Change in Views of Aging, Physical Activity, and Physical Health Over 8 Weeks: Results From a Randomized Study

Attitudes Towards Aging, Depression, Physical Functioning, and Pain Among Women Living with HIV of Reproductive Age

Positive attitudes towards aging (ATA) are associated with better mental and physical health in the general population and with lower depressive symptoms among men living with HIV. Little is known about ATA among women of reproductive age living with HIV (WWH), who often experience premature aging, depression, and chronic pain. This study examined the association of ATA with HIV, physical functioning, and pain among women 19-45 years-of-age. From 2021 to 2022, survey data were collected at baseline from 143 WWH and 39 women without HIV (WWOH) across the southern United States; 94 WWH also completed a six-month follow-up visit. Baseline ATA was compared across HIV status. Among WWH, correlations between ATA, participant factors relevant in prior research (i.e., age, depression, illness), pain, and physical functioning were examined. Regressions examined the association of baseline ATA with physical functioning and pain across visits, including when controlling for potential confounders. Having one or more negative ATA was reported by an equal proportion of WWH (57%) and WWOH (58%). Among WWH, more positive ATA correlated with lower depressive symptoms, better physical functioning, and lower pain at baseline. Lower depressive symptoms correlated with better physical functioning and lower pain at baseline. In regressions, more positive ATA was associated with better physical functioning at baseline and follow-up. A weak association of ATA with pain at baseline was not significant at follow-up or after controlling for depression. Research is warranted to examine how combined interventions to improve ATA, depression, and pain can support well-being among reproductive-aged WWH.

Effects of Self-Perception of Aging Interventions in Older Adults: A Systematic Review and Meta-Analysis

BACKGROUND AND OBJECTIVES

Self-perception of aging (SPA) is associated with various health outcomes in the aging process. This study aimed to conduct a systematic review of existing interventions targeting SPA among older adults, and to synthesize their effects on SPA, physical performance, and mental health.

RESEARCH DESIGN AND METHODS

A systematic search was performed in PubMed, Embase, PsycINFO, CINAHL, Web of Science, CENTRAL, CNKI, SinoMed, VIP, and WanFang databases for randomized controlled trials that reported intervention effects on SPA, physical performance, and mental health in older adults. Two researchers independently conducted study selection, data extraction, and quality assessment.

RESULTS

A total of 16 studies were included for qualitative analysis, and 12 studies of them were included for meta-analysis. The results showed a significant impact of interventions on SPA, with an effect size of -0.56 (95% confidence interval (95% CI): -1.06 to -0.07, p = .03). And the results also supported a significant improvement in physical performance and mental health among older adults.

DISCUSSION AND IMPLICATIONS

Self-perception of aging interventions present a promising approach to enhance positive aging perception for older adults, with potential benefits extending to physical performance and mental health. However, larger-scale and more robust trials are still required to validate these findings and obtain more accurate conclusions.

Enhancing Older Adults' Lives Through Positive Aging Perception, Quality-of-Life Enhancement, and Social Support to Drive Acceptance and Readiness Toward Indoor Assistive Technology: Cross-Sectional Study

BACKGROUND

The growing aging population faces increasing mobility limitations, highlighting the need for assistive technologies as potential solutions. These technologies support the independence and well-being of older adults and individuals with mobility challenges. Indoor mobility is essential for daily activities and significantly impacts their lives. Limited indoor mobility can reduce quality of life and heighten the risk of falls.

OBJECTIVE

This study explores how positive aging perceptions, quality-of-life enhancements, and social support influence the acceptance and readiness of indoor assistive technologies among older adults.

METHODS

A cross-sectional study was conducted at a gerontechnology laboratory, requiring participants to visit the facility in person. Each 60-minute session included demonstrations of various indoor assistive technologies and the completion of a questionnaire. The assistive technologies showcased encompassed a wide range of devices. Participants' positive aging perceptions, quality-of-life enhancements, social support, technology acceptance, and readiness were measured using validated scales. Data were analyzed with AMOS (version 28; IBM Corp) and SPSS (version 28; IBM Corp), using structural equation modeling and multivariate analysis of covariance to assess the effects of predictors while controlling for demographic factors.

RESULTS

A total of 104 older adults aged 60 years and older participated, with a mean age of 67.92 (SD 5.68) years. Structural equation modeling indicated that positive aging perception has a significant influence on older adults' control beliefs (P=.095), comfort (P=.047), and confidence (P<.001) in gerontechnology. Multivariate analysis revealed significant combined effects of quality-of-life enhancement (P=.01) and social support (P=.03) on technology acceptance and readiness, wherein quality-of-life enhancement (P=.001) and social support (P=.008) negatively impacted security perception. Among demographic variables, educational level significantly impacted gerontechnology confidence (P=.004) while ethnicity influenced optimism (P=.003).

CONCLUSIONS

This study sheds light on key factors affecting older adults' acceptance and readiness to adopt indoor assistive technologies. Findings highlight the importance of fostering positive aging perceptions through these technologies. Addressing issues related to control beliefs, comfort, and confidence in gerontechnology is essential to enhance technology acceptance and readiness among older adults. Future research should investigate the underlying mechanisms and create targeted interventions to support successful technology adoption in this population.

Examining the Malleability of Negative Views of Aging, Self-Efficacy Beliefs, and Behavioral Intentions in Middle-Aged and Older Adults

OBJECTIVES

This study examined the malleability of a tripartite cluster of purported mechanistic variables targeted in a 4-week intervention program designed to improve adults' engagement in physical activity. The targeted cluster of purported mechanisms consisted of negative views of aging (NVOA), self-efficacy beliefs, and behavioral intentions.

METHODS

A randomized single-blind control group design was used to implement the AgingPLUS program in a sample of middle-aged and older adults (N = 335; Mage = 60.1 years; SDage = 8.3 years; age range 45-75 years).

RESULTS

Using an intention-to-treat approach and analyses of covariance adjusting for participants' baseline scores, findings showed significant improvements in the purported mechanistic variables both at the immediate (Week 4) and delayed posttest (Week 8) in the treatment group but not in the control group. These improvements were for the most part maintained until 8-month postrandomization, although to a smaller extent. Specifically, participants in the AgingPLUS group showed significant improvements in NVOA, self-efficacy beliefs, and behavioral intentions compared to the Health Education control group. Standardized effect sizes for statistically significant effects were variable and ranged from small (d = -0.23) to large (d = 0.80). Effect sizes showed some decay of the intervention at the 8-month posttest.

DISCUSSION

Taken together, the findings supported the efficacy of the AgingPLUS program and showed that variables representing the purported mechanisms of the intervention were significantly moved in a positive direction. In doing so, the AgingPLUS program met a major requirement of the experimental medicine approach to behavior change interventions.

CLINICAL TRIALS REGISTRATION NUMBER

NCT0329948.

Testing Bidirectionality in Associations of Awareness of Age-Related Gains and Losses With Physical, Mental, and Cognitive Functioning Across 1 Year: The Role of Age

OBJECTIVES

The bidirectionality between self-perceptions of aging and health-related outcomes may depend on age group. Therefore, we tested such bidirectionality among individuals in late midlife (50-64 years), young-old age (65-74 years), and old-old age (75+ years), taking advantage of the construct of Awareness of Age-Related Change (AARC) and its 2-dimensionality in terms of AARC-gains and AARC-losses. Various conceptualizations of physical, mental, and cognitive functioning were used as outcomes.

METHODS

Data from 2 measurement occasions (2019 and 2020) from the UK PROTECT study for individuals in late midlife (N = 2,385), young-old age (N = 2,430), and old-old age (N = 539) were used. Data on self-reported functional difficulties, depression, anxiety, and performance on four computerized cognitive tasks (i.e., verbal reasoning, paired associate learning, self-ordered search, and digit span) providing a score for verbal reasoning and a score for working memory were analyzed using cross-lagged panel models.

RESULTS

Across all 3 age groups, the bidirectional associations of AARC-gains with indicators of functioning were not significant, whereas higher AARC-losses significantly predicted slightly greater functional difficulties and higher depression and anxiety levels. Higher AARC-losses predicted slightly poorer Verbal Reasoning only in old-old age and poorer Working Memory predicted slightly higher AARC-losses only in young-old age. The remaining associations of AARC-losses with cognitive tasks were not statistically significant.

DISCUSSION

In accordance with previous research targeting other indicators of self-perceptions of aging, this study supported a stronger impact of AARC-losses on indicators of physical functioning and mental health than vice versa from midlife to old-old age.