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Tam CH, Ho EQY, Hewage SS, Tyagi S, Koh GCH. Medical and social domains of ageing research in Singapore (2008-2018): a scoping review. Singapore Med J 2024; 65:30-37. [PMID: 34717301 PMCID: PMC10863733 DOI: 10.11622/smedj.2021172] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 11/12/2019] [Accepted: 11/19/2020] [Indexed: 11/18/2022]
Abstract
INTRODUCTION This scoping review examined the number, types and characteristics of journal publications on ageing in Singapore from 2008 to 2018 to determine how ageing research in medical and social domains in Singapore has transformed over time. METHODS Using relevant search terms, articles were extracted from multiple databases and then screened and reviewed for eligibility and inclusion by independent reviewers. Data such as article title, authors, year of publication, name of journal, type of journal, study design and the kind of data used were charted from the included articles for evidence synthesis. RESULTS Since 2008, there has been a steady increase in the number of publications on ageing in medical and social domains in Singapore. In the medical domain, publications on Ophthalmology (22%) made up the largest proportion of the existing medical literature on ageing in Singapore, followed by Physical Functioning (17%), which involved physiological measurements of physical well-being, and Geriatrics (16%). Non-medical publications comprised 38% of all the included publications, with publications on the social aspects of ageing (43%) forming the largest group in this cluster, followed by publications on Prevention (19%) and Healthcare services (18%). The study design was mostly observational (82%), with only 3% of interventional studies. CONCLUSION While ageing research had expanded in Singapore in the last decade, it was predominantly discipline specific and observational in design. As ageing issues are complex, with biology intersecting with psychology and sociology, we call for greater interdisciplinary collaboration, the conduct of more interventional studies, as well as more research in understudied and emerging areas.
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Affiliation(s)
- Chen Hee Tam
- Saw Swee Hock School of Public Health, National University of Singapore, Singapore
| | - Elaine Qiao Ying Ho
- Saw Swee Hock School of Public Health, National University of Singapore, Singapore
| | | | - Shilpa Tyagi
- Saw Swee Hock School of Public Health, National University of Singapore, Singapore
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Imaoka M, Tazaki F, Hida M, Imai R, Nakao H, Inoue T, Orui J, Nakamura M. Impact of employment on the elderly in a super-aging society during the COVID-19 pandemic in Japan. Sci Rep 2023; 13:18564. [PMID: 37903962 PMCID: PMC10616061 DOI: 10.1038/s41598-023-45270-5] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 03/09/2023] [Accepted: 10/17/2023] [Indexed: 11/01/2023] Open
Abstract
Employment of the elderly is gaining importance in Japan's super-aging society. However, investigating the role of employment on the health of the elderly population during the coronavirus disease 2019 (COVID-19) pandemic, wherein they were susceptible, is necessary. We aimed to investigate whether the presence or absence of employment affected motor and cognitive functions in the elderly during the COVID-19 pandemic. The study involved 144 individuals aged ≥ 65 years who participated in the medical examination project from August to September 2021. The participants were divided into employed and non-employed groups. The motor function was evaluated by determining the walking speed, skeletal muscle mass, 2-step test, and bone density. Cognitive function was evaluated using the Mini Mental State Examination and Trail Making Test-A/B (TMT-A/B). For statistical examination, univariate analysis and logistic regression analysis were performed using significantly differential variables. Out of the 144 participants, 33 (22.9%) and 111 (77.1%) were in the employed and non-employed groups, respectively. TMT-A had an odds ratio of 0.96 (95% confidence interval 0.94-0.99) and was an independent factor in the employed group. In conclusion, the attention function was significantly higher in the employed group.
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Affiliation(s)
- Masakazu Imaoka
- Department of Rehabilitation, Osaka Kawasaki Rehabilitation University, 158 Mizuma, Kaizuka, Osaka, 597-0104, Japan.
- Cognitive Reserve Research Center, Kaizuka, Osaka, Japan.
- Department of Comprehensive Rehabilitation, Graduate School, Osaka Prefecture University, Sakai, Osaka, Japan.
- Department of Preventive Gerontology, National Center for Geriatrics and Gerontology, Obu, Aichi, Japan.
| | - Fumie Tazaki
- Department of Rehabilitation, Osaka Kawasaki Rehabilitation University, 158 Mizuma, Kaizuka, Osaka, 597-0104, Japan
- Cognitive Reserve Research Center, Kaizuka, Osaka, Japan
| | - Mitsumasa Hida
- Department of Rehabilitation, Osaka Kawasaki Rehabilitation University, 158 Mizuma, Kaizuka, Osaka, 597-0104, Japan
- Cognitive Reserve Research Center, Kaizuka, Osaka, Japan
| | - Ryota Imai
- Department of Rehabilitation, Osaka Kawasaki Rehabilitation University, 158 Mizuma, Kaizuka, Osaka, 597-0104, Japan
- Cognitive Reserve Research Center, Kaizuka, Osaka, Japan
| | - Hidetoshi Nakao
- Department of Physical Therapy, Faculty of Welfare, Josai International University, Togane, Chiba, Japan
| | - Takao Inoue
- Department of Rehabilitation, Osaka Kawasaki Rehabilitation University, 158 Mizuma, Kaizuka, Osaka, 597-0104, Japan
| | - Jyunya Orui
- Department of Rehabilitation, Osaka Kawasaki Rehabilitation University, 158 Mizuma, Kaizuka, Osaka, 597-0104, Japan
| | - Misa Nakamura
- Department of Rehabilitation, Osaka Kawasaki Rehabilitation University, 158 Mizuma, Kaizuka, Osaka, 597-0104, Japan
- Cognitive Reserve Research Center, Kaizuka, Osaka, Japan
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Ishizuka‐Inoue M, Kawaguchi A, Kashima S, Nagai‐Tanima M, Aoyama T. Differences in physical activity and mental function according to the employment status of elderly Japanese. J Occup Health 2023; 65:e12411. [PMID: 37347804 PMCID: PMC10287044 DOI: 10.1002/1348-9585.12411] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 02/08/2023] [Revised: 04/30/2023] [Accepted: 05/24/2023] [Indexed: 06/24/2023] Open
Abstract
OBJECTIVES In recent years, the employment statuses of the elderly have become more diverse, and it is important to investigate the differences in health status according to employment statuses. This study aimed to examine the differences in physical activity and mental function among elderly Japanese according to their employment status and to examine the differences between men and women. METHODS This cross-sectional study used an online questionnaire. The participants were persons aged ≥60 years. Data on their sociodemographic indicators, employment status, physical activity, and mental function were collected. They were classified into six groups according to their employment status: being employed, completely retired, re-hired at the same workplace, re-hired at a different workplace, early retirement, and working at a job without a mandatory retirement age. Differences in the surveyed items according to employment status were compared using the Kruskal-Wallis test. RESULTS The total number of participants in the analysis with complete responses was 1552 (1207 men and 345 women; mean age 67.8 ± 5.9 years). The results revealed that among men, those who were re-hired at different workplaces had higher walking physical activity, and retirees and early retirees had longer sedentary time and lower sense of self-usefulness. There was no clear difference among women according to their employment status. CONCLUSIONS The results suggest that physical activity and mental function among older adults may differ according to their employment status, especially for men. Employment among the elderly may play an important role in maintaining their physical activity and mental function.
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Affiliation(s)
- Mami Ishizuka‐Inoue
- Human Health Sciences, Graduate School of MedicineKyoto UniversityKyotoJapan
| | - Asuka Kawaguchi
- Human Health Sciences, Graduate School of MedicineKyoto UniversityKyotoJapan
| | - Soshiro Kashima
- Human Health Sciences, Graduate School of MedicineKyoto UniversityKyotoJapan
| | - Momoko Nagai‐Tanima
- Human Health Sciences, Graduate School of MedicineKyoto UniversityKyotoJapan
| | - Tomoki Aoyama
- Human Health Sciences, Graduate School of MedicineKyoto UniversityKyotoJapan
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Yamashita M, Kamiya K, Hamazaki N, Nozaki K, Saito H, Saito K, Ogasahara Y, Maekawa E, Konishi M, Kitai T, Iwata K, Jujo K, Wada H, Kasai T, Nagamatsu H, Ozawa T, Izawa K, Yamamoto S, Aizawa N, Wakaume K, Oka K, Momomura SI, Kagiyama N, Matsue Y. Work status before admission relates to prognosis in older patients with heart failure partly through social frailty. J Cardiol 2021; 79:439-445. [PMID: 34819268 DOI: 10.1016/j.jjcc.2021.10.029] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Submit a Manuscript] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 07/06/2021] [Revised: 10/09/2021] [Accepted: 10/13/2021] [Indexed: 10/19/2022]
Abstract
BACKGROUND No reports explicitly examined the relationship between work defined as a certain type of social participation or role and the protective effect on the prognosis of patients with heart failure (HF) by preventing frailty. Therefore, this study examined whether social participation through work before admission relates to future adverse events in HF patients aged ≥65 years, and whether each frailty domain mediates the association between work and prognosis as a second analysis of a multi-centered prospective study (FRAGILE-HF study). METHODS We retrospectively reviewed 1,332 older patients with HF whose work status before admission to the hospital were investigated. We assessed the physical, cognitive, and social domains of frailty and performed causal mediation analysis to examine the mediating relationship of each frail domain between work status before admission and 1-year combined events (HF-related readmission and all-cause death). RESULTS The subjects' median age was 81 years, and 56.9% (758/1,332) were male. Among the three domains of frailty, work before admission reduced only social frailty after adjusting for confounding factors (odds ratio: 0.505, 95% confidence interval: 0.364-0.701). Patients with work before admission had a significantly better prognosis (hazard ratio: 0.720, 95% confidence interval: 0.523-0.989). Only social frailty partly mediated the relationship between work status and combined events (p <0.05). CONCLUSIONS Work status before admission is associated with 1-year combined events, in part through social frailty.
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Affiliation(s)
- Masashi Yamashita
- Department of Rehabilitation Sciences, Kitasato University Graduate School of Medical Sciences, Sagamihara, Japan
| | - Kentaro Kamiya
- Department of Rehabilitation Sciences, Kitasato University Graduate School of Medical Sciences, Sagamihara, Japan; Department of Rehabilitation, School of Allied Health Sciences, Kitasato University, Sagamihara, Japan.
| | - Nobuaki Hamazaki
- Department of Rehabilitation, Kitasato University Hospital, Sagamihara, Japan
| | - Kohei Nozaki
- Department of Rehabilitation, Kitasato University Hospital, Sagamihara, Japan
| | - Hiroshi Saito
- Department of Cardiovascular Biology and Medicine, Juntendo University Graduate School of Medicine, Tokyo, Japan; Department of Rehabilitation, Kameda Medical Center, Chiba, Japan
| | - Kazuya Saito
- Department of Rehabilitation, The Sakakibara Heart Institute of Okayama, Okayama, Japan
| | - Yuki Ogasahara
- Department of Nursing, The Sakakibara Heart Institute of Okayama, Okayama, Japan
| | - Emi Maekawa
- Department of Cardiovascular Medicine, Kitasato University School of Medicine, Sagamihara, Japan
| | - Masaaki Konishi
- Division of Cardiology, Yokohama City University Medical Center, Yokohama, Japan
| | - Takeshi Kitai
- Department of Cardiovascular Medicine, Kobe City Medical Center General Hospital, Kobe, Japan
| | - Kentaro Iwata
- Department of Rehabilitation, Kobe City Medical Center General Hospital, Kobe, Japan
| | - Kentaro Jujo
- Department of Cardiology, Nishiarai Heart Center Hospital, Tokyo, Japan
| | - Hiroshi Wada
- Department of Cardiovascular Medicine, Saitama Medical Center, Jichi Medical University, Saitama, Japan
| | - Takatoshi Kasai
- Department of Cardiovascular Biology and Medicine, Juntendo University Graduate School of Medicine, Tokyo, Japan; Cardiovascular Respiratory Sleep Medicine, Juntendo University Graduate School of Medicine, Tokyo, Japan
| | - Hirofumi Nagamatsu
- Department of Cardiology, Tokai University School of Medicine, Isehara, Japan
| | - Tetsuya Ozawa
- Department of Rehabilitation, Odawara Municipal Hospital, Odawara, Japan
| | - Katsuya Izawa
- Department of Rehabilitation, Kasukabe Chuo General Hospital, Kasukabe, Japan
| | - Shuhei Yamamoto
- Department of Rehabilitation, Shinshu University Hospital, Matsumoto, Japan
| | - Naoki Aizawa
- Department of Cardiovascular Medicine, Nephrology and Neurology, University of the Ryukyus, Nishihara, Japan
| | - Kazuki Wakaume
- Department of Rehabilitation, Kitasato University Medical Center, Kitamoto, Japan
| | - Kazuhiro Oka
- Department of Rehabilitation, Saitama Citizens Medical Center, Saitama, Japan
| | | | - Nobuyuki Kagiyama
- Department of Cardiology, The Sakakibara Heart Institute of Okayama, Okayama, Japan; Department of Digital Health and Telemedicine R&D, Juntendo University, Tokyo, Japan; Department of Cardiovascular Biology and Medicine, Juntendo University Faculty of Medicine, Tokyo, Japan
| | - Yuya Matsue
- Department of Cardiovascular Biology and Medicine, Juntendo University Graduate School of Medicine, Tokyo, Japan; Cardiovascular Respiratory Sleep Medicine, Juntendo University Graduate School of Medicine, Tokyo, Japan
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Chan YM, Sahril N, Chan YY, Ab Wahab NA, Shamsuddin N, Ismail MZH. Vision and Hearing Impairments Affecting Activities of Daily Living among Malaysian Older Adults by Gender. INTERNATIONAL JOURNAL OF ENVIRONMENTAL RESEARCH AND PUBLIC HEALTH 2021; 18:ijerph18126271. [PMID: 34200564 PMCID: PMC8296057 DOI: 10.3390/ijerph18126271] [Citation(s) in RCA: 1] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.3] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 05/05/2021] [Revised: 06/04/2021] [Accepted: 06/05/2021] [Indexed: 11/16/2022]
Abstract
Vision and hearing impairments are common among older adults and can cause undesirable health effects. There are limited studies from low- and middle-income countries exploring gender differences between vision and hearing impairment with Activities of Daily Living (ADL) disability. Therefore, this study aimed to investigate gender differences between vision and hearing impairments with ADL disability among older adults in Malaysia. Cross-sectional data from 3977 respondents aged 60 and above from the Malaysian National Health and Morbidity Survey 2018 were used. We used logistic regression analysis to measure associations between vision and hearing impairments with ADL disability, adjusted for covariates. The prevalence of ADL disability was higher among females than males (p < 0.001). The adjusted associations between vision impairment and ADL disability were significant among males (aOR 3.79; 95%CI 2.26, 6.38) and females (aOR 2.66; 95%CI 1.36, 5.21). Similarly, significant adjusted associations were found between hearing impairment and ADL disability among males (aOR 5.76; 95%CI 3.52, 9.40) and females (aOR 3.30; 95%CI 1.17, 9.33). Vision and hearing impairments were significantly associated with ADL disability, with no gender differences identified. Early detection and effective management of vision and hearing impairments are important to prevent ADL disability and improve older adults' level of independence.
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Affiliation(s)
- Yee Mang Chan
- Institute for Public Health, National Institutes of Health, Ministry of Health, Shah Alam 40170, Malaysia; (N.S.); (Y.Y.C.); (N.A.A.W.); (N.S.)
- Correspondence:
| | - Norhafizah Sahril
- Institute for Public Health, National Institutes of Health, Ministry of Health, Shah Alam 40170, Malaysia; (N.S.); (Y.Y.C.); (N.A.A.W.); (N.S.)
| | - Ying Ying Chan
- Institute for Public Health, National Institutes of Health, Ministry of Health, Shah Alam 40170, Malaysia; (N.S.); (Y.Y.C.); (N.A.A.W.); (N.S.)
| | - Nor’ Ain Ab Wahab
- Institute for Public Health, National Institutes of Health, Ministry of Health, Shah Alam 40170, Malaysia; (N.S.); (Y.Y.C.); (N.A.A.W.); (N.S.)
| | - Norliza Shamsuddin
- Institute for Public Health, National Institutes of Health, Ministry of Health, Shah Alam 40170, Malaysia; (N.S.); (Y.Y.C.); (N.A.A.W.); (N.S.)
| | - Muhd Zulfadli Hafiz Ismail
- Sector for Biostatistics and Data Repository, National Institutes of Health, Ministry of Health, Shah Alam 40170, Malaysia;
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Xiang L, Kua SM, Low AH. Work Productivity and Economic Burden of Systemic Sclerosis in a Multi-Ethnic Asian Population. Arthritis Care Res (Hoboken) 2020; 74:818-827. [PMID: 33253494 PMCID: PMC9314801 DOI: 10.1002/acr.24521] [Citation(s) in RCA: 1] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.3] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 04/19/2020] [Revised: 09/28/2020] [Accepted: 11/24/2020] [Indexed: 11/08/2022]
Abstract
OBJECTIVE To assess work productivity, identify associated factors and evaluate the economic burden of systemic sclerosis (SSc) in a multi-ethnic Asian population. METHODS Data on employment status and work productivity loss were collected. Associations between demographic and disease characteristics and unemployment status, work productivity loss and activity impairment were examined using logistic and linear regression analyses, as appropriate. Costs of unemployment and work productivity loss were estimated using the human capital approach. RESULTS Of 111 patients with a mean disease duration of 9.1 years, 33 (29.7%) were unemployed. Their mean age at unemployment was 44.2 years, equating to 22.8 years of lost employment. No demographic and disease characteristics were significantly associated with unemployment status in multivariable analysis. Of 73 employed patients, 39 (53.4%) reported work productivity loss, accounting for 45.9% of the working week. Presence of hyperlipidemia (coefficient= -19.01, p=0.03) was associated with work productivity loss in multivariable analysis. Of 78 employed and 33 unemployed patients, 37 (47.4%) and 19 (57.6%) reported activity impairment, accounting for 42.2% and 50.0% of the preceding week, respectively. Presence of hyperlipidemia (coefficient= -18.56, p<0.01) was associated with activity impairment in multivariable analysis. Annual cost of unemployment and work productivity loss were estimated to be SGD$53,244 and SGD$13,045 per patient, respectively. CONCLUSION SSc imposes significant unemployment and work productivity loss and causes substantial economic burden to both affected individuals and society. Modifying the identified factors associated with unemployment and work productivity loss may reduce the burden of SSc.
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Affiliation(s)
- Ling Xiang
- Department of Rheumatology and Immunology, Singapore General Hospital, Singapore, Singapore.,Yong Loo Lin School of Medicine, National University of Singapore, Singapore, Singapore
| | - Sandra My Kua
- Department of Rheumatology and Immunology, Singapore General Hospital, Singapore, Singapore
| | - Andrea Hl Low
- Department of Rheumatology and Immunology, Singapore General Hospital, Singapore, Singapore.,Yong Loo Lin School of Medicine, National University of Singapore, Singapore, Singapore.,Duke-NUS Medical School, Singapore, Singapore
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Seah B, Espnes GA, Ang ENK, Lim JY, Kowitlawakul Y, Wang W. Supporting the mobilization of health assets among older community dwellers residing in senior-only households in Singapore: a qualitative study. BMC Geriatr 2020; 20:411. [PMID: 33076833 PMCID: PMC7574307 DOI: 10.1186/s12877-020-01810-6] [Citation(s) in RCA: 8] [Impact Index Per Article: 2.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 03/18/2020] [Accepted: 09/30/2020] [Indexed: 11/10/2022] Open
Abstract
BACKGROUND Care activities provided by community health practitioners for older adults primarily focused on disease prevention and management. However, healthy longevity can go beyond disease prevention and management and promote greater well-being by tapping into the accrual of resources that older adults possess using the salutogenic approach. This study explored how health resources are used among older adults who are residing in senior-only households to promote and maintain health, with the intent of providing insights into how community health practitioners can support these older adults via asset-based strategies. METHODS We adopted a descriptive qualitative study design using focus group discussions. Twenty-seven older adults who either lived alone or with their spouses were purposively sampled from an elderly populated residential estate in Singapore. Six focus group discussions, conducted from December 2016 to May 2017, were audio-recorded, transcribed, and analyzed using thematic analysis. RESULTS The themes that emerged were 'tapping on internal self-care repository', 'maintaining and preserving informal social support', and 'enabling self by using environmental aids', and an eco-map of aging assets was used to capture an overview of internal and external resources. With the repository of personal strengths, knowledge, and experiences, these older adults were generally resourceful in navigating around their resource-rich environments to cope with everyday life stressors and promote health. However, they were occasionally limited by individual factors that affected their comprehension, access, maintenance, and utilization of resources. CONCLUSION The eco-map of aging assets can be used as an assessment framework by community health practitioners to recognize, consider, and build a repertoire of resources among these older adults. It serves as a gentle reminder to adopt an ecological approach in considering and tapping into older adults' wide-ranging personal, social, and environmental resources. Community health practitioners can support resource integration as resource facilitators via cognitive, behavioral, and motivational salutogenic pathways to overcome resource mobilization barriers faced by older adults. Such an approach helps older adults to find their internal capabilities and abilities to know who, where, what, and how to seek external resources to identify solutions, creating the intrinsic value to sustain their actions on resource utility.
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Affiliation(s)
- Betsy Seah
- Alice Lee Centre for Nursing Studies, Yong Loo Lin School of Medicine, National University of Singapore, Clinical Research Centre, Block MD11, Level 2, 10 Medical Drive, Singapore, 117597, Singapore.
| | - Geir Arild Espnes
- Center for Health Promotion Research, Department of Public Health and Nursing, Faculty of Medicine and Health Sciences, Norwegian University of Science and Technology, Postbox 8905, N-7491, Trondheim, Norway
| | - Emily Neo Kim Ang
- Alice Lee Centre for Nursing Studies, Yong Loo Lin School of Medicine, National University of Singapore, Clinical Research Centre, Block MD11, Level 2, 10 Medical Drive, Singapore, 117597, Singapore
| | - Jian Yang Lim
- Alice Lee Centre for Nursing Studies, Yong Loo Lin School of Medicine, National University of Singapore, Clinical Research Centre, Block MD11, Level 2, 10 Medical Drive, Singapore, 117597, Singapore
| | - Yanika Kowitlawakul
- Alice Lee Centre for Nursing Studies, Yong Loo Lin School of Medicine, National University of Singapore, Clinical Research Centre, Block MD11, Level 2, 10 Medical Drive, Singapore, 117597, Singapore
| | - Wenru Wang
- Alice Lee Centre for Nursing Studies, Yong Loo Lin School of Medicine, National University of Singapore, Clinical Research Centre, Block MD11, Level 2, 10 Medical Drive, Singapore, 117597, Singapore
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Deborah OML, Chiu MYL, Cao K. Geographical Accessibility of Community Health Assist System General Practitioners for the Elderly Population in Singapore: A Case Study on the Elderly Living in Housing Development Board Flats. INTERNATIONAL JOURNAL OF ENVIRONMENTAL RESEARCH AND PUBLIC HEALTH 2018; 15:E1988. [PMID: 30213094 PMCID: PMC6163585 DOI: 10.3390/ijerph15091988] [Citation(s) in RCA: 10] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.7] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 08/09/2018] [Revised: 09/03/2018] [Accepted: 09/04/2018] [Indexed: 11/17/2022]
Abstract
Accessible primary healthcare is important to national healthcare in general and for older persons in particular, in societies where the population is ageing rapidly, as in Singapore. However, although much policy and research efforts have been put into this area, we hardly find any spatial perspective to assess the accessibility of these primary healthcare services. This paper analyzes the geographical accessibility of one major healthcare service in Singapore, namely, General Practitioners (GPs) services under the Community Health Assist Scheme (CHAS) for older persons. A Python script was developed to filter the website data of the Housing Development Board (HDB) of Singapore. The data derived was comprehensively analyzed by an Enhanced 2-Step Floating Catchment Area (E2SFCA) method based on a Gaussian distance-decay function and the GIS technique. This enabled the identification of areas with relatively weak geographical accessibility of CHAS-GPs. The findings are discussed along with suggestions for health practitioners, service planners and policy makers. Despite its initial nature, this study has demonstrated the value of innovative approaches in data collection and processing for the elderly-related studies, and contributed to the field of healthcare services optimization and possibly to other human services.
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Affiliation(s)
- Ong Ming Lee Deborah
- Department of Geography, National University of Singapore, Singapore, Singapore.
| | - Marcus Yu Lung Chiu
- Department of Social and Behavioural Sciences, City University of Hong Kong, Hong Kong, China.
| | - Kai Cao
- Department of Geography, National University of Singapore, Singapore, Singapore.
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Subramaniam M, Abdin E, Vaingankar JA, Sambasivam R, Seow E, Picco L, Chua HC, Mahendran R, Ng LL, Chong SA. Successful ageing in Singapore: prevalence and correlates from a national survey of older adults. Singapore Med J 2018; 60:22-30. [PMID: 29774358 DOI: 10.11622/smedj.2018050] [Citation(s) in RCA: 20] [Impact Index Per Article: 3.3] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 11/18/2022]
Abstract
INTRODUCTION The current study aimed to estimate the overall prevalence and sociodemographic correlates of successful ageing, as defined by Rowe and Kahn, among a national sample of multiethnic adults aged 60 years and older in Singapore. METHODS Data from older adults who participated in the Well-being of the Singapore Elderly study was analysed. Successful ageing was defined with five indicators: no major diseases; no disability; high cognitive functioning; high physical functioning; and active engagement with life. RESULTS The prevalence of successful ageing was 25.4% in this older population. Older adults aged 75-84 years and ≥ 85 years had 0.3 times and 0.1 times the odds of successful ageing, respectively, than those aged 60-74 years. Compared to older adults of Chinese ethnicity, those of Malay (odds ratio [OR] 0.6) and Indian (OR 0.5) ethnicities were less likely to be associated with successful ageing. Older adults with lower education levels, who had no formal education (OR 0.2), some schooling but did not complete primary education (OR 0.4) or only primary education (OR 0.5), had lower odds of ageing successfully than those with tertiary education. CONCLUSION Older adults in Singapore tend to have much more active engagement with life as compared to their counterparts from other countries. Further research into this population is needed, both in terms of qualitative research to gain a better understanding of successful ageing from the older adult's perspective, as well as longitudinal studies that explore behavioural determinants of successful ageing.
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Affiliation(s)
| | | | | | | | - Esmond Seow
- Research Division, Institute of Mental Health, Singapore
| | - Louisa Picco
- Research Division, Institute of Mental Health, Singapore
| | | | - Rathi Mahendran
- Department of Psychological Medicine, National University Hospital, Singapore
| | - Li Ling Ng
- Department of Psychological Medicine, Changi General Hospital, Singapore
| | - Siow Ann Chong
- Research Division, Institute of Mental Health, Singapore
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