This article presents an introduction to the Health Belief Model (HBM). The HBM states that the perception of a personal health behavior threat is influenced by at least three factors: general health values, interest and concern about health; specific beliefs about vulnerability to a particular health threat; and beliefs about the consequences of the health problem. Once an individual perceives a threat to his health and is simultaneously cued to action, if his perceived benefits outweighs his perceived costs, then the individual is most likely to undertake the recommended preventive health action. Key words: health promotion, health belief model, perceived susceptibility, perceived severity, perceived benefits, perceived barriers, cues to action, self-efficacy. Content available only in Romanian.

Health Belief Model

Frailty, a consequence of the interaction of the aging process and certain chronic diseases, compromises functional outcomes in the elderly and substantially increases their risk for developing disabilities and other adverse outcomes. Frailty follows from the combination of several impaired physiological mechanisms affecting multiple organs and systems. And, though frailty and sarcopenia are related, they are two different conditions. Thus, strategies to preserve or improve functional status should consider systemic function in addition to muscle conditioning. Physical activity/exercise is considered one of the main strategies to counteract frailty-related physical impairment in the elderly. Exercise reduces age-related oxidative damage and chronic inflammation, increases autophagy, and improves mitochondrial function, myokine profile, insulin-like growth factor-1 (IGF-1) signaling pathway, and insulin sensitivity. Exercise interventions target resistance (strength and power), aerobic, balance, and flexibility work. Each type improves different aspects of physical functioning, though they could be combined according to need and prescribed as a multicomponent intervention. Therefore, exercise intervention programs should be prescribed based on an individual's physical functioning and adapted to the ensuing response.

Physical activity and exercise: Strategies to manage frailty.

Positive effects from sports are achieved primarily through physical activity, but secondary effects bring health benefits such as psychosocial and personal development and less alcohol consumption. Negative effects, such as the risk of failure, injuries, eating disorders, and burnout, are also apparent. Because physical activity is increasingly conducted in an organized manner, sport’s role in society has become increasingly important over the years, not only for the individual but also for public health. In this paper, we intend to describe sport’s physiological and psychosocial health benefits, stemming both from physical activity and from sport participation per se. This narrative review summarizes research and presents health-related data from Swedish authorities. It is discussed that our daily lives are becoming less physically active, while organized exercise and training increases. Average energy intake is increasing, creating an energy surplus, and thus, we are seeing an increasing number of people who are overweight, which is a strong contributor to health problems. Physical activity and exercise have significant positive effects in preventing or alleviating mental illness, including depressive symptoms and anxiety- or stress-related disease. In conclusion, sports can be evolving, if personal capacities, social situation, and biological and psychological maturation are taken into account. Evidence suggests a dose–response relationship such that being active, even to a modest level, is superior to being inactive or sedentary. Recommendations for healthy sports are summarized.

Physical Activity and Sports-Real Health Benefits: A Review with Insight into the Public Health of Sweden

American College of Sports Medicine(ACSM)に参加して

OBJECTIVE
Illicit drug use is identified in Healthy People 2010 as a leading health indicator because it is associated with multiple deleterious health outcomes, such as sexually transmitted diseases, human immunodeficiency virus, viral hepatitis, and numerous social problems among adolescents and adults. Improved understanding of the influence of stressful or traumatic childhood experiences on initiation and development of drug abuse is needed.


METHODS
We examined the relationship between illicit drug use and 10 categories of adverse childhood experiences (ACEs) and total number of ACEs (ACE score). A retrospective cohort study of 8613 adults who attended a primary care clinic in California completed a survey about childhood abuse, neglect, and household dysfunction; illicit drug use; and other health-related issues. The main outcomes measured were self-reported use of illicit drugs, including initiation during 3 age categories: <or=14 years, 15 to 18 years, or as an adult (>or=19 years); lifetime use for each of 4 birth cohorts dating back to 1900; drug use problems; drug addiction; and parenteral drug use.


RESULTS
Each ACE increased the likelihood for early initiation 2- to 4-fold. The ACE score had a strong graded relationship to initiation of drug use in all 3 age categories as well as to drug use problems, drug addiction, and parenteral drug use. Compared with people with 0 ACEs, people with >or=5 ACEs were 7- to 10-fold more likely to report illicit drug use problems, addiction to illicit drugs, and parenteral drug use. The attributable risk fractions as a result of ACEs for each of these illicit drug use problems were 56%, 64%, and 67%, respectively. For each of the 4 birth cohorts examined, the ACE score also had a strong graded relationship to lifetime drug use.


CONCLUSIONS
The ACE score had a strong graded relationship to the risk of drug initiation from early adolescence into adulthood and to problems with drug use, drug addiction, and parenteral use. The persistent graded relationship between the ACE score and initiation of drug use for 4 successive birth cohorts dating back to 1900 suggests that the effects of adverse childhood experiences transcend secular changes such as increased availability of drugs, social attitudes toward drugs, and recent massive expenditures and public information campaigns to prevent drug use. Because ACEs seem to account for one half to two third of serious problems with drug use, progress in meeting the national goals for reducing drug use will necessitate serious attention to these types of common, stressful, and disturbing childhood experiences by pediatric practice.

Childhood Abuse, Neglect, and Household Dysfunction and the Risk of Illicit Drug Use: The Adverse Childhood Experiences Study

This informative report focuses on filling information gaps regarding adherence to physical activity and exercise in the health care spectrum of older adults (OA) and an overview of the benefits of physical activity for OA. Healthy People 2000, 2010, and 2020 are public health programs from the U.S. Department of Health and Human Services that set national goals and objectives for promoting health and preventing disease. The programs include 10 leading health indicators that reflect major health problems, which concern OA. Exercise and physical activity are among the most important factors affecting health and longevity, but exercise adherence is a significant hindrance in achieving health goals in the OA. Exercise adherence in OA is a multifactorial problem encompassing many biopsychosocial factors. Factors affecting adherence in the OA include socioeconomic status, education level, living arrangements, health status, pacemakers, physical fitness, and depression. Improving adherence could have a significant impact on longevity, quality of life, and health care costs.

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Adherence to Exercise Programs in Older Adults: Informative Report.

Trending the evidence on opioid use disorder (OUD) continuum of care among rural American Indian/Alaskan Native (AI/AN) tribes: A systematic scoping review.

Older adults are at high risk for mental health distress due to COVID-19 pandemic restrictions. This scoping review aimed to map emerging evidence on the types of leisure and recreation activities (LRA) adults, 60 years and older, are engaged in for their mental health during the COVID-19 pandemic. We identified 10 studies on LRA for mental health by older adults with COVID-19 mitigation from a search of the following databases: Medline/PubMed, Excerpta Medica database (EMBASE), Cumulative Index of Nursing and Allied Health Literature (CINAHL), Cochrane Database of Systematic Reviews, JBI Evidence Synthesis, and Epistemonicos. A narrative synthesis of the data revealed age cohorts of young-old (60-69 years) and middle-old (70-79 years) engaging mainly in online LRA for mental health compared to the older-old adults (80 years and older). The middle-old (70-79 years) and older-old adults (80-89 years) engaged in more physical LRA for mental health compared to the younger-old adults. Across age cohorts, the older adults engaged in social connectedness LRA for mental health wellbeing. COVID-19-safe LRA mental health support interventions for older adults should be tailored to their age cohort predispositions for optimal benefit.

https://journals.sagepub.com/doi/pdf/10.1177/23337214211036776

Older Adults' Mental Health Through Leisure Activities During COVID-19: A Scoping Review

PurposeA better understanding of service utilization patterns at senior service centers can improve program development and constituent usageTheoryThis research examines whether participation in se...

Senior Center Service Utilization: Do Social Ties Affect Participation Patterns?

Substance use varies significantly between and within communities. Substance use disorders (SUDs) have received a great amount of attention in the literature, although harmful or disordered use of substances occurs far less frequently in the general population. Globally, most community members do not engage in substance misuse/abuse and surprisingly, less is known about communities with substance use safety, in addition to understanding that some communities engage in safer substance-using practices than others. This chapter defines the community qualities and practices associated with safer substance use for sustainable community health. First, we briefly review the history of community safety-oriented approaches to background our discussion on current and emerging community substance use safety approaches. Next, we discuss the leading evidence-based community substance use safety approaches including community substance use literacy; harm minimization or reduction; in addition to caring communities and family strengthening. We then consider the influences of culture, health policies, and legislation for sustainable community substance use and the disciplines relevant to community substance use interventions. Finally, we conclude with a brief review of the research and practice initiatives aimed to support community substance use safety.

Solymar Rivera-Torres

Papers

Adherence to Exercise Programs in Older Adults: Informative Report.

Trending the evidence on opioid use disorder (OUD) continuum of care among rural American Indian/Alaskan Native (AI/AN) tribes: A systematic scoping review.

Older Adults' Mental Health Through Leisure Activities During COVID-19: A Scoping Review

Senior Center Service Utilization: Do Social Ties Affect Participation Patterns?

Community Substance Use Safety