Articles: adult.
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J Orthop Sports Phys Ther · Jan 1989
Investigation of the flexible ruler as a noninvasive measure of lumbar lordosis in black and white adult female sample populations.
The opinions or assertions contained herein are the private views of the authors and are not to be construed as official or reflecting the views of the Army, the Department of Defense, or the U. S. Government. ⋯ The criterion validity of the flexible ruler as a measure of actual lumbosacral lordosis was poor (Pearsons' Correlation Coefficient = 0.30, N = 45). Because of the poor criterion validity of the flexible ruler compared to roentgenographically confirmed lumbar lordosis, the flexible ruler has questionable clinical value in the assessment of lumbar lordosis. J Orthop Sports Phys Ther 1989;11(1):3-7.
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The older population in the US has grown twice as fast as the rest of the population in the last 20 years. This growth is expected to accelerate early in the next century as the large baby boom cohorts move through middle age and become elderly. Today, about 1 in 8 Americans is 65 years of age or older. By 2030, 1 out of every 4 persons will be in older person. Substantial improvements in life expectancy at all ages, particularly at extreme old age, mean that not only will there be a greater proportion of elderly in the population, but the more will be the "oldest-old," over 85. By 2050, they will be more than 1/4 of the population. As people live longer, many are active and healthy well past retirement. However, many individuals living into their 80s have to cope with chronic disabilities affecting their capacity to perform day-to-day activities. Modern medicine has made great inroads against mortality from such illnesses as heart disease and stroke, but has not eliminated all the effects of these diseases. As the population ages, the issues of health care funding and availability, particularly long-term care, increase in importance. Contrary to widespread belief, the elderly are not abandoned by their families to nursing home care. The vast majority--95%--live in the community. Those needing assistance generally receive help from family and friends. This has created a tremendous demand for federal subsidies to support community-based long-term care services. 1/4 of the federal budget is now spent on the elderly--$270 billion in 1986. Medicaid and Medicare are among the government's success stories, but these programs are threatened by their very success. Economists estimate that government expenditures are 3 times greater for the elderly than for children, raising the issue of "intergenerational equity"--how to balance the amount of care society provides to those who have already contributed with what is provided to those who will contribute in the future. The view that the young and old simply compete for fixed resources is misleading. It ignores the interdependence among generations, and the burdens and benefits of intergenerational transfers at all stages of the life course.
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The seasonal variation of coronary heart disease mortality rates in New Zealand is analysed by age, sex and race using monthly national mortality data for the period 1970-83. A 35% variation from the winter peak to summer low is found in the crude mortality rate, but the size of the seasonal variation is age-dependent, being more pronounced in the elderly, and more so in males than in females. ⋯ By partial correlation analysis and by examining the residual correlation after filtering the seasonal variation from both series, it is suggested that the season acts as a confounding factor to cause an apparent association between the two rates. After controlling for season there is a tenuous relationship, but it is apparent only in the elderly.
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Comparative Study
The aging of China's population: perspectives and implications.
"China's efforts to accelerate the pace of modernization emphasize the promotion of economic development and the reduction of its population growth through the adoption of a one-child per family policy. However, that policy has implications for the eventual aging of the country's population. This article reviews the changes in the status of the elderly, explores the changes in size of the elderly population, and various related social and policy implications." Topics considered include socioeconomic changes, underlying population dynamics, the current situation of the elderly, some international comparisons, implications of aging, planning for support of the elderly, health care, living arrangements and family support, retirement, and the status of the widowed, divorced, and unmarried in the elderly population.
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Special aspects of pain in children are pointed out, and the range of relevant conditions and their frequency are compared with adult pain problems. Headache and especially migraine, with incidences of up to 50% and 10%, respectively, are the most common painful conditions to be treated in the pediatric age group. Many less frequent chronic painful disorders claim the need of special, mostly neuropediatric, knowledge; optimal diagnostic precision is important for good therapeutic results. ⋯ Another problem is that of pain assessment in infants and children; some new diagnostic tools, such as color scales and the Smiley analog scale, can help to solve these specific difficulties. Furthermore, the prediatrician accepts responsibility for the patients' future as adults and is therefore involved in the early prophylaxis of analgesic abuse. The actual and future work of pediatric pain clinics, the conditions in such institutions and the philosophy behind them are presented, and the necessity for research is pointed out.