bluuebunny/crossref_metadata_2025_split huggingface dataset:
EXCLUSION FROM MULTIDIMENSIONAL CIVIC ENGAGEMENT OF DIVERSE OLDER ADULTS: A PAN-EUROPEAN PERSPECTIVE
Authors: Nyqvist Fredrica , Dury Sarah 
Published: December 2023

Abstract
Despite decades of research on social exclusion, the understanding of the intersection between ageing and exclusion from civic engagement remains limited, both theoretically and empirically. Moreover, the research on civic engagement, including volunteering or political participation, has received unequal attention in research and the study of multidimensional civic engagement has scarcely been addressed. This symposium therefore brings together qualitative and quantitative research on multidimensional civic engagement in later life, as a part of the pan-European CIVEX-project, devoted to critically assess multidimensional civic engagement of diverse and potentially marginalized groups of older adults in a European context. The objective is to explore the main dimensions of exclusion from multidimensional civic engagement in later life and older adults’ experiences of such exclusion. Toon Vercauteren starts with a study using data from the European Quality of Life Survey (EQLS) in 33 European countries to examine multidimensional civic engagement of older adults in Europe and its key risk and support factors. Bas Dikmans will use a life course perspective to study features of exclusion from civic engagement in disadvantaged neighbourhoods in Belgium, using data collected within the international CIVEX-project. Subsequently, Fredrica Nyqvist will present results based on EQLS data on social capital and political participation in younger as well as older adults. Sandra Torres will close the symposium with a presentation on civic engagement amongst older migrants based on interview data collected in Belgium, Finland, Spain and Sweden.
MULTIDIMENSIONAL CIVIC ENGAGEMENT OF OLDER PEOPLE: A LATENT CLASS ANALYSIS
Authors: Vercauteren Toon , Näsman Marina , Nyqvist Fredrica , Brosens Dorien , Serrat Rodrigo , Sarah Dury 
Published: December 2023

Abstract
Civic engagement of older people remains an understudied topic in gerontological research, focusing for the biggest part on formal activities, such as volunteering and political engagement. This research proposes a more inclusive definition referring to multidimensional civic engagement which includes associational engagement, formal and informal volunteering, digital engagement, and formal and informal political engagement. Additionally, research fails to address whether older people combine different civic activities or are only engaged in one. Using EQLS data (2016) collected in 33 European countries, this research examined the multidimensional civic engagement of older people and whether they combine civic activities. Descriptive analysis was used to map the multidimensional civic engagement of those over 65 years (n = 9,031). Latent class analysis was conducted to create profiles among those who are civically engaged to study whether activities are combined and to explore the socio-structural and social capital resources of each profile (n = 6,142). The results indicate that over two-thirds of older Europeans are engaged in minimally one civic activity. Five profiles can be differentiated, ranging from low diversity profiles to a high diversity profile regarding the chance of engaging in a multitude of civic activities in later life. The results clearly show that having more resources enables diverse civic engagement in later life. This study appropriately appreciates the multidimensional civic engagement of older people and identifies the resources that must be considered when promoting multidimensional civic engagement.
DOES SOCIAL CAPITAL ENHANCE POLITICAL PARTICIPATION? A MULTILEVEL ANALYSIS OF YOUNGER AND OLDER ADULTS IN EUROPE
Authors: Nyqvist Fredrica , Nygård Mikael , Serrat Rodrigo , Näsman Marina 
Published: December 2023

Abstract
Political participation encompasses institutionalised activities such as attending meetings of a political organisation as well as non-institutionalised activities including contacting politicians, signing petitions or boycotting. Both forms of activities tend to be dependent upon birth cohort, political socialisation, and period effects like changes in the welfare state design. Furthermore, it is also connected with other domains of civic engagement as well as trust. Social capital theory focuses on social connections and roles fostering civic engagement, including political participation, however, the relationship between social capital and political participation might look different for different types of political activities. The aim of this study was, therefore, to test the importance of social capital for different types of political participation in younger and older adults by analysing cross-national data from the European Quality of Life Survey (EQLS) in 2016. Data was collected in 33 European countries and includes more than 36,000 individuals aged 18 and over. Multilevel regression analysis was used to explore individual-level and country-level social capital on different measures of institutionalised and non-institutionalised political participation in younger and older adults. The results showed that a third of the sample participated in non-institutionalised activities whereas 11 percent participated in institutionalised activities. Both forms of political participation were lower among older adults as compared to younger age groups. While social capital was identified as an important predictor of political participation, it was also shown that these associations were conditioned by larger cultural, political and welfare institutional contexts.
RUN FOR ANTI-AGING: EXERCISE TIMING SPECIFIES METABOLIC RESPONSES
Authors: Sato Shogo 
Published: December 2023

Abstract
Exercise has been widely recognized as an effective non-pharmacological intervention to delay aging and reduce the onset of chronic metabolic diseases such as type 2 diabetes and cardiovascular diseases. The metabolic response to exercise is influenced by factors such as frequency, intensity, duration, and modality. However, the role of the timing of exercise in activating metabolic pathways has remained an outstanding question. The circadian clock allows the organism to adapt to the cyclic environmental changes imposed by the earth’s rotation, thereby placing temporal boundaries on physiological functions, including metabolic responses to exercise. Our recent studies performed unbiased high-throughput metabolomics of 8 different metabolic tissues in response to a single-bout acute treadmill exercise at different times of the day in mice, revealing that daily timing of exercise is a critical variable for the metabolic impact on different metabolic tissues. This indicates that timing is key to unlocking the benefits of exercise on metabolic health and anti-aging. Therefore, optimizing exercise outcomes following when to exercise is essential to establishing personalized exercise interventions aiming at health improvement and reducing the risk of chronic diseases associated with aging. Our ongoing research is studying the time-of-day-dependent metabolic responses to exercise in aged mice compared to young mice. The ultimate goal is to identify the best time for exercise to promote longevity and healthy aging.
THE ROLE OF COMMUNITY COLLEGES IN TRAINING HEALTH CARE WORKERS FOR AN AGING POPULATION
Authors: Cummins Phyllis , Taylor Philip 
Published: December 2023

Abstract
The aging population in the U.S. has resulted in an increased need for healthcare workers in multiple health settings (e.g., home healthcare, nursing homes, hospitals, medical laboratories). Community colleges play an important role in educating healthcare workers that are critical to an aging population. Many of these occupations focus on home healthcare, empowering adults to remain at home rather than in a long-term care setting. This session will focus on novel ways that community colleges are effectively addressing workforce needs in multiple settings, including hospitals, home healthcare, long-term care, and medical laboratories. A panel of community college and university gerontology and education professionals representing GSA’s Community College and the Aging Workforce Interest Groups will share the innovative ways in which they are addressing the needs of an aging population. Yamashita and Narine will discuss the current and future demand for employees in healthcare occupations, especially those in long-term and home healthcare settings, and will focus on careers that do not require a bachelor’s degree. Velazquez’s presentation will focus on the impact COVID had on training healthcare workers in healthcare related occupations and how one community colleges adapted their curriculum. Cummins et al. will discuss a study that focused on the role literacy, numeracy, and problem-solving skills play in community college students’ success in the classroom and the healthcare workplace, focusing on employer interviews. Finally, Kaur will discuss the role Hillsborough Community College plays in training medical laboratory scientists and in providing employees for critical medical services to an aging society This is a collaborative symposium between the Aging Workforce and Community College Interest Groups.
ROLES OF COMMUNITY COLLEGES IN TRAINING THE HEALTH CARE WORKFORCE IN THE AGING SOCIETY
Authors: Yamashita Takashi 
Published: December 2023

Abstract
As population aging advances, the need for health, medical and long-term, care necessarily increases. On one hand, certain occupations mostly with routine tasks are likely to be automated by computers and technology over time. On the other hand, the previously estimated job automation risks clearly suggest that health care occupations are less likely to be automated, compared to other industries. For example, while 12-45% of health care occupations could be replaced by technology, over 80% of simple food preparation and entry-level customer service is projected to be automated within a few decades. Thus, the demand to train the health care workforce for the aging population will continue to be high, despite the advancement in computers and technology. Certain health care occupations such as licensed practical nurses, nurse assistants, medical technicians, and home health aides, do not require bachelor’s degrees. Considering the current and projected health care workforce shortage, education and training of the future health care workforce is a critical issue when preparing for growing older populations in the U.S. This study triangulated data on health care occupations, literature on workforce development, and emerging trends on aging-related health and long-term care needs, and critically analyzed the role of community colleges to meet the demands for health care workforce in the U.S. Results showed that the history, geographic locations, and existing health care programs position community colleges as one of the most effective and efficient health care workforce development institutions. Specific examples of health care professional training programs are also evaluated.
EFFECTS OF THE WALK ON! PROGRAM ON PHYSICAL FUNCTION IN COMMUNITY-DWELLING OLDER ADULTS
Authors: Foxworth Judy , Heinrich Allison , Holley Kynleigh , Bauguess Caleb , Deputy Amanda , Ludwig Lindsay , Coco-Ripp Jo Ann , Nicklas Barb 
Published: December 2023

Abstract
The objective of this study was to determine the effects of the Walk On! program on pain, strength, gait speed, gait endurance, and balance in community-dwelling, African American older women. Data presented are from those who could ambulate greater than 200 feet independently and who completed one 11-week session of the Walk On! program offered at a local church. Participants walked laps around a large multi-purpose room and completed balance challenges and leg strengthening exercises. The participants completed a battery of physical functional tests including gait speed (self-selected and fast speed), 6-minute walk distance (6MWT), 5 sit to stand time (STS), timed up and go (TUG), and single leg stance (SLS). Participants who completed both the pre- and post-tests and at least 75% of the intervention sessions were included in the analysis (n=14). Paired sample t-test was used to determine significant differences in the physical function tests with alpha level set at 0.05. The mean age of the those who completed the study was 75.8 ± 7.3 years. Both the TUG (p = .018) and pain scores (p = .009) significantly improved. There was no significant improvement in other physical function measures. Older African American women who participated in a bi-weekly supervised walking program had improvements in functional mobility and reduced pain. Further research is necessary to generalize these results for all older adults.
IMPACT OF THE WALK ON! COMMUNITY WALKING PROGRAM ON PSYCHOSOCIAL ATTRIBUTES OF OLDER AFRICAN-AMERICAN WOMEN
Authors: Coco-Ripp Jo Ann , Heinrich Allison , Maxwell-Crudup Kasual , Hill Kaliya , Foxworth Judy 
Published: December 2023

Abstract
Walking in a structured community setting can improve function for older adults with functional limitations. In collaboration with others, recreation therapy (RT) and physical therapy (PT) students and faculty implemented the Walk On! program at a community church. Twenty-four African American females initially started the 11-week program and agreed to engage in the research aspect by completing pre/post-tests focused on physical function and quality of life, loneliness, and a geriatric depression scale. The hour-long biweekly intervention included warm up/cool down stretching, music, group motivation, walking around the large multipurpose room, and various balance activity stations interspersed. PT and RT students as well as faculty and community partners provided leadership and encouragement. Results were analyzed for 14 participants who completed all tests, as well as 75% of sessions. Data for the Geriatric Depression Scale and UCLA Loneliness Scale were analyzed using the Wilcoxon Signed Rank test. No statistical differences between pre/post-test scores were found. Visual inspection of GDS scores showed four participant scores increased slightly, meaning reporting more elements of depression, and one score decreased by 50%, indicating a drop from depression to not an issue. No changes were found in the other nine scores. The Loneliness Scale had slight changes for five participants with two increasing and three decreasing slightly. On the SF-36 Health Survey, Vitality increased or fatigue decreased (p=0.009) and Mental health or wellbeing increased (p=0.041). Further research on the psychosocial aspects of the Walk On! program in other populations will be conducted.
LONG-TERM IMPACT OF A LIFESTYLE INTERVENTION: THE ACTION FOR HEALTH IN DIABETES (LOOK AHEAD) TRIAL AND FOLLOW-UP
Authors: Houston Denise , Espeland Mark , Espinoza Sara 
Published: December 2023

Abstract
Mid-life weight loss and maintenance is often recommended as a means to improve health later in life, however its long-term benefits have not been rigorously established. The Look AHEAD randomized controlled trial compared an intensive lifestyle intervention (ILI) designed to induce and maintain a 7% weight loss through caloric restriction and increased physical activity with a control condition of diabetes support and education (DSE) in 5,145 individuals aged 45-76 years with type 2 diabetes and overweight/obesity over up to 11 years of follow-up beginning in 2001. Compared to DSE, ILI had greater initial improvements in cardiovascular disease risk factors; however, there were no overall differences in the incidence of the trial’s primary and secondary cardiovascular outcomes between the ILI and DSE groups. ILI did, though, have a positive impact on diabetes control and complications, depression, physical health–related quality of life, and health care use and costs. Subsequently, the Look AHEAD trial transitioned to an observational study in 2012 to assess the long-term benefits and potential harms of ILI, which continued for 10 years. This symposium will describe the design of the Look AHEAD trial and transition to the Look AHEAD Aging study, the most recent phone-only observational follow-up begun in 2022, and the long-term impact of the lifestyle intervention on sleep (Spira and colleagues), cognitive resilience (Espeland and colleagues), multi-morbidity and frailty assessed by the deficit accumulation model (Simpson and colleagues), and medical care utilization and costs (Davis and colleagues).
LONG-TERM ASSOCIATION OF AN INTENSIVE LIFESTYLE INTERVENTION ON FRAILTY AND MULTIMORBIDITY
Authors: Simpson Felicia , Espeland Mark , Evans Joni , Johnson Karen , Bahnson Judy , Houston Denise , Yang Mia , Wagenknecht Lynne 
Published: December 2023

Abstract
Multidomain lifestyle interventions may slow aging as captured by deficit accumulation frailty indices (FIs) and multimorbidity. We previously reported that the 10-year Look AHEAD multidomain intensive lifestyle intervention (ILI) that focused on caloric restriction, increased physical activity, improved diet, and cardiometabolic risk factor monitoring, significantly slowed the progression of both FI and a multimorbidity index during intervention delivery. We assessed whether these benefits endured after ILI delivery was terminated and the degree to which these benefits may be interrelated. The Look AHEAD Aging study enrolled N=1606 individuals, ages 63-94 years, who had been assigned a median of 20 years earlier (i.e., 10 years after ILI was terminated) to either the Look AHEAD ILI or its control condition of diabetes support and education (DSE). At the original Look AHEAD randomization, they had a mean (SD) 39-component FI score of 0.128 (0.056) and mean (SD) 9-component multimorbidity index of 1.63 (1.01), both balanced across intervention groups. When enrolled in the Look AHEAD Aging study, participants who had been assigned to ILI, compared with those assigned to DSE, averaged 6% lower FI scores (p&lt;0.0001). They had also accrued 0.14 fewer additional age-related chronic diseases from baseline (p&lt;0.0001). Relative benefits associated with ILI for these indices were similar for both genders and across the full cohort’s age range. Increases in FI and multimorbidity were highly correlated (r=0.55; p&lt;0.001), similarly in both arms. Multidomain lifestyle interventions can result in persistent long-term benefits in two common markers of aging.
DYING WITH DEMENTIA IN NURSING HOMES: A POPULATION-BASED PERSPECTIVE OF DECEDENTS AND THEIR FAMILIES
Authors: Stephens Caroline , Goodwin Rebecca , Iacob Eli , Hollingshaus Michael , Smith Ken , Tay Djin , Utz Rebecca , Ornstein Katherine 
Published: December 2023

Abstract
Families play a critical role in person-centered end-of-life (EOL) care for nursing home (NH) residents with dementia. Many NH residents, however, do not have any family to advocate for care, which may contribute to poorer EOL outcomes. Little is known about the characteristics of families of persons with dementia who die in a NH despite the importance of family at EOL. This study aimed to describe the size and composition of first-degree families (FDF) of Utah NH residents with dementia who died 1998-2016 (n=18,842). Using the Utah Population Caregiving Database, we linked NH decedents with dementia to their FDF (n=54,174; spouses=11.3%; children=57.6%; siblings=30.7%) and compared characteristics of those with and without FDF. Compared to NH decedents with FDF (78.5%), those without (21.5%) were more likely to be older (median 87.3 vs 85.9), female (64.7% vs 57.1%), non-white/Hispanic (10.3% vs 3.4%), less educated (&lt;9th grade; 42.2% vs 33.4%); die in a rural/frontier NH (24.8% vs. 23.2%); and less likely to have 2+ hospitalizations in the last 6 months of life (14.3% vs. 16.5%, all p&lt;.001). Findings highlight social determinants of health that may increase the risk of poor EOL outcomes in an already vulnerable population. Understanding the nature of FDF relationship type on EOL outcomes for NH residents with dementia is an important next step in clarifying the role of families and understanding the supports they may need.
THE PROMISE OF DIGITAL INCLUSION FOR OLDER ADULTS: BUILDING BRIDGES FOR UNDERSERVED OLDER ADULTS IN TWO STATES
Authors: Leedahl Skye , Wilber Kathleen , Choi Namkee 
Published: December 2023

Abstract
Digital inclusion refers to activities completed to ensure that all individuals, especially those who are underserved, have access to and are able to utilize technology and needed support. This includes affordable, robust internet service; devices; digital literacy training; technical support; and applications/online content (National Digital Inclusion Alliance, 2022). Recognizing digital exclusion among older adults as a major public health and social equity concern, particularly during the pandemic, two states (California and Rhode Island) partnered with their respective state units on aging to offer technological devices (e.g., iPads) and intergenerational support to underserved older adults who speak multiple languages across the states. The university-based programs worked with their local Areas Agencies on Aging (CA) and senior centers (RI) through the State units on Aging to recruit and support older participants. This symposium will describe findings from three research projects within these large, ongoing research initiatives and discuss some of the lessons learned for conducting this type of applied research. The first paper by Marnfeldt and colleagues describes factors associated with digital readiness among participants. The second paper by Leedahl and colleagues examines predictors of digital competence among those interested in the program. The third paper by Tsotsoros and colleagues examines the influence of technological growth on various social well-being measures.The fourth paper by Batista-Malat and colleagues describes the strengths and barriers in working with community partners when completing applied research.
PREDICTORS OF DIGITAL COMPETENCE AMONG OLDER ADULTS INTERESTED IN AN INTERGENERATIONAL TECHNOLOGY PROGRAM
Authors: Leedahl Skye , Tsotsoros Cindy , Capolino Alexandria , Santilli Josie 
Published: December 2023

Abstract
The Rhode Island Office of Healthy Aging initiated a digiAGE collaborative. As a major part of this initiative, the University of Rhode Island launched the Engaging Generations: Cyber-Seniors digiAGE iPad Program and research project. We analyzed participants who took part in the study in 2021 and 2022 (N=324; age range=50-92; 77.2% female, 22.5% male; 65.1% White, 16.4% Hispanic, 11.4% Black, 4.9% Native American or Alaska Native, 1.2% Asian, 1.9% Multiple races; 83.6% English, 15.4% Spanish as primary language). In this study, we examined demographic characteristics (e.g., income, marital status, employment status, primary language, living alone status, education, gender, race/ethnicity, and Wifi access), and social well-being characteristics (e.g., depression, social isolation, loneliness, quality of life) as predictors of digital competence using structural equation modeling. Overall, this model showed excellent fit (𝜒2(53, N=324)=104.29, p&lt;.05, with CFI = .96, TLI = .92, RMSEA = .06,CMIN/df = 1.97). The model indicated several direct and indirect effects. For indirect effects, income status predicted depressive symptoms, depressive symptoms predicted quality of life, and quality of life predicted digital competence. For direct effects, having access to a wireless internet connection within the home and education level predicted digital competence (Adj. R Square = 0.112). As technology becomes increasingly integrated into our daily lives, examining predictors of digital competence among older adults is important to identify whom to target for digital inclusion initiatives and how to provide support appropriately.