European overview of sustainable policies and approaches in COST C25 member countries

The implementation of the principles and methods towards a Sustainable Construction varies across different countries in Europe. In some countries, the sustainability of the construction sector has been effectively taken into consideration over the last years, while in other its implementation is at an initial stage. Many reasons may be pointed out for this situation. Different countries have different understandings of what is entailed in Sustainable Construction. Different cultural and educational backgrounds, along with different priorities in each country, are also contributing for the lack of a common European approach. General frameworks, aiming to cover every aspect of Sustainable Construction and to provide a consistent and integrated approach, such as Agenda 21 for Sustainable Construction, gave a major advance in the search for a common approach for the construction sector. However, general agreed methodologies and tools to make this common approach operational are still missing.European Science Foundation - COST Action C2

A data-driven synthesis of research evidence for domains of hearing loss, as reported by adults with hearing loss and their communication partners

A number of assessment tools exist to evaluate the impact of hearing loss, with little consensus among researchers as to either preference or psychometric adequacy. The item content of hearing loss assessment tools should seek to capture the impact of hearing loss on everyday life, but to date no one has synthesized the range of hearing loss complaints from the perspectives of the person with hearing loss and their communication partner. The current review aims to synthesize the evidence on person with hearing loss- and communication partner-reported complaints of hearing loss. Searches were conducted in Cos Conference Papers Index, the Cumulative Index to Nursing and Allied Health Literature, Excerpta Medica Database, PubMed, Web of Science, and Google Scholar to identify publications from May 1982 to August 2015. A manual search of four relevant journals updated the search to May 2017. Of the 9,516 titles identified, 78 records (comprising 20,306 participants) met inclusion criteria and were taken through to data collection. Data were analyzed using meta-ethnography to form domains representing the person with hearing loss- and communication partner-reported complaints of hearing loss as reported in research. Domains and subdomains mutual to both perspectives are related to ‘‘Auditory’’ (listening, communicating, and speaking), ‘‘Social’’ (relationships, isolation, social life, occupational, and interventions), and ‘‘Self’’ (effort and fatigue, emotions, identity, and stigma). Our framework contributes fundamental new knowledge and a unique resource that enables researchers and clinicians to consider the broader impacts of hearing loss. Our findings can also be used to guide questions during diagnostic assessment and to evaluate existing measures of hearing loss

Gender-specific associations of vision and hearing impairments with adverse health outcomes in older Japanese: a population-based cohort study

BACKGROUND: Several epidemiological studies have shown that self-reported vision and hearing impairments are associated with adverse health outcomes (AHOs) in older populations; however, few studies have used objective sensory measurements or investigated the role of gender in this association. Therefore, we examined the association of vision and hearing impairments (as measured by objective methods) with AHOs (dependence in activities of daily living or death), and whether this association differed by gender. METHODS: From 2005 to 2006, a total of 801 residents (337 men and 464 women) aged 65 years or older of Kurabuchi Town, Gunma, Japan, participated in a baseline examination that included vision and hearing assessments; they were followed up through September 2008. Vision impairment was defined as a corrected visual acuity of worse than 0.5 (logMAR = 0.3) in the better eye, and hearing impairment was defined as a failure to hear a 30 dB hearing level signal at 1 kHz in the better ear. Information on outcomes was obtained from the town hall and through face-to-face home visit interviews. We calculated the risk ratios (RRs) of AHOs for vision and hearing impairments according to gender. RESULTS: During a mean follow-up period of 3 years, 34 men (10.1%) and 52 women (11.3%) had AHOs. In both genders, vision impairment was related to an elevated risk of AHOs (multi-adjusted RR for men and women together = 1.60, 95% CI = 1.05-2.44), with no statistically significant interaction between the genders. In contrast, a significant association between hearing impairment and AHOs (multi-adjusted RR = 3.10, 95% CI = 1.43-6.72) was found only in the men. CONCLUSION: In this older Japanese population, sensory impairments were clearly associated with AHOs, and the association appeared to vary according to gender. Gender-specific associations between sensory impairments and AHOs warrant further investigation

"I'm going to stay young": Belief in anti-aging efficacy of menopausal hormone therapy drives prolonged use despite medical risks.

BACKGROUND:Over a third of menopausal hormone therapy (HT) prescriptions in the US are written for women over age 60. Use of HT more than 5 years is associated with increased risk for cardiovascular disease; breast, ovarian, and endometrial cancers; thromboembolic stroke; gallbladder disease; dementia; and incontinence. OBJECTIVES:To explore older women's perceptions of the benefits and risks of long-term HT and examine factors influencing their decisions to use HT > 5 years despite medical risks. METHODS:A qualitative approach was selected to broadly explore thought processes and social phenomena underlying long-term users' decisions not to discontinue HT. Interviews were conducted with 30 women over age 60 reporting use of systemic HT more than 5 years recruited from an urban area in California and a small city in the Rocky Mountain region. Transcripts of interviews were analyzed using conventional grounded theory methods. RESULTS:Women reported using HT to preserve youthful physical and mental function and prevent disease. Gynecologists had reassured participants regarding risk, about which all 30 expressed little concern. Participants, rather than providers, were the principal drivers of long-term use. CONCLUSIONS:Participants perceived estrogen to have anti-aging efficacy, and using HT imparted a sense of control over various aspects of aging. Maintaining this sense of control was prioritized over potential risk from prolonged use. Our findings provide an additional perspective on previous work suggesting the pharmaceutical industry has leveraged older women's self-esteem, vanity, and fear of aging to sell hormones through marketing practices designed to shape the beliefs of both clinicians and patients. Efforts are needed to: 1) address misconceptions among patients and providers about medically supported uses and risks of prolonged HT, and 2) examine commercial influences, such as medical ghostwriting, that may lead to distorted views of HT efficacy and risk

The Stigma of Hearing Loss

Purpose: To explore dimensions of stigma experienced by older adults with hearing loss and those with whom they frequently communicate to target interventions promoting engagement and positive aging. Design and Methods: This longitudinal qualitative study conducted interviews over 1 year with dyads where one partner had hearing loss. Participants were naive to or had not worn hearing aids in the past year. Data were analyzed using grounded theory, constant comparative methodology. Results: Perceived stigma emerged as influencing decision-making processes at multiple points along the experiential continuum of hearing loss, such as initial acceptance of hearing loss, whether to be tested, type of hearing aid selected, and when and where hearing aids were worn. Stigma was related to 3 interrelated experiences, alterations in self-perception, ageism, and vanity and was influenced by dyadic relationships and external societal forces, such as health and hearing professionals and media. Implications: Findings are discussed in relation to theoretical perspectives regarding stigma and ageism and suggest the need to destigmatize hearing loss by promoting its assessment and treatment as well as emphasizing the importance of remaining actively engaged to support positive physical and cognitive functioning

Decision Making Among Older Adults at the End of Life: A Theoretical Perspective.

Understanding changes in decision making among older adults across time is important for health care providers. We examined how older adults with a limited prognosis used their perception of prognosis and health in their decision-making processes and related these findings to prospect theory. The theme of decision making in the context of ambiguity emerged, reflecting how participants used both prognosis and health to value choices, a behavior not fully captured by prospect theory. We propose an extension of the theory that can be used to better visualize decision making at this unique time of life among older adults

Impact of Self-Assessed Hearing Loss on a Spouse: A Longitudinal Analysis of Couples

http://deepblue.lib.umich.edu/bitstream/2027.42/51482/1/Wallhagen MI, Impact of Self-Assessed Hearing Loss on a Spouse, 2004.pd

Theoretical perspectives of perceived control in older adults: a selective review of the literature

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