Understanding the role of contrasting urban contexts in healthy aging: an international cohort study using wearable sensor devices (the CURHA study protocol).

BACKGROUND: Given the challenges of aging populations, calls have been issued for more sustainable urban re-development and implementation of local solutions to address global environmental and healthy aging issues. However, few studies have considered older adults' daily mobility to better understand how local built and social environments may contribute to healthy aging. Meanwhile, wearable sensors and interactive map-based applications offer novel means for gathering information on people's mobility, levels of physical activity, or social network structure. Combining such data with classical questionnaires on well-being, physical activity, perceived environments and qualitative assessment of experience of places opens new opportunities to assess the complex interplay between individuals and environments. In line with current gaps and novel analytical capabilities, this research proposes an international research agenda to collect and analyse detailed data on daily mobility, social networks and health outcomes among older adults using interactive web-based questionnaires and wearable sensors. METHODS/DESIGN: Our study resorts to a battery of innovative data collection methods including use of a novel multisensor device for collection of location and physical activity, interactive map-based questionnaires on regular destinations and social networks, and qualitative assessment of experience of places. This rich data will allow advanced quantitative and qualitative analyses in the aim to disentangle the complex people-environment interactions linking urban local contexts to healthy aging, with a focus on active living, social networks and participation, and well-being. DISCUSSION: This project will generate evidence about what characteristics of urban environments relate to active mobility, social participation, and well-being, three important dimensions of healthy aging. It also sets the basis for an international research agenda on built environment and healthy aging based on a shared and comprehensive data collection protocol

L’harmonisation travail-vie personnelle des gestionnaires du réseau de la santé : exploration des défis et des stratégies

L’objectif de cet article est de proposer un cadre d’analyse des défis que doivent relever des gestionnaires du réseau de la santé lors de la réalisation d’une démarche d’harmonisation travail-vie personnelle. Les résultats s’appuient sur l’analyse qualitative d'autodiagnostics d’harmonisation travail-vie personnelle de 84 gestionnaires évoluant dans un contexte de travail sous pression. À l’aide d’une méthode d’analyse de contenu, cet article dresse un panorama détaillé des problèmes vécus et des stratégies mobilisées par des gestionnaires du réseau québécois de la santé pour résoudre certains conflits de travail-vie personnelle. À titre de contribution à la littérature existante, nous proposons une typologie de cinq types de stratégies – de gestion, affectives, de légitimation, de réduction de surcharge, et temporelles – par lesquelles des gestionnaires tentent de créer et de maintenir leur équilibre de vie. L’efficacité de ces stratégies est discutée et illustrée au moyen de cas servant de modèles, ou prototypes.The article’s main objective is to propose an analytical framework that develops the understanding of work-life challenges that may emerge from a work-life harmonization program. The results are based on a qualitative analysis of self-diagnostics of work-life harmoniszation made by 84 health-care managers who work under pressure. The content analysis shows a detailed portrait of everyday work-life problems experienced by health-care managers. It also portrays the strategies mobilized by theses managers to resolve some personal work-life conflicts. This article aims to contribute to existing literature by offering a typology of 5 types of strategies – management, care, legitimation, overload reduction, and temporal – by which managers tried to create and maintain work-life balance. The efficacy of these strategies is discussed and illustrated with prototypical cases

Comparison of two indices of availability of fruits/vegetable and fast food outlets

Studies of food environment often examine single dimensions of areas that may not account for complexity of exposure to all food sources. With respect to the deprivation amplification hypothesis, particular needs are to assess whether relative or absolute measures of the food environment are related to characteristics of social environment. The objective of this study was to compare absolute availability (AA) of fast food outlets (FFO) and stores selling fresh fruits and vegetables (FVS) with the relative availability (RA) of the same food sources in relation to area-level poverty and ethnic diversity in 248 selected census tracts (CT) in Montreal, Canada. AA of FFO and FVS were expressed as areal densities of food sources within CTs. RA indices were calculated as the proportion of FVSs relative to total food stores and the proportion of FFOs relative to all restaurants within CTs, respectively. Whereas the AA of FFO was positively associated with area-level poverty and ethnic diversity, the RA of FFO was inversely associated with area-level poverty and not associated with ethnic diversity. Both measures of FVS were positively associated with area-level poverty and ethnic diversity. These findings do not support a model of deprivation amplification. Furthermore, results of FFO suggest that the alternate measure of RA can complement information based on AA indicators of the food environment, with potential utility in predicting eating practices

Associations between perceived proximity to neighborhood resources, disability, and social participation among community-dwelling older adults:Results from the VoisiNuAge Study

OBJECTIVE: To examine the associations between perceived proximity to neighborhood resources, disability and social participation, and the potential moderating effect of perceived proximity to neighborhood resources on the association between disability and social participation among community-dwelling older women and men. DESIGN: Cross-sectional. SETTING: Community. PARTICIPANTS: Older adults (296 women; 258 men). INTERVENTIONS: Not applicable. MAIN OUTCOME MEASURES: Data on age, education, depressive symptoms, frequency of participation in community activities, perceived proximity to neighborhood resources (services and amenities), and functional autonomy in daily activities (disability) were collected by interviewer-administered questionnaire. RESULTS: Greater perceived proximity to resources and lower level of disability were associated with greater social participation for both women (R(2)=0.10; p<0.001) and men (R(2)=0.05; p<0.01). The association between disability and social participation did not vary as a function of perceived proximity to neighborhood resources among women (no moderating effect; p=0.15). Among men, however, greater perceived proximity to neighborhood resources enhanced social participation (p=0.01), but only among those with minor or no disability. CONCLUSIONS: Future studies should investigate why perceived proximity to services and amenities is associated with social participation among older men with minor or no disabilities and with women overall but has no association among men with moderate disabilities