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Psychosocial Factors and Health Outcomes of the Elderly

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A special issue of International Journal of Environmental Research and Public Health (ISSN 1660-4601). This special issue belongs to the section "Health Behavior, Chronic Disease and Health Promotion".

Deadline for manuscript submissions: closed (15 February 2022) | Viewed by 14919

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Special Issue Editor

Prof. Dr. Meng-Chih Lee

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Guest Editor

Taichung Hospital, Ministry of Health and Welfare, Taichung 40343, Taiwan
Interests: gerontology; geriatrics; health services management; family medicine; medical education
Special Issues, Collections and Topics in MDPI journals

Special Issue Information

Dear Colleagues,

Psychosocial factors, such as social support, marital status, unemployment, and economic status, play important roles in the mental and physical health of older adults. Furthermore, these factors are associated with mortality. In a society that pursues health and welfare, more and more resources are being devoted to psychosocial issues in older adults. The allocation of limited resources effectively and accurately is a challenging dilemma for public health and aging policies. On the one hand, the interaction among psychosocial factors is difficult to clarify. On the other hand, the long-term real-world evidence generated from population-based representatives is limited. Therefore, all policymakers are eager to understand how to break the psychosocial vicious circle and promote better quality of life in older adults.

In this Special Issue, interested authors are invited to contribute their research. Both qualitative and quantitative studies are welcome. We encourage authors using innovative approaches to unveil the complicated association among psychosocial factors and the health outcomes, including active aging, mental health, physical health, frailty, geriatric syndrome, and even mortality. In particular, works that address the cost-effective suggestions for policies will be suitable for this Special Issue. Review articles that compare health and welfare policies for psychosocial issues between countries are also welcome.

Prof. Dr. Meng-Chih Lee
Guest Editor

Manuscript Submission Information

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Keywords

Unemployment
Marital status
Social support
Social isolation
Leisure activity
Economic status
Active aging
Healthy behaviors
Mental health (cognitive impairment, dementia, depression)
Physical health (activity of daily living (ADL), disability, instrumental activity of daily living (IADL))
Frailty
Geriatric syndrome
Mortality

Published Papers (6 papers)

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Research

9 pages, 314 KiB

Open AccessArticle

Psychometric Validation of Senior Perceived Physical Literacy Instrument

by Chien-Yu Liu, Linda Li-Chuan Lin, Jiunn-Jye Sheu and Raymond Kim-Wai Sum

Int. J. Environ. Res. Public Health 2022, 19(11), 6726; https://doi.org/10.3390/ijerph19116726 - 31 May 2022

Cited by 6 | Viewed by 1860

Abstract

Aim: To validate the Senior Perceived Physical Literacy Instrument (SPPLI). Methods: In the pilot study, we refined the Perceived Physical Literacy Instrument (PPLI, Cronbach’s α = 0.94, initially designed for adults) into SPPLI using internal reliability, content validity, and construct validity results. A total of 341 older adults recruited from community centers in Southern Taiwan participated in the study. A principle component analysis (PCA) identified three components of SPPLI. Results: Eleven items were captured from the 18-item PPLI as the SPPLI (Cronbach’s α = 0.90). SPPLI exhibits three components: attitude toward physical activity, physical activity ability, and sociality around physical activity. Significant differences were discovered in physical activity ability by educational attainment (p < 0.05) and in all three components by stage of exercise (maintenance vs. non-maintenance) (p < 0.05). The SPPLI possesses proper reliability and validity to assess physical literacy among older adults. Conclusions: This instrument is suggested for physical literacy assessments in physical activity programs to assess the needs of older adults and/or the effectiveness of an intervention program that aims to improve the attitude, ability, and sociality of physical activity. Full article

(This article belongs to the Special Issue Psychosocial Factors and Health Outcomes of the Elderly)

11 pages, 2250 KiB

Open AccessArticle

Association between Depression Severity and Physical Function among Chinese Nursing Home Residents: The Mediating Role of Different Types of Leisure Activities

by Meng Zhao, Yaqi Wang, Shan Wang, Yuan Yang, Ming Li and Kefang Wang

Int. J. Environ. Res. Public Health 2022, 19(6), 3543; https://0-doi-org.brum.beds.ac.uk/10.3390/ijerph19063543 - 16 Mar 2022

Cited by 6 | Viewed by 1920

Abstract

Despite strong evidence associating depression with poor physical function, the underlying mechanisms of this association remain unknown. This study aimed to ascertain whether different types of leisure activities mediate the effect of depression severity on physical function. This cross-sectional descriptive study included 353 Chinese nursing home residents (aged ≥ 60 years; 197 female) from nursing homes of five districts (Lixia, Tianqiao, Huaiyin, Shizhong, and Licheng) in Jinan, Shandong Province, China, from March to June 2018. Multiple-mediation analyses, including regression and bootstrap analyses, were conducted to evaluate the association of depressive symptoms’ severity and active or passive leisure activities with physical function. Active, but not passive, leisure activities significantly mediated the effect of moderate/severe depressive symptoms on physical function compared to those without depressive symptoms. In contrast, there was no significant association between mild depressive symptoms and physical function. This study demonstrates that leisure activities affect the association between depressive symptoms’ severity and physical function, and its protective role depends on the type of leisure activities. Interventions for physical function should be designed by focusing on active leisure activities among older adults, especially those with moderate/severe depressive symptoms, to delay physical function and improve overall well-being. Full article

(This article belongs to the Special Issue Psychosocial Factors and Health Outcomes of the Elderly)

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12 pages, 1728 KiB

Open AccessArticle

Trends of Multimorbidity Patterns over 16 Years in Older Taiwanese People and Their Relationship to Mortality

by Hsin-En Ho, Chih-Jung Yeh, James Cheng-Chung Wei, Wei-Min Chu and Meng-Chih Lee

Int. J. Environ. Res. Public Health 2022, 19(6), 3317; https://0-doi-org.brum.beds.ac.uk/10.3390/ijerph19063317 - 11 Mar 2022

Cited by 7 | Viewed by 2166

Abstract

Understanding multimorbidity patterns is important in finding a common etiology and developing prevention strategies. Our aim was to identify the multimorbidity patterns of Taiwanese people aged over 50 years and to explore their relationship with health outcomes. This longitudinal cohort study used data from the Taiwan Longitudinal Study on Aging. The data were obtained from wave 3, and the multimorbidity patterns in 1996, 1999, 2003, 2007, and 2011 were analyzed separately by latent class analysis (LCA). The association between each disease group and mortality was examined using logistic regression. Four disease patterns were identified in 1996, namely, the cardiometabolic (18.57%), arthritis–cataract (15.61%), relatively healthy (58.92%), and multimorbidity (6.9%) groups. These disease groups remained similar in the following years. After adjusting all the confounders, the cardiometabolic group showed the highest risk for mortality (odds ratio: 1.237, 95% confidence interval: 1.040–1.472). This longitudinal study reveals the trend of multimorbidity among older adults in Taiwan for 16 years. Older adults with a cardiometabolic multimorbidity pattern had a dismal outcome. Thus, healthcare professionals should put more emphasis on the prevention and identification of cardiometabolic multimorbidity. Full article

(This article belongs to the Special Issue Psychosocial Factors and Health Outcomes of the Elderly)

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12 pages, 342 KiB

Open AccessArticle

Effect of Spousal Loss on Depression in Older Adults: Impacts of Time Passing, Living Arrangement, and Spouse’s Health Status before Death

by Yu-Chan Hung, Yong-Hsin Chen, Meng-Chih Lee and Chih-Jung Yeh

Int. J. Environ. Res. Public Health 2021, 18(24), 13032; https://0-doi-org.brum.beds.ac.uk/10.3390/ijerph182413032 - 10 Dec 2021

Cited by 9 | Viewed by 4029

Abstract

In addition to increasing the mortality among older adults, spousal death (SD) increases their risk of depression. This study explored the factors affecting depression among widowed older adults to provide health care strategies for successful aging. A total of 710 adults older than 60 years completed a questionnaire before and after their spouses’ deaths. The survey data included age, sex, ethnic group, education level, financial station socioeconomic status, SD (including time point), smoking status, alcohol consumption, self-rated health status, Center for Epidemiologic Studies Depression Scale score, mobility, and degree of support from relatives and friends. The proportion of participants with depression after SD was 1.7 times that of before SD (p < 0.0001). Worsened mobility (odds ratio [OR] = 1.3, p < 0.01), low self-rated health status (OR = 0.5, p < 0.01), and a high degree of support from relatives and friends (OR = 1.5, p < 0.01) had a significant positive correlation with depression after SD. The proportion of depression that occurred within 6 months after SD was 6.0 times higher than that of depression before SD. Participants who lived alone after losing their spouses who were healthy before their deaths exhibited a significantly increased proportion of depression after their spouses’ deaths. Male sex, spouse’s health, and the period of 6 months after SD are risk factors for depression in older adults. The maintenance of mobility, positive self-rated health status, and a shorter period of depression after a spouse’s death result in more favorable adaptability among women. Social workers or family members should focus on older adults whose spouses died unexpectedly or within the last 6 months. Living with family members after SD can alleviate depression in older adults. Full article

(This article belongs to the Special Issue Psychosocial Factors and Health Outcomes of the Elderly)

11 pages, 1002 KiB

Open AccessArticle

Social Participation and Survival in Widowed Persons: Results of the Taiwan Longitudinal Study on Aging

by Yu-Han Hsiao, Meng-Chih Lee, Chih-Jung Yeh, Chi-Jung Tai and Shiuan-Shinn Lee

Int. J. Environ. Res. Public Health 2021, 18(20), 10974; https://0-doi-org.brum.beds.ac.uk/10.3390/ijerph182010974 - 19 Oct 2021

Cited by 5 | Viewed by 2130

Abstract

It has been considered that widowed persons have a higher risk of death. This study intended to explore whether social participation could improve this trend. A longitudinal study database was constructed to explore the trend of survival and its change with social participation in widowed persons. The Taiwan Longitudinal Study on Aging (TLSA), based on four consecutive waves of longitudinal follow-up data in 1999, 2003, 2007, and 2011 was linked with the National Death Registry from 1999 through 2012. In total, there were 1417 widowed persons and 4500 nonwidowed persons included in this study, excluding divorced and never-married people. The survival trend analysis was carried out with social participation as the main predictive factor stratified for comparative analysis. Our results showed that the widowed were older than the nonwidowed, were female-dominant, had a lower education level, were more economically stressed, and were less likely to engage in regular exercise, and thus showed generally poorer health; for example, being more vulnerable to having chronic diseases, disability with the Activities of Daily Living (ADL), cognitive impairment with the Short Portable Mental State Questionnaire (SPMSQ), and depression with The Center for Epidemiological Studies-Depression (CES-D). The death risk of the widowed was significantly higher than that of the nonwidowed, but the death trend for those with social participation was significantly lower than that of their counterparts in both the widowed and nonwidowed. After matching with gender and age for widowed persons, the widowed with social participation had a significantly lower risk of death (adjusted hazard ratio (HR), 0.83; 95% confidence interval (CI), 0.71–0.98) compared to the widowed without social participation. It was concluded that social participation can improve the death risk for the widowed, and it is worthily included in health promotion plans and social welfare services for widowed persons. Full article

(This article belongs to the Special Issue Psychosocial Factors and Health Outcomes of the Elderly)

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9 pages, 358 KiB

Open AccessArticle

The Practice of Vigorous Physical Activity Is Related to a Higher Educational Level and Income in Older Women

by Rafael Zapata-Lamana, Felipe Poblete-Valderrama, Igor Cigarroa and María Antonia Parra-Rizo

Int. J. Environ. Res. Public Health 2021, 18(20), 10815; https://0-doi-org.brum.beds.ac.uk/10.3390/ijerph182010815 - 14 Oct 2021

Cited by 18 | Viewed by 2055

Abstract

Few studies have shown evidence about the factors that can determine physical practice in women over 60 years of age due to educational, economic, social, or health inequalities. Its knowledge could help to understand the determinants that encourage the practice of physical activity and the improvement of health in women over 60. Therefore, the aim of this research was to evaluate the level of studies, income, and the usefulness of social and health services in physically active older women according to the level of activity they practice. The IPAQ (International Physical Activity Questionnaire) and CUBRECAVI (subjective health scale) scales have been applied to a sample of 257 women between 61 and 93 years old (M = 69.44, SD = 4.61). The results have shown that those with vigorous physical activity are related to higher levels of education (p < 0.001) and income (p = 0.004). Furthermore, being dissatisfied with social and health services is associated with low levels of physical activity (p = 0.005). Older women who perform physical activity regularly are associated with high levels in some of the socio-environmental aspects of quality of life. High physical activity is related to a higher educational level and income. Socio-environmental factors generate social inequalities and modulate the lifestyles of older women. Full article

(This article belongs to the Special Issue Psychosocial Factors and Health Outcomes of the Elderly)

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