Maturitas
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To evaluate the prevalence of 25-hydroxyvitamin D insufficiency (25OHD<20 ng/mL) and to develop a predictive model for this status. ⋯ Our results suggest that vitamin D insufficiency is common among Brazilian community-dwelling elderly. Female gender, diabetes and the season (winter/spring) were the important parameters that predicted this status. The clinical use of these parameters can be help to design and target appropriate public health interventions. The IRVDI is a convenient tool for the selection of older people at risk for vitamin D insufficiency.
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Baby boomers now represent an aging population group at risk of the diseases of older age. Their relatively high education, amongst other attributes, means that they can make a significant contribution to the work force beyond the statutory retirement age. On an individual level, potential health benefits may motivate them to pursue encore careers. We review some of the evidence supporting such a trend.
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Randomized Controlled Trial Pragmatic Clinical Trial
Pelvic floor muscle training versus watchful waiting or pessary treatment for pelvic organ prolapse (POPPS): design and participant baseline characteristics of two parallel pragmatic randomized controlled trials in primary care.
Pelvic floor muscle training (PFMT) and pessaries are commonly used in the conservative treatment of pelvic organ prolapse (POP). Because there is a lack of evidence regarding the optimal choice between these two interventions, we designed the "Pelvic Organ prolapse in primary care: effects of Pelvic floor muscle training and Pessary treatment Study" (POPPS). POPPS consists of two parallel open label randomized controlled trials performed in primary care, in women aged ≥55 years, recruited through a postal questionnaire. ⋯ Cost-effectiveness will be calculated based on societal costs, using the PFDI-20 and the EQ-5D as outcomes. In this paper the POPPS design, the encountered challenges and our solutions, and participant baseline characteristics are presented. For both trials the target numbers of patients in each treatment group are achieved, giving this study sufficient power to lead to promising results.
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The aim of this study was to identify subgroups of retirement age older adults with respect to their lifestyle patterns of eating, drinking, smoking, physical activity and TV viewing behaviors, and to examine the association between these patterns and socio-demographic covariates. ⋯ This study contributes to the literature on lifestyle behaviors among older adults, and provides evidence that there are meaningful sex differences in lifestyle behaviors between subgroups of older adults. From a policy perspective, understanding indicators or "markers" of healthy and less healthy lifestyle patterns is important for identifying target groups for interventions.
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Little is known about frailty in institutionalized older adults, and there are few longitudinal studies on this topic. ⋯ In a cohort of institutionalized older adults the prevalence of frailty was 68.8% and was associated with adverse health geriatric outcomes.