Pre-Test Experience and Memory Performance in Older Adults: The Impact of Test Anxiety and Self-Efficacy

2020 ◽  
Author(s):  
Marina G Cavuoto ◽  
Stella Franzese ◽  
Glynda J Kinsella
Keyword(s):  
Older Adults ◽  
Test Anxiety ◽  
Self Efficacy ◽  
Memory Performance ◽  
Experimental Manipulation ◽  
Community Dwelling ◽  
Experimental Conditions ◽  
Post Test ◽  
The Impact ◽  
Test Failure

Abstract Objective The objective of this paper is to investigate the role of test anxiety and memory self-efficacy on memory performances in older adults. Method One hundred cognitively normal, community-dwelling older adults aged 65+ participated used in this experimental study. Participants completed baseline evaluations (including pre-test anxiety) prior to being assigned to one of two experimental conditions in which they experienced either success or failure on a verbal test. They subsequently completed post-test anxiety ratings, a measure of memory self-efficacy (Memory Self-Efficacy Questionnaire), and standardized tasks of working memory and verbal episodic memory. Results Following experimental manipulation, participants in the pre-test failure condition demonstrated higher anxiety and lower memory performances. Hierarchical regression revealed that change in anxiety from pre-test to post-test predicted memory performances and mediation analyses demonstrated that these effects were explained by lower memory self-efficacy. Conclusions For older adults, experiencing test failure prior to memory testing may result in increased test anxiety and lower memory self-efficacy leading to poorer memory performance. This has implications for diagnostic cognitive assessment for older people.

Exergaming as a tool to enhance strength, balance, gait, mobility, participation, self-efficacy for exercise and adherence in older adults

2020 ◽  
Vol 30 (Supplement_2) ◽  
Author(s):  
A C Martins ◽  
J Quatorze ◽  
D Guia
Keyword(s):  
Older Adults ◽  
Activities Of Daily Living ◽  
Functional Ability ◽  
Self Efficacy ◽  
Daily Living ◽  
Exercise Program ◽  
Community Dwelling ◽  
Step Test ◽  
Mobility Limitations ◽  
The Impact

Abstract Introduction It is projected that the number of adults aged 60 or above will be 1.4 billion in 2030 and 2.1 billion in 2050. With aging, mobility limitations can cause severe difficulties on being independent during activities of daily living. Exercise has been shown as effective to counteract the impact of aging, although it is hard to create adherence. Exergames, as they increase the appeal of exercise, show promising results in terms of participation and promotion of healthy behaviours. Objectives This study aimed at assessing the effectiveness of the Otago Exercise Program incorporated in FallSensing Exergames. Methodology Community-dwelling older adults aged 60 or over, were recruited from facilities in Coimbra, Portugal and randomized in two groups, 27 allocated to the intervention (IG) and 34 to the control (CG). Regular activities of daily living (CG) were compared to an Exergame program (IG). Assessments were made at baseline and re-assessments at 8 weeks/16 sessions, regarding strength, balance, walking speed, participation and self-efficacy for exercise. Results 61 older adults (77% female), mean ages were 82.22 (IG) and 87.26 (CG) years. After 8 weeks, CG demonstrated a decrease in functional ability. IG got improvement in Step test (p = 0.001), 4 Stage Balance Modified test (p = 0.001), Self-Efficacy for Exercise (p = 0.009) and Activities and Participation Profile Related to Mobility (p < 0.001) questionnaires. Conclusion Exergaming was safe and effective in improving functional ability, participation and self-efficacy. Nevertheless, some considerations are necessary when prescribing an Exergames, mainly concerning frequency and intensity of the exercise program and participants’ age.

Fear of memory decline predicts lower quality of life and increased memory failures in older adults: Preliminary findings from a novel fear-avoidance of memory decline scale.

2020 ◽  
Author(s):  
Francesca Farina ◽  
Marc Patrick Bennett ◽  
James William Griffith ◽  
Bert Lenaert
Keyword(s):  
Quality Of Life ◽  
Older Adults ◽  
Memory Performance ◽  
Fear Avoidance ◽  
Subjective Memory ◽  
Memory Decline ◽  
General Anxiety ◽  
Quality Of Life Scale ◽  
The Impact

Evidence concerning the impact of fear of memory decline on health-related outcomes is limited. To determine the relationship between fear-avoidance of memory decline, quality of life and subjective memory in older adults using a novel scale to measure fear of memory decline. Sixty-seven older adults (59-81 years) completed a 23-item self-report questionnaire designed to capture experiential, cognitive and behavioral components of fear of memory decline, known as the fear and avoidance of memory decline (FAM) scale. Memory performance was assessed using the Wechsler Memory Scale (WMS-IV) and the Memory Failures Scale (MFS). General anxiety was assessed using the Depression, Anxiety and Stress Scales (DASS) and the Geriatric Anxiety Inventory (GAI). Quality of life was assessed using the Older Person’s Quality of Life scale (OPQOL-35). The FAM scale demonstrated good reliability and validity. Three latent factors were observed including: (1) fear-avoidance, (2) problematic beliefs and (3) resilience. After adjusting for age, education, memory performance and general anxiety, higher fear-avoidance predicted lower quality of life (p=.021) and increased memory failures (p=.022). Increased fear of memory decline predicts lower quality of life and subjective memory failures in healthy older adults. Based on these findings, we propose a preliminary fear-avoidance model that explains the development and maintenance of dementia-related functional disability in terms of psychological processes.

The Impact of Stereotype Threat on Memory and Cognition in Older Adults

2021 ◽  
pp. 019394592110297
Author(s):  
Graham J. McDougall ◽  
Todd B. Monroe ◽  
Keenan A. Pituch ◽  
Michael A. Carter ◽  
Laurie Abbott
Keyword(s):  
Older Adults ◽  
Stereotype Threat ◽  
Verbal Memory ◽  
Memory Performance ◽  
Training Group ◽  
Memory Training ◽  
Unique Contribution ◽  
Healthy Older Adults ◽  
Bivariate Correlation ◽  
The Impact

Cultural stereotypes that equate aging with decreased competence and increased forgetfulness have persisted for decades. Stereotype threat (ST) refers to the psychological discomfort people experience when confronted by a negative, self-relevant stereotype in a situation where their behavior could be construed as confirming that belief. The purpose of this study was to examine the relationships of ST on memory performance in older adults over 24 months. The ST levels on average significantly declined, or improved in the memory training, but not the health training group. Although not significant at the .01 level, the bivariate correlation indicated that change in ST was moderately related to change in verbal memory, suggesting the possibility that improvements (or reductions) in ST may be related to increases in verbal memory scores. We discovered that the unique contribution of ST into the memory performance of healthy older adults offers a possible malleable trait.

scholarly journals Impact of Malnutrition Status on Muscle Parameter Changes over a 5-Year Follow-Up of Community-Dwelling Older Adults from the SarcoPhAge Cohort

Nutrients ◽  
2021 ◽  
Vol 13 (2) ◽  
pp. 407
Author(s):  
Laetitia Lengelé ◽  
Olivier Bruyère ◽  
Charlotte Beaudart ◽  
Jean-Yves Reginster ◽  
Médéa Locquet
Keyword(s):  
Older Adults ◽  
Muscle Strength ◽  
Physical Performance ◽  
Community Dwelling ◽  
Timed Up And Go ◽  
P Values ◽  
Student’S T ◽  
The Impact ◽  
Community Dwelling Older Adults

This study aimed to assess the impact of malnutrition on the 5-year evolution of physical performance, muscle mass and muscle strength in participants from the SarcoPhAge cohort, consisting of community-dwelling older adults. The malnutrition status was assessed at baseline (T0) according to the “Global Leadership Initiatives on Malnutrition” (GLIM) criteria, and the muscle parameters were evaluated both at T0 and after five years of follow-up (T5). Lean mass, muscle strength and physical performance were assessed using dual X-ray absorptiometry, handgrip dynamometry, the short physical performance battery test and the timed up and go test, respectively. Differences in muscle outcomes according to nutritional status were tested using Student’s t-test. The association between malnutrition and the relative 5-year change in the muscle parameters was tested using multiple linear regressions adjusted for several covariates. A total of 411 participants (mean age of 72.3 ± 6.1 years, 56% women) were included. Of them, 96 individuals (23%) were diagnosed with malnutrition at baseline. Their muscle parameters were significantly lower than those of the well-nourished patients both at baseline and after five years of follow-up (all p-values < 0.05), except for muscle strength in women at T5, which was not significantly lower in the presence of malnutrition. However, the 5-year changes in muscle parameters of malnourished individuals were not significantly different than those of well-nourished individuals (all p-values > 0.05).

scholarly journals Impact of the Outbreak of the COVID-19 Pandemic on Formal and Informal Care of Community-Dwelling Older Adults: Cross-National Clustering of Empirical Evidence from 23 Countries

2021 ◽  
Vol 13 (13) ◽  
pp. 7277
Author(s):  
Aviad Tur-Sinai ◽  
Netta Bentur ◽  
Paolo Fabbietti ◽  
Giovanni Lamura
Keyword(s):  
Older Adults ◽  
Home Care ◽  
Informal Care ◽  
Home Care Services ◽  
Community Dwelling ◽  
European Countries ◽  
Care Services ◽  
The Impact ◽  
Community Dwelling Older Adults ◽  
Informal Help

The COVID-19 pandemic has been dramatically affecting the life of older adults with care needs and their family caregivers. This study illustrates how the initial outbreak of the pandemic changed the supply of formal and informal care to older adults in European countries and Israel and assesses the resilience of these countries in providing support to their older populations by means of a mix of both types of care. We subjected data from the Survey of Health, Ageing and Retirement in Europe COVID-19 period (SHARE-COVID-19) across 23 European countries (including Israel) to descriptive and cluster analyses. In the first wave of the outbreak, a significant proportion of older adults in European countries received informal help, with an increase in the frequency of informal help received from children, neighbors, friends, or colleagues and a decrease in that received from other relatives. In most countries, difficulties in receiving home care services from professional providers were reported. Seven clusters were identified, reflecting different combinations of changes in the formal/informal care provision. In most countries, informal care is more resilient than home care services that formal providers deliver. Since they are an essential source for sustainable care, their challenges related to care should be addressed. The impact of the pandemic does not follow the traditional characterization of welfare regimes. A clustering effort may yield more understanding of the priorities that future care policies should exhibit at the national level and may identify potential systems for policymakers to enhance sustainability of care for community-dwelling older adults.

scholarly journals Assessing the Impact of a Hilly Environment on Depressive Symptoms among Community-Dwelling Older Adults in Japan: A Cross-Sectional Study

2021 ◽  
Vol 18 (9) ◽  
pp. 4520
Author(s):  
Takafumi Abe ◽  
Kenta Okuyama ◽  
Tsuyoshi Hamano ◽  
Miwako Takeda ◽  
Masayuki Yamasaki ◽  
...  
Keyword(s):  
Older Adults ◽  
Depressive Symptoms ◽  
Depression Scale ◽  
Cross Sectional Study ◽  
Community Dwelling ◽  
Rural Setting ◽  
Sectional Study ◽  
Cross Sectional ◽  
The Impact ◽  
Community Dwelling Older Adults

Although some neighborhood environmental factors have been found to affect depressive symptoms, few studies have focused on the impact of living in a hilly environment, i.e., land slope, on depressive symptoms among rural older adults. This cross-sectional study aimed to investigate whether a land slope is associated with depressive symptoms among older adults living in rural areas. Data were collected from 935 participants, aged 65 years and older, who lived in Shimane prefecture, Japan. Depressive symptoms were assessed using the Zung Self-Rating Depression Scale (SDS) and defined on the basis of an SDS score ≥ 40. Land slopes within a 400 m network buffer were assessed using geographic information systems. Odds ratios (ORs) with 95% confidence intervals (CIs) of depressive symptoms were estimated using logistic regression. A total of 215 (23.0%) participants reported depressive symptoms. The land slope was positively associated with depressive symptoms (OR = 1.04; 95% CI = 1.01–1.08) after adjusting for all confounders. In a rural setting, living in a hillier environment was associated with depressive symptoms among community-dwelling older adults in Japan.

scholarly journals Effects of Reallocating Time Spent in Different Physical Activity Intensities on Sarcopenia Risk in Older Adults: An Isotemporal Substitution Analysis

Biology ◽  
2022 ◽  
Vol 11 (1) ◽  
pp. 111
Author(s):  
Jort Veen ◽  
Diego Montiel-Rojas ◽  
Fawzi Kadi ◽  
Andreas Nilsson
Keyword(s):  
Physical Activity ◽  
Older Adults ◽  
Protein Intake ◽  
Handgrip Strength ◽  
Community Dwelling ◽  
Self Report ◽  
Linear Regression Models ◽  
Age Related ◽  
Muscle Health ◽  
The Impact

The role of daily time spent sedentary and in different intensities of physical activity (PA) for the maintenance of muscle health currently remains unclear. Therefore, we investigated the impact of reallocating time spent in different PA intensities on sarcopenia risk in older adults, while considering PA type (muscle strengthening activities, MSA) and protein intake. In a sample of 235 community-dwelling older adults (65–70 years), a sarcopenia risk score (SRS) was created based on muscle mass assessed by bioimpedance, together with handgrip strength and performance on the five times sit-to-stand (5-STS) test assessed by standardized procedures. Time spent in light-intensity PA (LPA), moderate-to-vigorous PA (MVPA), and being sedentary was assessed by accelerometry, and PA type (MSA) by self-report. Linear regression models based on isotemporal substitution were employed. Reallocating sedentary time to at least LPA was significantly (p < 0.05) related to a lower SRS, which remained evident after adjustment by PA type (MSA) and protein intake. Similarly, reallocating time in LPA by MVPA was related to a significantly (p < 0.05) lower SRS. Our results emphasize the importance of displacing sedentary behaviours for more active pursuits, where PA of even light intensities may alleviate age-related deteriorations of muscle health in older adults.

scholarly journals The Effect of IELTS Listening Strategy Use on the Reduction of IELTS Listening Test Anxiety and on IELTS Listening Performance

2017 ◽  
Vol 7 (11) ◽  
pp. 1025 ◽  
Author(s):  
Ali Reza Nemat Tabrizi ◽  
Mahnaz Ranjbar
Keyword(s):  
Test Anxiety ◽  
Pearson Correlation ◽  
Strategy Instruction ◽  
Strategy Use ◽  
Control Group ◽  
Listening Test ◽  
Significant Difference ◽  
Post Test ◽  
The Impact ◽  
Experimental Group

The study investigates the impact of IELTS listening strategy use on the reduction of listening test anxiety and on the listening performance of the IELTS test takers in light of the data of 80 participants on the pretest and post-test IELTS listening along with the participants' score on pre-anxiety and post anxiety scale. So, drawing on the instruments including a proficiency test, pre/post-test, anxiety questionnaire, materials for strategy instruction, the participants were randomly divided into two groups: Control Group and Experimental Group, each including 40 participants. As per the procedure, after tackling their pre-listening performance and pre-anxiety score, one group was treated with IELTS-Listening related strategies and the other group was not treated, but both were administered listening test. The results of the study indicated that those treated with IELTS strategy outperformed ( t (78) = 4.57, p = .000, r = .460 ) those receiving no listening-related strategy. Furthermore, the results of a t-test run on the post-test of the groups anxiety arrived at a statistically significant difference (t (78) = 5.77, p = .000, r = .547), representing that the control group outperformed the experimental group. Also, Pearson Correlation done for finding out a potential relationship between anxiety and listening performance indicated a negative and weak to moderate relationship ((r (78) = -.26, p = .020). The pedagogical implications of the study are in detailed argued.

scholarly journals Body Composition in Community-Dwelling Older Adults Before and After SARS-CoV-2 Infection: A Longitudinal Prospective Study in a Rural Village Struck by the Pandemic

2021 ◽  
Vol 12 ◽  
pp. 215013272110477
Author(s):  
Oscar H. Del Brutto ◽  
Robertino M. Mera ◽  
Denisse A. Rumbea ◽  
Pedro Pérez ◽  
Bettsy Y. Recalde ◽  
...  
Keyword(s):  
Physical Activity ◽  
Older Adults ◽  
Body Composition ◽  
Regression Models ◽  
Community Dwelling ◽  
The Body ◽  
Study Results ◽  
The Impact ◽  
Community Dwelling Older Adults

Background: Information on the body composition of inhabitants of remote communities during the SARS-CoV-2 pandemic is limited. Using a longitudinal population-based study design, we assessed the association between SARS-CoV-2 infection and changes in body composition. Methods: Community-dwelling older adults living in a rural Ecuadorian village received body composition determinations before and 1 year after the pandemic as well as serological tests for detection of SARS-CoV-2 antibodies. The independent association between SARS-CoV-2 infection and abnormalities in body composition at follow-up was assessed by fitting linear mixed models for longitudinal data. Results: Of 327 enrolled individuals, 277 (85%) received baseline and follow-up body composition determinations, and 175 (63%) of them became SARS-CoV-2 seropositive. Overall, diet and physical activity deteriorated during the follow-up. Multivariate random-effects generalized least squares regression models that included the impact of time and seropositivity on follow-up body composition, showed that neither variable contributed to a worsening in body composition. Multivariate logistic regression models disclosed that the serological status at follow-up cannot be predicted by differences in body composition and other baseline covariates. Conclusions: Study results suggest no increased susceptibility to SARS-CoV-2 infection among older adults with abnormal body composition and no significant changes as a result of worse physical activity and dietary habits or seropositivity during the length of the study. Together with a previous study in the same population that showed decrease in hand-grip strength after SARS-CoV-2, results confirm that dynapenia (and not sarcopenia) is associated with SARS-CoV-2 infection in older adults.

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