A Randomized Clinical Trial of Mindfulness-Based Stress Reduction Program Among Breast Cancer Survivors Post-Treatment: Evaluating Mediators of Cognitive Improvement.

Unlabelled: The Mindfulness-Based Stress Reduction program for breast cancer survivors (MBSR [BCs]) is a stress-reducing program designed to increase cognitive functioning through four meditational practices. This randomized clinical trial aimed to determine if improvements in cognitive functioning and perceived cognitive abilities achieved from the MBSR(BC) were mediated through increased mindfulness, decreased rumination, and decreased perceived stress. Breast cancer survivors (BCSs) who met inclusion criteria of stage I, II, or III BC and received either chemotherapy (CT) or both CT and radiation were randomized to either the 6-week MBSR(BC), or Breast Cancer Education Support (BCES) program, or to a usual care (UC) regimen.

Evaluating a predictive model of avoidable hospital events for race- and sex-based bias.

Objective: To evaluate whether race- and sex-based biases are present in a predictive model of avoidable hospital (AH) events.

Study Setting And Design: We examined whether Medicare fee-for-service (FFS) beneficiaries in Maryland with similar risk scores differed in true AH event risk on the basis of race or sex (n = 324,834). This was operationalized as a logistic regression of true AH events on race or sex with fixed effects for risk score percentile.

Race Differences in Purpose in Life Among Family Caregivers: Findings From the Caregiving Transitions Study.

Family caregiving may affect purpose in life, defined as the sense that life has meaning and intentionality. Few studies have compared caregivers to non-caregivers or examined the characteristics of caregivers associated with purpose in life. Using data from the Caregiving Transitions Study ( = 486), we conducted multiple linear regression analyses to test the effects of caregiver status, age, gender, social network, and physical and mental health on purpose in life.

Development of the coreHEM mental health patient-reported outcome measure - A novel mental health outlook measure for people with haemophilia.

Introduction: Currently, no quality-of-life instrument exists that captures the full experience of the mental health outlook (MHO), a coreHEM core outcome, in people with haemophilia, including the potential transformational experience of receiving gene therapy.

Aim: To describe the methods used to develop a content validated patient-reported outcome measure (PROM) that measures MHO for people with haemophilia.

Methods: A conceptual framework, developed from a literature/evidence review, was used to create an interview guide and draft a questionnaire.

Leveraging Higher Education in Our Age-Friendly World.

There is increasing interest in better understanding the connection between higher education and age-friendly community efforts. The global age-friendly community (AFC) movement calls for multi-sectoral engagement in a multi-year model encompassing four core phases (engage, plan, act, measure) to improve livability in domains of community life pertaining to the built, social, and service environment. However, there is limited empirical knowledge regarding the involvement of higher education and how it supports AFC efforts.

A Dual-Modality Home-Based Cardiac Rehabilitation Program for Adults With Cardiovascular Disease: Single-Arm Remote Clinical Trial.

Background: Cardiac rehabilitation (CR) is a safe, effective intervention for individuals with cardiovascular disease (CVD). However, a majority of eligible patients do not complete CR. Growing evidence suggests that home-based cardiac rehabilitation (HBCR) programs are comparable in effectiveness and safety with traditional center-based programs.

Examining the Relationship Between Hearing Health Beliefs and Social Determinants of Health in Black Adults.

Objectives: Hearing loss is a highly prevalent condition; however, it is widely under-treated, and Black Americans have been found to have significantly lower rates of hearing aid utilization than other ethnic/racial groups. In this exploratory study, we aimed to identify hearing health beliefs among Black adults, guided by the Health Belief Model, with social determinants of health, and examine individual differences in these perspectives.

Design: The Hearing Beliefs Questionnaire (HBQ) was administered online to measure constructs of the Health Belief Model among 200 Black adults aged 18 to 75 ( M = 39.

Behind the Curtain: Comparing Predictive Models Performance in 2 Publicly Insured Populations.

Introduction: Predictive models have proliferated in the health system in recent years and have been used to predict both health services utilization and medical outcomes. Less is known, however, on how these models function and how they might adapt to different contexts. The purpose of the current study is to shed light on the inner workings of a large-scale predictive model deployed in 2 distinct populations, with a particular emphasis on adaptability issues.

Quality of life and patient-reported toxicities in patients with advanced Merkel cell carcinoma treated with combined nivolumab and ipilimumab with or without stereotactic body radiation therapy.

Background: Merkel cell carcinoma is a rare skin cancer associated with poor survival. Based on a previous Phase II trial of adults with advanced Merkel cell carcinoma by Kim and colleagues (2022), there is now a strong rationale for combination therapy (i.e.

More than sleep problems? Testing five key health behaviors as reasons for quality of life issues among shift workers.

Background: The shift work schedule is a common work arrangement that can disrupt typical sleep-wake rhythms and lead to negative health consequences. The present study aims to examine the effect of shift work on health-related quality of life (QoL) and explore potential behaviorial mediators (i.e.

A new roadmap for an age-inclusive workforce management practice and an international policies comparison.

Background: Worldwide, the worker population age is growing at an increasing rate. Consequently, government institutions and companies are being tasked to find new ways to address age-related workforce management challenges and opportunities. The development of age-friendly working environments to enhance ageing workforce inclusion and diversity has become a current management and national policy imperative.

Be present now, sleep well later: Mindfulness promotes sleep health via emotion regulation.

Objective: Despite the popularity of mindfulness in research and interventions, information is missing about how and why mindfulness may benefit employee sleep health. Drawing from emotion regulation theory, we evaluate affective rumination, negative affect, and positive affect as potential mechanisms. We also explore differential effects of trait and state attentional mindfulness on both subjective (e.

Alzheimer disease-related biomarkers and cancer-related cognitive decline: the Thinking and Living with Cancer study.

Purpose: We evaluated whether plasma Alzheimer disease (AD)-related biomarkers were associated with cancer-related cognitive decline among older breast cancer survivors.

Methods: We included survivors aged 60-90 years with primary stage 0-III breast cancers (n = 236) and frequency-matched noncancer control paricipant (n = 154) who passed a cognitive screen and had banked plasma specimens. Participants were assessed at baseline (presystemic therapy) and annually for up to 60 months.

Evacuation and Health Care Outcomes Among Assisted Living Residents After Hurricane Irma.

Importance: Evacuation has been found to be associated with adverse outcomes among nursing home residents during hurricanes, but the outcomes for assisted living (AL) residents remain unknown.

Objective: To examine the association between evacuation and health care outcomes (ie, emergency department visits, hospitalizations, mortality, and nursing home visits) among Florida AL residents exposed to Hurricane Irma.

Design, Setting, And Participants: Retrospective cohort study using 2017 Medicare claims data.

The Impact of Assisted Living Organizational Structure and Process Characteristics on Staff Absence During COVID-19.

Quality of care in assisted living communities (ALCs) is important to consumers. The coronavirus disease of 2019 (COVID-19) pandemic and associated emergency policies have posed major challenges on staff recruitment and retention. This study aimed to examine the relationship between organizational characteristics of ALCs in Florida and challenges with staff absence during COVID-19 ( = 129 ALCs).

The Role of Sensory Impairment in Cognitive Health Appraisal: A Study of Older Korean Americans Living in Subsidized Senior Housing.

Objectives: We examined how the association between cognitive performance and cognitive health appraisal would be moderated by vision and/or hearing impairment.

Methods: Data were collected from 315 older Korean-American residents in subsidized senior housing in Los Angeles ( age = 79.4 years).

Correlates of SuperAging in Two Population-Based Samples of Hispanic Older Adults.

Objectives: "SuperAgers" are generally defined as people 80+ years old with episodic memory performance comparable to those 20 years younger. Limited knowledge exists to describe characteristics of SuperAgers, with even less known about Hispanic SuperAgers.

Methods: We examined indicators of cognitive, physical, and psychological resilience in relation to the likelihood of being a SuperAger using data from 2 population-based studies of Hispanic older adults (Puerto Rican Elderly: Health Conditions [PREHCO] Study; Health and Retirement Study [HRS]).

Prediction of cognitive decline in older breast cancer survivors: the Thinking and Living with Cancer study.

Purpose: Cancer survivors commonly report cognitive declines after cancer therapy. Due to the complex etiology of cancer-related cognitive decline (CRCD), predicting who will be at risk of CRCD remains a clinical challenge. We developed a model to predict breast cancer survivors who would experience CRCD after systematic treatment.

"We grow older. We also have lots of sex. I just want a doctor who will at least ask about it.": Transgender, non-binary, and intersex older adults in sexual and reproductive healthcare.

Transgender, non-binary, and intersex (TNBI) older adults experience significant disparities in sexual and reproductive healthcare. Utilizing data from 50 semi-structured individual interviews with TNBI older Americans, we examine how TNBI older adults experience and mitigate inequity in sexual and reproductive healthcare. We explore elders' negotiation of inequity through what we term resourcefulness strategies - tactical processes involving marginalized communities obtaining and utilizing resources to minimize inequalities within and beyond healthcare settings.

The Association Between Physical Activity, Obesity, and Cognition in Middle-Aged and Older Adults.

As rates of obesity continue to rise, so does the impact of obesity on cognitive function. Engaging in physical activity is one pathway through which individuals can help maintain cognitive function. This study examined whether any link between exercise and cognitive function was associated with weight characteristics.

Relationships Among Physical Activity, Sleep, and Cancer-related Fatigue: Results From the International ColoCare Study.

Background: Risk factors for cancer-related fatigue are understudied in colorectal cancer.

Purpose: This study aimed to address this critical gap in the literature by (a) describing changes in colorectal cancer-related fatigue and health behavior (physical activity, sleep problems) and (b) examining if physical activity and sleep problems predict fatigue trajectories from baseline (approximately at the time of diagnosis), to 6- and 12 months after enrollment.

Methods: Patients participating in the international ColoCare Study completed self-report measures at baseline (approximately time of diagnosis), 6-, and 12 months assessing physical activity using the International Physical Activity Questionnaire (IPAQ) and fatigue and sleep using the European Organization for Research and Treatment of Cancer Quality of Life Questionnaire (EORTC-QLQ-C30).

Consumer Complaints in Nursing Homes: Analyzing Substantiated Single-Allegation Complaints to Deficiency Citations.

Complaints provide important information to consumers about nursing homes (NHs), but how substantiated complaints map onto deficiency citations is unknown. The purpose of this study is to understand the relationship between substantiated complaints and deficiency citations. Federally collected NH complaint and inspection records were obtained to identify all single allegation, substantiated complaints for NHs across the U.

Does Perceived Generativity Mediate the Association Between Optimism and Cognitive Function Over Time? Findings from Midlife in the United States Study.

Cognitive function is a vital component of healthy aging. However, whether a persistently high optimism benefits late-life cognitive function is debatable. The current study examined associations between high optimism status, perceived generativity, and cognitive functions across adulthood.

Coping with Discrimination: A Longitudinal Study of Health Outcomes in Lesbian, Gay, and Bisexual and Heterosexual Midlife and Older Adults.

Objectives: This study explored how coping moderates the association between discrimination and health outcomes in lesbian, gay, and bisexual (LGB) and heterosexual midlife and older adults.

Methods: This study analyzed longitudinal data from 163 LGB and 326 propensity-matched heterosexual midlife and older adults over approximately 20 years, using the Midlife in the United States study.

Results: Discrimination was associated with slower chronic condition accumulation over time for LGB individuals.