scholarly journals Self-rated health among older adults in two fast ageing European countries: Evidence from Italy and Serbia

2018 ◽  
Vol 75 (7) ◽  
pp. 664-674 ◽  
Author(s):  
Giovanni Piumatti ◽  
Francesco Lietz ◽  
Jelena Marinkovic ◽  
Vesna Bjegovic-Mikanovic
Keyword(s):  
Older Adults ◽  
Health Status ◽  
Health Behavior ◽  
Health Behaviors ◽  
Chronic Diseases ◽  
Eating Habits ◽  
Secondary Analysis ◽  
Later Life ◽  
Self Rated Health ◽  
Two Samples

Background/Aim. Self-rated health (SRH) is a widely adopted tool to compare health across countries. Relationships of socio-demographics with SRH in later life have been extensively cross-nationally observed. However, cross-comparisons of the effects of health behaviors (i.e., eating habits, smoking, and alcohol consumption) and health status (i.e., chronic diseases) on SRH are less frequent. Our aim was to examine SRH differences between older adults in Italy and Serbia and to observe the role of predictors of SRH particularly referring to health behaviors in both countries. Methods. Two samples of 4,406 Italians and 3,539 Serbs aged 65 and older were extracted from national health surveys conducted in 2013. For this secondary analysis, SRH, sociodemographics, health status variables, and health behavior factors were selected. In the multivariate logistic regression models, SRH was the dependent variable while the selected independent predictors were socio-demographics, characteristics related to health status and to health behavior. Results. Both Italians (30.3%) and Serbs (22.3%) reported lower values of good- or very good-SRH than the European average (36.9%). The logistic regressions showed that Serbs reported poor?SRH significantly more often than Italians. Moreover, gender, education level, chronic diseases, and daily life limitations resulted as significant predictors of SRH in both national samples. In addition, vegetables intake was positively associate to SRH among Italians, while among Serbs an adequate fruits intake was positively associated to SRH. Conclusion. Health behavior and health status factors are associated with better SRH in the population aged 65 and older. The effects differ between countries. It is essential that decision-makers of the implementation of international preventive strategies take into account the specific characteristics of countries in the organization of interventions for the aged population.

scholarly journals Health Behaviors and Health Status among Middle-Aged and Older Adults with Chronic Diseases in Taiwan

2020 ◽  
Vol 17 (19) ◽  
pp. 7196
Author(s):  
Wei-Hua Tian ◽  
Joseph J. Tien
Keyword(s):  
Older Adults ◽  
Health Status ◽  
Health Behavior ◽  
Health Behaviors ◽  
Chronic Diseases ◽  
Latent Class ◽  
Healthy Diet ◽  
Lifestyle Behaviors ◽  
Middle Aged ◽  
The Relationship

Changes in lifestyle behaviors may effectively maintain or improve the health status of individuals with chronic diseases. However, such health behaviors adopted by individuals are unlikely to demonstrate similar patterns. This study analyzed the relationship between the heterogeneous latent classes of health behavior and health statuses among middle-aged and older adults with hypertension, diabetes, or hyperlipidemia in Taiwan. After selecting 2103 individuals from the 2005 and 2009 Taiwan National Health Interview Survey (NHIS), we first identified heterogeneous groups of health behaviors through latent class analysis (LCA). We further explored the relationship between each latent class of health behavior and health status through ordered logit regression. We identified the following five distinct health behavior classes: the all-controlled, exercise and relaxation, healthy diet and reduced smoking or drinking, healthy diet, and least-controlled classes. Regression results indicated that individuals in classes other than the all-controlled class all reported poor health statuses. We also found great magnitude of the coefficient estimates for individuals who reported their health status to be poor or very poor for the least-controlled class. Therefore, health authorities and medical providers may develop targeted policies and interventions that address multiple modifiable health behaviors in each distinct latent class of health behavior.

Health behaviors in older adults: Considering age, affect, and attitudes

2016 ◽  
Vol 22 (13) ◽  
pp. 1652-1657 ◽  
Author(s):  
Brenda R Whitehead
Keyword(s):  
Older Adults ◽  
Health Behavior ◽  
Health Behaviors ◽  
Positive Affect ◽  
Later Life ◽  
Perceived Health ◽  
Health Programs ◽  
Behavior Interventions ◽  
Healthy Behaviors ◽  
Aging Attitudes

Identifying psychological factors associated with engagement in healthy behaviors in later life is a key to effective behavior interventions. In all, 204 adults ( Mage = 80) took a questionnaire assessing objective and perceived health, positive affect and negative affect, aging attitudes, and three classes of health behaviors: eating/nutrition, exercise, and general health behavior. Regression models found better eating behavior was best explained by older age, more exercise was best explained by more positive affect, and better general lifestyle behavior was best explained by worse perceived health. Programs promoting health behaviors in older adults can utilize the findings to tailor interventions to the health behavior of interest.

scholarly journals Personality traits predict dietary habits in middle-to-older adults

2019 ◽  
Author(s):  
Sara J Weston ◽  
Grant Edmonds ◽  
Patrick Hill
Keyword(s):  
Older Adults ◽  
Health Behaviors ◽  
Personality Traits ◽  
Healthy Eating ◽  
Dietary Habits ◽  
Eating Habits ◽  
Emotional Stability ◽  
Healthy Foods ◽  
Self Rated Health

Personality traits are consistently associated with health behaviors, but little research has examined the role of personality on eating habits among middle-to-older adults. The current study (n = 665) examined the associations between traits and dietary habits and whether healthy eating predicted health at age 60, with the Hawaii Personality and Health Cohort. Eating healthy foods was associated with higher agreeableness, conscientiousness, emotional stability, and openness, and predicted better self-rated health and lower BMI. Eating unhealthy foods was associated with lower agreeableness, conscientiousness, emotional stability, and openness, and predicted lower self-rated health. Results were not moderated by SES.

scholarly journals Profile Groups Based on Lifestyle and Differences in Mental Health and Cognition

2020 ◽  
Vol 4 (Supplement_1) ◽  
pp. 404-404
Author(s):  
Joseph Kim ◽  
Kyuree Kim
Keyword(s):  
Mental Health ◽  
Older Adults ◽  
Depressive Symptoms ◽  
Latent Class ◽  
Mail Survey ◽  
Later Life ◽  
Self Rated Health ◽  
Final Sample ◽  
Group 2 ◽  
Mean Differences

Abstract The purpose of this study was to identify the profiles of older adults according to lifestyle. Data for the study were from the 2017 Consumption and Activities Mail Survey (CAMS). CAMS 2017 is a questionnaire mailed to a sub-sample of respondents from the Health and Retirement Study. Participants were limited to older adults 65 and older, and the final sample consisted of 1136 older adults. The sample included 443 men and 693 women. Caucasians comprised 82.0% of the participants. Lifestyle was measured through items assessing the amount of time spent on activities. Due to high skewness, the items were dichotomized, 0=no time spent on activity and 1=time spent on the activity. Latent class analysis (LCA) was performed to identify groups based on lifestyle. LCA is a person-centered approach for identifying unobserved subgroups based on similarity in responses to items. Three lifestyle groups were identified. Group 1 was “Outgoing” with 471 individuals. Group 2 was “Adequate” with 229 individuals. Group 3 was “Inactive” with 436 individuals. An ANOVA was then conducted to assess mean differences in self-rated health, cognition, depressive symptoms, and loneliness for the three lifestyle groups. The “Outgoing” and “Adequate” groups had significantly higher scores on self-rated health and cognition, and in addition, significantly lower scores on depressive symptoms and loneliness compared to the “Inactive” group. No significant differences were observed between the “Outgoing” and “Adequate” groups. An implication from this study is the importance of maintaining an active lifestyle in later life for better mental health and cognition.

scholarly journals Health literacy, health status and health behaviors of German students– study protocol for the “Healthy Habits” cohort study

2021 ◽  
Vol 21 (1) ◽  
Author(s):  
Martin Lange ◽  
Alexandra Löwe ◽  
Gerrit Stassen ◽  
Andrea Schaller
Keyword(s):  
Cohort Study ◽  
Health Status ◽  
Health Literacy ◽  
Health Behavior ◽  
Health Behaviors ◽  
Prospective Cohort Study ◽  
Prospective Cohort ◽  
The State ◽  
The Impact ◽  
Study Format

Abstract Background The emerging adulthood is traditionally viewed as a time of optimal health, but also as a critical life span, characterized by changing life circumstances and the establishment of an individual lifestyle. Especially university life seems to hold several challenges impeding the manifestation of a health supporting manner, as many students tend to show a poorer health behavior and a higher amount of health-related problems than comparable age groups. This, along with a steady growth of the higher education sector, brings increased attention to the university setting in the context of prevention. To date, there are few empirical longitudinal and coherent cross-sectional data on the status of students’ health literacy, health status, and health behaviors, and on the impact of the study format on students’ health. The aim of this prospective cohort study is to reduce this research gap. Methods Starting during winter semester 2020/21, the prospective cohort study collects data on health literacy, health status and health behavior on a semester-by-semester basis. All enrolled students of the IST University of Applied Sciences, regardless of study format and discipline, can participate in the study at the beginning of their first semester. The data are collected digitally via a specifically programmed app. A total of 103 items assess the subjectively perceived health status, life and study satisfaction, sleep quality, perceived stress, physical activity, diet, smoking, alcohol consumption, drug addiction and health literacy. Statistical analysis uses (1) multivariate methods to look at changes within the three health dimensions over time and (2) the association between the three health dimensions using multiple regression methods and correlations. Discussion This cohort study collects comprehensive health data from students on the course of study. It is assumed that gathered data will provide information on how the state of health develops over the study period. Also, different degrees of correlations of health behavior and health literacy will reveal different impacts on the state of students’ health. Furthermore, this study will contribute to empirically justified development of target group-specific interventions. Trial registration German Clinical Trials Register: DRKS00023397 (registered on October 26, 2020).

Perceived Stress Predicts Subsequent Self-Reported Problems With Vision and Hearing: Longitudinal Findings From the German Ageing Survey

2021 ◽  
pp. 016402752110273
Author(s):  
Markus Wettstein ◽  
Hans-Werner Wahl ◽  
Vera Heyl
Keyword(s):  
Risk Factor ◽  
Chronic Diseases ◽  
Old Age ◽  
Perceived Stress ◽  
Later Life ◽  
Chronological Age ◽  
Middle Adulthood ◽  
Self Rated Health ◽  
Demographic Indicators ◽  
German Ageing Survey

Although stress is a risk factor for various diseases in later life, its role for sensory abilities in the second half of life has rarely been empirically addressed. We examined if perceived stress at baseline predicts self-reported difficulties with vision and hearing 3 years later. We also explored whether chronological age is a moderator of associations between stress and sensory difficulties. Our sample was derived from the German Ageing Survey and consisted of n = 5,085 individuals aged 40–95 years ( M = 64.01 years, SD = 10.84 years). Controlling for baseline self-reported sensory functioning, socio-demographic indicators, self-rated health and chronic diseases, greater perceived stress at baseline predicted greater self-reported difficulties with vision and hearing 3 years later. The effect of stress did not vary by age. Our findings suggest that, from middle adulthood to advanced old age, stress is a risk factor for increases in self-perceived problems with vision and hearing.

scholarly journals Trajectories of self-rated health in an older general population and their determinants: the Lifelines Cohort Study

BMJ Open ◽  
2020 ◽  
Vol 10 (2) ◽  
pp. e035012
Author(s):  
Marlies Feenstra ◽  
Barbara C van Munster ◽  
Janet L MacNeil Vroomen ◽  
Sophia E de Rooij ◽  
Nynke Smidt
Keyword(s):  
Older Adults ◽  
Cohort Study ◽  
General Population ◽  
Health Risk ◽  
Chronic Diseases ◽  
Community Dwelling ◽  
Endocrine Function ◽  
Self Rated Health ◽  
Physiological Markers ◽  
Community Dwelling Older Adults

ObjectivesPoor self-rated health (SRH) is a strong predictor of premature mortality in older adults. Trajectories of poor SRH are associated with multimorbidity and unhealthy behaviours. Whether trajectories of SRH are associated with deviating physiological markers is unclear. This study identified trajectories of SRH and investigated the associations of trajectory membership with chronic diseases, health risk behaviours and physiological markers in community-dwelling older adults.Study design and settingProspective general population cohort.ParticipantsTrajectories of SRH over 5 years were identified using data of 11 600 participants aged 65 years and older of the Lifelines Cohort Study.Outcome measuresTrajectories of SRH were the main outcome. Covariates included demographics (age, gender, education), chronic diseases, health-risk behaviour (physical activity, smoking, drinking) and physiological markers (body mass index, cardiovascular function, lung function, glucose metabolism, haematological condition, endocrine function, renal function, liver function and cognitive function).ResultsFour stable trajectories were identified, including excellent (n=607, 6%), good (n=2111, 19%), moderate (n=7677, 65%) and poor SRH (n=1205, 10%). Being women (OR: 1.4; 95% CI: 1.0 to 1.9), low education (OR: 2.1; 95% CI: 1.5 to 3.0), one (OR: 10.4; 95% CI: 7.4 to 14.7) or multiple chronic diseases (OR: 37.8; 95% CI: 22.4 to 71.8), smoking (OR: 1.8; 95% CI: 1.0 to 3.2), physical inactivity (OR: 3.1; 95% CI: 1.8 to 5.2), alcohol abstinence (OR: 2.2; 95% CI: 1.4 to 3.2) and deviating physiological markers (OR: 1.5; 95% CI: 1.1 to 2.0) increase the odds for a higher probability of poor SRH trajectory membership compared with excellent SRH trajectory membership.ConclusionSRH of community-dwelling older adults is stable over time with the majority (65%) having moderate SRH. Older adults with higher probabilities of poor SRH often have unfavourable health status.

scholarly journals Relationship between Morbidity and Health Behavior in Chronic Diseases

2020 ◽  
Vol 9 (1) ◽  
pp. 121 ◽  
Author(s):  
Munjae Lee ◽  
Sewon Park ◽  
Kyu-Sung Lee
Keyword(s):  
Health Insurance ◽  
Health Behavior ◽  
Health Behaviors ◽  
Chronic Diseases ◽  
Lower Risk ◽  
Private Insurance ◽  
Medical Checkup ◽  
Lower Socioeconomic ◽  
Comprehensive Programs ◽  
Primary Care Institutions

This study aimed to analyze the demographic characteristics and health behaviors related to chronic diseases and to identify factors that may affect chronic diseases. Data from the Seventh Korea National Health and Nutrition Examination Survey were used, and 3795 adults aged above 40 years were included. The following demographic variables were obtained: sex, age, education, income, type of health insurance, and private insurance. The following health behavior factors were also analyzed: medical checkup, drinking, smoking, exercise, obesity, and hypercholesterolemia. Participants with lower socioeconomic status had a higher risk of developing chronic diseases. Meanwhile, those with private health insurance had a lower risk of developing chronic diseases. In addition, participants who underwent medical checkups and performed exercises had a lower risk, while those with obesity and hypercholesterolemia had a higher risk of developing chronic diseases. It is necessary to manage chronic diseases through comprehensive programs, rather than managing these diseases individually, and through community primary care institutions to improve health behaviors.

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