ABSTRACT
Abstract Promoting health and quality of life among rural older people has received little attention, especially in Spain where the number of interventions designed specifically for the rural elderly is sparse. The aim of this study was to explore the effectiveness of an intervention program aiming at improving quality of life in a group of community-dwelling older adults living in a depopulated rural area in Orense, Galicia, Spain. The sample of this study comprised 86 people (78 people in the intervention group and 8 people in the control group) aged 65 and older (M=70.82; SD=6.35). The evaluation included the MEC, the CDT, and the WHOQOL-Bref questionnaire. The intervention was applied for a period of nine months and consisted of three weekly workshops with a mean duration of four hours that included cognitive stimulation, crafts, and physical activity. The results of the ANCOVA revealed that independently of the age, educational level, gender, and pretest scores, the participants of the intervention group had a lower risk of cognitive impairment. Also they maintained their score on the Psychological health dimension of the WHOQOL-Bref questionnaire while the participants in the control group slightly decreased their score. The intervention program had a positive effect on the participants' perception with regards to their opportunities to participate in leisure activities and improved their cognitive functioning, which in turn contributed to their more positive perception of their psychological health.
Resumen La promoción de la salud y la calidad de vida entre las personas mayores del medio rural ha recibido poca atención, especialmente en España donde el número de intervenciones designadas específicamente para la población mayor rural es escasa. El objetivo de este estudio fue explorar la efectividad de un programa de intervención para incrementar la calidad de vida en un grupo de personas mayores que vivían en la comunidad en un área rural despoblada en Orense, Galicia, España. La muestra de este estudio estuvo compuesta por 86 personas (78 en el grupo de intervención y 8 en el grupo control) de 65 o más años (M=70.82; DT=6.35). La evaluación incluyó los cuestionarios MEC, CDT y WHOQOL-Bref. La intervención fue aplicada durante un periodo de nueve meses y consistió en tres sesiones semanales con una duración media de cuatro horas que incluían estimulación cognitiva, actividades físicas y creativas. Los resultados del ANCOVA revelan que independientemente de la edad, nivel educativo, género y puntuaciones pretest, los participantes del grupo de intervención tenían menos riesgo de deterioro cognitivo. Asimismo mantuvieron sus puntuaciones en la dimensión de salud psicológica en el WHOQOL-Bref mientras que los participantes del grupo control disminuyeron ligeramente su puntuación. El programa de intervención tuvo un efecto positivo en la percepción de los participantes respecto a sus oportunidades de participar en actividades de ocio y mejoró su funcionamiento cognitivo lo que finalmente contribuía a una percepción más positiva de su salud psicológica.
Subject(s)
Humans , Aging , Quality of Life , Rural PopulationABSTRACT
Background: Hip fractures (HFx) are an important geriatric syndrome, with a high incidence in developing countries. Aim: To describe characteristics of a group of Chilean patients with HFx. Patients and Methods: In a cross-sectional study we included patients aged 60 years or more with a HF admitted to an orthopedic service along three years. Age, incidence, location, seasonality, hospital stay, time between HFx and surgery, mortality, prior treatment for osteoporosis, anatomical location, etiology and type of surgery were evaluated. Results: We reviewed 647 patients with a median age of 81 years (76% women). The calculated incidence of hip fracture for people aged ≥ 65 years was 177/100,000. Sixty six percent of fractures were extracapsular. Mean hospital stay was 17 days and the mean lapse between the fracture and surgery was 19 days. Eighty four percent of patients had osteoporosis and only 5% were receiving treatment. Eighty three percent of patients were operated. Osteosynthesis was mainly used for extracapsular fractures and arthroplasty for intracapsular lesions. Intracapsular HFx tended to occur more commonly during warm seasons (Odds ratio = 1.534). Mortality at one year was 24%. It was higher among non-operated patients in whom the proportion of males and number of comorbidities were significantly higher. Conclusions: A high proportion of patients with HFx have osteoporosis albeit a reduced number is receiving treatment. Non-operated patients had a higher risk profile and higher mortality.
Subject(s)
Aged , Aged, 80 and over , Female , Humans , Male , Middle Aged , Hip Fractures/surgery , Chile/epidemiology , Cross-Sectional Studies , Hip Fractures/mortality , Length of Stay/statistics & numerical data , Risk Factors , SeasonsABSTRACT
El objetivo del estudio es analizar el nivel de estrés percibido por el personal de administración y servicios (PAS) de un campus científico-técnico de la Universidad de Granada. Se obtuvo una muestra de 194 mujeres y 156 hombres (80 % del total). Los niveles de percepción de estrés en los sujetos que participaron en el estudio fueron evaluados mediante la Escala de Estrés Percibido (PSS-14). Se realizaron análisis estadísticos para establecer la relación entre el nivel de estrés percibido y ciertas variables sociodemográficas personales (edad, estado civil, número de hijos, personas dependientes, hábitos saludables o no) y laborales (años en la institución, tipo de contrato o situación laboral, entre otros), teniendo en cuenta en cada caso la perspectiva de género. Los resultados muestran diferencias estadísticamente significativas en el nivel de estrés percibido en algunos de los factores analizados.
The aim of the study was to analyze the level of stress perceived by the administration and service staff (PAS) of the University of Granada (UGR) in a scientific and technical campus. We obtained a sample of 194 women and 156 men. The perceived stress levels in subjects who participated in the study were evaluated by Perceived Stress Scale (PSS). Statistical analyzes compared the level of perceived stress with different sociodemographic factors such as age, marital status, number of children, time worked at the university, type of contract, dependents persons performing physical activity or consumption of any kind of toxic substances, such as alcohol or snuff. Each of these factors was analyzed taking into account the gender perspective. The results show statistically significant differences in the level of perceived stress in some of the factors that we have analyzed.
ABSTRACT
El propósito del presente artículo es comparar las concepciones populares de soledad de los adultos mayores de España y los adultos mayores de Bucaramanga, Colombia; para ello se utilizó un diseño cualitativo comparativo de los resultados arrojados por la "Encuesta Concepción de Soledad" con el ítem número 16 del cuestionario "La soledad en las personas mayores". La muestra fue conformada por 1956 adultos mayores de España y 6607 adultos mayores de Bucaramanga, Colombia. Los criterios de inclusión tomados en cuenta en las 2 poblaciones fueron ser mayor de 65 años. Entre los resultados se encuentra predominancia de las concepciones negativas sobre la soledad, alta incidencia en concepciones relacionadas con la familia, categorías que hacen referencia a la soledad objetiva y subjetiva, concepciones positivas presentes en la población colombiana.
The goal of the following article is to compare the concepts of loneliness in the elderly people of Spain and the elderly people of Bucaramanga, Colombia; this involved the use of a comparative qualitative design of the results of the "Conception of Loneliness Survey" against item 16 of the questionnaire "The loneliness of the elderly". The sample consisted of 1956 Spanish elders and 6607 of Bucaramanga, Colombia. A minimum age of 65 was held as a constant between both samples. The results showed a predominant negative conception of loneliness, high incidence of family related conceptions, categories referencing isolation (objective solitude) and loneliness (subjective solitude), and positive concepts in the Colombian sample.