bluuebunny/crossref_metadata_2025 huggingface dataset:
THE MEDIATING EFFECT OF SELF-TRANSCENDENCE IN THE RELATIONSHIP BETWEEN SOCIAL SUPPORT AND SUCCESSFUL AGING
Authors: Huyen Do Thi Thu , Park Moonkyoung , Gao Xianqi
Published: January 2025

Background

The migration of old adults Chinese often involves accompanying their children to assist with caregiving for the younger generation, a strategy that addresses the shortfall in familial support.However, it remains unclear whether these old adults migrants can effectively adapt to their new environments, maintain their daily lives, and age successfully. Access to psychological and social resources is crucial for successful aging. Among these, transcendence is highlighted as a key psychological component. Purpose To verify the mediating effect of transcendence in the relationship between social support and successful aging among Chinese migrant old adults.

Methods

Participants consisted of 306 Chinese migrant old adults aged 60 and above, and data on demographic information, social support, successful aging, and transcendence were collected using a structured questionnaire from August to December 2023. Analyzed using the SPSS 26.0 and AMOS 26.0 software programs. Results Social support was significantly correlated with successful aging and transcendence. Social support had a significant direct effect on both successful aging (β=.480, p<.001) and transcendence (β=.54, p<.001). Transcendence also had a significant direct effect on successful aging (β=.660, p<.001). The mediating effect of transcendence between social support and successful aging was significant (β=.306,p=.008,95%CI [.220-.392]).

Conclusion

This study indicate that transcendence has a mediating effect on achieving successful aging among Chinese migrant old adults. Since social support can enhance the capacity for transcendence, it is necessary to develop interventions that support transcendence, enhanced by social support, to promote successful aging among Chinese migrant old adults in new environments.
ATTITUDES TOWARD MOTIVATIONAL MESSAGING IN A DIGITAL HEALTH ACTIVITY PROGRAM FOR OLDER FAMILY CARE PARTNERS
Authors: Baik Dawon , Cook Paul , Jankowski Catherine
Published: January 2025

Older family care partners of patients with heart failure (HF-FCPs) often experience physical, psychological, and social health issues due to age-related health needs, less emotional support, and social isolation. We developed a tailored digital health physical activity (PA) program, TPA4You that includes videoconferencing with a health coach, wearable sensor, and motivational messaging. To refine TPA4You, a 1-week, two-phase, iterative field test of TPA4You was conducted. Herein, we report on older HF-FCPs’ perceptions and attitudes toward the motivational messaging. We used an existing motivational messaging system. Prior to generating messages, the system queried PA barriers. The system automatedly generated a message to overcome the barrier rated highest by the participant at the time of the survey. The seven participants in Phase 1 were women aged 68.3 ±7.1 yrs. (M±SD), predominantly non-Hispanic White (86%), and caring for a spouse (71%). Some attitudes toward the motivational messages were favorable, such as encouraged PA, provided logical and applicable advice, and reinforced a committed to exercise, while others were unfavorable, such as the messages were easily ignored, ineffective for increasing PA, and not sufficiently tailored to the perceived barrier. The messaging system was perceived as easy to use and quick to complete by some, while others felt that answering questions within the system was confusing, questions were repetitive, and response options too limited. Many reported twice weekly messaging was sufficient. These data will be used to modify the frequency, content, and system (automated vs. manual) of motivational messaging in Phase 2 of TPA4You modifications.
EMBRACING THE DIGITAL ROUTE: EMPOWERMENT THROUGH EHEALTH LITERACY AMONG OLDER ADULTS
Authors: Seckin Gul
Published: January 2025

Browsing the internet for health information is one of the most common online activities, with people aged 50 and above leading the technology used for health purposes. This study was conducted to examine how much older adults trust electronic sources of health information (e-health trust) and whether e-health trust had significant associations with electronic health literacy (e-health literacy), consumption of electronic health information (e-health consumerism), and sense of empowerment. The study used selective optimization with compensation theory and corrective and proactive models of successful aging as conceptual frameworks. The respondents (N= 499) were drawn from the national probability-based research panel for online surveys. The study conducted subsample analyses of middle-aged (45≤age≤59, n = 233) and older respondents (age≥60, n= 194). T-tests, multivariate regression analyses, and structural equation modeling were performed. Middle-aged respondents reported greater empowerment than older adults (M=3.31 vs. M=3.05; χ²=5.709, p<.001). No significant association was found between e-health consumerism and perceived empowerment (β=.134, p=.115). However, perceived empowerment has positive associations with e-trust (β=.252, p<.001) and e-health literacy (β=.326, p <.0010). E-trust is positively associated with e-health consumerism (β=.551, p <=.001), suggesting an indirect mediational association between e-health consumerism and perceived empowerment. By empowering older patients to become informed users of digital information and developing educational interventions to improve their health literacy, they may be more likely to take action to improve their health. This is also consistent with the literature that older adults with a higher sense of empowerment have significantly slower rates of health decline over time.
EXPLORING THE RELATIONSHIP BETWEEN INTERNET USE AND BELIEF IN CONSPIRACY THEORIES AMONG OLDER ADULTS IN JAPAN
Authors: Takeuchi Masumi , Fukuzawa Ai , Kobayashi Tetsuro
Published: January 2025

The use of the internet among older adults in Japan has become increasingly prevalent, leading to both positive and negative effects, such as the association between internet use and belief in conspiracy theories (Toriumi, 2023). In Japan, it has been observed that older adults are more susceptible to conspiracy theories when exposed to extreme content, such as online videos. However, there is a lack of empirical studies examining this phenomenon. This study aims to investigate the relationship between internet use and belief in conspiracy theories among older adults. An online survey was conducted in March 2024, involving 1,200 participants aged 20-79 residing in Japan. The survey assessed internet usage, belief in conspiracy theories, the UCLA Loneliness Scale, and basic demographic information. Participants were categorized into three age groups: young (20-39), middle-aged (40-59), and older adults (60-79). The results revealed no significant difference in belief in conspiracy theories among the age groups. However, multiple regression analysis indicated that among older adults, those who spent more time watching online videos were more likely to believe in conspiracy theories, particularly those who experienced higher levels of loneliness. No similar pattern was observed among the young and middle-aged participants. The results indicate that older adults, who have fewer social relationships due to retirement and other factors, may come to believe in conspiracy theories through viewing online videos. Further extensive research is required to establish protective measures that mitigate the potential risks associated with internet usage for the older population.
TECHNOLOGY ATTITUDES, PROFICIENCY, AND USAGE PATTERNS AMONG OLDER ADULTS WITH A COGNITIVE IMPAIRMENT
Authors: Lin Xin Yao , Boot Walter , Rogers Wendy , Charness Neil , Czaja Sara
Published: January 2025

Older adults with cognitive impairment (OAwCI) may be challenged by increasing demands to engage with technology to accomplish daily activities. We investigated technology attitudes, proficiency, and usage across health, social, transportation, leisure, and domestic domains among OAwCI, including those with mild cognitive impairment (MCI), traumatic brain injury (TBI), and post-stroke cognitive impairment (PSCI). We examined if age, gender, health, cognition, and attitude towards technology (comfort, interest, efficacy) predicted technology proficiency and use in each domain and technology usage patterns. Data were gathered from 159 OAwCI, age range 60-93 years who participated in the Everyday Needs Assessment for Cognitive Tasks (ENACT) study. We found that OAwCI were frequent users of technology, were largely proficient in the use of mobile devices, and had generally positive attitudes toward technology. With respect to use of technology, the data indicated that the highest degree of engagement was with social technologies (e.g., telephone, email, text) and the least engagement was in the use of technologies in the transportation domain (e.g., using apps to purchase tickets or schedule rides). Data from the regression analyses showed that younger age, more comfort and interest towards technology predicted more technology proficiency. Perceptions of memory problems predicted more proficiency. These findings underscore that OAwCi are able to and are receptive towards using technology. The findings also provide valuable insights for tailoring interventions to meet the needs and preferences of OAwCI.
USABILITY OF AN AFFECT-AWARE MULTIMODAL PERSONALIZED INTERACTIVE MODEL AMONG FAMILY CAREGIVERS
Authors: Chang Yu-Ping , Dwibedi Aditya Kumar , Mahajan Bhushan , Bard Skylar , Bhattacharjee Sreyasee Das
Published: January 2025

Long-term family caregiving for people with dementia is often exhausting and poses risks to caregivers’ overall health. Most informal caregivers are not well-equipped to perform their caregiving responsibilities at home, facing numerous challenges, feeling stressed and overwhelmed, and receiving limited support. Artificial Intelligence, specifically following the release of ‘generative pre-trained transformer’ (GPT), has demonstrated promise in delivering assistive technology solutions in various domains in healthcare. Our project aims to evaluate the usability of an affect-aware multimodal interactive prototype that can facilitate human-like sensemaking, providing emotional support, and generating personalized recommendations to family caregivers. The prototype can receive multimodal inputs (speech, text) from family caregivers and evaluate their personalized emotional and task-related contexts to deliver short, machine-driven, affect-aware messages augmented with multimodal (text, video) recommendations on a pre-defined set of topics. Six healthcare providers and family caregivers were invited to evaluate the prototype. They were instructed to test the prototype on a computer for 1.5 to 2 hours and provide feedback regarding their experiences (e.g., content, accuracy, format, and technology). Participants commented on the usefulness and accuracy of information generated by the model for supporting family caregivers, the level of personalization, the level of detail for various caregiving tasks, and the response time. Overall, participants expressed enthusiasm and satisfaction regarding the model. Further refinement is needed to improve the model’s accuracy and diversity of content related to caregiving tasks, level of engagement, recommended videos, and the response time. Our prototype has potential to provide greatly needed personalized support for family caregivers.
OPENING PANDORA’S BOX: VIRTUAL UNCOVERING OF GERIATRIC SYNDROMES
Authors: Factora Ronan
Published: January 2025

Virtual Capacity Evaluations (VCE) were implemented during the COVID-19 pandemic at the Cleveland Clinic Center for Geriatric Medicine to facilitate Adult Protective Services’ investigations of elder abuse and neglect where a client’s decision making capacity was in question. During the natural process of the evaluation, the unaddressed medical issues were uncovered, specifically identification of cognitive impairment or dementia, gait impairment and falls risk, unexplained weight loss, and non-adherence to medications that increased risk of exacerbation of chronic illness. As many of these persons were also not connected to medical care, these problems were not recognized or managed. In the initial pilot of this program involving 52 individuals, 40 were eventually diagnosed with dementia, 24 had vision impairment, 14 had hearing impairment, 28 were at risk for falls, 24 had unintentional weight loss, and 29 were not taking their medications consistently. Each of these factors potentially limits the person’s ability to function independently, threatens their physical/mental health, and increases their risk of hospitalization and institutionalization. Using the Clinical Frailty Scale (CFS) as an aggregate marker of overall health status, 28 were mildly frail (CFS 5), 14 were moderately frail (CFS 6), and 1 was severely frail (CFS 7). Despite the limited focus and purpose of the VCE, communicating the presence and status of these uncovered medical issues to that person’s medical provider could facilitate evaluation of management of these problems to mitigate their potential impact on that person’s health, functional status, and independence.
NEIGHBORHOODS MATTER: ASSESSING THE IMPACT OF NEIGHBORHOOD FACILITIES ON SOCIAL ENGAGEMENT AND MENTAL WELL-BEING
Authors: Han Chengming , Zhou Nan
Published: January 2025

Objective. This study investigated the effects of social engagement and neighborhood facilities on depressive symptoms (CESD) levels among older adults. Methods. Data were draw from the China Health and Retirement Longitudinal Study (CHARLS) 2011-2020. The analytical sample included 3,930 respondents who are 65 years older. An instrumental regression via the Generalized Method of Moments (GMM) was employed to estimate the social engagement and CESD scores at baseline, with the number of neighborhood facilities and function limitations (poverid=1.000, pendogen=0.000) serving as instrumental variables. A crossed random multilevel regression clustered within individuals and neighborhoods was used to examine the effects of neighborhood facilities, functional limitations, and social engagement on CESD scores. Results. The instrumental regression indicated a significant negative relationship between social engagement and CESD scores (b=-16.90, p < 0.000). Neighborhood facilities and functional limitations displayed significant effects on social engagement. The crossed random mixed model confirmed the negative association between social engagement (b= -0.24, p = 0.008) and CESD scores and highlighted the significant role of neighborhood facilities (b= -0.11, p < 0.000). The effects clustered at the neighborhood level (ICC=0.37) exhibit a greater impact compared to those clustered by individual ID (ICC=0.19) over survey periods. Conclusion. The findings of this study suggested that neighborhood-level factors have a more pronounced impact on social engagement and mental health than individual-level variations. These results highlighted the need for policies and interventions that enhance community facilities and promote social engagement to support the mental well-being of aging populations.
THE RELATIONSHIP BETWEEN ACTIVE AGING INDEX AND PHYSICAL FUNCTION OF COMMUNITY-DWELLING OLDER ADULTS
Authors: Park Ji Yeong , Lee Kyung Hee
Published: January 2025

Physical function is a key factor for older adults to live longer in their own place maintaining independence. Active Aging Index (AAI) is a multidimensional composite index, that can capture human capacity and enabling environment for active aging. Nevertheless, research rarely addresses the individual-level AAI related to the physical function of older adults living in the community. The aim of this study was to investigate the relationship between AAI and physical function of older adults living in community. We utilized the 2020 Survey of Living Conditions and Welfare Needs of Korean Older Persons, employing complex sampling. The physical function of older adults in the community refer to their ability to perform mobility and self-care duties in their daily life. It was measured using the Physical Functioning Assessment of Community-Dwelling Older Persons, a validated and reliable tool. The AAI, which consisted of 4 Domains (i.e., employment, participation in society, independent, healthy and secure living, and capacity and enabling environment for active aging) and 17 Indicators was entered as explanatory variables. The multiple regressions were performed by complex sampling design. The total active aging index was significantly related to the physical function of older adults living in the community. Three out of four domains (employment, Independent, healthy and secure living, and capacity and enabling environment for active aging) were associated with physical function. The social environment must be considered when establishing policies promoting physical function of the older adults living in the community.
THE IDA (INTERFERENCE WITH DAILY ACTIVITIES) SCALE: A NEW MEASURE OF FUNCTION IN MILD COGNITIVE IMPAIRMENT
Authors: Tappen Ruth , Jarvis-Powers Robin , Newman David , Rosselli Mónica , Conniff Joshua , Yang KwangSoo , Jang Jinwoo , Li Ashlee
Published: January 2025

The functional decrements associated with mild cognitive impairment (MCI) are subtle, difficult to detect and often not reported by patients, yet may interfere with daily activities and be associated with patient concern, sometimes distress. Development of the IDA (Interference with Daily Activities) Scale began with a review of Memory Center patient records and interviews of 53 individuals who attended cognitive screenings sponsored by a second state-supported Memory Disorder Center. It was noted that participants reported few decrements when asked directly but endorsed far more when presented with a list of possible changes. Of 125 original items developed, 85 were retained for further testing based upon the interview results, participant endorsement of the item or supporting literature. They were then tested in two community samples, first reducing them to 65 items and then to 28 on the basis of significant (p≤.05) differences between those with MCI and those who were unimpaired and frequency of endorsement by those with MCI. The final version contains 22 items related directly to cognitive function and 6 items related to the psychosocial effects of the functional difficulties encountered. Internal consistency (Cronbach’s alpha) was.87, test-retest reliability over three months was.81, and criterion validity in comparison with the ECog scale was excellent (r=.72). IRT analysis indicated good fit and item discrimination. Use of the IDA Scale can contribute to a more comprehensive picture of the individual patient’s condition and current situation in clinical and research contexts.
A QUALITATIVE STUDY ON THE EXPERIENCE OF SMART CARE TECHNOLOGY UTILIZATION AMONG OLDER ADULTS IN KOREA
Authors: Kang Sungwan , Hwang Boram , Kim Haklyoung , Choi Seongsu , Mun Kyoungmi , Lee Yeong Ju
Published: January 2025

To address the increasing desire among older adults who live alone to remain in the community, the Korean government and Korean companies have implemented pilot projects aimed at expanding smart technology integrated care services. Evaluations of these efforts have primarily focused on cost savings and the number of emergency rescue cases through the replacement of care personnel. However, there is a lack of research on users’ experiences with various smart technologies. In particular, research on the experience of using services based on artificial intelligence (AI) and Internet of Things (IoT) among low-income, low-educated older adults remains limited. The purpose of this study is to explore the experiences of low-income, low-educated older adults on using AI-based emotional support services and IoT-based abnormal symptom monitoring services. We conducted focus group interviews with 13 participants who used the smart care services for three months in Korea. Using thematic analysis, three main themes emerged: (1) emotions and values, which represent ambivalence toward artificial intelligence (gratitude, connection, indifference, disconnection). (2) social support, which describes the alleviation of negative emotions; government workers including social workers provided detailed explanations about the services, including purposes, usage procedure, and addressing concerns related to the system. (3) new experiences, which discuss the usefulness and value that were newly discovered over the period of use; study participants emphasized that they could lessen their burden on family members. These findings serve as foundational insights for the development and dissemination of smart care services tailored to the needs of low-income, low-educated older adults.
CAN CHATGPT IDENTIFY POTENTIALLY INAPPROPRIATE MEDICATIONS (PIM) IN OLDER ADULTS?
Authors: Cheng Huai
Published: January 2025

Reducing prevalent polypharmacy in older adults is critically important in daily practice, but it takes time to do it. Pharmacy care and other practice models can be helpful but costly. ChatGPT passed the USMLE exam and could be used to identify PIM in older adults in daily practice. Based on a case from a published curriculum by the author, ChatGPT was prompted to answer multiple clinical questions with two approaches. First, ChatGPT was prompted to answer four general questions on appropriate use of medications 1) Which of the commonly used 8 drug (s) is (are) PIM and should be avoided in older adults? 2) What is PIM in older adults? 3) How to identify PIM in older adults? 4) What to do with PIM? Second, ChatGPT was prompted to answer additional four specific questions related to the case 1) any drug-drug interactions for this patient? 2) any drug is ineffective for this patient? 3) this patient was taking so many medications. Any way to reduce the number of her medications? 4) Any drug-disease interaction for this patient? The author was the only person to determine the correctness of output from ChatGPT. Overall, ChatGPT can provide the principles of prescribing and de-prescribing for older adults. ChatGPT identified harmful medications and drug-drug interactions, but not drug-disease interactions. This indicated ChatGPT can be helpful in identifying certain PIM, but not drug-disease interactions in older adults. ChatGPT needs to be trained before providers use it to identify all PIM at daily practice.
ASSISTED LIVING STAFF VIEWS OF FAMILY INVOLVEMENT IN PALLIATIVE CARE FOR RESIDENTS WITH DEMENTIA
Authors: Yauk Jessica , Dobbs Debra , Peterson Lindsay
Published: January 2025

Of the close to 300,000 residents in assisted living (AL) living with dementia, an estimated 40% will die there and be in need of end-of-life care. Family of residents living with dementia are an important part of the care convoy in AL. This qualitative study aimed to understand staff perspectives about family involvement in end-of-life care. The Palliative Care Education in Assisted Living for Dementia Care Providers intervention study (2019-21) included a sample of 17 AL staff from six treatment sites in Florida who completed four homework assignments. Two of the assignments were writing assignments that 1) asked about a good death for residents and 2) asked staff specifically to identify one resident with dementia who they could do one thing to make them comfortable. A priori codes were used based on the physical, emotional, social and spiritual care domains of palliative care asked about in the homework assignments. The data was coded using Atlas.ti version 23. Family was involved in all four domains of palliative care. Social and emotional aspects of care were the most prominent (e.g., playing music, visits, care coordination, delivery of food) followed by spiritual care (e.g., pray together, attend religious services). Physical care tasks by family were reported less often. Less physically demanding care tasks were performed by the family (e.g., grooming, dressing) with family reliance on direct care staff and hospice providers for more physically demanding care (bathing, transfers), and for pain management. We will discuss the role family play in AL care provision.
FACTORS ASSOCIATED WITH COMMUNITY-DWELLING OLDER ADULTS’ VIEWS OF DEPRESCRIBING: A PILOT STUDY
Authors: Noh Hyunjin , Lee Lewis , Jeong Haelim , Emrick Lauryn , Hasnani Madison , Waddell Wendy
Published: January 2025

Ample evidence exists on the risks of adverse drug interactions, calling for reducing or stopping ineffective or harmful medications (i.e., describing). However, limited research exists on the views of deprescribing and associated factors among older adults. To fill this gap, this study aimed to examine factors associated with the views of deprescribing among older adults living with multimorbidity and chronic pain. Using purposeful sampling, 132 participants were recruited for a phone survey, who were 65+, living outside of nursing homes, cognitively intact, have two or more chronic illnesses and chronic pain, and take medications for the illnesses, including pain medicine. The revised patient attitudes towards deprescribing (rPATD) questionnaire encompassed five dependent variables: Burden, appropriateness, concerns about stopping, involvement, and willingness to discontinue regular medications. Independent variables included sociodemographic/pain-related variables. A series of regression analyses showed a positive association between the number of medications and the burden factor. Pain scores were positively associated with the belief of medication-induced side effects. The number of chronic health conditions was inversely associated with concerns about cessation, while pain scores were positively related to the same outcome. Age and race were negatively related to the involvement factor. Lastly, gender and marital status were significantly related to the inclination to discontinue regular medications. Findings suggest targeted education efforts for those with a higher number of illnesses, pain, and medications to demystify their concerns about deprescribing and reduce their medication-related burden. Furthermore, advocacy efforts are needed to support older and Black older adults’ involvement in medication decision-making.
MULTIMORBIDITY RESEARCH: CHALLENGES IN RECRUITMENT AND RETENTION OF OLDER ADULTS
Authors: Koirala Binu , Benjasirisan Chitchanok , Lim Arum , Tebay Jordan , Himmelfarb Cheryl Dennison , Davidson Patricia
Published: January 2025

With an aging population, medical advancement, and longer life expectancies, the prevalence of multimorbidity is increasing. This demands high-quality health research to tailor and develop effective multimorbidity prevention and management programs. Recruitment and retention are always a concern in research, and it could be more challenging and time-consuming for older adults. This session aims to identify and discuss challenges for the recruitment and retention of older adults with multimorbidity in health research from the learnings of our projects. We conducted four studies among older adults living with multimorbidity: two experience-based co-design studies to understand disease trajectory and symptom burden (n=9 patients; n=2 family caregivers; n=11 healthcare providers) and gender differences on care preferences and outcome (n=24 patients; n=7 family caregivers;15 healthcare providers); a quasi-experimental study implementing a care-coordination and symptom management (COORDINATE) program (n=25); and a cohort study in gender differences in health outcomes (n=353). Recruiting and retaining older adults in research could be affected by multi-level factors including social and structural determinants of health. These challenges can be discussed under 1) individual factors (participants’ biological, physical, psychological, social status, work commitments, financial strain/availability of research instruments such as phones and capacity to use digital devices and electronic portals), research-related factors (availability of the research team, effective communication techniques, and survey design) and system-level factors (limited universal definition of multimorbidity, health and technology access). Our study demonstrated the feasibility of research among older adults living with multimorbidity, yet challenges exist in recruitment and retention and require significant resources and planning.
NETWORK ANALYSIS OF INTEROCEPTIVE SENSIBILITY IN YOUNGER AND OLDER LIVER TRANSPLANT RECIPIENTS
Authors: Choi JiYeon , Choi Seongmi , Lee Hanna , Chu Sang Hui
Published: January 2025

Due to surgical advancements and post-transplant therapeutics, liver transplantation (LT) is increasingly viable for older adults with end stage liver conditions, such as hepatocellular carcinoma and non-alcoholic steatohepatitis. Effective post-LT symptom management is crucial for optimizing benefits of LT for older liver transplant recipients (LTRs). Interoceptive sensibility, which involves perceiving and being aware of internal body sensations, plays a vital role in symptom perception and response. Understanding interoceptive sensibility patterns across age groups may help tailor symptom management strategies for older LTRs. This study explored interoceptive sensibility in LTRs using network analysis on a sample of 200 Korean LTRs divided into two age groups: younger LTRs (< 60 years; n=122), and (2) older LTRs (≥ 60 years; n=78). Interoceptive sensibility was assessed using the Multidimensional Assessment of Interoceptive Awareness (version 2), comprising eight domains: noticing, not distracting, not worrying, attention regulation, emotional awareness, self-regulation, body listening and trusting. Network analysis examined centrality of nodes in the network for each age group. Bootstrapping (1,000 iterations) assessed network stability and accuracy. In younger LTRs, attention regulation reported the largest values for betweenness (rs=1.882), closeness (rs=1.585) and strength (rs=1.140). In older LTR, attention regulation domain reported the largest values for betweenness (re=1.666) and closeness (rs=1.907), while emotional awareness domain (rs=1.180) had the largest values for strength. Networks exhibited stability (correlation stability coefficient ≥ 0.5) and accuracy (small confidence interval). Addressing central interoceptive sensibility domains, particularly emotional awareness, may improve the tailored symptom management strategies for older LTRs, potentially enhancing post-LT outcomes.
RECOMMENDATIONS TO IMPROVE AGING PAIN INTERVENTION RESEARCH ON MINORITIES: A SCOPING REVIEW
Authors: Shah Avani , Brown McKenzie
Published: January 2025

Limited information is available for evidence supported psychological treatment options for pain in minority populations. The purposes of this scoping review were to determine if psychological treatments were 1) evaluated for minority populations; 2) if minorities were sufficiently included in clinical trials 3) if there were trials that were specific to minority populations. A search was conducted in PsycINFO, MEDLINE, and CINAHL databases for psychological interventions for pain in older adults over the age of 50. We also searched review articles. Search terms were chronic pain OR pain; older adults OR elderly OR geriatric OR aged OR human; pain management OR nonpharmacological pain management OR intervention OR psychotherapy; randomized control trial. Papers had to be in English, a randomized clinical trial, with pain as the primary outcome, and the treatment had to be a psychological intervention. We coded studies that had at least a 90% minority sample as a trial specific to a minority population or if one of the groups was minority. From 14,000 studies identified by the search, we reviewed 485 full texts. Of those,129 psychological interventions studies on older adults with chronic pain met inclusion and exclusion criteria. There were 6 African-American, 7 Asian,1 Turkish, and 2 Iranian samples. Studies represented 24 countries. However, 72 studies did not provide enough information about ethnicity or race. The lack of reporting of race and ethnicity took place across many disciplines and journal types. All journals should require reporting ethnic and racial demographics of participants to increase generalizability of findings.
EFFECTIVENESS OF DUAL-LANGUAGE COGNITIVE INTERVENTION IN COGNITIVE HEALTHY AND DEMENTIA BILINGUAL OLDER ADULTS
Authors: Yow W Quin , Ang Chi Shuen , Li Xiaoqian
Published: January 2025

There is an increasing interest in using touch-screen devices to conduct cognitive training and collect measurements of cognitive performance. Although research with technology-based intervention has shown benefits in improving cognitive performance with older adults, overall results are mixed (Ge et al, 2018). This study aims to investigate whether our elder-friendly, multi-modal touch-screen, computerized dual-language intervention program would help to improve cognitive skills in cognitive healthy and dementia bilingual older adults in a multilingual society. Fifty-eight older adults, 26 with dementia (Mage 82.77 ± 7.45) and 32 healthy older adults (Mage 72.44 ± 8.42), completed 24 sessions of gameplay over 8-12 weeks. Each session took about 30-45 minutes to complete, and consisted of two cognitive tasks: Object Categorization (OC), and Utility of things (UoT). Participants’ performance was assessed by reaction time (RT) and number of prompts used to reduce task difficulty. Using a two-way ANOVA, we compared the performance of the first 4 and last 4 sessions of the two groups for both tasks. By the last 4 sessions, there were significant improvements in performance of the dementia group (i.e., faster RT and fewer prompts for OC, and fewer prompts for UoT; post-hoc ps<.002). Performance in the cognitively-healthy group remained stable (ps>.11), and they consistenly outperformed the dementia group across the intervention (ps<.001). These improvements suggest that our cognitive intervention program could be effective for older adults with dementia. In sum, bilingual elder-friendly touch-screen platforms can be a novel yet effective method to study cognitive interventions in populations of older multilinguals.
LINKS BETWEEN SELF-REPORTED HEARING WITH LEARNING AND MEMORY IN THE HEALTH AND RETIREMENT STUDY
Authors: Stickel Ariana , Araujo-Menendez Carlos , Chek Carmen , Coco Laura , González Hector , Tarraf Wassim
Published: January 2025

Growing evidence links hearing loss to increased risk for dementia, but the influence of sociodemographic characteristics (e.g., race/ethnicity, insurance status) on this relationship is understudied. Therefore, we examined the relationships between self-rated hearing with learning and memory in a large, population-based sample. Participants included 3,417 individuals (mean age = 74.5 years, SD = 7.9; 9.4% Black, 8.1% Latino, 82.5% White) from the Health and Retirement Study who also completed the Harmonized Cognitive Assessment Protocol (HCAP) in 2016. Individuals rated their hearing as “excellent”, “very good”, “good”, “fair”, or “poor”. Outcomes of interest included scores from each of the learning (1-3) and the delayed memory trials from the Consortium to Establish a Registry for Alzheimer’s Disease (CERAD) Word List Memory Task. Probability weighted linear regression models were fit to examine the associations between self-reported hearing with learning and memory. We fit a series of models adjusting for hearing aid use (M1), M1 + education (M2), and M2 + race/ethnicity, age, sex, and insurance (M3). Fair and poor self-reported hearing were associated with a steeper drop from trial 3 recall to delayed recall compared to those who reported excellent hearing in fully-adjusted models (M3: Δ=-0.27, se=0.12, p < 0.05; Δ=-0.47, se=0.16, p < 0.01, respectively). Self-reported poor hearing was associated with worse delayed recall after taking into account hearing aid use and several sociodemographic factors. Hearing loss may be a ubiquitous risk factor for worse delayed recall, suggesting an increased risk for Alzheimer’s disease.
ROLE OF INFLAMMATION AS SEX-SPECIFIC MEDIATOR BETWEEN CHRONIC STRESS AND COGNITIVE FUNCTION
Authors: Jimenez Laura Laiton , Shalev Idan , Sliwinski Martin , Veturi Yogasudha
Published: January 2025

Long-term stress has been associated with poorer cognitive outcomes and increased risk of dementia, especially among women. Chronic stress is also known to lead to inflammation, whose role in neurodegeneration and associated comorbidities affecting immune function is well-established. Our investigation probes the mediating role of circulating inflammatory biomarkers (IB) in the social isolation stress (SIS) to cognitive function (CF) pathway, incorporating sex and age as moderating factors. Leveraging the MIDUS Refresher 1 cohort (N=3,800), we analyzed the role of SIS (frequency of social interactions with friends) on five CF tasks (word list recall, category verbal fluency, backward digit span, 30-second counting, and task-switching) and two IBs (C-reactive protein and interleukin-6). We employed a three-step approach to model these relationships: (1) CF~SIS; (2) IB~SIS; (3) CF ~SIS+IB. Poisson and linear regressions were employed as appropriate. After Bonferroni correction, we identified SIS as a significant predictor for the last three CF measures (p-value~0.01), with a pronounced sex effect in the last two (p-value~0.001). SIS was a significant predictor for interleukin-6 (p-value=0.0238), with a significant sex effect for C-reactive protein (p-value=0. 0.0003). Importantly, in step (3), the SIS-CF association diminished with the inclusion of IL6, highlighting its role as a putative mediator in this pathway. The sex effect remained unchanged. Next, we aim to analyze additional stressors (e.g. financial stress, perceived discrimination), examine the role of immune-related gene expression as a mediator, as well as investigate the role of inflammation-related comorbidities in the stress-CF pathway from electronic health records.
STATE OF THE EVIDENCE FOR MULTIVITAMIN/MULTIMINERAL SUPPLEMENTATION AND COGNITIVE AGING
Authors: Patusco Rachael , Srivastava Ankita
Published: January 2025

In 2017, nearly 40% of Americans aged 60 years and over consumed a multivitamin/multimineral (MVM) product. Nutrient inadequacies, for which older adults are at greater risk, can negatively influence cognitive aging. Bringing together the converging themes of MVM popularity and cognitive aging, this review synthesized evidence on the effects a broad spectrum MVM has on cognitive aging. A literature search was conducted using ProQuest (Embase, Medline) and PubMed. Seven studies met inclusion criteria. All studies were double-blind, placebo-controlled, randomized clinical trials utilizing an MVM product (range = 10 - 26 essential nutrients). Duration of interventions ranged from 6 months to 12 years across 63 to 5,974 participants aged 60 years and older from the U.S. and European countries. There was heterogeneity in cognitive assessments utilized with some overlap of tested domains, such as episodic memory & executive function. Shorter and smaller trials (≤ 1 year, n=3), found no overall effect of MVM supplementation on cognitive performance, however some domains were sensitive to MVM intervention. Among longer duration trials (≥ 3 years, n=4), 75% reported significant improvements in episodic memory & global cognition. When measured across studies, MVM supplementation significantly improved serum vitamin levels, which is consistent with broader MVM supplementation research. Despite heterogeneity in treatment effects in shorter duration trials, in longer duration trials (>1 year), MVMs can elucidate beneficial effects, suggesting dose & duration may contribute to the treatment effect. Evidence gaps exist in exposing mechanism of action.
A CROSS-CULTURAL ANALYSIS OF PREFERENCES AND ATTITUDES TOWARD ADVANCED DIRECTIVES IN TAIWAN AND THAILAND
Authors: Weng Hui-Ching , Chen Duan-Rung , Kiiti Krungkraipetch , Puangtong Inchai
Published: January 2025

Introduction

Advance directives (ADs) are pivotal in healthcare planning, indicating preferences for medical treatment in critical conditions. This study examines ADs attitudes and experiences between Taiwan and Thailand, highlighting cultural influences on end-of-life care.

Method

Employing pairing matching, the study selected 259 matched pairs from an initial Taiwanese pool of 1488 and a Thai sample of 268 based on gender, age, education, and medical work background. Demographics included 72.2% females, with an average age of 32.91 (range 18-72), 92.3% holding a bachelor’s degree or higher, and 95% working in health-related fields.

Results

The comparison revealed no significant differences in the perceived necessity of ADs at the current life stage or in the preference for familial decision-making during hospitalization. However, significant disparities emerged in several areas, including comfort in discussing death (Taiwan 95.8%, Thailand 84.6%) and willingness to discuss end-of-life care (Taiwan 96.1%, Thailand 91.5%). A substantial gap was found in the belief regarding peers’ consideration of ADs, with 84.6% of Taiwanese versus 49% of Thais believing their age group would consider such directives. Furthermore, all eight aspects related to the desired qualities of healthcare agents showed significant differences, with Taiwanese respondents valuing trust, communication, understanding, and support more highly than their Thai counterparts.

Conclusions

The study underscores cultural differences in attitudes towards advance directives between Taiwan and Thailand, particularly in discussions about end-of-life care and qualities desired in healthcare proxies. These findings highlight the need for culturally tailored approaches to enhance awareness and acceptance of advance directives in both regions.
JOINT ASSOCIATION OF VISIBLE AND SELF-PERCEIVED AGING WITH PREMATURE MORTALITY
Authors: Kou Minghao , Ma Hao , Wang Xuan , Qi Lu
Published: January 2025

This study quantifies the association of a combination of visible and self-perceived aging indicators with the risk of all-cause and cause-specific premature mortality. Utilizing data from 369,741 UK Biobank participants initially free of cardiovascular disease and cancer, with follow-up until December 31, 2022, we analyzed four aging indicators: hearing loss, teeth loss, self-perceived age, and falls. Using Cox proportional hazards models, we assessed their joint association with mortality outcomes over a median follow-up of 13.74 years, during which 22,934 cases of premature mortality were documented. Compared to participants without aging indicators, those exhibiting all indicators experienced a 81% (95% confidence interval, 59%–107%), 96% (47%–160%), 55% (26%–91%), and 114% (73%-165%) higher risk of all-cause, cardiovascular disease, cancer, and other causes of premature mortality, respectively. Notably, these associations were more pronounced in younger participants, those with unhealthy lifestyles, and lower socioeconomic status (P < 0.05 for interactions). Additionally, we identified a significant additive interaction between aging indicators and frailty index, contributing an additional 16.08% (95%CI, 7.91-24.25%) risk of premature mortality. In summary, the combination of visible and self-perceived aging indicators was associated with a higher risk of all-cause and cause-specific premature mortality. These findings highlight the importance of considering both visible and self-perceived aging indicators in health risk assessments and intervention planning.
THE ROLE OF FAMILY AND SOCIAL INTERACTIONS IN THE ASSOCIATION OF FAMILY BEREAVEMENT AND PSYCHOLOGICAL WELL-BEING
Authors: Kim Nahyun , Shin Haeun , Kim Kyungmin
Published: January 2025

Older adults may experience the death of family members more frequently than ones in earlier stages of life, and such family losses can affect psychological well-being in late life. After experiencing family losses, social interactions with remaining family members and acquaintances can be important resources for psychological adjustment. Bereaved individuals may interact more frequently with remaining family members following family deaths. Some people may be more socially engaged to cope with the negative effects of family losses, while others may reduce their social activities. This study examined the mediating role of intergenerational contact and social participation in the association between the total number of family deaths (occurred in the past 10 years) and psychological well-being (i.e., life satisfaction and depressive symptoms). We analyzed a sample of 2,279 respondents (aged 65–80) from the 2020 Korean Longitudinal Study of Ageing. The results indicated that there was no direct association of the number of family deaths with life satisfaction and depressive symptoms. However, we found one significant indirect path; experiencing more family deaths was linked to more frequent physical contact with non-coresident children, which in turn, led to higher levels of life satisfaction. Yet, the frequency of participation in social meetings was not significant as a mediator in the link between the number of family deaths and psychological well-being. Our findings suggest the importance of considering multiple family losses in late life and investigating underlying mechanisms linking accumulative life stressors to psychological adjustment among older adults.
INTERGENERATIONAL BENEFITS OF DISASTER PREPAREDNESS CAREGIVER INTERVENTION
Authors: Donohoe Maria , Adeagbo Morolake , Anderson Brittany , Seaman Aaron , Ashida Sato
Published: January 2025

The evaluation of interventions focuses on understanding how intervention contents and components impact participant outcomes through specified mechanisms of influence. Social network literature highlights the importance of quality interactions; however, little attention has been paid to how the characteristics of interpersonal interactions may influence intervention processes and impacts. Implementation of a disaster preparedness intervention with caregivers of persons living with dementia (PLWD) began as part of a randomized controlled trial. The Disaster PrepWise-Caregiving (DPW-CG) program helps caregivers develop a household disaster and emergency management plan considering the unique family caregiving needs. Currently, DPW-CG is being delivered by trained AmeriCorps members who are college students. As part of a larger trial, a team of implementation scientists are concurrently conducting observational evaluations of the intervention delivery. The preliminary data reveals key characteristics of intergenerational interactions between the caregivers and the AmeriCorps members that influence the quality of intervention delivery. Our initial findings show that caregivers of PLWD, especially spousal caregivers who are older, looked forward to the company of AmeriCorps members and shared their life experiences and values throughout the visit. Before the commencement of intervention delivery, older caregivers strategically welcomed and eased AmeriCorps members into the process through small talk, offering food/drinks, and confidence-building compliments. This often resulted in better engagement during the intervention and positive learning experiences for the AmeriCorps members. Future intervention trials may seek to understand how characteristics of interpersonal interactions benefit program deliverers and recipients and impacts intervention effectiveness and outcomes.