Zakljucno, potrebno je i nadalje svakodnevno raditi na prevenciji demencije, osiguravati resurse i osmisljavati strategije borbe protiv demencije, jer ce broj osoba s demencijom i u Hrvatskoj u buducnosti biti veci. No, s obzirom da se u svijetu ulažu znatna sredstva u podrucju istraživanja demencije, za ocekivati je pozitivnih pomaka, kako na podrucju terapije, rane dijagnostike, tako i na podrucju rehabilitacije osoba s demencijom. Stoga - vrijeme je na nasoj strani!

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Dementia: a public health priority

Objective The novel coronavirus disease (COVID-19) has forced nationwide lockdowns in many countries. As a result, most of the Spanish population had to self-isolate at home. The physical and psychological consequences of this unexpected scenario could be particularly worrisome for people older than 60 years. This study is aimed to examine the psychological well-being of older adults during the home isolation due to the COVID-19 pandemic and to investigate whether meeting the World Health Organization's global recommendations on physical activity (PA) for health is associated with their resilience, affect, and depressive symptoms. Design, setting, and participants In this cross-sectional study, a total of 483 citizens whose ages ranged from 60 to 92 years (overall sample: M = 65.49, SD = 5.14) were recruited via a snowball sampling strategy to answer to an online questionnaire. Measurements The four instruments used were The Connor-Davidson CD-RISC resilience scale, The Positive and Negative Affect Schedule, the six-item self-report scale of Depressive Symptoms, and The international Physical Activity Questionnaire. Results Results showed that older adults who regularly engaged in vigorous (VPA) and moderate-vigorous physical activity (MVPA) during the quarantine reported higher scores in resilience (Locus, Self-efficacy, and Optimism), positive affect, and lower in depressive symptoms. Conclusion These finding are the first quantitative evidence pointing toward a link between engagement in VPA and/or MVPA and resilience, positive affect, and depressive symptoms within the COVID-19 restrictions in Spain. Acknowledging these associations may be important in developing health promotion programs for older people during the remaining period of confinement or future ones.

COVID-19, psychological well-being and physical activity levels in older adults during the nationwide lockdown in Spain

In recent decades, numerous studies have suggested a positive relationship between prosociality and well-being. What remains less clear are (a) what the magnitude of this relationship is, and (b) what the moderators that influence it are. To address these questions, we conducted a meta-analysis to examine the strength of the prosociality to well-being link under different operationalizations, and how a set of theoretical, demographic, and methodological variables moderate the link. While the results revealed a modest overall mean effect size (r = .13, K = 201, N = 198,213) between prosociality and well-being, this masked the substantial variability in the effect as a function of numerous moderators. In particular, the effect of prosociality on eudaimonic well-being was stronger than that on hedonic well-being. Prosociality was most strongly related to psychological functioning-showing a more modest relationship with psychological malfunctioning and physical health. Using prosociality scales was more strongly associated with well-being than using measures of volunteering/helping frequency or status. In addition, informal helping (vs. formal helping) was linked to more well-being benefits. Demographically, younger givers exhibited higher levels of well-being other than physical health, while older and retired givers reported better physical health only. Female givers showed stronger relationships between prosociality and eudaimonic well-being, psychological malfunctioning, and physical health. Methodologically, the magnitude of the link was stronger in studies using primary (vs. secondary) data and with higher methodological rigor (i.e., measurement reliability and validity). We discussed all of these results and implications and suggested directions for future research. (PsycInfo Database Record (c) 2020 APA, all rights reserved).

Rewards of kindness? A meta-analysis of the link between prosociality and well-being.

Resilience and physical activity in people under home isolation due to COVID-19: A preliminary evaluation

Weight changes during the COVID-19 home confinement. Effects on psychosocial variables.

The aim of this study is to evaluate the relationship between resilience and mental health in older adults and how physical activity influences that relationship. A cross-sectional study was carried out with 312 older adults (179 active and 133 sedentary classified by IPAQ). Considering the whole sample, an inverse relationship was found for resilience (Wagnild-Young's Resilience Scale) with depression and stress (DASS-21). Among the sedentary, in spite of there not being an association between total resilience and mental health, there was an inverse relationship for the "meaning of life" component of the resilience and depression scale. For the active group, there was a relationship between total resilience and its components with depression and stress, but not for the "meaning of life" component of the resilience scale. Physical activity played an important role in the relationship between resilience and depression, showing that active and sedentary people use different components of resilience.

The Role of Physical Activity in the Association Between Resilience and Mental Health in Older Adults.

This study aimed to find, in the institutionalized senior citizens’ discourse, which aspects were considered when they were asked about how they perceived their bodies. A semi-structured interview with social and demographic data was conducted, with a question on body perception and viewpoint. The type of analysis followed Laurence Bardin. It was found that 44.4% of the nine elderly interviewed had a positive body perception. The negative discourses (33.3%), in

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Envelhecimento e percepção corporal de idosos institucionalizados

AIM Studies have indicated that altruistic behaviour may be associated with better health. Nevertheless, it has not been determined if volunteering acts as a protective factor against cognitive decline or if a person's altruistic character does so. This study aims to evaluate whether altruistic behaviour and volunteering are associated with better cognitive function in active community-dwelling older persons. METHODS This was a cross-sectional study in healthy older persons. Sociodemographics, altruistic behaviour (self-report altruism scale), volunteering (days volunteered), cognitive state (cognitive assessment battery), and factors associated with cognition (e.g. depression, social support, functional status, and religiosity) were evaluated. Adjusted and non-adjusted models were created in order to understand the relationship of altruistic behaviour and volunteering with cognitive performance. RESULTS A total of 312 older adults were evaluated; 89.4% were women, and the mean age was 69.6 years. In the linear regression models, greater altruistic behaviour was associated with higher scores on the Mini-Mental State Examination (β = 0.148, P < 0.05) and the verbal fluency test (β = 0.219, P < 0.001), even after adjustments. In contrast, volunteering was not associated with any of the cognitive tests used. CONCLUSION Altruistic behaviour seems to have a role in older persons' cognition, with more altruistic people tending to have greater cognitive performance. These findings can assist in developing mechanisms that can help keep older people more cognitively active and serve as the foundation for future interventions and studies in this area.

Altruistic behaviour, but not volunteering, has been associated with cognitive performance in community-dwelling older persons.

This study aims to investigate whether altruism and volunteering are associated differently with cognitive functioning in community-dwelling older adults. A 2-year longitudinal study of 291 Brazilian older adults was conducted. In the baseline analysis, altruism, but not volunteering, was associated with higher scores for the composite cognitive score, the Mini-Mental State Examination, the verbal fluency and the CERAD Recall. Concerning the longitudinal analyses, volunteering at baseline, but not altruism, was associated with verbal fluency and CERAD Word List Recall after 2 years of follow up. Same results were obtained while investigating changes in score. Altruism and volunteering were associated with cognitive tests, albeit in different ways. Volunteering, but not altruism, was associated with lower cognitive decline. However, altruism, but not volunteering, was associated with higher absolute score on these tests. These findings can further understanding of this new field of health research.

Altruism, Volunteering and Cognitive Performance Among Older Adults: A 2-Year Longitudinal Study

The aim of this study was to longitudinally investigate the association between resilience and mental health in older adults and to determine the influence of physical activity on this relationship. A total of 291 older adults were included in a 2-year follow-up study. Adjusted linear regression models evaluated the association between resilience at baseline and mental health after 2 years in sufficiently and insufficiently physically active older adults. A negative correlation was found between resilience at baseline and depression, anxiety, and stress after 2 years for the overall sample. This association changed after stratifying the group. Sufficiently physically active individuals made greater use of the resilience components "Self-Sufficiency" and "Perseverance," whereas insufficiently physically active individuals made greater use of "Meaning of Life" and "Existential Singularity." Physical activity can influence the relationship between resilience and mental health. These results can help guide the devising of more effective interventions for this age group.

Jimilly Caputo Corrêa

Papers

The Role of Physical Activity in the Association Between Resilience and Mental Health in Older Adults.

Envelhecimento e percepção corporal de idosos institucionalizados

Altruistic behaviour, but not volunteering, has been associated with cognitive performance in community-dwelling older persons.

Altruism, Volunteering and Cognitive Performance Among Older Adults: A 2-Year Longitudinal Study

Relationship Between Mental Health, Resilience, and Physical Activity in Older Adults: A 2-Year Longitudinal Study.