Physical Health Behaviors Research Articles

Impact of Caring for A Child With Cancer: Predicting Factors Affecting The Physical Health And Healthy Life Behaviors of The Mother

Purpose: To prevent mothers of children with cancer from developing health problems and suggest effective ways to maintain their health, it is important to accurately determine the problems they face. The aim of this study was to examine the physical health problems and healthy lifestyle behaviors of mothers whose children have cancer. Material and Methods: This methodological, descriptive, and correlational study. The study interviewed 150 mothers whose children were receiving treatment for cancer using three forms: Sociodemographic Information Form, Mothers' Physical Health Form, and Healthy Lifestyle Behaviors Scale II. Independent samples t-test and single way variance analysis (ANOVA) tests were conducted to measure the relations between the variables. Results: Mothers’ age, number of children with cancer, age of child, educational status, income level and marital status were significantly correlated with the survey variables. A model created based on the regression analysis of the relationship among the variables showed that sociodemographic characteristics affected 24.2% of the healthy lifestyle behavior of mothers of children with cancer. Conclusion: Our results showed that physical activity and stress management received the lowest health lifestyle behavior scores. The current findings emphasize the importance of informing mothers about stress management and physical activities during the care of their children with cancer.

Association of Knowledge and Health Habits with Physiological Hydration Status.

The association of hydration knowledge and health habits with hydration status and fluid intake is rarely examined. We sought to determine whether knowledge or physical health behaviors predict physiological hydration status and fluid intake. Ninety-six participants (59 female; 27 ± 10 year) completed the previously validated hydration survey. Participants then recorded total fluids consumed (TFC), collected urine, and tracked void frequency for 24 h. Hydration status was assessed via 24 h urine specific gravity (USG) and osmolality (Uosm). Health behaviors included self-reported physical activity, BMI, smoking, alcoholic drinking, and sleep status. TFC was significantly correlated with 24 h USG (r = -0.390; p < 0.001), Uosm (r = -0.486; p < 0.001), total urine volume (r = 0.675; p < 0.001), and void frequency (r = 0.518; p < 0.001). Hydration knowledge was not correlated with 24 h USG (r = 0.085; p = 0.420), Uosm (r = 0.087; p = 0.419), urine total volume (r = 0.019; p = 0.857), void frequency (r = 0.030; p = 0.771), or TFC (r = 0.027; p = 0.813). Hydration knowledge did not predict 24 h USG (LR+ = 1.10; LR- = 0.90), Uosm (LR+ = 0.81; LR- = 1.35), or TFC (LR+ = 1.00; LR- = 1.00). Health habits did not predict 24 h USG, Uosm, or TFC. In conclusion, self-reported 24 h diet and fluid log recording is comparable to hydration status verification via 24 h urine collection. Hydration knowledge and health habits are not related to, or predictive of, hydration status.

Use of social network analysis in health research: a scoping review protocol

IntroductionSocial networks can affect health beliefs, behaviours and outcomes through various mechanisms, including social support, social influence and information diffusion. Social network analysis (SNA), an approach which emerged from the...

Nicotine and Alcohol Use as Predictors of Recreational Cannabis Use in Adolescence: A Systematic Review and Narrative Synthesis

Background: The prevalence of recreational cannabis use among adolescents is a growing public health concern due to its link to short- and long-term adverse effects on adolescents’ wellbeing, physical health, mental health, and interpersonal behaviors. Method: Five databases were searched from inception to March 17, 2023, for exposure (nicotine product, alcohol) and outcome (recreational cannabis) in adolescents (persons aged 10–19 years). The studies were screened independently by two reviewers, and the quality of the studies was assessed with Newcastle Ottawa and AXIS tool. PRISMA guidelines were employed in this review. Result: Twenty-one (21) studies involving 2,778,406 adolescents were included in the appraisal and heterogeneity was found among these studies. Ascertainment bias was commonly detected in thirteen (13) of the included studies. Among the substances examined as potential exposures, nicotine-product use emerged as a significant factor associated with future cannabis use among adolescents, particularly in mid-adolescence and in places where recreational cannabis use has been legalized. Conclusion: Current evidence suggests an association between nicotine-product use and subsequent recreational cannabis use among adolescents. However, further research is needed to establish causality between exposure to nicotine substances and the use of recreational cannabis within this age demographic. Additionally, there is a need for the development of prevention programs and targeted policies that continuously inform and update this vulnerable sub-population about the risks associated with cannabis use for leisure.

Neuroelectric indices of pre-motor planning and adiposity are selectively related to balance in children

BackgroundMotor function and weight status are components of physical fitness that have been implicated in childhood motor and cognitive development. The lateralized readiness potential (LRP), an index of motor planning and action, can provide context surrounding relationships between fitness and brain activity underlying cognitive and motor functions. This study evaluated the relationship between the LRP and motor skills, as well as associations between weight status and neural and behavioral motor functions. MethodsChildren aged 7–13 (n = 35) participated in a cross-sectional study, using the Movement Assessment Battery for Children 2nd edition (MABC-2) to assess balance, manual dexterity, and aiming/catching. The stimulus- (LRP-S) and response-locked (LRP-R) LRPs were elicited from a modified flanker task. Stepwise regressions tested the association between LRPs and MABC-2 components. Linear regressions were conducted to examine BMI and %Fat in relation to LRPs and MABC-2 components. ResultsAnalyses revealed that LRP-S mean amplitude difference (β = 0.401, P = 0.042) and reaction time interference scores (β = 0.545, P = 0.004) were positively associated with balance, after adjusting for covariates. The LRP-S and interference scores did not predict other MABC-2 outcomes and LRP-R did not predict any MABC-2 components. Further, %Fat (β = −0.439, P = 0.044), not BMI (β = −0.364, P = 0.082), only predicted balance. ConclusionWe found that changes in the LRP-S amplitude were positively associated with balance, and %Fat was negatively related to balance. This evidence is that fitness components such as weight status and coordination are related to neural markers of motor function which may be useful in intervention designs aimed to improve brain function via improvements in physical fitness and health behaviors.

Prevalence and associated factors of premature ejaculation and erectile dysfunction in young, single men who have sex with men in Lima, Peru.

While there is literature on erectile dysfunction (ED) and premature ejaculation (PE) in men, conclusive evidence regarding these sexual health issues and potential associated factors in the young, single men who have sex with men (MSM) population is lacking. The study sought to determine the prevalence and factors associated with PE and ED in young single MSM in the capital of Peru. This was an analytical cross-sectional study in MSM using an online questionnaire. The presence of ED and PE was assessed using the 5-item International Index of Erectile Function and 5-item Premature Ejaculation Diagnostic Tool questionnaires, respectively. In addition, their association with personal, physical health, and sexual behavior variables was evaluated. Prevalence ratios (PRs) were estimated through regression models. Premature ejaculation and Erectile dysfunction in MSM. Of 315 participants, most were between 20 to 29years of age (71.8%), 43.5% identified as homosexual, 59.1% had between 2 and 5 sexual partners, and 40.6% reported that the duration of their sexual relationship was between 1 and 12months. The prevalence of ED was 53.3% (95% confidence interval [CI], 47.66%-58.95%), and PE was present in 8.3% (95% CI, 5.46%-11.86%). Factors associated with a higher prevalence of ED were having between 6 and 9 sexual partners (PR, 1.48; 95% CI, 1.05-2.11) and having a sexual relationship lasting 13 to 24months (PR, 0.70; 95% CI, 0.50-0.98). Furthermore, for each additional year from the onset of the first sexual encounter with another man, the prevalence of PE increased by 7% (PR, 1.07; 95% CI, 1.02-1.13). These findings suggest that there is a relationship between an increased number of sexual partners and a higher prevalence of ED. It also suggests that relationships that last for some time may have a protective effect against ED. Strengths include the use of validated instruments, adequate sample size, robust multivariate analysis, and being one of the few studies in Latin America assessing PE and ED in the MSM population. Limitations include the cross-sectional design, nonprobability sampling, and access to participants. Having more sexual partners is associated with increased ED, while relationships lasting 13 to 24months are associated with decreased ED. Each additional year from the onset of the first sexual relationship increases the prevalence of PE. These findings can guide the design of health policies and programs tailored to the MSM community to enhance their well-being and sexual quality of life.

Financial Education Effects on Financial Behavior and Well-Being: The Mediating Roles of Improved Objective and Subjective Financial Knowledge and Parallels in Physical Health

How does financial education lead to improved financial behavior and higher financial well-being? An influential Consumer Financial Protection Bureau model introduced in 2015 proposes that the goal of financial education is to improve financial well-being and that financial education does so by increasing financial knowledge, which improves financial behavior, which improves financial well-being. In this study, the authors test links in the Consumer Financial Protection Bureau model, examining the differential roles of objective and subjective knowledge. They also test whether an analogous model might capture effects of physical health education on physical health knowledge, behavior, and well-being. They report a quasi-experiment comparing changes in financial and physical health knowledge, behavior, and well-being at two time points in a semester for students enrolled in a personal finance class, a personal health class, or neither. This study reports the first causal estimates of flow from financial education to financial knowledge to financial behaviors to a validated measure of subjective financial well-being. Financial education caused large changes in both objective and subjective knowledge. Yet only subjective knowledge mediated the large effects of financial education on changes in downstream behaviors. The authors find weaker but similar results for physical health. The findings suggest that financial education efforts should be refocused to foster subjective knowledge and improved behavior.

Interactions with Nature, Good for the Mind and Body: A Narrative Review.

Interacting with nature may promote mental and physical health. There are multiple ways to interact with nature: indirectly, incidentally, and intentionally. How these types of interactions with nature may be associated with mental and physical health status and health behaviors is unclear. The purpose of this narrative review is to (1) describe the relationship between interactions with nature (indirect, incidental, and intentional) and mental and physical health outcomes and behaviors, (2) identify gaps in the literature, and (3) provide recommendations for future research. Considerable evidence suggests that interacting with nature, indirectly and intentionally, is associated with improvements in mental health and physical exhibitions of mental status. Furthermore, intentionally interacting with nature is associated with engagement in physical activity and gardening is associated with fruit and vegetable consumption. Research suggests that incidentally interacting with nature may be associated with positive mental health status. More research is needed to understand the relationships between incidental interactions with nature and physical health status and behaviors; as well as among all types of interactions with nature and physical health disorders, sleep, and dietary behaviors.

Digital Health Literacy of the Population in Germany and Its Association With Physical Health, Mental Health, Life Satisfaction, and Health Behaviors: Nationally Representative Survey Study.

Digital health literacy, also known as eHealth literacy, describes the ability to seek, find, understand, and apply health information from the internet to address health problems. The World Health Organization calls for actions to improve digital health literacy. To develop target group-specific digital health literacy interventions, it is necessary to know the digital health literacy of the general population and relevant subgroups. This study aims to representatively assess the digital health literacy of the population in Germany and relevant subgroups. The results are meant to facilitate the development of target group-specific digital health literacy interventions. Additionally, this study further explores the associations between digital health literacy and physical health, mental health, life satisfaction, and diverse health behaviors. Study participants were drawn from a representative panel of the German-speaking population with internet access. To further increase the representativeness of the sample, survey weights were calculated using an iterative proportional fitting procedure. Participants answered a series of questionnaires regarding their digital health literacy, physical health, mental health, life satisfaction, and diverse health behaviors. Two-sided independent sample t tests were conducted to determine the significant differences between societal subgroups. Pearson correlation coefficients were calculated to explore the correlates of digital health literacy. Digital health literacy is unevenly distributed within German society. The results of this study suggest that people with a low level of formal education and people with a low social status would benefit from digital health literacy interventions that address their competencies in the domains of information seeking and information appraisal. Furthermore, the results suggest that older people would likely benefit from digital health literacy interventions that address their competencies in the domains of information seeking and also information appraisal. Regarding sex, this study suggests that men might benefit from digital health literacy interventions that specifically address their competencies in the domain of information seeking. Furthermore, digital health literacy is weakly positively correlated with physical health, mental health, life satisfaction, exercise routines, fruit consumption, and vegetable consumption. Overall, the results of this study demonstrate that digital health literacy is associated with diverse health outcomes and behaviors. Furthermore, the results provide a starting point for the development of target group-specific digital health literacy interventions.

Profile of Caregiving Activities and Association With Physical Health Among Dementia Spousal Caregivers.

This study aims to identify patterns of caregiving intensity and assess associations between caregiving intensity and multidimensional physical health indicators and health behaviors among spousal caregivers of persons with Alzheimer's disease and related dementia. Using data from 152 spousal caregivers aged 65 and older, the intensity of their caregiving experience was measured as the number and frequency of health- and medical-related helping activities for their care recipient. Multidimensional health indicators included self-reported fatigue, sleep disturbance, physical functioning, pain interference, general health, and the number of chronic conditions from the electronic health records. Self-reported health promotion behaviors were assessed as health responsibility, physical activity, nutrition, interpersonal relations, and stress management. Two distinct caregiving intensity patterns, high-intensity (37.5%) and low-intensity (62.5%) caregiving, were identified with cluster analysis. Caregivers in the high-intensity caregiving cluster reported feeling more tired (t = 2.25, p < .05), experiencing more sleep disturbance (t = 3.06, p < .01), and performing less physical activity (t = 2.05, p < .05) compared with caregivers in the low-intensity group. Future studies are needed to develop effective interventions to address caregiving intensity and its consequences on the health of spousal caregivers of persons with dementia.

Physical and mental health in adolescence: novel insights from a transdiagnostic examination of FitBit data in the ABCD study

Adolescence is among the most vulnerable period for the emergence of serious mental illnesses. Addressing this vulnerability has generated interest in identifying markers of risk for symptoms and opportunities for early intervention. Physical fitness has been linked to psychopathology and may be a useful risk marker and target for early intervention. New wearable technology has made assessing fitness behavior more practical while avoiding recall and self-report bias. Still, questions remain regarding the clinical utility of physical fitness metrics for mental health, both transdiagnostically and along specific symptom dimensions. The current study includes 5007 adolescents (ages 10–13) who participated in the Adolescent Brain Cognitive Development (ABCD) study and additional sub-study that collected fitness data from wearable technology and clinical symptom measures. Physical fitness metrics included resting heart rate (RHR- an index of cardiovascular health), time spent sedentary (associated with increased inflammation and cardiovascular disease), and time spent in moderate physical activity (associated with increased neurogenesis, neuroplasticity, and healthy neurodevelopment). Self-report clinical symptoms included measures of psychosis-like experiences (PLE), internalizing symptoms, and externalizing symptoms. Increased RHR- lower cardiovascular fitness- related only to greater internalizing symptoms (t = 3.63). More sedentary behavior related to elevated PLE severity (t = 5.49). More moderate activity related to lower PLE (t = −2.69) and internalizing (t = −6.29) symptom severity. Wearable technology fitness metrics linked physical health to specific mental health dimensions, which emphasizes the utility of detailed digital health data as a marker for risk and the need for precision in targeting physical health behaviors to benefit symptoms of psychopathology.

Evaluating the Relationship between Health Education Programs and Health Behavior of College Students in Mainland China

Aim: The study is based on the premise that mental health and physical health education can make a great impact on the psychological well-being and health behavior of college students in China. This research also tested the role of psychological well-being as a mediating variable between mental health education, physical health education and health behavior. Methods: A sample of 382 college students from Mainland China was collected with a random sampling technique, and a Likert scale questionnaire was employed for data collection. The statistical data of this research was analyzed with RStudio for running data into R language and programming. Three structural equations were developed for the model plot, path diagram, and path plot. Resutls: The research found there is no impact of mental health education on the health behavior of students and the physical health education also made a negative effect on health behavior. The rest of the relationships was significantly accepted. Conclusion: The research recommends that Chinese colleges should integrate health education into the learning of students for their better health behavior and productive performance. The study has some limitations but is presented with future directions for the scholars.

Divine struggles and whole person functioning: a 9-year longitudinal study of middle-aged U.S. adults

Objective This longitudinal study examined the associations of divine struggles with 25 psychological distress, psychological well-being, social well-being, prosociality, physical health, and health behavior outcomes assessed approximately nine years later. Methods We used three waves of data from the National Survey of Midlife Development in the United States (N = 4041): M1 (1995–1996), M2 (2004–2006), and M3 (2013–2014). Following the analytic template for outcome-wide longitudinal designs, our primary analysis employed a series of regression models to estimate the associations between a continuous measure of divine struggles assessed at M2 with each outcome assessed at M3. All models adjusted for a rich set of covariates, including prior values of all outcomes. Results There was modest evidence suggesting that divine struggles were associated with worse subsequent functioning on one or more outcomes for each domain except health behaviors (effect sizes were generally very small). Conclusions Divine struggles have the potential to degrade long-term functioning across multiple domains of life. Practitioners should attend to and address divine struggles in their clinical work.

Prediction of Recidivism and Detection of Risk Factors Under Different Time Windows Using Machine Learning Techniques

Following a comprehensive analysis of the initial three generations of prisoner risk assessment tools, the field has observed a notable prominence in the integration of fourth-generation tools and machine learning techniques. However, limited efforts have been made to address the explainability of data-driven prediction models and their connection with treatment recommendations. Our primary objective was to develop predictive models for assessing the likelihood of recidivism among prisoners released from their index incarceration within 1-year, 2-year, and 5-year timeframes. We aimed to enhance interpretability using SHapley Additive exPlanations (SHAP). We collected data from 20,457 in-prison records from February 10, 2005, to August 25, 2021, sourced from a Southwestern China prison’s data management system. Recidivism records were officially determined through data mining from an official website and combined identification data from neighboring prisons. We employed five machine learning algorithms, considering sociodemographic, physical health, psychological assessments, criminological characteristics, crime history, social support, and in-prison behaviors as factors. For interpretability, SHAP was applied to reveal feature contributions. Findings indicated that young prisoners accused of larceny, previous convictions, lower fines, and limited family support faced higher reoffending risk. Conversely, middle-aged and senior prisoners with no prior convictions, lower monthly supermarket expenses, and positive psychological test results had lower reoffending risk. We also explored interactions between significant predictive features, such as prisoner age at incarceration initiation and primary accusation, and the duration of current incarceration and cumulative prior incarcerations. Notably, our models consistently exhibited high performance, as shown by AUC on the test dataset across time windows. Interpretability results provided insights into evolving risk factors over time, valuable for intervention with high-risk individuals. These insights, with additional validation, could offer dynamic prisoner information for stakeholders. Moreover, interpretability results can be seamlessly integrated into prison and court management systems as a valuable risk assessment tool.

Podcasts as a tool for promoting health-related behaviours: A scoping review.

Podcasts are a popular medium for delivering health-related content, potentially influencing physical and mental health behaviours and outcomes. This scoping review evaluates the impact of health podcasts on such outcomes, engagement levels, and public perceptions. This scoping review followed the Arksey and O'Malley framework and PRISMA-ScR guidelines. Qualitative or quantitative articles published from 2004 onward were included. Eligibility criteria were developed using the Population, Exposure and Outcome framework. Included articles examined the use, engagement with, or perspectives towards health-related podcasts. Data were synthesised narratively. Fifty articles encompassing 38 studies were analysed. Significant improvements (p < 0.05) were observed in health monitoring, knowledge, behaviours, attitudes, chronic disease management, maternal health and behavioural improvements. Results were mixed for physical activity (n = 2 significantly improved, n = 2 no change), fruit and vegetable consumption (n = 1 significantly improved, n = 1 no change), and weight outcomes (n = 2 significantly improved, n = 2 no change). No significant changes were observed in depression and anxiety. Podcast engagement studies (n = 7) reported participation rates between 62% and 83% and an average weekly listening duration of 103-124 minutes. There was high satisfaction, trust and appreciation for podcasts that effectively blended personal anecdotes with reliable medical information. Sample sizes ranged from 7 to 722, with sample age ranging from under 18 to 73.2 ± 6.2 years. Studies included both male (n = 1), female (n = 6) and mixed samples (n = 24). Podcasts were used individually (n = 19), alongside other supportive technology such as apps and online material (n = 11) and retrospective podcast use was analysed in cross-sectional (n = 3) and a single (n = 1) audit. Duration of podcasts ranged from 30 seconds to 24 minutes. Podcasts show promise as effective tools for health promotion, achieving strong engagement and effects on knowledge and behaviours. Future research should explore content innovation and integration into health interventions, and long-term effectiveness.

노숙인의 정신적 습관 형성에 영향을 미친 경험

Mental habits could be considered a major determinant not only of physical health behaviors and status but also of mental health. However, there has been limited research on the concept of mental habits in Korea and internationally. As homeless people experience mental health issues more frequently than the general population, early detection and management could be crucial for improving their mental health. Therefore, this study aims to conduct a phenomenological study to discover common experiences of the homeless, focusing on the formation process of mental habits. Through the analysis of in-depth interviews with 12 homeless people, 21 themes, 11 theme clusters, and 6 categories were derived. The results suggested that the mental habits of the homeless were formed through experiences including social disconnection, addiction, unethical behavior, economic difficulties, social exclusion, chronic problematic environments, and intrinsic motivations for life. From childhood to the current homeless status, various experiences have led to complicated interactions affecting the interviewees in multiple ways: a single event could lead to multiple mental habits, or a combination of experiences could develop a single mental habit. Therefore, policies for homeless people should not simply aim to provide shelter but should also aim to end homelessness through supports for sustainable living. This should be built on an understanding of their experiences including life before homelessness, the process of becoming homeless, and their experiences as homeless individuals. Based on this, the researchers' policy recommendations are as follows: First, programs for the homeless should proactively aim to eliminate discrimination. Second, interventions for mental habits should incorporate specific and non-specific interventions. Lastly, interventions for the mental health of homeless people should focus on creating intrinsic motivations.

Technology-Enabled Collaborative Care for Diabetes and Mental Health (TECC-D): Feasibility and Satisfaction of a Co-Re-Designed Integrated Virtual Care Model

Objective: For individuals living with Type-2 Diabetes (T2D), mental health issues such as distress, anxiety, and depression are common. However, current models of care require those living with T2D and mental health issues to navigate a fragmented healthcare system to receive physical and mental health services. This is especially true in rural areas where there are additional barriers at the individual and provider level. To address these gaps, we co-re-designed a person-centred Technology-Enabled Collaborative Care for Diabetes and Mental Health (TECC-D) model through iterative input. &#x0D; Co-Re-Design: To meet the complex needs of those living with T2D and mental health issues, a co-re-design process was utilized. This involved building on existing assets, including a previously co-designed collaborative care model that was re-designed for this population with input from three people with lived experience of diabetes, diabetes and mental health care providers, and community stakeholders. This team supported the design and implementation of the model throughout the study duration.&#x0D; Methods: In this explanatory sequential feasibility trial, the TECC-D model leveraged existing assets including widely available technology (telephone, web-conferencing) to integrate T2D and mental health support through weekly, virtual health coaching sessions with a Certified Diabetes Educator, supported by a multidisciplinary virtual care team for 8 weeks. Primary outcomes included the feasibility and acceptability of the TECC-D model with exploratory outcomes including changes in mental health, substance use, and physical health behaviours collected at baseline, 4, 8, and 12 weeks. Provider and partner experience and satisfaction were also explored through a qualitative descriptive study.&#x0D; Results: 31 participants were recruited and completed the program between June 2021 and June 2022. Study findings demonstrate that the TECC-D model is a feasible and scalable care solution that empowers individuals living with T2D and mental health issues to take an active role in improving their physical and mental health. Participants and providers described program components (e.g., health coaching, virtual care team) and program delivery (e.g., frequency and duration of the program) positively. This included: 1) seeing virtual care as practical and effective for managing routine care needs; 2) feeling that having an expert care coach supported by a virtual care team was “over and above” the care that participants had previously experienced; 3) building expertise and capacity within the care team specific to diabetes and mental health; and 4) recognizing that integrated care is “missing from diabetes care” and that in offering clinical integration, participants felt “much more than just the sum of my parts”. &#x0D; Conclusions: Utilizing widely available technology in the current health system and engaging existing primary and community-based care assets, this model of care was found to be both feasible and acceptable by participants, providers, and patient partners and may improve the lives of individuals living with T2D and mental health issues.

PROFILE OF CAREGIVING ACTIVITIES AND ASSOCIATION WITH PHYSICAL HEALTH AMONG DEMENTIA SPOUSAL CAREGIVERS

Abstract The daily care of a person living with Alzheimer’s disease and related dementia (ADRD) is associated with threats to the health and well-being of family caregivers. Although more is known about the relationship between caregiving and psychosocial distress, far less is known about the relationship between caregiving and physical health and health behaviors. This study aims to identify intensity of caregiving experience profiles and compare the profiles to multidimensional physical health indicators and health behaviors among spousal caregivers for persons with ADRD. Using data from 152 spousal caregivers aged 65 and over, the intensity of caregiving experience (ICE) was measured as the number and frequency of health- and medical-related helping activities for his/her care recipient. Multidimensional health indicators included fatigue, sleep disturbance, physical functioning, pain interference, and general health from self-reports, and the number of chronic conditions from the electronic health records. Health promotion behaviors were assessed as: health responsibility, physical activity, nutrition, interpersonal relations, and stress management. Cluster analysis was performed to determine the number of ICE profiles. T-tests and chi2 tests were to assess differences in health indicators and behaviors between clusters. We identified two distinct caregiving experience patterns: high-intensity (37.5%) and low-intensity (62.5%) caregiving. Caregivers from the high-intensity caregiving cluster reported feeling more tired (t=2.254, p&amp;lt; .05), perceiving more sleep disturbance (t=3.06, p&amp;lt; .001), and performing less physical activity (t=2.05, p&amp;lt; .05). Future studies are needed to develop effective interventions to reduce sleep disturbance and fatigue among family caregivers who are heavily involved in caregiving activities.

OLDER ADULT PERCEPTIONS OF HEALTHY AGING MEASURES

Abstract Little is known about how lay older adults view measures commonly employed to assess healthy aging. This study examined older adults’ perceptions of scales capturing psychological wellbeing, psychosocial factors, and physical health. Participants (n = 60 US adults; MAge = 65.49, 41.18% Female, 94.12% White) were asked to rate how easy each measure was to understand and interpret on a scale of 1 (Not easy at all) to 7 (Very easy). In addition, they were asked to identify any items with which they had difficulty responding. Finally, participants provided opinions of whether these scales fully addressed their perspective on healthy aging, or if additional components were needed. Results showed that, on average, participants rated the aging-related outcomes measures as easy to understand and interpret (M = 6.14). Older adults rated measures related to physical health and health behaviors as the easiest to use (the PROMIS Health Measure (M = 6.47) and the Good Health Practices Scale (M = 6.49)), while measures that capture future planning were the most difficult to comprehend and interpret (the Consideration of Future Consequences Scale (CFC; M = 5.19) and the Goals Related to Healthy Aging Scale (M = 5.73)). While participants generally reported satisfaction with the comprehensiveness of the measures, some (22%) felt that these measures did not fully capture the social aspects of aging. Future measurement development may benefit from older adults’ input to increase their utility and better capture the experiences of older adults.

COVID-19 Stress and Its Impact on Self Protective Behaviors in an Emerging Adult College Sample: The Importance of Trauma

ABSTRACTBackgroundDevelopmentally, social relationships are critical in the lives of emerging adults; however, little research has been focused on the types of protective behaviors that individuals on college campuses engaged in during the pandemic.PurposeThis study examines predictors of emerging adults’ self-protective behaviors with a focus on COVID stress.MethodsParticipants were 132 undergraduate participants who completed a series of online measures aimed at assessing COVID-19 stress and various self-protective behaviors.ResultsUsing sanitizer, wearing masks, and notifying people of contact were the most prevalent self-protective behaviors. COVID-19 stress, particularly trauma, was the only significant predictor of self-protective behaviors. Results also showed that for women trauma predicted self-protective behavior and women in general reported more COVID-19 trauma.DiscussionAlthough most participants reported engaging in some type of self-protective behaviors, the data suggest that psychological factors are important for predicting these behaviors.Translation to Health Education PracticeThis research offers insight into the need for college/university campuses to prioritize both physical health behaviors and also mental health consequences during the pandemic consistent with several NCHEC responsibilities.A AJHE Self-Study quiz is online for this article via the SHAPE America Online Institute (SAOI) http://portal.shapeamerica.org/trn-Webinars