Digital Commons Network^™

Usability Of Health-Related Websites By Filipino-American Adults And Nursing Informatics Experts, Kathleen Begonia

Dissertations, Theses, and Capstone Projects

Filipino-Americans are an understudied minority group with high prevalence and mortality from chronic conditions, such as cardiovascular disease and diabetes. Facing barriers to care and lack of culturally appropriate health resources, they frequently use the internet to obtain health information. It is unknown whether they perceive health-related websites to be useful or easy to use because there are no published usability studies involving this population. Using the Technology Acceptance Model as a theoretical framework, this study investigated the difference between website design ratings by experts and the perceptions of Filipino-American users to determine if usability guidelines influenced the perceived ease …

Extreme Longevity: Analysis Of The Direct Or Indirect Influence Of Environmental Factors On Old, Nonagenarians, And Centenarians In Cilento, Italy, Silvana Mirella Aliberti, Francesco De Caro, Richard H W Funk, Luigi Schiavo, Joseph S. Gonnella, Giovanni Boccia, Mario Capunzo

Department of Medicine Faculty Papers

Longevity is rightly considered one of the greatest achievements of modern society, an achievement understood as the possibility of increasing the healthy part of life and not only its full duration. This study investigated the phenomenon of regional longevity in Cilento by analyzing the association between longevity indicators and some environmental factors, in order to understand if factors such as altitude, climate, UNESCO protected areas, and hinterland can directly or indirectly influence the measure of healthy living and lead to longevity. Demographic and environmental data were collected through the Archives of the Cilento municipalities, the National Institute of Statistics, the …

Prenatal Exposure To Maternal Psychological Distress And Telomere Length In Childhood, Stephanie A. Stout-Oswald, Laura M. Glynn, Marco Bisoffi, Catherine H. Demers, Elysia Poggi Davis

Psychology Faculty Articles and Research

Telomere length (TL) is a biological marker of cellular aging, and shorter TL in adulthood is associated with increased morbidity and mortality risk. It is likely that these differences in TL are established long before adulthood, and there is growing evidence that TL can reflect prenatal experiences. Although maternal prenatal distress predicts newborn TL, it is unknown whether the relation between prenatal exposure to maternal distress and child TL persists through childhood. The purpose of the current longitudinal, prospective study is to examine the relation between prenatal exposure to maternal distress (perceived stress, depressive symptoms, pregnancy-related anxiety) and TL in …

The Impact Of Aging On The Lung Alveolar Environment, Predetermining Susceptibility To Respiratory Infections, Jordi B. Torrelles, Blanca I. Restrepo, Yidong Bai, Corinna Ross, Larry S. Schlesinger, Joanne Turner

School of Medicine Publications

Respiratory infections are one of the top causes of death in the elderly population, displaying susceptibility factors with increasing age that are potentially amenable to interventions. We posit that with increasing age there are predictable tissue-specific changes that prevent the immune system from working effectively in the lung. This mini-review highlights recent evidence for altered local tissue environment factors as we age focusing on increased tissue oxidative stress with associated immune cell changes, likely driven by the byproducts of age-associated inflammatory disease. Potential intervention points are presented.

A Physical Therapy Mobility Checkup For Older Adults: Feasibility And Participant Preferences From A Discrete Choice Experiment, Dalerie Lieberz, Hannah Borgeson, Steven Dobson, Lindsey Ewings, Karen Johnson, Kori Klaysmat, Abby Schultz, Rachel Tasson, Alexandra L. Borstad

Journal of Patient-Centered Research and Reviews

Purpose: Physical performance measures, like walking speed, identify and predict preclinical mobility disability but are rarely used in routine medical care. A preventive model of care called Mobility Checkup is being designed to reduce mobility disability in older adults. This study had two purposes: 1) determine feasibility and outcomes of the Mobility Checkup, and 2) identify preferences of older adults regarding this model of care using a discrete choice experiment.

Methods: Adults over 55 years of age were recruited from the community. In the study’s first phase, participants completed a Mobility Checkup, with feasibility evaluated using 6 criteria. In the …

Guidelines For Medication Education For Occupational Therapists, Jaclyn K. Schwartz

The Open Journal of Occupational Therapy

Taking medications is a vital health management activity for people with chronic health conditions. These individuals must take their medications as prescribed to receive the intended benefits and minimize negative effects. Many people with chronic health conditions do not know essential information about their medications, which limits their ability to take their medications as prescribed. Occupational therapists regularly engage in client education to enhance performance of health management. When addressing medications, however, additional considerations are needed because of the highly regulated, interdisciplinary, and complex nature of this occupation. The purpose of this practice guideline is to describe the integration of …

A New Look At Cancer Care Disparities

Thomas Jefferson University Research Magazine

The death rate from cancer is notably higher for African Americans than Caucasians, which derives from disparities in screening, diagnosis, engagement in clinical trials and therapeutic efficacy and less use of hospice and palliative care among African Americans.

“The causes of these complex disparities reflect social, cultural and economic inequalities more than biological differences,” says Lisa Whitfield- Harris, PhD, MSN, MBA, assistant professor of nursing. “Addressing them effectively will require interventions that are developed in full partnership with the African American community.”

She and two Jefferson colleagues—Clara Granda- Cameron, DrNP, MSN, assistant professor of nursing, and Jeannette Kates, PhD, CRNP, …

A Pilot Interdisciplinary Falls Screening And Educational Event: Perceptions Of Community-Dwelling Older Adults, Lisa J. Knecht-Sabres, Timothy A. Hanke, Michelle M. Lee, Minetta Wallingford, Lisa Palmisano, Teresa Elliott-Burke, Kim Huntington-Alfano, Susanne Higgins, Thomas Dillon, Jennifer Mazan

Internet Journal of Allied Health Sciences and Practice

Introduction: Falls are the leading cause of death and disability among people 65 years of age and older. Likewise, falls have psychological consequences which often lead to avoidance of activities, fear of falling, and further disabilities. Even though the impact of falls on one’s daily life and independence are substantial, evidence suggests that falls can be prevented by multi-factorial assessments and client-specific interventions. Objective: The purpose of this study was to determine (a) perceived knowledge of falls, (b) reported confidence in fall prevention, (c) perceived likelihood of implementing falls screening recommendations, (d) reported fear of falling, and (e) perceived value …

Effect Of Aerobic Or Resistance Exercise, Or Both, On Intermuscular And Visceral Fat And Physical And Metabolic Function In Older Adults With Obesity While Dieting, Debra L Waters, Lina Aguirre, Burke Gurney, David R Sinacore, Kenneth Fowler, Giulia Gregori, Reina Armamento-Villareal, Clifford Qualls, Dennis T Villareal

2020-Current year OA Pubs

BACKGROUND: Obesity exacerbates age-related effects on body composition and physical and metabolic function. Which exercise mode is most effective in mitigating these deleterious changes in dieting older adults with obesity is unknown.

METHODS: In a randomized controlled trial, we performed a head-to-head comparison of aerobic (AEX), resistance (REX), or combination (COMB) exercise during matched ~10% weight loss in 160 obese older adults. Prespecified analyses compared 6-month changes in intermuscular adipose tissue (IMAT) and visceral adipose tissue (VAT) assessed using MRI, insulin sensitivity index (ISI) by oral glucose tolerance test, physical function using Modified Physical Performance Test (PPT), VO2peak, gait speed, …

Sensory Processing Abnormalities In Community-Dwelling Older Adults With Cognitive Impairment: A Mixed Methods Study, Elizabeth K. Rhodus, Elizabeth G. Hunter, Graham D. Rowles, Shoshana H. Bardach, Kelly Parsons, Justin M. Barber, Maryellen Thompson, Gregory A. Jicha

Sanders-Brown Center on Aging Faculty Publications

Mild cognitive impairment (MCI) or dementia often leads to behavioral and psychiatric symptoms of dementia (BPSD). Sensory processing abnormalities may be associated with BPSD. The purpose of this study was to explore relationships among sensory processing, behavior, and environmental features within the homes of people with MCI or dementia. This project used mixed methods to assess participants’ sensory processing, care partner perspectives on behaviors, and in situ observations of the home environment. Nine participants with cognitive impairment (MCI n = 8, early dementia = 1) and their care partners were included. Seven participants with cognitive impairment were reported to have …

Animal Assisted Therapy For Older Adults In Aged Care Facilities: A Rapid Review, Mitchell A. Franklin, Tracey Parnell, Natasha Versi, Rodney Pope

Internet Journal of Allied Health Sciences and Practice

Purpose: Research has demonstrated the effectiveness of animal assisted therapy (AAT) for improving the mental health of older adults in residential care. The aim of this rapid review was to synthesise existing research evidence to determine the approaches that AAT should take to enhance outcomes for older adults living in residential care. Methods: A systematic literature search was conducted to identify studies published between 2009 and 2019 that investigated AAT and improvement in physical and/or psychosocial outcomes for adults aged over 65 years, living in residential care. Studies were critically appraised to determine methodological quality, key data were extracted, and …

Genetic Influences On Dentognathic Morphology In The Jirel Population Of Nepal, Anna M. Hardin, Ryan P. Knigge, Dana L. Duren, Sarah Williams-Blangero, Janardan Subedi, Michael Mahaney, Richard J. Sherwood

School of Medicine Publications

Patterns of genetic variation and covariation impact the evolution of the craniofacial complex and contribute to clinically significant malocclusions in modern human populations. Previous quantitative genetic studies have estimated the heritabilities and genetic correlations of skeletal and dental traits in humans and nonhuman primates, but none have estimated these quantitative genetic parameters across the dentognathic complex. A large and powerful pedigree from the Jirel population of Nepal was leveraged to estimate heritabilities and genetic correlations in 62 maxillary and mandibular arch dimensions, incisor and canine lengths, and post-canine tooth crown areas (N ≥ 739). Quantitative genetic parameter estimation was performed …

Prevalence Of Sensory Impairments In Home Care And Long-Term Care Using Interrai Data From Across Canada, Dawn M. Guthrie, Nicole Williams, Atul Jaiswal, Paul Mick, Hannah M. O'Rourke, M. Kathleen Pichora-Fuller, Walter Wittich, Rinku Sutradhar

Health Sciences Faculty Publications

Background

In the general population, sensory impairments increase markedly with age in adults over 60 years of age. We estimated the prevalence of hearing loss only (HL), vision loss only (VL), and a combined impairment (i.e., dual sensory loss or DSL) in Canadians receiving home care (HC) or long-term care (LTC).

Methods

Annual cross-sectional analyses were conducted using data collected with one of two interRAI assessments, one used for the HC setting (n = 2,667,199), and one for LTC (n = 1,538,691). Items in the assessments were used to measure three mutually exclusive outcomes: prevalence of VL only, …

Nonpharmacological Practices For Reducing Agitation In Persons With Dementia, Meghan L. Farkas

Commonwealth Scholars Program

1 in 11 people aged 45 years and older experience subjective cognitive decline, with nearly a third identifying a decline in the ability to participate in social activities, work, or volunteering. There are twelve modifiable risk factors that can either increase or decrease an individual's possibility of developing Dementia. This can include excessive alcohol consumption, head injury, air pollution, lower education level, hypertension, hearing impairment, smoking, obesity, depression, physical inactivity, diabetes, and infrequent social contact. These modifiable risk factors may prevent or delay up to 40% of dementias. Furthermore, many risk factors cluster around inequalities, which occur particularly in Black, …

What Matters Most: Cna Perspectives On Workforce Education, Professional Identity And Age-Friendly Care, Shannon Arnette, Annie Rhodes, Kimberly Ivey, Christian Bergman, Leland "Bert" Waters

Case Studies from Age in Action

Learning Objectives

1. Identify the gaps in current Certified Nursing Assistant (CNA) training in relation to Delirium, Dementia(s), and Depression (3D’s).

2. Identify CNA learning preferences.

3. Review the constructed tele-education training sessions that incorporate age-friendly care and What Matters Most (WMM) to participants in regards to the 3D’s.

4. Increase the CNAs’ competency and level of comfort working with individuals living with the 3D’s.

Recognizing And Responding To Abuse In Later Life: Feedback From Virginia’S Frontline, Sarah A. Marrs, Courtney O'Hara

Case Studies from Age in Action

Learning Objectives

1. To describe a research project aimed at understanding the recognition of and response to abuse in later life in the greater Richmond area

2. To discuss the structural factors that contribute to underidentification and under-resourcing of services that address abuse in later life

3. To discuss the relationship between ageism and abuse in later life

Coping With Macular Degeneration: Three Case Studies, Ajit D. Tiwari

Case Studies from Age in Action

Educational Objectives

1. Learn about the diagnosis and available treatments for Age Related Macular Degeneration (AMD).

2. Explain the differences between Dry and Wet AMD.

3. Understand the impact of vision loss on the lives of older adults.

Impact Of Cognitive Behavioral Therapy On Military Suicide Rates, Madison Lett, Jamia Bird

Theses, Dissertations and Capstones

Introduction: Suicide has been labeled a serious public health dilemma in the United States. Military personnel have suicide rates greater than non-military individuals. Cognitive Behavioral Therapy has been used as a means to help military personnel to overcome suicidal thoughts and feelings.

Purpose of the Study: The purpose of this study was to analyze the effect of Cognitive Behavioral Therapy on military patients’ mental health and how it affects the rate of suicidal ideation, suicide attempts, and deaths by suicide in military patients.

Methodology: This study utilized a literature review and a semi-structured interview with a Veteran Affairs social worker. …

Implementing Rapid Response And Medical Emergency Simulation Training For Medical-Surgical Nurses, Brandon Burnett

Master of Science in Nursing Theses and Projects

This project is based on the problem of nursing competence and confidence within medical emergency and rapid response scenarios. This problem affects all patients, but specifically the medical-surgical patient population of which rapid assessment and intervention can lead to a change in patient mortality. The goal of the project is to use simulation, a common tool in undergraduate nursing education, to improve nursing competence and confidence after participation. The nurses will be cycled through three simulated scenarios, followed by a debriefing, and then moved to the next simulation. The nurses’ performance will be evaluated using evaluator checklists for each of …

The Interrai Chess Scale Is Comparable To The Palliative Performance Scale In Predicting 90-Day Mortality In A Palliative Home Care Population, Nicole Williams, Kirsten Hermans, Joachim Cohen, Anja Declercq, Ahmed Jakda, James Downar, Dawn M. Guthrie, John P. Hirdes

Health Sciences Faculty Publications

Background: Prognostic accuracy is important throughout all stages of the illness trajectory as it has implications for the timing of important conversations and decisions around care. Physicians often tend to over-estimate prognosis and may under-recognize palliative care (PC) needs. It is therefore essential that all relevant stakeholders have as much information available to them as possible when estimating prognosis.

Aims: The current study examined whether the interRAI Changes in Health, End-Stage Disease, Signs and Symptoms (CHESS) Scale is a good predictor of mortality in a known PC population and to see how it compares to the Palliative Performance Scale (PPS) …

Caring Minds, Uthealth Cizik School Of Nursing

Caring Minds

No abstract provided.

The Development Of An Exercise-Based Fall Prevention Program Tailored To Incorporate Caregivers Caring For Older Adults At Risk For Falls, Emma Heldt

OT Student Capstones

Older adults are living longer than ever. The global proportion of individuals 65 years or older was 526 million in 2010 and is estimated to reach 1.5 billion in 2050 (Duarte et al., 2020). The growing aging population comes with various challenges, such as chronic health conditions, which are the leading cause of mortality and disability worldwide. Chronic health conditions can lead to other difficulties, such as declines in physical function or mobility. Duarte et al. (2020) found that around 10 million American older adults have serious difficulty walking or climbing stairs, presenting a risk for falls.

Falling in older …

Developing A Resource For Optimizing Occupational Engagement In Adults With Dementia, Maria Del Carmen Rosas Ojeda

OT Student Capstones

Dementia is an umbrella term for cognitive impairments in memory, language, executive function, which may affect behavior and personality. Globally, about 50 million people have dementia, and that number is expected to reach 150 million by the year 2050 (Fortinsky et al., 2020). Dementia is a progressive disease that affects an individual’s ability to perform their daily occupations. The progression of dementia stages can be classified as early/mild, middle/moderate, and late/severe. Alzheimer’s disease makes up 60-80% of all dementia cases, although there are various other types of dementia, including Frontotemporal dementia, Lewy Body dementia, Vascular dementia, and Parkinson’s disease dementia …

Healthcare Utilization And Costs Among High-Need And Frail Mexican American Medicare Beneficiaries, Maricruz Rivera-Hernandez, Amit Kumar, Lin-Na Chou, Tamra Keeney, Nasim Ferdows, Amol Karmarkar, Kyriakos S. Markides, Kenneth Ottenbacher

Physical Medicine and Rehabilitation Publications

Objectives
To examine Medicare health care spending and health services utilization among high-need population segments in older Mexican Americans, and to examine the association of frailty on health care spending and utilization.

Methods
Retrospective cohort study of the innovative linkage of Medicare data with the Hispanic Established Populations for the Epidemiologic Study of the Elderly (H-EPESE) were used. There were 863 participants, which contributed 1,629 person years of information. Frailty, cognition, and social risk factors were identified from the H-EPESE, and chronic conditions were identified from the Medicare file. The Cost and Use file was used to calculate four categories …

Perceived Self-Efficacy, Confidence, And Skill Among Factors Of Adult Patient Participation In Transitional Care: A Systematic Review Of Quantitative Studies., Andrea Bailey, Jennifer Mallow, Laurie A. Theeke

Nursing Faculty Publications

Introduction: An advancing healthcare system in which patients are often required to self-manage care needs across countless settings and clinicians is increasing focus on participation in care. Mismanagement of care during already risky care-transitions further increases adverse care outcomes. Understanding factors of patient participation in transitional care in an adult population can help guide ways to reduce this burden.

Methods: A systematic review of the literature guided by the PRISMA method was conducted to identify factors of patient participation in transitional care. Quantitative studies in which patient participation was measured as an outcome variable and related statistics reported, and data …

Exploratory Studies Of Oral And Fecal Microbiome In Healthy Human Aging., Xin Zhou, Baohong Wang, Patrick C Demkowicz, Jethro Johnson, Yanfei Chen, Daniel Spakowicz, Yanjiao Zhou, Yair Dorsett, Lei Chen, Erica Sodergren, George A Kuchel, George M. Weinstock

Faculty Research 2022

Growing evidence has linked an altered host fecal microbiome composition with health status, common chronic diseases, and institutionalization in vulnerable older adults. However, fewer studies have described microbiome changes in healthy older adults without major confounding diseases or conditions, and the impact of aging on the microbiome across different body sites remains unknown. Using 16S ribosomal RNA gene sequencing, we reconstructed the composition of oral and fecal microbiomes in young (23-32; mean = 25 years old) and older (69-94; mean = 77 years old) healthy community-dwelling research subjects. In both body sites, we identified changes in minor bacterial operational taxonomic …

The Imaginal Lexicon Of Aging Studies, William Ebenstein

Publications and Research

Aging Studies focuses on the cultural, humanistic and experiential aspects of aging insofar as these are already embedded in literature, art, language and everyday life. The lexicon of this multi-disciplinary field has evolved in response to shifts in cultural attitudes, social roles, and conceptual frameworks. At the same time, many age-related words have links to poetic imagery and ancient myths, and to evocative etymologies that conjure an historical context. The article looks at the ongoing and surprisingly difficult effort to find the right word to call an older person. It reviews the language and literary genres associated with longevity. And, …

Emerging Biomedical Applications Of The Vesicular Stomatitis Virus Glycoprotein, Sheeba Rehman, Suman Bishnoi, Rajarshi Roy, Anshu Kumari, Harikrishnan Jayakumar, Sharad Gupta, Parimal Kar, Asit K. Pattnaik, Bebasis Nayak

School of Veterinary and Biomedical Sciences: Faculty Publications

Nanoparticles (NPs) made of metals, polymers, micelles, and liposomes are increasingly being used in various biomedical applications. However, most of these NPs are hazardous for long- and short-term use and hence have restricted biomedical applications. Therefore, naturally derived, biocompatible, and biodegradable nanoconstructs are being explored for such applications. Inspired by the biology of viruses, researchers are exploring the viral proteins that hold considerable promise in biomedical applications. The viral proteins are highly stable and further amenable to suit specific biological applications. Among various viral proteins, vesicular stomatitis virus glycoprotein (VSV-G) has emerged as one of the most versatile platforms for …

Holistic Occupational Therapy Dining Interventions Supporting Individuals With Dementia In Skilled Nursing Facilities, Kathleen Osio, Sabrina Anne Cezar, Ashley Lorton, Lisa Worsham

Occupational Therapy | MSOT Capstone Projects

The purpose of this project is to provide occupational therapy practitioners (OTPs) with a Holistic Occupational Therapy Dementia Dining Toolkit to enhance the dining experience in the SNF setting for individuals in all stages of dementia. Dementia is a prevalent condition seen in skilled nursing facilities (SNF) that is expected to continue to rise; in 2016, 47.8 percent of individuals living in a SNF had a diagnosis of dementia (Center of Disease Control, 2020). Dining experiences for individuals with dementia (IwD) are impacted by an individual’s cognition, physical, environmental, and psychosocial factors. Additionally, the task oriented and structured approach to …

Longitudinal Physical Performance And Blood Pressure Changes In Older Women: Findings Form The Women's Health Initiative., Deepika R Laddu, Michael J Lamonte, Bernhard Haring, Hajwa Kim, Peggy Cawthon, Jennifer W Bea, Hailey Banack, Jane A Cauley, Matthew A Allison, Lisa Warsinger Martin, Meryl S Leboff, Marcia L Stefanick, Shane A Phillips, Jun Ma

Medicine Faculty Publications

No abstract provided.