bluuebunny/crossref_metadata_2025 huggingface dataset:
VALIDATING THE IMPACT OF THE COMPREHENSIVE MOBILITY EVALUATION TOOL USED BY NURSES IN ACUTE CARE
Authors: Hook Mary
Published: December 2023

Existing nursing-based mobility tools were developed with clinical and reliability testing with small samples; none focused on predicting assistance needs. The Comprehensive Mobility Evaluation Tool (CMET) was designed using established testing procedures to support nurses to assess all phases of mobilization and predict level of assistance. A prospective descriptive research design was used to test reliability and validate CMET items, scoring, and ability to predict LOA. A randomly selected sample of decisional/English-speaking non-ventilated stable patients were enrolled from four medical/surgical and one critical care units at a large community hospital where CMET was used. Trained data collectors consented patients, completed bedside testing, and distributed patient surveys. Descriptive, inferential, and regression statistics were used for analysis. The representative sample (N=190) had an average age of 67.3 yrs (SD=16.2, 23-101), 50% male, with a robust range of mobility levels. Inter-rater reliability (n=27) yielded an average kappa of 0.94. Six of seven steps contributed significantly to predicting patient LOA with scores that correlated with nurse judgement [r (184) =0.86, p< .0001]. Patients needed time and support to perform testing without assistance for optimal accuracy and benefit. Patients reported CMET was useful (88%) and easy (62%) and identified barriers that limit walking while hospitalized. Study limited by research at a single site. This study represents the initial validation, confirming reliability and benefits of the CMET, a skill-based tool to evaluate mobility status. Providing time and encouragement to perform CMET helps nurses and patients to identify deficits and tailor care to overcome mobility barriers.
AMBIVALENT AGEISM IN THE WORKPLACE AND ITS IMPACT: EXPLORING PERCEPTIONS OF OLDER WORKERS
Authors: Lagacé Martine , Tasyurek Ezgi , Rodrigue-Rouleau Philippe , Bergeron Caroline , Levasseur Melanie
Published: December 2023

Several countries are currently facing significant labour shortages in different work sectors. One of the solutions being considered to deal with such shortages is the retention of older workers. However, to do so, ageist attitudes and discrimination in the workplace must be countered as well as their negative impacts on older workers’ well-being. While previous studies have focused on assessing the impact of hostile ageism in the workplace, less research has been conducted on ambivalent ageism (i.e., stereotypes of fragility and incompetence) in the workplace. This study examines if and to what extent older workers perceive to be the target of ambivalent ageism and how such perceptions impact their well-being, in terms of psychological disengagement, self-esteem, perceived employability as well as intentions to leave their organization. An online, bilingual (French / English) questionnaire was completed by 951 Canadian older workers aged 50 years or more. Preliminary data analysis suggests that ambivalent ageism is negatively associated with perceived employability and self-esteem and positively associated with psychological disengagement and intentions to leave. Further, stratified data analysis by age group suggests that workers aged 62 or older perceive less ambivalent ageism, are less disengaged and have significantly higher self-esteem than workers of younger age groups. Such findings call for the implementation of workplace policies that are age-based inclusive and that account for differential experiences of ageism in the workplace.
CIVIL MONETARY PENALTIES GOVERNING ASSISTED LIVING: VARIATION ACROSS AND WITHIN STATES
Authors: Weems Jacy , Smith Lindsey , Hua Cassandra , Thomas Kali
Published: December 2023

State survey agencies are responsible for developing minimum requirements for assisted living (AL) communities, including penalties for noncompliance. Civil monetary penalties are a common measure state enforcement agencies use to incentivize regulatory compliance. We searched state statutes and regulations governing licensed AL communities in August 2022 to identify enforceable civil monetary penalties and used descriptive statistics and content analysis to describe regulatory differences within and between states according to license type. Our findings indicate that 48 of 51 states may enforce financial penalties for noncompliance against assisted living communities, though four of these states have one or more license types without applicable monetary penalties. 13 states had differing policies and possible enforceable amounts by license type, so some AL communities are possibly being charged more than others for the same offense within the same state. We found that states took three different approaches to calculating fees, sometimes using multiple approaches depending on the citation and license type. One or more license types in 36 states imposed per-instance fines, per-day fines in 32 states, and per-resident-per-day fines in 3 states. We describe the current landscape of financial penalty enforcement policies for US assisted living communities as well as its implications for state agencies and providers.
CONTEXTUALIZING THE RANGE OF MEDICATION-RELATED REGULATORY REQUIREMENTS IN ASSISTED LIVING
Authors: Dys Sarah , Smith Lindsey
Published: December 2023

Prior research has investigated the severity and scope of medication-related deficiency citations; less is known about the specificity of regulatory requirements governing medication-related practices in assisted living (AL). We examine the variation of regulatory specificity for two common policies: medication record review and administration. We coded state requirements for 196 AL licenses linked to 33,246 ALs in the U.S for the presence of specific requirements, weighted for increasing precision (1-4), summed and divided by the maximum value to produce a score ranging from no specificity (0) to maximum specificity (1). Medication record review specificity includes: regularly scheduled review of resident medications generally (1), by AL staff (2), or by a licensed healthcare professional (3). Specificity of staff who administer oral medication includes: direct care staff permitted (1), certified nursing assistant or medication aide required (2), licensed practical/vocational nurse required (3), registered nurse required (4). Most facilities operate under licenses that only require general review of residents’ medications (62%) and 32% required medication review by a licensed healthcare provider. Most facilities’ licensure requirements permit direct care workers to administer medications (63%) and 16% require a licensed nurse to administer. One in six facilities have requirements that do not address who is permitted or required to administer oral medications. Overall, 36% of facilities operated under regulations that had an overall specificity score ( management and administration) of 0.5 or higher. While most ALs are licensed with low medication policy specificity, understanding regulatory expectations can contextualize and inform medication practices within these settings.
AUTONOMIC ACTIVITY AND THE AGING BRAIN
Authors: Mather Mara
Published: December 2023

Aging affects both autonomic activity and the brain regions that help modulate autonomic activity. In this symposium, we present new findings on how the relationships between autonomic activity and the brain change in aging. In addition, we demonstrate that modulating autonomic activity can affect the aging brain and emotional and cognitive functions controlled by the brain. Kathy Liu will present research from over 600 participants showing that, unlike younger adults who show the expected positive relationship between heart rate variability (HRV) and brain and behavioral indicators of emotion regulation, older adults showed a negative relationship between HRV and emotion regulation. Julian Thayer will present findings on how blood pressure and total peripheral resistance relate to brain structure. Richard Song will present functional MRI data revealing that the older brain shows less blood oxygen level dependent (BOLD) response to physiological fluctuations than younger brains. Jungwon Min will present findings that random assignment to daily biofeedback to either increase or decrease heart rate oscillations had a large effect on plasma amyloid-β. Mara Mather will present a new theoretical model positing that older brains attempt to compensate for hyperactive peripheral sympathetic activity, and that this ventromedial prefrontal compensatory activity leads to the biases in attention and memory known as the age-related positivity effect. Together, the empirical findings and theoretical perspectives presented in this symposium indicate that the autonomic system exerts important influences over the aging brain and that this provides a significant opportunity for intervening to improve brain health.
HEART RATE VARIABILITY BIOFEEDBACK MODULATES PHYSIOLOGICAL INFLUENCES ON THE BOLD SIGNAL IN OLDER ADULTS
Authors: Song Richard , Wang Shiyu , Min Jungwon , Goodale Sarah , Yang Ruoqi , Mather Mara , Chang Catie
Published: December 2023

Physiological processes, such as heart rate and breathing, impact the blood oxygen level dependent (BOLD) fMRI signal. While often regarded as noise, BOLD signal fluctuations related to physiological activity may contain valuable information about age-related brain vasculature changes including cerebrovascular arterial stiffening. This study investigates how the dynamics of BOLD responses to physiological activity change with age and in response to heart-rate variability (HRV) biofeedback training, an intervention that affects brain networks implicated in autonomic control. We used the resting-state fMRI and physiological data from the Heart Rate Variability Biofeedback Training and Emotional Regulation Dataset (n = 193). Data were split into younger (18-31 years) and older (54-80 years) age groups. Using least squares projection, we fitted physiological impulse functions to model how variation in end-tidal CO2 and heart rate propagate into BOLD signals. After permutation testing, the physiological component of BOLD signal fluctuations was significantly higher in regions including anterior cingulate cortex, basal ganglia, and white matter regions in younger adults compared to older adults. Following a 5-week HRV biofeedback training aimed to increase heart rate oscillations, areas where the physiological influence on BOLD signals increased in older adults included the prefrontal cortex and thalamus; these effects were primarily driven by greater covariance between BOLD and heart rate. In contrast, physiological effects on BOLD did not significantly change in older adults following HRV biofeedback aimed to decrease heart rate oscillations. Overall, these findings highlight how increasing HRV may improve cerebrovascular health in older adults.
COHORT DIFFERENCES IN THE ASSOCIATION BETWEEN CHILDLESSNESS AND SOCIAL EXCLUSION IN OLD AGE
Authors: Sauter Julia , Aartsen Marja
Published: December 2023

With the progressive institutionalization of Western societies during the first half of the 20th century, socially standardized life trajectories were established, in which certain transitions were expected to be made by a majority of society. These normative transitions, experienced by most individuals at different ages of life, have a temporality implying potential social sanctions for those who carry them out too early, too late or not at all. In earlier born cohorts compared to later born cohorts, the transition to parenthood was an event that was highly valued both socially and institutionally, but a part of society remained childless. This study investigates whether childless people born between 1920 and 1935 were more socially excluded when aged between 60 and 80 than people from the same cohort who transitioned to parenthood. We further examined whether a later life difference in social exclusion between childless people and people with children became smaller in later born cohorts (1940-1955). Gender stratified analyses (N=6441, 54% women) on data from the European Social Survey suggest that, in later life, childless women in the earlier born cohort had less trust in other people and felt less socially included than women who had at least one child. Childless men in the earlier born cohort feel less socially included in later life than childless men in the later-born cohort. This difference persisted for women over the years but became slightly smaller for men suggesting a diminishing importance of children for social inclusion in later life for men, not women.
COGNITION MEASURES AND FINDINGS IN THE NATIONAL SOCIAL LIFE, HEALTH, AND AGING PROJECT
Authors: Waite Linda , Carr Dawn
Published: December 2023

Good cognitive function is an important component of health at any age. Certain domains of cognition tend to decline with age and rates of change vary dramatically across individuals and across social groups. This Symposium examines a commonly-used clinical measure of cognition, the Montreal Cognitive Assessment, adapted for survey use (MoCA-SA) and administered in two rounds of the National Social Life, Health and Aging Project (2010 and 2015). It focuses especially identifying and evaluating differential functioning of the MoCA-SA across racial and ethnic groups, across modes of administration of the measure, within intimate dyads and as linked to sensory function. Iveniuk and colleagues examine race difference and find that 7 measures, out of the 18 used in NSHAP’s MoCA, formed a scale that was more robust to racial bias and suggest use of this modified measure to compare racial groups. Piedra and coauthors construct an abbreviated MoCA-SA (Spanish version) that compared favorably with the long form MoCA across the different grouping and showed predicative validity with consequential outcomes associated with cognitive decline. Pudelek and colleagues examine mode of assessment. web, phone, and PAPI or in-person interviews and describe an analytic strategy for obtaining a measure comparable across modes. Meiyi Li and Yiang Li find that women’s cognitive impairment adversely affects their partner’s social connectedness but husband’s impairment does not. Zhong et al find that odor identification was associated with some domains of cognition with differences in that association by age, gender, or race, but not by education.
RACE/ETHNICITY AND THE MEASUREMENT OF COGNITION IN NSHAP: RECOMMENDATIONS FOR ROBUSTNESS
Authors: Iveniuk James , Lee Haena , Zhong Selena , Wilder Jocelyn , Marshall Gillian , Patricia Boyle , Piedra Lissette , Riley Alicia
Published: December 2023

In this study, we interrogate measurement of cognition by race, in order to move towards a less-biased and more-inclusive set of measures for capturing cognitive change and decline in older adulthood. We use data from Round 2 (N=3377) and Round 3 (N=4777) of the National Social Life Health and Aging Project (NSHAP), and examine the study’s version of the Montreal Cognitive Assessment (MoCA). We employ exploratory factor analyses to explore configural invariance by racial/ethnic group (Non-Hispanic White, Non-Hispanic Black, Hispanic, All else), and then log-likelihood tests of scalar and metric invariance. Using modification indexes we identify items that seem robust to bias by race. We test the predictive validity of the full (18-item) and short (7-item) scales using self-reported dementia diagnosis, Instrumental Activities of Daily Living (IADLs), proxy reports of dementia death, and National Death Index (NDI) reports of dementia death. We found that 7 measures, out of the 18 used in NSHAP’s MoCA, formed a scale that was more robust to racial bias. The shortened form predicted consequential outcomes equally well, compared to NSHAP’s full MoCA. The short form was also highly correlated with the full form, and displayed lower test-retest correlation between Round 2 and 3. Although sophisticated structural equation modeling techniques could be useful for assuaging measurement invariance by race in NSHAP, the shortened form provides a quick way for researchers to carry out robustness checks – to see if the disparities and associations they document are ‘real’ or the product of artifactual bias.
MEASURING COGNITION IN NSHAP USING MULTIMODE DATA COLLECTION
Authors: Pudelek Kelly , Scussiatto Henrique Ochoa , Schumm L Philip , Wroblewski Kristen , Zhong Selena , Li Meiyi
Published: December 2023

The National Social Life, Health, and Aging Project (NSHAP) is a U.S. nationally representative, omnibus study of social relationships and health among home-dwelling older adults. Cognitive function is a key focus, both as an outcome and also because it is implicated in mechanisms by which social relationships affect and are affected by health trajectories. Data collection started in 2005, and respondents have been re-interviewed in 2010, 2015, and 2022–3. Starting in 2010, NSHAP administers a survey-adapted version of the Montreal Cognitive Assessment (MoCA-SA). While Rounds 1–3 were conducted in the home, Round 4 utilized three remote modes (web, phone and PAPI, in that order) in addition to in-home interviews. Respondents were assigned to remote data collection initially if they were judged to be likely to respond based on prior information, otherwise they were assigned to in-home; a random subset of 400 initially assigned to remote were shifted to the in-home group to facilitate examination of possible mode effects on response. Each mode necessarily utilized a slightly different subset of the MoCA-SA items based on feasibility; these were augmented by items from the Rush Alzheimer’s Disease Center’s (RADC) cognition battery that could be administered via the web or PAPI. This presentation will describe our analytic strategy for harmonizing across modes and generating an overall measure of cognitive function, as well as preliminary results for Round 4. Our approach utilizes a bi-factor item response model calibrated to each mode, and is applicable to data from other studies.
KINDNESS INTERVENTION AND SELF-PERCEPTION OF AGING: AN INTERGENERATIONAL PERSPECTIVE
Authors: Tse Dwight , Cahill Ewan
Published: December 2023

Performing acts of kindness can enhance benefactors’ well-being. However, few studies have examined its impact on older benefactors. This study aimed at evaluating this intervention among older adults and exploring “side benefits” beyond well-being. Specifically, given the negative stereotype on older adults as unproductive and incompetent, we hypothesized that acts of kindness could combat against older adults’ internalized negative self-perceptions and enhance their self-concept. We conducted a randomized controlled experiment with 45 participants in the United Kingdom aged 61-80 (73% female). In the experimental condition, for 14 consecutive days, participants recalled up to three acts of kindness they did for others on that day and planned up to three acts of kindness on the next day, as opposed to listing up to three places they were at in the control condition. Surprisingly, our pre-test post-test comparison revealed no significant difference in well-being improvement between the two conditions. Compared to the control group, the experimental group showed an improvement in attitudes toward own aging, especially for their age-related cognitions in the gain (vs. loss) domain. Beneficiaries were mostly family members (34%), followed by community members (25%) and friends/colleagues (21%). For intergenerational acts of kindness, participants reported similar frequencies of younger and older beneficiaries (compared to their age) and provided predominantly emotional (vs. instrumental) support. Taken together, performing acts of kindness may help older adults counteract negative aging stereotypes and see themselves in a more positive lens as productive and competent members of society.
A GENDERED PERSPECTIVE ON INTERGENERATIONAL RELATIONSHIPS IN THE SECOND HALF OF LIFE
Authors: Ayalon Liat
Published: December 2023

Life satisfaction is defined as the perception of individuals concerning the level of meaning, fulfillment, and satisfaction in their life. It has shown to be an important indicator of older persons’ perceived ability to pursue their life goals. The present study evaluated the relationship between older mothers’ and fathers’ perceptions of their relationship with their children and their life satisfaction four years afterwards. We relied on the Health and Retirement Study, which is a representative sample of US citizens at the age of 50 and over. In total 1071 continuously married couples participated in both 2006 and 2010 waves and completed the leave behind questionnaire. Relying on path analysis, our findings show that fathers’ life satisfaction in 2010 is associated with perceived support from their children in 2006. Mothers’ life satisfaction in 2010 on the other hand, is associated with perceived support from their children as well as with lower levels of perceived strain in the relationship with their children in 2006. Results are discussed in relation to gender roles in the second half of life as manifested in intergenerational relationships.
FUNCTIONAL LIMITATIONS, LIVING ARRANGEMENT, DAILY SOCIAL CONTACTS, AND LONELINESS IN LATE LIFE
Authors: Zhang Shiyang
Published: December 2023

Older adults with functional limitations are at a greater risk of social isolation and loneliness, largely due to difficulties in mobility and compromised social contacts. Lack of social contact throughout the day may contribute to loneliness among older adults with functional limitations, and these associations may differ by living arrangements. This study examined associations between functional limitations, living alone, daily social contacts, and loneliness throughout the day. Community-dwelling older adults aged 65 + (N = 310, Mage = 73.96) from the Daily Experiences and Well-being Study completed a measure of functional limitations in a baseline interview. Then, in ecological momentary assessments (EMA), they reported social contacts and loneliness every 3 hours for 5 to 6 days. Multilevel models revealed a significant interaction between functional limitations and social contacts on loneliness, such that people with higher levels of functional limitations felt less lonely if they had more social contacts in the prior 3 hours, but not for those with lower levels of functional limitations. The three-way interaction between functional limitations, living alone, and loneliness revealed that more social contacts were associated with reduced loneliness only among individuals with functional limitations and who lived with others. Individuals with functional limitations who lived alone had higher levels of loneliness than those with functional limitations who lived with others. The findings emphasize the vulnerability in social isolation of older adults with functional limitations, especially those who live alone. Yet this vulnerable group may also benefit more from adequate daily social contacts.
ASSESSING USABILITY OF A MEDICATION ADHERENCE SYSTEM FOR PERSONS WITH MILD COGNITIVE IMPAIRMENT
Authors: Azevedo Renato Ferreira Leitao , Hale Timothy , Warren Teresa , Baby Eliza , Lee Jeannie , Insel Kathleen , Rogers Wendy , Mudar Raksha
Published: December 2023

Persons with mild cognitive impairment (PwMCI) are at risk of medication nonadherence due to prospective memory deficits. Over time, they are likely to experience accelerated deterioration in cognitive functions and may develop dementia when comorbid treatable health conditions, such as hypertension, are not well managed. A digital therapeutic system called Medication Education, Decision Support, Reminding, and Monitoring (MEDSReM©) has been designed for cognitively normal older adults to support hypertension medication adherence and is currently being tested in a randomized controlled trial. MEDSReM has the potential to support PwMCI with hypertension medication adherence, but it must be optimized specifically for this population. We conducted a cognitive walkthrough to identify usability issues and inform the redesign and optimization of the system for PwMCI. This usability technique is used to evaluate a system from a user’s perspective and is typically conducted by subject matter experts. We had 12 individuals with interdisciplinary expertise in cognitive aging, cognitive impairment, hypertension management, nursing, human factors, and health technology participate in the cognitive walkthrough. Usability issues related to figure-ground contrast, text complexity, and flexibility related to decision making were identified. Overall, recommendations included (1) simplifying the user interface (e.g., color contrast/textual cues), (2) eliminating options related to medication taking actions (e.g., snooze, take later) to mitigate memory-related errors, and (3) providing more direct, prescriptive instructions to minimize decision-making demands. Based on these recommendations, MEDSReM is currently being redesigned for testing with PwMCI. Our approach can inform the design of other mobile health tools.
BENEFITS AND BARRIERS OF COMMUNITY-ENGAGED RESEARCH AND STRATEGIES FOR STRENGTHENING PARTNERSHIP PRACTICE
Authors: Leach Carrie , Sneed Rodlescia , Perry Tam
Published: December 2023

The meaningful engagement of older people in research may help to address their lag behind other groups in health outcomes and low participation in studies. This symposium addresses the critical gap in the aging literature and advances knowledge about community engagement by offering insight from experts on the complexities of partnership and engagement processes that vary by context as well as tools and tactics for overcoming obstacles. The first speaker will present findings and lessons gained from evaluating the needs of a self-organizing community advisory board of Black older adults to increase enrollment in a participant research pool. The second will focus on the challenges of centering a diverse range of partners in the design of a health and wellness program tailored to the needs of formerly incarcerated mid and late-life adults. The third speaker will provide recommendations for researchers interested in working with Indigenous communities and strategies for working collaboratively, and how to overcome relational challenges. The fourth speaker will present findings from a reflective evaluation process of a community-based participatory research partnership that evolved over seven years and discuss how the partnership evaluation tool can enhance partner practice. This symposium concludes with reflections about meaningful and authentic academic-community partnerships in line with supporting and building bridges between aspiring and existing community engaged scholars and older people who are experts on aging.
IN THEIR OWN WORDS: DYNAMICS THAT CONTRIBUTE TO SUCCESSFUL AND SUSTAINED PARTNERSHIPS IN CBPR WITH OLDER PEOPLE
Authors: Leach Carrie
Published: December 2023

Though community-engaged and participatory approaches are increasingly relied on in studies, the inclusion of older adults as co-learners is uncommon. To address this problem, we offer insight into the dynamics that contribute to successful partnerships between researchers and older residents who collaborated in a community based participatory research (CBPR) project in a Mid-western county. Using a CBPR logic model as a guiding framework, we reflected on our process and practices during our collaboration, with three community residents over the age of 65, that unfolded over the course of seven years. We will describe our approach and decisions made that shaped our partnership and present the findings from our reflective process evaluation with our partners, in their own words. We will discuss the utility of the CBPR model in guiding collective reflection as well as the lessons we learned and the dynamics that our partners identified as most salient in contributing to our successful and sustained partnership. We advocate for partnerships with older adults so that their voices are centered as experts on the experience of aging. Centering older adults as experts on the experience of aging in age-related research is one way to ensure that findings can be used to improve the lives of the oldest and most vulnerable members of our society, who stand to gain the most from research outcomes.
CARE PARTNERS’ ENGAGEMENT IN PREVENTING FALLS FOR COMMUNITY-DWELLING OLDER PEOPLE WITH DEMENTIA
Authors: Zhou Yuanjin , Berridge Clara , Hooyman Nancy , Phelan Elizabeth
Published: December 2023

Care partners adopt various behaviors to manage fall risk for community-dwelling older people with dementia (cd-OPWD). It is unknown if these behaviors reduce falls for cd-OPWD at different levels of fall risk. We linked the data from the 2015 and 2016 National Health and Aging Trends Study (NHATS) and the 2015 National Study of Caregiving (NSOC) (cd-OPWD n=365, 89% aged 75+) to explore this question. The outcome was no fall, one fall, and multiple falls in 2016. We used the same variable in 2015 to indicate fall risk at baseline. We identified 28 items from NSOC to represent dementia care partners’ fall risk management (FRM) behaviors based on existing literature and expert review. Using exploratory factor analysis, we identified five categories of FRM behaviors: mobility and safety assistance, health management, accommodations, medical services coordination, and social services coordination. We performed multinomial logistic regression to investigate associations between care partners’ FRM behaviors in 2015 and cd-OPWD’ falls in 2016 stratified by cd-OPWD’s history of falls in 2015, adjusting for selected covariates. For cd-OPWD who had no fall in 2015, mobility and safety assistance was associated with a higher risk of having one fall in 2016; for those who had one fall in 2015, medical services coordination was associated with a lower risk of multiple falls; for those who had multiple falls in 2015, social services coordination was associated with a lower risk of multiple falls. Future research may target care partners’ different FRM behaviors based on cd-OPWD’s history of falls.
WORDS OF ADVICE FOR RESEARCHERS: A QUALITATIVE STUDY ON PEOPLE LIVING WITH DEMENTIA’S EXPERIENCES IN RESEARCH
Authors: Kim Ha Neul , Hirsch Jen
Published: December 2023

People living with dementia are the focus of much research, but little is known about their research experiences and how they perceive the world of research. This qualitative study examined the motivations, experiences, and words of advice from people living with dementia regarding their research experiences including both social research and clinical trials. Semi-structured interviews were conducted individually with 7 people, each was interviewed twice for about an hour. Prior to the interview, participants were screened for decisional capacity using a modified UBACC (University of California, San Diego Brief Assessment of Capacity to Consent) to make sure of their understanding of the project. After participants passed the screen, they provided verbal consent. Thematic analysis was conducted to analyze interviews and draw out meaningful themes. Five primary themes emerged: 1) the importance of people living with dementia and their communities in research recruitment, 2) the need for diversity and inclusion in dementia research, 3) the need for a positive attitude of researchers, 4) motivation focused on making contributions and finding a cure for oneself, and 5) the need for balance between showing expertise and explaining with less jargon. The study indicates that there are improvements researchers can make in terms of inclusiveness, listening to people’s voices, and engaging people with lived experiences in the research design process, which inspires more participatory research in the dementia research field. This study was supported by the Corey Endowment Award; and the Research Scholars Award.
POLICY SERIES: STRATEGIES TO FRAME OUR PUBLIC POLICY WORK
Authors: D’Antonio Patricia , Schoen Julie , Albers Hannah
Published: December 2023

Our words and the way we harness the power of them when advocating for age inclusive policies, like the Older Americans Act (OAA), matters. Since 1965 the OAA has supported our nation with funds to strengthen community social services. It currently authorizes a wide array of service programs through a national network of 56 state agencies on aging, 618 area agencies on aging, nearly 20,000 service providers, 281 Tribal organizations, and 1 Native Hawaiian organization representing 400 Tribes. In 2024, the OAA will be considered for reauthorization. We all have a stake in ensuring it is passed so we all have the infrastructure we require as we age. Join The National Center to Reframe Aging and the National Center on Elder Abuse, the leading organizations for effective framing, in this session to discuss the OAA as an example of how we can apply communication strategies in supporting reauthorization, review framing strategies to advance a more equitable story of aging in America and learn how to apply framing tools to your advocacy communications.
STRATEGIES TO FRAME OUR PUBLIC POLICY WORK
Authors: D’Antonio Patricia , Schoen Julie , Albers Hannah , Claproth Alycia
Published: December 2023

Our words and the way we harness the power of them when advocating for age inclusive policies, like the Older Americans Act (OAA), matters. Since 1965 the OAA has supported our nation with funds to strengthen community social services. It currently authorizes a wide array of service programs through a national network of 56 state agencies on aging, 618 area agencies on aging, nearly 20,000 service providers, 281 Tribal organizations, and 1 Native Hawaiian organization representing 400 Tribes. In 2024, the OAA will be considered for reauthorization. We all have a stake in ensuring it is passed so we all have the infrastructure we require as we age. Join The National Center to Reframe Aging and the National Center on Elder Abuse, the leading organizations for effective framing, in this session to discuss the OAA as an example of how we can apply communication strategies in supporting reauthorization, review framing strategies to advance a more equitable story of aging in America and learn how to apply framing tools to your advocacy communications.
POLICY SERIES: POSITIVE EXPERIENCES OF AGING AND HEALTH: COMPLEMENTARY EVIDENCE FROM TWO STUDIES
Authors: Allen Julie Ober , Moïse Valerie , White C J , Solway Erica
Published: December 2023

Social constructions of aging and associated treatment of older adults are predominantly negative (i.e., ageism) and believed to be harmful for health. Societal beliefs, expectations, and practices linked to old age may also be associated with benefits, such wisdom, respect, greater self-acceptance, more focus on family and chosen activities, and eligibility for age-specific privileges. Positive experiences of aging such as these have not been extensively researched. This study investigated the prevalence of positive experiences of aging and their relationships with health using data from two complementary studies: 5 items focused on positive experiences of aging in a nationally representative sample (2019 National Poll on Healthy Aging (NPHA); Mage=62.6, 54.2% female); and 23 items in a smaller exploratory study (2021-2022 Experiences of Aging in Society (EOA); Mage=71.1, 81.8% female). Associations with health were assessed using multivariable regression. Report of positive experiences of aging was common (NPHA: >65% for all items; EOA: >80% for 20). Most frequently endorsed were being treated with respect, value for one’s opinions, wanting to be a good example to younger people, greater acceptance of not work full time and spending time with family (all EOA), and feeling more comfortable with oneself (NPHA and EOA). Positive experiences of aging were associated with better health (NPHA: fewer chronic health conditions (p=.023) and reduced risk of low self-rated physical health, mental health, and depressive symptoms (p-values <.001); EOA: fewer chronic health conditions (p=.004). Increasing positive experiences of aging may be a promising strategy for promoting older adult health and wellbeing.
INTEGRATING ANIMAL MODEL, HUMAN SUBJECTS, AND SOCIAL SYSTEMS IN NUTRITION AND AGING RESEARCH
Authors: Booth Sarah , Wang Haowei , Fielding Roger
Published: December 2023

This symposium will bring together speakers who will present cutting-edge research on nutrition and aging from interdisciplinary perspectives using complementary methods. Nutrition plays an important role in understanding the biology of aging, promoting healthy aging, preventing age-related diseases, and supporting aging populations at risks. This symposium will present innovative studies using animal models, population surveys, and nutrition programs to inform future research and promote nutrition security and diet quality. Lee et al. examine sex-specific differences in gut homeostasis and host metabolism in female and male mice fed different rodent diets. Shea et al. and Ardisson Korat et al. focus on dietary quality and patterns in older populations. Using a novel network analysis, Shea et al. examine similarities and differences in the manner in which food groups are consumed in a nationally representative sample from the National Health and Nutrition Examination Survey. Ardisson Korat et al. utilize data from the Nurse’s Health Study and evaluate the long-term role of dietary carbohydrate quality in promoting healthy aging. Borth & Whitmire and El-Abbadi et al. investigate food insecurity and nutrition programs among older adults during and after the COVID-19 pandemic. Using data from US Census Bureau’s Household Pulse Survey (April 2020 to December 2022), El-Abbadi et al. explore the differences in food insecurity by age-groups, gender, and race and ethnicity. Borth & Whitmire conduct research on congregate nutrition programs to identify successful practices of nutrition programs during the pandemic and discuss challenges and directions in future congregate nutrition programs. This is a Nutrition Interest Group Sponsored Symposium.
DIETARY CARBOHYDRATE QUALITY IN RELATION TO HEALTHY AGING IN WOMEN
Authors: Korat Andres Ardisson , Shea Kyla , Jacques Paul , Sebastiani Paola , Wang Molin , Willett Walter , Sun Qi
Published: December 2023

Our objective was to evaluate the role of dietary carbohydrate quality in healthy aging among women in the Nurses’ Health Study (NHS). We included 29,635 NHS participants aged <60 years old in 1984. Total carbohydrate, refined carbohydrate, dietary glycemic index (GI), dietary fiber intake and carbohydrate from fruits, vegetables, whole and refined grains were derived from validated food-frequency questionnaires. Healthy aging was defined as being free from major chronic diseases, having good mental health, and not having any impairments in cognitive or physical function as assessed in the 2014 or 2016 participant questionnaires. We used multivariate logistic regression to estimate the odds ratios (ORs) and 95% Confidence Intervals (CI) for each carbohydrate exposure in relation to healthy aging. A total of 3,731 NHS participants met our criteria for healthy aging. Refined carbohydrate intake was associated with lower odds of healthy aging (ORs[95% CIs] per 5%-calorie increase: 0.94[0.90, 0.97]). Conversely, intakes of carbohydrates from whole grains, fruits, and vegetables were associated with 2% to 6% higher odds of healthy aging for every 1%-calorie increase. Additionally, intakes of total fiber, fruit fiber, vegetable fiber and cereal fiber were associated with 12% to 25% higher odds of healthy aging per 1%-calorie increment. Lastly, the dietary GI was associated with lower odds of healthy aging. In conclusion, intakes of high-quality carbohydrate from fruits, vegetables, whole grains, and dietary fiber in middle adulthood were favorably associated with healthy aging in a large cohort of women, whereas refined carbohydrate intake was unfavorably associated with healthy aging.
DESIGN AND IMPLEMENTATION OF THE ACHIEVE SUCCESSFUL AGING HEALTH EDUCATION CONTROL INTERVENTION
Authors: Glynn Nancy , Gmelin Theresa
Published: December 2023

Choice of comparison group was essential for participant recruitment and retention for the ACHIEVE Study and necessary to control for key components of the hearing intervention. The Successful Aging (SA) Health Education control intervention followed the protocol and materials developed for the 10 Keys to Healthy Aging (10Keys™), an evidence-based interactive health education program for older adults on topics relevant to chronic disease and disability prevention, previously implemented in other trials. The 10Keys contained up-to-date prevention guidelines based on the current recommendations from leading groups (e.g., United States Preventive Services Task Force, Centers for Disease Control and Prevention). To control for general levels of staff and participant time and attention, participants randomized to the SA control met individually with a 10Keys certified health educator who administered the program every 1-3 weeks, totaling four visits over ∼2-3 months. To match the contact schedule with the hearing intervention and promote retention, participants returned for booster sessions semi-annually. During COVID-19 restrictions, we delivered booster sessions by phone. Individually tailored session content included a standardized didactic education component (a 10Keys module) as well as activities, goal-setting, and optional extracurricular enrichment. To further enhance retention and perceived benefit, each session also included a 5- to 10-minute upper body extremity stretching program. We offered the SA control participants the hearing intervention and vice versa at the trial conclusion. Monthly committee calls ensured fidelity and allowed for troubleshooting any participant-related issues. Audio recordings of sessions delivered by health educators were reviewed monthly for quality control.
PRISM CI: A SOFTWARE SYSTEM TO SUPPORT AGING ADULTS WITH A COGNITIVE IMPAIRMENT
Authors: Czaja Sara , Falzarano Francesca , Lucius-Milliman Darby , Ceruso Marco
Published: December 2023

Maintaining social connections and engaging in activities can become challenging for aging adults with a cognitive impairment (CI), which can result in deleterious cognitive, emotional, and physical health outcomes. This presentation will discuss the PRISM-CI pilot trial, which aims to examine the feasibility and potential efficacy of the PRISM-CI software system on enhancing connectivity and quality of life among a diverse sample of 50 older adults aged 65 and over with a CI. PRISM-CI, adapted from the PRISM system (developed by the Center for Research and Education on Aging and Technology Enhancement) for this population, is intended to support social engagement, memory, and access to resources and information. The sample includes 42 community dwelling individuals aged 65+ (M= 75.5, SD=6.78) with a cognitive impairment. Participants had access to the system for 5 months. We will present data regarding training challenges encountered by our participants, such as the need for more personalized training, and perceptions of usability and the perceived value of the various PRISM-CI features as well as suggestions for improvements (e.g., streaming services such as Spotify, e-Library services). The challenges of implementing PRISM-CI during the COVID-19 pandemic will also be discussed. In addition, preliminary data regarding the impact of the use of PRISM-CI on social isolation and loneliness will be presented. Overall, the findings suggest that use of PRISM-CI was beneficial and enhanced social support and connectivity. We will also discuss how user feedback can be leveraged to inform adaptions to enhance the efficacy and acceptability of technology applications.
DEVELOPING CONTENT FOR A VIRTUAL SOCIAL ENGAGEMENT INTERVENTION FOR PERSONS WITH MCI
Authors: Rogers Wendy , Shende Shraddha , Jones Sarah , Mois George , Lydon Elizabeth , Mudar Raksha
Published: December 2023

Older adults, especially those with mild cognitive impairment (MCI), are at increasing risk of social isolation and loneliness, leading to poorer health outcomes. Video technology has the potential to provide socially and cognitively engaging activities from their homes. We are exploring the benefits of a virtual social engagement intervention in older adults with and without MCI (clinicaltrials.gov NCT05380180). We are using a video-technology called OneClick.chat to present participants with a short presentation followed by conversational breakout groups. One challenge for the intervention development was the selection of content that would be engaging but not too memory demanding and of interest to a broad range of people. We worked with iN2L to design 60 unique events that met predefined criteria: could facilitate conversations, did not rely on episodic memory, covered a range of topics, and reflected a diversity of individuals, identities, cultures, and interests. Events were categorized into five predefined categories: Arts & Culture; Nature, Health, & Wellness; Life Experiences; Science & Technology; and Recreation & Sports. We carefully curated each event to ensure consistency of presentation length, picture type, readability, visibility, number of slides, and audio quality. Presentation format was carefully tested through multiple iterations to ensure the best participant experience. Conversational prompts were designed for each event to stimulate engaging conversations through open-ended questions. During the trial we are gathering data on participants’ preferences for different topics that can guide future iterations. Our systematic process of development can guide content design for research on social engagement interventions.
INVESTIGATING THE CELLULAR AND MOLECULAR EFFECTS OF AGING ON FAT TISSUE IN DROSOPHILA MELANOGASTER
Authors: Bell Justice , Williams Isaiah , Bradshaw Tancia , Armstrong Alissa
Published: December 2023

Adipose tissue, also known as fat tissue, is an energy reservoir responsible for metabolic homeostasis. Changes in adipocytes during aging have been associated with obesity, insulin resistance, type two diabetes, and cancer. Thus, in response to the obesity epidemic and the United States aging population, the goal of this experiment is to understand the cellular and molecular effects of aging on adipocytes. In doing so, drosophila were aged at 5,10,15, and 20 days and dissected for adipose tissue. We analyzed adipocyte size, lipid droplet composition, and immune response pathway activity. In this experiment we used the immunostaining process to visualize adipocytes across all ages. Cellular and nuclear size were quantified using ImageJ software. Immune response pathways were examined using reverse transcriptase polymerase chain reaction and gel electrophoresis. Expression of antimicrobial peptides were measured and analyzed against a control, RP49. Our results revealed a positive correlation between fly age, adipocyte and nuclear size. Thus, we can associate aging with increased adipocyte size. Various trends in AMP expression were observed; we have contributed this to the variation in function of each AMP. Further directions include characterizing the effect of aging on AMP expression and examining the relationship between adipocyte size and AMP expression in aging.