Subjective well-being in Swedish active seniors or seniors with cognitive complaints and its relation to commonly available biomarkers

A study on the impact of health shocks on subjective wellbeing of middle-aged people and older adults-Evidence from China

Introduction

The health issues that afflict middle-aged people and older individuals are a significant factor that affects their quality of life. It is crucial to investigate the impact of health shocks on the subjective wellbeing of this demographic and the mechanisms that underlie this impact to promote healthy aging.

Methods

This study utilized data from the China Family Panel Study in 2018 and 2020 to analyze the effects of HSs and their categories on the subjective wellbeing of middle-aged people and older individuals using the propensity score matching difference-in-differences method. Additionally, the study explored the mediating role of social participation.

Results

The findings indicate that health shocks, both chronic and acute, diminish the subjective wellbeing of middle-aged people and older adults. Furthermore, these shocks have a more significant negative effect on the subjective wellbeing of individuals aged 60 and above, women in the middle-aged and older demographic, individuals in rural areas who belong to the middle-aged and older age groups, and individuals possessing activities of daily living. The mechanism analysis revealed that health shocks, both chronic and acute, reduce the subjective wellbeing of middle-aged people and older individuals by disrupting partnerships.

Discussion

Lowering the possibility of health shocks, the government should build a strong health management system and improve the health insurance system to enable timely treatment for persons suffering from health shocks. Individuals and families should live healthy lives and engage in social activities to avoid health shocks and improve subjective wellbeing.

The sleep patterns and their associations with mental health among nursing home residents: a latent profile approach

BACKGROUND

Nursing home residents commonly experience poor sleep conditions. However, few studies have explored the potential sleep patterns among nursing home residents. This study aimed to identify the sleep patterns in nursing home residents, compare residents' characteristics across sleep patterns, and examine the relationships between sleep patterns and residents' mental health (i.e., depressive and anxiety symptoms).

METHODS

This cross-sectional study was conducted in 27 nursing homes in Jinan, China, from March to June 2018. In total, 353 participants were recruited via convenience sampling, and of which, 326 completed the survey. A latent profile analysis was performed to identify sleep patterns based on the seven dimensions of the Pittsburgh Sleep Quality Index. Bivariate analyses were conducted to compare residents' characteristics among the sleep patterns. Mixed-effects logistic regression analyses were adopted to investigate the relationships between sleep patterns and residents' mental health.

RESULTS

Three sleep patterns were identified, including 'good sleepers', 'poor sleepers without hypnotic use', and 'poor sleepers with hypnotic use'. Residents' gender, education, pain, instrumental activities of daily living, and number of chronic conditions were significantly differentiated across the sleep patterns. Compared with 'good sleepers', 'poor sleepers without hypnotic use' were significantly associated with more depressive symptoms (OR = 3.73, 95% CI = 2.09, 6.65, p < 0.001), but not with anxiety symptoms (OR = 2.04, 95% CI = 0.97, 4.29, p = 0.062); whereas 'poor sleepers with hypnotic use' had significantly more depressive (OR = 5.24, 95% CI = 2.54, 10.79, p < 0.001) and anxiety symptoms (OR = 5.02, 95% CI = 2.13, 11.83, p < 0.001).

CONCLUSIONS

This study reveals three distinct sleep patterns in nursing home residents and their significant associations with residents' mental health. These findings can inform future research to develop appropriate and tailored intervention strategies for improving sleep and promoting mental health for nursing home residents.

The Role of Cognitive Complaints in the Relationship Between Trait Anxiety, Depressive Symptoms, and Subjective Well-Being and Ill-Being in Adult Community Volunteers

PURPOSE

Trait anxiety, depressive symptoms, and cognitive complaints affect mental health. The mediating role of cognitive complaints has been reported recently. However, the mediating effects of cognitive complaints in the relationships between trait anxiety, depressive symptoms, and subjective well-being (SWB) and ill-being (SIB) remain unknown. Therefore, we used path analyses to investigate these mediating effects.

MATERIALS AND METHODS

A total of 554 adult community volunteers in Japan were studied using the State-Trait Anxiety Inventory (Form Y), Patient Health Questionnaire-9, Cognitive Complaints in Bipolar Disorder Rating Assessment, and Subjective Well-Being Inventory. These assessment tools evaluated trait anxiety, depressive symptoms, cognitive complaints, SWB, and SIB. Path analyses were performed in this study.

RESULTS

Path analyses revealed that there were significant indirect effects, via cognitive complaints, of trait anxiety and depressive symptoms on SIB. However, there were no significant indirect effects of trait anxiety and depressive symptoms on SWB. There were significant indirect effects, via depressive symptoms, of trait anxiety on cognitive complaints, SWB, and SIB.

CONCLUSION

The role of cognitive complaints may be different between SWB and SIB associated with trait anxiety and depressive symptoms. Evaluating the mediating effect of cognitive complaints may be more useful on SIB than SWB associated with trait anxiety and depressive symptoms. These findings may be useful when considering intervention targets in mental health.

Lifelong learning in active ageing discourse: its conserving effect on wellbeing, health and vulnerability

The Active Ageing Framework has been adapted as a global strategy in ageing policies, practices and research over the last decade. Lifelong learning, however, has not been fully integrated into this discourse. Using survey data provided by 416 adults (aged 60 years and above) enrolled in non-formal general-interest courses in a public continuing education programme in Canada, this study examined the association between older adults’ duration of participation in the courses and their level of psychological wellbeing, while taking their age, gender, self-rated health and vulnerability level into consideration. An analytical framework was developed based on the literature of old-age vulnerabilities and the benefits of lifelong learning. Two logistic regression and trend analyses were conducted. The results indicate that older adults’ participation is independently and positively associated with their psychological wellbeing, even among those typically classified as ‘vulnerable’. This result provides additional evidence that suggests the continuous participation in non-formal lifelong learning may help sustain older adults’ psychological wellbeing. It provides older learners, even those who are most vulnerable, with a compensatory strategy to strengthen their reserve capacities, allowing them to be autonomous and fulfilled in their everyday life. The result of this study highlights the value of the strategic and unequivocal promotion of community-based non-formal lifelong learning opportunities for developing inclusive, equitable and caring active ageing societies.

Self-Reported Sitting Time, Physical Activity and Fibrinolytic and Other Novel Cardio-Metabolic Biomarkers in Active Swedish Seniors

Background

Too much sitting is linked with an increased risk of cardiovascular disease and mortality. The mediating mechanisms for these associations are largely unknown, however dysregulated fibrinolysis have emerged as a possible contributor.

Objective

We examined the associations of self-reported overall sitting time and physical activity with fibrinolytic and other novel cardio-metabolic biomarkers in older adults.

Materials and Methods

Data was analysed for 364 participants (74±7 yrs) of the Active Seniors group (retired, living independently in their own homes). Linear regression analyses examined associations of categories of categories of sitting time (≤3, 3–6, >6 hrs/day) and overall physical activity (Low, Moderate and High) with biomarkers in serum or plasma, adjusting for age, gender and smoking (with further adjustment for either overall physical activity or sitting time and BMI in secondary analyses).

Results

Compared to sitting ≤ 3 hrs/day, sitting >6 hrs/day was associated with higher tissue plasminogen activator (tPA) and tissue plasminogen activator/plasminogen activator inhibitor-1 complex (tPA-PAI-1 complex). These associations were not independent of overall physical activity or BMI. Compared to those in the high physical activity, low physical activity was associated with a higher BMI, high-sensitivity C-reactive protein (hs-CRP) and tPA-PAI-1 complex levels. Only the associations of BMI and hs-CRP were independent of sitting time.

Conclusions

These findings provide preliminary cross-sectional evidence for the relationships of sitting time with fibrinolytic markers in older adults. They also reinforce the importance of regular physical activity for cardio-metabolic health.

Evolving Evidence for the Value of Neuroimaging Methods and Biological Markers in Subjects Categorized with Subjective Cognitive Decline

There is evolving evidence that individuals categorized with subjective cognitive decline (SCD) are potentially at higher risk for developing objective and progressive cognitive impairment compared to cognitively healthy individuals without apparent subjective complaints. Interestingly, SCD, during advancing preclinical Alzheimer's disease (AD), may denote very early, subtle cognitive decline that cannot be identified using established standardized tests of cognitive performance. The substantial heterogeneity of existing SCD-related research data has led the Subjective Cognitive Decline Initiative (SCD-I) to accomplish an international consensus on the definition of a conceptual research framework on SCD in preclinical AD. In the area of biological markers, the cerebrospinal fluid signature of AD has been reported to be more prevalent in subjects with SCD compared to healthy controls; moreover, there is a pronounced atrophy, as demonstrated by magnetic resonance imaging, and an increased hypometabolism, as revealed by positron emission tomography, in characteristic brain regions affected by AD. In addition, SCD individuals carrying an apolipoprotein ɛ4 allele are more likely to display AD-phenotypic alterations. The urgent requirement to detect and diagnose AD as early as possible has led to the critical examination of the diagnostic power of biological markers, neurophysiology, and neuroimaging methods for AD-related risk and clinical progression in individuals defined with SCD. Observational studies on the predictive value of SCD for developing AD may potentially be of practical value, and an evidence-based, validated, qualified, and fully operationalized concept may inform clinical diagnostic practice and guide earlier designs in future therapy trials.

Renal function is a determinant of subjective well-being in active seniors but not in patients with subjective memory complaints

BACKGROUND

During our whole life span, factors influencing health and functioning are accumulated. In chronic kidney disease, quality of life is adversely affected. We hypothesized that biomarkers of renal function could also be determinants of subjective well-being (SWB) in Swedish elderly subjects. SWB was assessed by the Psychological General Well-Being index (PGWB index) in two study groups: Active seniors (AS) consisted of community-dwelling elderly Swedes leading an active life (n = 389), and the DGM cohort (n = 300) consisted of subjects referred to the Memory Unit at the Department of Geriatrics for memory problems, Serum creatinine, cystatin C, and eGFR (CKD-EPI) were used as biomarkers of renal function.

RESULTS

There were no significant differences in cystatin C and eGFR values between the two cohorts: cystatin C medians 0.88 vs 0.86 mg/L and eGFR 73 vs 80 mL/min/1.73 m2 (AS vs DGM). In the AS cohort cystatin C was negatively related to PGWB index in women (P < 0.001, R2 ≈ 5%), and the covariates age and BMI did not improve the models. The renal biomarkers were unrelated to the PGWB index in the DGM cohort. Cystatin C in the AS cohort was adversely related to the PGWB subdimensions anxiety, depressed mood, positive well-being, and vitality in women, but in men only to depressed mood (P < 0.006; R2 ≈ 6%). In the DGM cohort, depressed mood in men was also significantly related to cystatin C (P = 0.050), but not in women.

CONCLUSIONS

Renal function even within the normal range, measured by serum cystatin C concentration, has significant and sex specific associations with subjective well-being and its subdimensions in healthy elderly subjects. Maintenance of good renal function in aging may be of importance in maintaining a high subjective well-being.

Subjective well-being in Swedish active seniors and its relationship with physical activity and commonly available biomarkers

BACKGROUND

Physical activity is claimed to be related to well-being and to a lower risk of cardiovascular disease. Therefore, the possible associations of well-being with physical activity and biomarkers of somatic health were studied in a sample of Swedish active seniors to determine the strength of these associations.

METHODS

Three hundred and eighty-nine community-dwelling senior citizens (127 men and 262 women) of mean age 74 ± 5 years were recruited for this cross-sectional population study. Serum samples were analyzed for lipoproteins and markers of inflammation. The Psychological General Well-Being (PGWB) index was used to measure subjective well-being. Physical activity was assessed by the International Physical Activity Questionnaire modified for the elderly.

RESULTS

More than 50% of men and women rated their physical activity as high; in the women, there was a significant difference between the age groups (younger and older than the median age [median =74.1 years], respectively). The mean PGWB index indicates a high degree of subjective well-being in this group of Swedish seniors. Of the PGWB subdimensions, general health had the strongest positive relationship with physical activity (r (2)=5.4%). For the subdimensions of depressed mood, positive well-being, vitality, and PGWB index, physical activity had an r (2) ≤ 4%, while the contributions of sex, age, and biomarkers were minor.

CONCLUSION

We have estimated the contribution of physical activity to the variance of subjective well-being in active seniors. Physical activity appears to play a greater role as a determinant of subjective well-being than do biomarkers of somatic health, especially in females, but most of the variance remained unaccounted for by the studied variables.