The desire of autonomy: A lever for vaccination of the elderly? Results of a qualitative study.

The COVID-19 pandemic has highlighted the challenges of vaccination and the infectious risks among the elderlies. However, immunization rates for recommended vaccines in this population are insufficient in France. We aimed in this study to identify the levers and obstacles to vaccination among seniors, and to establish the arguments that could lead to some new vaccination behaviors. A qualitative survey based on 14 semi-structured interviews was conducted with people aged 65 and over, living at home in the Auvergne Rhône-Alpes region (France) from March to May 2022. The interviews were recorded, entirely transcribed, then subjected to a thematic content analysis. The results show that participants are keen to preserve their health by maintaining their physical capacity, taking regular exercise and eating a balanced diet. However, vaccination was not mentioned as a mean of preventing infectious diseases. Infections were not perceived as a cause for concern. Furthermore, the physical and cognitive consequences of infectious diseases, which could result in a loss of autonomy, were not known. These elements could be a good lever to bring hesitant elderly people to reconsider their position toward vaccination. Vaccines were not seen as a strategy to prevent loss of autonomy among elderlies. Since vaccines against influenza, COVID-19, shingles, pneumococcus have proved to be effective in protecting against cardiovascular events, this argument might be the starting point for a prevention campaign for the elderly.

A systematic review of the measurement properties of aspects of psychological capacity in older adults.

OBJECTIVE: to examine the measurement properties of instruments that have been used to measure aspects of psychological capacity in adults aged 60 years and over. METHODS: the databases PsycINFO, MEDLINE, EMCARE and Scopus from 2010 were searched using search terms related to psychological capacity, older persons and measurement properties. Both data extraction and risk-of-bias assessment were conducted using the COSMIN (COnsensus-based Standards for the selection of health Measurement INstruments) criteria using Covidence software. RESULTS: the full text of 326 articles were reviewed and a total of 30 studies were included, plus two further articles identified from reference lists (n = 32). No single instrument measuring psychological capacity was identified. Twenty (n = 20) instruments were identified that measure seven constructs of psychological capacity: Resilience; Sense of coherence; Hope; Mindfulness; Optimism; Attachment to life; Emotional regulation. CONCLUSIONS: this systematic review identified potential measures of psychological capacity in older adults. The review will inform further work to develop a single comprehensive measure of psychological capacity in older adults.

A study of the cognitive and psychological attributes of language comprehension during cultural exchange among athletes / Un estudio de los atributos cognitivos y psicológicos de la comprensión del lenguaje durante el intercambio cultural entre deportistas

This study reports on the cognitive and psychological attributes of language comprehension during cultural exchange among athletes (N = 20) from the United States, Great Britain, and Brazil. The research examined the linguistic significance of American English in a global marketplace, with particular attention to cross-cultural communication among those who speak U.S. English natively but must succeed in internationally competitive contexts. The major results demonstrated that while speaking their mother tongue, individuals were typically more confident and less likely to feel ashamed than when using their individual second language (English). Athletes were also shown to have no trouble distinguishing between languages, as they were able to recognise certain terms in both Spanish and Portuguese despite not being competent in either language. The results were understood to mean that, despite not being competent in a second language, athletes kept their capacity to think and converse about the world in an English-language framework.(AU)

Measurement of Tourist Experience Satisfaction of Sports Tourism Based on Psychological Capacity Analysis

Psychological capacity testing can successfully reconcile the conflict between the growth of sports tourism and the desire for visitor satisfaction. Existing research on psychological capacity analysis has not provided a comprehensive theoretical framework or considered the relationship between psychological capacity analysis and tourist satisfaction evaluation. This research conducts a psychological capacity analysis of tourist experience satisfaction in sports tourism to address these issues. To begin, a psychological capacity analysis was driven from the standpoint of sports tourism tourist experience, the processes of fuzzy comprehensive evaluation (FCE) were provided, and suitable psychological capacity measuring indices were chosen to create an evaluation index system (EIS). Following that, a grey relational analysis (GRA) was used to quantify and evaluate the tourist experience satisfaction associated with sports tourism, followed by a gap analysis of the tourist experience satisfaction associated with sports tourism. The psychological capacity of tourists was explored by age group and gender in experiments and the relationship between tourist experience satisfaction and tourist volume. The experimental results illustrate the efficacy of our technique for analyzing psychological capability and quantifying satisfaction. We achieved the pertinent measured data on tourist satisfaction with sports tourism.(AU)

Functional and psychological variables both affect daily physical activity in COPD: a structural equations model.

BACKGROUND: Daily physical activity (DPA) level is reduced in patients with COPD. The aim of this study was to investigate the association of DPA with functional and psychological variables in these patients. METHODS: 155 COPD patients (102 males, median (IQR) age 62 years (54-69 years), predicted FEV1 60% (40-75%) were included. We assessed DPA (DigiWalker SW-200), functional capacity and psychological factors. RESULTS: DPA level was significantly associated with all functional capacity variables and two psychological variables (Perceived Physical Ability Subscale, depression subscale of the Hospital Anxiety and Depression Scale). The six-minute walking distance and St. George Respiratory Questionnaire activity score explained 37% of the variance of DPA in a regression analysis. A structural equations model revealed that psychological variables indirectly explained DPA through functional capacity variables. DPA was stronger associated with functional capacity variables and weaker with psychological variables in patients with lower functional status than in patients with higher functional status. CONCLUSIONS: Higher levels of DPA are associated with better functional capacity, but interestingly, DPA is also affected by psychological factors, though only indirectly, via functional capacity. The effect of specific treatment addressing psychological factors on DPA level and exercise tolerance needs further investigation. CLINICAL TRIAL REGISTRATION: ClinicalTrials.gov, NCT00614796.