Educational interest and enrollment among older people

Despite barriers, a pattern of increasing participation among older people is expected

HEALTH SELF-REPORT CORRELATES AMONG OLDER PEOPLE IN NATIONAL RANDOM SAMPLE DATA

older people's health self-reports (HSR.s) are frequently cited in explanations for changes in social status (e.g., retirement). social participation-o.ctivity (e.g., disengagement), and personal attitudes (e.g., life satisfaction). The purpose ofresearch reported here was to establish correlates of HSRs in u.s. national random sample data. The parametric analysisstTategywas applied to data on aU persons aged 65+ intel11iewed for the Harris-NCOA survey(N= 2797)j with results as foUows: social status (2 varidb1es) largest ,2 <0.15), social panicipation-aaivity (S variables, largest r2 <O~2S), and personal attitudes (10 variables, largest r2 < 0.15). AUwtiables analyzed were correlated to HSRs at the 0.001 level or beyond. These results confirm. findings from studies using sm4I1er or specialized samples, IJnd they present new evidence of the importance ofsocial participation*actiuity to the HSRs ofolder people

Participation in education among older people

National random sample data on 4254 people in four adult age categories were analyzed with regard to enrollments in different kinds of education settings, enrollment motives, and barriers to enrollment. Further analysis compared participants to nonparticipants. Most adult enrollments were at the college or university level before age 40, in other settings thereafter, and instrumental motives were predominant across the lifespan. Lack of time and interest were major barriers to enrollment among older people, and those enrolled generally had higher prior educational attainments, were younger, and lived in urban or suburban locations.Peer Reviewedhttp://deepblue.lib.umich.edu/bitstream/2027.42/44538/1/10755_2005_Article_BF01080356.pd

Educational interest and enrollment among older people

Despite barriers, a pattern of increasing participation among older people is expected

Smoking and smoking increase in caregivers of Alzheimer\u27s patients

Purpose of the Study: The relationship between stress and smoking has been established, but there is little research on the effects of stress and coping on smoking in caregivers of Alzheimer\u27s disease patients. This study examines how caregiver stressors and coping resources explain smoking status and recent smoking increase. Design and Methods: Data were obtained from the Resources for Enhancing Alzheimer\u27s Caregivers Health (REACH II) study. Analyses identified differences between caregiver smokers and nonsmokers and between caregiver smokers who reported a recent smoking increase and those who did not. Variables that were significantly different between the groups were examined in two logistic regression analyses to explain smoking status and smoking increase. Results: Of 642 caregivers, nearly 40% reported smoking and 25% of smokers reported recent increase in smoking. Younger caregivers were more likely to report smoking. Explanatory variables for smoking increase were being Caucasian or African-American, higher depression scores, and less caregiving skills. Implications: This study demonstrates that smoking among caregivers is a valid public health concern. Further investigation of ways that explanatory variables affect smoking status and increase in caregivers, and incorporation of smoking cessation strategies that address depression and low caregiving skills, seem warranted in future caregiver interventions

The cost-effectiveness of a behavior intervention with caregivers of patients with Alzheimer's disease

To examine the cost-effectiveness of a randomized, clinical trial of a home-based intervention for caregivers of people with dementia. This cost-effectiveness analysis examined Resources for Enhancing Alzheimer's Caregivers Health (REACH II), a multisite, randomized, clinical trial, from June 2002 through December 2004, funded by the National Institute on Aging and the National Institute of Nursing Research, of a behavioral intervention to decrease caregivers' stress and improve management of care recipient behavioral problems. Community-dwelling dementia caregiving dyads from the Memphis REACH II site. Of Memphis' random sample of 55 intervention and 57 control black and white dyads, 46 in each arm completed without death or discontinuation. Family caregivers were aged 21 and older, lived with the care recipient, and had provided 4 or more hours of care per day for 6 months or longer. Care recipients were cognitively and functionally impaired. Twelve individual sessions (9 home sessions and 3 telephone sessions) supplemented by five telephone support-group sessions. Control caregivers received two "check in" phone calls. Incremental cost-effectiveness ratio (ICER), the additional cost to bring about one additional unit of benefit (hours per day of providing care). At 6 months, there was a significant difference between intervention caregivers and control caregivers in hours providing care (P=.01). The ICER showed that intervention caregivers had 1 extra hour per day not spent in caregiving, at a cost of $5 per day. The intervention provided that most scarce of caregiver commodities--time. The emotional and physical costs of dementia caregiving are enormous, and this intervention was able to alleviate some of that cost