bluuebunny/crossref_metadata_2025_split huggingface dataset:
I? AI? EXPLORING ARTIFICIAL INTELLIGENCE USAGE, PERSONALITY AND OTHER CHARACTERISTICS IN OLDER ADULTS
Authors: Ost-Mor Sharon , Wittenberg Nir , Birati Yossefa 
Published: January 2025

Abstract
As Artificial intelligence (AI) becomes increasingly prevalent in modern society, understanding its adoption among older adults is crucial. Therefore, this study examines the relationship between AI usage, Big 5 personality traits, and positive solitude, among adults aged 60 and over in Israel. Grounded in the Technology Acceptance Model (TAM), the study explore how personality traits and positive solitude influences perceived AI usability and adoption. A sample of 260 older adults participated in the study. Data were collected through online validated questionnaires and open-ended questions, using Qualtrics. Results revealed that AI users (mean age 69.91, SD=6.7) were younger than non-users (M=74.91, SD=7.6). Of the AI users, 68% were women, 94% were home-dwelling, 65% married, and 98% independent. Additionally, 76% reported using AI for 30-120 minutes daily. Non-users felt subjectively older both physically (M=62.82, SD=11.7) and mentally (M=62.82, SD=10.7) compared to users (physical: M=54.84, SD=13.5; mental: M=58.65, SD=12.7). Significant correlations were found between attitude to life and perceived ability to use AI (r=0.315, p&lt; 0.01), as well as between attitude to life and aging perception (r=0.495, p&lt; 0.01). The qualitative analysis revealed varied responses to AI use. Participants noted significant benefits, including new opportunities and skill enhancement. However, they also encountered technical challenges, concerns about data reliability, and difficulties in formulating effective queries. These findings offer valuable insights into promoting AI adoption among older adults, potentially enhancing their quality of life and independence in the digital age. Future research should explore interventions to increase AI acceptance and usage among this population.
IMPACT OF WALKING GROUP INTENSITY & TIMING ON EXERCISE ATTITUDES IN OLDER ADULTS: MIXED-EFFECTS ANALYSIS
Authors: Wu Jingchuan , Conroy David , Danilovich Margaret 
Published: January 2025

Abstract
How does physical activity intensity influence pre-frail and frail older adults’ attitudes toward physical activity? Casual-speed walking is enjoyable but more intense walking programs can stimulate greater physiologic adaptations and benefits. However, intensity might negatively impact motivation if it leads older adults to evaluate physical activity less favorably. These attitudes can be affective (involving emotional responses, such as enjoyment) or instrumental (involving perceived practical benefits, such as health improvements) and influence future physical activity through their effects on intentions. Whether high-intensity exercise alters the dynamics of attitude change is unclear. This study was a secondary analysis of the effects of 16-week casual-speed versus high-intensity walking intervention on attitudes toward walking in pre-frail and frail older adults. Participants (n = 156; M age = 79.9 years, SD = 7.0) were randomized into casual-speed or high-intensity walking groups and reported attitudes toward the intervention at four time points (baseline, 6, 12, and 16 weeks). Generalized linear mixed models (GLMM) with a gamma distribution assessed attitude changes over time. Results showed instrumental attitudes initially declined (Estimate = -0.006, p &lt;.001) but followed a quadratic pattern, stabilizing or slightly improving later (Estimate = 0.0002, p =.008). Affective attitudes remained stable, with no significant changes over time. Intensity did not affect the rate of change for either attitude type, suggesting similar changes regardless of intensity. We concluded that high intensity walking did not influence attitudinal changes toward walking, and concerns about adverse motivational impacts of high-intensity activity in older adults may be overstated.
IMPROVING LITERACY OF ALZHEIMER’S DISEASE AND RELATED DISORDERS (ADRD) AMONG OLDER ASIAN AMERICANS IN MICHIGAN
Authors: Sun Fei , Zhou Kangyi , Patano Arienne , Velez-Ortiz Daniel , Yi Zhiqi 
Published: January 2025

Abstract
This study evaluates a community-based participatory intervention designed to enhance ADRD knowledge and reduce ADRD stigma and worry among older Asian Americans in Michigan. Participants were recruited from senior centers and housing, religious congregations, and community Asian service agencies. They engaged in a 2.5-hour program comprising an educational session and a selected culturally tailored activity (e.g., group meals, mindfulness yoga. Pre- and post-intervention surveys focused on ADRD knowledge, worry, and stigma. The intervention was administered to 15 Korean participants (76.4±10.0 years old, 80% female), 82 Chinese participants (82.2±6.6 years old, 60% female), and 32 Indian participants (74.4±7.27 years old, 56% female) delivered in the participants’ native language; the images and examples were also culturally relevant to participants. For the Korean group, ADRD knowledge significantly increased (Hedges’ g =.60, p &lt;.05), and stigma significantly decreased (Hedges’ g =-1.0, p&lt;.01), though changes in worry were not statistically significant. The Chinese participants showed a similar pattern, with an increase in knowledge (Hedges’ g=.32, p&lt;.01) and a decrease in stigma (Hedges’ g=-0.45, p&lt;.01). The Indian community experienced an improvement in ADRD knowledge (Hedges’ g=.50, p&lt;.01) but no significant changes in stigma or worry. Findings underscore the importance of culturally sensitive community-based interventions to address ADRD literacy gaps among older Asian Americans. While knowledge levels increased across all Asian groups, reducing stigma was only effective in the Korean and Chinese communities. Addressing dementia-related worry remains challenging, suggesting the need for more innovative strategies.
INTERNET USE, PERCEIVED CONTROL, AND INFORMATION ANXIETY AMONG CHINESE OLDER ADULTS
Authors: Zhang Jiaan 
Published: January 2025

Abstract
Despite increasing evidence that Internet use may contribute to Internet-related anxiety in the digital age, studies specifically focusing on older adults remain limited. This study investigates the association between Internet use and information anxiety among older adults, and examines whether this relationship is mediated by perceived control. We analyzed newly collected data from a random sample of adults aged 55 and older living in Shanghai, China in 2024. The total sample comprised 428 older Internet users. Internet use was assessed by measuring the duration of Internet use, frequency of Internet use, and types of Internet use. Information anxiety was measured using a 23-item scale based on Wurman’s theory of Information Anxiety, with each item rated on a 5-point scale ranging from strongly disagree to strongly agree. Perceived control was evaluated by asking respondents to indicate their agreement with statements including four items of personal mastery and eight items of perceived constraints, using a 7-point scale. The results indicate that the duration of Internet use is significantly associated with lower levels of information anxiety, and that Internet use for communication and social use reduces information anxiety. Additionally, perceived control is negatively associated with information anxiety. Further analysis reveals that perceived control partially mediates the relationship between Internet use duration and information anxiety. These findings have important implications for developing effective interventions to alleviate Internet-related anxiety among older adults.
LIFELONG LEARNING: HOW HEALTH LITERACY SHIELDS OLDER ADULTS FROM THE MORTALITY RISKS OF LOWER EDUCATION
Authors: Lee Hee , Song Jieun , Do Jonghwa 
Published: January 2025

Abstract
Research has demonstrated the significant impacts of education and health literacy (HL) on mortality risks. However, the combined effects of education and HL on mortality in older age, particularly using population samples, remain underexplored. This study investigates whether the association between education and mortality is moderated by varying levels of HL among older adults, using data from the Wisconsin Longitudinal Study (1957-2020). The analytic sample includes participants aged 60 and older at the 2010-2012 data collection (n=3,381, mean age=70.8). Mortality data were obtained from the National Death Index 2021 files, and HL was measured using the Newest Vital Sign (NVS) Health Literacy Score. Within this cohort, 531 respondents had limited HL, 893 had possibly limited HL, and 1,957 had adequate HL. Survival analysis using Cox Proportional Hazard models revealed that older adults with limited HL who completed only high school or some college education faced 22% and 49% higher mortality risks, respectively, compared to their peers with a college degree. Notably, high school graduates with adequate HL exhibited a 20% lower risk of mortality compared to those with a college degree but limited HL. These findings suggest that the adverse effects of lower education on mortality can be significantly mitigated by adequate health literacy, even in older age. This underscores the importance of interventions focused on enhancing health literacy, particularly among older adults with relatively lower educational attainment.
LIVED EXPERIENCE OF DEMENTIA FAMILY CAREGIVERS IN RURAL CHINA: FINDINGS FROM A QUALITATIVE STUDY
Authors: Kong Dexia 
Published: January 2025

Abstract

Background
Currently, China has the highest prevalence of dementia worldwide. The prevalence of dementia is greater in rural areas than in urban ones, mostly because over two-thirds of Chinese older adults reside in rural regions. Moreover, the cultural preference for family-based eldercare, in conjunction with the absence of dementia-related services in rural areas of China, has resulted in the responsibility of caring for older adults with dementia falling solely on family caregivers. Nevertheless, there has been no prior research that has examined the lived experiences of caregivers of individuals with dementia in rural China. This study investigates the lived experiences of dementia family caregivers in rural China, thereby addressing the knowledge gap.

Methods
In-depth qualitative data were collected from 25 family caregivers residing in a rural county in southwestern China. All interviews were recorded and transcribed verbatim. The interview narratives were analyzed using the conventional content analysis approach. All transcripts were coded by two experienced researchers with qualitative training. Discrepancies in coding were resolved by consensus.

Results
Main themes that emerged from the data include caregivers’ perceptions of dementia, motivation for caregiving, challenges in caregiving, dynamics within family relationships, coping strategies, and unmet needs.

Conclusion
In rural China, families are crucial to the care of older adults living with dementia. The findings underscore the pressing need to develop psychoeducational intervention strategies for supporting family caregivers of individuals with dementia in rural or low-resource regions in China. Policy and service implications will also be discussed.
MAKING BUILT ENVIRONMENT MORE AGE-FRIENDLY -- FIRST TASK OF UNIVERSITY OF COLORADO AGE-FRIENDLY TASKFORCE
Authors: Nearing Kathryn , Waterhouse Jodi 
Published: January 2025

Abstract
When the Age-Friendly University (AFU) Taskforce at the University of Colorado Anschutz Medical Campus initiated strategic planning in 2023, the built environment – an antecedent condition for achieving AFU priorities – emerged as priority #1. The taskforce tailored an existing tool available from University of Massachusetts-Boston to align the built-environment assessment with the broader mission-focused areas of CU Anschutz – one of the first four academic medical campuses in the world to receive the AFU designation. During April 2023, each taskforce representative paired with an older adult community member; each dyad was assigned a campus zone to assess using the adapted Age-Friendly Inventory and Campus Climate Survey. The community member provided first-hand accounts of how they experienced aspects of the built environment, while the taskforce representative recorded observations. Once compiled, the taskforce reviewed data and identified the following areas of concern: wayfinding supports (e.g., signs and campus maps -- printed, online); parking kiosk accessibility; distances (e.g., from parking to campus buildings); campus building and restroom accessibility. Taskforce members presented results and recommendations to the Chancellor, campus architect, Vice Chancellor for Facilities, and Communications team. Through campuswide collaborations that expanded to include parking managers and the campus shuttle service, issues with campus maps, parking kiosks, crosswalks, walking distances, and building/restroom accessibility are being addressed, with a progress report provided to the Chancellor in July 2024. This work is essential. The built environment fundamentally influences campus accessibility across the lifespan and the age-inclusivity of events, classes, research studies and healthcare services.
NON-PHARMACOLOGICAL DEMENTIA CARE APPROACHES: IMPLEMENTING STAR-VA IN A SHORT-STAY, SUBACUTE MEDICAL SETTING
Authors: Christopher Jennifer , Christopher Theresa , Yuelling Thomas 
Published: January 2025

Abstract
Staff Training in Assisted Living Residences for Veterans Affairs Medical Centers (STAR-VA) is an evidenced-based, interdisciplinary, non-pharmacological approach to managing dementia-related behavioral and psychological symptoms in long-term care settings (Karlin et al., 2017). The program involves a psychologist and nurse who provide dementia education, facilitate behavioral analysis, and implement person-centered behavior plans. This study highlights the piloting of STAR-VA in a short-stay, subacute, medical rehabilitation setting. The case study involves a 74-year-old African American, male, Veteran diagnosed with Dementia due to Multiple Etiologies (Frontotemporal Degeneration and Vascular Disease). The Veteran exhibited elopement attempts, refusal to follow directions, falls, verbal aggression, and emotional distress. Behavioral analysis suggested these were related to lack of independence, boredom, psychosocial stressors, and medication side effects. Behavior plan interventions included individual psychotherapy, scheduled recreation therapy sessions focused on preferred pleasant activities, and chaplain services. The clinical pharmacist reviewed the medication list and psychiatry and general medicine providers adjusted medications. Care providers were encouraged to use effective nonverbal and verbal communication strategies, including the “listen with respect, comfort, and redirect” approach. After two months, assessments (i.e., Neuropsychiatric Inventory Questionnaire, Cohen-Mansfield Agitation Inventory–Short Form, Geriatric Depression Scale–Short Form) revealed discontinued elopement attempts, compliance with care, improved mood, reduced falls, and decreased nursing staff distress. These interventions facilitated the Veteran’s transition to long-term community placement. Six-month follow-up assessments revealed the Veteran remained behaviorally stable. This case demonstrated that STAR-VA can be effectively adapted for short-stay, subacute medical rehabilitation settings. It further supports interdisciplinary, non-pharmacological approaches for dementia.
PSYCHOTHERAPY AND CARE QUALITY OF LONG-STAY NURSING HOME RESIDENTS WITH MENTAL ILLNESS OR DEMENTIA
Authors: Huan Tianwen , Intrator Orna , Simning Adam , Boockvar Kenneth , Grabowski David C , Cai Shubing 
Published: January 2025

Abstract
This study aims to fill the knowledge gap on the effect of psychotherapy on the quality of care of long-stay nursing home (NH) residents with mental illness or Alzheimer’s Disease and Related Dementias (ADRD). The 2017-2018 MDS and Medicare claims (e.g., Carrier file) and Residential History File were used to identify mental illness and ADRD diagnoses, patient characteristics, psychotherapy and quality of care. Fee-for-service Medicare beneficiaries aged 65 and older enrolled in Medicare Parts B who had six quarterly MDS assessments with/ without psychotherapy in the last four quarters were compared on two subgroups of residents: those with mental illness but no ADRD and those with ADRD. Five quarterly outcomes were examined: any 1) physical behavior; 2) verbal behavior; 3) other behavior; 4) hospitalization; 5) emergency-room visits. Covariates included predisposing, enabling characteristics and need factors. Propensity score matching was used to balance covariates between treatment and control groups. Difference-in-difference models of quarterly data, clustered within patients, were estimated for each outcome among each cohort. Analyses included 525,114/180,000 resident-quarter observations from 87,519/30,000 unique NH long-stay residents with ADRD/mental-illness-only. Among the ADRD/mental-illness-only group, 579/469 unique residents received psychotherapy. Psychotherapy was associated with lower likelihood of hospitalization (Odds ratio: 0.73, 95%CI: 0.53, 0.99) in residents with mental-illness-only. No significant results were found for the other outcomes nor the ADRD group. Findings suggest that psychotherapy may have limited effects on the quality of care for residents with ADRD but may contribute to lower hospitalization risk among residents with mental-illness-only.
ENHANCING DEMENTIA CLASSIFICATION FOR DIVERSE GROUPS: TRANSFORMER-BASED CONTINUOUS SCORING OF CLOCK DRAWING TEST
Authors: Hu Mengyao , Murphey Yi , Qin Tian , Zahodne Laura , Gonzalez Richard , Freedman Vicki 
Published: January 2025

Abstract
Alzheimer’s disease and related dementias (ADRD) significantly impact older adults’ quality of life and pose challenges to public health systems. The clock-drawing test (CDT) is a widely used dementia screening tool due to its ease of administration and effectiveness. However, manual CDT-coding in large-scale studies can be time-intensive and prone to coding errors. In this study, we developed a deep learning neural network (DLNN) system based on Vision Transformer (ViT) to automate CDT-coding using continuous scoring and investigate its value for dementia classification, compared to ordinal CDT scores. Using a nationally representative sample of older adults from the National Health and Aging Trends Study (NHATS), we trained ViT models on CDT images to generate both ordinal and continuous scores. We compared the predictive power of these scores for dementia classification and identified demographic-specific thresholds. Continuous CDT scores provided more precise thresholds for dementia classification than ordinal scores, varying by demographic characteristics. Lower thresholds were identified for Black individuals, those with lower education, and those aged 90 or older. Compared to ordinal scores, continuous scores also allowed for a more balanced sensitivity and specificity. This study demonstrates the potential of continuous CDT scores generated by DLNN models in enhancing dementia classification. By identifying demographic-specific thresholds, it offers a more inclusive and adaptive approach for dementia classification. Results of this study could lead to improved guidelines for using CDT in dementia screening, allowing more accurate dementia classification across diverse demographic groups.
ASSESSING THE EFFECTS OF VR URBAN GREENNESS WITH PEER SUPPORT MODEL FOR MENTAL HEALTH IN AGING POPULATION
Authors: Lu Shiyu , Chui Hiu-kwan , Li Linyan 
Published: January 2025

Abstract
Engaging with green spaces has shown to benefit mental health in later years. However, global urbanization has limited city-dwellers’ access to nature, especially older adults who may struggle to reach such spaces. Virtual Reality (VR) urban greenness offers a cost-effective solution for promoting mental well-being in this demographic. This study aimed to assess the effectiveness of the VR urban greenness with peer support model in enhancing mental health among the aging population. From October 2023 to July 2024, we collaboratively developed a 5-minute 360-degree VR video of urban green spaces with older individuals in Hong Kong, using the photovice method. Subsequently, we conducted a 3-arm randomized controlled trial involving 25 participants with mild depressive symptoms in each arm: VR urban green space with peer supporters (A), VR urban green space without peer supporters (B), and non-biophilic VR intervention without peer supporters as a control group. Both intervention groups (A and B) reported significant reductions in stress levels, anxiety, and negative emotions, coupled with an increase in positive emotions. Conversely, no significant changes were observed in the control group. Following the qualitative study, it emerged that participants in both intervention groups displayed favorable attitudes towards VR and showed strong acceptance of the 360-degree VR urban green spaces. The research further delved into the policy and practical implications of integrating VR technology into mental health promotion strategies for the elderly.
AGEISM SOURCES AFFECT TECHNOLOGY ACCEPTANCE ON WEARABLE ROBOTS: A RANDOMIZED BETWEEN-SUBJECT EXPERIMENT
Authors: Cheng Clio Yuen Man , Lou Vivian Weiqun 
Published: January 2025

Abstract
Existing literature shows that ageism contributes to the widening of digital divide. However, it remains largely mysterious how ageism specifically impacts technology acceptance, particularly in the context of soft wearable robots. This study aims to fill this gap by conducting a randomized between-subject experiment with six animation vignettes: self-directed ageism, ageism from family and friends, ageism from technology developers, ageism from strangers, unframed, and control. A total of 237 older adults aged 50 to 74 in Hong Kong joined the experiment. The Kruskal-Wallis tests show group significant difference in the intention to use wearable robots, χ2(5) = 12.470, p =.029. Specifically, the study found that ageism from technology developers had a significant negative impact on the intention to use wearable robots, in contrast to ageism from family and friends or strangers. Additionally, ageism from family and friends was associated with a significantly higher perceived external control of wearable robots, χ2(5) = 12.184, p =.032, as well as a significantly higher perceived performance of wearable robots, χ2(5) = 14.767, p =.011, when compared to ageism from technology developers and the control condition. Ageism from family and friends yielded a notably higher perception of health benefits associated with wearable robots, χ2(5) = 23.766, p &lt;.001, surpassing self-directed ageism, ageism from technology developers, and the control condition. These findings highlight the distinct effects of ageism from different sources on wearable robot acceptance, underscoring the importance of considering the specific origins of ageism when examining its impact on technology acceptance.