Download or read book The Role of Social Environmental and Health related Factors on Physical Activity and Functional Health Outcome in Community dwelling Older Adults written by Adisa Delano Soren and published by . This book was released on 2017 with total page 166 pages. Available in PDF, EPUB and Kindle. Book excerpt: A secondary analysis was performed using cross-sectional and longitudinal data from a nationally representative, population-based survey study on factors related to older adult health and well-being. The present study includes a subsample of 918 community-dwelling US older adults aged 65-85 (M = 72.6, SD = 5.4) who were functionally independent at baseline assessment. The study sought to examine the relationship between baseline morbidity status and five-year functional health status. In addition, the frequency in which older adults engaged in physical activity was explored as a potential mediator to this relationship. Lastly, physiological, social, and physical environment characteristics were evaluated in relation to physical activity frequency. Results revealed that having more numerous health conditions and less frequent performance of physical activity was related to poorer functional health at five-year follow-up R2 = .10 F(2, 915) = 51.16, p

Download or read book U S Health in International Perspective written by National Research Council and published by National Academies Press. This book was released on 2013-04-12 with total page 421 pages. Available in PDF, EPUB and Kindle. Book excerpt: The United States is among the wealthiest nations in the world, but it is far from the healthiest. Although life expectancy and survival rates in the United States have improved dramatically over the past century, Americans live shorter lives and experience more injuries and illnesses than people in other high-income countries. The U.S. health disadvantage cannot be attributed solely to the adverse health status of racial or ethnic minorities or poor people: even highly advantaged Americans are in worse health than their counterparts in other, "peer" countries. In light of the new and growing evidence about the U.S. health disadvantage, the National Institutes of Health asked the National Research Council (NRC) and the Institute of Medicine (IOM) to convene a panel of experts to study the issue. The Panel on Understanding Cross-National Health Differences Among High-Income Countries examined whether the U.S. health disadvantage exists across the life span, considered potential explanations, and assessed the larger implications of the findings. U.S. Health in International Perspective presents detailed evidence on the issue, explores the possible explanations for the shorter and less healthy lives of Americans than those of people in comparable countries, and recommends actions by both government and nongovernment agencies and organizations to address the U.S. health disadvantage.

Download or read book Social Isolation and Loneliness in Older Adults written by National Academies of Sciences, Engineering, and Medicine and published by National Academies Press. This book was released on 2020-05-14 with total page 317 pages. Available in PDF, EPUB and Kindle. Book excerpt: Social isolation and loneliness are serious yet underappreciated public health risks that affect a significant portion of the older adult population. Approximately one-quarter of community-dwelling Americans aged 65 and older are considered to be socially isolated, and a significant proportion of adults in the United States report feeling lonely. People who are 50 years of age or older are more likely to experience many of the risk factors that can cause or exacerbate social isolation or loneliness, such as living alone, the loss of family or friends, chronic illness, and sensory impairments. Over a life course, social isolation and loneliness may be episodic or chronic, depending upon an individual's circumstances and perceptions. A substantial body of evidence demonstrates that social isolation presents a major risk for premature mortality, comparable to other risk factors such as high blood pressure, smoking, or obesity. As older adults are particularly high-volume and high-frequency users of the health care system, there is an opportunity for health care professionals to identify, prevent, and mitigate the adverse health impacts of social isolation and loneliness in older adults. Social Isolation and Loneliness in Older Adults summarizes the evidence base and explores how social isolation and loneliness affect health and quality of life in adults aged 50 and older, particularly among low income, underserved, and vulnerable populations. This report makes recommendations specifically for clinical settings of health care to identify those who suffer the resultant negative health impacts of social isolation and loneliness and target interventions to improve their social conditions. Social Isolation and Loneliness in Older Adults considers clinical tools and methodologies, better education and training for the health care workforce, and dissemination and implementation that will be important for translating research into practice, especially as the evidence base for effective interventions continues to flourish.

Download or read book Healthy Aging and the Community Environment written by Chanam Lee and published by Frontiers Media SA. This book was released on 2021-11-29 with total page 178 pages. Available in PDF, EPUB and Kindle. Book excerpt:

Download or read book Communities in Action written by National Academies of Sciences, Engineering, and Medicine and published by National Academies Press. This book was released on 2017-04-27 with total page 583 pages. Available in PDF, EPUB and Kindle. Book excerpt: In the United States, some populations suffer from far greater disparities in health than others. Those disparities are caused not only by fundamental differences in health status across segments of the population, but also because of inequities in factors that impact health status, so-called determinants of health. Only part of an individual's health status depends on his or her behavior and choice; community-wide problems like poverty, unemployment, poor education, inadequate housing, poor public transportation, interpersonal violence, and decaying neighborhoods also contribute to health inequities, as well as the historic and ongoing interplay of structures, policies, and norms that shape lives. When these factors are not optimal in a community, it does not mean they are intractable: such inequities can be mitigated by social policies that can shape health in powerful ways. Communities in Action: Pathways to Health Equity seeks to delineate the causes of and the solutions to health inequities in the United States. This report focuses on what communities can do to promote health equity, what actions are needed by the many and varied stakeholders that are part of communities or support them, as well as the root causes and structural barriers that need to be overcome.

Download or read book Neighborhood Environment and Loss of Physical Function in Older People written by Jennifer Lynn Balfour and published by . This book was released on 1999 with total page 372 pages. Available in PDF, EPUB and Kindle. Book excerpt:

Download or read book Physical Activity and Health in the Elderly written by Alexandrina Lobo and published by Bentham Science Publishers. This book was released on 2010-12-30 with total page 88 pages. Available in PDF, EPUB and Kindle. Book excerpt: "Physical inactivity is not only an individual's personal problem but is identified as a serious public health issue. Prolonged inactivity that occurs among many elderly persons tends to lead into a gradual decrease in all components of physical fitness, t"

Download or read book Critical Perspectives on Racial and Ethnic Differences in Health in Late Life written by National Research Council and published by National Academies Press. This book was released on 2004-10-16 with total page 753 pages. Available in PDF, EPUB and Kindle. Book excerpt: In their later years, Americans of different racial and ethnic backgrounds are not in equally good-or equally poor-health. There is wide variation, but on average older Whites are healthier than older Blacks and tend to outlive them. But Whites tend to be in poorer health than Hispanics and Asian Americans. This volume documents the differentials and considers possible explanations. Selection processes play a role: selective migration, for instance, or selective survival to advanced ages. Health differentials originate early in life, possibly even before birth, and are affected by events and experiences throughout the life course. Differences in socioeconomic status, risk behavior, social relations, and health care all play a role. Separate chapters consider the contribution of such factors and the biopsychosocial mechanisms that link them to health. This volume provides the empirical evidence for the research agenda provided in the separate report of the Panel on Race, Ethnicity, and Health in Later Life.

Download or read book Aging in Sub Saharan Africa written by National Research Council and published by National Academies Press. This book was released on 2006-11-10 with total page 368 pages. Available in PDF, EPUB and Kindle. Book excerpt: In sub-Saharan Africa, older people make up a relatively small fraction of the total population and are supported primarily by family and other kinship networks. They have traditionally been viewed as repositories of information and wisdom, and are critical pillars of the community but as the HIV/AIDS pandemic destroys family systems, the elderly increasingly have to deal with the loss of their own support while absorbing the additional responsibilities of caring for their orphaned grandchildren. Aging in Sub-Saharan Africa explores ways to promote U.S. research interests and to augment the sub-Saharan governments' capacity to address the many challenges posed by population aging. Five major themes are explored in the book such as the need for a basic definition of "older person," the need for national governments to invest more in basic research and the coordination of data collection across countries, and the need for improved dialogue between local researchers and policy makers. This book makes three major recommendations: 1) the development of a research agenda 2) enhancing research opportunity and implementation and 3) the translation of research findings.

Download or read book The Palgrave Handbook of Ageing and Physical Activity Promotion written by Samuel R. Nyman and published by Springer. This book was released on 2018-03-31 with total page 757 pages. Available in PDF, EPUB and Kindle. Book excerpt: The ageing of our population is a key societal issue across the globe. Although people are living longer, they need to be living longer in good health to continue to enjoy quality of life and independence and to prevent rises in health and social care costs. This timely and ground-breaking volume will provide an up-to-date overview of the factors that promote physical activity in later life. Despite advances in the fields of gerontology and geriatrics, sports and exercise science, sociology, health psychology, and public health, knowledge is largely contained within disciplines as reflected in the current provision of academic texts on this subject. To truly address the present and substantial societal challenges of population ageing, a multidisciplinary and collaborative approach is required. This handbook will inform researchers, students, and practitioners on the current evidence base for what physical activities need to be promoted among older people and how they can be implemented to maximise engagement. This handbook will be an invaluable resource for researchers, practitioners, policy makers, and students across the social sciences.

Download or read book The Future of the Public s Health in the 21st Century written by Institute of Medicine and published by National Academies Press. This book was released on 2003-02-01 with total page 536 pages. Available in PDF, EPUB and Kindle. Book excerpt: The anthrax incidents following the 9/11 terrorist attacks put the spotlight on the nation's public health agencies, placing it under an unprecedented scrutiny that added new dimensions to the complex issues considered in this report. The Future of the Public's Health in the 21st Century reaffirms the vision of Healthy People 2010, and outlines a systems approach to assuring the nation's health in practice, research, and policy. This approach focuses on joining the unique resources and perspectives of diverse sectors and entities and challenges these groups to work in a concerted, strategic way to promote and protect the public's health. Focusing on diverse partnerships as the framework for public health, the book discusses: The need for a shift from an individual to a population-based approach in practice, research, policy, and community engagement. The status of the governmental public health infrastructure and what needs to be improved, including its interface with the health care delivery system. The roles nongovernment actors, such as academia, business, local communities and the media can play in creating a healthy nation. Providing an accessible analysis, this book will be important to public health policy-makers and practitioners, business and community leaders, health advocates, educators and journalists.

Download or read book Factors Associated with Functional Status in Community Dwelling Hispanic Elders in East Little Havana FL written by Sylvain Guet and published by . This book was released on 2010 with total page pages. Available in PDF, EPUB and Kindle. Book excerpt: Physical Therapy

Download or read book Families Caring for an Aging America written by National Academies of Sciences, Engineering, and Medicine and published by National Academies Press. This book was released on 2016-11-08 with total page 367 pages. Available in PDF, EPUB and Kindle. Book excerpt: Family caregiving affects millions of Americans every day, in all walks of life. At least 17.7 million individuals in the United States are caregivers of an older adult with a health or functional limitation. The nation's family caregivers provide the lion's share of long-term care for our older adult population. They are also central to older adults' access to and receipt of health care and community-based social services. Yet the need to recognize and support caregivers is among the least appreciated challenges facing the aging U.S. population. Families Caring for an Aging America examines the prevalence and nature of family caregiving of older adults and the available evidence on the effectiveness of programs, supports, and other interventions designed to support family caregivers. This report also assesses and recommends policies to address the needs of family caregivers and to minimize the barriers that they encounter in trying to meet the needs of older adults.

Download or read book Physical Environmental Influences on the Physical Activity Behavior of Independent Older Adults Living in Continuing Care Retirement Communities written by and published by . This book was released on 2004 with total page pages. Available in PDF, EPUB and Kindle. Book excerpt: This exploratory, cross-sectional, multi-case study used a multi-method approach to examine how perceptions of features and characteristics of outdoor and indoor physical activity (PA) settings and access to these settings influence PA participation among independent older adults living in two continuing care retirement communities. Study objectives included: 1) to determine whether residents of continuing care retirement communities (CCRCs) engage in walking as their primary form of PA, 2) to investigate two different types of PA settings for walking (indoor and outdoor) and the PA behavior of independent older adults and 3) to understand how environmental characteristics and personal factors either motivate or impede physical activity participation. Physical environmental characteristics and psycho-social variables (access, safety and self-efficacy) were examined for their influence on total walking and total PA outcomes using descriptive statistics and correlational analysis. Perceptions of physical environmental characteristics, access, safety and self-efficacy were obtained from a purposive sample of 127 independent older adults with a mean age of 82.6 years living in two CCRCs. Overall findings indicate that physical characteristics are significantly associated with walking for PA, i.e. access to a choice of different walking routes. Weather was the greatest barrier to PA. Top motivators for PA were to maintain health and keep joints mobile. Psycho-social variables appear to play an important role in physical activity participation, i.e., self-efficacy was correlated with mobility, total PA and with total walking. Self-efficacy for physical activity (confidence in one's ability to be physically active) was shown to be associated with perceptions of physical environmental features related to access, i.e. exercise equipment meets my needs, places to sit and rest and lots of routes I can take. Self-efficacy was also associated with features related to safety, i.e.

Download or read book Functional Capacity and Physical Environmental Demand written by Susanne Iwarsson and published by . This book was released on 1997 with total page 212 pages. Available in PDF, EPUB and Kindle. Book excerpt:

Download or read book The Role of the Outdoors in Residential Environments for Aging written by Susan Rodiek and published by Psychology Press. This book was released on 2005 with total page 266 pages. Available in PDF, EPUB and Kindle. Book excerpt: Discover the physical and mental benefits of outdoor spaces for the elderly The Role of the Outdoors in Residential Environments for Aging presents new insights on the positive role nature and the outdoors can play in the lives of older adults, whether they live in the community, in an assisted-living environment, or in a skilled nursing facility. Current research suggests that increased contact and activity levels with the outdoors can be an important therapeutic resource for the elderly, with significant mental and physical health benefits. This unique book examines how to make the most of outdoor spaces in residential settings, exploring attitudes and patterns of use, the effect of plants, the physical environment, and health-related outcomes from contact with nature and enhanced physical activity. The famous landscape architect Luis Barragan once said, “A garden must combine the poetic and the mysterious with serenity and joy.” The outdoors is a highly desired and potentially valuable resource for older people, making it essential for design practitioners, care providers, policy planners, and consumer advocates to target specific ways of planning communities and long-term care facilities, as well as activity programs, to maximize the use of outdoor spaces in residential settings. The benefits are many: increased well-being for residents, improved market appeal and stabilized occupancy levels for long-term care providers, increased market share for design practitioners, and a better understanding of this under-researched issue by academics. The book's contributors provide perspectives from a variety of disciplines, including architecture and landscape architecture, gerontology, environmental psychology, and horticulture therapy. The Role of the Outdoors in Residential Environments for Aging includes: interviews with residents living in three different long-term care facilities about the significance of outdoor green spaces in their environment reasons for underused spaces in housing projects and recommendations for site redesigns the features of outdoor environments that attract—and deter—usage specific recommendations for older adults of a particular culture the reasons older people engage in indoor and outdoor physical activites an environmental support model the effects of viewing natural landscapes on the blood pressures and heart rates of elderly women restorative experiences in natural and built environments design features, outdoor amenities, and green elements and much more The Role of the Outdoors in Residential Environments for Aging is an invaluable resource for long-term care providers, design practitioners, academics, and anyone else who provides mental and physical health care to older adults.

Download or read book Neighborhood Influences on Physical Activity and Physical Function Among Older Adults written by Katherine M. Mead and published by . This book was released on 2018 with total page 96 pages. Available in PDF, EPUB and Kindle. Book excerpt: The proportion of older adults in the US is growing quickly. The percentage of older adults living in rural areas is greater than the percentage living in urban areas. Rural residents experience a number of health disparities, including lower levels of physical activity. The purpose of this dissertation study was to examine the difference in amount and predictors of physical activity among rural- and urban-dwelling older adults in Wisconsin and to assess the effects of the neighborhood built environment (BE) on physical activity and physical function among rural- and urban-dwelling older adults in Wisconsin. This cross-sectional correlation study utilized data collected via the Survey of the Health of Wisconsin (SHOW). SHOW is a statewide, representative survey that collects information on residents' health and social determinants of health. T-tests and linear regression were used to determine differences in amount and predictors of physical activity. Moderated mediation path models were used to determine the effects of the BE on physical activity and physical function based on rural or urban location. In the regression models that controlled for potential confounders, rural residents had less time in moderate to vigorous intensity physical activity. Age, high income, education, and Hispanic ethnicity were significant predictors of physical activity. In the moderated mediation path models, perceived access to fruits and vegetables was a significant indirect effect on physical function, mediated by physical activity, for urban older adults. Perceived safety from traffic and perceived neighborhood destinations had a significant positive direct effect on physical function for urban residents. Perceiving many interesting things to see in the neighborhood had a significant direct effect on physical function for rural residents. The physical activity estimates in this study matched the general trends of physical activity estimates for older adults and rural adults in other studies. The significant BE effects were also similar to other studies that explored associations between the BE and physical activity or physical function. This information will be important to researchers, practitioners, and policymakers to effectively promote physical activity and plan for an increasingly aging population in rural areas.