The Epidemiology of Smoking in Older Adults: A National Cohort Study.

Background: Older smokers account for the greatest tobacco-related morbidity and mortality in the USA, while quitting smoking remains the single most effective preventive health intervention for reducing the risk of smoking-related illness. Yet, knowledge about patterns of smoking and smoking cessation in older adults is lacking.

Objective: Assess trends in prevalence of cigarette smoking between 1998 and 2018 and identify patterns and predictors of smoking cessation in US older adults.

Multi-Staged Data-Integrated Multi-Omics Analysis for Symptom Science Research.

The incorporation of omics approaches into symptom science research can provide researchers with information about the molecular mechanisms that underlie symptoms. Most of the omics analyses in symptom science have used a single omics approach. Therefore, these analyses are limited by the information contained within a specific omics domain (e.

Impact of exergames on psychiatric symptoms in older adults with serious mental illness.

Objectives: Older adults with serious mental illness (SMI) are more likely to have high body mass index (BMI) and chronic conditions such as cardiovascular disease and diabetes. A sedentary lifestyle, which may be attributed to pharmacologic side effects and the symptoms of mental illness, has been difficult to treat. Patients experiencing negative symptoms (e.

Lung cancer stigma: A concept with consequences for patients.

Background: Patients with lung cancer (LC) report lower quality of life (QoL) and higher levels of psychological distress compared with other cancer populations. Lung cancer stigma (LCS) may in part explain these findings.

Aim: We investigated the prevalence of patient-perceived lung cancer stigma (LCS) and its relationships to symptom burden/severity, depression, and deficits in health-related quality of life (HR-QoL).

The Lived Experience of Older Adults With Type 2 Diabetes Mellitus and Diabetes-Related Distress.

An older, more diverse population and longer lifespans are major contributors to the anticipated tripling of diabetes prevalence by 2050. Diabetes-related distress affects up to 40% of people with diabetes and may be a higher risk for older adults due to greater prevalence of comorbidities. The objective of the current phenomenological study was to describe how diabetes-related distress might be uniquely experienced by older adults (age ≥65) with type 2 diabetes mellitus (T2DM).

Symptom Experience of Older Adults With Type 2 Diabetes and Diabetes-Related Distress.

Background: An older, more diverse population and longer life spans are major contributors to the anticipated tripling of Type 2 diabetes prevalence by 2050. Diabetes-related distress affects up to 40% of people diagnosed with Type 2 diabetes and may be a greater risk for older adults due to greater prevalence of comorbidities.

Objective: The objective of this phenomenological study was to describe how diabetes-related distress in older adults (≥65 years) with Type 2 diabetes might be uniquely experienced.

Double Whammy for Older Smokers: Marginalized by Tobacco Control and Valued by the Tobacco Industry.

In the last 20 years, the United States has made stunning progress reducing the rate of adult smoking. However, the smallest reduction is among older adults. Compared to younger smokers, older smokers are more likely to be lower socioeconomic status (SES), have several tobacco related comorbidities, and are less likely to be treated for tobacco addiction yet, in tobacco policy, they are not considered a marginalized group.

Out of the silos: identifying cross-cutting features of health-related stigma to advance measurement and intervention.

Background: Many health conditions perceived to be contagious, dangerous or incurable, or resulting in clearly visible signs, share a common attribute - an association with stigma and discrimination. While the etiology of stigma may differ between conditions and, sometimes, cultural settings, the manifestations and psychosocial consequences of stigma and discrimination are remarkably similar. However, the vast majority of studies measuring stigma or addressing stigma through interventions employ a disease-specific approach.

Using an e-Cigarette is Like Eating Tofu When You Really Want Meat.

Whereas controversy about the e-cigarette's effectiveness and safety as a smoking cessation tool continues, e-cigarette use prevalence continues rising. In this study, we sought to describe experiences of adult e-cigarette users and to examine their motivations, beliefs, and use patterns. This qualitative study included one-on-one semi-structured phone interviews with 20 current California e-cigarette users (mean age = 38 ± 9.

Older Smokers' Beliefs About e-Cigarettes and Intent to Quit Conventional Cigarettes.

To explore associations between older smokers' attitudes and beliefs about electronic cigarettes (e-cigarettes) and tobacco use behavior, descriptive and correlational analysis of a cross-sectional survey of a random national sample of current smokers (age ≥45 years [considered "older" herein]) was performed. Of 498 older smokers, 75% wanted to quit smoking cigarettes and 60% had tried e-cigarettes. The 108 current e-cigarette users believed e-cigarettes help quit cigarettes (p < 0.

An exploratory study of knowledge, attitudes, and beliefs related to tobacco use and secondhand smoke among women in Aleta Wondo, Ethiopia.

Background: By 2030, the Sub-Saharan African region is projected to be the epicenter of the tobacco epidemic. While smoking prevalence is currently low among women (< 2%), the prevalence among men (7.7% overall and up to 27% depending on region) makes exposure to secondhand smoke a pressing concern for women and children.

Pain and Emergency Department Use in the Last Month of Life Among Older Adults With Dementia.

Context: Pain may be a potentially modifiable risk factor for expensive and burdensome emergency department (ED) visits near the end of life for older adults with dementia.

Objectives: The objective of this study was to assess the effect of pain and unmet need for pain management on ED visits in the last month of life in older adults with dementia.

Methods: This is a mortality follow-back study of older adults with dementia in the National Health and Aging Trends Study who died between 2012 and 2014, linked to Medicare claims.

Marijuana and Prescription Pain Reliever Use among Cigarette Smokers.

Due to marijuana's analgesic effects and its growing national legal status, it is likely that marijuana's rising prevalence will impact prescription pain reliever (PPR) use. The present study investigates the relationship between marijuana and PPR use among U.S.

Cigarette and e-cigarette dual use and risk of cardiopulmonary symptoms in the Health eHeart Study.

E-cigarettes are promoted as healthier alternatives to conventional cigarettes. Many cigarette smokers use both products. It is unknown whether the additional use of e-cigarettes among cigarette smokers (dual users) is associated with reduced exposure to tobacco-related health risks.

Relationships Among Palliative Care, Ethical Climate, Empowerment, and Moral Distress in Intensive Care Unit Nurses.

Background: Intensive care unit nurses experience moral distress when they feel unable to deliver ethically appropriate care to patients. Moral distress is associated with nurse burnout and patient care avoidance.

Objectives: To evaluate relationships among moral distress, empowerment, ethical climate, and access to palliative care in the intensive care unit.

Quality of life of patients with gastrointestinal cancers undergoing chemotherapy.

Purpose: Findings regarding changes in the quality of life (QOL) of patients with gastrointestinal cancers (GI) undergoing chemotherapy (CTX) are inconclusive. Purpose was to evaluate for changes in QOL scores of patients with GI cancers over two cycles of CTX.

Methods: Patients (n = 397) completed disease-specific [i.

Please Ask Gently: Using Culturally Targeted Communication Strategies to Initiate End-of-Life Care Discussions With Older Chinese Americans.

Background: Health-care providers (HCPs) find facilitating end-of-life (EOL) care discussions challenging, especially with patients whose ethnicities differ from their own. Currently, there is little guidance on how to initiate and facilitate such discussions with older Chinese Americans (≥55 years) and their families.

Objective: To explore communication strategies for HCPs to initiate EOL care discussions with older Chinese Americans in the San Francisco Bay Area.

Can We Talk About It Now? Recognizing the Optimal Time to Initiate End-of-Life Care Discussions with Older Chinese Americans and Their Families.

Introduction: Older Chinese Americans often defer end-of-life care discussions. Researchers sought to explore how to engage older Chinese Americans and their families in end-of-life care discussions and to understand the optimal timing to initiate such discussions.

Methods: Individual, semistructured interviews were conducted with 14 community-dwelling older Chinese Americans, 9 adult children, and 7 clinicians.

Differences in symptom clusters before and twelve months after breast cancer surgery.

Purpose: Given the inter-relatedness among symptoms, research efforts are focused on an evaluation of symptom clusters. The purposes of this study were to evaluate for differences in the number and types of menopausal-related symptom clusters assessed prior to and at 12-months after surgery using ratings of occurrence and severity and to evaluate for changes in these symptom clusters over time.

Methods: Prior to and at 12 months after surgery, 392 women with breast cancer completed the Menopausal Symptoms Scale.

Menopausal-Related Symptoms in Women One Year After Breast Cancer Surgery.

Context: Approximately 60% to 100% of women with breast cancer experience at least one menopausal-related symptom. Little is known about associations between menopausal status and symptoms in women 12 months after breast cancer surgery.

Objectives: The purpose of this study was to evaluate for differences in occurrence, severity, and distress of symptoms between pre- and postmenopausal women 12 months after breast cancer surgery.

Relationship between spending on electronic cigarettes, 30-day use, and disease symptoms among current adult cigarette smokers in the U.S.

Objective: To examine the relationship between spending on electronic cigarettes (e-cigarettes) and disease symptoms compared with the relationship between 30-day e-cigarette use and disease symptoms among adult cigarette smokers in the U.S.

Methods: We analyzed data from the Tobacco and Attitudes Beliefs Survey which included 533 respondents aged 24+ who were current cigarette smokers and e-cigarette ever users.

Changes in the Occurrence, Severity, and Distress of Symptoms in Patients With Gastrointestinal Cancers Receiving Chemotherapy.

Context: Studies on multiple dimensions of the symptom experience of patients with gastrointestinal cancers are extremely limited.

Objective: Purpose was to evaluate for changes over time in the occurrence, severity, and distress of seven common symptoms in these patients.

Methods: Patients completed Memorial Symptom Assessment Scale, six times over two cycles of chemotherapy (CTX).

Influence of Menopausal Status on the Symptom Experience of Women Before Breast Cancer Surgery.

Background: Breast cancer treatments can change women's hormonal milieu and alter their symptom experience. Little is known about associations between menopausal status and menopausal symptoms in women with breast cancer before surgery.

Objective: The purpose of this study was to evaluate for differences in occurrence, severity, and distress of symptoms between premenopausal and postmenopausal women before breast cancer surgery.

Distinct Physical Function Profiles in Older Adults Receiving Cancer Chemotherapy.

Context: Although physical function is an important patient outcome, little is known about changes in physical function in older adults receiving chemotherapy (CTX).

Objectives: Identify subgroups of older patients based on changes in their level of physical function; determine which demographic and clinical characteristics were associated with subgroup membership; and determine if these subgroups differed on quality-of-life (QOL) outcomes.

Methods: Latent profile analysis was used to identify groups of older oncology patients (n = 363) with distinct physical function profiles.