| 1. |
- Bergh, Ingrid, 1956, et al.
(författare)
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Pain and its relation to cognitive function and depressive symptoms: a Swedish population study of 70-year-old men and women.
- 2003
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Ingår i: Journal of pain and symptom management. - : Elsevier. - 0885-3924 .- 1873-6513. ; 26:4, s. 903-12
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Tidskriftsartikel (refereegranskat)abstract
- The aim of this study was to investigate the prevalence of pain and its characteristics, and to examine the association of pain with cognitive function and depressive symptoms, in a representative sample of 70-year-old men and women. Data were collected within the gerontological and geriatric population studies in G?teborg, Sweden (H-70). A sample of 124 men and 117 women living in the community took part in the study. A questionnaire was applied which included four different aspects of pain experience: prevalence, frequency of episodes of pain, duration and number of locations. In close connection to this, depressive symptoms were assessed using the Center for Epidemiological Studies Depression Scale. The prevalence of pain during the last 14 days was higher in women (79%; n=91) than in men (53%; n=65) (P<0.001). Women (68%; n=78) also reported pain that had lasted for >6 months to a greater extent than men (38%; n=46) (P<0.001). The frequency of episodes of pain was also higher among women, 64% (n=74) reporting daily pain or pain several days during the last 14 days while 37% of the men (n=45) did so (P<0.001). Women (33%, n=38) also reported pain experience from >/=3 locations more often than men (11%; n=13) (P<0.001). On the other hand, the association between depressive symptoms and pain experience was more evident in men than in women. Women were taking significantly more antidepressants compared to men (P<0.03). The results show that pain is common in 70-year-old people and especially in women. However, associations between depressive symptoms and the four aspects of pain experience were more pronounced among men.
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| 2. |
- Eriksson, Bo G., 1944, et al.
(författare)
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Relationship between MNA and SF- 36 in a Free-Living Elderly Population Aged 70 to 75
- 2005
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Ingår i: Journal of Nutrition Health and Aging. - 1279-7707. ; 9:4, s. 212-220
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Tidskriftsartikel (refereegranskat)abstract
- Background: Within a larger study of social network and nutrition, we investigated measurements of nutritional status and health related quality of life. Objective: To relate a well-established questionnaire of nutritional status (MNA) to a likewise well-established questionnaire of health related quality of life (SF-36) in community dwelling, free-living and, healthy 70-75 years old persons. Design: Before an interview, the MNA and SF-36 questionnaires were filled in by 128 participants from a sample of 262 subjects. Results: The MNA worked well as a measurement in this sample. Many MNA aspects correlated with the SF-36 scales. The correlations between MNA total score and the eight SF-36 scales varied from .27 to .62. Discussion: This correlation was partly due to the fact that MNA has questions of health but also to the fact that there is an empirical relation between nutrition and health. Conclusion: The MNA measurement is applicable to a healthy, free-living elderly population and parts of the MNA can be interpreted as measurements of health related quality of life. Low values of SF-36 could also be used as predictors of risk of malnutrition, although further studies are required to confirm this result.
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| 3. |
- Hessler, Richard, et al.
(författare)
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The compression of morbidity debate in aging: an empirical test using the gerontological and geriatric population studies in Göteborg, Sweden (H70)
- 2003
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Ingår i: Archives of Gerontology and Geriatrics. ; 37:3, s. 213-222
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Tidskriftsartikel (refereegranskat)abstract
- The H70 longitudinal study of aging, Göteborg, Sweden is used to empirically test the compression of morbidity theory advanced by [Fries, 1980 and Fries and Crapo, 1981]. We reconceptualize compression as postponement of morbidity in the sense of decreasing amounts of illness for increasingly long life spans. Operationally, morbidity is defined as the average number of hospital days in the last year of life. The date of death and the date of 1-year prior to death define the risk period. The linear regression model with age at death, age at death squared, year of birth, and sex are statistically significant with the oldest having the fewest hospital days. The findings offer partial support for the compression of morbidity theory.
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| 4. |
- Lewerin, Catharina, 1961, et al.
(författare)
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Significant correlations of plasma homocysteine and serum methylmalonate with movement and cognitive performance in elderly subjects but no improvement from short-term vitamin therapy: a placebo controlled randomized study
- 2005
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Ingår i: American Journal of Clinical Nutrition. - 0002-9165. ; 81:5, s. 1155-1162
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Tidskriftsartikel (refereegranskat)abstract
- BACKGROUND: Deficiencies of vitamin B-12, folic acid, and vitamin B-6-as de-fined by laboratory measures-occur in 10-20% of elderly subjects. The clinical significance remains unresolved. OBJECTIVE: The objective was to explore any association between vitamin status and vitamin treatment and movement and cognitive performance in elderly subjects. DESIGN: Community-dwelling sub-jects (n = 209) with a median age of 76 y were randomly assigned to daily oral treatment with 0.5 mg cyanocobalamin, 0.8 mg folic acid, and 3 mg vitamin B-6 or placebo (double blind) for 4 mo. Movement and cognitive performance tests were performed before and after treatment. RESULTS: A high plasma total ho-mocysteine (tHcy) concentration (> or =16 micromol/L) was found in 64% of men and in 45% of women, and a high serum methylmalonic acid (MMA) concentra-tion (> or =0.34 micromol/L) was found in 11% of both sexes. Movement time, digit symbol, and block design (adjusted for age, sex, smoking, and creatinine) correlated independently with plasma tHcy (P < 0.01, < 0.05, and < 0.01, respec-tively); the simultaneity index and block design correlated with serum MMA (P < 0.05 for both). Vitamin therapy significantly decreased plasma tHcy (32%) and serum MMA (14%). No improvements were found in the movement or cognitive tests compared with placebo. Neither vitamin therapy nor changes in plasma tHcy, serum MMA, serum vitamin B-12, plasma folate, or whole-blood folate cor-related with changes in movement or cognitive performance. CONCLUSIONS: High plasma tHcy and serum MMA were prevalent and correlated inversely with movement and cognitive performance. Oral B vitamin treatment normalized plasma tHcy and serum MMA concentrations but did not affect movement or cognitive performance. This might have been due to irreversible or vitamin-independent neurocognitive decline or to an insufficient dose or duration of vita-mins.
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| 6. |
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| 7. |
- Alstad, Torgny, 1955, et al.
(författare)
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Patterns of carbohydrate intake--a study of typology, associations and changes over time in an elderly Swedish population.
- 2006
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Ingår i: The journal of nutrition, health & aging. - 1279-7707. ; 10:5, s. 401-7
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Tidskriftsartikel (refereegranskat)abstract
- BACKGROUND: Patterns may explain part of the dietary variation between subjects. OBJECTIVE: To create a typology of carbohydrate intake among the elderly and to analyse whether it seems valuable or not. DESIGN: Factor and cluster-analyses of dietary interviews from two elderly cohorts of free-living elderly people in Göteborg, Sweden. SUBJECTS AND METHODS: Three hundred and thirty seven women and three hundred and twenty three men aged 70-79 was studied cross-sectionally and longitudinally. The altogether 917 dietary interviews were based on the dietary history method. Cluster analysis, based on factor scores, was used to create the typology. RESULTS: Seven clusters were identified: 1) Small eaters (high relative intake of starch and a low energy intake), 2) Lean and green eaters (high intake of dietary fibre), 3) Fruit eaters (high intake of monosaccharides), 4) Sweet tooth eaters (high intake of sucrose), 5) Gourmands (high absolute intake of starch, dietary fibre and energy), 6) Milk drinkers (high intake of lactose) and 7) Fat eaters (high intake of fat and low intake of carbohydrates). The different patterns were associated with different food consumption, different intake of micronutrients and different social and physiological factors. There were also changes over time of the proportion of subject within the clusters. CONCLUSIONS: The typology found by using cluster analysis, seems to be valid and was related to all analysed dimensions. Therefore, the methods may be valuable for describing and analysing the dietary intake among elderly.
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| 8. |
- Augustsson, Olga, et al.
(författare)
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The Johanneberg Study: a Social Survey in an Urban Elderly Population. I. General presentation of the study including an analysis of non-response and identification of risk groups
- 1993
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Ingår i: Scandinavian Journal of Social Medicin. ; 22:4, s. 283-92
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Tidskriftsartikel (refereegranskat)abstract
- This study is the Swedish part of a world-wide transcultural and interdisciplinary study in elderly populations which addresses food habits, health and life-style. The aim of this paper is to present the general design including an analysis of non-response, and to identify risk-groups for intervention programmes. The study comprised 217 noninstitutionalized males (n = 73) and females (n = 144), aged 70 and over (mean age 78 years) in a small urban area. Home visits and clinical examinations with standard methods were used. The participation rate was 76%. Significant differences between non-respondents and respondents could be seen, which may be important when planning health promotion. On the basis of experience during the examinations, a risk-group was identified for prospective and intervention study purpose, based on a multiple variable model and a clinical model.
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| 9. |
- Bergh, Ingrid, et al.
(författare)
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An application of pain rating scales in geriatric patients
- 2000
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Ingår i: Aging Clinical and Experimental Research. - : Elsevier. - 1594-0667 .- 1720-8319. ; 12:5, s. 380-7
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Tidskriftsartikel (refereegranskat)abstract
- This study examined the applicability of three different pain rating scales, the Visual Analogue Scale (VAS), the Graphic Rating Scale (GRS) and the Numeric Rating Scale (NRS), in geriatric patients. Data collection was performed in a geriatric clinic at a university hospital. A structured interview was conducted with 167 patients (mean age = 80.5 years). Patients rated their current experience of pain twice with a 5-minute pause in-between on the VAS, GRS and NRS, and were then asked if they experienced pain, ache or hurt (PAH) or other symptoms. The correlations were high and significant both between the ratings of the VAS, GRS and NRS (r = 0.78-0.92; p < 0.001) (alternative-forms reliability), and between the test and retesting (r = 0.75-r = 0.83; p < 0.001) (test-retest reliability). A logistic regression analysis showed that the probability to accomplish a rating on the pain scales decreased with advancing age of the patient, and this was especially marked for the VAS. The probability of agreement between the patients' ratings of pain and the verbal report of PAH tended to decrease with advancing age; this was especially so for the VAS. Patients who verbally denied PAH but reported pain on the scales rated it significant lower (p < 0.001) than those who verbally reported PAH and rated the pain as well. Eighteen percent of patients who denied pain but rated a pain experience verbally expressed suffering or distress. The study suggests that pain rating scales such as the VAS, GRS and NRS can be used to evaluate pain experience in geriatric patients. However, agreement between verbally expressed experience of PAH, and the rated experience of pain tended to decrease with advancing age. This indicates that the pain-evaluating process will be substantially improved by an additional penetration supported by a wide variety of expression of hurt, ache, pain, discomfort and distress.
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| 10. |
- Bergh, Ingrid, 1956, et al.
(författare)
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Assessing pain and pain relief in geriatric patients with non-pathological fractures with different rating scales.
- 2001
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Ingår i: Aging (Milan, Italy). - : Kurtis. - 0394-9532. ; 13:5, s. 355-361
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Tidskriftsartikel (refereegranskat)abstract
- Although pain is a frequent problem among elderly patients, they are often omitted in clinical trials and few studies have focused on assessing pain relief in this population. The aim of this study was to compare geriatric patients' verbally reported effect of analgesics with changes in pain experience rated with four different rating scales: the Visual Analogue Scale (VAS), the Graphic Rating Scale (GRS), the Numeric Rating Scale (NRS), and the Pain Relief Scale (PRS). Altogether 53 geriatric patients (mean=82 yrs) with non-pathological fractures in 4 geriatric units at a large university hospital were selected. In connection with the administration of analgesics, the patients were asked to "Mark the point that corresponds to your experience of pain just now at rest" on the VAS, GRS and NRS. This was repeated after 1.5-2 hours, and a direct question was asked about whether the analgesic medication given in connection with the initial assessment had had any pain-alleviation effect. Two comparisons were conducted with each patient. The results show that the probability of accomplishing a rating on the VAS, GRS, NRS, and PRS was lower with advancing age in these elderly fracture patients. The correlations between the ratings of the VAS, GRS and NRS were strong and significant (r=0.80-0.95; p<0.001) both at the initial assessments and at the re-assessments. However, the verbally reported effects of the analgesics were often directly opposite to the changes in rated pain. Therefore, application of the VAS, NRS, GRS and PRS for the purpose of assessing pain relief must be combined with supplementary questions that allow the patient to verbally describe possible experience of pain relief.
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