A peer intervention reduces loneliness and improves social well‐being in low‐income older adults: A mixed‐methods study

2021 ◽  
Author(s):  
Ashwin A. Kotwal ◽  
Shannon M. Fuller ◽  
Janet J. Myers ◽  
Daniel Hill ◽  
Soe Han Tha ◽  
...  
Keyword(s):  
Older Adults ◽  
Mixed Methods ◽  
Low Income ◽  
Well Being ◽  
Mixed Methods Study ◽  
Peer Intervention

scholarly journals A Peer Intervention Facilitates Trust and Improves Psychosocial Well-Being in Diverse, Low-Income Older Adults

2021 ◽  
Vol 5 (Supplement_1) ◽  
pp. 6-6
Author(s):  
Ashwin Kotwal ◽  
Shannon Fuller ◽  
Janet Myers ◽  
Daniel Hill ◽  
Soe Han Tha ◽  
...  
Keyword(s):  
Older Adults ◽  
Low Income ◽  
Qualitative Interviews ◽  
Well Being ◽  
Mental Health Training ◽  
Structured Interviews ◽  
Matching Process ◽  
Peer Intervention ◽  
Peer Outreach ◽  
Longitudinal Relationships

Abstract We evaluate a peer outreach intervention to improve the psychosocial well-being of diverse, low-income older adults. Participants (N=74, Age 58-96 years) were recruited from an urban senior center and matched with peers who were >55 years old, received mental health training, and connected participants with health or social activities. We conducted surveys at baseline and 6-month follow-up for 2 years with validated measures of loneliness, social interaction, barriers to socializing, and depression, and thematically analyzed qualitative, semi-structured interviews conducted among a subset of participants (n=15) and peers (n=6). Participants were 58% male, 18% African-American, 19% Latinx, and 8% Asian. Over 2 years, participants experienced sustained reductions in loneliness (p=0.015), depression (p<0.001), and barriers to socializing (p<0.001). Qualitative interviews detailed the role of longitudinal relationships, program flexibility, and the matching process in facilitating trust, motivation, and improved mood. Results can inform larger efficacy studies and implementation of peer-driven community programs.

scholarly journals Factors that Influence the Emotional Impact of Memory Problems in Older Adults: A Mixed-Methods Study

2021 ◽  
Vol 5 (Supplement_1) ◽  
pp. 698-698
Author(s):  
Emily Bratlee-Whitaker ◽  
Nikki Hill ◽  
Jacqueline Mogle ◽  
Rachel Wion ◽  
Caroline Madrigal ◽  
...  
Keyword(s):  
Older Adults ◽  
Cognitive Impairment ◽  
Mixed Methods ◽  
Well Being ◽  
Community Dwelling ◽  
Mixed Methods Study ◽  
Emotional Impact ◽  
Important Indicator ◽  
Memory Problems ◽  
Affective Symptoms

Abstract Older adults’ experiences with memory problems may be an important indicator of current and future well-being; however, these experiences and their impacts are poorly characterized, particularly in those with co-occurring affective symptoms. The purpose of this mixed-methods study was to examine how the experience of memory problems influences emotional well-being in older adults without dementia, and whether this differs based on cognitive status and current depressive symptoms or anxiety symptoms. A convergent parallel mixed methods design was used in which quantitative and qualitative data were collected simultaneously, analyzed separately, and then integrated to determine how participants’ experiences differed. Community-dwelling older adults (n=49, Mage = 74.5, 63% female) without severe cognitive impairment completed study questionnaires and two individual, semi-structured interviews. Five themes were identified that described the influence of memory problems on emotional well-being: Evoking Emotions, Fearing Future, Undermining Self, Normalizing Problems, and Adjusting Thinking. The extent to which memory problems impacted emotional well-being depended on multiple factors including current affective symptoms (primarily anxiety), characteristics of the experience (such as judgments of its importance), as well as personal experience with dementia. Notably, there were no thematic differences in the emotional impact of memory problems between older adults with normal cognition and those with evidence of mild cognitive impairment. Our findings suggest that thorough assessment of reports of memory problems, regardless of cognitive testing outcomes, should consider co-occurring subsyndromal affective disorders as well as older adults’ evaluations of how memory problems influence their daily lives and well-being.

Multidimensional assessment of the financial toxicity (FT) of cancer among older Mexican adults and their families: A mixed methods study.

2021 ◽  
Vol 39 (15_suppl) ◽  
pp. e18827-e18827
Author(s):  
Sofia Sánchez-Román ◽  
Yanin Chavarri Guerra ◽  
Ingrid Vargas-Huicochea ◽  
Asunción Alvarez del Río ◽  
Pilar Bernal Pérez ◽  
...  
Keyword(s):  
Older Adults ◽  
Developing Countries ◽  
Mixed Methods ◽  
Cancer Care ◽  
Well Being ◽  
Public Hospitals ◽  
Mixed Methods Study ◽  
Healthcare Coverage ◽  
Scale Range ◽  
Mexican Adults

e18827 Background: FT associated with cancer care damages patients’ quality of life and increases symptom burden. Developing countries lack public insurance programs to protect the growing population of older adults with cancer from catastrophic expenses. In this cross-sectional mixed methods study, we evaluated FT among a Mexican older adults with cancer and their relatives. Methods: We included patients age ≥65 with the 10 most common tumors in Mexico according to GLOBOCAN and within 3-24 months (mo) of diagnosis at two public hospitals in Mexico City, and their relatives. For the quantitative component, patients and relatives answered the CFPB Financial Well-Being Scale (range 0-100 points, lower scores represent worse financial well-being), the COST-FACIT cancer-related financial burden scale (range 0-44 points, scores < 26 represent FT), and a 3 mo self-reported expense diary. For the qualitative component, focused interviews were used to describe the individual experience of selected patients and their relatives. Results: 96 patients (mean age 72.1 years, SD 6.1; 59.4% male) were included for the quantitative component. The most common tumor types were prostate (33%), colon (14%), breast (14%), and lung (10%); 45% had stage IV disease; and a third had no healthcare coverage. Mean COST-FACIT score was 16.4 (95% CI 14.8-17.9), with 9% reporting no FT (score ≥26), 52% mild FT (14-25), 39% moderate FT (1-13), and 0% severe FT (0). Mean CFPB Financial Well-Being Scale score was 45.2 (95% CI 43.3-47.1); with 78% reporting poor financial well-being (score ≤50). Median expenses in the previous 3 mo were $3225 USD ($23-$55,000), of which most were associated with purchasing medications, including chemotherapy (median $735, $0-$13425). Average monthly patient income was only $123/mo ($0-$2000). Focused interviews were done for 25 patient-relative dyads. While most had no debt before cancer, a significant proportion of patients and their relatives (mainly their sons, daughters, or siblings) acquired multiple debts from banks, retail stores offering high-interest sub-prime credits, and/or relatives to pay for cancer-related costs . A common theme related to FT was the long interval (up to 1 year) between first symptoms and diagnosis, during which they paid for several private consultations and diagnostic tests. In many cases patients had to travel up to 180 miles to find cancer care. Conclusions: 91% of older Mexican adults with cancer had FT, compared to 18% reported by older patients with advanced cancer in the USA. Likewise, 78% had scores ≤50 in CFPB, in contrast with 24% in the US. Our results show high out-of-pocket expenses, limited healthcare coverage, and a deleterious effect of FT on the economic stability, productivity, and income of entire families and generations. Financial protection schemes are needed to protect older adults with cancer living in developing countries.

Facilitating Wellness in Urban-Dwelling, Low-Income Older Adults Through Community Mobility: A Mixed-Methods Study

2017 ◽  
Vol 71 (4) ◽  
pp. 7104190030p1 ◽  
Author(s):  
Claire M. Mulry ◽  
Christina Papetti ◽  
Julian De Martinis ◽  
Mark Ravinsky
Keyword(s):  
Older Adults ◽  
Mixed Methods ◽  
Low Income ◽  
Mixed Methods Study ◽  
Community Mobility

scholarly journals Insights from an early stage development mixed methods study on arts-based interventions for older adults following hospitalisation

2021 ◽  
pp. 102745
Author(s):  
Amanda M. Clifford ◽  
Joanne Shanahan ◽  
Hilary Moss ◽  
Triona Cleary ◽  
Morgan Senter ◽  
...  
Keyword(s):  
Older Adults ◽  
Mixed Methods ◽  
Early Stage ◽  
Mixed Methods Study ◽  
Stage Development

scholarly journals 0721 Daytime Sleepiness and Napping in Nursing-Home Eligible Community Dwelling Older Adults: A Mixed Methods Study

SLEEP ◽  
2018 ◽  
Vol 41 (suppl_1) ◽  
pp. A268-A268
Author(s):  
M V McPhillips ◽  
J Li ◽  
P Z Cacchione ◽  
V V Dickson ◽  
N S Gooneratne ◽  
...  
Keyword(s):  
Older Adults ◽  
Nursing Home ◽  
Mixed Methods ◽  
Daytime Sleepiness ◽  
Community Dwelling ◽  
Mixed Methods Study ◽  
Community Dwelling Older Adults

scholarly journals Nutrition Education Among Low-Income Older Adults: A Randomized Intervention Trial in Congregate Nutrition Sites

2006 ◽  
Vol 33 (3) ◽  
pp. 374-392 ◽  
Author(s):  
Roger E. Mitchell ◽  
Sarah L. Ash ◽  
Jacquelyn W. McClelland
Keyword(s):  
Older Adults ◽  
Nutrition Education ◽  
Hierarchical Linear Modeling ◽  
Low Income ◽  
Limited Resource ◽  
Well Being ◽  
Linear Modeling ◽  
Randomized Design ◽  
Randomized Intervention ◽  
And Control

Nutritional well-being among older adults is critical for maintaining health, increasing longevity, and decreasingthe impactofchronicillness. However, few well-controlledstudies have examinednutritionalbehav ior change among low-income older adults. A prospective, controlled, randomized design examined a fivesession nutrition education module delivered to limited-resource older adults ( N = 703) in Congregate Nutrition sites by Cooperative Extensionagents. Experimentalgroupparticipantswere significantly more likely than con trol groupparticipants to increase multivitamin use, to increase calcium supplementuse, to read labels of dietary supplements, to carry a supplement and/or medication list, and to discuss such use with their health care profes sional. The study addresses weaknesses in the literature by using a theoretically derived education component, implementing the intervention within a setting regularly used by low-income older adults, employing random ized assignment to intervention and control conditions, and using hierarchical linear modeling to deal with “nested” data.

scholarly journals Companion Animal Type and Level of Engagement Matter: A Mixed-Methods Study Examining Links between Companion Animal Guardianship, Loneliness and Well-Being during the COVID-19 Pandemic

Animals ◽  
2021 ◽  
Vol 11 (8) ◽  
pp. 2349
Author(s):  
Heather Clements ◽  
Stephanie Valentin ◽  
Nicholas Jenkins ◽  
Jean Rankin ◽  
Nancy R. Gee ◽  
...  
Keyword(s):  
Mixed Methods ◽  
Quantitative Data ◽  
Online Survey ◽  
Qualitative Data ◽  
Companion Animals ◽  
Well Being ◽  
Companion Animal ◽  
Mixed Methods Study ◽  
The Impact ◽  
Mental Well Being

To reduce the spread of COVID-19, countries worldwide placed limitations on social interaction, which is anticipated to have severe psychological consequences. Although findings are inconsistent, prior research has suggested that companion animals may positively influence human well-being and reduce loneliness. In the context of COVID-19, this has important implications, as companion animal guardians may be less negatively affected by the pandemic. The primary aim of this research was to investigate the influence of companion animals on mental well-being and loneliness during the pandemic, with specific interest in the role of ornamental fishes. A mixed-methods study was conducted, using an international sample. Quantitative data were collected via an online survey (n = 1199) and analysed using robust hierarchical multiple regression analyses; the influence of level of engagement with companion animals was examined for dogs, cats and ornamental fishes. There was no evidence that companion animal guardianship was associated with loneliness and mental well-being during the pandemic but spending more time engaging physically or socially with dogs (and to a lesser extent cats) was generally associated with poorer outcomes. Qualitative data were collected through open-ended survey responses (n = 757) and semi-structured interviews (n = 25) and analysed using reflexive thematic analysis. Two themes were developed—one related to companion animals as providers of social and emotional support, and the other to companion animals as providers of purpose and perspective. Concerns regarding the impact of the pandemic on animal welfare were also identified. Compared to other animal types, more participants expressed indifference regarding the impact of their fishes on their well-being during the pandemic, possibly because fishes cannot provide comfort via physical touch. The findings of this study reflect the wider field of human–animal interaction; although qualitative data suggest guardians believe their companion animals are a positive influence in their lives, there is little convincing quantitative data to support these beliefs. This highlights the need to refine theories regarding which aspects of companion animal guardianship may influence human well-being; the findings from this research may be useful in the refinement of such theories.

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