Impacts of the Coronavirus Pandemic on the Emotional and Physical Health of Older Adults Compared with Younger Cohorts

Feliciano, Leilani; Johanson, Katherine; Okun, Michele L.; Walden, Allison

doi:10.1080/07317115.2021.1966561

Cited by 11 publications

(4 citation statements)

References 38 publications

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“…First, while older adults may have had more limited access to health care by avoiding exposure to COVID-19 and by having difficulties with telehealth (eg, inexperience with technology, hearing impairment 38 ), younger adults might have experienced a more negative impact on their mental health and well-being than older adults. 39 Second, our study participants, who had visited their primary care providers regularly before the pandemic, may have economic stability in general and are affected by the pandemic to a lesser extent than the broader population, leading to minimal differences across subgroups.…”

Section: Discussionmentioning

confidence: 99%

Changes in Blood Pressure Outcomes Among Hypertensive Individuals During the COVID-19 Pandemic: A Time Series Analysis in Three US Healthcare Organizations

et al. 2022

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Background: The COVID-19 pandemic may have negatively affected medical care for and self-management of chronic hypertension. We sought to examine the impact of the pandemic on blood pressure (BP) among individuals with hypertension. Methods: Using an interrupted time series analysis, we compared the level and trend (slope) of BP outcomes before the public health emergency declaration (prepandemic period: August 2018 through January 2020) versus after the stay-at-home orders (pandemic period: April 2020 through November 2020) among adults with hypertension followed at 3 large health systems (n=137 593). Outcomes include systolic and diastolic BP recorded in electronic health records and the proportion of individuals with BP <140/90 mm Hg. Results: The number of BP measurements substantially dropped early in the pandemic and then gradually increased. During the pandemic period, systolic and diastolic BP increased by 1.79 mm Hg (95% CI, 1.57–2.01; P <0.001) and 1.30 mm Hg (95% CI, 1.18–1.42; P <0.001), respectively, compared with the prepandemic period. Similarly, the proportion of patients with controlled BP decreased by 3.43 percentage points (95% CI, −3.97 to −2.90; P <0.001). A trend showing increasing control in the prepandemic period (+3.19 percentage points per year [95% CI, +2.96 to +3.42]; P <0.001) flattened during the pandemic period (+0.27 percentage points per year [95% CI, −0.81 to −1.37]; P =0.62). Conclusions: The first 8 months of the pandemic were associated with worsening BP outcomes among individuals with hypertension. Opportunities to ensure ongoing access to health care with telemedicine and home BP monitoring may mitigate adverse impacts on BP control for future disasters/emergencies.

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Section: Discussionmentioning

confidence: 99%

Changes in Blood Pressure Outcomes Among Hypertensive Individuals During the COVID-19 Pandemic: A Time Series Analysis in Three US Healthcare Organizations

et al. 2022

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“…Nevertheless, an impressive plethora of studies have found that, as a group, older adults have demonstrated remarkable resilience during the pandemic (Bruine de Bruin, 2021;Costantini & Mazzotti, 2020;Gómez-Salgado et al, 2020;Klaiber et al, 2021;Losada-Baltar et al, 2021;Mazza et al, 2020;Rossi et al, 2020;Sterina et al, 2021). Compared to younger adults, older adults have experienced less distress during the pandemic according to indicators of general well-being as well as indicators of specific disorders like depression, anxiety, and posttraumatic stress disorder (Feliciano et al, 2022;Shattuck et al, 2022;Sterina et al, 2021;van Tilburg et al, 2021;Wu, 2020). Qualitative studies have started to complement this body of quantitative work by providing more detailed insight about older adults' pandemic experiences, including specific stressors (e.g., mortality concerns, grief, loss of normal life) and protective factors (e.g., social support, exercise, maintaining routine, slower pace of life) (Finlay et al, 2021;Hamm et al, 2020;McKinlay et al, 2020;Nikelski et al, 2021).…”

Section: Introductionmentioning

confidence: 99%

Experiences of Home-living Vulnerable Older Adults with Clinical Depression during the COVID-19 Pandemic: A Qualitative Study

Grohé

Gellert

Kessler

2022

Clinical Gerontologist

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Objectives.Little is known about the diversity of older adults' experiences during the COVID-19 pandemic. We therefore investigated the pandemic experiences of homeliving vulnerable older adults with depression, an understudied subpopulation.Methods. We conducted unstructured interviews with N=20 older (60+ years) adults with clinical depression receiving care in their homes in June and again in December 2020.Interviews were coded according to the grounded theory approach.Results. We identified eight themes. Participants described feeling disconnected before and during the pandemic, which they attributed to their physical impairments and old age.Their social relations with family, medical providers, and caregivers helped them feel connected. Participants did not feel significantly impacted by the COVID-19 pandemic, but they missed social and physical contact. During the pandemic, isolation was normalized. Participants therefore experienced loneliness due to their isolation, but also a sense of togetherness with the rest of society. Isolation within the home was re-framed as cocooning, which provided a sense of autonomy. Participants nevertheless expressed resignation.Conclusions. Home-living vulnerable older adults with depression experienced loneliness but also a degree of relief during the pandemic.Clinical Implications. Positively re-framing isolation and the stability of formal caregiving helped participants endure feeling disconnected during the pandemic.

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“…In line with previous studies, our study found that younger individuals were more prone to weight gain compared to the older population during the pandemic, possibly because age-related reductions in appetite and energy intake [ 25 ]. Moreover, older adults were shown to be more resilient in the face of pandemic-induced stressors, and were less likely to adopt detrimental habits related to sleep, diet, and physical inactivity [ 26 ]. Our study also revealed an inverse association between age and stress (aOR: 0.99, 95% CI: 0.98–1.00, P = .04, S4d Table in S1 File ), indicating that older people tended to experience less stress.…”

Section: Discussionmentioning

confidence: 99%

Factors associated with weight gain during COVID-19 pandemic: A global study

Huang

Chan

et al. 2023

PLoS ONE

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Background The coronavirus disease 2019 (COVID-19) pandemic has resulted in changes in lifestyle habits and experiences of mental health outcomes, some of which were possibly related to weight gain, leading to an increase in the prevalence of obesity, which is associated with the development of several severe diseases. Concerns regarding weight gain and its impact on health outcomes are prevalent worldwide, with obesity being one of the highest causes of mortality in current society. Methods A self-reported questionnaire collected data from participants aged 18 years of age and above from 26 countries and regions worldwide. Post-hoc multiple logistic regression analyses have been done to evaluate the association between demographic and socioeconomic factors, and the perspectives that were identified to be associated with weight gain. Results Participants belonging to a younger age group; with a higher level of education; living in an urban area; living with family members; employed full-time; and had obesity were found to be more vulnerable to weight gain. After adjusting for socio-demographic factors, participants who were quarantined; exercised less prior to the pandemic; consumed unhealthy foods; and reported negative thoughts such as helplessness and the perceived risk of COVID-19, were more likely to experience weight gain; while negative thoughts such as having no means of control over the COVID-19 pandemic and the consequences of the COVID-19 pandemic will have great personal effect were associated with females, students, and people living in the rural area. Conclusions Weight gain risk during the pandemic was significantly associated with certain socio-demographic and COVID-19 related factors. To improve public health outcomes, future research should conduct a longitudinal evaluation on the effects of COVID-19 experiences upon health choices. Streamlined mental support should also be provided to the vulnerable groups which were prone to negative thoughts that were associated with weight gain.

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Impacts of the Coronavirus Pandemic on the Emotional and Physical Health of Older Adults Compared with Younger Cohorts

Cited by 11 publications

References 38 publications

Changes in Blood Pressure Outcomes Among Hypertensive Individuals During the COVID-19 Pandemic: A Time Series Analysis in Three US Healthcare Organizations

Changes in Blood Pressure Outcomes Among Hypertensive Individuals During the COVID-19 Pandemic: A Time Series Analysis in Three US Healthcare Organizations

Experiences of Home-living Vulnerable Older Adults with Clinical Depression during the COVID-19 Pandemic: A Qualitative Study

Factors associated with weight gain during COVID-19 pandemic: A global study

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