Biomedical subjects

Jason T Newsom

Publications and source records attributed to Jason T Newsom.

13 recordsLinked to original sources

PubMed2006

Sooner versus later: factors associated with temporal sequencing of suicide.

There are few (if any) population-based prospective studies that provide information on factors associated with temporal sequencing of suicide. In this prospective population-based study, the National Health Interview Survey (NHIS), 1986-1994, was linked to the National Death Index (NDI), 1986-1997, to assess factors that predict recent (within 12 months of interview, termed sooner) suicide versus suicide further in the future (more than 12 months after interview, termed later). Of the 653 completed suicides in the NHIS cohort, 13.4 percent completed suicide within a year of interview, and 86.6 percent did so after a year. Sooner decedents were more likely to be White, less educated, unemployed, and to use firearms than any other method compared with later decedents. Surprisingly, sooner decedents had higher levels of self-rated health at baseline. These results have substantial implications for clinicians and other professionals who interact with people at highest risk of suicide. Unfortunately, it may be unrealistic to expect that health care providers can modify the behavior of individuals at highest risk of suicide.

Adolescent↗

PubMed2005

The health consciousness myth: implications of the near independence of major health behaviors in the North American population.

Analysis of over 250,000 respondents from four of the largest epidemiological surveys in North America indicates that major health behaviors are largely unrelated to one another. On average, the percentage of shared variance among smoking, exercise, diet and alcohol consumption is approximately 1%. While many of these relationships are statistically significant, suggesting that the associations are nonzero in the population, they represent minute effect sizes. The weak associations among these behaviors are unlikely to be due to incorrect functional form of the relationship, measurement error, or biases in responding. The findings have implications for health behavior theories and interventions predicated on the notion that the health conscious individual attempts to improve his or her health by engaging in more than one of these behaviors at a time.

Adult↗

PubMed2005

A longitudinal study of the effects of dual-earner couples' utilization of family-friendly workplace supports on work and family outcomes.

Little research exists on the effects of the utilization of workplace supports on work-family conflict and job satisfaction. With family systems theory as a framework, 2 waves of national survey data were collected from 234 couples (N = 468) caring for children and for aging parents. Data were analyzed with structural equation modeling techniques. Longitudinal results indicate that individuals' use of workplace supports was related to work-family conflict in the direction opposite to expectations and was related to job satisfaction in the direction consistent with expectations. Differential effects for wives versus husbands were found. In addition, couples' use of workplace supports was only minimally related to wives' outcomes. Results are discussed in terms of gender differences, family systems theory, and methodological and measurement issues related to the longitudinal study of utilization of workplace supports.

Adolescent↗

PubMed2005

Understanding the relative importance of positive and negative social exchanges: examining specific domains and appraisals.

Negative social exchanges have been more reliably related to psychological health than have positive social exchanges. Little research, however, has sought to understand how underlying appraisal processes link such exchanges to psychological health. This study examined the frequencies of occurrence and appraisals of four parallel domains of positive and negative exchanges in relation to positive well-being and psychological distress in a national sample of 916 older adults. Structural equation analyses revealed that negative exchanges were related both to less well-being and greater psychological distress, whereas positive exchanges were related only to positive well-being. Furthermore, results supported a process in which appraisals mediated the link between social exchanges and psychological health. This social appraisal process helps explain the disproportionate impact of negative exchanges on psychological health.

Activities of Daily Living↗

PubMed2004

The association between length of residence and obesity among Hispanic immigrants.

BACKGROUND: Newly arrived Hispanic immigrants are generally healthier than the U.S.-born population, but this distinction tends to diminish over time as immigrants adapt to a new and different sociocultural environment. OBJECTIVE: This study sought to determine whether length of residence in the United States was associated with obesity (body mass index [BMI]>30 kg/m(2)) among Hispanic immigrants. METHODS: Data for 2420 foreign-born Hispanic adults aged > or =18 years were obtained from the 1998 National Health Interview Survey. RESULTS: The prevalence of obesity among those with 0 to 4, 5 to 9, 10 to 14, and > or =15 years of residence in the United States was 9.4%, 14.5%, 21.0%, and 24.2%, respectively. A logistic regression model adjusted for smoking, physical inactivity, self-assessed health, chronic conditions, functional limitations, nonspecific psychological distress, several sociodemographic characteristics, and access to health services found that longer-term Hispanic immigrants (> or =15 years) experienced a nearly four-fold greater risk of obesity than did recent immigrants (<5 years). CONCLUSIONS: The higher risk for obesity associated with length of residence may be due to acculturation processes such as the adoption of the unhealthy dietary practices (i.e., a diet high in fat and low in fruits and vegetables) and sedentary lifestyles of the host country. The results of this study may facilitate the planning of public health interventions that are directed at subgroups of the Hispanic population.

Adolescent↗

PubMed2004

Health behaviors in a representative sample of older Canadians: prevalences, reported change, motivation to change, and perceived barriers.

PURPOSE: Prevalence estimates of healthy behaviors and preventive care among older adults have not received sufficient attention, despite important health benefits such as longevity and better quality of life. Moreover, little is known about general population prevalences of older adults' efforts to change behavior, motivations to improve health behaviors, and perceived barriers to change. DESIGN AND METHODS: This study estimates the prevalence of a wide range of health behaviors and preventive-care activities, self-reported behavior change, and perceived barriers to change in a 1996-1997 population-based survey of 17,354 Canadian adults aged 60 and older. RESULTS: The findings indicate that a substantial proportion of older adults lead relatively inactive lives and often fall short of recommended standards for preventive health-care visits and screening tests. Moreover, nearly two thirds (63.2%) of older adults reported no efforts in the prior year to make changes to improve their health, and similar numbers (66.7%) indicated they thought no changes were needed. Differences in prevalences were found by gender, age, and education. IMPLICATIONS: Results from this study are useful for policy makers who need to prioritize public health efforts, researchers studying interventions, and health professionals developing preventive-care guidelines.

Age Distribution↗

PubMed2003

Characteristics of physically inactive older adults with arthritis: results of a population-based study.

BACKGROUND: Arthritis is the most prevalent chronic condition among persons age 65 and older in North America. Physical inactivity in this population is linked to functional limitations, increased risk for cardiovascular disease, diminished quality of life, and disability. The purpose of this study was to identify risk factors for inactivity. METHODS: National data for 6256 community-dwelling older adults with arthritis from the 1996-1997 Canadian National Population Health Survey were examined using logistic regression analyses. The independent variables included sociodemographic characteristics, health status, psychosocial factors, health behaviors, and medication use. RESULTS: Inactive persons were significantly (P < 0.05) more likely to be women, older (75+), have functional limitations, be underweight (BMI < 20) or overweight (BMI > 25), have severe pain, or not have prescription drug insurance coverage. The same group was less likely to be unmarried, well educated, from western provinces, attend church frequently, consume alcohol infrequently, have higher levels of social support, have better self-rated health, or use pain medication. CONCLUSIONS: The profile presented in this study should be fully considered by health care providers when educating patients with arthritis about the adverse health effects of sedentary behavior. Prescription drug insurance coverage may facilitate activity among elders with arthritis.

Aged↗

PubMed2003

Perceptions and implications of received spousal care: evidence from the Caregiver Health Effects Study.

The experiences of older care recipients have received far less theoretical and empirical attention than those of their family caregivers. In this study of 91 care recipients, the authors assessed perceptions of the amount, timing, and manner of spousal assistance; the amount of strain experienced from receiving care; and psychological well-being. Although female care recipients were more likely to report dissatisfaction with the manner in which assistance was provided, there were few gender differences in perceptions of care overall. In a stringent test of the hypothesis that perceived quality of spousal care affects recipient well-being, the authors found that poorer quality of care was related to increased depressive symptoms and a decreased sense of mastery 1 year later. These longitudinal effects were independent of the recipient's physical disability, marital quality, and care-receiving strain as well as the caregiver's well-being. These findings argue for a comprehensive assessment of the care-receiving experience that includes both care-recipient and caregiver perspectives.

Aged↗

PubMed2003

The relative importance of three domains of positive and negative social exchanges: a longitudinal model with comparable measures.

Researchers have expressed considerable interest in the question of whether positive or negative social exchanges more strongly affect psychological health, but previous studies have been limited by using nonparallel measures of positive and negative social exchanges, by measuring negative affect only, and by relying largely on cross-sectional designs. The independent effects of positive and negative exchanges on both positive and negative affect were examined in a short-term longitudinal study of 277 older adults, using social exchange measures with parallel content and equivalent reliability and validity. In cross-sectional analyses, positive exchanges predicted positive affect, and negative exchanges predicted negative affect. In longitudinal analyses, however, negative exchanges predicted both positive and negative affect, whereas positive exchanges were unrelated to either outcome. The more potent and longer-lasting effects of negative exchanges have important implications for theory and interventions.

Affect↗

PubMed2003

Prevalence and correlates of overweight and obesity among older adults: findings from the Canadian National Population Health Survey.

BACKGROUND: The prevalence of obesity among elderly persons in industrialized countries ranges from 15% to 20%. Little is known about variations of overweight within subgroups of the elderly population. This study examined the factors associated with overweight and obesity among older men and women. METHODS: Data for 12,823 community-dwelling persons aged 65 and older from the 1996-1997 Canadian National Population Health Survey were examined. Predictors of overweight (body mass index [BMI] = 25.0-29.9 kg/m2) and obesity (BMI = >30 kg/m2) relative to normal weight (BMI = 20.0-24.9 kg/m2) were examined using logistic regression analyses. Analyses were stratified by gender. The predictor variables included age, education, marital status, place of birth, region, smoking status, alcohol use, chronic conditions, physical activity, functional limitations, self-rated health, social support, and psychological distress. RESULTS: Overall, 39% and 13% of Canadian older adults were classified as overweight and obese, respectively. Some of the risk factors for overweight were male gender, low education, being married, Canadian born, residence in the Atlantic provinces, no use of alcohol, comorbidity, physical inactivity, and limited functional status. Risk factors for obesity were similar to those for overweight except for being unmarried; American, European, and Australian born; lower and higher levels of alcohol use; poor self-rated health; and psychological distress. CONCLUSIONS: The results could lead to more effective weight-control interventions that are designed to promote increased physical activity and healthy eating habits among obese older individuals.

Aged↗

PubMed2003

Investigating moderator hypotheses in aging research: statistical, methodological, and conceptual difficulties with comparing separate regressions.

Many topics in aging research address questions about group differences in prediction. Such questions can be viewed in terms of interaction or moderator effects, and use of appropriate methods to test these hypotheses are necessary to arrive at accurate conclusions about age differences. This article discusses the conceptual, methodological, and statistical problems in one approach to investigating moderator hypotheses. The subgroup regression approach, in which separate regression analyses are conducted in two or more groups, is widely used in aging research to examine group differences in prediction, but the approach can lead to erroneous conclusions. The moderated regression approach, involving the test of a product term, is described and recommended as an a alternative approach. The question of whether social support has greater beneficial effects for younger or older adults is investigated in a study of 287 recently-bereaved adults ranging in age from 20 to 91. Using the subgroup approach, findings indicated that social support significantly predicted depressive symptoms among younger adults and did not significantly predict depressive symptoms among older adults. The moderated regression analysis, however, indicated no significant age differences in the effect of social support. These results clearly illustrate that the analysis strategy researchers choose may have important bearing on theory in aging research such as conclusions regarding the role of social support across the life span.

Adult↗

PubMed2002

Older adults' contact with health practitioners: is there an association with smoking practices?

BACKGROUND: Approximately 12% of the North American population aged 65 and older smoke cigarettes daily. Late-life smokers represent an important population for intervention by health practitioners. The objective of this study was to determine the extent to which contact with health practitioners (dentists or physicians) affects smoking status among older adults. METHODS: We used data on a probability-based sample of community-dwelling elderly respondents (N = 13,363) from the Canadian 1996-1997 National Population Health Survey. Descriptive statistics were calculated, and multivariate logistic regression analysis was performed to examine the associations between current tobacco use and contact with health care practitioners controlling for potential confounders, especially sociodemographic characteristics, selected health conditions, self-reported health, body mass index, functional status, perceived social support, and psychological distress. RESULTS: Older adults without a regular physician (adjusted odds ratio [AOR], 1.33; 95% confidence interval [CI], 1.11-1.59), with infrequent physical (AOR, 1.22; 95% CI, 1.07-1.40), and dental (AOR, 2.68; 95% CI, 2.07-3.47) checkups were more likely to be current smokers. Age (younger), church attendance (infrequent), drinking behavior (former or occasional), body mass index (normal weight), and psychological distress were all independently related to current smoking. CONCLUSIONS: Results indicate that patients' contact with health care providers is strongly negatively associated with smoking. More specific data are needed to learn the frequency with which physicians and dental professionals attempt to modify older individuals' smoking behavior and the degree to which such efforts are effective.

Age Distribution↗

PubMed1996

Social support as a mediator in the relation between functional status and quality of life in older adults.

The relations among physical functioning, social support, depressive symptoms, and life satisfaction were examined in a national sample of 4,734 adults age 65 and older. Regression analyses were used to examine the relative importance of objective and subjective support measures in understanding the relation between physical impairment and quality of life. Impairment was associated with fewer friendship contacts, fewer family contacts, less perceived belonging support, and less perceived tangible aid, but only measures of perceived support predicted depressive symptomatology. A structural equation modeling approach was then used to explore the mediational role of perceived social support in the relation between impairment and quality of life variables. Results are consistent with the hypothesis that lower reported social support is an important reason for decreases in life satisfaction and increases in depressive symptoms found among older adult populations. Implications for understanding the role of social support in attenuating the effects of physical disability in older adults are discussed.

Activities of Daily Living↗