Beverage Choices of Adolescents and Their Parents Using the Theory of Planned Behavior: A Mixed Methods Analysis

Added sugar intake in the form of sugar-sweetened beverages (SSB) has been considered a contributor to weight gain and cardiometabolic dysfunction in adults and youth. Adolescents are some of the highest consumers of added sugars, taking in ~16% of their total calories from added sugars with ~40% of these calories coming from SSB. Youth’s food preferences and self-regulation of dietary intake can be influenced by parents

Factors Associated with Nursing Home Admission after Stroke in Older Women

We examined the social and economic factors associated with nursing home (NH) admission in older women, overall and post-stroke

The role of compassion, suffering, and intrusive thoughts in dementia caregiver depression

Objectives: Exposure to suffering of a relative or friend increases the risk for psychological and physical morbidity. However, little is known about the mechanisms that account for this effect. We test a theoretical model that identifies intrusive thoughts as a mediator of the relation between perceived physical and psychological suffering of the care recipient and caregiver depression. We also assess the role of compassion as a moderator of the relation between perceived suffering and intrusive thoughts. Methods: Hispanic and African American caregivers (N = 108) of persons with dementia were assessed three times within a one-year period. Using multilevel modeling, we assessed the mediating role of intrusive thoughts in the relation between perceived physical and psychological suffering and CG depression, and we tested moderated mediation to assess the role of caregiver compassion in the relation between perceived suffering and intrusive thoughts. Results: The effects of perceived physical suffering on depression were completely mediated through intrusive thoughts, and compassion moderated the relation between physical suffering and intrusive thoughts. Caregivers who had greater compassion reported more intrusive thoughts even when perceived physical suffering of the CR was low. For perceived psychological suffering, the effects of suffering on depression were partially mediated through intrusive thoughts. Discussion: Understanding the role of intrusive thoughts and compassion in familial relationships provides new insights into mechanisms driving caregiver well-being and presents new opportunities for intervention

Where_you_Age_Matters_Supplementary_Table_2-6-2018_FINALCOPY_JAH-17-506.R1 – Supplemental material for Where You Age Matters: Individual- and County-Level Predictors of Formal and Informal Care in Rural Appalachia

<p>Supplemental material, Where_you_Age_Matters_Supplementary_Table_2-6-2018_FINALCOPY_JAH-17-506.R1 for Where You Age Matters: Individual- and County-Level Predictors of Formal and Informal Care in Rural Appalachia by Jyoti Savla, L. Rebecca Bivens, Karen A. Roberto and Rosemary Blieszner in Journal of Aging and Health</p

Technology Adoption by Older Adults: Findings From the PRISM Trial

Abstract Background and Objectives There is growing evidence of the benefits of computers for older adults. Yet, adoption rates are lower compared with younger adults. Extant theoretical models of technology acceptance are limited in their application to older adults—studies on which these models are based included a limited sample of older adults or none at all; none assessed use of a technology specifically designed for older adults; and most only measured intention to use a technology or short-term use, rather than longer-term use (i.e., adoption). We assessed adoption of a computer system specifically designed for older users, for a diverse sample, over an extended period of time. Research Design and Methods We analyzed archival data from 150 ethnically diverse older adults (65–98 years of age) who participated in the Personal Reminder Information and Social Management (PRISM) randomized controlled trial (Czaja SJ, Boot WR, Charness N, Rogers WA, Sharit J, Fisk AD,…Nair SN. The personalized reminder information and social management system (PRISM) trial: Rationale, methods and baseline characteristics. Contemp Clin Trials. 2015;40:35–46; Czaja SJ, Boot WR, Charness N, Rogers WA, Sharit J. Improving social support for older adults through technology: Findings from the PRISM randomized controlled trial. Gerontologist. 2017;58:467–477). We examined the extent to which attitudes, personal characteristics (e.g., age, gender, and personality), and cognitive abilities predicted mid-term and long-term adoption of a computer system designed for older adults. Results There were individual differences in PRISM use over time. Regression analyses indicated that individual differences in earlier use of the system, executive functioning, and computer efficacy predicted long-term use. Discussion and Implications These data provide insights for broader-based models of technology acceptance to guide design, instruction, and deployment of products for older adults. Specifically, the provision of opportunities to foster efficacy and gain positive experience with computer technologies may play a critical role in the likelihood that older adults adopt such technologies. Trial Registration NCT01497613

Life on the Edge: Patterns of Formal and Informal Help to Older Adults in the United States and Sweden

Objectives Our objective in this study was to compare assistance received by individuals in the United States and Sweden with characteristics associated with low, moderate, or high 1-year placement risk in the United States. Methods We used longitudinal nationally representative data from 4,579 participants aged 75 years and older in the 1992 and 1993 waves of the Medicare Current Beneficiary Survey (MCBS) and cross-sectional data from 1,379 individuals aged 75 years and older in the Swedish Aging at Home (AH) national survey for comparative purposes. We developed a logistic regression equation using U.S. data to identify individuals with 3 levels (low, moderate, or high) of predicted 1-year institutional placement risk. Groups with the same characteristics were identified in the Swedish sample and compared on formal and informal assistance received. Results Formal service utilization was higher in Swedish sample, whereas informal service use is lower overall. Individuals with characteristics associated with high placement risk received more formal and less informal assistance in Sweden relative to the United States. Discussion Differences suggest formal services supplement informal support in the United States and that formal and informal services are complementary in Sweden

Reduction of Risk Factors for ACL Re-injuries using an Innovative Biofeedback Approach: Rationale and Design

Nearly 1 in 60 adolescent athletes will suffer anterior cruciate ligament (ACL) injuries with 90% of these athletes electing to undergo an ACL reconstruction (ACLR) at an estimated annual cost of $3 billion. While ACLR and subsequent rehabilitation allow these athletes to return to sports, they have a 15-fold increased risk of second ACL injuries. The modification of post-operative rehabilitation to improve movement and loading symmetry using visual and tactile biofeedback could decrease the risk factors for sustaining a second ACL injury. Participants included 40 adolescent ACLR patients who were intending to return to full sport participation. This preliminary randomized controlled trial (RCT) examined the changes in knee extension moment symmetry, a known risk factor for second ACL injuries, during landing from a stop-jump task between the following time-points: pre-intervention, immediate post-intervention, and subsequent follow-up 6-weeks post-intervention. Participants met twice per week for six-weeks (12-session). The intervention included bilateral squat biofeedback (visual and tactile); the attention control group attended weekly educational sessions. This RCT enrolled and randomize 40 participants over a two-and-a-half-year period. All participants were greater than 4.5 months post-op from a primary, unilateral ACLR and were released to participate by their treating physician. The findings from this pilot biofeedback RCT will provide critical effect size estimates for use in subsequent larger clinical trials