Examining Chronic Disease, Pain-Related Impairment, and Physical Activity Among Middle-Aged and Older Adults in Canada: Implications for Current and Future Aging Populations

Purpose: With high levels of chronic disease (CD) and pain-related functional impairment (PFI), and low levels of physical activity (PA) among middle-aged and older adults, it is important to investigate ways to design age- and health condition-appropriate PA interventions.Methods: Using Canadian Community Health Survey data, relationships among CD, PFI, covariates, and PA were examined in mid- (40-59y; n=36,288) and later- (60y+, n=44,890) life.Results/Conclusions: PA levels varied between middle-aged and older groups according to CD and PFI status. Results are useful for developing targeted and tailored PA interventions to support the health of current and future populations

Mood Disorders among Older Adults Participating in Individual and Group Active Environments: “Me” versus “Us,” or Both?

Involvement in physical activity is associated with improved mental health including better social skills, coping mechanisms, and lower rates of depression. However, evidence on whether group or individual active environments better facilitate these benefits remains inconsistent. This cross-sectional cohort study examined the mental health reports of older adults (aged 50+) in relation to participation in group or individual active environments. Logistic multivariate regression analyses were conducted on the Canadian Community Health Survey (cycle 4.1, 2007-2008, n=44,057). Results illustrated that those active in both group and individual environments were 59% less likely to have a mood disorder than those who were not participating in either (P<0.001). Also, those active in both environments were 31% less likely to have a mood disorder than those active in an individual environment (P<0.001). Participating in only group or only individual environments had a similar effect compared to individuals not active in any environments for reducing rates of reported mood disorders (22% and 28%, resp.). However, the findings related to only group environments were not significant. These findings reveal that participating in both group and individual physical activities may have important implications for maintaining older adults' mental health status

Gatekeepers of Gerontological Research: A Pilot Study Investigating Factors Influencing Research Compliance

Gerontological studies note research noncompliance as a limitation of their results; however, few investigations focus on ways to minimize noncompliance.Additionally, older adults’ research participation is often controlled byother individuals such as the managers of retirement residences or community centers, where recruitment often occurs. These individuals are, in essence, the Gatekeepers of research participation among older adults. This pilot study explored ‘research participation’ through semistructured interviews with four managers. Analysis of the transcript data identified several important differences between managers of retirement residences and community center managers. Gerontologists interested in obtaining morerepresentative samples may want to consider the contextual factors of the managerial systems and experiences that can facilitate or obstruct research participation of older adults

Experiences of health and aging for younger adults in long-term care: a social-ecological multi-method approach

There is an increasing number of younger adults with disabilities becoming residents of long-term care (LTC) homes across Atlantic Canada. Moving younger adults into LTC is less-than-ideal and presents an immediate challenge for LTC homes to meet the unique health-related needs of younger residents. This study explored the lived experiences of younger residents in a Nova Scotian LTC setting in terms of their long-term health and aging-in-place needs. Guided by the social-ecological model, this study gathered first-person experiences through photovoice and interview methods. Eleven residents, aged 36 to 60?years, illustrated how their health and aging processes were affected by multiple interacting individual, interpersonal, and environmental factors. Participants identified how they wished to be supported within LTC to improve comprehensive health services. This study demonstrates that younger LTC residents can, and should, be part of the planning for their own specialized healthcare and housing to support positive health and aging

sj-docx-1-ggm-10.1177_23337214221138663 – Supplemental material for The Influence of Female Reproductive Factors on Longevity: A Systematized Narrative Review of Epidemiological Studies

Supplemental material, sj-docx-1-ggm-10.1177_23337214221138663 for The Influence of Female Reproductive Factors on Longevity: A Systematized Narrative Review of Epidemiological Studies by Christy Costanian, Raymond Farah, Ray Salameh, Brad A. Meisner, Sola Aoun Bahous and Abla M. Sibai in Gerontology and Geriatric Medicine</p