Digital Commons Network^™

The Impact Of Volunteering On Seniors’ Health And Quality Of Life: An Assessment Of The Retired And Senior Volunteer Program, Theodore W. Mcdonald, Erica L. Chown, Jordan E. Tabb, Amy K. Schaeffer, Elsa K. M. Howard

Public and Population Health Faculty Publications and Presentations

Past research suggests that senior citizens often face challenges related to deteriorating physical and men- tal health, and the quality of their lives may suffer as a result. Past research also suggests that volunteering can improve the health and quality of life for seniors. In the present study, 451 volunteers enrolled in the Retired and Senior Volunteer Program (RSVP) completed surveys including questions regarding their volunteer experiences and how these experiences have affected their health and quality of life. The results suggest that volunteering through RSVP is associated with improvements in health and quality of life across a variety of …

Independent Living Oldest-Old And Their Primary Health Provider: A Mixed Method Examination Of The Influence Of Patient Personality Characteristics, Lee Stadtlander, Martha Giles, Amy Sickel, Emma Brooks, Cherri L. Brown, Melissa Cormell, Lara Ewing, Delores Hart, Dawn Koons, Christie Olson, Pamela Parker, Veronica Semenova, Shawna Stoneking

Walden Faculty and Staff Publications

This convergent mixed methods study examined 35 healthy, independent living individuals' (over 85 years) perceptions of their relationship with their primary health provider (PHP) and health practices. The relationship between PHP relationship perceptions and locus of control (LOC), resilience, and self-efficacy was explored through surveys and interviews. The majority indicated they visited their PHP just for preventative care; the number of PHP visits per year was significantly lower than reported for individuals over 85 by the CDC, possible reasons for this finding are provided. A positive relationship between LOC, resiliency, and self-efficacy for the oldest-old was found. Few participants indicated …

How Welfare Reform Act Affects Elderly Immigrants' Health And Healthcare Service Utilization: Comparisons Before And After Welfare Reform, Younsook Yeo

Theses and Dissertations

Background: The intended result of the Personal Responsibility and Work Opportunity Reconciliation Act of 1996 (Public Law 104-193: PRWORA) was to conserve public funds while addressing welfare deficits. To achieve this end, the PRWORA (1) requires immigrants who came to the United States after the law took effect to show proof of U.S. citizenship to be eligible for federally funded public benefits, including Medicaid, unless the states where they lived provide state-funded benefits; (2) reinforced the `public charge law,' indicating that once the Immigration and Nationalization Service deems a post-welfare reform immigrant a public charge, this could result in the …

Nutritional Narratives: Cultural And Communications Perspectives On Plant-Based Diets, Julie S. Dare, Leesa N. Costello, Lelia R. Green

Research outputs 2013

This paper responds to a range of popular materials circulating in the public sphere asserting a plant-based (PB) diet is of benefit to humans and a protection against many chronic diseases. Although directed at a lay audience, books such as The China Study (Campbell & Campbell) are based upon extensive academic research, and highlight multiple health, environmental and social advantages of PB diets over traditional western diets. Arguments advocating PB nutrition, however, generally struggle to achieve traction in the public sphere. Narratives around PB food choices, and difficulties in shifting mainstream eating patterns, reflect the cultural symbolism attached to food, …

Effects Of Hypertension And Diabetes On Sentence Comprehension In Aging, Dalia Cahana-Amitay, Martin Albert, Emmanuel Ojo, Jesse Sayers, Mira Goral, Loraine Obler, Avron Spiro Iii

Publications and Research

Objectives. To assess the impact of hypertension and diabetes mellitus on sentence comprehension in older adults.

Method. Two hundred and ninety-five adults aged 55 to 84 (52% men) participated in this study. Self-report mail survey combined with medical evaluations were used to determine eligibility. Multiple sources were used to determine whether hypertension and diabetes were present or absent and controlled or uncontrolled. Sentence comprehension was evaluated with two tasks: embedded sentences (ES) and sentences with multiple negatives (MN). Outcome measures were percent accuracy and mean reaction time of correct responses on each task.

Results. Regression models adjusted for age, gender, …

Ethnic And Gender Differences In Psychosocial Factors In Native Hawaiian, Other Pacific Islanders, And Asian American Adults With Type 2 Diabetes, Jillian Inouye, Dongmei Li, James Davis, Richard Arakaki

Journal of Health Disparities Research and Practice

This study examined the differences between 207 Asians and Native Hawaiian, other Pacific Islanders (NHOPI) with type 2 diabetes among various psychosocial measures. Responses to five multivariable regression models including the Diabetes Quality of Life Questionnaire (DQOL) and Short Form -36® Health Survey (SF-36) were analyzed. Differences were determined by linear contrasts in the multivariate linear regression models after adjusted for multiple demographic and socioeconomic variables. Compared to Asians, NHOPIs perceived a lower impact of diabetes on their quality of life; highlighting differences in perceptions of self-efficacy and self-care activities. Females did better on their diet while males perceived better …

Stress Spillover Of Health Symptoms From Healthy Spouses To Patient Spouses In Older Married Couples Managing Both Diabetes And Osteoarthritis, Jeremy B. Yorgason, Susanne O. Roper, Jonathan G. Sandberg, Cynthia A. Berg

Faculty Publications

Many studies examining illness within marriage have investigated how illness in one spouse influences the other spouse. In later-life marriages, where both spouses are more likely to have health challenges, there is an increased likelihood that health symptoms from both spouses affect each other. In the current study we examined how health symptoms in a “healthy” spouse may exacerbate health problems in a partner (the patient) who is managing multiple chronic illnesses. Surveys were collected across 14 days from 27 later-life couples where patients had both diabetes and osteoarthritis. Results indicated that higher healthy spouse symptoms were generally associated with …

Day-To-Day Variability In Nap Duration Predicts Medical Morbidity In Older Adults, Natalie D. Dautovich, Daniel B. Kay, Michael L. Perlis, Joseph M. Dzierzewski, Meredeth Rowe, Christina S. Mccrae

Nursing Faculty Publications

Objective: The objectives for the present study were to (a) examine within-person variability of nap duration and (b) assess how variability in nap duration is related to the number of health conditions in a sample of older adults. For highly variable behaviors such as sleep, it is important to consider fluctuations within the person instead of solely comparing averages of behaviors across persons. Method: Data were drawn from a previous study examining sleep in 103 community-dwelling older adults. Subjective estimates of napping behavior were obtained from sleep diaries and objective estimates of napping behavior were obtained using actigraphy. Both measures …

Alcohol Abuse: A Hidden Epidemic Among Elders, M. Saleem Ismail

Marquette Elder's Advisor

Among elders with physical or emotional disorders, even modest alcohol consumption can seriously impair their already fragile health. Successful treatment requires identifying the problem, understanding the medical and social complexities involved, and providing the necessary support

Health Effects Associated With Foreclosure: A Secondary Analysis Of Hospital Discharge Data, Nancy N. Menzel, Sheniz Moonie, Melva Thompson-Robinson

Environmental & Global Health Faculty Research

Objectives: The purpose of this study was to assess the health effects of high home foreclosure rates in an area of the United States of America and the utility of hospital discharge data for this purpose.

Methods: We analyzed hospital discharge data from three postal zip codes using the principal diagnosis for 25 Diagnostic Related Groups associated with stress. Descriptive statistics were used to characterize hospital discharge rates for each condition by year and zip code. To test for differences across time, the Cochran-Armitage trend test was performed.

Results: Most conditions did not demonstrate a statistical change between 2005 and …

Effects Of Whole-Body Vibration Compared To A Community-Based Exercise Program For Improving Older Adults' Balance And Mood, Zi Yan, Bradley J. Cardinal, Ruben J. Guzman, Walker A. Maddalozzo, Gianni F. Maddalozzo

Health Sciences Faculty Publications

Background: Whole-body vibration (WBV) may be an effective means of improving body composition and physical functioning in older adults, and the benefits may be comparable to traditional exercise modalities. The aim of this study was to test the effects of WBV on older adults’ balance and mood state.

Materials and Methods: Thirty-one participants (5 male, M age= 89.8 ±8.8, and 26 female, M age = 74.5±8.1) were randomly assigned to WBV or a community-based exercise program (CBEP). The intervention lasted 6 months, with participants doing WBV 10-15 min, 5 d/wk or CBEP 50 min, 2 d/wk. The Sensory Organization Test …

A Review Focused On The Psychological Effectiveness Of Tai Chi On Different Populations, Long Zhang, Thomas Lowder, Jian Liu

Computer Sciences and Electrical Engineering Faculty Research

As a popular exercise form, Tai Chi (TC) has been investigated to determine its contributions to an active and healthy lifestyle. There are an increasing number of researchers who focus on exploring the potential physiological and psychological benefits of TC but only a few systematic reviews of these benefits to a variety of populations. The purpose of this paper is to comprehensively evaluate the reported psychological benefits associated with practicing TC. Although many investigators have reported possible psychological benefits of TC for children, young adults, older healthy adults, and for a variety of patient populations, many of the reports suffer …

Adults With Developmental Disabilities As A Health Disparity In The Community, Hillary R. Closs

Social Welfare

No abstract provided.

Psychosocial Aspects Of Physical Activity And Fitness In Special-Population, Minority Middle School Children, Jeffrey J. Martin, Nate Mccaughtry, Anne S. Murphy, Sara Flory, Kimberlydawn Wisdom

Kinesiology, Health and Sport Studies

Special-population research predicting physical activity (PA) and fitness with minority middle school children from at-risk environments is rare. Hence, the purpose of our investigation was to evaluate the ability of important social cognitive and environment-based measures to predict PA and fitness with children with developmental delay, cognitive, and emotional impairments. Children (N = 89, ages 11-15) completed questionnaires assessing social cognitive and environment-based constructs, self report PA, and completed fitness testing. Correlational results supported some hypotheses. The descriptive and correlational results also indicated commonalities with similar research on non special-population minority middle school children from at-risk environments.

Patterns Of Social Activity Engagement Among Older Hispanics And Their Relationship To Sociodemographic And Health Variables, Marta B. Rodríguez-Galán, Luis M. Falcón

Sociology Faculty/Staff Publications

The purpose of this study was to examine patterns of social activity engagement in a sample of older Hispanics (Puerto Rican, Dominican, and other Hispanic) and determine whether these patterns differed significantly from the comparison non-Hispanic White group. This article also analyzes how ethnicity, sociodemographic, and health variables (health problems and depression) relate to each of the activity engagement patterns. The factor analysis of social activities from the Norbeck Social Support Questionnaire yielded three factors, which describe engagement in social activities as: children and relatives active, friends and activities active, and senior services active. The results from the regression analyses …

Lighting Design: Non-Visual Impacts And Its Influence On Employees’ Health And Well-Being Betina Tschiedel Martau, Paulo Sergio Scarazzato,, Betina Tschiedel Martau, Paulo Sergio Scarazzato, Maria Paz Loyhza Hidalgo, Iraci Torres, Clarice Luz

DRS Biennial Conference Series

In the last ten years, findings in medical science reveal that light plays important roles in maintaining optimum regulation of biological rhythms and hormones on a daily basis. Despite the decades of research, it was only in 2002 that David Berson discovered the connection between light and a third type of photoreceptor in the retina and this was the missing link in the description of the mechanism of biological effects controlled by the light and dark cycle. This discovery revolutionized the research on the spectrum, the intensity, the duration and the type of light that affects biological responses. This work …

Are Older Adults Less Or More Physiologically Reactive? A Meta-Analysis Of Age-Related Differences In Cardiovascular Reactivity To Laboratory Tasks, Wendy C. Birmingham, Bert N. Uchino, Cynthia A. Berg

Faculty Publications

In this meta-analytic review of 31 laboratory studies, we examined if relatively older adults showed lower or higher cardiovascular reactivity compared with relatively younger adults. Results revealed that age was associated with lower heart rate reactivity but higher systolic blood pressure (SBP) reactivity during emotionally evocative tasks. Consistent with the predictions of dynamic integration theory, the result for SBP was moderated by the degree of task activation. These data are discussed in light of existing self-regulatory models and important future research directions.

Domestic Violence Or Elder Abuse? Why It Matters For Older Women, Teresa Kilbane, Marcia K. Spira

Social Work: School of Social Work Faculty Publications and Other Works

Law enforcement and legal services are 2 systems that respond to reports of abuse against women through programs such as adult protective services (APS) and domestic violence (DV). APS and DV systems operate independently and define the cause of the abuse differently. The designation of a woman as having suffered domestic violence or having been abused often depends on which system she enters. This designation can lead to different options for women to obtain services. Aging may further complicate access and usability of these systems to respond to the needs of abused elderly. Using vignettes, this article explores the definitions …

What’S Love Got To Do With It?: Social Connections, Perceived Health Stressors, And Daily Mood In Married Octogenarians, Robert J. Waldinger, Marc S. Schulz

Psychology Faculty Research and Scholarship

This study examined day-to-day links among time spent with others, health stressors, and mood in 47 elderly couples over an 8-day period. Hierarchical linear modeling revealed daily links between time spent with others and mood for men. For both men and women, being in a satisfying relationship was associated with stronger positive daily links between spending time with one’s partner and mood. Women reported lower mood on days when they experienced greater pain and physical limitation, and all participants reported lower mood on days when they experienced other health stressors. Marital satisfaction but not time spent with others buffered day-to-day …

Women Bound To Be Active: One Year Follow-Up To An Innovative Pilot Intervention To Increase Physical Activity And Self-Worth In Women, Jennifer L. Huberty, Jamie Vener, Laura Schulte, Sara M. Roberts, Beth Stevens, Lynda Ransdell

Kinesiology Faculty Publications and Presentations

The purpose of this investigation was to assess the effectiveness of a lifestyle intervention (a women’s book club; Women Bound to be Active) in promoting long-term physical activity (PA). Thirty-five women (26-70 years; mean age 50.6 years) completed the 8-month intervention and participated in the one-year follow-up. At follow-up, PA returned to baseline levels; however, self-worth and body mass index significantly improved. Women were more knowledgeable about PA at follow-up; however, they failed to maintain PA after the intervention. Components of the intervention were effective in improving self-worth and lowering BMI at one-year follow-up. To enhance long-term PA adherence continued …

Why Do Entreprenuers Have Higher Longevity Expectations?, Govind Hariharan, Huan Ni

Faculty Articles

The health and lifespan of entrepreneurs not only affect their private decisions such as consumption and savings, assets transfer, life insurance and labor supply, but also their business decisions. Based on a large longitudinal data set of individuals in the United States, we find in our sample of business owners that they expect to live much longer (7.47% higher) than non business owners. Moreover, these entrepreneurs have better self-rated health, better health endowment, and are more likely to exercise frequently. In future work we will further disentangle the effects of these observable characteristics from those of unobserved heterogeneity.

Exploring Prayer Contexts And Health Outcomes: From The Chair To The Pew, E. James Baesler, Kevin Ladd

Communication & Theatre Arts Faculty Publications

Prayer in personal, interpersonal, small, and large group contexts is described in relationship to physical, psychological, and spiritual health. A sample of college and middle-aged adults (N = 189) completed cross-sectional surveys. Quantitative analyses revealed that prayer in all contexts predicted higher levels of spiritual health, and that the strongest prayer predictors of health were: large group prayer for mental health, and private and large group prayer for spiritual health. Qualitative results revealed that prayers for physical health in close personal relationships, and table blessing prayers among family members, were two of the most common types of prayer. Suggestions for …

Elder Activities: Patterns, Motives, And Interpretation. Massachusetts Lifestyles Study Iii, Francis G. Caro, Jeffrey A. Burr, Eilon Caspi, Jan E. Mutchler

Gerontology Institute Publications

We are engaged in a continuing effort to understand the scope of elder activity and the implications of activity for well-being. We are particularly interested in the forces that encourage or inhibit multiple forms of activity, the ways in which participation in some activities influences participation in other activities, and the cumulative implications of activities for well being. Our interest in multiple forms of activities sets us somewhat apart from Gerontologists who focus on single forms of activity such as volunteering, taking classes, caring for grandchildren, working, or exercising.

Spirituality And Symptom Self Management Of Osteoarthritis, Lois M. Kannan Phd

Dissertations

Healthcare providers need to identify holistic self-care techniques that are endorsed by patients as effective strategies for symptom management of osteoarthritis, which is the single most common cause of disability in older adults. Research in this area may direct the development of interventions to ensure that older adults are afforded every opportunity to remain active and productive, with an improved health related quality of life, despite age related musculoskeletal conditions. The purpose of this study was to describe the relationships among symptom experience, symptom management, and symptom outcome based on spiritual well-being. A quantitative, descriptive, correlational, and noninterventional study design, …

Do Control Beliefs Mediate The Relationship Between Social Exchanges And Health? Examining A Mediational Model Across The Lifespan, Heather Renee Frederick

Journal of Social, Behavioral, and Health Sciences

Social exchanges and control beliefs are each associated with heath yet rarely considered together. This research examined whether control beliefs are a plausible mechanism linking domain specific social exchanges (both supportive and unsupportive) to health. The sample consisted of 2,348 adults drawn from the Midlife in the United States Survey (MIDUS). All participants were married or in a cohabitating relationship; they were primarily White and educated. Structural equation modeling was used to test multiple meditational models. When the model was tested for the entire sample, control beliefs were found to serve as a mediator, significantly mediating the relationship between social …

Physical Activity And Public Health In Older Adults: Recommendation From The American College Of Sports Medicine And The American Heart Association, Miriam E. Nelson, W. Jack Rejeski, Steven N. Blair, Pamela W. Duncan, James O. Judge, Abby C. King, Carol A. Macera, Carmen Castaneda-Sceppa

Faculty Publications

Objective - To issue a recommendation on the types and amounts of physical activity needed to improve and maintain health in older adults.

Participants - A panel of scientists with expertise in public health, behavioral science, epidemiology, exercise science, medicine, and gerontology.

Evidence - The expert panel reviewed existing consensus statements and relevant evidence from primary research articles and reviews of the literature. Process: After drafting a recommendation for the older adult population and reviewing drafts of the Updated Recommendation from the American College of Sports Medicine (ACSM) and the American Heart Association (AHA) for Adults, the panel issued a …

Qualitative Research In Counseling: A Reflection For Novice Counselor Researchers, Randolph Bowers, Victor Minichiello, David Plummer

The Qualitative Report

Counselors practice in a wide range of disciplines, but also represent a distinct discipline separate from medicine, psychology, and social work. Particularly in countries like Australia, Canada, and the Asia Pacific nations, as a relatively new field, counseling is taking up the challenges of encouraging a research culture that can both critique and support clinical practice and counselor education. This paper is thus written to support novice counselor researchers, and to inspire an emerging research culture through sharing formative experiences and lessons learned during a qualitative research project exploring minority issues in counseling.

A Dyadic Examination Of Daily Health Symptoms And Emotional Well-Being In Late-Life Couples, Jeremy B. Yorgason, David Almeida, Shevaun D. Neupert, Avron Spiro Iii, Lesa Hoffman

Department of Psychology: Faculty Publications

This study investigated the link between daily health symptoms and spousal emotional well-being in a sample of 96 older dyads. Higher negative mood and lower positive mood were associated with spousal symptoms in couples wherein husbands or wives reported higher average levels of symptoms. For wives, partner effects were moderated by husbands’ marital satisfaction and illness severity. Specifically, higher husband marital satisfaction and illness severity were associated with higher negative mood and lower positive mood for wives on days where husbands reported higher symptom levels. In their work with later-life families, practitioners and educators should address long-term and daily health-related …

Interaction Between Objective And Subjective Occupational Conditions Affecting Physical Health Of Women Workers, Jinky Leilanie Lu

Journal of International Women's Studies

This is an investigation on the interaction between the subjective and objective occupational conditions in affecting the overall health of women workers in industries that have accommodated information technology. The sample consisted of 23 establishments and 630 women respondents. Results show that the most prevalent issues among workers in the electronics industry included the need to upgrade skills, repetitive and fast paced work, pressure at work, and work that entailed both physically and mentally demanding tasks. It was found that the overall good physical health of the workers was affected by these factors: overtime, mental work, close monitoring, medium industries, …

Ubiquitous Health Monitoring System For Seniors, Kamesh Khanna Andisamy Vijayakumar

UNLV Retrospective Theses & Dissertations

The Ubiquitous Health Monitoring System for Seniors is a prototype for an implantable module that is designed to eliminate critical delays in receiving medical attention upon the development of a heart attack. In particular, the prototype is to detect the onset of heart attacks in real time, and to use a Bluetooth wireless link to signal the patient's mobile phone to dial emergency personnel in the event of an abnormality. The unit also records and logs the temperature of the user. Since the unit holds a GPS in it the current position of the user can be constantly monitored and …