily lives of elderly individuals in an elderly day care center.

The purpose of this study is to describe the influences of lower limb edema on the daily lives of elderly individuals in elderly day care to describe the necessity of care for lower limb edema. Semi-structured interviews based on a quality of life questionnaire for limb lymphedema were conducted. Two types of text mining analysis methods were used: a frequent word analysis and a content analysis. The edema severity was graded on a scale of 0 to 3, and the sum of the numerical values of the grades for each person was defined as the pitting score. The seven participants had a mean age of 83.4 ± 4.6 years (mean ± SD). The pitting scores ranged from 1 to 25 in the participants. The words "think" (389 times), "walk" (136 times), and "put on" (135 times) were extracted frequently. The content analysis focused on the words "walk" and "put on." The participants complained of difficulty walking, pain, and numbness when walking, weakness of their lower limbs, difficulty putting on shoes, restrictions on shoe types, and difficulty finding shoes. These results demonstrate that elderly individuals experienced troubles during their daily lives caused by lower limb edema, which highlights the necessity of symptom management. Active interventions for edema by nurses are necessary to improve quality of life in elderly individuals.

The relationship between physical activity levels and health-related quality of life in elderly individuals aged 65 years and above with a chronic disease

Background: Chronic diseases are the leading cause of death worldwide with increasing prevalence in the population aged 65 years and above. This study aimed to evaluate the relationship between physical activity level and health-related quality of life in elderly individuals. Material and methods: The participants aged 65 years and older (46 males and 35 females) were divided into 3 groups according to their physical activity levels: low physical activity (<150 minutes/week), moderate physical activity (150–300 minutes/week) and high physical activity level (>300 minutes/week). Health-related quality of life (HRQoL) was calculated using EQ-5D scale. Spearman's correlation coefficient was used to determine the relationship between physical activity level and HRQoL scores in elderly individuals. Results: A significant relationship and differences were found between high, moderate and low physical activity levels and HQQoL dimensions (P<0.05). The moderate and high physical activity groups were found to be significantly higher in all dimensions compared to the low physical activity group according to HRQoL scores (P<0.001). Conclusions: It has been concluded that high and moderate physical activity levels have a great positive relationship with HRQoL in individuals aged 65 years and older with a chronic disease.

Gene Expression Profiling Analysis to Identify Key Genes and Underlying Mechanisms in Meniscus of Osteoarthritis Patients

Osteoarthritis (OA) is a degenerative joint disease that seriously affects the quality of life of elderly. Regrettably, the pathological mechanism for OA has not yet been fully elucidated. This study is committed to distinguishing key genes and the underlying mechanisms for OA. Raw data was acquired from the Gene Expression Omnibus (GEO) database. We identified differentially expressed genes (DEGs), hub genes, and key genes through bioinformatics analysis. Subsequently, we predicted the microRNAs (miRNAs) and circular RNAs (circRNAs) associated with these key genes that may play key roles in OA using web tools. We also constructed a protein- drug network and found potentially effective drugs by analyzing the relationships between the drugs and the key genes. The analysis revealed 360 DEGs, 24 hub genes, and 15 key genes enriched in many categories potentially related to the pathological mechanism of OA. hsa-miR-29a-3p, hsa-miR-29b-3p, and hsa-miR-29c-3p were predicted to be important miRNAs for OA, while hsa_circ_0025119, hsa_circ_0025113, hsa_circ_0009897, and hsa_circ_0002447 were predicted to be the most important circRNAs. Further studies indicated that Ocriplasmin and Collagenase clostridium histolyticum may be effective drugs for the treatment of OA. Finally, CD34 and VWF were inferred to be the most meaningful biomarkers for OA. In conclusion, we determined the underlying key genes, miRNAs, and circRNAs for OA, predicted potentially effective drugs, and identified the most meaningful biomarkers for the disease. Our findings may provide insight into the pathological mechanism of OA and guide future research.

H. Pylori is related to osteoporosis but only in premenopausal female: a cross-sectional study

BackgroundRecently, an increasing number of studies have focused on the extra-gastrointestinal effects of Helicobacter pylori (H. pylori), including metabolic syndrome, fatty liver, and rheumatic and skin diseases. Osteoporosis is an asymptomatic disease that can eventually lead to fractures and has a significant impact on the quality of life of elderly individuals. Sex is an influential factor that plays a crucial role in the development of osteoporosis. The aim of this study was to investigate the relationship between H. pylori infection and osteoporosis and to identify potential influencing factors.MethodsWe conducted a cross-sectional study of individuals older than 50 years old, who had undergone regular physical examinations at the Beijing Shijitan Hospital Health Examination Center from July to October 2018. We evaluated the associations of osteopenia and osteoporosis with H. pylori infection and related serum markers by using multiple linear regression and logistic regression. Then, we analysed the correlation between sex and potential serum biomarkers.ResultsThere were significant relationships between H. pylori infection status and bone density in premenopausal females but not in males (P = 0.381) according to Fisher’s exact test. In females, H. pylori positivity (OR = 0.132, P = 0.023), Body Mass Index (BMI) (OR = 28.163, P = 0.021), and homocysteine (HCY) (OR = 17.218, P = 0.045) were associated with osteoporosis. Calcium had a trend but no statistically significant (OR = 0.060, P = 0.076) relationship with osteoporosis. Furthermore, the waist-to-hip ratio (OR = 5.783, P = 0.029), BMI (OR = 0.152, P = 0.014) and triglyceride levels (OR = 0.201, P = 0.036) were significantly different by sex, after adjusting for age as a confounder.ConclusionH. pylori positivity, BMI and HCY are associated with osteoporosis in premenopausal females. Chronic inflammation may be involved in the relationship between H. pylori and osteoporosis.

Prevalence of complicated grief and related factors in elderly individuals in Sabzevar City, Iran.

Although often undiagnosed and untreated, prolonged grief and its conversion to complicated grief (CG) can lead to functional impairment. Given the impact of CG on mortality and quality of life in elderly individuals, this study aimed to determine the prevalence of CG and its related factors among the elderly in the city of Sabzevar in Iran. The subjects of this cross-sectional study were elderly individuals aged 60 years and older who lived Sabzevar in 2019. Participants were randomly selected in two stages. First, the grief experience of 823 elderly individuals was investigated. Second, the 247 individuals who met the inclusion criteria and had experienced grief were assessed for CG. Data were collected with a demographic information questionnaire, the Brief Grief Questionnaire, and the Geriatric Depression Scale. The prevalence of CG among the participants who had experienced grief was 18.6%. Significant differences in CG prevalence were observed among participants according to age, gender, marital status, occupation, and relationship to the deceased person (P < 0.05). The prevalence of CG was also significantly associated with the deceased person's age, gender, and cause of death; the participant being the deceased's primary caregiver and the participant being with the deceased at the time of death(P < 0.05). Furthermore, CG was significantly higher in people with mild or severe depression than in non-depressed participants (P = 0.01). The odds of CG and sub-threshold CG incidence were 2.94 times higher in women than in men and 3.64 times higher in participants with severe depression than in non-depressed participants. Complicated grief is relatively prevalent among the elderly, and it is associated with age, gender, marital status, depression status, and some variables related to the deat time of the deceased. Given the negative effects of CG on individuals and the community, appropriate planning is needed to reduce its incidence in elderly individuals who have experienced grief.

Healthy aging in elderly cochlear implant recipients: a multinational observational study

BackgroundGiven an increase in the aging population and its impact on healthcare systems, policy makers for provision of health and social services are aiming to keep older adults in good health for longer, in other words towards ‘healthy aging’. Our study objective is to show that rehabilitation with cochlear implant treatment in the elderly with hearing impairment improves the overall health-related quality of life and general well-being that translate into healthy aging.MethodsThe multicentre, prospective, repeated measures, single-subject, clinical observational study will accrue 100 elderly, first-time, unilateral CI recipients (≥ 60 years) and analyze changes on specific measurement tools over ca. 20 months from preimplant to postimplant. Evaluations will consist of details collected through case history and interview questionnaires by clinicians, data logging, self-report questionnaires completed by the recipients and a series of commonly used audiometric measures and geriatric assessment tools. The primary indicator of changes in overall quality of life will be the HUI-3.DiscussionThe protocol is designed to make use of measurement tools that have already been applied to the hearing-impaired population in order to compare effects of CI rehabilitation in adults immediately before their implantation, (pre-implant) and after gaining 1–1.5 years of experience (post-implant). The broad approach will lead to a greater understanding of how useful hearing impacts the quality of life in elderly individuals, and thus improves potentials for healthy aging. Outcomes will be described and analyzed in detail.Trial registrationThis research has been registered in ClinicalTrials.gov (http://www.clinicaltrials.gov/), 7 March 2017 under the n° NCT03072862.

Pilot and Feasibility Study on Elderly Support Services Using Communicative Robots and Monitoring Sensors Integrated With Cloud Robotics

PurposeThis pilot before-after study investigated the possible effects of communicative robots, used with a sensing system supported by cloud robotics, in caring for elderly people. MethodsTwo elderly women in nursing homes and 4 care workers participated in the trial. The overnight life rhythm assessments of the study participants and care workers were surveyed to determine when and how the robots should be integrated into care. The system consisted of the robot Sota, a noncontact vital sensor and a sheet-shaped bed sensor. Real-time sensing data and conversations between the participants and robots were sent to the servers, prompting a quick verbal response by the robot supported by cloud robotics. FindingsCare workers devoted 3 h to the maintenance of records during their most stressful periods. Automatic recording of vital information using robot sensors can improve the quality of nursing care work. Care workers' stress levels were maximized when responding to nurse calls. Temporary responses to nurse calls by the robots may help to effectively reduce the burden on nursing care workers. Robots can stimulate elderly people to communicate more with others (P < 0.05). Appropriate vocalization by communicative robots may prevent the deterioration of quality of life in elderly individuals. ImplicationsCommunicative robots, used with a sensing system, may stimulate elderly people to activate a communication link with others and help care workers to effectively reduce the burden during the night shift. A follow-up study involving a broader research program on communicative robots and elderly care would be beneficial.

Effects of A Personalized Intervention Program on the Biochemical and Hematological Profile in Community Dwelling Old Adults-The AGA@4life Intervention Model.

Aging is a social and economic challenge of the highest importance and a multidisciplinary intervention seems to be a promising approach for improving the quality of life of elderly individuals. This project was designed aimed at promoting an active and healthy aging through the implementation of an intervention program based on the comprehensive geriatric assessment model (AGA@4life), focused on promoting health and wellbeing, independence and autonomy, mobility, and social inclusion. A non-randomized interventional study was designed to evaluate the effect of only a dietetic and nutritional approach (control group (CG)) and the combination of a tailored exercise program and a dietetic and nutritional approach (intervention group (IG)) in the biochemical and hematological profile of older adults in the framework of AGA@4life. The 34 participants enrolled, aged 65 years or over, were subject to a thorough baseline (T0) multidisciplinary diagnostic evaluation, including the gathering of clinical information and a battery of biochemical and hematological determinations, and reevaluated after eight weeks of intervention (T1). Between T0 and T1, an increase in albumin and total proteins serum levels were observed in both groups (p < 0.01); the hematological profile in CG and IG showed an increase in red cell count and hemoglobin (p < 0.05). In IG, an increase of HDL cholesterol (p < 0.001) and a decrease of triglycerides (p = 0.001) were still observed. The AGA@4life multidisciplinary intervention improved the hematological and biochemical profile of old adults, potentially contributing to delay the development of several aging comorbidities and increase the quality of life of participants.

Metformin attenuates the D‑galactose‑induced aging process via the UPR through the AMPK/ERK1/2 signaling pathways.

Age-related hearing loss, also termed central presbycusis, is a progressive neurodegenerative disease; it is a devastating disorder that severely affects the quality of life of elderly individuals. Substantial evidence has indicated that oxidative stress and associated protein folding dysfunction have a marked influence on neurodegenerative diseases. In this study, we aimed to cells to investigate whether metformin protects against age-related pathologies and to elucidate the underlying mechanisms; specifically, we focused on the role of unfolded protein response (UPR) via the AMPK/ERK1/2 signaling pathways. For this purpose, the biguanide compound, metformin, a medication widely used in the treatment of type 2 diabetes, was administered to rats in a model of mimetic aging. In addition, senescent PC12 were treated with metformin. Although it has been well established that UPR signaling is activated in response to cellular stress and is associated with the pathogenesis of neuronal deterioration, the detailed functions of the UPR in the auditory cortex remain unclear. We found that metformin treatment markedly affected the UPR and the AMPK/ERK1/2 signaling pathway, and maintained the auditory brainstem response (ABR) threshold during the aging process. The results indicated that the regulation of the UPR and AMPK/ERK1/2 signaling pathway by metformin significantly attenuated hearing loss, cell apoptosis and age-related neurodegeneration. Reversing these harmful effects through the use of metformin suggests its involvement in restoring the antioxidant status and protein homeostasis related to the underlying pathology of presbycusis. The findings of this study may provide a better approach for the treatment of age-related neurodegeneration diseases.

Oral Health Impact Profile: need and use of dental prostheses among Northeast Brazilian independent-living elderly.

This study aimed to explore the association between use and need of dental prostheses to the quality of life in elderly individuals in a Referral Center for Elderly Care in the northeastern of Brazil. A cross-sectional study was developed with 199 elderlies of both sexes. Data were collected from clinical examinations (WHO criteria) and a questionnaire regarding socioeconomic status, Oral Health Impact Profile index (OHIP-14) by a single calibrated examiner with Kappa = 0.91. Data were analyzed using Mann-Whitney test, Poisson regression (p<0,05). The sample consisted of 84.9% women, mean age of 70.02 (sd±6.50) years. There was an independent association between quality of life and the covariates sex and need of dental prostheses. Men showed lower values of the score (PR = 0.734, p = 0.011) than women. Individuals without normative need for dental prostheses showed lower values of OHIP-14 (PR = 0.767; p = 0.003) than those in need.

MiR‑144 promotes the proliferation and differentiation of bone mesenchymal stem cells by downregulating the expression of SFRP1.

Osteoporosis (OP) seriously affects the health and quality of life of elderly individuals and postmenopausal women, and the need to identify drugs that can prevent or treat OP remains urgent. Recently, several miRNAs have been reported to be involved in the differentiation of mesenchymal stem cells and osteoblasts; however, the role of miRNA (miR)-144 in regulating OP remains to be elucidated. In the present study, the expression levels of miR-144, secreted frizzled-related protein 1 (Sfrp1) and TNF-α in clinical samples were detected by the reverse transcription-quantitative polymerase chain reaction analysis and ELISA, respectively. 5-Ethynyl-2′-deoxyuridine staining, Hoechst 33258 staining, flow cytometry, a clone formation assay and Alizarin red staining were used to assess the effects of miR-144 combined with or without Sfrp1 small interfering RNA on the proliferation, apoptosis and osteoblastic differentiation of primary mesenchymal stem cells isolated from rats. Western blot assays were performed to assess the relevant mechanisms, and a dual luciferase reporter assay was used to detect the interaction between miR-144 and Sfrp1. The results showed that the levels of miR-144, Sfrp1 and TNF-α in clinical serum samples obtained from patients with postmenopausal OP were higher than those in serum samples obtained from postmenopausal women with normal bone density. There was a significant positive correlation between miR-144 and Sfrp1. Functional experiments demonstrated that miR-144 promoted proliferation, inhibited apoptosis and induced the osteoblastic differentiation of bone marrow-derived mesenchymal stem cells by targeting Sfrp1. It was also shown that miR-144 may help regulate OP by activating the Wnt/β-catenin pathway. These data suggest miR-144 as a novel target for preventing and treating OP.

The Silhouettes Fatigue Scale: comprehensibility and validity in older individuals

Purpose: Fatigue has been shown to be one of the key factors that interfere in the quality of life of elderly individuals. In order to understand its impact and evaluate the efficacy of treatments that target fatigue, researchers and clinicians need psychometrically sound and easy to use assessment instruments. The aim of this work was to address this need by evaluating the comprehensibility and validity of the Silhouettes Fatigue Scale (SFS) in a sample of older individuals.Methods: A total of 70 older individuals participated in the study. Participants were interviewed individually and asked to rate their level of fatigue during the week before the interview using the SFS and the FACIT-Fatigue Scale (to help evaluate convergent validity), and respond to the Pain Catastrophizing Scale (to help evaluate discriminant validity).Results: The results indicate that the SFS is understandable and that the scores have an adequate convergent validity and discriminant validity when used with older adults.Conclusions: The SFS is a valid measure of fatigue that can be used with older adults. It fills the need for a brief and easy to administer and score measure, which can be used in situations where assessment burden is a significant issue.Implications for rehabilitationFatigue is a significant problem among the elderly resulting in significant disability, and psychometrically sound and easy to use questionnaires are needed.The Silhouettes Fatigue Scale (SFS) is a new single-item self-report fatigue rating scale.Results show that the SFS is understandable, and that the scores have discriminant and convergent validity when used with older adults.As it does not use written items, it may be more easily understood by people who have basic or even no literacy level, thus making it easier to use for a wider audience.

Physical activity, physical function and quality of life in community-based maintenance cardiac rehabilitation

Objective: This study compared physical activity (PA), physical function and quality of life in elderly individuals with coronary artery disease (CAD) and their non-CAD peers participating in community-based, maintenance cardiac rehabilitation (CR). Design: Cross-sectional study. Setting: Community-based maintenance CR programme. Methods: A total of 39 individuals (71.8% women; age 70.5 ± 5.5 years; 13 CAD, 26 non-CAD) wore an accelerometer for 7 days and completed anthropometry, chair stands, handgrip strength, a Short Physical Performance Battery, a PA questionnaire (IPAQ- SF), a quality of life questionnaire (SF-36), a 10-m shuttle walk test and two 6-minute walk tests. Results: Compared with the non-CAD group, the CAD group accumulated more objectively measured moderate-to-vigorous PA per week (329.7 ± 233.3 vs 160.6 ± 149.5 minutes, p = .013), achieved PA guidelines on more days per week (3.8 ± 2.2 vs 2.1 ± 2.6 days/week, p = .042), had a lower proportion of body fat (27.5 ± 8.4% vs 36.5 ± 8.7%, p = .004) and a higher proportion of muscle mass (72.5 ± 8.4% vs 63.0 ± 9.8%, p = .022). Physical function and quality of life were not different between the groups. Conclusion: Elderly CAD patients participating in community-based maintenance CR performed more PA and had more favourable body composition but similar physical function and quality of life compared with their non-CAD peers. Long-term participation in community-based maintenance CR may promote PA in elderly CAD patients and help maintain physical function and quality of life at a level similar to that of their non-CAD peers. However, due to a small sample size, these findings should be interpreted with caution and examined in future larger studies.

Effect of special breathing techniques on quality of life in elderly individuals

Background: Growing age invites many health problems among elderly individuals which, in turn, affect their physical and mental health, leading to reduced social and environmental participation. This study aims to assess the effectiveness of special breathing technique Three-step Rhythmic Breathing (3SRB) on health-related quality of life (HRQoL) among elderly individuals. Aims and Objectives: The present study aimed to find the effect of special breathing techniques on quality of life in elderly individuals. Materials and Methods: Sixty-six elderly individuals (age group of 60–80 years) from old-age homes/senior citizen forum of Anand district were recruited by quasi-random sampling into two groups: 36 in Group A (physical exercise program) and 30 in Group B (3SRB with physical exercise program); based on inclusion and exclusion criteria after explaining the study purpose and obtaining the written informed consent. All elderly individuals were assessed for HRQoL (World Health Organization-BREF) before and after 8 weeks of intervention. Results: Frequency distribution was used to describe the data. The comparison within and between the groups for HRQoL was calculated using paired and unpaired t-test, respectively (P < 0.05). The results demonstrate significant improvement in all four domains of HRQoL in both groups after 8 weeks of training. However, the individuals trained for 3SRB along with physical exercise program had more improvement in HRQoL, especially with regard to physical health, psychological, and environmental domains. Conclusion: 3SRB along with physical exercises promotes better HRQoL among elderly individuals compared to physical exercises alone.

Efficacy of reminiscence in cognition, depressive symptoms and quality of life in institutionalized elderly: a systematic review.

To identify the best available evidence on the efficacy of Reminiscence Therapy in cognition, depressive symptoms and quality of life in elderly individuals with cognitive impairment. The methodology proposed by the Joanna Briggs Institute was used. Studies focused on group Reminiscence Therapy aimed at institutionalized elderly people with cognitive impairment aged 65 or over were considered. The critical analysis, extraction and synthesis of results was performed by two independent researchers. Four randomized clinical trials and two quasi-experimental studies (n=296) were included. Given the heterogeneous characteristics of studies found, it was impossible to perform a meta-analysis. Of the six studies included, two presented statistically significant results for efficacy in cognition, and three for efficacy in reducing depressive symptoms. In none of the studies was evaluated the elderly's quality of life. Reminiscence Therapy has potential efficacy for maintaining cognition and decrease of depressive symptomatology in the target population.

Elderly individuals in primary health care: Quality of life and associated characteristics

Abstract The aim of the study is to assess the quality of life of elderly individuals with hypertension and diabetes Mellitus. A total of 371 elderly individuals with hypertension and/or diabetes who are being treated in the public primary health care network, with a mean age of 71 years, M = 71, 34 (SD = 6.848) participated in this study. It is a quantitative-qualitative study, carried out in two stages. In the first, the quantitative data were collected using the following instruments: WHOQOL-bref, Mini Mental State Exam, and a sociodemographic questionnaire, in order to screen the second stage participants (13 elderly individuals), who corresponded to the qualitative strategy, using the focal group technique. The results showed that the elderly individuals without hypertension/diabetes had higher quality of life mean values. Those affected by both diseases presented the worst ‘physical’ domain mean values. Qualitative data indicate the ‘social’ and the ‘psychological’ domains as the most important ones, also revealing the centrality of the disease in their reports.

Assessment of reliability and validity of Montenegrin version of the oral health impact profile for use among the elderly in Montenegro

Introduction/Objective. The quality of life of elderly individuals has an active function in oral health; it is of great importance to learn that elders over the age of 65 years demonstrate an increase in seeking dental services. Oral Health Impact Profile-14 (OHIP-14) is especially suitable for use in the elderly. The aim of this study is to examine the reliability and validity of OHIP-14 in the Montenegrin population aged 65 and over and to determine the influence of oral health on the quality of their life. Methods. The research was conducted from September to December 2016 in the central region of Montenegro, at the Medical University in Podgorica and in the nursing homes of the elderly. The study covered 170 individuals, both sexes, with an average age of 72.32 ? 6.85. The research instrument is OHIP-14 index. Standard statistical tests were used. The statistical significance level is 0.05. Results. The OHIP-14is linguistically and culturally adapted for the Montenegrin population. The value of the Cronbach Alpha Index is 0.892. The relationship between correlations for individual issues and total correlations ranges from 0.21 to 0.69. The value of OHIP-14 is 19.24 ? 7.49. Listed by domains: functional constraints 3.31 ? 1.75; physical pain 4.19 ? 1.31; psychological discomfort 2.52 ? 1.46; physical fitness 4.38 ? 1.40; mental incompetence 1.42 ? 1.23; social incapacity 1.18 ? 1.27 and handicap 2.21 ? 1.32. Conclusion. The OHIP-14 index is reliable and valid and is recommended for use in the Montenegrinspeaking area, for the elderly. There is a significant impact of oral health on the quality of life of the elderly in the central part of Montenegro.

Effect of Peer Group Education on the Quality of Life of Elderly Individuals with Diabetes: A Randomized Clinical Trial.

Background:Considering the important role of education and the benefits of peer education in increasing patients' independence in self-care, as well as the socio-economic benefit of using peer education, the present study was conducted to assess the effect of peer education on the quality of life (QOL) of elderly people with diabetes.Materials and Methods:This clinical trial was conducted with 44 diabetic people aged over 65 years in selected health centers of Isfahan, Iran, in 2014. After preparing the peer group, 8 educational sessions were held for the participants of the groups by their peers (intervention group) and by the researcher (control group). The Diabetes Quality-of-Life (DQOL) measure was used to assess their QOL before, immediately after, and 1 month after the intervention.Results:The difference between the groups in terms of the total quality of life score immediately after the intervention was significant (t = 8.63; p = 0.001). The results showed that the QOL score in the dimensions of worries about diabetes effects (t = 12.13, p = 0.042), impact of diabetes treatment, (t = 8.63, p = 0.001), and satisfaction with diabetes treatment (t = 11.33, p = 0.001) was significantly different in the groups immediately after the intervention.Conclusions:Peer education increased the QOL of patients with diabetes, with significantly better results than the researcher training group immediately after the training. Thus, this method can be used to improve the QOL of the aged population.

Functional fitness and quality of life in elderly individuals trained in aquatic and land environments: Is it the environment and/or the training structuring?

Functional fitness and quality of life in elderly individuals trained in aquatic and land environments: Is it the environment and/or the training structuring?