RESUMEN
Background: Actions focused on age-friendly environments contribute to promote and maintain older people's functional ability and may enable them to contribute to their communities and enjoy life. As such, age-friendly practices require collaboration between diverse stakeholders across multiple sectors responsible for natural, built, and social environments, which can be particularly relevant during public health emergencies when socio-ecological vulnerabilities become more salient and may disproportionally affect older people. This paper presents a protocol for a scoping review aiming to investigate the breadth of evidence concerning the development, implementation, and evaluation of age-friendly practices during the COVID-19 pandemic. The protocol sets out the objectives, methods, and dissemination plans for the review. Methods: The scoping review will be conducted in line with the Joanna Briggs Institute (JBI) scoping review methodology. We will search databases (PubMed, Web of Science, Embase, CINAHL, Scopus, PsychNet) and grey literature sources. Publications relating to practices across the 8 domains of the World Health Organization's age-friendly cities and communities' framework will be included. A tabular data extraction tool will be used to facilitate a narrative synthesis of results. Ethics and dissemination: Ethical approval is not required as the methods proposed for this scoping review consist of collecting publicly available data. Findings will be reported in line with the Preferred Reporting Items for Systematic Reviews and Meta-analyses extension for Scoping Reviews (PRISMA-ScR) and submitted to a journal for academic dissemination. Lay dissemination plans include an infographic and a blog-style article presenting our core results. Conclusion: The publication of this protocol allows for transparency in the systematic process of a scoping review focused on age-friendly practices during COVID-19. Findings emerging from the scoping review will provide insights into the evidence available regarding age-friendly activities during COVID-19 and may inform future age-friendly practices during public health emergencies and beyond.
RESUMEN
The objective of this article is to summarize the evolution of the regional commitments of the Pan American Health Organization (PAHO) on health promotion and strategies to improve the health and well-being of women, children, adolescents, and older persons. PAHO regional strategies approved by Member States in the last 20 years are used as the main source of information. The article presents the challenges of making health promotion a public health strategy widely applied in the Region of the Americas and the efforts to renew Member States' collective actions. The article also describes current PAHO efforts to include the positive aspects of health (i.e., well-being, optimal development, and functional ability) and the life course approach as opportunities to advance equity. The article reflects on immunization as a public good and the urgency to address the current challenges as a core element of the regional efforts to transform health systems after more than two years of the COVID-19 pandemic.
RESUMEN
The objective of this article is to summarize the evolution of the regional commitments of the Pan American Health Organization (PAHO) on health promotion and strategies to improve the health and well-being of women, children, adolescents, and older persons. PAHO regional strategies approved by Member States in the last 20 years are used as the main source of information. The article presents the challenges of making health promotion a public health strategy widely applied in the Region of the Americas and the efforts to renew Member States' collective actions. The article also describes current PAHO efforts to include the positive aspects of health (i.e., well-being, optimal development, and functional ability) and the life course approach as opportunities to advance equity. The article reflects on immunization as a public good and the urgency to address the current challenges as a core element of the regional efforts to transform health systems after more than two years of the COVID-19 pandemic.
El objetivo de este artículo es resumir la evolución de los compromisos regionales de la Organización Panamericana de la Salud (OPS) en materia de promoción de la salud y estrategias para mejorar la salud y el bienestar de mujeres, niños y niñas, adolescentes y personas mayores. Se han empleado como principal fuente de información las estrategias regionales de la OPS aprobadas por los Estados Miembros en los últimos 20 años. En el artículo se presentan los desafíos de convertir la promoción de la salud en una estrategia de salud pública de amplia ejecución en la Región de las Américas y los esfuerzos para renovar las medidas colectivas de los Estados Miembros. Asimismo, se describe la labor actual de la OPS para incluir los aspectos positivos de la salud (como el bienestar, el desarrollo óptimo y la capacidad funcional) y el enfoque del curso de vida como oportunidades para fomentar la equidad. Finalmente, se reflexiona sobre la inmunización como bien público y la urgencia de abordar los desafíos actuales como elemento central de los esfuerzos regionales para transformar los sistemas de salud tras más de dos años de pandemia de COVID-19.
O objetivo deste artigo é resumir a evolução dos compromissos regionais da Organização Pan-Americana da Saúde (OPAS) relativos à promoção da saúde e estratégias para melhorar a saúde e o bem-estar de mulheres, crianças, adolescentes e pessoas idosas. As estratégias regionais da OPAS aprovadas pelos Estados Membros nos últimos 20 anos são a principal fonte de informação. O artigo apresenta os desafios enfrentados para fazer da promoção da saúde uma estratégia de saúde pública amplamente aplicada na Região das Américas e os esforços para renovar as ações coletivas dos Estados Membros. O artigo também descreve os atuais esforços da OPAS para incluir os aspectos positivos da saúde (isto é, bem-estar, desenvolvimento ideal e habilidade funcional) e a abordagem de curso da vida como oportunidades para promover a equidade. O artigo faz reflexões sobre a imunização como um bem público e a urgência de abordar os desafios atuais como um elemento central dos esforços regionais para transformar os sistemas de saúde após mais de dois anos da pandemia de COVID-19.
RESUMEN
The life course approach effectively responds to pressing health needs and fills critical gaps to improve health outcomes in the era of COVID-19 and beyond. This article outlines four main reasons to adopt and implement the life course approach in public health at national and local levels: (i) the approach effectively responds to new health trends and evidence, (ii) it fills longstanding gaps in care, (iii) it best addresses health inequities, and (iv) it can help achieve more with less.
El enfoque del curso de vida da respuestas eficaces a las urgentes necesidades de salud y salva brechas críticas para mejorar los resultados de salud en la era de la COVID-19 y los años posteriores. En este artículo se describen las cuatro razones principales para adoptar y poner en práctica el enfoque del curso de vida en la salud pública a nivel local y nacional: este enfoque (i) da respuestas eficaces a las tendencias y la evidencia nuevas en el ámbito de la salud, (ii) salva brechas de larga data en la atención, (iii) aborda de la mejor manera posible las inequidades de salud, y (iv) puede contribuir a lograr más con menos recursos.
A abordagem de curso de vida responde de forma efetiva a necessidades urgentes de saúde e preenche lacunas críticas para melhorar os resultados de saúde na era da COVID-19 e mais além. Este artigo descreve quatro motivos principais para adotar e implementar a abordagem de curso de vida na saúde pública em nível nacional e local: (i) a abordagem responde de forma efetiva a novas evidências e tendências em saúde, (ii) preenche lacunas antigas nos cuidados de saúde, (iii) lida melhor com iniquidades em saúde e (iv) pode ajudar a conquistar mais com menos recursos.
RESUMEN
Background: Actions focused on age-friendly environments contribute to promote and maintain older people's functional ability and may enable them to contribute to their communities and enjoy life. As such, age-friendly practices require collaboration between diverse stakeholders across multiple sectors responsible for natural, built, and social environments, which can be particularly relevant during public health emergencies when socio-ecological vulnerabilities become more salient and may disproportionally affect older people. This paper presents a protocol for a scoping review aiming to investigate the breadth of evidence concerning the development, implementation, and evaluation of age-friendly practices during the COVID-19 pandemic. The protocol sets out the objectives, methods, and dissemination plans for the review. Methods: The scoping review will be conducted in line with the Joanna Briggs Institute (JBI) scoping review methodology. We will search databases (PubMed, Web of Science, Embase, CINAHL, Scopus, PsychNet) and grey literature sources. Publications relating to practices across the 8 domains of the World Health Organization's age-friendly cities and communities' framework will be included. A tabular data extraction tool will be used to facilitate a narrative synthesis of results. Ethics and dissemination: Ethical approval is not required as the methods proposed for this scoping review consist of collecting publicly available data. Findings will be reported in line with the Preferred Reporting Items for Systematic Reviews and Meta-analyses extension for Scoping Reviews (PRISMA-ScR) and submitted to a journal for academic dissemination. Lay dissemination plans include an infographic and a blog-style article presenting our core results. Conclusion: The publication of this protocol allows for transparency in the systematic process of a scoping review focused on age-friendly practices during COVID-19. Findings emerging from the scoping review will provide insights into the evidence available regarding age-friendly activities during COVID-19 and may inform future age-friendly practices during public health emergencies and beyond.
RESUMEN
Physical activity during childhood and adolescence favors brain development and cognitive functioning, particularly the executive functions. This study aimed to assess potential associations between anthropometric parameters, physical activity, physical fitness, and executive functions among elementary school children returning to school after the COVID-19 lockdown in Chile. School-age male and female participants (n = 90; age, 10-12 years) participated in the study. To determine the association between variables, a multivariable linear regression analysis was performed. Higher fat-related anthropometric indexes were associated with lower working memory, cognitive flexibility, planning, and attention (r = -0.55 to -0.22; p = 0.031 to <0.001). In contrast, higher physical activity levels, better sprint performance, higher lower-body muscular power, and greater upper-body muscular strength were associated with better working memory, cognitive flexibility, inhibition, planning, and/or attention (r = 0.19 to -0.54; p = 0.04 to <0.001). Current results consistently suggest the need for adequate levels of physical activity, physical fitness, and anthropometric parameters among the school-age population to promote healthy and adequate executive functions.