Impact of COVID-19 on mobility and participation of older adults living in Hamilton, Ontario, Canada: a multimethod cohort design protocol

Exploring Distress and Occupational Participation Among Older Canadians During the COVID-19 Pandemic

Background. The coronavirus disease 2019 (COVID-19) pandemic disrupted daily life with corresponding implications on levels of distress. Purpose. To describe factors associated with high distress among community-dwelling older adults during the first lockdown and explore how occupational participation was managed. Methods. A mixed methods design whereby multivariate regression analysis of a survey (N = 263) identified factors associated with high distress, as per the Impact of Events of Scale-Revised (IES-R). Follow-up interviews with a sub-sample of those surveyed who reflected a range of IES-R scores were conducted (N = 32). Findings. Those with lower resilience and anxiety/depression had 6.84 and 4.09 greater odds respectively of high distress. From the interviews, the main theme, "Lost and Found," and subthemes (Interruption and Disruption; Surving, not Thriving; Moving Forward, Finding Meaning) highlighted the process and corresponding stages, including adaptive strategies, by which participants navigated changes in their occupational participation. Implications. While the results suggest that many older adults, including those with high distress, were able to manage daily life under lockdown, some experienced ongoing challenges in doing so. Future studies should focus on those who experienced or who are at-higher risk for such challenges to identify supports that mitigate adverse consequences if another event of this magnitude occurs again.

Loneliness and resilience are associated with nutrition risk after the first wave of COVID-19 in community-dwelling older Canadians

Nutrition risk is linked to hospitalization, frailty, depression, and death. Loneliness during the coronavirus disease 2019 (COVID-19) pandemic may have heightened nutrition risk. We sought to determine prevalence of high nutrition risk and whether loneliness, mental health, and assistance with meal preparation/delivery were associated with risk in community-dwelling older adults (65+ years) after the first wave of COVID-19 in association analyses and when adjusting for meaningful covariates. Data were collected from 12 May 2020 to 19 August 2020. Descriptive statistics, association analyses, and linear regression analyses were conducted. For our total sample of 272 participants (78 ± 7.3 years old, 70% female), the median Seniors in the Community: Risk evaluation for Eating and Nutrition (SCREEN-8) score (nutrition risk) was 35 [1st quartile, 3rd quartile: 29, 40], and 64% were at high risk (SCREEN-8 < 38). Fifteen percent felt lonely two or more days a week. Loneliness and meal assistance were associated with high nutrition risk in association analyses. In multivariable analyses adjusting for other lifestyle factors, loneliness was negatively associated with SCREEN-8 scores (-2.92, 95% confidence interval [-5.51, -0.34]), as was smoking (-3.63, [-7.07, -0.19]). Higher SCREEN-8 scores were associated with higher education (2.71, [0.76, 4.66]), living with others (3.17, [1.35, 4.99]), higher self-reported health (0.11, [0.05, 0.16]), and resilience (1.28, [0.04, 2.52]). Loneliness, but not mental health and meal assistance, was associated with nutrition risk in older adults after the first wave of COVID-19. Future research should consider longitudinal associations among loneliness, resilience, and nutrition.

Factors Influencing Mobility During the COVID-19 Pandemic in Community-Dwelling Older Adults

OBJECTIVE

To describe and identify factors influencing mobility among older adults during the first 5 months of the COVID-19 pandemic.

DESIGN

A cross-sectional telesurvey.

SETTING

Community dwelling older adults, situated within the first 5 months of the COVID-19 pandemic, in Hamilton, Canada.

PARTICIPANTS

A random sample of 2343 older adults were approached to be in the study, of which 247 completed the survey (N=247). Eligible participants were aged ≥65 years.

INTERVENTIONS

Not applicable.

MAIN OUTCOME MEASURES

Mobility was measured using global rating of change items and the Late Life Function Instrument (LLFI). Multivariate linear regression models were used to examine the association between mobility and related factors based on Webber's model.

RESULTS

247 older adults (29% male, mean age 78±7.3 years) completed surveys between May and August 2020. Respectively, 26%, 10%, and 9%, rated their ability to engage in physical activity, housework, and move around their home as worse compared with the start of the pandemic. The mean LLFI score was 60.9±13.4. In the model, walking volume (β=0.03 95% confidence interval 0.013, 0.047), fall history (β=-0.04, 95% confidence interval -0.08, -0.04), male sex (β=0.06, 95% confidence interval 0.02, 0.09), unpleasant neighborhood (β=-0.06, 95% confidence interval -0.11, -0.02), musculoskeletal pain (β=-0.07, 95% confidence interval -0.11, -0.03), and self-reported health (β=0.08, 95% confidence interval 0.03, 0.13) had the strongest associations with LLFI scores and explained 64% of the variance in the LLFI score.

CONCLUSIONS

Physical and environmental factors may help explain poorer mobility during lockdowns. Future research should examine these associations longitudinally to see if factors remain consistent over time and could be targeted for rehabilitation.

Participation Among Community-Dwelling Older Adults During the COVID-19 Pandemic: A Cross-Sectional Analysis

OBJECTIVE

Participation in life situations is a critical aspect of health recognized by the World Health Organization. Guidelines to prevent spreading of COVID-19 place older adults at risk of worsening participation. The purpose of this study was to identify the factors associated with participation during the COVID-19 pandemic among community-dwelling older adults living in Hamilton, Ontario, Canada.

METHODS

Participants were recruited from identified census dissemination areas in Hamilton. Participants completed surveys either by phone or online during the months of May to August 2020. Measures were organized into factors related to body functions and structures, activities, participation, as well as personal and environmental contextual factors using the International Classification of Functioning, Disability, and Health (ICF) framework. Multivariable regression analysis was conducted to identify factors associated with participation as measured by the Late-Life Disability Instrument's (LLDI) frequency and limitations scales.

RESULTS

A total of 272 older adults completed the survey (78 [7.3] years; 70% female). Use of a walking aid, driving status, perceived mental health status, nutrition risk, and physical function explained 48.2% of the variance observed in the LLDI-frequency scale scores. Use of a walking aid, driving status, perceived mental health status, receiving health assistance, and physical function explained 38.5% of the variance observed in the LLDI-limitation scale scores.

CONCLUSION

Results highlighted factors across multiple ICF domains that are associated with participation restriction among a sample of community-dwelling older adults during the pandemic. Participation during the pandemic was greatest in those that were able to walk without needing to use a walking aid, being a licensed and current driver, perceiving good to excellent mental health, and having greater physical function.

IMPACT

Our findings contribute to the literature on older adult participation during lockdowns, restrictions, pandemics, and/or other similar circumstances.

People with COPD have greater participation restrictions than age-matched older adults without respiratory conditions assessed during the COVID-19 pandemic

BACKGROUND

Participation restriction has detrimental effects for older adults but it is unknown how participation differs for people with chronic obstructive pulmonary disease (COPD) compared to older adults of the same age without respiratory conditions. We compared scores on the Late Life Disability Instrument (LLDI) between people with COPD (study group) and a random sample of older adults (control group).

METHODS

Participants with COPD (study group) were recruited from two hospitals in Ontario and age- and sex-matched with a ratio of 1:2 with participants from a random sample of community-dwelling older adults who did not report having respiratory conditions (control group). The study group completed the LLDI prior to the COVID-19 pandemic and the control group completed the LLDI at the end of the first wave of the pandemic. LLDI frequency and limitation scores were compared between groups using Wilcoxon rank-sum tests.

RESULTS

Forty-six study group participants (mean age 74.2 (SD 5.5) years) and 92 control group participants (mean age 74.4 (SD 5.4) years) were included. Fifty-four percent of the participants were female. The majority of the study group had severe COPD (median forced expiratory volume in one second of 34.5 (25th-75th percentile 27.0-56.0) % predicted). LLDI sores were lower for the study group compared to the control group for both the frequency (median difference -5.4 points, p<0.001) and limitation (median difference -7.6 points, p<0.001) domains. The personal subscale demonstrated the largest magnitude of difference between groups (median difference -13.4 points) and the social subscale demonstrated the smallest magnitude of difference (-5.2 points).

CONCLUSION

People with COPD had greater participation restrictions than a random sample of older adults without ongoing respiratory conditions. The differences seen in participation between the two groups may have been reduced due to temporal confounding from the COVID-19 pandemic. While participation is relevant to all older adults, our results suggest that it is especially important that it be assessed in those with COPD.

Impact of the COVID-19 pandemic on community-dwelling older adults: A longitudinal qualitative study of participants from the Hertfordshire Cohort Study

BACKGROUND

Older adults have been especially vulnerable to adverse effects from the COVID-19 pandemic including higher mortality and more severe disease complications. At the same time, social isolation, malnutrition and physical inactivity are serious concerns among older adults. The pandemic and associated restrictions may serve to exacerbate these issues, presenting increased risks to physical and mental health. The aims of this qualitative study were: i) to explore how community-living older people in the UK experienced the first wave of the COVID-19 pandemic, specifically how it impacted their well-being and associated health behaviours; ii) to explore how older people's experiences and behaviours changed over time throughout the first wave.

METHODS

Qualitative data were collected by conducting serial telephone interviews, with an interval of approximately three months. Participants were from the Hertfordshire Cohort Study, all aged over 80 years. Discussions were audio-recorded, information related to the COVID-19 pandemic was transcribed verbatim and transcripts analysed thematically. Interviews were conducted from March to October 2020.

RESULTS

Data for twelve participants (7 men and 5 women) from a total of 35 interviews were used, comprising two or three timepoints per participant. Analysis identified five overarching themes: 1) shopping strategies and food accessibility, 2) limitations on activities and going out, 3) disruption to healthcare, 4) social and psychological repercussions, and 5) coping strategies. Findings highlight challenges associated with accessing shops, healthcare, and usual activities due to pandemic-related restrictions. Longitudinal findings showed that for some, the ongoing pandemic and related restrictions appeared to aggravate mental health issues (low mood, anxiety) over time, as well as greater feelings of isolation or loneliness, reduced activity and functional limitations; this was despite some relaxation of restrictions later on. Coping strategies used by participants included finding ways to keep busy and to do physical activity safely, maintaining social contact remotely, and having an optimistic or positive outlook, a 'do what you can' attitude.

CONCLUSIONS

Interventions are likely to be needed in the wake of the COVID-19 pandemic to support health behaviours, such as increasing physical activity, social engagement and improving mental health among community-living older adults.