Alexithymia and depression in elderly people that get directed physical activity

La relación entre la alexitimia y la depresión y los factores sociodemográficos ha sido estudiada en personas mayores. Sin embargo, el papel atenuador del ejercicio en estas afecciones aún debe ser determinado. En el presente estudio se mide el grado de alexitimia y depresión en adultos mayores, comparando una muestra sedentaria con una de practicantes de actividad física. Se utilizó un diseño descriptivo transversal con una muestra compuesta por 27 participantes, 9 hombres y 18 mujeres de más de 60 años (64 ± 5.1 años), con objeto de medir el grado de alexitimia y depresión que presentaban en el momento de la recogida de datos. Los instrumentos utilizados fueron la escala de depresión de Yesavage, la Escala de Alexitimia de Toronto (TAS-20) y el Cuestionario de Salud SF-12. Los resultados mostraron que los practicantes de actividad física presentaban puntuaciones más bajas en alexitimia y depresión que los sujetos sedentarios, sin que éstas variables estuvieran relacionadas en función del género y la edad. A tenor de los resultados, el ejercicio pudiera jugar algún papel en la modulación de las alteraciones psicológicas

Dietary diversity and depression: cross-sectional and longitudinal analyses in Spanish adult population with metabolic syndrome. Findings from PREDIMED-Plus trial

Objective: To examine the cross-sectional and longitudinal (2-year follow-up) associations between dietary diversity (DD) and depressive symptoms. Design: An energy-adjusted dietary diversity score (DDS) was assessed using a validated FFQ and was categorised into quartiles (Q). The variety in each food group was classified into four categories of diversity (C). Depressive symptoms were assessed with Beck Depression Inventory-II (Beck II) questionnaire and depression cases defined as physician-diagnosed or Beck II >= 18. Linear and logistic regression models were used. Setting: Spanish older adults with metabolic syndrome (MetS). Participants: A total of 6625 adults aged 55–75 years from the PREDIMED-Plus study with overweight or obesity and MetS. Results: Total DDS was inversely and statistically significantly associated with depression in the cross-sectional analysis conducted; OR Q4 v. Q1 = 0·76 (95 % CI (0·64, 0·90)). This was driven by high diversity compared to low diversity (C3 v. C1) of vegetables (OR = 0·75, 95 % CI (0·57, 0·93)), cereals (OR = 0·72 (95 % CI (0·56, 0·94)) and proteins (OR = 0·27, 95 % CI (0·11, 0·62)). In the longitudinal analysis, there was no significant association between the baseline DDS and changes in depressive symptoms after 2 years of follow-up, except for DD in vegetables C4 v. C1 = (β = 0·70, 95 % CI (0·05, 1·35)). Conclusions: According to our results, DD is inversely associated with depressive symptoms, but eating more diverse does not seem to reduce the risk of future depression. Additional longitudinal studies (with longer follow-up) are needed to confirm these findings.T The PREDIMED-Plus trial was supported by the European Research Council (Advanced Research Grant 2013-2018; 340918) grant to Miguel Angel Martinez-Gonzalez, and by the official funding agency for biomedical research of the Spanish Government, ISCIII through the Fondo de Investigacion para la Salud (FIS), which is cofunded by the European Regional Development Fund (four coordinated FIS projects led by Jordi Salas-Salvado and Josep Vidal), including the following projects: PI13/00673, PI13/00492, PI13/00272, PI13/01123, PI13/00462, PI13/00233, PI13/02184, PI13/00728, PI13/01090, PI13/01056, PI14/01722, PI14/00636, PI14/00618, PI14/00696, PI14/01206, PI14/01919, PI14/00853, PI14/01374, PI16/00473, PI16/00662, PI16/01873, PI16/01094, PI16/00501, PI16/00533, PI16/00381, PI16/00366, PI16/01522, PI16/01120, PI17/00764, PI17/01183, PI17/00855, PI17/01347, PI17/00525, PI17/01827, PI17/00532, PI17/00215, PI17/01441, PI17/00508, PI17/01732, PI17/00926, The Especial Action Project entitled: 'Implementacion y Evaluacion de una intervencion intensiva sobre la actividad fisica Cohorte PREDIMED-Plus' grant to Jordi Salas-Salvado, the Recercaixa grant to Jordi Salas-Salvado (2013ACUP00194), grants from the Consejeria de Salud de la Junta de Andalucia (PI0458/2013; PS0358/2016; PI0137/2018), the PROMETEO/2017/017 grant from the Generalitat Valenciana, the SEMERGEN grant, and CIBEROBN and FEDER funds (CB06/03), ISCIII. International Nut&Dried Fruit Council-FESNAD N degrees 201302: Miguel Angel Martinez-Gonzalez (PI). None of the funding sources took part in the design, collection, analysis or interpretation of the data, or in the decision to submit the manuscript for publication. The corresponding author had full access to all the data in the study and had final responsibility to submit for publication

Wishes and perceptions about exercise programs in exercising institutionalized older adults living in long-term care institutions: A qualitative study.

The level of exercise among older adults is low, particularly among those living in health-care institutions. To gain insight into the perceptions of institutionalized older adults towards the exercise programs developed in long-term care institutions and to identify their wishes and needs regarding these programs, we conducted a qualitative study using focus group discussions. Thirty-six institutionalized participants (≥ 65 years) were recruited. Six common themes emerged: participants' attitudes and motivations towards the exercise programs, self-perceived health, knowledge of the concept of physical exercise, perceived effects of the exercise programs, and wishes or expectations for the exercise programs. The main wishes were to increase frequency of exercise sessions, to exercise outdoor and to increase walking times. The results suggest the need for changes in the development of exercise programs, including changes in the frequency, performance environment and types of exercises performed

Cross-cultural adaptation and validation of the Spanish version of the Johns Hopkins Fall Risk Assessment Tool

Purpose: To perform a cross-cultural adaptation and validation of the Johns Hopkins Fall Risk Assessment Tool to develop its Spanish version (JHFRAT-Sp). Material and methods: Two hundred eleven participants aged 60 years or older participated in this observational study. After translation and transcultural adaptation of the JHFRAT-Sp, the internal consistency, criterion validity and construct validity were calculated using the Falls Efficacy Scale International, Foot Health Status Questionnaire (FHSQ), Health Questionnaire EuroQol (5Dimensions and VAS), Short Form-12v2 and Health Assessment Questionnaire. Results: The internal consistency was 0.986. The test-retest analysis ranged from 0.971 to 0.983. The error measures presented values in MDC90 and SEM of 0.602 and 1.404%, respectively. The chi-Square value was 120.662 (p < 0.001). The extraction method by principal components showed a solution of four factors. Regarding the criterion validity, the correlation value ranged from r = 0.200 (FHSQ-Vigour) to r = 0.891 (EuroQol-VAS). Conclusions: The JHFRAT was translated and adapted culturally from the original version to Spanish. The psychometric analysis carried out in the JHFRAT-Sp showed excellent reliability, as well as satisfactory results both in the measurement error analysis and in the construct and criterion validities. Spanish researchers and clinicians may use this tool to analyse the risk of falling.IMPLICATIONS FOR REHABILITATION A transcultural translation and adaptation of the JHFRAT questionnaire into Spanish (JHFRAT-Sp) has been carried out. The JHFRAT-Sp questionnaire is shown as a tool with very satisfactory psychometric characteristics, which would allow its use by both researchers and clinicians for the evaluation and monitoring of patients at risk of falls. The results that can be extracted from the use of JHFRAT-Sp, can be compared with the same type of patients who have used the same questionnaire but in other clinical or research environments that have the validated version of JHFRAT in their native language, such as English, Chinese or Portuguese (Brazilian).</p

Dietary diversity and depression: cross-sectional and longitudinal analyses in Spanish adult population with metabolic syndrome. Findings from PREDIMED-Plus trial.

To examine the cross-sectional and longitudinal (2-year follow-up) associations between dietary diversity (DD) and depressive symptoms. An energy-adjusted dietary diversity score (DDS) was assessed using a validated FFQ and was categorised into quartiles (Q). The variety in each food group was classified into four categories of diversity (C). Depressive symptoms were assessed with Beck Depression Inventory-II (Beck II) questionnaire and depression cases defined as physician-diagnosed or Beck II >= 18. Linear and logistic regression models were used. Spanish older adults with metabolic syndrome (MetS). A total of 6625 adults aged 55-75 years from the PREDIMED-Plus study with overweight or obesity and MetS. Total DDS was inversely and statistically significantly associated with depression in the cross-sectional analysis conducted; OR Q4 v. Q1 = 0·76 (95 % CI (0·64, 0·90)). This was driven by high diversity compared to low diversity (C3 v. C1) of vegetables (OR = 0·75, 95 % CI (0·57, 0·93)), cereals (OR = 0·72 (95 % CI (0·56, 0·94)) and proteins (OR = 0·27, 95 % CI (0·11, 0·62)). In the longitudinal analysis, there was no significant association between the baseline DDS and changes in depressive symptoms after 2 years of follow-up, except for DD in vegetables C4 v. C1 = (β = 0·70, 95 % CI (0·05, 1·35)). According to our results, DD is inversely associated with depressive symptoms, but eating more diverse does not seem to reduce the risk of future depression. Additional longitudinal studies (with longer follow-up) are needed to confirm these findings