Why and when social support predicts older adults’ pain-related disability

Pain-related social support has been shown to be directly associated with pain-related disability, depending on whether it promotes functional autonomy or dependence. However, previous studies mostly relied on cross-sectional methods, precluding conclusions on the temporal relationship between pain-related social support and disability. Also, research on the behavioral and psychological processes that account for such a relationship is scarce. Therefore, this study aimed at investigating the following longitudinally: (1) direct effects of social support for functional autonomy/dependence on pain-related disability, (2) mediating role of physical functioning, pain-related self-efficacy, and fear, and (3) whether pain duration and pain intensity moderate such mediating processes. A total of 168 older adults (Mage = 78.3; SDage = 8.7) participated in a 3-month prospective design, with 3 moments of measurement, with a 6-week lag between them. Participants completed the Formal Social Support for Autonomy and Dependence in Pain Inventory, the Brief Pain Inventory, the 36-SF Health Survey, behavioral tasks from the Senior Fitness Test, the Pain Self-Efficacy Questionnaire, and the Tampa Scale for Kinesiophobia. Moderated mediation analyses showed that formal social support for functional dependence (T1) predicted an increase in pain-related disability (T3), that was mediated by self-reported physical functioning (T2) and by pain-related self-efficacy (T2) at short to moderate pain duration and at low to moderate pain intensity, but not at higher levels. Findings emphasized that social support for functional dependence is a risk factor for pain-related disability and uncovered the “why” and “when” of this relationship. Implications for the design of social support interventions aiming at promoting older adults' healthy aging despite chronic pain are drawn.info:eu-repo/semantics/acceptedVersio

Advances in Silage Sealing

Spoiled silage at the top and shoulders of a horizontal silo is common because of their lower density and higher aeration. Thus, avoiding or reducing aerobic deterioration in the peripheral areas of the silages becomes a key factor for commercial farms. There are two factors that affect the top spoilage: the quality of the plastic film and how well it is held to the forage. The quality of the plastic film is related to oxygen permeability, thickness, and ultraviolet blocking. To hold the sheet to the crop, sidewall plastic associated to gravel bags and used tires have been good alternatives to be used as weights to secure the sheet on the top surface, but many other means can be applied like sidewall disks. Preventing silage losses due to an inappropriate sealing is important, both from nutritional and economic contexts. Proper air sealing produces well-fermented silage and mitigates losses in the upper layer of the silo

Buffer or amplifier? Longitudinal effects of social support for functional autonomy/dependence on older adults’ chronic-pain experiences

Objective: This longitudinal study aimed to investigate (a) the moderating role of formal social support for functional autonomy versus dependence on the relationship between pain intensity and pain-related disability among older adults with chronic pain and (b) the mediating role of pain-related self-efficacy and pain-related fear in this moderation. Method: One hundred and seventy older adults (Mage = 78.0; SD = 8.7) with chronic musculoskeletal pain participated in a 3-month prospective study, with 3 measurement moments. Participants filled out the Formal Social Support for Autonomy and Dependence in Pain Inventory, the Portuguese versions of the Brief Pain Inventory, the Pain Self-Efficacy Questionnaire, and the Tampa Scale of Kinesiophobia. Results: Using structural equation modeling, it was found that perceived promotion of autonomy, at Time 1, moderated the relationship between pain intensity (T1) and pain-related disability (T2); this moderation was fully mediated by pain-related self-efficacy (T2). Perceived promotion of dependence was not a significant moderator. Conclusions: These findings highlight the importance of social support for functional autonomy in buffering the impact of pain intensity on older adults’ pain-related disability. Also, they clarify the role of pain-related self-efficacy in this effect. Implications for the development of intervention programs, with formal caregivers, to reduce the impact of chronic pain on older adults’ healthy ageing process, are discussed.info:eu-repo/semantics/acceptedVersio

Retinal biomarkers of Alzheimer’s disease: insights from transgenic mouse models

In this paper, we use the retina as a window into the central nervous system and in particular to assess changes in the retinal tissue associated with the Alzheimer’s disease. We imaged the retina of wild-type (WT) and transgenic mouse model (TMM) of Alzheimer’s disease with optical coherence tomography and classify retinas into the WT and TMM groups using support vector machines with the radial basis function kernel. Predictions reached an accuracy over 80% at the age of 4 months and over 90% at the age of 8 months. Texture analysis of computed fundus reference images suggests a more heterogeneous organization of the retina in transgenic mice at the age of 8 months in comparison to controls.This study was supported by the Neuroscience Mantero Belard Prize 2015 (Santa Casa da Misericórdia)(MB-1049-2015), by The Portuguese Foundation for Science and Technology (PEst-UID/NEU/04539/2013), by FEDER-COMPETE (POCI-01-0145-FEDER-007440) and Centro 2020 Regional Operational Programme (CENTRO-01-0145-FEDER-000008: BrainHealth 2020).info:eu-repo/semantics/publishedVersio

Ethnic minorities’ and immigrants’ therapeutic (non)adherence: what is the role of social and cultural contexts?

Immigrants and ethnic minorities have been identified as vulnerable groups in health, in general, and in what concerns therapeutic non-adherence (TA) in particular; i.e., (not)following health-care providers’ therapeutic recommendations. The general aim of this paper is presenting a literature review of immigrants’/ethnic minorities’ TA determinants. We will start by highlighting the reasons as to why immigrants’/ethnic minorities’ therapeutic (non)adherence should be a topic of concern. Then, we will present a review of the main determinants of immigrants’/ethnic minorities’TA, at different levels of analysis (e.g., broad structural level; social and community networks; material and social conditions) and emphasize that non-adherence among immigrants/ethnic minorities is mostly non-intentional, seeing as how it is associated with issues such as: low socio-economic conditions, language barriers and cultural mismatches. Finally, we will highlight the role of health-care providers in tackling this health-related problem and reflect about the importance of promoting development and training of health-care providers’ multicultural abilities. Os imigrantes e as minorias étnicas têm sido identificados como grupos vulneráveis na área da saúde, em geral, e no que diz respeito à (não)adesão terapêutica, em particular, i.e., (não)seguimento das recomendações dos profissionais de saúde. O objetivo geral deste artigo é o de apresentar uma revisão de literatura sobre os determinantes da (não)adesão terapêutica de imigrantes e minorias étnicas. Inicialmente, destacar-se-ão os motivos pelos quais a (não)adesão terapêutica de imigrantes/minorias étnicas poderá ser considerada como um tema relevante. Seguidamente, apresentar-se-á uma revisão sobre os principais determinantes da (não)adesão de imigrantes/minorias étnicas, em diferentes níveis de análise (e.g., estrutural; redes sociais e comunitárias; condições materiais e sociais) e destacar-se-á que a não-adesão entre os imigrantes/minorias étnicas é sobretudo não-intencional, por se encontrar associada a questões como: condições socioeconómicas desfavoráveis, barreiras linguísticas, desen contros culturais. Finalmente, salientar-se-á o papel dos profissionais de saúde na resolução deste problema relacionado com a saúde e reflectir-se-á sobre a importância de promover o desenvolvimento e a formação de competências multiculturais por estes profissionais

What determines immigrant caregivers' adherence to health recommendations from child primary care services?

Aim To investigate the diversity and specificity of the determinants of immigrant caregivers' adherence to child primary care (CPC) health recommendations.Background Immigrant caregiver's adherence to CPC health recommendations is of utmost importance to minimize their children's health-related vulnerabilities. Some research has been conducted on the determinants of immigrants' access to health services, but much less is known about the determinants of their adherence to health professionals' recommendations once they get there, especially in a primary health care context. This study contributes to bridge these gaps.Methods Interviews and focus groups were conducted, with immigrant and non-immigrant caregivers living in Portugal (n=35), from heterogeneous socioeconomic backgrounds. Focus group and individual interview scripts were developed to explore caregivers' understanding and use of CPC services and, particularly, their adherence to CPC recommendations. A socio-demographic questionnaire was also administered. Qualitative data were analyzed using a grounded theory methodology.Findings 'Adherence to CPC health recommendations' is a core and multidimensional concept. Several determinants were identified at individual, interpersonal, organizational and structural levels. Some determinants were highlighted both by immigrant and non-immigrant caregivers: Valuing children's health, usefulness of recommendations, perceived health-care professionals' competence, central role of vaccination in CPC and caregivers' socio-economic conditions. Other determinants were specifically mentioned by immigrant caregivers: Expectations about traditional versus pharmacological treatments, cultural mismatches in children's care practices, perceived quality of Portuguese CPC services versus CPC from countries of origin. These results provide innovative theoretical and empirical contributions to the field of primary health care and, particularly, to immigrant caregivers' adherence behaviors. Implications for research on treatment adherence in primary care contexts, the development of interventions that promote caregivers' adherence to CPC health recommendations and for child protection will be discussed.info:eu-repo/semantics/publishedVersio

The Portuguese Formal Social Support for Autonomy and Dependence in Pain Inventory (FSSADI_PAIN): A preliminary validation study.

WOS:000326693900009 (Nº de Acesso Web of Science)Objectives. Development and preliminary validation of a Portuguese measure of perceived Formal Social Support for Autonomy and Dependence in Pain (FSSADI_PAIN). Methods. One hundred and fifty-one older adults (88.1% women), between 56 and 94 years of age (M = 75.41; SD = 9.11), who attended one of the following institutions – day care centre (33.1%), nursing home (36.4%) and senior university (30.5%) – were recruited for this study. Along with the FSSADI_PAIN, participants filled out the Portuguese versions of the Brief Pain Inventory (Azevedo et al., 2007, Dor, 15, 6) and the Social Support Scale of Medical Outcomes Survey (Pais-Ribeiro & Ponte, 2009, Psicologia, Saude & Doença, 10, 163). Results. The factorial structure reflected the functions of perceived promotion of (1) dependence and (2) autonomy, showing good internal consistency (a > .70) and sensitivity indices. The FSSADI_PAIN showed good content, discriminant and criterion validity; it differentiated the perceptions of promotion of dependence/autonomy according to individual’s pain severity and disability, as well as the type of institution. Conclusions. These preliminary findings suggest that the FSSADI_PAIN is an innovative and promising measure of perceived formal social support adapted to pain-related context

Surviving opinions in Sznajd models on complex networks

The Sznajd model has been largely applied to simulate many sociophysical phenomena. In this paper we applied the Sznajd model with more than two opinions on three different network topologies and observed the evolution of surviving opinions after many interactions among the nodes. As result, we obtained a scaling law which depends of the network size and the number of possible opinions. We also observed that this scaling law is not the same for all network topologies, being quite similar between scale-free networks and Sznajd networks but different for random networks.Comment: 9 pages, 3 figure