Optimization of fungal chitosan production from Cunninghamella echinulata using statistical designs.

Fungal chitosan (FCH) is superior to crustacean chitosan (CH) sources and is of immense interest to the scientific community while having a high demand at the global market. Industrial scale fermentation technologies of FCH production are associated with considerable challenges that frequently restrict their economic production and feasibility. The production of high quality FCH using an underexplored fungal strain Cunninghamella echinulata NCIM 691 that is hoped to mitigate potential future large-scale production was investigated. The one-factor-at-a-time (OFAT) method was implemented to examine the effect of the medium components (i.e. carbon and nitrogen) on the FCH yield. Among these variables, the optimal condition for increased FCH yield was carbon (glucose) and nitrogen (yeast extract) source. A total of 11 factors affected FCH yield among which, the best factors were screened by Plackett-Burman design (PBD). The optimization process was carried out using the response surface methodology (RSM) via Box-Behnken design (BBD). The three-level Box- Behnken factorial design facilitated optimum values for 3 parameters-glucose (2% w/v), yeast extract (1.5% w/v) and magnesium sulphate (0.1% w/v) at 30˚C and pH of 4.5. The optimization resulted in a 2.2-fold higher FCH yield. The produced FCH was confirmed using XRD, 1H NMR, TGA and DSC techniques. The degree of deacetylation (DDA) of the extracted FCH was 88.3%. This optimization process provided a significant improvement of FCH yields and product quality for future potential scale-up processes. This research represents the first report on achieving high FCH yield using a reasonably unfamiliar fungus C. echinulata NCIM 691 through optimised submerged fermentation conditions. Supplementary Information: The online version contains supplementary material available at 10.1007/s13205-024-03919-6.

Relational dynamics associated with adolescent and young adult (13 to 23 years of age) partner violence: The role of inter-parental violence and child abuse.

PURPOSE: The study aimed to examine the effect of witnessing inter-parental violence and experiencing childhood abuse on victimization of intimate partner violence (IPV) after marriage among adolescent and young girls. METHOD: Data were drawn from the second wave of the Understanding the lives of adolescents and young adults (UDAYA) survey (2018-2019). The sample size was 5480 married adolescent and young girls aged 13-23 years. The outcome variable of the study was the victimization of IPV. Descriptive statistics, bivariate analysis and structural equation modelling (SEM) were performed. RESULT: A total of 39% of married adolescent and young girls experienced physical violence, followed by sexual violence (35%) and emotional violence (28%) by their partner. Around 30% of respondents witnessed inter-parental violence, and 32% of the participants were beaten by their parents during childhood. Participants who had witnessed inter-parental violence were significantly correlated with experiencing childhood abuse, and this association was positively correlated with exposure to IPV in adolescence and young adulthood. Further, the parameter estimates of the indicators of IPV were highest for emotional violence (1.10) followed by physical violence (1.00) and sexual violence (0.62). Witnessing inter-parental violence significantly increases parents' physical violence to adolescents and young adult girls (ß = 0.49, P<0.001, CI: 0.47-0.51). No tie between witnessing inter-parental violence and childhood abuse mediates their effect on later victimization of IPV. CONCLUSION: The findings indicate that witnessing inter-parental violence is a strong risk factor for IPV victimization among adolescent and young adult girls. Our findings advocate prerequisite collaborative effort with multiple service providers for greater empowerment at national, state, community, and family levels to achieve SDG goals pertaining to eliminating violence against women.

Adverse childhood experiences and health risk behaviours among adolescents and young adults: evidence from India.

BACKGROUND: Adverse childhood experiences (ACEs) are traumatic and stressful events that occur in childhood. These experiences at home, school, or in the community may damage the cognitive health and emotional skills of children and adolescents. OBJECTIVE: The present study examines the association between Adverse childhood experiences and risky health behaviour indicators while controlling other background characteristics among boys and girls. This study also assesses outcomes in the aggregate to estimate the impact of cumulative adversity on various risky health behavioural factors among boys and girls among adolescents and young adults (age group 13-23) in India. DATA AND METHODS: Data were drawn from the second wave of the "Understanding the lives of adolescents and young adults (2018-2019)" survey. Bivariate and logistic regression analysis were conducted to fulfill the objective. RESULTS: The findings show that nearly 30% of boys and 10% of girls had violent behaviour. Substance use prevalence was much higher among boys (34.11%) than girls (6.65%). More boys had negative gender attitudes. The majority of the study participants had multiple ACEs. Boys who experienced more than three or more childhood adversity had two times higher odds (OR: 2.04; CI: 1.01-4.16) of the early sexual debut, while the same figure for girls was thirteen times (OR: 13.13; CI: 3.95-43.69) than their male counterparts. CONCLUSION: The study findings underlined the need for implementing outcome-oriented approaches to adolescents' health care and behavioural risks. Therefore, identifying and intervening with adolescents and young adults who are at the highest risk of engaging in risky behaviors early in life may reduce the risk of these behaviors persisting into adulthood. In order to avoid health risk behavior in later stages among adolescents and young adults, policymakers need to focus on ACEs as risk factors and take action to reduce this burden. A potential model could be to create awareness among family members, caregivers, and communities to be more empathetic toward the children.

Mediation of pain in the association of sleep problems with falls among older adults in India.

Body pain, sleep problems and falls are commonly reported among the elderly population. This study aimed to explore the mediating role of pain in the association of sleep problems with fall-outcomes (falls, fall-injury, and multiple falls) among older adults. Cross-sectional data from the baseline survey of Longitudinal Aging Study in India (LASI), 2017-18 were used. The total sample size for the study was 28,285 older adults aged 60 years and above. Falls and fall-related injuries among older adults in the last two years were self-reported. The Jenkins Sleep Scale (JSS-4) was used to assess sleep problems while pain was assessed using questions on whether respondents reported that they were troubled by pain and they required some form of medication or treatment for the relief of pain. Multivariable logistic regression and mediation analyses were conducted to fulfill the study objectives. While 13% older adults suffered from sleep problems, 38.83% were troubled with pain. Additionally, 12.63%, 5.64% and 5.76% older adults reported falls, fall-injury and multiple falls respectively. Older adults who suffered from sleep problems had higher odds of falls [adjusted odds ratio (aOR): 1.43, confidence interval (CI): 1.30-1.58], fall-injuries, [aOR:1.50,CI:1.30-1.73] and multiple falls [aOR:1.41,CI:1.24-1.62]. Similarly, older adults who were troubled with pain were more likely to report falls [aOR:1.80, CI:1.67-1.95], fall-injuries [aOR:1.66, CI:1.48-1.87] and multiple falls [aOR:1.90,CI:1.69-2.12]. The percent of the mediated effect of pain when examining the association between sleep problems and fall outcomes were reported to be 17.10%, 13.56% and 18.78% in case of falls, fall-injuries and multiple falls respectively. The current study finds evidence that pain mediates the association of sleep problems and falls, fall-injuries, and multiple falls among older Indian adults. Both sleep problems and pain are modifiable risk factors that need attention for fall prevention strategies.

Gender differences in the association between perceived income sufficiency and self-rated health among older adults: A population-based study in India.

This study explores whether gender differences in self-rated health can be attributed to socioeconomic status and self-perceived income sufficiency in particular. We used data from the Building a Knowledge Base on Population Ageing in India (BKPAI-2011) and carried out the descriptive and bivariate analysis along with a chi-square test to explore the significance of possible associations between explanatory and outcome variables in the study. Also, sex-stratified multiple logistic regression models were employed to fulfill the study objectives. The results show that a higher percentage of older women (58.4%) reported their health as fair/poor than older men (52%). Older women reported poor self-rated health than older men with similar self-perceived income sufficiency (OR: 2.04; p < .001 vs. OR: 1.56; p < .010). All the health indicators such as suffering from higher number of chronic conditions (AOR: 3.70; p < .001 vs. AOR: 2.73; p < .001) and disability (AOR: 3.79; p < .001 vs. AOR: 3.33; p < .001) increased odds of rating of poor health among older women than men, except having two plus difficulty in activities of daily living (ADL), which was positively associated with reporting poor health among men than women (OR: 4.03; p < .001 vs. OR: 2.36; p < .001). The study highlights the gender differences in self-rating of health associated with subjective income status and other socioeconomic and health-related variables that are important while framing social policies for the Indian graying population.

Visual impairment and falls among older adults and elderly: evidence from longitudinal study of ageing in India.

BACKGROUND: The present study determines the prevalence and correlates of falls, multiple falls, and injuries, focusing on visual impairment among the older adult and elderly population in India. Additionally, owing to the higher prevalence of falls and visual impairment among women, a sex-stratified analysis has also been done in the present study. METHODS: The study utilized the data from the first wave of the Longitudinal Ageing Study in India (LASI wave-1), conducted during 2017-2018. Bivariate with chi-square and multivariate analyses were performed to fulfill the objective. RESULTS: Around 34% of population had low vision (male:30% and female: 38%), while blindness prevalence was 1.63% (males: 1.88% and females: 1.41%). The fall was higher among females and increased across the gender with increasing visual impairment and blindness levels. The unadjusted odds of falls were 16% higher among individuals with low vision and 40% higher among individuals with blindness than with normal vision, and comparatively higher odds among females than males. CONCLUSION: In summary, falls and visual impairment is public health challenge and needs to be addressed. Visual impairment is preventable in most cases, so it may be a modifiable target for reducing the risk of falls.

The effects of cyberbullying victimization on depression and suicidal ideation among adolescents and young adults: a three year cohort study from India.

BACKGROUND: Cyberbullying victimisation is considered a global public health issue concerning the psychological development of adolescents that oftentimes persists into adulthood. The current study explored the longitudinal relationship between cyberbullying victimisation and depression and suicidal ideation among adolescents and young adults, given the scarcity of such studies in poor-resource settings like India. METHODS: Data were drawn from the "Understanding the Lives of Adolescents and Young Adults" (UDAYA- 2015-16 and 2018-19) surveys conducted in two most-populated Indian states of Uttar Pradesh and Bihar. Bivariate and logistic regression analysis was conducted to fulfil the objectives of the study using a sample of 4428 and 11,864 adolescent (aged 10-19 years) male and female cohorts, respectively. RESULTS: The prevalence of cyberbullying victimization increased from 3.8% to 6.4% among female respondents and 1.9% to 5.6% among male respondents over three years. About 33% of females and 16.6% of males had depressive symptoms in their young adulthood. Nearly 7.5% females compared to 2.3% of males, reported that they have seriously considered attempting suicide in the past one year. Adolscents who experienced cyberbullying victimization were 2.07 times more likely to have depressive symptoms comapared to those who did not experience cyberbullying victimization. Similarly, adolescents who experienced cyberbullying victimization were 2.50 times more likely to have suicidal ideation than their counterparts with no experience of cyberbullying victimization. CONCLUSION: The findings suggest that cyberbullying victims are at higher risk of depressive symptoms and suicidal thoughts and these adverse effects persist for longer period. Therefore, cyberbullying and related mental health problems need to be addressed with more efficient strategies such as increased awareness of nuances of online harassments among adolescent and young adult population.

The association of smartphone screen time with sleep problems among adolescents and young adults: cross-sectional findings from India.

BACKGROUND: Although sleep problem is a growing public health issue with the advancement of technology, especially among adolescents and young adults, it received little attention. The study aimed to examine the association of screen time on smartphone with sleep problems among adolescents and young-adults in India. METHODS: We used data from the "Understanding the lives of adolescents and young-adults" (UDAYA, 2018). The effective sample size for the study was 16,292 adolescents and young adults (males-4428 and females-11,864). Descriptive statistics and bivariate analysis with percentages and chi-square test were used to report the preliminary results. Multivariable logistic regression analysis was conducted to examine the association between smartphone screen time and sleep problems, separately for adolescents and young adults. RESULTS: Nearly 15.6% of males and 23.5% of females had sleep problems in their adolescence in the last 15 days, while these percentage were high among young-adults (18.4% males and 33.24% females). Adolescents [AOR: 1.55; CI: 1.21-1.99] and young adults [AOR: 1.48; CI: 1.24-1.75], who spent more than 2 h on smartphone had higher odds of reporting sleep problems than those who did not use smartphone in the last 24 hours. Adolescent females who used smartphone for less or equal to 2 h and three or more hours respectively, had 2.11 [AOR: 2.11; CI: 1.63-2.73] and 2.94 times [AOR: 2.94; CI: 1.97-4.38] higher odds of reporting sleep problems than adolescent males who did not use smartphones. Additionally, among the young adult females, the odds of sleep problems were 1.66 times [AOR: 1.66; CI: 1.55-2.38] and 2.36 times [AOR: 2.36; CI: 1.59-3.51] greater than the non-users young adult males. CONCLUSION: The increased time spent on mobile phones's screen among adolescents and young-adults, particularly in females is associated with a higher likelihood of reporting sleeping problems. The current findings have important implications for adolescence and young-adults' mental health programmes. The findings can also be used to further inform how different strategies need to be developed for better sleep outcome during adolescence and young-adults.

Synergistic Activity of Rhamnolipid Biosurfactant and Nanoparticles Synthesized Using Fungal Origin Chitosan Against Phytopathogens.

Phytopathogens pose severe implications in the quantity and quality of food production by instigating several diseases. Biocontrol strategies comprising the application of biomaterials have offered endless opportunities for sustainable agriculture. We explored multifarious potentials of rhamnolipid-BS (RH-BS: commercial), fungal chitosan (FCH), and FCH-derived nanoparticles (FCHNPs). The high-quality FCH was extracted from Cunninghamella echinulata NCIM 691 followed by the synthesis of FCHNPs. Both, FCH and FCHNPs were characterized by UV-visible spectroscopy, DLS, zeta potential, FTIR, SEM, and Nanoparticle Tracking Analysis (NTA). The commercial chitosan (CH) and synthesized chitosan nanoparticles (CHNPs) were used along with test compounds (FCH and FCHNPs). SEM analysis revealed the spherical shape of the nanomaterials (CHNPs and FCHNPs). NTA provided high-resolution visual validation of particle size distribution for CHNPs (256.33 ± 18.80 nm) and FCHNPs (144.33 ± 10.20 nm). The antibacterial and antifungal assays conducted for RH-BS, FCH, and FCHNPs were supportive to propose their efficacies against phytopathogens. The lower MIC of RH-BS (256 µg/ml) was observed than that of FCH and FCHNPs (>1,024 µg/ml) against Xanthomonas campestris NCIM 5028, whereas a combination study of RH-BS with FCHNPs showed a reduction in MIC up to 128 and 4 µg/ml, respectively, indicating their synergistic activity. The other combination of RH-BS with FCH resulted in an additive effect reducing MIC up to 128 and 256 µg/ml, respectively. Microdilution plate assay conducted for three test compounds demonstrated inhibition of fungi, FI: Fusarium moniliforme ITCC 191, FII: Fusarium moniliforme ITCC 4432, and FIII: Fusarium graminearum ITCC 5334 (at 0.015% and 0.020% concentration). Furthermore, potency of test compounds performed through the in vitro model (poisoned food technique) displayed dose-dependent (0.005%, 0.010%, 0.015%, and 0.020% w/v) antifungal activity. Moreover, RH-BS and FCHNPs inhibited spore germination (61-90%) of the same fungi. Our efforts toward utilizing the combination of RH-BS with FCHNPs are significant to develop eco-friendly, low cytotoxic formulations in future.

Relationship between handgrip strength, depression and cognitive functioning among older adults: Evidence from longitudinal ageing study in India.

BACKGROUND: Handgrip strength (HGS) is a frequent and general indicator of muscle strength and it may affect several aspects of mental health among older people. This study explored the association of HGS with depression and cognitive impairment among community-dwelling older adults in resource-constrained setting of India. METHOD: Data were drawn from the Longitudinal Ageing Study in India (LASI), and the analysis was conducted on 27,707 older adults aged 60 years and above. Outcome measures included depression (assessed by the Short Form Composite International Diagnostic Interview (CIDI-SF) and the Center for Epidemiological Studies-Depression (CES-D) scales) and cognitive impairment. Descriptive statistics and mean scores of HGS were reported and multivariable linear regression analyses were conducted to test the research hypotheses of the study. RESULTS: Mean score of HGS was 24.33 (SD: 7.22) for males and 15.94 (SD: 5.14) for females. Mean age was 68.86 (SD: 7.19) and 68.40 (SD: 7.31) years among males and females respectively. Older participants who had weak HGS were significantly more likely to be depressed in CIDI-SF scale (B: 0.06, CI: 0.01-0.13) and CES-D scale (B: 0.02, CI: 0.01-0.03) in comparison to those who had strong HGS after adjusting for a large number of confounders. Older participants who had weak HGS were significantly more likely (B: 0.92, CI: 0.76-1.07) to have cognitive impairment compared to those who had strong HGS. CONCLUSION: The findings highlight the independent association of HGS with major depression, depressive symptoms and cognitive impairment that have implications on promoting resistance-training programs among aged population.

Social support moderates the association of functional difficulty with major depression among community-dwelling older adults: evidence from LASI, 2017-18.

BACKGROUND: This study aimed to examine the potential independent association of functional disability with major depression and moderating effects of social support variables including marital status, living arrangement and social participation in such associations. METHODS: Data for the study were drawn from the Longitudinal Ageing Study in India (LASI) wave 1 that was collected during 2017-18 including a sample of 31,464 individuals aged 60 years and above. Descriptive statistics and results from bivariate analysis have been reported. Further, moderated multivariable logistic regression models were used to fulfil the study objective. Major depressive disorder was assessed using the scale of the Short Form Composite International Diagnostic Interview (CIDI-SF). RESULTS: It was found that 8.67% of older participants were depressed in this study. Older adults who had difficulty in basic activities of daily living (BADL) (15.34%), difficulty in instrumental activities of daily living (IADL) (12.06%), unmarried (10.13%), separate living (9.67%) and socially inactive (10.09) were having higher prevalence of major depression compared to their respective counterparts. The adjusted model-1 revealed that older adults who had difficulty in BADL and IADL were 2.53 times [AOR: 2.53, CI: 2.17-2.95] and 2.27 times [AOR: 2.27, CI: 1.97-2.64] more likely to have major depression than those with no difficulty in BADL and IADL respectively. Further, interaction analyses found that currently unmarried status, separate living and being socially inactive have moderation effects in the observed associations and exacerbate the likelihood of major depression among older adults who are functionally impaired. CONCLUSIONS: The findings highlight the importance of integrating social participation in the daily life of older adults and developing initiatives that promote a healthy surrounding such as social connectedness, co-residential living and special care for those who are physically disabled to protect against late-life depression.

Relationship between depressive symptoms and self-reported menstrual irregularities during adolescence: evidence from UDAYA, 2016.

BACKGROUND: The study examined the prevalence of self-reported menstrual irregularities during adolescence and explored the association of depressive symptoms with self-reported menstrual irregularities in adolescents in two major states of Uttar Pradesh and Bihar in India. METHODS: This study is based on the data obtained from the first round of the "Understanding the lives of adolescents and young adults" (UDAYA, 2016) survey. The effective sample size for the study was 12,707 adolescent girls aged 10-19 years. A bivariate analysis with chi-square test was conducted to determine the self-reported menstrual irregularity by predictor variables. Multivariable logistic regression models were employed to examine the associations between self-reported menstrual irregularity, depressive symptoms and other explanatory variables. RESULTS: A proportion of 11.22% of adolescent girls reported menstrual irregularity and 11.40% of the participants had mild depressive symptoms. Adolescent girls with mild (AOR: 2.15, CI: 1.85-2.51), moderate (AOR: 2.64, CI: 2.03-3.42) and severe depressive symptoms (AOR: 2.99, CI: 2.19-4.10) were more likely to have menstrual irregularity as compared to those who had minimal depressive symptoms. Physically active adolescent girls were less likely to report menstrual irregularity (AOR: 0.82, CI: 0.73-0.93) than physically inactive girls. Adolescent girls who used piece of cloth for menstrual hygiene practices (AOR: 1.17; CI: 1.02-1.35) and those who used either napkin or cloth or other materials (AOR: 1.32; CI: 1.14-1.54) had higher likelihood of menstrual irregularity as compared to those who used only sanitary napkins. CONCLUSION: A significant association of depressive symptoms with self-reported menstrual irregularity among adolescent girls was observed. Therefore, while treating females with irregular menstrual cycles, clinicians may need to pay greater attention to thir mental health peoblems.

Prevalence and correlates of perceived age-related discrimination among older adults in India.

BACKGROUND: Age is one of the predominant reasons for perceived discrimination in developing world where older people are considered a non-contributing burden. The present study explores the prevalence and correlates of perceived age discrimination among older Indian adults. METHODS: A cross-sectional study was conducted using a large representative survey data from the Longitudinal Ageing Study in India conducted during 2017-18. Participants included 31,464 older adults aged 60 years and above. Multivariable logistic regression analysis was used to test the associations between selected background characteristics and perceived age discrimination. RESULTS: The analysis revealed that 10.33 percent of older adults perceived their age as the main reason for discrimination, which was 11.86% among the oldest-old. Older adults with more than 10 years of schooling were 32% [adjusted odds ratio (AOR): 0.68; confidence interval (CI): 0.51-0.89] less likely to perceive age discrimination compared to their uneducated counterparts. The odds of perceived age discrimination were higher among older adults who earlier worked [AOR: 1.73; CI: 1.46-2.05] and currently working [AOR: 1.61; CI: 1.31-1.96] as compared to those who never worked. Further, having difficulty in instrumental activities of daily living (IADL) [AOR: 1.43; CI: 1.25 -1.65] and having one chronic condition [AOR: 1.16; CI: 1.02 -1.34] were associated with increased odds of perceived age discrimination among older adults. CONCLUSION: Older adults with lower socioeconomic status, currently working, having more chronic conditions, difficulty in IADL and belonging to rural areas were found to perceive higher age discrimination than their counterparts. The findings of the study have important implications for policy makers with respect to strategies such as making the vulnerable populations aware of their legal rights that help in the prevention of age-based discrimination in the country.

Accidents and injuries in workers of iron and steel industry in West Bengal, India: Prevalence and associated risk factors.

This study estimates the prevalence and risk factors of accidents and injuries among iron and steel industry workers. A cross-sectional study (N = 505) was conducted from November 2019 to March 2020 in the Indian Iron and Steel Company (IISCO), Burnpur, West Bengal, India. The result shows that about 28% of workers experienced accidents and injuries in the last 12 months. The most frequent injuries reported were cuts from sharp objects (37.32%), followed by fractures and dislocation (30.28%) and burns (19.01%), upper head injury (23.24%) and arm/shoulder injury (14.08%). Non-technical education (adjusted odds ratio [AOR]: 2.52), higher exposure in risky and polluted areas (AOR: 2.85), alcohol consumption (AOR: 2.47), poor occupational health and safety knowledge (AOR: 0.65) were significantly associated with work-related injuries. Occupational health and safety knowledge and usage of safety measures must be propagated and monitored to curb accidents and injuries among iron and steel industry workers in India.

Number of chronic conditions and associated functional limitations among older adults: cross-sectional findings from the longitudinal aging study in India.

BACKGROUND: Chronic conditions reduce the likelihood of physical functioning among older adults. However, the contribution of most prevalent diseases and multimorbidity to different measures of functional limitations is relatively underexplored among Indian older adults. The present study explores the prospective association between number of chronic conditions and limitations in activities of daily living (ADL) and instrumental activities of daily living (IADL) among older adults in India. METHODS: This study utilized data from the nationally representative Longitudinal Ageing Study in India (LASI-2017-18). The effective sample size was 31,464 older adults aged 60 years and above. Descriptive statistics along with cross-tabulation were presented in the study. Additionally, binary logistic regression analysis was used to fulfil the objectives. The outcome variables were dichotomized; high representing no difficulty in ADL/IADL and low representing a difficulty in at least one ADL/IADL. The chronic conditions included hypertension, diabetes, neurological/psychiatric disease, lung disease, heart diseases, stroke, and bone-related disease. The number of chronic diseases was categorized into no disease, single, two and three plus based on number of reported disease. RESULTS: 26.36% of older women and 20.87% of older men had low ADL and the figures for low IADL were 56.86 and 38.84% for older men and women respectively. The likelihood of low ADL (AOR: 1.698, CI:1.544, 1.868) and low IADL (AOR: 1.197; CI: 1.064, 1.346) was higher among womenthan men. With increasing age, the prevalence of low ADL increased among older adults. Respondents with pre-existing chronic conditions had higher likelihood of low ADL and IADL. Older adults with hypertension, psychiatric disease, heart disease, stroke and bone-related disease had significantly higher odds of reporting low IADL. The chances of low ADL and IADL were 2.156 (CI: 1.709, 2.719) and 2.892 (CI: 2.067, 4.047) times respectively higher among older adults with more than three chronic conditions. After controlling for socio-economic and health-related covariates, it was found that men with more than three pre-existing chronic conditions had higher odds of low ADL than women. On the other hand, low IADL were found higher among women with more than three pre-existing chronic conditions. CONCLUSIONS: The present study demonstrates a significant burden of functional limitations among older individuals and that there is a strong association between pre-existing chronic conditions and functional disability. Those with hypertension, diabetes, psychiatric disorders, heart disease, stroke, lung disease or bone-related diseases should be effectively monitored to predict future functional limitations, which may lead to worsening health.

Prevalence and correlates of bone and joint diseases and its association with falls among older adults in India: Evidence from LASI, 2017-18.

This study explores the prevalence and correlates of bone and joint diseases and its association with falls among older adults in India. Data from the Longitudinal Aging Study in India (2017-18) were utilized for analysis (n = 31,464). Bivariate and logistic regression was used to fulfill the study objectives. The findings revealed that 19.71% of older adults had bone and joint disease, which was higher among women (22.79%) than men (16.25%). The strongest predictors of such diseases included being currently employed, physically inactive, having difficulties in performing functional activities and higher economic status. The fall in the last two years was reported by 12.63% of older adults, and bone and joints diseases were significantly associated with falls (AOR = 1.287; 95% CI: 1.117-1.483) after adjusting for several socio-demographic and health covariates. These findings imply that policymakers and providers must implement interventions designed to reduce the risk of those diseases and associated falls.