Socioeconomic Status In Older Adults Research Articles

Short-term memory binding is insensitive to the socioeconomic status of older adults with and without mild cognitive impairment

Objective: The Visual Short-Term Memory Binding (VSTMB) Test is a useful tool in the assessment of Alzheimer’s disease (AD). Research has suggested that short-term memory binding is insensitive to the sociocultural characteristics of the assessed individuals. Such earlier studies addressed this influence by considering years of education. The current study aims to determine the influence of sociocultural factors via a measure of Socioeconomic Status (SES) which provides a more holistic approach to these common confounders. Methods: A sample of 126 older adults, both with (n = 59) and without (n = 67) amnestic mild cognitive impairment (aMCI), underwent assessment using a neuropsychological protocol including VSTMB test. All participants were classified as either high SES or low SES, employing the Standard Demographic Classification from the European Society for Opinion and Marketing Research. Results: ANOVA/ANCOVA models confirmed that performance of healthy and aMCI participants on traditional neuropsychological tests were sensitive to SES whereas the VSTMB Test was not. The results add to the growing array of evidence suggesting that there are cognitive abilities which are unaffected by socioeconomic factors, regardless of clinical condition. Conclusions: The lack of sensitivity to sociocultural factors previously reported for the VSTMB test is accompanied by a lack of sensitivity to socioeconomic factors thus broadening the scope of this test to aid in the detection of dementia across populations with different backgrounds. Future studies should take these findings forward and explore the potential influences of AD biomarkers (A/T/N) on the association between cognitive functions and demographic variables.

Socioeconomic Status and Nutritional Status as Predictors of Food Insecurity in Older Adults: A Case Study from Southern Ecuador.

While life expectancy is increasing due to scientific advancement, quality of life in aging depends, among other factors, on the nutritional status and socioeconomic status of older adults. To determine socioeconomic status and its association with nutritional status as a predictor of food insecurity among older adults in southern Ecuador, a cross-sectional study of 188 older adults in urban areas and 212 in rural areas was conducted. Nutritional status, food insecurity, and socioeconomic status were measured. Data were analyzed using SPSS v 15.0 for descriptive statistics and bivariate analysis. Of the older participants, 59% had malnutrition, the majority women, and 24.7% were in poverty. Underweight was associated with low socioeconomic status for adults between 65 and 74 years old (OR = 7.710; CI 95% = 1.691–35.147), while obesity was associated with low socioeconomic status and non-manual labor (OR = 3.048; CI 95% = 1.268–7.326). Over 80% of older adults living in homes without children younger than 18 and at low socioeconomic status had food insecurity. The prevalence of underweight, overweight, and obesity points to widespread nutritional problems, especially in rural areas, that are significantly associated with low socioeconomic status. This demonstrates the need for multidisciplinary programs and government policies that can contribute to reducing food insecurity among the highly vulnerable older population.

Abstract P136: The Association Between Socioeconomic Status And Use Of Potentially Inappropriate Medications In Older Adults

Introduction: The use of potentially inappropriate medications (PIM), defined as medications for which the risk of adverse events outweighs the expected benefits, increases the risk of hospitalization, adverse drug events, and mortality in older adults. As socioeconomic status (SES) influences health care quality, the purpose of this study is to investigate whether PIM use differs by SES in older adults. Hypothesis: We hypothesized that low SES was independently associated with increased use of PIM. Methods: We studied participants (aged 66-90 years) who were on at least one medication at visit 5 (2011-2013) of the Atherosclerosis Risk in Communities (ARIC) Study. We created a cumulative SES score, based on neighborhood SES (area deprivation index [ADI]) as well as individual SES (education and income). Because PIM for older adults defined by the 2019 Beers Criteria was extremely common (31% of the population), we focused on the use of two or more PIM. We used multivariable logistic regression to examine the associations between SES and PIM use ≥2. Results: Among 4927 participants (mean age of 75.6 (SD 5.1) years, 19.6% Black, and 57.8% female), 6.9% were on two or more PIMs. Overall, compared with individuals with high cumulative SES, those with lower SES had higher odds of PIM use in a dose-dependent manner (odds ratio [OR]: 1.40 [95% confidence interval (CI), 1.06-1.83] for middle cumulative SES; 1.83 [1.18-2.86] for low cumulative SES, Table ), adjusting for demographics and insurance type. For each SES component, low neighborhood SES (i.e., high ADI) and low education was significantly associated with higher odds of PIM use, but not income. Conclusions: We found that lower SES was associated with greater use of PIM among older adults, suggesting that there exist disparities in quality of care by SES. Focused efforts targeting older adults with low SES to reduce PIM use may be needed to prevent adverse outcomes.

Beyond the social gradient: the role of lifelong socioeconomic status in older adults' health trajectories.

Inequalities in older adults’ health rarely consider life-course aspects of socioeconomic status (SES). We examined the association between lifelong SES and old-age health trajectories, and explored the role of lifestyle factors and depressive symptoms in this association. We followed 2760 adults aged 60+ from the Swedish National Study on Care and Aging, Kungsholmen. SES groups were derived using latent class analysis incorporating seven socioeconomic measures spanning childhood, midlife, and late life. We measured health using the Health Assessment Tool, which combines gait speed, cognition, multimorbidity, and disability. Linear mixed models were used to estimate health trajectories. Four SES groups were identified: High (34.9%), Middle (40.2%), Low (21.2%), and Mixed (3.8%). The Mixed group reported greater financial difficulties in childhood and older age, but varying SES attainment in midlife. Baseline health scores indicated that Mixed SES experienced substantial cognitive and physical deficits 12 years earlier than the High SES group. Compared to the High SES group, the Mixed SES group had the fastest health deterioration (β×time=−0.07, 95% CI:−0.11,−0.02); other groups followed a gradient (High>Middle>Low). Lifestyle factors and depressive symptoms attenuated the gradient but did not explain Mixed group’s health disadvantage. Life-long SES measures are crucial for understanding older adults’ health inequalities.

Association between socioeconomic status and cognitive functioning among older adults in Ghana.

Extensive analysis of the associations between socioeconomic status and cognition has been conducted among older adults. However, it is not clear whether associations in high-income countries are similar in low-and middle-income countries. This research aims to investigate the association between the socioeconomic status of older adults in Ghana and their cognitive function by using a sample of older adults that is nationally representative. Data were obtained from a sample of older Ghanaian adults (50+) from the Study of Global AGEing and Adult Health Wave 1 (n = 3710) of the World Health Organization. Objectively, cognition was measured by verbal recall, verbal fluency, forward digit span, and backward digit span, while variations in cognition overall were evaluated against socioeconomic factors using linear regression. Older age, older women, rural life, increasing memory difficulty, and being diagnosed with stroke were the most significant determinants of impaired cognitive function. Higher education and higher income were significantly associated with a better cognitive function than those with no formal education and low income. These results provide new evidence for public health programs in Ghana and other low-and middle-income countries to tackle cognitive impairments in growing populations.

A study on household headship, living arrangement, and recipient of pension among the older adults in association with suicidal risks

BackgroundThis study aims to examine whether variation in socioeconomic factors indicative of lower status within families in later life, such as the elderly losing their household headship, living with descendants, and having no pension are associated with suicidal risks among the older adults aged 60 years and above in the world. MethodsUsing the data from the Global Burden of Disease Study in 2015, the suicide age ratios (i.e., suicide rate ratios between older adults aged >=60 years versus the younger groups aged <60 years) for the 173 regions were computed and compared. The suicide age ratio rather than the actual rate is used to adjust the difference in base rates among different countries. Forest plots were performed to assess whether late-life status within families moderated the worldwide patterns of suicide age ratios. Regression analyses were used to estimate the extent to which the factors reflecting family status affect suicide age ratios. Gender-specific analyses were also performed. ResultsThe results showed that higher suicide age ratios were significantly found in regions with lower percentages of the elderly being heads of households (ratios=1.69 vs 2.73, P<0.01), higher percentages of co-residence of the elderly with their descendants (ratios=2.72 vs 1.39, P<0.01), and lower percentages of the elderly receiving a pension (ratios=1.42 vs 2.76, P<0.01). In the adjusted regression, having no pension remained to be a significant determinant for both overall population (P = 0.01) and men (P<0.01) but not for women (P = 0.29), and loss of household headship was only significant for men (P = 0.05) but not for either overall population (P = 0.22) or women (P = 0.55), whereas the elderly living with their descendants was no longer significant for either overall population (P = 0.60) or both genders (men: P = 0.72; women P = 0.11). LimitationsThe cross-sectional data do not allow to explore causal effect analyses. ConclusionsThis is the first global study to reveal associations between lower socioeconomic status within families and higher rates of suicide among older adults aged 60 years and above compared with the younger population. Thus, the present ecological findings suggest that strategies to enhance the socioeconomic status of older adults may be important to prevent suicides in later life both within and across countries.

Socioeconomic determinants of sarcopenic obesity and frail obesity in community-dwelling older adults: The Seniors-ENRICA Study

Information on the association between socioeconomic status (SES) throughout life and sarcopenic obesity is scarce, whereas no study has been focused on the association between SES and frail obesity. This analysis estimated the prevalence of sarcopenic obesity and frail obesity, and their associations with SES in older adults. Data were collected in 2012 from 1,765 non-institutionalized individuals aged ≥65 participating in the Seniors-ENRICA study in Spain, by using standardized techniques and equipment. SES throughout life was evaluated with the father’s occupation, participant’s educational level, former own occupation, and current poor housing condition. Overall, 17.2% of participants had sarcopenic obesity, and 4.0% frail obesity. No association was found between SES and sarcopenic obesity. In contrast, the prevalence of frail obesity was higher in those with lower education, having worked in manual job, and currently having poor housing condition. Having ≥1 social disadvantages throughout life was associated with higher prevalence of frail obesity. The prevalence of this disorder increased by 1.49 (95% CI: 1.21–1.85) times for each social disadvantage added. The OR (95% CI) of frail obesity was 3.13 (1.71–5.7) for those having 3 or 4 vs. 0 or 1 social disadvantages, implying a more complex process beginning early in life.

Prevalence and correlates of functional disability in Chinese older adults

This article examines the prevalence of functional disability as well as sociodemographic correlations among Chinese older adults based on the most recent China National Sample Survey on Disability in 2006. Functional disability was defined as lost motor function or limited movements and activities according to the International Classification of Function, Disability and Health, and physicians made the diagnosis of disability. Utilizing stratified, multiphase and cluster probability sampling design, a nationally representative sample of the non-institutionalized elderly Chinese population was studied. Factors associated with functional disability were determined using a logistic regression model. The prevalence of functional disability was 8.1%. Major causes were vascular disease, osteoarthritis and accidents. In the non-institutionalized elders, increased age, rural residence, less education, lower income, unemployment, being unmarried, living in simple housing, and living with others or non-homeowners emerged as factors associated with functional disability in men and women. To face the challenge of the rising prevalence of functional disability, prevention strategies should focus on reducing the incidences of chronic disease and improving socioeconomic status of older adults.

Perceived income inadequacy as a predictor of psychological distress in Alzheimer's caregivers.

The authors examined perceived income inadequacy as a predictor of self-reported depressive symptomatology and anxiety in the original sites of the Resources for Enhancing Alzheimer's Caregiver Health I project. Perceived income inadequacy, self-reported household income, and control factors (e.g., subjective health) were entered into hierarchical regression analyses predicting psychological distress. Findings suggest that perceived income inadequacy and not household income significantly predicted more self-reported depressive symptomatology and greater self-reported anxiety. This supports previous findings that objective income measures alone are not adequate indicators of socioeconomic status in older adults.

The socioeconomic status of older adults: How should we measure it in studies of health inequalities?

STUDY OBJECTIVETo identify which of seven indicators of socioeconomic status used singly or combined with one other would be most useful in studies of health inequalities in the older population.DESIGNSecondary...

Human Papillomavirus in Tonsillar and Nasopharyngeal Carcinoma: Isolation of HPV Subtype 31

We retrospectively studied biopsy specimens obtained from 16 patients who had carcinoma of the tonsil or nasopharynx. Polymerase chain reaction testing detected the presence of human papillomavirus (HPV) in 13 samples (81.3%)--six tonsillar and seven nasopharyngeal. Eleven of the 13 positive samples (84.6%) contained HPV subtype 31. We believe that this is the first report of the presence of HPV subtype 31 in these carcinomas. In addition to the significant association between tonsillar and nasopharyngeal cancer and HPV, our analysis of descriptive variables confirmed the association between the incidence of these neoplasms and poor oral hygiene and low socioeconomic status in older adults.