Current research on alexithymia in elderly people in nursing institutions: a scoping review

To describe and analyze the research status of alexithymia in elderly people in nursing institutions,and summarizes the existing research results and shortcomings.The literature in PubMed,CochraneLibrary,Web of Science,EBSCO,Proquest,Scopus,Sinomed,CNKI,WanFang,VIP was computer searched,and the time frame was build to October 30,2023.A total of 15 articles were included,comprising 10 in Chinese and 5 in English.Among them,14 articles were cross-sectional studies reporting the prevalence and influencing factors of communication disorders in elderly people residing in nursing homes.A total of three assessment tools were used.Additionally,three articles described preventive or intervention measures targeting alexithymia.Alexithymia has a high incidence and severity among elderly individuals in nursing institutions.Currently,there are only a few assessment tools available,and experimental studies are notably scarce.Future research should focus on enhancing the understanding of alexithymia in this population by developing and validating more comprehensive assessment tools,diversifying research methodologies,and conducting intervention studies that consider the various influencing factors.

Application of horticulture therapy as a health intervention for elderly people in nursing homes:a scoping review

Objective:To review the scope of interventional studies on horticultural therapy(HT)applied to elderly people in nursing institutions to support the efficient implementation of HT among this target group.Methods:In accordance with the scoping review framework proposed by the Joanna Briggs Institute(JBI),the Pub Med,JSTOR,Web of Science,CNKI,and Wanfang databases were searched.Data from the retrieved literature were summarized and analyzed.Results:In all,18 studies were included in this review.The target population groups of interventions included self-supporting elderly people,cognitively impaired elderly people,elderly people with negative emotions,and elderly people with frailty living in nursing institutions.HT interventions,including planting,craft activities,derivative activities,and outdoor viewing activities,are implemented indoors,outdoors,or in mixed settings.The most common duration of the intervention was 8 weeks,the most common frequency was once per week,and the most common session duration was 60 min.Conclusions:The measurements used in HT interventions included assessments of physical,psycho-mental,and social health;quality of life;and activity effects.Future studies should include partially dependent groups and completely dependent groups of elderly individuals,interventions that last at least 6 months,scientifically designed activity intensity and safety-guarantee plans,and outcomeevaluation indicators such as compliance and intervention benefits.

Public Square Dancing Intervention on Subjective Well-Being of Middle-Aged and Elderly People:A Meta-Analysis

Objective:To understand the influence of public square dancing on the subjective well-being of middle-aged and elderly people.Methods:According to the principle of Preferred Reporting Items for Systematic Reviews and Meta-Analyses(PRISMA)guidelines,we search Chinese databases,such as CNKI,Wanfang Data,and VIP,and English databases,such as Proquest,Web of Science,Pubmed,Cochrane,and ScienceDirect,and collect relevant articles at home and abroad from 2006 to December 2019 for meta-analysis in January 2020.Result:A total of 10 articles were included.The meta-analysis results showed that the well-being of middle-aged and elderly people in the public square dancing intervention group was significantly higher than that of the other exercise group and control group(both P<0.01).The results of the subgroup analysis showed the following:Different durations of intervention significantly influence the intervention effect(P<0.01).No difference was found between the effect of the mixed-gender intervention and the individual female intervention(P>0.05).No significant difference was found between the groups with weekly intervention frequency(P>0.05).Conclusion:Public square dancing intervention is effective for middle-aged and elderly people’s subjective well-being.Neither mixed intervention nor the times of weekly intervention have an impact on the intervention effect.However,the length of duration of intervention influences the intervention effect.

Correlation between psychological traits and the use of smart medical services in young and middle-aged adults: An observational study

BACKGROUND Psychological problems affect economic development.However,there is a huge gap between mental health service resources and mental health service needs.Existing mental health service technology and platforms cannot meet all the diverse mental health needs of people.Smart medicine is a new medical system based online that can effectively improve the quality and efficiency of medical services and make mental health services accessible.AIM To explore the level of intelligent medical use among young and middle-aged people and its correlation with psychological factors.METHODS Convenience sampling was used to select 200 young and middle-aged patients with medical experience at the Third People's Hospital of Chengdu between January 2022 and January 2023 as the research subjects.The general condition Questionnaire,Eysenck Personality Questionnaire,Symptom Checklist-90,General Health Questionnaire,and Smart Medical Service Use Intention Questionnaire were used to collect data.Pearson’s correlation was used to analyze the correlation between the participants’willingness to use smart medical services and their personality characteristics,psychological symptoms,and mental health.RESULTS The results revealed that the mental health of young and middle-aged people was poor,and some had psycho-logical problems such as anxiety,depression,and physical discomfort.Familiarity,acceptance,and usage of smart healthcare in this population are at a medium level,and these levels correlate with psychological characteristics.Acceptance was positively correlated with E,and negatively correlated with P,anxiety,fear,anxiety/insomnia,and social dysfunction.The degree of use was negatively correlated with P,obsessive-compulsive symptoms,depression,anxiety,hostility,paranoia,and somatic symptoms.CONCLUSION The familiarity,acceptance,and usage of smart medical services among the middle-aged and young groups are related to various psychological characteristics.

Effectiveness and safety of subthreshold vibration over suprathreshold vibration in treatment of muscle fatigue in elderly people

Muscle fatigue is common in many populations,particularly elderlies.Aging increases the incidence of muscle fatigue and delays its recovery.There is a huge debate about the current treatments for muscle fatigue,particularly in elderlies.Recently,it has been discovered that mechanoreceptors have an important role as a sensory system in sensing muscle fatigue which could enhance the body's response to muscle fatigue.The function of mechanoreceptors could be enhanced by applying either suprathreshold or subthreshold vibration.Although suprathreshold vibration improves muscle fatigue,it can cause desensitization of cutaneous receptors,discomfort,and paresthesia,which are barriers to clinical use.Subthreshold vibration has been approved as a safe and effective method of training for mechanoreceptors;however,its use and effectiveness in muscle fatigue have never been tested or explained.Possible physiological effects of subthreshold vibration in the treatment of muscle fatigue include:(1)Enhancing the function of mechanoreceptors themselves;(2)Increasing the firing rate and function of alpha motor neurons;(3)Increasing blood flow to fatigued muscles;(4)Decreasing the rate of muscle cell death in elderlies(sarcopenia);and(5)Driving motor commands and allow better performance of muscles to decrease fatigue incidence.In conclusion,the use of subthreshold vibration could be a safe and effective treatment for muscle fatigue in elderlies.It could enhance recovery from muscle fatigue.Finally,Subthreshold Vibration is safe and effective in treating muscle fatigue in comparison to suprathreshold vibration.

Relationship between Waist Circumference, Waist-Height Ratio, Body Fat Percentage, Visceral Fat and Bone Mineral Density in Middle-Aged and Elderly Zhuang of China

Objective: To understand the correlation between different degrees of obesity and bone mineral density (BMD). Methods: 772 cases (300 men and 472 females) of Zhuang over 40 years old were randomly selected. The BMD and T score were calculated by measuring the right heel bone using a quantitative-ultrasound densitometer. Body composition index of body weight, waist circumference (WC), waist height ratio (WtHR), body fat percentage (BFP) and visceral fat (VF) were measured using a bioelectrical impedance method. Results: The BMI, WC, and WtHR of the male osteoporosis group were lower than those of the normal bone mass (NBM) group (P Conclusion: BMI is positively correlated with BMD in Zhuang. BFP has a greater correlation with female BMD, and a small reduction in BFP can result in a significant decrease in BMD. BMD of male was positively correlated with abdominal obesity indicators (WC, WtHR, VF). However, abdominal obesity has no obvious effect on the promotion of BMD in women, and increased WtHR can lead to a decrease in BMD. Zhuang can appropriately increase the amount of fat within the normal weight range. At the same time, reasonable exercise and balanced nutrition to avoid excessive obesity or low body weight can reduce the incidence of osteoporosis and osteoporosis fractures.

Research progress on the health status and community management service needs of mobile elderly people

The health status of the floating elderly population and the need of community management services are complex and important problems.Owing to the change of living environment and the insecure medical care,the mobile elderly people have more health and psy-chological problems compared to the rest of the elderly population.Therefore,the community should take a variety of measures to meet their needs and help them to better adapt to the new living environment,and maintain their physical and mental health.This paper aims to summarize recent studies on the physical and emotional health problems of mobile elderly people and related community management service needs.

Associations of short-term ambient temperature exposure with lung function in middle-aged and elderly people:A longitudinal study in China

The short-term associations of ambient temperature exposure with lung function in middle-aged and elderly Chinese remain obscure.The study included 19,128 participants from the Dongfeng-Tongji cohort's first(2013)and second(2018)follow-ups.The lung function for each subject was determined between April and December 2013 and re-assessed in 2018,with three parameters(forced vital capacity[FVC],forced expiratory volume in 1 s[FEV1],and peak expiratory flow[PEF])selected.The China Meteorological Data Sharing Service Center provided temperature data during the study period.In the two follow-ups,a total of 25,511 records(average age:first,64.57;second,65.80)were evaluated,including 10,604 males(41.57%).The inversely J-shaped associations between moving average temperatures(lag01–lag07)and FVC,FEV1,and PEF were observed,and the optimum temperatures at lag04 were 16.5C,18.7C,and 16.2C,respectively.At lag04,every 1C increase in temperature was associated with 14.07 mL,9.78 mL,and 62.72 mL/s increase in FVC,FEV1,and PEF in the lowtemperature zone(<the optimum temperatures),whereas 5.72 mL,2.01 mL,and 11.64 mL/s decrease in the high-temperature zone(the optimum temperatures),respectively(all P<0.05).We observed significant effect modifications of gender,age,body mass index,body surface area,smoking status,drinking status,and physical activity on the associations(all Pmodification<0.05).Non-optimal temperatures may cause lung function decline.Several individual characters and lifestyles have effect modification on the temperature effects.

The Relationship between Mental Health Literacy and Subjective Well-Being of Young and Middle-Aged Residents: Perceived the Mediating Role of Social Support and Its Urban-Rural Differences

This study investigates mental health literacy among young and middle-aged urban and rural residents and the differences in mental health literacy,perceived social support and subjective well-being.From January to February 2022,620 participants(320 rural and 300 urban residents)from three provinces of China were selected by con-venience sampling.A general data questionnaire,mental health literacy scale,perceived social support scale and subjective well-being scale were administered.The mental health literacy scores of urban residents were 3.34±0.57 and those of rural residents were 2.73±0.79.The results of multiple regression analysis showed that the mental health literacy scores of rural residents were more significant than those of urban residents in terms of sex and age,while urban residents’mental health literacy scores were more significant than those of rural resi-dents in terms of monthly income.Mental health literacy,perceived social support and subjective well-being of young and middle-aged urban and rural residents were all positively correlated(P<0.01).While the level of mental health literacy is better among urban residents than rural residents,perceived social support plays a partial mediating role between mental health literacy and subjective well-being of both urban and rural residents,and should be the focus of researchers seeking to improve the level of well-being of residents.

Metabolic Disorders Increase the Risk to Incident Cardiovascular Disease in Middle-aged and Elderly Chinese

Objective The association of metabolic syndrome （MetS） with cardiovascular diseases （CVD） has not been adequately explored in middle-aged and elderly Chinese. This study aimed to investigate MetS＇ prevalence and its impact on the CVD incidence in this specific population group. Methods A data set of a community-based prospective cohort study was analyzed. A total of 2300 subjects aged 40-94 years were followed up for the CVD events. MetS defined according to the JCDCG criteria was assessed at baseline, and the middle-aged and elderly groups were classified by the WHO definition. Results As compared with the middle-aged group, the prevalence of MetS increased by 0.6 times （34.6% vs. 21.3%） and the incidence density of CVD increased by 4.9 times in the elderly group （52.3/1000 person-year vs. 8.9/1000 person-year）. Furthermore, the multivariate Cox regression revealed that the risk to CVD incidence was independently related to increased waist circumference in the middle-aged group （HR=2.23, P〈0.01） and to elevated blood glucose in the elderly group （HR=1.39, P〈O.01）. Conclusion MetS was highly prevalent in middle-aged and elderly Chinese. MetS significantly increased the risk to OdD incidence in the elderly. All individuals with metabolic disorders should receive active clinical care to reduce the incidence of CVD.

Utility of “loco-check,” self-checklist for “locomotive syndrome” as a tool for estimating the physical dysfunction of elderly people

Aim: A new concept of locomotive syndrome has been proposed by the Japanese Orthopaedic Association. The aim of this study is to clarify the utility of its self-checklist, “loco-check,” as a tool for estimating the physical dysfunction of elderly people. Methods: Subjects were 1124 community-dwelling Japanese people, 557 men and 567 women, aged 40-89 years. Information about the seven “loco-check” items was obtained from present inquiry sheets. Physical functions were examined by grip strength, knee extension strength, walking speed and one-leg standing time with open eyes. The averages of these test values, controlled for age and BMI, were compared between the “loco-check” (+) group and the “loco-check” (-) group. Also we examined about the trend of decline of physical function, together with SF36 physical function subscale score, as the number of the items chosen increased. Results: Adjusted average values of all four physical function examinations in the “lococheck” (+) group were significantly lower than those of the “loco-check” (-) group (all, p . Also the adjusted average values of the majority of four tests were significantly lower in those who checked each of the “loco-check” items than those who did not, for most of the items. It was also revealed that the more items subjects checked, the lower the adjusted average values were, except for one-leg standing time. It was also the case with SF36 physical function subscale score. Conclusion: We showed the utility of “loco-check” as a simple tool not only for noticing the physical dysfunction of elderly people, but also for estimating the extent of it, except for balancing ability, particularly by counting the number of checked items.

Can statins reduce risk of lung cancer,especially among elderly people? A meta-analysis

Objective： As the most common cause of cancer mortality throughout the world, lung cancer has drawn people＇s attention on how to reduce the risk with chemopreventive ways. Many epidemiological studies have shown inconsistent effects of statins on lung cancer, but some observational studies have showed that statins had protective effect on lung cancer among elderly people. So we preformed this meta-analysis to find whether statins were chemopreventive. Methods： We searched MEDLINE, EMBASE and Web of Science databases from inception to September, 2013. A total of 23 studies were selected, including 15 observational studies and 8 randomized controlled trials （RCTs）. Both fixed and random-effects models were used to calculate pooled estimates in primary and sensitivity analyses. We used Q and 12 statistics to assess statistical heterogeneity, and evaluated publication bias by Begg＇s test and Egger＇s test. Results： No association between statins and lung cancer risk was identified either in the meta-analysis among RCTs [relative risk （RR）： 0.95, 95% confidence interval （95% CI）： 0.85-1.06] or observational studies （RR： 0.89, 95% CI： 0.77-1.04）. We also selected 6 observational studies that all researched on elderly people. The result of meta-analysis showed that there was still no protective effect between statins and lung cancer among elderly people （RR： 1.03, 95% CI： 0.96-1.11）. Conclusions： Our results did not support a protective effect of statins on the overall lung cancer risk and the lung cancer risk among elderly people. More well-designed RCTs are needed to enhance our understanding of the chemopreventive effect of statins on lung cancer.

Quality of life and hope in elderly people with cancer

The aim of this study was to describe the charac-teristics in Quality of Life (QoL) and hope in eld-erly people newly diagnosed with cancer, and to compare the results for those who survived six months after diagnosis with those who did not. The design of the study was a quantitative study in-cluding drop-out analysis. Data were collected pro-spectively from a group of 101 older people with cancer. The core questionnaire EORTC QLQ-C30 was used to measure QoL and Nowotny’s Hope Scale (NHS) was employed to measure hope. Par-ticipants who died within six months of diagnosis had significantly lower QoL and had more com-plaints about symptoms compared to those who survived. However, hope did not differ significantly between those who died and those who survived. Despite lower QoL score among those who died they were able to deal with their difficult situation and maintain hope in late life. This capacity seems to be an important component of hope in the elderly;thus it is essential to strengthen hope.

Intelligent Video Surveillance System for Elderly People Living Alone Based on ODVS

Intelligent video surveillance for elderly people living alone using Omni-directional Vision Sensor (ODVS) is an important application in the field of intelligent video surveillance. In this paper, an ODVS is utilized to provide a 360° panoramic image for obtaining the real-time situation for the elderly at home. Some algorithms such as motion object detection, motion object tracking, posture detection, behavior analysis are used to implement elderly monitoring. For motion detection and object tracking, a method based on MHoEI(Motion History or Energy Images) is proposed to obtain the trajectory and the minimum bounding rectangle information for the elderly. The posture of the elderly is judged by the aspect ratio of the minimum bounding rectangle. And there are the different aspect ratios in accordance with the different distance between the object and ODVS. In order to obtain activity rhythm and detect variously behavioral abnormality for the elderly, a detection method is proposed using time, space, environment, posture and action to describe, analyze and judge the various behaviors of the elderly in the paper. In addition, the relationship between the panoramic image coordinates and the ground positions is acquired by using ODVS calibration. The experiment result shows that the above algorithm can meet elderly surveillance demand and has a higher recognizable rate.

Measuring the Cognitive Impact of Laughter on Elderly People with Mild Cognitive Impairment in Japan

Objective: To evaluate the effect of laughter on cognition in elderly with mild cognitive impairment (MCI) through an appropriately designed intervention. Methods: The intervention involved watching a Japanese comedy routine (Manzai) for approximately twenty minutes, once a week for ten weeks. Participants were asked to paint, as a simple exercise, in addition to watching the show. Twenty-seven patients with MCI from the convalescent ward of a general hospital in the Kansai region of Japan. We measured cognition by evaluating five cognitive function domains before (baseline) and after the intervention. We used the Wilcoxon signed rank test, a distribution-free method, to compare baseline and post-intervention data. Ethical Consideration: Participants were given a document explaining the study. Only those who officially agreed to participate were enrolled. Results: Mean age of patients was 85.0 ± 2.8 years;average education was 8.6 ± 2.8 years. Three cognitive function domains had significantly different average scores after the intervention: 1) Exercise: 44.4 ± 8.9 points at baseline, 36.3 ± 10.2 post-intervention (p = 0.014);2) Word memory: 40.6 ± 7.2 at baseline, 43.1 ± 8.8 post-intervention (p = 0.002);and 3) Animal name recollection: 35.3 ± 8.4 at baseline, 38.1 ± 9.0 post-intervention (p = 0.003). Discussion: The intervention led to significantly higher cognitive scores in exercise, word memory, and animal name recollection domains, suggesting that interventions focused on laughter and simple exercise may improve cognition in elderly patients with MCI.

Blood Glucose Sensor Systems for Elderly People

Electrochemical blood glucose sensors were developed with use of enzymes and an electron mediator.Electrodes were patterned on a resin plate,and a reagent layer containing an enzyme and an electron mediator was disposed on the electrodes in a dried state.A sample chamber to which the soluble reagent layer was exposed was assembled with the enzyme-loaded electrodes to hold a certain volume of blood in the sensor.The fabricated sensors enabled rapid and precise measurements of blood glucose of oneself.The sensor systems combined with the customized hand-held meter especially for the sensor were maintenance-free chiefly due to disposable sensors,and would be simple and easy enough to be operated by elderly people.

Optimization Strategies of Beijing Elderly Care Service Stations Based on Questionnaire Survey Method: A Case Study of Zhanlan Road Street of Xicheng District

4 elderly care service stations in Zhanlan Road Street,Xicheng District,Beijing are selected,and questionnaires are designed and distributed to the surrounding elderly population to understand their needs and satisfaction with the station environment.By observing elderly care service stations on site,the characteristics,obstacles,and shortcomings of the environment are recorded,and relevant data are collected and analyzed,such as the characteristics of the elderly population being interviewed,the planning and design data of the station environment,and the distribution of service facilities.The overall characteristics of the spatial environment of elderly care stations are summarized,and renovation measures and optimization suggestions are provided for the current shortcomings,thereby providing some basis for the spatial design of community elderly care service stations in the future.

Virtual Nursing Using Deep Belief Networks for Elderly People (DBN-EP)

The demand for better health services has resulted in the advancementof remote monitoring health, i.e., virtual nursing systems, to watch and supportthe elderly with innovative concepts such as being patient-centric, easier to use,and having smarter interactions and more accurate conclusions. While virtual nursing services attempt to provide consumers and medical practitioners with continuous medical and health monitoring services, access to allied healthcare expertssuch as nurses remains a challenge. In this research, we present Virtual NursingUsing Deep Belief Networks for Elderly People (DBN-EP), a new framework thatprovides a virtual nurse agent deployed on a senior citizen’s home, workplace, orcare centre to help manage their health condition on a continuous basis. Using thismethod, healthcare providers can assign various jobs to nurses by utilizing a general task definition mechanism, in which a task is defined as a combination ofmedical workflow, operational guidelines, and data gathered from a remotelymonitored virtual nursing system. Practitioners are in charge of DBN-EP andmake treatment decisions for patients. This allows a DBN-EP to act as a personalized full-time nurse for a client by carrying out practitioner support activitiesbased on information gathered about the client’s health. An electronic PersonalHealth Record (ePHR) system, such as a specialized web portal and mobile apps,could provide such patient information to elderly person family members and carecentres. We created a prototype system using a DBN-EP system that allows traditional client applications and healthcare provider systems to collaborate. Finally,we demonstrate how this system may benefit the elderly through a result anddebate.

Comparison of Factors Related to Elderly People’s Purpose of Life in Japan and Thailand

Purpose: In the present study, the features of “purpose of life” of elderly persons in Japan and Thailand are clarified by focusing on this concept and its related factors, and through the comparison of the results of Japan and Thailand. Methods: The Japanese subjects consist of the elderly aged 60 or older. The Thai subjects consist of the elderly aged 60 or older who live in Thailand. A sum of 250 subjects (men and women) per country will be studied. They were asked about their individual attribution and maintenance of healthy condition. Moreover, 19 items were examined as events leading to life purpose. These items were measured using the Philadelphia Geriatric Center Morale Scale, General Health Questionnaire (GHQ) and Instrumental Activities of Daily Living (IADL). Results: Data from 200 elderly people (male: 67, female: 133) in Thailand and 234 elderly people (male: 49, female: 185) in Japan were used in the analysis. Regarding an “Events Leading to Life Purpose,” it was suggested that “activities to enhance learning and culture” and “neighbors and friends, and socializing with acquaintances” helped both in Japan and Thailand. Moreover, “elderly persons’ club activities” and “child” were effective in Thailand, while “spouse” and “grandchild” were effective in Japan. Moreover, Model 1 (event, disease → purpose of life → mental health, and IADL) that became purpose of life for both countries was adopted. Conclusion: In order to improve older adults’ mental health and ADL by improving “purpose of life”, it is required to increase the events leading to life purpose and to prevent illness for both countries. In particular, “activities to enhance learning and culture” and “neighbors and friends, and socializing with acquaintances” was the activity which raises “purpose of life”. Then, “elderly persons’ club activities” and “child” were effective in Thailand, while “spouse” and “grandchild” were effective in Japan.

The Poverty Alleviation Model for the Solitary Elderly People in the Poor Mountainous Areas of Southwest China: Analysis of "Five Batches Project" in Xundian County

The solitary elderly people in rural areas are not only an important part of the rural population,but also an important issue that can not be ignored in the battle to get rid of poverty. In recent years,according to the working thinking of ' accurate statistics,scientific arrangement,classified implementation,and rapid progress',Xundian County has gone through joint exploration and practice at the county and township levels,and has found out the path of work of ' Five Batches Project' to solve the problem of poverty alleviation for the solitary elderly people and make them live in their own homes. This has effectively solved the problem of safe and stable housing for 4 443 solitary elderly people in the county. It has found a new way to solve the housing problem of the solitary elderly people. At the end of 2017,the incidence of poverty in the county dropped to 0. 35%,and it was successfully listed as one of the first counties in Yunnan Province to get rid of poverty. Based on field research and interviews,this paper analyzes and summarizes the concrete methods,main achievements,practical experience,lessons and reference of the poverty alleviation model of ' Five Batches Project' in Xundian County to solve the problem of housing for the elderly,in order to provide necessary reference for the poor counties in Yunnan Province and other similar provinces( cities,autonomous regions) to solve the problem of housing for ' solitary elderly people' in Yunnan Province.