Geriatric Health in Bangladesh during COVID-19: Challenges and Recommendations

Simultaneous COVID-19 Pandemic and Dengue Epidemic: A Double Challenge to Geriatric Health Security in Bangladesh

Bangladesh faces distinct challenges as a resource-poor country due to the combined effects of the COVID-19 pandemic and simultaneous dengue outbreaks. Older adults are particularly vulnerable to infection and death from COVID-19. While overall health and life expectancy in the general population have improved substantially in Bangladesh, health services for older adults are still lacking. No specialized geriatric units have been established in hospitals, and no home care programs have been established for older adults. COVID-19 mortality rates were highest among older adults ages 61 to 70 years (35%), and 71 to 80 years (20%) in 2022. Although the country's average COVID-19 mortality rate was low at 1.76%, in older adults, it was much higher (55%), accounting for 14,797 deaths, despite that most cases (55%) were recorded in young adults. During the COVID-19 pandemic, Bangladesh also experienced a dengue epidemic. Around 21,193 dengue patients were admitted to hospitals between January 1 and October 8, 2022. Without a well-established and all-encompassing social care program, the indirect socioeconomic burden of COVID-19 continues to fall on older adults. There is an immediate need for robust healthcare and support services, especially for older adults in Bangladesh, which are particularly susceptible to the dual threats posed by the COVID-19 pandemic and the dengue epidemic. Recommendations are made to protect older adults from the devastating effects of the 2 simultaneous epidemics.

Applied artificial intelligence: Acceptance-intention-purchase and satisfaction on smartwatch usage in a Ghanaian context

Technology and its continuous advancement facilitate human beings to get rid of their criticality and limitation. Applied artificial intelligence (AAI) is one of the latest forms that delimited the limitation of human beings. Smartwatch acts as an applied artificial intelligence to assist various patients to check medical care without going to hospital and physicians. This (three) multiple-study research focused on the intention to use, purchase, and their satisfaction and spread positive word of mouth among others in the Ghanaian. To investigate these issues two renowned theories were underpinned- TAM theory and the Stimulus-Organism-Response (S-O-R). Total 550, 320, and 170 respondents were interviewed with Google forms due to COVID-19 using social media. AI-enabled smartwatch considering Perceived Ease of Use (PEOU), Perceived Usefulness (PU), Perceived Credibility (PC), Perceived Self-Efficacy (PSE), and Perceived Financial Cost (PFC) were significant on intention to adoption and adoption intention on actual purchase. The final study showed device quality, its service level, their usage experience, perceived value, and the extent to which the satisfied customers made positive word of mouth to their friends and family, colleagues and followers. This research is significant in understanding the usage of AI-enabled smartwatches as a device doctor or electronic doctor (e-doctor).

The Relationship Between the Fear of COVID-19 in the Elderly Aged 65 Years and Over and Their Levels of Adaptation to the "New Normal": A Cross-Sectional Study

This study was carried out to determine the relationship between the fear of COVID-19 in the elderly aged 65 years and over and their levels of adaptation to the "new normal." This descriptive cross-sectional study was completed with 623 elderly individuals. It was determined that the individuals who adapted well to the "new normal" had high levels of adaptation to old age, while their levels of fear of COVID-19 were slightly above average (p < 0.01). Elderly individuals have tried to adapt to the "new normal" while also experiencing fear of COVID-19. In order to minimize the fear experienced by the elderly during COVID-19, adequate support and psychological support should be provided.

The impact of COVID-19 on health of the older persons in Bangladesh

The COVID-19 is impacting the health of the population, including older persons. Available evidence shows that older people are highly vulnerable and more likely to have adverse health outcomes. In Bangladesh, the older population is rapidly increasing, living with various disadvantaged socio-economic conditions, including inadequate access and healthcare services. These disparities are likely to increase during the COVID-19, resulting in high morbidity and mortality among them. Thus, we have examined the health vulnerabilities of older persons due to the COVID-19 pandemic using content analysis. We have analyzed 102 content collected from various online and printed articles published in newspapers, journals, and other relevant sources. The study has found increased health risks, deteriorated mental health, and poor health system functioning during the pandemic and its impact on older persons in Bangladesh. Strengthening health systems through an integrated model with capacity development of existing health care providers to deal with elderly health problems, including mental health and psychosocial wellbeing; promoting preventive measures, facilitating access to healthcare is required. Bangladesh can learn the Chinese experience to adopt innovative, specialized, and advanced systems to efficiently fight against the COVID-19.

Applied Artificial Intelligence and user satisfaction: Smartwatch usage for healthcare in Bangladesh during COVID-19

The evolution of Artificial Intelligence (AI) has revolutionized many aspects of human life, including healthcare. Amidst the Covid-19 pandemic, AI-enabled smartwatches are being used to help users to self-monitor and self-manage their health. Using a framework based on Stimulus-Organism-Response (S-O-R) theory, this present study aimed to explore the use of AI-enabled smartwatches for health purposes, in particular the effects of product quality, service quality, perceived convenience, and perceived ease of use on user experience, trust and user satisfaction. Based on a purposive survey sample of 486 smartphone users in Bangladesh, data collected was analyzed using SPSS software for elementary analyses and PLS-SEM for hypotheses testing. The findings showed that the predictors, namely product quality, service quality, perceived convenience, and perceived ease of use, significantly affected user experience and trust. Similarly, user experience and trust were influential on user satisfaction and played partial mediating roles between predictors and user satisfaction. Besides, gender and age moderate the relationships of experience and trust with customer satisfaction. These findings support the S-O-R theoretical framework and have practical implications for brand and marketing managers of smartwatches in developing product features and understanding users' attitudes and behaviours.

Older adults with non-communicable chronic conditions and their health care access amid COVID-19 pandemic in Bangladesh: Findings from a cross-sectional study

BACKGROUND

Burgeoning burden of non-communicable disease among older adults is one of the emerging public health problems. In the COVID-19 pandemic, health services in low- and middle-income countries, including Bangladesh, have been disrupted. This may have posed challenges for older adults with non-communicable chronic conditions in accessing essential health care services in the current pandemic. The present study aimed at exploring the challenges experienced by older Bangladeshi adults with non-communicable chronic conditions in receiving regular health care services during the COVID-19 pandemic.

MATERIALS AND METHODS

The study followed a cross-sectional design and was conducted among 1032 Bangladeshi older adults aged 60 years and above during October 2020 through telephone interviews. Self-reported information on nine non-communicable chronic conditions (osteoarthritis, hypertension, heart disease, stroke, hypercholesterolemia, diabetes, chronic respiratory diseases, chronic kidney disease, cancer) was collected. Participants were asked if they faced any difficulties in accessing medicine and receiving routine medical care for their medical conditions during the COVID-19 pandemic. The association between non-communicable chronic conditions and accessing medication and health care was analysed using binary logic regression model.

RESULTS

Most of the participants aged 60-69 years (77.8%), male (65.5%), married (81.4%), had no formal schooling (58.3%) and resided in rural areas (73.9%). Although more than half of the participants (58.9%) reported having a single condition, nearly one-quarter (22.9%) had multimorbidity. About a quarter of the participants reported difficulties accessing medicine (23%) and receiving routine medical care (27%) during the pandemic, and this was significantly higher among those suffering from multimorbidity. In the adjusted analyses, participants with at least one condition (AOR: 1.95, 95% CI: 1.33-2.85) and with multimorbidity (AOR: 4.75, 95% CI: 3.17-7.10) had a higher likelihood of experiencing difficulties accessing medicine. Similarly, participants with at least one condition (AOR: 3.08, 95% CI: 2.11-4.89) and with multimorbidity (AOR: 6.34, 95% CI: 4.03-9.05) were significantly more likely to face difficulties receiving routine medical care during the COVID-19 pandemic.

CONCLUSIONS

Our study found that a sizeable proportion of the older adults had difficulties in accessing medicine and receiving routine medical care during the pandemic. The study findings highlight the need to develop an appropriate health care delivery pathway and strategies to maintain essential health services during any emergencies and beyond. We also argue the need to prioritise the health of older adults with non-communicable chronic conditions in the centre of any emergency response plan and policies of Bangladesh.

Evaluation of the chronic disease management and depression levels of people over 65 years of age during the COVID-19 pandemic period

PURPOSE

The present study aimed to determine the depression risk and the management of chronic diseases of individuals over 65 years old under the mandatory mass coronavirus disease 2019 quarantine.

DESIGN AND METHODS

The cross-sectional study was conducted with 185 Turkish elders with chronic diseases.

FINDINGS

The majority of the elderly reported that their medication, diet, and exercise programs were not affected, but the regular health controls were negatively affected. Of the participants, 51.9% of them carried the risk of depression.

IMPLICATIONS FOR NURSING PRACTICE

Urgent action plans for elders need to be developed taking into account psychosocial needs for them to pass the pandemic process with minimal damage.

How does tourist perception lead to tourist hesitation? Empirical evidence from Bangladesh

The paper aims to identify the factors that cause prospective tourists' hesitation to travel. The study also examines whether this relationship is mediated by the tourist perception in Bangladesh. The study is of quantitative design, and the relationships between tourist knowledge, tourist health risk, and destination personality with tourist hesitation were explored using a sample of 322 Bangladeshi prospective tourists. The three relationships were also examined through tourist perception. By using cross-sectional data, the researchers hypothesized that tourist knowledge, tourist health risk, and destination personality have a positive and significant effect on tourist hesitation. Besides, the researchers also hypothesized that tourist perception mediates the relationships between tourist knowledge, tourist health risk, and destination personality with tourist hesitation. In this respect, the Smart PLS 3.0 was employed to analyze the data. The results of the study confirm findings of previous related studies by not only highlighting the importance of tourist perception in shaping tourist hesitation but also indicating the way each dimension of tourism either enhances or inhibits the tourist hesitation. The results of the study also reveal a positive and significant relationship between tourist knowledge and tourist health risk with tourist hesitation. The analysis of data showed no conventional relationship between destination personality and tourist hesitation. Accordingly, this study identified the extent to which tourist perception mediates the relationship between tourist knowledge and destination personality with tourist hesitation. Meanwhile, the results of the study indicate the absence of any mediation role of tourist perception between tourist health risk and tourist hesitation. The study outcomes would encourage the government, policymakers, and tourism managements in creating a tailor-made responsiveness program by building a scenario that could offer more prominent sustainable tourism establishments. Besides, the results may assist stakeholders of tourist destinations in understanding tourist perception and the causes of tourist's hesitation.

Health disparities among older women in India during the COVID-19 pandemic

Purpose

Older women in India continually experience disparities in health. The legally enforced lockdown in India has impacted both physical and psychosocial well-being of the populace. Amid the restrictions on mobility during the lockdown, older adults are presented with challenges such as impaired access to healthcare services, nonavailability of attendants and prolonged social isolation. Due to these challenges, disparities related to gender and age may considerably widen. The potential health threats may particularly afflict older women, who bear a disproportionate threat to illnesses, compared to their male counterparts.

Design/methodology/approach

This commentary explores how health threats among older Indian women may have worsened during the lockdown. The authors also propose recommendations for expanding health and social care to older women in India.

Findings

Approaches aimed at strengthening gerontological social work must be duly adopted, especially during the ongoing pandemic. Public institutions and development partners should utilize and if needed, overhaul existing resources and policies to adequately serve this marginalized group. Older women, especially those residing in unbearable circumstances, should be identified and brought under comprehensive care coverage within the social landscape.

Originality/value

This article proposes recommendations to foster gerontological social work among older Indian women.

Older people at the beginning of the COVID-19 pandemic: A scoping review

This scoping review focuses on evidence gaps regarding the effects on health, social participation and life contexts of older people at the beginning of the COVID-19 pandemic. It is based on a systematic search strategy of the international literature covering a period between December 2019 and June 2020. The review is supplemented by a search of the websites of selected organisations in Germany (cut-off date: 29 June 2020). Search hits were differentiated by types of publication (empirical study, review, discussion paper). The contents were summarised in tabular form according to topic. The publications mainly discussed the high risks of suffering severe courses of COVID-19 faced by older people, specifically those belonging to certain subgroups. In addition, further main topics were the pandemic’s indirect impacts on physical and mental health, physical and cognitive functions and participation in society. Social isolation, loneliness, reduced levels of physical activity and difficulties in maintaining care were discussed as major health risks. Ageism was an issue that was addressed across all of the identified topics. The publications highlighted the need, but also the opportunity, for raising public awareness of the needs of older people in various life contexts. Publications pointed to the urgent need for research into the biological and social causes of older peoples’ high infection risk and how measures could be adapted in a differentiated manner (infection prevention and control measures, social support, medical and nursing care).