Well-Being Outcomes from the Delivery of RASCALs, a Group Activity Intervention Using Nature-Focused Livestream Broadcasts.

Group activities and connection with nature are associated with improved well-being for older adults. This quasi-experiment tests the effectiveness of RASCALs, an innovative program of group activities using nature-focused livestream broadcasts. Assisted living residents in the experimental group (n = 16) lived in buildings that received RASCALs programming twice a week for 3 months. Compared to residents in the comparison group (n = 17) who received regular group activity programming, they experienced significant positive change in the Positive Relations with Others domain of well-being (ß = .873, p = .008). Combining nature-focused livestream broadcasts with groups activities for older adults in assisted living communities may be an innovative and effective way to overcome barriers to accessing nature and improve residents' well-being.

Adult Day Services for People With Intellectual and Developmental Disabilities: A Scoping Review.

BACKGROUND: Adult day services (ADS) are therapeutic, social, and health-related activities that keep people in their homes, rather than institutional settings. While there is a growing body of literature on ADS for older adults, there is far less information available about ADS for younger adults with intellectual and/or developmental disabilities (IDDs). METHOD: Researchers conducted a scoping review of 6 databases (892 total articles). RESULTS: After applying inclusion and exclusion criteria, 74 full articles were reviewed, with 10 articles meeting study requirements. The research team found the literature is limited to simple descriptive reports or interventions that use ADS as a platform. CONCLUSIONS: Simply put, we know very little about the services provided to younger adults with IDD in ADS. Implications for future research are discussed, including the need to catalog the services offered in ADS for younger adults with IDD and to evaluate their impact on participant well-being.

The Moderation Effect of Disability Status on the Associations Among ACEs, Mental Health, and Binge Drinking.

PURPOSE: Mental health and substance use social workers must be prepared to work with people with disabilities, as this population has higher rates of adverse childhood experiences (ACEs), and ACEs can lead to mental health and substance use problems. The study's purpose is to assess the moderating effect of disability on the interrelationships among ACEs, mental health, and binge drinking. MATERIALS AND METHODS: Using data from the 2021 Behavioral Risk Factor Surveillance System (BRFSS) survey, we first used multigroup confirmatory factor analysis to establish the underlying factor structure of the ACEs questionnaire for respondents with and without disabilities. Next, we used multigroup structural equation modeling to assess the mediating effect of mental health difficulties on the association between ACEs and binge drinking for respondents with and without disabilities. RESULTS: A three-factor measurement model (emotional or physical abuse, sexual abuse, and household dysfunction) demonstrated excellent model fits. Mental health difficulties significantly mediated the association between ACEs and binge drinking for all respondents. Disability status was a statistically significant moderator of a few associations, with more mental health variance explained by ACEs for the disabled respondents. Direct paths showed household dysfunction and sexual abuse had greater impacts on mental health for disabled respondents, and indirect paths showed these factors also had greater impacts on binge drinking among disabled respondents. DISCUSSION AND CONCLUSION: To prevent mental health and binge drinking problems among disabled individuals, we need evidence-based interventions to identify their ACEs and provide accessible, trauma-informed treatments to them.

Application of a Decisional Capacity Assessment for Older Research Participants with Cognitive Impairment.

Decisional capacity assessment is important for older adult participants who have cognitive impairment. This paper reports the implementation of the University of California, San Diego Brief Assessment of Capacity to Consent (UBACC) and its potential for practice and research. Nine of the 10 items remained to use except for adapting the last item. Approximately 130 older adults with cognitive impairment completed the UBACC screening. Item-by-item descriptive statistics, exploratory factor analysis (EFA), group comparisons of each item, as well as total sum scores of the UBACC were conducted. Results showed that the items that were most often answered correctly included item #10 (participant will be paid), item #4 (study is voluntary), and item #5 (can withdraw at any time). Conversely, the items that were most often answered incorrectly included item #9 (not any benefit potentially), item #7 (potential risk or discomfort), and item #6 (tasks during participation). Respondents with mild cognitive impairment had higher correct answer rates than those with advanced cognitive impairment. The UBACC screening tool has relative utility for older participants with cognitive impairment.

BMI moderates the association between adverse childhood experiences and COPD.

OBJECTIVES: Cigarette smoking and obesity are leading risk factors for chronic obstructive pulmonary disease (COPD). Although studies have established an association between adverse childhood experiences (ACEs) and COPD, few studies have examined whether this association is moderated by cigarette smoking or body mass index (BMI). This cross-sectional study examined the association between ACEs and COPD, and whether cigarette smoking or BMI moderates this association. METHODS: Data for this study came from the 2019 Behavioral Risk Factor Surveillance System survey. An analytic sample of 75,700 adults aged 18-79 years (50.7% female) were analyzed using binary logistic regression. The outcome variable investigated was self-reported physician-diagnosed COPD, and the main explanatory variable was ACEs. RESULTS: Of the 75,700 respondents examined, 8.1% had COPD. About one in three (33.6%) respondents had no ACEs, 23.1% had one ACE, and about one in five (20.2%) had four or more ACEs. In the multivariable binary logistic regression, we found that the association between ACEs and COPD differs by BMI status. Controlling for the effects of other factors, the association between ACEs and COPD is strongest for respondents who are obese (AOR = 1.41, 95% CI = 1.04-1.91). CONCLUSIONS: The findings of this study demonstrate that ACEs are associated with COPD later in adulthood, and BMI moderated this association. The findings of this study add to the number of studies demonstrating the adverse impact of ACEs on chronic health outcomes among adults.