-
European Journal of Nutrition Mar 2016Nutrition is a key determinant of chronic disease in later life. A systematic review was conducted of studies examining dietary patterns and quality of life, physical... (Review)
Review
PURPOSE
Nutrition is a key determinant of chronic disease in later life. A systematic review was conducted of studies examining dietary patterns and quality of life, physical function, cognitive function and mental health among older adults.
METHODS
Literature searches in MEDLINE complete, Academic Search Complete, CINAHL Complete, Ageline, Global health, PsycINFO, SCOPUS and EMBASE and hand searching from 1980 up to December 2014 yielded 1236 results. Inclusion criteria included dietary pattern assessment via dietary indices or statistical approaches, a sample of community-dwelling adults aged 45 years and over at baseline and a cross-sectional or longitudinal study design. Exclusion criteria included a single 24-h recall of diet, evaluation of single foods or nutrients, clinical or institutionalised samples and intervention studies. Risk of bias was assessed using the six-item Effective Public Health Practice Project's Quality Assessment Tool for Quantitative Studies.
RESULTS
There were 34 articles (11 cross-sectional and 23 longitudinal) included with 23 studies examining dietary indices and 13 studies using empirical analysis. Most studies examined mental health (n = 10) or cognitive function (n = 18), with fewer studies examining quality of life (n = 6) and physical function (n = 8). Although dietary pattern and outcome assessment methods varied, most studies reported positive associations between a healthier diet and better health outcomes.
CONCLUSION
Overall, the number of studies using dietary patterns to investigate diet and successful ageing is small, and further investigation in longitudinal studies is needed, particularly for quality-of-life outcomes. This review provides support for the importance of a healthy diet for the ageing population globally.
Topics: Aging; Cognition; Diet; Humans; Mental Health; Outcome Assessment, Health Care; Quality of Life
PubMed: 26695408
DOI: 10.1007/s00394-015-1123-7 -
International Journal of Aging & Human... Dec 2017Purpose can provide a sense of intentionality, guide behavior to achieve personal aims and living objectives, and may offer insight into how and why certain people... (Review)
Review
Purpose can provide a sense of intentionality, guide behavior to achieve personal aims and living objectives, and may offer insight into how and why certain people remain healthy over time. A review of the literature sought to identify contemporary research pertaining to purpose and older adults. Thirty-one studies were selected for evaluation based on inclusion criteria. Research outcomes suggest that greater reported purpose is related to a range of better health and well-being outcomes for older adults. With few exceptions, the literature demonstrates that purpose declines with age. Nevertheless, the potential to experience purpose persists across the life span, by providing opportunities for older adults to continue contributing roles, participate in meaningful activities, and sustain their social value and sense of relevance. Further research could explore how purpose is experienced by the oldest-old age-group, those living within noncommunity settings, and people with age-related cognitive impairment such as dementia.
Topics: Aged; Aged, 80 and over; Aging; Female; Humans; Male; Motivation
PubMed: 28391702
DOI: 10.1177/0091415017702908 -
Journal of Clinical Periodontology Mar 2017To review the burden of caries and periodontitis in the elderly, changes with age that can explain this burden, and the vulnerability to disease of elderly populations. (Review)
Review
AIM
To review the burden of caries and periodontitis in the elderly, changes with age that can explain this burden, and the vulnerability to disease of elderly populations.
METHODS
An assessment of surveys in two populations was conducted. Indicators for caries were identified by updating a systematic review. Secular trends for smoking and type 2 diabetes were discussed.
RESULTS
Changes in the susceptibility to periodontitis with age may be explained by exposure to pro-inflammatory conditions and changes in the healing capacity of cells and tissues. Due to accumulated periodontal destruction, the number of surfaces at risk for caries increases. The sequels of restorative treatment contribute to an increased susceptibility for caries development. Population-based surveys in the United States and Germany demonstrate a high caries experience among elderly people. A comparison of surveys demonstrates a relative improvement of periodontal health among elderly during the last few decades. Nevertheless, prevalence estimates for periodontitis remain high. Risk indicators for root caries include caries experience, the number of surfaces at risk and poor oral hygiene. Secular trends of main risk factors for periodontitis and their likely influence on the future periodontitis burden in the elderly are discussed.
CONCLUSION
Caries and periodontitis burden in the elderly remain high.
Topics: Age Factors; Aged; Aging; Cost of Illness; Dental Caries; Humans; Periodontal Diseases
PubMed: 28266118
DOI: 10.1111/jcpe.12683 -
Aging & Mental Health 2015Services provided to older people should be developed based on active ageing policies. Nutrition is one aspect of active ageing, but little is known about how food... (Meta-Analysis)
Meta-Analysis Review
OBJECTIVES
Services provided to older people should be developed based on active ageing policies. Nutrition is one aspect of active ageing, but little is known about how food activities contribute to psychological well-being in later life. This is a systematic review of qualitative and quantitative research that answers the question 'What is known about the relationship between food activities and the maintenance of identities in old age?'.
METHODS
We followed the preferred reporting items for systematic reviews and meta-analyses guidelines and used quality assessment parameters to complete a systematic review and narrative synthesis. Academic Search Premier, MEDLINE, CINAHL Plus, and PsycINFO databases were searched.
RESULTS
We initially identified 8016 articles, of which 167 full-text articles were screened for inclusion. Twenty-two articles were included in the review. There was moderate evidence from nine qualitative and two quantitative studies, of variable quality, that food activities contribute to the maintenance of women's gendered identities, the ethnic identities of men and women, and community identities. There was moderate evidence from 10 qualitative studies, of variable quality, that a change in food choice and deteriorating health changed food activity participation. These changes threatened identities. Most studies included both younger adults and older adults.
CONCLUSION
In later life, there are many life experiences leading to change. Further research is needed to develop understanding of how identity and mental well-being are maintained, despite changes in everyday activities like cooking and eating. This may enable health care professionals to meet psychological needs alongside biological needs during nutritional interventions.
Topics: Aged; Aging; Feeding Behavior; Female; Food; Gender Identity; Humans; Male; Social Identification
PubMed: 25373998
DOI: 10.1080/13607863.2014.971707 -
Clinical Interventions in Aging 2015Frailty and depression are important issues affecting older adults. Depressive syndrome may be difficult to clinically disambiguate from frailty in advanced old age.... (Review)
Review
Frailty and depression are important issues affecting older adults. Depressive syndrome may be difficult to clinically disambiguate from frailty in advanced old age. Current reviews on the topic include studies with wide methodological variation. This review examined the published literature on cross-sectional and longitudinal associations between frailty and depressive symptomatology with either syndrome as the outcome, moderators of this relationship, construct overlap, and related medical and behavioral interventions. Prevalence of both was reported. A systematic review of studies published from 2000 to 2015 was conducted in PubMed, the Cochrane Database of Systematic Reviews, and PsychInfo. Key search terms were "frailty", "frail", "frail elderly", "depressive", "depressive disorder", and "depression". Participants of included studies were ≥ 55 years old and community dwelling. Included studies used an explicit biological definition of frailty based on Fried et al's criteria and a screening measure to identify depressive symptomatology. Fourteen studies met the inclusion/exclusion criteria. The prevalence of depressive symptomatology, frailty, or their co-occurrence was greater than 10% in older adults ≥ 55 years old, and these rates varied widely, but less in large epidemiological studies of incident frailty. The prospective relationship between depressive symptomatology and increased risk of incident frailty was robust, while the opposite relationship was less conclusive. The presence of comorbidities that interact with depressive symptomatology increased incident frailty risk. Measurement variability of depressive symptomatology and inclusion of older adults who are severely depressed, have cognitive impairment or dementia, or stroke may confound the frailty syndrome with single disease outcomes, accounting for a substantial proportion of shared variance in the syndromes. Further study is needed to identify medical and behavioral interventions for frailty and depressive symptomatology that prevent adverse sequelae such as falls, disability, and premature mortality.
Topics: Aged; Aged, 80 and over; Aging; Comorbidity; Depression; Frail Elderly; Humans; Middle Aged; Prevalence
PubMed: 26719681
DOI: 10.2147/CIA.S69632 -
Journal of Applied Gerontology : the... May 2023While ≧10,000 Americans turn 65 years old every day, only 10% of American homes are "aging ready." Unsafe homes can exacerbate disability, lead to falls, and increase... (Review)
Review
While ≧10,000 Americans turn 65 years old every day, only 10% of American homes are "aging ready." Unsafe homes can exacerbate disability, lead to falls, and increase the likelihood of hospitalization. With increased investments in home and community-based services, public health stakeholders are considering home modifications to promote successful aging. While several home modification models exist, there is significant heterogeneity between models and no consensus on critical features. PubMed, EMBASE, and Web of Science were reviewed and twelve randomized controlled trials of home modifications for older adults were identified and evaluated for model structure, reported outcomes, and risk of bias. Overall, occupational therapist-driven home modifications supplemented with clinical, physical activity, and/or behavioral components saw the greatest success. This systematic review discusses the components of these models, highlights particularly effective and frequently used features, and the practice and research needed to create effective next-generation home modification models which promote healthy longevity.
Topics: Humans; Aged; Aging; Exercise; Randomized Controlled Trials as Topic
PubMed: 36655622
DOI: 10.1177/07334648231151669 -
The Journal of Nutrition, Health & Aging 2018There is increasing evidence that frailty may play a role in chronic diseases, but the associations with specific chronic disorders are still unclear. (Meta-Analysis)
Meta-Analysis Review
BACKGROUND
There is increasing evidence that frailty may play a role in chronic diseases, but the associations with specific chronic disorders are still unclear.
OBJECTIVES
To conduct a systematic review and meta-analysis assessing the association of anaemia and frailty in observational studies.
METHODS
The review was performed according to PRISMA guidelines. We searched PubMed, Web of Science, and Embase from 01/01/2002-10/09/2017. Pooled estimates were obtained through random effect models and Mantel-Haenszel weighting. Homogeneity was assessed with the I2 statistic. Publication bias was assessed with Egger's and Begg's tests.
RESULTS
Nineteen studies were included; two longitudinal, seventeen cross-sectional. All studies except three reported an association between anaemia and frailty. The pooled prevalence of prefrailty in individuals with anaemia was 49% (95% CI=38-59%; I2=89.96%) and 24% (95% CI=17-31%; I2= 94.78%) for frailty. Persons with anaemia had more than a twofold odds of frailty (pooled OR=2.24 95% CI=1.53-3.30; I2=91.8%). Only two studies longitudinally examined the association between anaemia and frailty, producing conflicting results.
CONCLUSIONS
Frailty and prefrailty are common in anaemic persons. Older persons with anaemia have more than a two-fold increased odds of frailty. These results may have clinical implications, as they identify the need to assess frailty in anaemic people and investigate any potential negative effects associated with the co-occurrence of both conditions. Longitudinal research that examines temporal changes in anaemia and effect of treatment are needed to further clarify the relationship between anaemia and frailty.
Topics: Aged; Aged, 80 and over; Aging; Anemia; Chronic Disease; Cross-Sectional Studies; Female; Frail Elderly; Frailty; Humans; Male; Prevalence
PubMed: 30272101
DOI: 10.1007/s12603-018-1049-x -
Ageing Research Reviews Dec 2022Emerging evidence suggests that the intestinal microbiota (IM) undergoes remodelling as we age, and this impacts the ageing trajectory and mortality in older adults. The... (Meta-Analysis)
Meta-Analysis Review
BACKGROUND
Emerging evidence suggests that the intestinal microbiota (IM) undergoes remodelling as we age, and this impacts the ageing trajectory and mortality in older adults. The aim was to investigate IM diversity differences between frail and non-frail older adults by meta-analysing previous studies.
METHODS
The protocol of this systematic review with meta-analysis was registered on PROSPERO (CRD42021276733). We searched for studies comparing IM diversity of frail and non-frail older adults indexed on PubMed, Embase, Cochrane, and Web of Science in November 2021.
RESULTS
We included 11 studies with 1239 participants, of which 340 were meta-analysed. Frailty was defined by a variety of criteria (i.e. Fried Scale, European Consensus on Sarcopenia). There were no differences in the meta-analyses between the frail and non-frail groups for species richness index (SMD = -0.147; 95% CI = -0.394, 0.100; p = 0.243) and species diversity index (SMD = -0.033; 95% CI = -0.315, 0.250; p = 0.820). However, we identified almost 50 differences between frail and non-frail within the relative abundance of bacteria phyla, families, genera, and species in the primary studies.
CONCLUSIONS
The evidence to prove that there are differences between frail and non-frail IM diversity by meta-analysis is still lacking. The present results suggest that further investigation into the role of specific bacteria, their function, and their influence on the physiopathology of frailty is needed.
Topics: Humans; Aged; Gastrointestinal Microbiome; Frailty; Sarcopenia; Aging
PubMed: 36349647
DOI: 10.1016/j.arr.2022.101773 -
Reproductive Health Matters Nov 2016Populations around the world are rapidly ageing and effective treatment for HIV means women living with HIV (WLHIV) can live longer, healthier lives. HIV testing and... (Review)
Review
Populations around the world are rapidly ageing and effective treatment for HIV means women living with HIV (WLHIV) can live longer, healthier lives. HIV testing and screening programmes and safer sex initiatives often exclude older sexually active WLHIV. Systematically reviewing the literature to inform World Health Organization guidelines on the sexual and reproductive health and rights (SRHR) of WLHIV, identified four studies examining healthy sexuality among older WLHIV. In Uganda, WLHIV reported lower rates of sexual activity and rated sex as less important than men. In the United States, HIV stigma, disclosure, and body image concerns, among other issues, were described as inhibiting relationship formation and safer sexual practices. Sexual activity declined similarly over time for all women, including for WLHIV who reported more protected sex, while a significant minority of WLHIV reported unprotected sex. A single intervention, the "ROADMAP" intervention, demonstrated significant increases in HIV knowledge and decreases in HIV stigma and high risk sexual behaviour. WLHIV face ageist discrimination and other barriers to remaining sexually active and maintaining healthy sexual relationships, including challenges procuring condoms and seeking advice on safe sex practices, reduced ability to negotiate safer sex, physical and social changes associated with menopause, and sexual health challenges due to disability and comorbidities. Normative guidance does not adequately address the SRHR of older WLHIV, and while this systematic review highlights the paucity of data, it also calls for additional research and attention to this important area.
Topics: Adult; Aged; Aging; Female; HIV Infections; Health Knowledge, Attitudes, Practice; Humans; Middle Aged; Prejudice; Safe Sex; Sexual Behavior; Sexuality; Social Stigma; Uganda; United States; Women's Health; World Health Organization
PubMed: 28024676
DOI: 10.1016/j.rhm.2016.11.001 -
Australasian Journal on Ageing Mar 2018The care of older prisoners is a growing problem. This review examined aged care interventions in prisons. (Review)
Review
OBJECTIVE
The care of older prisoners is a growing problem. This review examined aged care interventions in prisons.
METHODS
A systematic review was conducted following preferred reporting items for systematic reviews and meta-analyses guidelines. A total of 1186 abstracts were screened for inclusion. Quantitative and qualitative studies were included.
RESULTS
Two quantitative studies and five qualitative studies examined aged care interventions (n = 7). An intervention involving physical health activities was not effective in reducing distress compared to a control, and an intervention of psychosocial, physical and spiritual health activities for veterans was not effective when compared to a comparison group. Qualitative analysis generated themes that apply to best practices: addressing older prisoners' needs, identifying barriers for older prisoners and staff, considering the prison culture, program delivery and cultivating older prisoners and staff attitudes.
CONCLUSION
This review found no significant interventions in prisons. However, the qualitative findings showed evidence of best practice.
Topics: Age Factors; Aged; Aging; Delivery of Health Care; Female; Health Services for the Aged; Humans; Male; Mental Health; Middle Aged; Prisoners; Prisons; Quality of Life
PubMed: 29210494
DOI: 10.1111/ajag.12484