Suchergebnisse

Meaningful youth engagement produces benefits both to youth and to the community in which they live. This paper discusses a day-long youth summit held for 289 middle school students. Youth attended a combination of mass and break-out sessions based on America's Promise Five Promises. Planners and evaluators assessed proximal student outcomes throughout the day. A two question visual analog scale was developed and utilized to assess students' perceptions of learning and enjoyment.

Low-income older adults are disproportionately impacted by the COVID-19 pandemic. In this perspective article, we review the context in which low-income older people experience the pandemic and the mental and physical health consequences they have faced to date. Then, we offer practical solutions to help improve low-income older adults' sleep, physical activity, nutrition, and stress that require no or low financial commitment. We argue that governments, communities, and organizations should make greater efforts to promote healthy living for low-income older adults in times of health emergencies to ensure their ability to be universally adopted, regardless of income and resources.

Purpose. Examine how sociodemographic, health, behavioral, and health care utilization factors are associated with being obese or having diabetes among baby boomers and older adults. Design. Cross-sectional data were drawn from the 2007–2008 National Health and Nutrition Examination Survey. Setting. United States. Subjects. A sample of 3439 baby boomers and older adults included (mean age, 62 years). Measures. Covariates included sociodemographics, health outcomes, behaviors, and inpatient and outpatient health care utilization. Analysis. Multinomial logistic regression was used to explore which similar or different covariates were associated with different health states between baby boomers and older adults. Results. Approximately 8% of baby boomers and 10% of older adults had the twin diagnoses of obesity and diabetes. Having both obesity and diabetes was more common among baby boomers and older adults who were African-American (odds ratio [OR] = 1.79, p = .029 for baby boomers; OR = 3.45, p < .001 for older adults), perceived their general health as fair/poor (OR = 7.67, p < .001; OR = 4.13, p < .001), and utilized outpatient care more often (OR = 8.28, p < .001; OR = 5.35, p = .004). Being obese only was observed less among baby boomers who were current smokers (OR = .45, p < .001), whereas it was observed more among older adults who were former smokers (OR = 1.25, p = .046). Having diabetes only was observed more among baby boomers who had hypertension (OR = 2.44, p = .01), whereas it was observed more among older adults who had very high cholesterol (OR = 2.31, p = .029). Conclusion. Identifying chronic disease risk factors during middle age is important for ameliorating further complications in later life. Knowing more about the correlates of obesity and diabetes among different age groups can help health care planners better target preventive health care services.

Purpose: We examined the extent to which demographic, chronic disease burden, and financial strain characteristics were associated with a preference for engaging in the Chronic Disease Self-Management Program (presented as a "health self-management program" [HSMP]) over a financial self-management program (FSMP) and a no program preference (NPP) group among employed adults. Design: Cross-sectional, correlation design using baseline data from a randomized controlled trial (RCT). Subjects: The analytic sample included 324 workers aged 40 to 64 years with 1 or more chronic disease conditions recruited into the RCT from 2015 to 2017. Measures: Chronic disease burden measures included the number of chronic conditions, body mass index (BMI), and the 8-item and 15-item Patient Health Questionnaire (PHQ-8 and PHQ-15). Financial strain was measured as the inability to purchase essentials and food assistance receipt. Both individual and household measures of income were assessed. Analyses: Multinomial logistic regression and post-hoc marginal effects models. Results: Moderate-to-severe depressive symptoms increased the likelihood of having an HSMP preference when compared with those preferring the FSMP (RR = 4.2, P < .05) but not those having NPP; while higher BMI marginally increased HSMP preference over FSMP preference, but not NPP groups (RR = 1.04, P < .05). Financial strain differentially, but significantly, reduces the likelihood of HSMP preference at varying levels of household poverty, depressive symptom severity, and financial strain. Conclusion: Middle-aged, lower-to-middle income workers with moderate-to-severe depressive symptoms opt for HSMPs over FSMPs, but preference for HSMPs significantly diminished when they are experiencing financial strain.