Climate change-related hazards and disasters, known to adversely impact physical and mental health outcomes, are also expected to result in human migration above current levels. ...Environmentally-motivated migration and displacement may lead to the disruption of existing social ties, with potentially adverse consequences for mobile populations as well as their family members who remain in places of origin. We propose that the disruption of social ties is a key mechanism by which climate-related migration may negatively impact mental health, in particular. Existing social ties may provide social and material resources that buffer mental health stressors related to both prolonged and acute climate events. Preparation for such events may also strengthen these same ties and protect mental health. Communities may leverage social ties, first to mitigate climate change, and second, to adapt and rebuild post-disaster in communities of origin. Additionally, social ties can inform migration decisions and destinations. For example, scholars have found that the drought-motivated adaptive migration of West African Fulbe herders only occurred because of the long-term development of social networks between migrants and non-migrants through trade and seasonal grazing. On the other hand, social ties do not always benefit mental health. Some migrants, including those from poor regions or communities with no formal safety net, may face considerable burden to provide financial and emotional resources to family members who remain in countries of origin. In destination communities, migrants often face significant social marginalization. Therefore, policies and programs that aim to maintain ongoing social ties among migrants and their family and community members may be critically important in efforts to enhance population resilience and adaptation to climate change and to improve mental health outcomes. Several online platforms, like Refugee Start Force, serve to integrate refugees by connecting migrants directly to people and services in destination communities. These efforts may increasingly draw upon novel technologies to support and maintain social networks in the context of population mobility due to climatic and other factors.
We determined the impact of premigration circumstances on postmigration psychological distress and self-rated physical health among Latino immigrants.
We estimated ordinary least squares and logistic ...regression models for Latino immigrants in the 2002-2003 National Latino and Asian American Study (n = 1603).
Mean psychological distress scores (range = 10-50) were 14.8 for women and 12.7 for men; 35% of women and 27% of men reported fair or poor physical health. A third of the sample reported having to migrate; up to 46% reported unplanned migration. In multivariate analyses, immigration-related stress was significantly associated with psychological distress, but not with self-rated health, for both Latino men and women. Having to migrate was associated with increased psychological distress for Puerto Rican and Cuban women respondents and with poorer physical health for Puerto Rican migrant men. Unplanned migration was significantly associated with poorer physical health for all Latina women respondents.
The context of both pre- and postmigration has an impact on immigrant health. Those involved in public health research, policy, and practice should consider variation in immigrant health by migration circumstances, including the context of exit and other immigration-related stressors.
The growing body of evidence linking intergenerational education and late-life cognitive decline is almost exclusively from high-income countries, despite rapid intergenerational changes in education ...in low- and middle-income countries (LMICs). We used data from the Mexican Health and Aging Study (n = 8,822), a cohort study of Mexican adults aged ≥50 years (2001-2018), to evaluate whether parental education (none vs. any formal schooling), one's own education (less than primary school vs. completion of primary school), or an adult child's education (less than high school vs. completion of high school) was associated with verbal memory z scores. We used linear mixed models with inverse probability of attrition weights. Educational attainment in all 3 generations was associated with baseline verbal memory scores, independent of the prior generation's education. Lower parental (β = -0.005, 95% confidence interval: -0.009, -0.002) and respondent (β = -0.013, 95% confidence interval: -0.017, -0.010) educational level were associated with faster decline in delayed (but not immediate) verbal memory z scores. Associations between adult child's education and respondent's verbal memory decline varied by exposure specification. The educational attainment of parents and adult children may influence the cognitive aging of middle-aged and older adults in LMICs. These results have important implications given recent structural shifts in educational attainment in many LMICs.
Abstract
Objective:
This article examines the association between childhood and adult socioeconomic status (SES) and late-life health trajectories for older adults in Mexico.
Method:
Data are from ...the Mexican Health and Aging Study, a panel survey that began with a nationally representative sample of Mexican adults 50 years and older at baseline (2001), with follow-up in 2003 and 2012. We use a hierarchical repeated measures model to estimate the relationship between SES and depressive symptoms, functional limitations, and self-rated health, respectively. We tested both discrete measures of SES in childhood and adulthood, as well as a combined indicator of lifetime SES.
Results:
Childhood SES was significantly associated with later-life health trajectories net of adulthood SES indicators. Adult SES was significantly associated with late-life health trajectories, with some differences by gender and outcome. There were significant SES disparities in health outcomes over the 11-year study period. However, there were no significant multiplicative interactions between SES and age, which would have indicated either diminishing or widening SES health disparities with age.
Discussion:
Socioeconomic disparities in health appear to persist into old age in the Mexican context. Efforts to reduce late-life health disparities in Mexico should target socioeconomic and material conditions across the life course.
Although antimicrobial resistance is an increasingly significant public health concern, there have only been two new classes of antibiotics approved for human use since the 1960s. Understanding the ...mechanisms of action of antibiotics is critical for novel antibiotic discovery, but novel approaches are needed that do not exclusively rely on experiments. Molecular dynamics simulation is a computational tool that uses simple models of the atoms in a system to discover nanoscale insights into the dynamic relationship between mechanism and biological function. Such insights can lay the framework for elucidating the mechanism of action and optimizing antibiotic templates. Antimicrobial peptides represent a promising solution to escalating antimicrobial resistance, given their lesser tendency to induce resistance than that of small-molecule antibiotics. Simulations of these agents have already revealed how they interact with bacterial membranes and the underlying physiochemical features directing their structure and function. In this minireview, we discuss how traditional molecular dynamics simulation works and its role and potential for the development of new antibiotic candidates with an emphasis on antimicrobial peptides.
Latinos are the fastest growing aging population in the U.S. However, there has been limited attention to conceptualizing successful aging among Latinos, especially those residing in rural ...communities. Latinos are the largest racial or ethnic group residing in rural underserved communities and rural Latinos experience significant structural barriers to access the conditions they need to age well. The goal of this study is to make unique contributions to the successful aging literature by describing what successful aging means for middle-aged Latinas residing in a rural community.
This qualitative paper used inductive thematic content analysis to examine definitions of successful aging among Latina women (n = 40) residing in an underserved agricultural community and entering mid-life (mean = 49 years old; age range 40-64).
With regards to definitions of successful aging, four themes emerged: 1) Having good health; 2) maintaining an active lifestyle; 3) the wellbeing of one's children; and 4) being independent.
Participants' definitions of successful aging aligned to some extent with existing frameworks, specifically related to health and independence. However, middle-aged Latina participants' unique definitions of successful aging also diverged from existing frameworks, especially around the wellbeing of their children and the importance of work as a way of maintaining an active lifestyle. More research is needed to understand the unique social context and circumstances of middle-aged Latinos residing in rural communities and how they influence their aging journeys. This can provide important information for the development of culturally sensitive services, interventions, and policies to help Latinos age well.
Based on the recognition that food insecurity (FI) is associated with poor health across the life course, many US health systems are actively exploring ways to help patients access food resources. ...This review synthesizes findings from studies examining the effects of health care-based interventions designed to reduce FI.
We conducted a systematic review of peer-reviewed literature published from January 2000 through September 2018 that described health care- based FI interventions. Standardized mean differences (SMD) were calculated and pooled when appropriate. Study quality was rated using Grading Recommendations Assessment Development and Evaluation criteria.
Twenty-three studies met the inclusion criteria and examined a range of FI interventions and outcomes. Based on study design and sample size, 74% were rated low or very low quality. Studies of referral-based interventions reported moderate increases in patient food program referrals (SMD = 0.67, 95% CI, 0.36-0.98; SMD = 1.42, 95% CI, 0.76-2.08) and resource use (pooled SMD = 0.54, 95% CI, 0.31-0.78). Studies describing interventions providing food or vouchers reported mixed results for the actual change in fruit/vegetable intake, averaging to no impact when pooled (-0.03, 95% CI, -0.66 to 0.61). Few studies evaluated health or utilization outcomes; these generally reported small but positive effects.
Although a growing base of literature explores health care-based FI interventions, the low number and low quality of studies limit inferences about their effectiveness. More rigorous evaluation of FI interventions that includes health and utilization outcomes is needed to better understand roles for the health care sector in addressing FI.
Abstract Background Older adults’ psychosocial outcomes during the COVID-19 pandemic have been inequitable by socio-economic status (SES). However, studies have focused solely on own SES, ignoring ...emerging evidence of the relationship between adult child SES and late-life health. We evaluated whether adult child educational attainment – a core marker of SES – is associated with older parents’ psychosocial outcomes during the pandemic. Methods We used data from the Survey of Health, Aging, and Retirement in Europe (SHARE) 2004–2018 and the SHARE Corona Surveys (SCS) 2020 and 2021. We included 40,392 respondents ≥ 65 years who had pre-pandemic information on adult child educational attainment and self-reported psychosocial outcomes during the pandemic, including self-assessments of worsened psychosocial outcomes compared to the pre-pandemic period. We used generalized estimating equations with a Poisson distribution and a log link, adjusted for respondent and family-level characteristics, including respondents’ own educational attainment. Results Older adults whose adult children averaged levels of educational attainment at or above (vs. below) their country-specific mean had a lower prevalence of feeling nervous (Prevalence Ratio PR: 0.94, 95% Confidence Interval CI: 0.90, 0.97), sad or depressed (PR: 0.94, 95% CI: 0.91, 0.98), and having sleep problems (PR: 0.94, 95% CI: 0.90, 0.97) during the pandemic. Additionally, higher adult child educational attainment was associated with a lower risk of perceiving worsened feelings of nervousness (PR: 0.95, 95% CI: 0.90, 1.01) and worsened sleep problems (PR: 0.91, 95% CI: 0.82, 1.01) as compared to the pre-pandemic. In stratified models, protective associations were observed only in countries experiencing “high” levels of COVID-19 intensity at the time of the survey. All of these results are derived from adjusted models. Conclusions Adult child SES may have “upward” spillover effects on the psychosocial wellbeing of older parents during periods of societal duress like the pandemic.
This study examines how onset of chronic pain affects characteristics of personal social networks among adults aged 51+ across Europe.
We used population-based data from the Survey of Health, Ageing ...and Retirement in Europe (SHARE; 2011-2015; n = 12,647). Using a change score analysis approach, we tracked changes in personal social networks of respondents experiencing new-onset chronic pain (n = 3803) compared to pain-free counterparts (n = 8844) in 11 European countries over four years.
Overall, consistent with network activation theory, respondents with new-onset mild-to-moderate chronic pain reported increases in sizes and diversity of their personal social networks, compared to their pain-free counterparts. However, consistent with the "pain as threat to the social self" theory, respondents with new-onset moderate pain or mild-to-moderate pain reported a decrease over time in perceived satisfaction and closeness with networks, respectively. Estimates from interactions between new-onset pain severity and sex show that men with new-onset pain experienced greater decreases in network satisfaction (mild pain) and closeness (severe pain) than did women.
This study highlights the complex social consequences of chronic pain, which may vary based on pain severity, gender, and type of social outcome considered.
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