Building a Community for the Senior Citizens Using the Idea of Vertical Farms

Global population growth and urbanization have posed increasing threats to the ecological environment. In an aging society, high-density living spaces have resulted in intensifying housing concerns for urban senior citizens. Among the rapid urban development, addressing the demands of senior citizens for suitable living environments and enabling senior city dwellers to engage in diversified social interactions are concerns that necessitate public attention. This study introduced the idea of the “vertical farm” to the living environments of senior citizens. By integrating vegetation appreciation and physical labor, vertical farming allows senior citizens to experience joy and a sense of accomplishment. In addition, these farms can change the monotonous and gloomy exteriors of concrete buildings. By conducting in-depth interviews with 12 senior citizens residing in the Happiness Community in Taipei City, by building vertical farms, senior citizens can experience joy and a sense of achievement at the psychological level and communicate with families, friends and neighbors in the community at a social level. At the environmental level, comprehensive ecological communities can be achieved. We explored how promoting vertical farms in a living environment can affect senior citizens at the psychological, social and environmental levels. The results can be used to build vertical farms that accommodate the needs of senior citizen living environments.

Investigation on the Characteristics of the Senior Citizens' Activities in the Parks and Greenbelts——A Case Study of Nanjing City

From the perspective of senior citizens,questionnaire survey and field investigation were carried on and analyzed in three parks in Nanjing City.The results showed that outdoor activities are the principal ways for the senior citizens to spend their time,the parks near home is their prior choice,and the radiation range of the park and greenbelt mostly is no more than 2 km;most of the senior citizens come to parks on foot and the parks are always within 30 minutes walking distance;the senior citizens always have fixed partners and groups for their exercise-dominant activities.

Developing a nomogram for predicting the depression of senior citizens living alone while focusing on perceived social support

BACKGROUND Although the number of senior citizens living alone is increasing,only a few studies have identified factors related to the depression characteristics of senior citizens living alone by using epidemiological survey data that can represent a population group.AIM To evaluate prediction performance by building models for predicting the depression of senior citizens living alone that included subjective social isolation and perceived social support as well as personal characteristics such as age and drinking.METHODS This study analyzed 1558 senior citizens(695 males and 863 females)who were 60 years or older and completed an epidemiological survey representing the South Korean population.Depression,an outcome variable,was measured using the short form of the Korean version CES-D(short form of CES-D).RESULTS The prevalence of depression among the senior citizens living alone was 7.7%.The results of multiple logistic regression analysis showed that the experience of suicidal urge over the past year,subjective satisfaction with help from neighbors,subjective loneliness,age,and self-esteem were significantly related to the depression of senior citizens living alone(P<0.05).The results of 10-fold cross validation showed that the area under the curve of the nomogram was 0.96,and the F1 score of it was 0.97.CONCLUSION It is necessary to strengthen the social network of senior citizens living alone with friends and neighbors based on the results of this study to protect them from depression.

Status of and Suggestions for Senior Citizens＇ Participation in Ethnic Tourism： A Case Study of Wolong National Nature Reserve in Sichuan

The participation of ethnic minority communities in the development of local tourism is usual y based on the family unit. Senior citizens can not only provide labor services within their reach, but inherit and defend local culture and landscape, playing an important social role. Their living conditions are tied to the rest of the family, and affect the sustainability of the entire community. Through field visits to ethnic minority communities in Wolong National Nature Reserve in Sichuan, authors of the paper summarized the status and problems of elderly people's participation in tourism development, and put forward specific suggestions.

An Empirical Study on Hainan Citizens'Participation in Urban Community Governance under the Background of Free Trade Port Construction

Hainan is in the period of high-speed development and transformation of government management.To build a free trade port with Chinese characteristics requires a modern social governance system that confirms to the trend of the times,and community governance is important part of whole social governance system.Citizens'cooperative participation in grass-roots community governance has the functions of creating a good living environment,reducing social conflicts,improving residents'sense of well-being and attracting all kinds of talents.Based on the perspective of multi cooperative social governance,this paper empirically investigates the current situation of Hainan urban resident's participation in community governance,explores the reasons for the lack of citizen participation in community governance,and puts forward suggestions for improving citizen participation in community governance.

China Has Over 110 Million Senior Citizens

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Social Networks and Citizen Participation in the Collaborative Community Policing ——A Case Study of S Community in Beijing

It is of great significance to enhance collaborative community policing for crime prevention and better community-police relationships. Understanding the relational structure of collaborative community policing is necessary to pinpoint the pattern of interactions among key actors involved in community policing and improve the effectiveness of network governance. Based on 234 surveys of citizens of S Community in Beijing from April 2017 to May 2017, this paper empirically examines the characteristics of formal network and informal network of citizen participation in the collaborative community policing. Beijing is widely known for its active involvement of neighborhood volunteers in different types of community policing. We focused on four different types of interpersonal work relationships in this study： workflow, problem solving, mentoring and friendship, among resident committees, neighborhood administrative offices, media, police station, business security personnel, neighborhood volunteers, and security activists. The nature of relationships between individuals in networks can be treated as from instrumental ties to expressive ties. Expressive ties cover relationships that involve the exchange of friendship, trust, and socio-emotional support. We extended this intra-organizational insight into a community policing inter-organizational context. The collaborative network showed the trend of the distributed network. The clustering analysis showed that in the workflow network, we should make thll use of the close interaction between the citizens and activists in the community. Meanwhile, in the problem-solving network, mentoring network and friendship network, interactions between citizens and neighborhood committee are weak.

Telepsychiatry:The Evaluation and Treatment of Seniors in Rural Retirement Communities

Few studies examine the benefits from geriatric telepsychiatry in rural retirement communities.Objectives:1.To demonstrate that using telepsychiatry(a)standard approaches to psychiatric evaluation would yield diagnoses in Diagnostic and Statistical Manual of Mental Disorders(DSM-V);(b)psychotherapies and pharmacotherapy could be effectively administered.2.To examine the relationships among cognition,mood,agitation and functions at baseline and the response to treatment over time.Design:Prospective longitudinal study.Measures:Geriatric Depression scale(GDS),Mini Mental State Exam(MMSE),Barthel Index(BI),Pittsburgh Agitation Scale(PAS).Setting:Video Teleconferencing.Interventions:Psychotherapy,psychopharmacology.Participants:428 Seniors over 55,met criteria for at least one DSM-V diagnosis.Results:Treatments were administered for a full range of psychiatric diagnoses and age-related medical conditions.The most frequently prescribed pharmacological agents were:antidepressants(78%)antipsychotics(64%),memory enhancers(38%).Participants(66%)received psychotherapy:individual(31%),couple(7%),family(13%).Variation in the MMSE scores were observed:55%remained stable,11%declined,18%improved.GDS Scores improved from baseline to 26 weeks(p=0.02,d=0.99:95%CI 0.39-1.56).PAS scores declined from baseline to 52 weeks(McNemar’s S=11.27,p=0.0008,d=1.17:95%CI 0.63-1.68).Function(BI)at week 26 was not statistically significantly different from baseline(t(26)=1.66,p=0.11,d=0.65:95%CI-0.16-1.42).Participants maintained independence(64.5%)at 52 weeks(McNemar’s S=6.23,p=0.013,d=0.79:95%CI 0.19-1.36)Conclusion:This study demonstrates the feasibility and benefit of providing a full complement of services via telepsychiatry to seniors and provides a rationale for more comprehensive reimbursement plans.

Evaluation of perceived value and behavioral intentions of citizens in Chinese commercially open communities:A case study of Liuyun Community

As urban development shifts from the incremental era to the stock era,urban design is becoming increasingly focused on high-quality living and human needs.However,the opening of traditional communities has been insufficiently examined.This study took Liuyun Community,a typical open community in Guangzhou(China)that has undergone a transformation from residential to commercial use,as its research object.First,more than 300 residents,tourists,and merchants were surveyed via questionnaires administered in field investigations and interviews.Next,the data from the completed questionnaires were used to construct a structural equation model consisting of five dimensions,namely commercial service value,cost value,risk value,perceptual value,and social value.The data were then analyzed to determine the correlations between perceived value and behavioral intention,satisfaction,and other psychological attributes.The following results were obtained:(1)As commercial activities in the community increased,the influence of social value,cost value,and commercial service value on behavioral intention decreased.(2)The open community inevitably had negative impacts on its citizens.However,these negative impacts were mitigated to some extent by high levels of social value.(3)Perceptions of commercial service value varied between groups.

Higher intakes of lysine,threonine and valine are inversely associated with non-alcoholic fatty liver disease risk:a community-based case-control study in the Chinese elderly

The associations of individual amino acid with non-alcoholic fatty liver disease(NAFLD)risk remained unclear.The present study aimed to investigate the associations between the two in the Chinese elderly.Methods:A community-based health check-up program was conducted in Qingdao,China.NAFLD was diagnosed by ultrasonography accompanied by epidemiological investigation.The dietary intakes of amino acids were investigated with 3-day,24-h dietary records and calculated by Nutrition Calculator software.Restricted cubic spline model was used to evaluate a nonlinear relationship between amino acid intake and NAFLD risk.Results:400 NAFLD subjects were identified,and 400 participants were randomly selected as controls and matched by gender and age(±3 years)Dose-response analysis showed that 1000 mg increment of aromatic amino acids(AAAs)was associated with reduced 16%risk of NAFLD.Dietary increments of 750 mg/d threonine,950 mg/d valine,or 1700 mg/d lysine were associated with a 20%reduction in the NAFLD risk(all P for linearity<0.05).Conclusion:The present study demonstrated that the dietary increases in milk,eggs and deep-sea fish,which are rich in the amino acids,might contribute to protecting against NAFLD in the elderly.

Predictive value of systemic immunity index for sepsis in low-medium risk community-acquired pneumonia

Objective:To assess the predictive value of systemic immune inflammation index(SII)for sepsis in low-and medium-risk community-acquired pneumonia.Methods:A total of 589 elderly patients with low-and medium-risk community-acquired pneumonia admitted to the Emergency Department of the Second Affiliated Hospital of Hainan Medical University from January 2020 to January 2023 were included as the research subjects,and the general information and laboratory test results of the patients were collected,and the optimal cut-off value of continuous variables for predicting sepsis in elderly patients with low-and medium-risk community-acquired pneumonia was determined by plotting the receiver work characteristic(ROC)curve,which was converted into dichotomous variables and univariate and multivariate logistic Regression analysis of the influencing factors of sepsis in elderly patients with low-and medium-risk community-acquired pneumonia.Based on this,a nomogram model is constructed to predict the risk of sepsis.The differentiation,consistency and accuracy of the model were verified by calibration curve and subject operating characteristic(ROC)curve,and the clinical utility of the model was determined by decision curve analysis.Results:A total of 589 elderly patients with low-and intermediate-risk community-acquired pneumonia were included in this study,of which 96(16.30%)developed sepsis.There were significant differences in age,diabetes mellitus and chronic obstructive pulmonary disease,Lac,PCT,SII and other indexes between sepsis and non-sepsis groups(P<0.05).Logistics regression analysis showed that age,diabetes mellitus and chronic obstructive pulmonary disease,Lac,and SII were independent risk factors for sepsis in elderly patients with low-and medium-risk community-acquired pneumonia.The nomogram prediction model was used to verify the results,and the AUC was 0.826(95%CI:0.780-0.872),and the calibration curve tended to the ideal curve with good accuracy.The decision curve shows that when the threshold of the model is between 0.10~0.78,the model has the advantage of clinical benefit.Conclusion:The nomogram prediction model constructed based on SII to predict sepsis in elderly patients with low-and medium-risk community-acquired pneumonia has good accuracy,which can predict the occurrence of sepsis early,help early identification of high-risk groups and timely intervention,and thus improve the prognosis of patients.

A study on the health service demands and influence factors among elderly people based on a community survey in Western China

Objective:To investigate the health service demands and to analyze influencing factors among elderly people based on a community survey in Guilin,China.Methods:A random sampling was used to investigate 366 elderly people in a community using a Health-Care-Needs questionnaire,which was designed by The Western Nursing Alliance research team in China.This survey was used to understand the basic situation,financial condition,health condition,self-care abilities,pension plan,and care services demands of the elderly residing at home.Additionally,this article analyzed the influencing factors contributing to the obtained results.Results:The top 3 nursing needs were security needs(1.61±0.45 points),health education needs(1.54±0.57 points),and respect and self-development needs(1.13±0.64 points).Logistic multifactor regression analysis showed that gender,monthly income,lack of exercise,activities of daily living(ADL)scores,methods of medical payment,and pension plan were independent factors affecting elderly nursing needs.Conclusions:The home-based health services supply for elders did not meet their needs.Therefore,a comprehensive approach considering multifactors such as gender,income,exercise,self-care ability,medical expense payments,and supporting preferences should be considered to address the complex needs of health care.

Epidemiologic survey and analysis of mild cognitive impairment amongst community senior citizens of Changsha City

Objective:The purpose of the current study was to conduct a mild cognitive impairment(MCI)prevalence survey among the community senior citizens of Changsha City and analyze possible relevant factors so as to perform early screening and intervention for MCI patients,and delay or prevent MCI from developing into Alzheimer’s disease(AD).Methods:Between April and September 2012,a total of 1764 community senior citizens in Changsha City were selected through multi-stage and random cluster sampling as study subjects.The following tables were used during the investigation to perform preliminary MCI screening for the subjects of this study:a general information survey;Mini-Mental State examination(MMSe);Montreal Cognitive Assessment(MoCA);Beijing version;global Deteriorate Scale(gDS);Clinical Dementia Rating(CDR)scale;and Activities of Daily Living(ADL)scale.Then,neurology specialists made diagnoses according to the actual status of subjects,survey findings,and clinical MCI diagnostic standards.The prevalence of MCI was calculated and the rates concerning senior citizens with different demographic characteristics were compared.Logistic regression analysis was used to analyze relevant factors that led to MCI,and comparing findings with those of other cities was conducted.Results:The MCI prevalence among senior citizens in Changsha City was 16.27%(287/1764).The MCI prevalence increased with age[for the 60,70,and 80 age groups,the prevalence was 9.79%(84/858),20.14%(149/740),and 32.53%(54/166),respectively,P<0.05].The more education received,the less the likelihood of developing MCI[the prevalence of illiteracy,those who went to pri-mary school,junior high school,senior high school,or technical secondary school,college,and un-dergraduates and above was 32.10%(26/81),18.40%(90/489),13.97%(70/501),15.29%(61/399),14.39%(19/132),and 12.96%(21/162),respectively,P<0.05].Bluecollar workers’chances of developing MCI was higher than white-collar workers[19.12%(187/978)and 12.72%(100/786),respectively,P<0.05].Living alone increased the likelihood of developing MCI than not living alone[21.59%(65/301)and 15.17%(222/1463),P<0.05].The logistic regression analysis showed that age,educational background,and marital status were in the regression(P<0.05).The MCI prevalence of Changsha did not differ from that Portugal,Singapore,Beijing,and Urumchi(P>0.05),but lower than Shanghai[35.78%(161/450)]and higher than Chengdu[2.35%(92/3910)](P<0.05).Conclusion:The prevalence of MCI among the community senior citizens of Changsha City is highly related to factors like age,educational background,and marital status.Prevention against these highrisk factors shall be carried out to delay cognitive decline for senior citizens.

Developing a Historical Phenology Dataset through Community Involvement for Climate Change Research

There has been an increased effort to utilize untapped sources of historical phenological data such as museum specimens, journals written by nature-minded citizens, and dated photographs through local phenology projects for climate change research. Local phenology projects have contributed greatly to our current understanding of phenological changes over time and have an important role in the public’s engagement with natural history, but there are also significant challenges in finding and analyzing historical data. The West Virginia Climate History Project collected historical phenology data (1890-2015) from citizens in West Virginia with scientific and cultural results. We discuss the development of the project, issues we overcame, recommendations for future projects, and the conservation value of local phenology projects. Local phenology projects lend value to climate change research and conservation education. Policy directed towards supporting humanities grants and museum collections, including herbariums, is crucial in the success of these projects.

Community Development and Communication:Preliminary Case Studies in Italy

The article initially develops a theoretical reflection on the relationships between local community development and deep media practices with particular reference to the processes of building community social relations through communications and media.The possible consequences of a communication strategy on increasing social capital and social cohesion are also discussed.It then analyzes and deepens the characteristics of the various types of interconnection between local communities,active communication of citizens,mediated practices and processes,and citizen media(interpersonal proximity communication,communicative trust and participation,connecting communication,communication with the territory,mutualistic communication).Finally,it analyzes some experiences of communication processes for community development in the Italian context.

What incentives encourage local communities to collect and upload mosquito sound data by using smartphones?A mixed methods study in Tanzania

Background To detect and identify mosquitoes using their characteristic high-pitched sound,we have developed a smartphone application,known as the‘HumBug sensor’,that records the acoustic signature of this sound,along with the time and location.This data is then sent remotely to a server where algorithms identify the species according to their distinctive acoustic signature.Whilst this system works well,a key question that remains is what mechanisms will lead to effective uptake and use of this mosquito survey tool?We addressed this question by working with local communities in rural Tanzania and providing three alternative incentives:money only,short message service(SMS)reminders and money,and SMS reminders only.We also had a control group with no incentive.Methods A multi-site,quantitative empirical study was conducted in four villages in Tanzania from April to August 2021.Consenting participants(n=148)were recruited and placed into one of the three intervention arms:monetary incentives only;SMS reminders with monetary incentives;and SMS reminders only.There was also a control group(no intervention).To test effectiveness of the mechanisms,the number of audio uploads to the server of the four trial groups on their specific dates were compared.Qualitative focus group discussions and feedback surveys were also conducted to explore participants’perspectives on their participation in the study and to capture their experiences of using the HumBug sensor.Results Qualitative data analysis revealed that for many participants(37 out of 81),the main motivation expressed was to learn more about the types of mosquitoes present in their houses.Results from the quantitative empirical study indicate that the participants in the‘control’group switched on their HumBug sensors more over the 14-week period(8 out of 14 weeks)when compared to those belonging to the‘SMS reminders and monetary incentives’trial group.These findings are statistically significant(p<0.05 or p>0.95 under a two-sided z-test),revealing that the provision of monetary incentives and sending SMS reminders did not appear to encourage greater number of audio uploads when compared to the control.Conclusions Knowledge on the presence of harmful mosquitoes was the strongest motive for local communities to collect and upload mosquito sound data via the HumBug sensor in rural Tanzania.This finding suggests that most efforts should be made to improve flow of real-time information back to the communities on types and risks associated with mosquitoes present in their houses.

我国老年群体数字素养影响因素与提升路径

文章采用扎根理论,通过半结构化访谈收集20名老人数据,利用Nvivo11三级编码技术构建老年群体数字素养影响因素理论模型,分析各项主范畴对老年群体数字素养的内在关联和作用路径。研究发现:老年群体数字素养受主观意识、使用经验、社会交往、统计学特征、数字化支持和数字生态等因素影响;可以通过数字知识技能和数字态度共同作用,从内生驱动和外部推拉两个维度提升老年群体数字素养。

山地城市老旧社区公共空间老年人社交活动特征与可持续更新思路:基于社会网络分析

在人民城市理念背景下,针对山地城市人口老龄化趋势与老旧社区公共空间适老化更新的现实困境,需要更加长期、动态、准确地理解社区老人的社交需求与活动特征,进而结合地方自然、经济和人文特征,提出长效的可持续更新思路。运用社会网络理论和方法,选取山地城市老旧社区特征显著且老龄化严重的重庆市渝中区凉亭子社区为研究区域,以居住在该社区的老年人为研究对象,通过长期实地观察、访谈和对调研数据的分析,厘清各类社群关系下老年人的活动空间分布及活动类型特征,剖析老年社群—社交空间—社交活动的整体关系,进而明确社区公共空间适老化更新的问题与目标,提出因地制宜的可持续社区更新思路。对于突破山地城市老旧社区适老化更新的社区资产认知、持续改善和提升社区公共空间品质、整体构建和谐的社区社群关系具有参考意义。

技术焦虑会阻碍老年人IT使用吗?

在老年人IT使用意愿影响因素的实证研究中,技术焦虑对IT使用相关变量的作用不尽一致,研究结果分歧不利于指导实践。为消除这种分歧,文章采用Meta分析法,对收集的45项研究的相关系数进行整合,并对调节效应进行分析以探究结果异质性的来源。研究发现:老年人技术焦虑与感知易用性、感知有用性、使用意愿呈较弱的负相关关系,被试特征(学历、技术使用经验)、社会背景(地理区域、经济发展水平、信息通信技术发展水平、文化背景)与技术类型是不同研究结果异质性的影响因素。

技术接受模型下老年人心电血压监测仪设计探究

从老年心血管疾病人群需求出发,从技术接受模型的角度以产品设计来优化老年心血管疾病患者的心率血压监测过程。通过分析老年人的心理以及生理特点,总结出针对老年心电血压监测仪的设计趋势,以此搭建技术接受模型,并进行问卷设计及数据分析处理。由数据处理结果得出服务系统性、情感补偿性、移动便携性3个因素对老年人接受家用心电血压监测仪具有正向影响。并据此对心电血压监测仪造型、色彩、交互界面、使用流程以及系统性功能重新设计。通过提升用户的功能及情感方面的使用体验,可以进一步加强对老年人心血管疾病的预防把控,从而降低因病致死率。