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PubMed1991

The relationship of loneliness, social isolation, and physical health to dietary adequacy of independently living elderly.

This study evaluated the dietary adequacy of elderly individuals to determine whether factors such as loneliness, social isolation, or physical health were related to nutrient intake. The participants (n = 61) were independently living individuals aged 60 to 94 years recruited through senior citizen centers, residential housing areas, and social agencies in Rutherford County, Tennessee. Three-day food records were used to collect dietary data, and nutrient intakes were compared with the 1989 Recommended Dietary Allowances. Three-day social contact diaries were used to measure frequency of interaction with others. The Physical Health Questionnaire was used to evaluate subjectively the number and severity of disease states, and the loneliness index was computed using the revised UCLA Loneliness Scale. Energy and calcium were most likely to be underconsumed, and poor physical health was related to decreased intakes of vitamin A and ascorbic acid. Loneliness was related to dietary inadequacies. We recommend emphasis on education and services to provide home-delivered meals and groceries as well as affordable convenience foods of high nutrient density to enable older individuals to achieve adequate nutrient intake while maintaining an independent life-style.

Black or African American↗
PubMed2004

Depression and physical health among family caregivers of geriatric patients with cancer--a longitudinal view.

BACKGROUND: We investigated, in a sample of 491 cancer patient/caregiver dyads, the impact of caregiving on caregivers' mental and physical health over a period of one year (four assessments). Our model postulates that patient and caregiver characteristics impact caregiver experiences, and all of these in turn affect the mental and physical health of the caregiver. MATERIAL/METHODS: Random-effects regression methods were employed to investigate how patient and caregiver characteristics affect caregiver experiences, and how these same patient and caregiver characteristics affect caregiver physical and psychological health, and are mediated by caregiver experiences. RESULTS: Caregivers' personal perceptions of the caregiving experience (impact on schedule, social functioning, abandonment) played a central role as determinants of caregiver outcomes (depression and physical health). The contextual elements that came to the foreground as either direct or indirect determinants of caregiver outcomes were the patient characteristics symptoms, depression, treatment, comorbidity and cancer site, and the caregiver characteristics education, esteem derived from caregiving, and living arrangement. CONCLUSIONS: Our findings suggest that physicians, oncologists and other health care providers involved in the care of cancer patients should be cognizant of the demands put on caregivers. Periodic assessments and dialogue with the caregiver about their experiences, needs and concerns in combination with a review of the patient's illness trajectory may be necessary to insure that caregivers are able to provide quality care to their patients and not succumb to the burdens of caregiving.

Caregivers↗
PubMedDate not supplied

Physical health measurement of the older adult: new instrumentation.

The Georgia Centenarian Study examines the biologic, psychologic, and social factors contributing to life satisfaction and successful aging in late adulthood. Three age groups are included, 60 through 69 years, 80 through 89 years, and 100+ years. While the overall theoretical model includes multiple variables, physical health is viewed as critical to successful aging. This article presents an overview of physical health measurement for older persons. Some existing measures of physical health are included in the test battery for the Georgia Centenarian Study; however, the investigators determined the need for the inclusion of a new instrument. This article describes existing measures as well as the rationale and process of development of a new instrument.

Activities of Daily Living↗
PubMed1997

Characteristics of physical health conditions in middle-aged and elderly joggers.

To clarify the characteristics of physical health conditions in middle-aged and elderly joggers who run regularly, they were compared with middle-aged and elderly people who did not exercise routinely. The physical health conditions were investigated by a questionnaire survey sent by mail. The subjects were 316 joggers (230 men and 86 women) and 272 non-joggers (173 men and 99 women). The number of joggers having any illness was lower than that of non-joggers in both men and women. In contrast, there was no significant difference in type of illness between joggers and non-joggers. Concerning symptoms, the number of joggers who complained of lumbar pain and shoulder stiffness was low, but the number of joggers with symptoms including knee joint pain and muscle pain as well as injury was high compared to non-joggers. While the results of this study reconfirm that continuous jogging in middle-aged and elderly people may effectively improve their physical condition, based on the finding that the morbidity was low, it appears that many joggers have knee joint pain, a typical disorder due to running.

Aged↗
PubMedDate not supplied

Patterns of intimate partner violence and their associations with physical health, psychological distress, and substance use.

OBJECTIVES: The purpose of this work is to formally model patterns of intimate partner violence (IPV) separately for males and females and to assess the unique contributions of different types of violence exposure to health related outcomes. METHODS: Using data from the National Violence Against Women Survey--a national probability sample of U.S. men and women--latent class analyses produced a map of the underlying structure of IPV for both males and females that is defined by specific types of violent acts. Multivariable logistic regression analyses assessed the differential physical health, mental health, and substance use consequences of exposure to IPV by gender. RESULTS: Women and men experience similar types of IPV, although the prevalence of the different types of violence is much greater for women than men. Second, exposure to IPV for both women and men is associated with a range of negative health outcomes including increased odds of poor physical health and physical disability, psychological distress and mental illness, and heightened recreational and non-recreational substance use. Finally, there is some evidence that experiences with IPV have stronger and broader associations with negative health outcomes among women, likely reflecting differences in the severity of violence experienced by men and women. CONCLUSIONS: More attention to the ways in which interpersonal violence is conceptualized, measured, and screened for is crucial. Specifically, while women have greater exposure to IPV, and subsequently a greater range of health problems, the effects on men should not be ignored.

Adult↗
PubMed1989

Health physics measurement of Princeton Tokamaks, 1977-1987.

The Princeton Plasma Physics Laboratory (PPPL) began fusion experiments in 1951. In the early years, the major health physics concerns were associated with x radiation produced by energetic electrons in the plasma. Within the past year, neutron and 3H production from 2H-2H (represented hereafter as D-D) reactions has increased significantly on the larger fusion devices. Tritium retention noted in graphite tiles underscores the significance of material selection in present and future 3H-fueled fusion devices. This paper reports on operational health physics radiation measurements made on various PPPL machines over the past 10 y.

Health Physics↗
PubMed2006

Socioeconomic differences in incident depression in older adults: the role of psychosocial factors, physical health status, and behavioral factors.

OBJECTIVE: The objective of this study was to examine the association between socioeconomic status (SES) and the onset of depression in older adults and to determine the relative contribution of psychosocial factors, physical health status, and behavioral factors in explaining this link. METHODS: Data were from 2593 men and women, aged 55-85 years, participating in the Longitudinal Aging Study Amsterdam. Two indicators of SES were used: education and income. The onset of depression was measured over 9 years of follow-up. RESULTS: Adjusted hazard ratios of incident depression were significantly higher in those with low education and low income. Psychosocial factors explained on average 16% of the SES differences in incident depression, physical health status on average 7%, and behavioral factors less than 5%. CONCLUSION: In older adults, low SES predicted the incidence of depression. Part of this association was explained by psychosocial factors and physical health status.

Activities of Daily Living↗
PubMed2005

The health physics society: a 50-year chronology.

In 2005, the Health Physics Society celebrates its 50th anniversary. During its half century of existence, the Society has evolved from a small group of operationally oriented radiation protection scientists into an organization of several thousand with a recognized and respected peer reviewed journal. The bold decision to form an organization devoted to radiation safety in the United States spurred the formation of such societies in other countries and led to the formation of an international confederation of national societies, which has facilitated scientific communication and exchange worldwide. It also led to the formation of a separate body for the certification of health physicists, which in turn has grown into an academy with more than 1,000 members, and was instrumental in providing basic information establishing the need for a registry of radiation protection technologists.

Health Physics↗
PubMed2005

The Health Physics Society: a 50-year chronology.

In 2005, the Health Physics Society celebrates its 50th anniversary. During its half century of existence, the Society has evolved from a small group of operationally oriented radiation protection scientists into an organization of several thousand with a recognized and respected peer reviewed journal. The bold decision to form an organization devoted to radiation safety in the United States spurred the formation of such societies in other countries and led to the formation of an international confederation of national societies, which has facilitated scientific communication and exchange worldwide. It also led to the formation of a separate body for the certification of health physicists, which in turn has grown into an academy with more than 1,000 members, and was instrumental in providing basic information establishing the need for a registry of radiation protection technologists.

Health Physics↗
PubMed2001

Transition to home care after stroke: depression, physical health, and adaptive processes in support persons.

A longitudinal design was used to examine adaptation in primary support persons (PSP) of stroke survivors during the transition from hospitalization (T1) to home care (T2). The major purposes of the study were (a) to examine changes in depression, physical health, and contextual and coping factors from hospitalization of the stroke survivor through the first 6-10 weeks of home care; and (b) to identify predictors of depression. Data (N = 136) were collected on depression, physical health, background, survivor illness, and social environmental variables; appraisal of impact; social support resources; and coping skills. Reduction in mean PSP depression was significant at T2, but the change in physical health was not significant. Significant changes occurred in survivor function, family functioning, and three of six coping skills. Hierarchical multiple regression analyses were used to predict depression. T1 variables accounted for 29% of the variance in T1 PSP depression, with gender and appraisal of impact the strongest of seven predictors. T1 depression, T2 health, family functioning, and avoidance coping were the strongest of seven predictors, explaining 50% of the variance in T2 depression. Findings highlight the importance of maintaining caregiver health and preventing depression and identify variables to target for the reduction of PSP depression.

Adaptation, Psychological↗
PubMed2002

Intimate partner violence and physical health consequences.

BACKGROUND: Domestic violence results in long-term and immediate health problems. This study compared selected physical health problems of abused and never abused women with similar access to health care. METHODS: A case-control study of enrollees in a multisite metropolitan health maintenance organization sampled 2535 women enrollees aged 21 to 55 years who responded to an invitation to participate; 447 (18%) could not be contacted, 7 (0.3%) were ineligible, and 76 (3%) refused, yielding a sample of 2005. The Abuse Assessment Screen identified women physically and/or sexually abused between January 1, 1989, and December 31, 1997, resulting in 201 cases. The 240 controls were a random sample of never abused women. The general health perceptions subscale of the Medical Outcomes Study 36-Item Short-Form Health Survey measured general health. The Miller Abuse Physical Symptom and Injury Scale measured abuse-specific health problems. RESULTS: Cases and controls differed in ethnicity, marital status, educational level, and income. Direct weights were used to standardize for comparisons. Significance was tested using logistic and negative binomial regressions. Abused women had more (P<.05) headaches, back pain, sexually transmitted diseases, vaginal bleeding, vaginal infections, pelvic pain, painful intercourse, urinary tract infections, appetite loss, abdominal pain, and digestive problems. Abused women also had more (P< or =.001) gynecological, chronic stress-related, central nervous system, and total health problems. CONCLUSIONS: Abused women have a 50% to 70% increase in gynecological, central nervous system, and stress-related problems, with women sexually and physically abused most likely to report problems. Routine universal screening and sensitive in-depth assessment of women presenting with frequent gynecological, chronic stress-related, or central nervous system complaints are needed to support disclosure of domestic violence.

Adult↗
PubMed2006

Self-related health, physical activity and complaints in Swedish high school students.

The aim of this investigation was to study self-related health, physical activity and level of exertion, as well as body complaints in Swedish high school students. A total of 993 high school students aged 16-19 years participated in the study. A questionnaire was completed at school and included questions about self-related health, physical activity behavior, type of physical activity/sport, intensity, duration, possible injuries or complaints, and absence from physical training at school, during the last 3 months. The results showed that 26% of the high school students participated in sports on a regular basis. Males reported significantly better health than females (p < 0.0005). A significantly higher number of females participated in physical activities at a lower level of effort (p < 0.0005) and a higher number of males trained at a higher level of effort (p < 0.005). Sixty-one percent reported body pain during the last 3 months, representing a higher number of females than males (p = 0.03). A higher number of females than males reported complaints from the back (p = 0.002), the knees (p = 0.015), the neck (p = 0.001), and the hip (p = 0.015). Females with body complaints reported poorer health than those without complaints. There was a correlation between poor self-related health and a lower level of physical effort (0.219; p < 0.001). The results showed that the prevalence of musculoskeletal symptoms was high in this population and demonstrated a certain association with self-related health. Therefore, it is important to make it easy for adolescents to perform physical activity at school and during their leisure time in order to prevent chronic diseases.

Adolescent↗
PubMed2000

Psychological trauma, physical health and somatisation.

The aim of this review is to examine the relationship between trauma, physical health and somatisation. A search was made on the Procite Database at the Department of Psychiatry at the Uniformed Services University of the Health Sciences for research articles with the following key words: posttraumatic stress disorder, somatisation, trauma (the Procite Database holds more than 15,000 articles related to trauma and disaster). A review of the current research findings show a link between prior exposure to traumatic events (such as war, disaster, motor vehicles and industrial accidents, crime and sexual assault, domestic violence and child abuse) and subsequent physical heath and medical care utilisation. Possible mechanisms and conceptualisations which may explain the association between trauma and physical health, such as high-risk health behaviours, neurobiology, alexithymia and culture are discussed. Because traumatised persons show high medical utilisation, good screening, thorough assessment, empirically-based treatment and appropriate referral of such patients are essential.

Affective Symptoms↗
PubMed2006

Sexual orientation and mental and physical health status: findings from a Dutch population survey.

OBJECTIVES: We sought to determine whether sexual orientation is related to mental and physical health and health behaviors in the general population. METHODS: Data was derived from a health interview survey that was part of the second Dutch National Survey of General Practice, carried out in 2001 among an all-age random sample of the population. Of the 19685 persons invited to participate, 65% took part in the survey. Sexual orientation was assessed in persons aged 18 years and older and reported by 98.2% of 9684 participants. The respondents' characteristics are comparable with those of the Dutch general population. RESULTS: Gay/lesbian participants reported more acute mental health symptoms than heterosexual people and their general mental health also was poorer. Gay/lesbian people more frequently reported acute physical symptoms and chronic conditions than heterosexual people. Differences in smoking, alcohol use, and drug use were less prominent. CONCLUSIONS: We found that sexual orientation was associated with mental as well as physical health. The causal processes responsible for these differences by sexual orientation need further exploration.

Acute Disease↗
PubMed2005

Genetic effects on physical health: lower at higher income levels.

Given the robust finding that people in higher income groups tend to experience better physical health, there is interest in identifying mechanisms underlying this gradient. Using a nationwide sample of 719 twin pairs from the National Survey of Midlife Development in the United States, we investigated the possibility that gene-environment interaction underlies the income-health gradient. We observed that genetic variance associated with 2 measures of physical health, number of chronic illnesses and body mass index, each declined significantly with increasing income. This interaction effect could not be removed by adjusting income for the presence of health insurance coverage and education, suggesting that the interaction is not simply a result of differences in levels of those characteristics with income.

Adult↗
PubMed2001

Humor, laughter, and physical health: methodological issues and research findings.

All published research examining effects of humor and laughter on physical health is reviewed. Potential causal mechanisms and methodological issues are discussed. Laboratory experiments have shown some effects of exposure to comedy on several components of immunity, although the findings are inconsistent and most of the studies have methodological problems. There is also some evidence of analgesic effects of exposure to comedy, although similar findings are obtained with negative emotions. Few significant correlations have been found between trait measures of humor and immunity, pain tolerance, or self-reported illness symptoms. There is also little evidence of stress-moderating effects of humor on physical health variables and no evidence of increased longevity with greater humor. More rigorous and theoretically informed research is needed before firm conclusions can be drawn about possible health benefits of humor and laughter.

Health Status↗
PubMed2001

Depressive symptoms in middle-aged women are more strongly associated with physical health and social support than with socioeconomic factors.

The association of socioeconomic factors, health-related factors, and social support with depressive symptoms has been extensively studied. However, most epidemiological studies have focused on a few factors such as marital status, social class, and employment. In this study of middle-aged women we analyzed both univariate and multivariate associations of socioeconomic factors, perceived physical health factors, and social support with self-rated depressive symptoms measured with the Beck Depression Inventory. A nationwide sample (n = 1851) of Finnish women aged 48-50 years was analyzed. Socioeconomic, health-related, and social support factors were all measured with single items. All variables, except level of urbanization, were significantly associated with depressive symptoms in univariate analyses. Multivariate associations were examined with standard multiple regression analyses in three stages: first with the socioeconomic factors, then with socioeconomic and health factors, and finally entering the social support factors into the regression model. In the first model, being either on a sick leave or at home as working status, being divorced, and having low income reached significance. In the second model, being divorced and having poor perceived physical health were the most powerful among the five significant variables. In the last model, explaining 32% of the variance, the most powerful predictors of depressive symptoms were perceived current physical health, satisfaction with received social support, and quality of intimate relationships. For the prevention or intervention of depressive symptoms among middle-aged women in the population subjects with concurrent subjective or objective health problems and poor social support seem to comprise a particularly important target group.

Depression↗
PubMed1999

Physical health and post-traumatic stress disorder: review and synthesis.

This article reviews the empirical evidence on post-traumatic stress disorder (PTSD) and physical health and considers this evidence in light of the physical health outcomes associated with other psychiatric disorders. The existing data show that PTSD is associated with poor self-reported health and increased utilization of medical services. To a lesser extent, the data also show an association between PTSD and increased morbidity. Possible psychological, behavioral, and biological mechanisms are discussed, and a model integrating these mechanisms is presented.

Health↗