Search Results (957)

Background: International policy increasingly recognises the importance of inclusive, community-based support for people living with dementia. Football, as a culturally significant sport, has the potential to reach older adults and communities disproportionately affected by health inequalities. The objectives of this review were to collate evidence on football-based dementia initiatives, including intervention format, delivery approaches, and reported outcomes. Methods: Seven databases (Sportdiscus, MEDLINE, Embase, Scopus, PsycINFO, CINAHL, and Web of Science) were searched for relevant peer-reviewed and grey literature from their inception to June 2025. The PICO framework was used to define eligibility criteria. Eligible studies described community-based football-themed or football-based programmes involving people living with dementia. Data were extracted on participant sample, intervention characteristics, and reported outcomes, and iteratively charted. Results: In total, 11 of the 1059 identified articles were included within this review. Initiatives were often delivered through professional football clubs and charitable foundations, with formats ranging from reminiscence therapy sessions to walking football. Common outcomes for participants included increased sociability, improved mood, enhanced communication, and a strengthened sense of identity and belonging. Some interventions also reported physical benefits, such as improved mobility. Carers highlighted respite opportunities, peer support, and enjoyment from seeing relatives more engaged. Despite positive reports, outcome measurement was inconsistent, and most studies were small-scale or descriptive pilot projects. Conclusions: Football-based dementia initiatives provide meaningful, culturally grounded opportunities for social inclusion and support. Their delivery through community clubs/organisations positions them well to address inequities in dementia care, particularly in areas of disadvantage. However, stronger evaluation methods are required to build a robust evidence base and guide sustainable implementation at scale. Full article

A correlation between the near-surface ozone concentration in the urban atmosphere and hospitalizations of community-acquired pneumonia patients has been analyzed based on a long-term (five years) series of observations in the warm season in Moscow, Russia. The study included hospitalization records for patients over 15 years old. One of the main goals was to reveal vulnerable groups of the urban population that react most strongly to increased ozone concentrations. It has been shown that increased near-surface ozone concentrations lead to increased hospitalizations. Older people (over 60 years old) are most sensitive to the negative impact of air pollution. Women in this age group are more sensitive to the effects of ozone air pollution than men. In the middle-aged group (31–60 years), the highest correlation between the number of community-acquired pneumonia cases and the ozone level in the atmospheric surface layer, conversely, was in men, but it was still lower than the rate in older people. The young people (15–30 years old) group turned out to be insensitive to the near-surface air pollution. Full article

Background: Aging is a complex process that involves various biological, psychological and social changes. Moreover, older people (≥65 years) are more susceptible to lower self-efficacy and social support, as well as deteriorating mental health. As the global population ages, there is a growing demand for evidence-based interventions tailored to address specific mental health problems, enhance social support and improve overall well-being. The aim of this study was to investigate the effectiveness of a seven-week mindfulness-based community intervention on mental health, self-efficacy and social support in older people. Methods: This quasi-experimental nonrandomized study included 257 participants who were divided into an intervention group and a comparison group that did not participate in the seven-week mindfulness-based community intervention and was not part of a waiting list. Assessments were conducted before the intervention began and 6 months after its completion. Results: The results revealed a significant reduction in depression in the intervention group (p < 0.001). Furthermore, the intervention led to a significant improvement in general self-efficacy, chronic disease self-management self-efficacy, physical activity and nutritional self-efficacy compared with the comparison group. Perceived social support increased within the intervention group; however, covariate adjusted between-group effects for social support were not statistically significant. Conclusions: Overall, the mindfulness-based community intervention was associated with improvements in current depressive symptoms and multiple self-efficacy domains at 6-month follow-up in older people in a community setting. Effects on perceived social support were less robust, and no statistically significant between-group differences were observed after adjustment for baseline covariates. The results of the present study show that this program leads to immediate health benefits in terms of mental health and self-efficacy in older people while contributing to the development of effective strategies for chronic disease self-management. Full article

Expanding longevity, together with a decrease in mortality, leads to an increase in the older population worldwide. In this review, ageing and older adults, as well as psychosocial and advanced technological interventions, will be discussed. Older adults are associated with an increased incidence of multimorbidity and disability; thus, they have a higher demand for health services than younger individuals. Challenges in welfare services and inadequate family and community-based care support negatively impact the psychosocial and economic wellbeing of older people. Active ageing and successful ageing are crucial aspects for a better quality of life in this age group, as there is a complex interplay of different domains and disease types that influence quality of life in older adults. Additionally, promoting the social participation of older adults is vital for improving their quality of life. Furthermore, the use of technology in older adults has a positive impact on their quality of life; however, aside from the promotion and implementation of technological interventions, challenges persist at all levels of acceptance and use. A better understanding of these challenges and implementing measures to overcome them will have a significant impact on the technological acceptance of older adults and their use in daily life activities, resulting in more favourable quality of life outcomes. Full article

Background: The time from mastication to swallowing is used as an indicator of masticatory and swallowing functions. However, there have been no reports on reasonable eating times associated with eating satisfaction. Clarifying the reasonable time for eating and drinking to achieve eating satisfaction will indicate the level of mastication and swallowing functions that contributes to maintaining an individual’s quality of life. Objective: This study aimed to determine the time from food intake to the end of swallowing that is associated with eating satisfaction. Methods: A cross-sectional survey of 437 community-dwelling older people was conducted. Mastication and swallowing times (SST-MST) were measured using the Saku-Saku Test with a 2 g rice cracker. Food intake difficulty and eating satisfaction were evaluated using a questionnaire. The association between the SST-MST and the difficulty in eating food or eating satisfaction was assessed by sensitivity, specificity, Youden index, sensitivity–specificity ratio, positive likelihood ratio, negative likelihood ratio, odds ratio, and 95% confidence interval. Results: Most indices indicated that a cutoff point of 25 s on the SST-MST was associated with not having difficulty in eating food items. Moreover, when the SST-MST cutoff was set to 25 s, all indices showed a favorable association with eating satisfaction. Conclusions: In community-dwelling older people in their 70s and 80s, an SST-MST of about 25 s for 2 g of rice crackers was modestly associated with eating satisfaction. Full article

Background: Maintaining physical activity (PA) is vital for older people, particularly those with frailty and mobility limitations. Wearable activity trackers and digital feedback tools show promise for encouraging PA, but their feasibility and acceptability in aged care remain underexplored. This study evaluated the feasibility and acceptability of using wearable and mobile devices for step tracking and examined the usability of three interfaces (Fitbit, mobile app, and website) for reviewing PA progress in aged care. Methods: This is a user experience and feasibility study that does not involve objective physical activity quantification or device performance analysis. It is a mixed-methods feasibility study conducted with 14 participants aged ≥65 years from residential and community aged care services in metropolitan and regional New South Wales, Australia. Participants used a Fitbit Inspire 3 linked to a study website and a mobile phone step-counting app to monitor their steps across the three interfaces for four weeks. Feasibility was evaluated through enrolment and retention, and acceptability through a facilitator-led survey. Quantitative items on usability, comfort, motivation and device preference were summarised descriptively; open-ended responses were analysed thematically to identify user experiences, benefits, and barriers. Results: Step tracking was feasible, with 82% enrolment and 93% retention. Participants preferred the Fitbit over the mobile phone or website due to its ease of use, visibility and more enjoyable experience. Step tracking increased awareness of PA and supported confidence to move more. Participants valued reminders, rewards and opportunities for social sharing. Reported barriers included illness, usability challenges and occasional technical issues. Conclusions: Wearable step trackers show promise for supporting PA among older people receiving aged care. Despite the small sample and short follow-up, strong acceptability signals suggest that simple digital tools could enhance the reach and sustainability of mobility-promoting interventions into aged care systems. Future studies should examine long-term adherence, usability across diverse mobility and cognitive needs, and conditions for successful scale-up. Full article

Practices with medical cyclotrons to produce PET radiopharmaceuticals in Latin America represent a technological advance for the diagnosis and treatment of diseases such as cancer, but they involve occupational risks due to exposure to ionizing radiation. This study evaluates the perception of risk in 46 radiopharmacy service workers in 13 countries in the region (Argentina, Bolivia, Brazil, Chile, Colombia, Costa Rica, Cuba, Ecuador, Mexico, Peru, Portugal, Dominican Republic and Venezuela), analyzing differences by gender and age. The questionnaire, validated by reliability analysis (Cronbach’s coefficient α > 0.7), was statistically analyzed with means, standard deviations (SD) and standard errors (SE), 95% confidence intervals (Student’s t-distribution), and coefficients of variation (CV) to assess the dispersion of each variable. The results reveal general underestimation in dimensions such as reversibility of consequences (SD = 0.7142, SE = 0.1053) and familiarity (SD = 0.8410, SE = 0.124), promoting complacency, while immediacy of consequences shows overestimation (SD = 0.9760, SE = 0.1439), amplifying anxiety. By gender, women tend to overestimate (e.g., immediacy = 2.5) and men underestimate (e.g., confidence = 1.78); by age, young people (26–45 years old) overestimate more than older people (≥46 years old). These deviations, with high QoL indicating heterogeneity, suggest interventions such as continuous training, real-time monitoring, and communication campaigns to balance perception. Practical recommendations include job rotations to reduce underestimation due to familiarity and simulations to mitigate emotional overestimation, which are aligned with IAEA regulations (GSR Part 3, SSG-46) to promote a sustainable safety culture. Full article

Previous studies have shown that religion and spirituality can provide resources to cope with aging and impact the well-being of older adults. However, whether religiosity and well-being are linked depends on how they are measured. Moreover, the size of statistically significant effects often remains small or even negligible. In Switzerland, two historical religious communities—Catholic and Protestant—have coexisted for centuries, providing an opportunity for exploring potential differences in religious practices of members of these two communities and their effects on well-being. Two populations were targeted: elderly people engaged in organized volunteering and elderly people receiving home care services. A total of 617 volunteers and 614 home care clients returned complete and valid questionnaires. In addition, semi-structured interviews were conducted with 43 volunteers and 35 home care clients to gain deeper insights into their experiences. Since the data were collected during the COVID-19 pandemic, we also explored how participants experienced the semi-lockdown restrictions. The results show that knowing religious affiliation is not sufficient to predict well-being. The degree of identification with the declared affiliation must also be taken into account. Differences between Protestants and Catholics can be highlighted, especially when considering religious practices in more detail. The impact of the pandemic on well-being is only moderately associated with religiosity. Full article

Background: Interpretation of cognitive performance in older patients with depression is challenging considering the association between late-life depression and (early-stage) neurodegenerative disease. The Montreal Cognitive Assessment (MoCA) is widely used to screen for mild cognitive impairment in community-dwelling older adults. Objective: The aim of the present study was to examine the need for and to develop dedicated MoCA norms for older people with depressive disorder. Methods: We used data from the Routine Outcome Monitoring for Geriatric Psychiatry & Science (ROM-GPS) study and the Advanced Neuropsychological Diagnostics Infrastructure (ANDI) database, which consisted of 859 patients with a depressive disorder according to DSM-5 criteria and 320 healthy controls, aged ≥60 years. Linear regression was used to examine the relationship between late-life depression and MoCA scores, adjusted for age, sex, and education. Results: The presence of a depressive disorder was associated with lower MoCA scores, and this effect was larger for persons with 12 years or less of education than for those with more education (B = −0.76 [95% CI −0.61; −0.91] vs. −0.53 [−0.36; −0.70]). Among depressed patients, depressive symptom severity was not associated with the MoCA score. Regression-based normative data for the MoCA were computed and adjusted for age, education, sex, and type of depressive disorder. Conclusions: Our findings demonstrate that depressive disorder, but not symptom severity within depression, is associated with lower MoCA scores. Clinical interpretation of MoCA scores in depressed older persons can be facilitated by using MoCA reference tables stratified by age, sex and level of education. Full article

The aim of this review was to harmonize major consensus statements (European Working Group on Sarcopenia in Older People 2; Asian Working Group for Sarcopenia 2019; Foundation for the National Institutes of Health Sarcopenia Project operational criteria) into a stage- and setting-stratified algorithm. It maps diagnostic strata to dose-defined resistance and combined training, integrates multimodal and technology-enabled options (whole-body electrical muscle stimulation, whole-body vibration, virtual reality, AI-assisted telerehabilitation) with safety cues, and embeds nutrition (≥1.2 g/kg/day protein, vitamin D, key micronutrients) and education to sustain adherence. Sarcopenia is a consequential geriatric syndrome linked to falls, loss of independence, hospitalization, mortality, and psychosocial burden, yet translation to practice is hindered by heterogeneous definitions, diagnostics, and treatment guidance. Literature searches via PubMed/MEDLINE, EBSCO, SciELO, and Google Scholar (January 2000 to August 2025) yielded 354 records; after screening and deduplication, 132 peer-reviewed studies were included. We summarize tools for screening, strength, muscle mass, and function (e.g., Sarcopenia Five-Item Questionnaire, grip strength, dual-energy X-ray absorptiometry, gait speed) and identify resistance exercise as the cornerstone, with aerobic, balance, and flexibility training adding functional and metabolic benefits. Clinic-ready tables and figures operationalize a stepwise program across primary to severe sarcopenia and across acute or iatrogenic to community settings. Early screening plus structured, exercise-centered care, augmented by targeted nutrition and education, offers pragmatic, scalable benefits. Full article

Understanding the economic and psychological values that people assign to threatened species is crucial for their effective protection. The long-tailed macaque (Macaca fascicularis) is an endangered primate currently threatened by habitat destruction, removal from the wild for scientific, commercial, and recreational purposes, and culling due to conflicts with local communities. We conducted on-site interviews with Maguindanao residents in the Philippines (n = 500) to explore the conservation value of the long-tailed macaque and to assess how cognition, emotion, and folklore influence willingness to pay (WTP). Participants showed pro-conservation attitudes and positive emotions toward the long-tailed macaque, had substantial knowledge about their behavior and biology, but did not believe in folklore traditions. An average annual WTP of PHP 46.9 was estimated for macaque conservation, amounting to PHP 10.5 million annually, based on the number of households in the study area. Conservation attitudes, emotions, and biological knowledge about the long-tailed macaque were positively linked to WTP for its preservation. Conversely, dominionistic worldviews were negatively associated with WTP. Younger participants, females, and those with higher incomes demonstrated a higher WTP than older participants, males, and those with lower incomes. These findings can aid in designing and implementing outreach campaigns to raise funds and educate local communities, thereby further improving their attitudes toward this endangered primate. Full article

Population ageing and rural depopulation are reshaping the social and spatial structure of many European regions, producing new forms of social risk and care dependency. This study examines how institutionalization among older adults reflects the broader dynamics of demographic decline, migration, and uneven territorial development. Using a qualitative design, semi-structured interviews and social network mapping (ecomaps) were conducted with residents of an urban elderly care facility in Romania. Guided by frameworks of social sustainability, social capital, and territorial resilience, the analysis explores how the erosion of informal networks and migration-driven care deficits affects the wellbeing and social inclusion of older people. Findings show that institutionalization operates both a consequence and as an indicator of depopulation and spatial inequality, highlighting the disconnection between aging populations and community-based care infrastructures. Yet, residents develop micro-level forms of resilience and relational stability within institutional life. The study concludes that sustainable territorial development must integrate care and ageing into regional planning, encouraging decentralized, community-based services that rebuild local networks and restore social cohesion. Full article

Aging has been a social phenomenon unprecedented in history, which poses greater challenges on ensuring the health of the growing old population. We aim to estimate the effects of pension income on the physical and mental health of the elderly and further explore the complementary effects of external community medical environments with external pension income. We develop a Regression Discontinuity Design using an exogenous shock to the income—China’s New Rural Pension Scheme (NRPS), the world’s largest existing pension scheme. We find that public pension policy provides financial support to the elderly but also increases the loss of their perceived controllability. Specifically, empirical results indicate that pension income plays a positive effect on physical health and a negative effect on mental health. The positive effect only exists when communities have better medical environments, while the negative relationship is not affected by the external medical environment. Our findings reveal that internal pension income and external medical environment are therefore complementary factors to achieve better physical health of the elderly, while passive dependence on pension income may reduce mental health by heightening older people’s negative perceptions of losing controllability of their lives. Money is not omnipotent in both the physical and mental health of the elderly. Full article

Pragmatics concerns how people use language and other expressive means, such as nonverbal and paralinguistic cues, to convey intended meaning in the context. Difficulties in pragmatics are common across distinct clinical conditions, motivating validated assessments such as the Assessment Battery for Communication (ABaCo); whether Large Language Models (LLMs) can serve as reliable coders remains uncertain. In this exploratory study, we used Generative Pre-trained Transformer (GPT)-4o as a rater on 2025 item × dimension units drawn from the responses given by 10 healthy older adults (M = 69.8) to selected ABaCo items. Expert human coders served as the reference standard to compare GPT-4o scores. Agreement metrics included exact agreement, Cohen’s κ, and a discrepancy audit by pragmatic act. Agreement was 89.1% with κ = 0.491. Errors were non-random across acts (χ²(12) = 69.4, p < 0.001). After Benjamini–Hochberg False Discovery Rate correction across 26 cells, only two categories remained significant: false positives concentrated in Command and false negatives in Deceit. Missing prosodic and gestural cues likely exacerbate command-specific failures. In conclusion, in text-only settings, GPT-4o can serve as a supervised second coder for healthy-aging assessments of pragmatic competence, under human oversight. Safe clinical deployment requires population-specific validation and multimodal inputs that recover nonverbal cues. Full article

Background/Objectives: Digital interventions are essential for dementia care, particularly for older and isolated populations, and provide valuable support for caregivers. This umbrella review aimed to evaluate the acceptability and barriers to implementing the use of digital tools for health monitoring and management in older people with dementia and/or their caregivers. Methods: The review included studies assessing acceptability factors and barriers related to technology use in these groups. A total of 612 studies were identified across three databases. After removing duplicates, 400 articles remained. Following title and abstract screening, thirty articles were selected for full-text evaluation and five met the eligibility criteria for inclusion in this review. These systematic reviews collectively covered 93 primary studies, encompassing 12 to 279 participants with dementia and 11 to 2761 caregivers. Results: Frequently reported factors included self-management support, information access, and enhanced communication, although these were not consistently addressed across all reviews. The most significant barrier was a lack of technical knowledge, which hindered effective use. This gap in knowledge could compromise self-management and potentially increase burden on caregivers. Conclusions: In conclusion, digital interventions offer significant benefits in addressing accessibility challenges and are generally well-received by people with dementia, their caregivers, and healthcare providers. However, addressing the lack of technological proficiency is crucial to ensuring these interventions are effective and do not inadvertently create additional challenges. Practical strategies should include tailored digital literacy training for older adults and caregivers, simplified user interfaces, and ongoing technical support to enhance engagement and long-term adherence. Full article