Redesigning care for older people to preserve physical and mental capacity: WHO guidelines on community-level interventions in integrated care.

Islene Araujo de Carvalho and coauthors discuss the WHO guidelines on integrated care for older people.

Assessment of Muscle Function and Physical Performance in Daily Clinical Practice : A position paper endorsed by the European Society for Clinical and Economic Aspects of Osteoporosis, Osteoarthritis and Musculoskeletal Diseases (ESCEO).

It is well recognized that poor muscle function and poor physical performance are strong predictors of clinically relevant adverse events in older people. Given the large number of approaches to measure muscle function and physical performance, clinicians often struggle to choose a tool that is appropriate and validated for the population of older people they deal with. In this paper, an overview of different methods available and applicable in clinical settings is proposed. This paper is based on literature reviews performed by members of the European Society for Clinical and Economic Aspects of Osteoporosis and Osteoarthritis (ESCEO) working group on frailty and sarcopenia. Face-to-face meetings were organized afterwards where the whole group could amend and discuss the recommendations further. Several characteristics should be considered when choosing a tool: (1) purpose of the assessment (intervention, screening, diagnosis); (2) patient characteristics (population, settings, functional ability, etc.); (3) psychometric properties of the tool (test-retest reliability, inter-rater reliability, responsiveness, floor and ceiling effects, etc.); (4) applicability of the tool in clinical settings (overall cost, time required for the examination, level of training, equipment, patient acceptance, etc.); (5) prognostic reliability for relevant clinical outcomes. Based on these criteria and the available evidence, the expert group advises the use of grip strength to measure muscle strength and the use of 4-m gait speed or the Short Physical Performance Battery test to measure physical performance in daily practice. The tools proposed are relevant for the assessment of muscle weakness and physical performance. Subjects with low values should receive additional diagnostic workups to achieve a full diagnosis of the underlying condition responsible (sarcopenia, frailty or other).

Practical guidance for engaging patients in health research, treatment guidelines and regulatory processes: results of an expert group meeting organized by the World Health Organization (WHO) and the European Society for Clinical and Economic Aspects of Osteoporosis, Osteoarthritis and Musculoskeletal Diseases (ESCEO).

There is increasing emphasis on patient-centred research to support the development, approval and reimbursement of health interventions that best meet patients' needs. However, there is currently little guidance on how meaningful patient engagement may be achieved. An expert working group, representing a wide range of stakeholders and disciplines, was convened by the European Society for Clinical and Economic Aspects of Osteoporosis, Osteoarthritis and Musculoskeletal Diseases (ESCEO) and the World Health Organization (WHO). Through a structured, collaborative process the group generated practical guidance to facilitate optimal patient engagement in clinical development and regulatory decisions. Patient engagement is a relational process. The principles outlined in this report were based on lessons learned through applied experience and on an extensive dialogue among the expert participants. This practice guidance forms a starting point from which tailoring of the approach to suit different chronic diseases may be undertaken.

A life-course approach to health: synergy with sustainable development goals.

A life-course approach to health encompasses strategies across individuals' lives that optimize their functional ability (taking into account the interdependence of individual, social, environmental, temporal and intergenerational factors), thereby enabling well-being and the realization of rights. The approach is a perfect fit with efforts to achieve universal health coverage and meet the sustainable development goals (SDGs). Properly applied, a life-course approach can increase the effectiveness of the former and help realize the vision of the latter, especially in ensuring health and well-being for all at all ages. Its implementation requires a shared understanding by individuals and societies of how health is shaped by multiple factors throughout life and across generations. Most studies have focused on noncommunicable disease and ageing populations in high-income countries and on epidemiological, theoretical and clinical issues. The aim of this article is to show how the life-course approach to health can be extended to all age groups, health topics and countries by building on a synthesis of existing scientific evidence, experience in different countries and advances in health strategies and programmes. A conceptual framework for the approach is presented along with implications for implementation in the areas of: (i) policy and investment; (ii) health services and systems; (iii) local, multisectoral and multistakeholder action; and (iv) measurement, monitoring and research. The SDGs provide a unique context for applying a holistic, multisectoral approach to achieving transformative outcomes for people, prosperity and the environment. A life-course approach can reinforce these efforts, particularly given its emphasis on rights and equity.

Une approche sanitaire fondée sur le parcours de vie englobe des stratégies tout au long de la vie des individus qui optimisent leur capacité fonctionnelle (en prenant en compte l'interdépendance de facteurs individuels, sociaux, environnementaux, temporels et intergénérationnels), assurant ainsi le bien-être et l'exercice des droits. Cette approche s'inscrit parfaitement dans les efforts déployés pour parvenir à une couverture sanitaire universelle et atteindre les objectifs de développement durable (ODD). Lorsqu'elle est correctement appliquée, une approche fondée sur le parcours de vie peut accroître l'efficacité de la première et aider à concrétiser l'ambition des seconds, en assurant notamment la santé et le bien-être pour tous à tous les âges. Sa mise en œuvre exige une compréhension commune par les individus et les sociétés de la manière dont la santé est façonnée par de multiples facteurs tout au long de la vie et d'une génération à l'autre. La plupart des études réalisées ont porté sur des maladies non transmissibles et le vieillissement des populations dans les pays à revenu élevé, ainsi que sur des aspects épidémiologiques, théoriques et cliniques. L'objectif de cet article est de montrer que l'approche sanitaire fondée sur le parcours de vie peut être élargie à toutes les tranches d'âge, toutes les questions de santé et tous les pays en s'appuyant sur une synthèse des données scientifiques existantes, les expériences de différents pays et l'avancement des stratégies et programmes en matière de santé. Un cadre conceptuel de l'approche est présenté ainsi que les conséquences de sa mise en œuvre sur: (i) la politique et l'investissement; (ii) les services et systèmes de santé; (iii) les actions locales, multisectorielles et multipartites; et (iv) les mesures, la surveillance et la recherche. Les ODD fournissent un contexte unique pour l'application d'une approche globale et multisectorielle en vue d'obtenir des résultats porteurs de transformation pour les individus, la prospérité et l'environnement. Une approche fondée sur le parcours de vie peut renforcer ces efforts, notamment parce qu'elle met l'accent sur les droits et l'équité.

Un enfoque basado en la salud para toda la vida engloba estrategias durante la vida de las personas, que optimizan su capacidad funcional (teniendo en cuenta la interdependencia de los factores individuales, sociales, ambientales, temporales e intergeneracionales), permitiendo así el bienestar y la realización de los derechos. El enfoque encaja perfectamente con los esfuerzos por lograr una cobertura sanitaria universal y cumplir los objetivos de desarrollo sostenible (ODS). Si se aplica correctamente, un enfoque para toda la vida puede aumentar la eficacia del primero y ayudar a alcanzar la visión de este último, especialmente para garantizar la salud y el bienestar en todas las edades. Su aplicación requiere una comprensión compartida entre individuos y sociedades sobre cómo la salud depende de múltiples factores presentes a lo largo de la vida y entre generaciones. La mayoría de los estudios se han centrado en las enfermedades no contagiosas, en el envejecimiento de la población en los países con ingresos altos y en cuestiones epidemiológicas, teóricas y clínicas. El objetivo de este artículo es mostrar cómo el enfoque basado en la salud para toda la vida se puede extender a todos los grupos de edades, temas de salud y países, mediante la creación de una síntesis de las pruebas científicas existentes, la experiencia en diferentes países y los avances en estrategias y programas de salud. Se presenta un marco conceptual del enfoque junto con las implicaciones para la aplicación en los siguientes campos: (i) política e inversión; (ii) servicios y sistemas de salud; (iii) acción local, multisectorial y de varias partes interesadas; y (iv) medición, supervisión e investigación. Los ODS proporcionan un contexto único para aplicar un enfoque holístico y multisectorial a fin de alcanzar unos resultados transformadores para las personas, la prosperidad y el medio ambiente. Un enfoque para toda la vida puede intensificar estos esfuerzos, sobre todo por su énfasis en los derechos y la equidad.

Organizing integrated health-care services to meet older people's needs.

In most countries, a fundamental shift in the focus of clinical care for older people is needed. Instead of trying to manage numerous diseases and symptoms in a disjointed fashion, the emphasis should be on interventions that optimize older people's physical and mental capacities over their life course and that enable them to do the things they value. This, in turn, requires a change in the way services are organized: there should be more integration within the health system and between health and social services. Existing organizational structures do not have to merge; rather, a wide array of service providers must work together in a more coordinated fashion. The evidence suggests that integrated health and social care for older people contributes to better health outcomes at a cost equivalent to usual care, thereby giving a better return on investment than more familiar ways of working. Moreover, older people can participate in, and contribute to, society for longer. Integration at the level of clinical care is especially important: older people should undergo comprehensive assessments with the goal of optimizing functional ability and care plans should be shared among all providers. At the health system level, integrated care requires: (i) supportive policy, plans and regulatory frameworks; (ii) workforce development; (iii) investment in information and communication technologies; and (iv) the use of pooled budgets, bundled payments and contractual incentives. However, action can be taken at all levels of health care from front-line providers through to senior leaders - everyone has a role to play.

Dans la plupart des pays, un changement fondamental de priorité dans l'organisation des soins cliniques destinés aux personnes âgées est nécessaire. Plutôt que d'essayer de gérer la variété des maladies et symptômes de manière individuelle, l'accent devrait être mis sur les interventions qui optimisent les capacités physiques et mentales des personnes âgées sur tout leur parcours de vie et qui leur permettent de continuer de réaliser les activités qui comptent pour elles. Mais cela suppose de modifier le mode d'organisation des prestations, avec une meilleure intégration à l'intérieur du système de santé et entre les services de santé et d'aide sociale. Cela ne signifie pas que les structures existantes doivent fusionner, mais plutôt qu'une grande diversité de prestataires doit travailler ensemble de manière plus coordonnée. Des données factuelles montrent que des prestations de santé et d'aide sociale intégrées entraînent de meilleurs résultats sur la santé des personnes âgées que les prestations de soins habituelles, pour un coût équivalent; d'où l'obtention d'une meilleure rentabilité des investissements comparativement aux modes de travail classiques. Elles permettent aussi aux personnes âgées de s'impliquer socialement et d'apporter leurs contributions à la société pendant plus longtemps. Une telle intégration est particulièrement importante au niveau des soins cliniques: des évaluations exhaustives devraient être réalisées chez les personnes âgées dans une optique d'optimisation de leurs capacités fonctionnelles, et les plans de soins devraient être communs à tous les prestataires. Au niveau du système de santé, l'intégration des prestations nécessite: (i) l'adoption de politiques, programmes et cadres réglementaires favorables; (ii) le développement du personnel de santé; (iii) un investissement dans les technologies de l'information et de la communication; et (iv) la mise en place de budgets communs, de paiements regroupés et de mesures contractuelles incitatives. Toutefois, des actions peuvent être entreprises à tous les niveaux d'organisation des soins de santé, depuis les prestataires de première ligne jusqu'aux hauts responsables ­ tout le monde a un rôle à jouer.

En la mayoría de países se necesita un cambio fundamental en el enfoque de la atención clínica que reciben las personas mayores. En lugar de intentar gestionar numerosas enfermedades y síntomas por separado, debería ponerse énfasis en las intervenciones que optimizan las capacidades físicas y mentales de las personas mayores durante su vida y que les permitan hacer lo que ellos valoran. Esto, a su vez, requiere un cambio en la forma en la que se organizan los servicios: debería haber más integración dentro del sistema sanitario y entre los servicios sanitarios y sociales. Las estructuras organizativas existentes no deben fusionarse, sino que el amplio conjunto de proveedores de servicios debe trabajar conjuntamente de una forma más coordinada. Las pruebas indican que la atención sanitaria y social integrada para las personas mayores contribuye a unos mejores resultados sanitarios a un coste equivalente a la atención habitual. De esta forma, se obtiene una mayor rentabilidad de la inversión que la obtenida con formas de trabajar más familiares. Además, las personas mayores pueden participar y contribuir en la sociedad durante más tiempo. La integración a nivel de la atención clínica es especialmente importante: las personas mayores deberían someterse a asesoramiento integral con el objetivo de optimizar la capacidad funcional, y deberían compartirse los planes de atención entre todos los proveedores. A nivel del sistema sanitario, la atención integrada requiere: (i) política, planes y marcos normativos de apoyo; (ii) desarrollo del personal sanitario; (iii) inversión en tecnologías de la información y comunicación; y (iv) el uso de presupuestos y pagos combinados e incentivos contractuales. No obstante, esto puede realizarse en todos los niveles de la atención sanitaria, desde los proveedores de primera línea hasta el personal directivo; todos juegan un papel.

Sarcopenia in daily practice: assessment and management.

BACKGROUND: Sarcopenia is increasingly recognized as a correlate of ageing and is associated with increased likelihood of adverse outcomes including falls, fractures, frailty and mortality. Several tools have been recommended to assess muscle mass, muscle strength and physical performance in clinical trials. Whilst these tools have proven to be accurate and reliable in investigational settings, many are not easily applied to daily practice. METHODS: This paper is based on literature reviews performed by members of the European Society for Clinical and Economic Aspects of Osteoporosis and Osteoarthritis (ESCEO) working group on frailty and sarcopenia. Face-to-face meetings were afterwards organized for the whole group to make amendments and discuss further recommendations. RESULTS: This paper proposes some user-friendly and inexpensive methods that can be used to assess sarcopenia in real-life settings. Healthcare providers, particularly in primary care, should consider an assessment of sarcopenia in individuals at increased risk; suggested tools for assessing risk include the Red Flag Method, the SARC-F questionnaire, the SMI method or different prediction equations. Management of sarcopenia should primarily be patient centered and involve the combination of both resistance and endurance based activity programmes with or without dietary interventions. Development of a number of pharmacological interventions is also in progress. CONCLUSIONS: Assessment of sarcopenia in individuals with risk factors, symptoms and/or conditions exposing them to the risk of disability will become particularly important in the near future.

Informing evidence-based policies for ageing and health in Ghana.

PROBLEM: Ghana's population is ageing. In 2011, the Government of Ghana requested technical support from the World Health Organization (WHO) to help revise national policies on ageing and health. APPROACH: We applied WHO's knowledge translation framework on ageing and health to assist evidence based policy-making in Ghana. First, we defined priority problems and health system responses by performing a country assessment of epidemiologic data, policy review, site visits and interviews of key informants. Second, we gathered evidence on effective health systems interventions in low- middle- and high-income countries. Third, key stakeholders were engaged in a policy dialogue. Fourth, policy briefs were developed and presented to the Ghana Health Services. LOCAL SETTING: Ghana has a well-structured health system that can adapt to meet the health care needs of older people. RELEVANT CHANGES: Six problems were selected as priorities, however after the policy dialogue, only five were agreed as priorities by the stakeholders. The key stakeholders drafted evidence-based policy recommendations that were used to develop policy briefs. The briefs were presented to the Ghana Health Service in 2014. LESSONS LEARNT: The framework can be used to build local capacity on evidence-informed policy-making. However, knowledge translation tools need further development to be used in low-income countries and in the field of ageing. The terms and language of the tools need to be adapted to local contexts. Evidence for health system interventions on ageing populations is very limited, particularly for low- and middle-income settings.

The structure and predictive value of intrinsic capacity in a longitudinal study of ageing.

OBJECTIVES: To assess the validity of the WHO concept of intrinsic capacity in a longitudinal study of ageing; to identify whether this overall measure disaggregated into biologically plausible and clinically useful subdomains; and to assess whether total capacity predicted subsequent care dependence. DESIGN: Structural equation modelling of biomarkers and self-reported measures in the English Longitudinal Study of Ageing including exploratory factor analysis, exploratory bi-factor analysis and confirmatory factor analysis. Longitudinal mediation and moderation analysis of incident care dependence. SETTINGS: Community, United Kingdom. PARTICIPANTS: 2560 eligible participants aged over 60 years. MAIN OUTCOME MEASURES: Activities of daily living (ADL) and instrumental activities of daily living (IADL). RESULTS: One general factor (intrinsic capacity) and five subfactors emerged: locomotor, cognitive; psychological; sensory; and 'vitality'. This structure is consistent with biological theory and the model had a good fit for the data (χ2=71.2 (df=39)). The summary score of intrinsic capacity and specific subfactors showed good construct validity. In a causal path model examining incident loss of ADL and IADL, intrinsic capacity had a direct relationship with the outcome-root mean square error of approximation (RMSEA)=0.02 (90% CI 0.001 to 0.05) and RMSEA=0.008 (90% CI0.001 to 0.03) respectively-and was a strong mediator for the effect of age, sex, wealth and education. Multimorbidity had an independent direct relationship with incident loss of ADLs but not IADLs, and also operated through intrinsic capacity. More of the indirect effect of personal characteristics on incident loss of ADLs and IADLs was mediated by intrinsic capacity than multimorbidity. CONCLUSIONS: The WHO construct of intrinsic capacity appears to provide valuable predictive information on an individual's subsequent functioning, even after accounting for the number of multimorbidities. The proposed general factor and subdomain structure may contribute to a transformative paradigm for future research and clinical practice.

Associations of C-reactive protein and homocysteine concentrations with the impairment of intrinsic capacity domains over a 5-year follow-up among community-dwelling older adults at risk of cognitive decline (MAPT Study).

BACKGROUND: The World Health Organization (WHO) recently proposed an innovative model of care focusing on functional rather than disease-based perspectives, based on a construct of intrinsic capacity (IC). OBJECTIVE: This study aimed to analyze if low-grade inflammation (LGI) (chronically raised C-reactive protein - CRP) and hyperhomocysteinemia (HHcy) were associated with variation in IC domains (mobility, cognition, psychological and vitality) and in a combined IC Z-score over a 5-year follow-up among non-demented, community-dwelling older adults at risk of cognitive decline. DESIGN: This observational study included 1516 subjects ≥70 years (64.5% female, mean age 75.4 years, SD = 4.5), volunteers from the interventional study Multidomain Alzheimer Preventive Trial (MAPT). Plasma CRP (at baseline, 6 and 12 months) and homocysteine (at baseline) concentrations were measured. LGI was defined as having ≥2 consecutively CRP readings >3 to 10 mg/L between baseline and 12 months, and HHcy was defined as homocysteine >15 µM/L. IC domains were operationalized as follows: Psychological. Depressive symptoms evaluated by the Geriatric Depression Scale (GDS); Mobility. Assessed by the Short Physical Performance Battery (SPPB); Cognitive function. Examined by a Z-score combining four tests; Vitality. Based on hand grip strength. Outcomes were combined into a composite IC Z-score. RESULTS: IC Z-score decreased among groups with no inflammation and LGI after 5 years, but this decrease was more pronounced among the LGI group (unadjusted mean group difference: 0.09, 95%CI: 0.01 to 0.16; p = 0.032). Participants with HHcy also presented IC Z-score decreases over time. Combined conditions provided more pronounced declines, even after adjusting for potential confounders. CONCLUSION: LGI and HHcy were both related with impairment on the combined IC levels among older adults after a 5-year follow-up. Identifying biomarkers that strongly associate with IC may help to settle strategies aiming to prevent the incidence and slow down the evolution of age-related functional decline and care dependency.

Gut microbiota and osteoarthritis management: An expert consensus of the European society for clinical and economic aspects of osteoporosis, osteoarthritis and musculoskeletal diseases (ESCEO).

The prevalence of osteoarthritis (OA) increases not only because of longer life expectancy but also because of the modern lifestyle, in particular physical inactivity and diets low in fiber and rich in sugar and saturated fats, which promote chronic low-grade inflammation and obesity. Adverse alterations of the gut microbiota (GMB) composition, called microbial dysbiosis, may favor metabolic syndrome and inflammaging, two important components of OA onset and evolution. Considering the burden of OA and the need to define preventive and therapeutic interventions targeting the modifiable components of OA, an expert working group was convened by the European Society for Clinical and Economic Aspects of Osteoporosis, Osteoarthritis and Musculoskeletal Diseases (ESCEO) to review the potential contribution of GMB to OA. Such a contribution is supported by observational or dietary intervention studies in animal models of OA and in humans. In addition, several well-recognized risk factors of OA interact with GMB. Lastly, GMB is a critical determinant of drug metabolism and bioavailability and may influence the response to OA medications. Further research targeting GMB or its metabolites is needed to move the field of OA from symptomatic management to individualized interventions targeting its pathogenesis.

Actions required to implement integrated care for older people in the community using the World Health Organization's ICOPE approach: A global Delphi consensus study.

BACKGROUND: Integrated care is recognised as an important enabler to healthy ageing, yet few countries have managed to sustainably deliver integrated care for older people. We aimed to gather global consensus on the key actions required to realign health and long-term systems and integrate services to implement the World Health Organization (WHO) Integrated Care for Older People (ICOPE) approach. METHODS: A two-round eDelphi study, including a global consultation meeting, was undertaken to identify, refine and generate consensus on the actions required across high-, middle- and low-income countries to implement the WHO ICOPE approach. In round 1, a framework of 31 actions, empirically derived from previous WHO evidence reviews was presented to panellists to judge the relative importance of each action (numeric rating scale; range:1-9) and provide free-text comments concerning the scope of the actions. These outcomes were discussed and debated at the global consultation meeting. In round 2, a revised framework of 19 actions was presented to panellists to measure their extent of agreement and identify 'essential' actions (five-point Likert scale; range: strongly agree to strongly disagree). A threshold of ≥80% for agree/strongly agree was set a priori for consensus. RESULTS: After round 1 (n = 80 panellists), median scores across 31 actions ranged from 6 to 9. Based on pre-defined category thresholds for median scores, panellists considered 28 actions (90·3%) as 'important' and three (9·7%) as 'uncertain'. Fifteen additional actions were suggested for inclusion based on free-text comments, creating 46 for consideration at the global consultation meeting. In round 2 (n = 84 panellists), agreement (agree or strongly agree) ranged from 84·6-97·6%, suggesting consensus. Fourteen (73·7%) actions were rated as essential. CONCLUSION: Fourteen essential actions and five important actions are necessary at system (macro; n = 10) and service (meso; n = 9) levels to implement community-based integrated care for older people.

Elements of integrated care approaches for older people: a review of reviews.

OBJECTIVE: The World Health Organization (WHO) recently proposed an Integrated Care for Older People approach to guide health systems and services in better supporting functional ability of older people. A knowledge gap remains in the key elements of integrated care approaches used in health and social care delivery systems for older populations. The objective of this review was to identify and describe the key elements of integrated care models for elderly people reported in the literature. DESIGN: Review of reviews using a systematic search method. METHODS: A systematic search was performed in MEDLINE and the Cochrane database in June 2017. Reviews of interventions aimed at care integration at the clinical (micro), organisational/service (meso) or health system (macro) levels for people aged ≥60 years were included. Non-Cochrane reviews published before 2015 were excluded. Reviews were assessed for quality using the Assessment of Multiple Systematic Reviews (AMSTAR) 1 tool. RESULTS: Fifteen reviews (11 systematic reviews, of which six were Cochrane reviews) were included, representing 219 primary studies. Three reviews (20%) included only randomised controlled trials (RCT), while 10 reviews (65%) included both RCTs and non-RCTs. The region where the largest number of primary studies originated was North America (n=89, 47.6%), followed by Europe (n=60, 32.1%) and Oceania (n=31, 16.6%). Eleven (73%) reviews focused on clinical 'micro' and organisational 'meso' care integration strategies. The most commonly reported elements of integrated care models were multidisciplinary teams, comprehensive assessment and case management. Nurses, physiotherapists, general practitioners and social workers were the most commonly reported service providers. Methodological quality was variable (AMSTAR scores: 1-11). Seven (47%) reviews were scored as high quality (AMSTAR score ≥8). CONCLUSION: Evidence of elements of integrated care for older people focuses particularly on micro clinical care integration processes, while there is a relative lack of information regarding the meso organisational and macro system-level care integration strategies.

Evidence for the Domains Supporting the Construct of Intrinsic Capacity.

Healthy ageing can be defined as "the process of developing and maintaining the functional ability that enables wellbeing in older age". Functional ability (i.e., the health-related attributes that enable people to be and to do what they have reason to value) is determined by intrinsic capacity (i.e., the composite of all the physical and mental capacities of an individual), the environment (i.e., all the factors in the extrinsic world that form the context of an individual's life), and the interactions between the two. This innovative model recently proposed by the World Health Organization has the potential to substantially modify the way in which clinical practice is currently conducted, shifting from disease-centered toward function-centered paradigms. By overcoming the multiple limitations affecting the construct of disease, this novel framework may allow the worldwide dissemination of a more proactive and function-based approach toward achieving optimal health status. In order to facilitate the translation of the current theoretical model into practice, it is important to identify the inner nature of its constituting constructs. In this article, we consider intrinsic capacity. Using the International Classification of Functioning, Disability and Health (ICF) framework as background and taking into account available evidence, five domains (i.e., locomotion, vitality, cognition, psychological, sensory) are identified as pivotal for capturing the individual's intrinsic capacity (and therefore also reserves) and, through this, pave the way for its objective measurement.

A Knowledge Translation framework on ageing and health.

BACKGROUND: The world's population aged 60 and over will more than triple from 600 million to 2 billion between the years 2000 to 2050. This demographic change has significant impact on health, social, and economic sectors. The need to ensure that research into older peoples' health is effectively translated to policy is immediate. OBJECTIVE: The purpose of this paper is to present a proposed framework to support evidence informed policymaking in ageing and health. METHODS: We undertook a two stage process to develop the framework. We (a) conducted a review of the literature, and (b) convened an expert panel to provide feedback. RESULTS: Numerous frameworks have been proposed yet the majority do not address all the barriers. The Lavis et al., framework addresses a majority of the obstacles associated with evidence-informed policymaking and this framework was modified to include sub-elements important to ageing and health and to reflect the order of importance of the elements. The main elements are: a climate and/or context for research use, linkage and exchange efforts, creation of new knowledge, push efforts, facilitating pull efforts, pull efforts, and evaluation. A four-step implementation process is proposed. DISCUSSION: This paper offers an approach to Knowledge Translation within the field of ageing and health. The framework and proposed implementation could be used to conceptualize and implement evidence-informed policymaking.

Effects of physical exercise in older adults with reduced physical capacity: meta-analysis of resistance exercise and multimodal exercise.

Older adults with reduced physical capacity are at greater risk of progression to care dependency. Progressive resistance strength exercise and multimodal exercise have been studied to restore reduced physical capacity. To summarize the best evidence of the two exercise regimes, this meta-analysis study appraised randomized-controlled trials from published systematic reviews. Medline, Embase, and the Cochrane Database of Systematic Review and Cochrane Central Register of Controlled Clinical Trials were searched for relevant systematic reviews. Two reviewers independently screened the relevant systematic reviews to identify eligible trials, assessed trial methodological quality, and extracted data. RevMan 5.3 software was used to analyze data on muscle strength, physical functioning, activities of daily living, and falls. Twenty-three eligible trials were identified from 22 systematic reviews. The mean age of the trial participants was 75 years or older. Almost all multimodal exercise trials included muscle strengthening exercise and balance exercise. Progressive resistance exercise is effective in improving muscle strength of the lower extremity and static standing balance. Multimodal exercise is effective in improving muscle strength of the lower extremity, dynamic standing balance, gait speed, and chair stand. In addition, multimodal exercise is effective in reducing falls. Neither type of exercise was effective in improving activities of daily living. For older adults with reduced physical capacity, multimodal exercise appears to have a broad effect on improving muscle strength, balance, and physical functioning of the lower extremity, and reducing falls relative to progressive resistance exercise alone.

Social determinants of self-reported health in women and men: understanding the role of gender in population health.

BACKGROUND: Women and men share similar health challenges yet women report poorer health. The study investigates the social determinants of self-reported health in women and men, and male-female differences in health. METHODS: Data on 103154 men and 125728 women were analysed from 57 countries in the World Health Survey 2002-2004. Item Response Theory was used to construct a composite measure of health. Associations between health and determinants were assessed using multivariate linear regression. Blinder-Oaxaca decomposition partitioned the inequality in health between women and men into an "explained" component that arises because men and women differ in social and economic characteristics, and an "unexplained" component due to the differential effects of these characteristics. Decomposition was repeated for 18 countries in the World Health Organization (WHO) African region and 19 countries in the WHO European region. RESULTS: Women's health was significantly lower than men's. Health was associated with education, household economic status, employment, and marital status after controlling for age. In the pooled analysis decomposition showed that 30% of the inequality was "explained", of which almost 75% came from employment, education, marital status. The differential effects of being in paid employment increased the inequality. When countries in Africa and Europe were compared, the "explained" component (31% and 39% respectively) was largely attributed to the social determinants in the African countries and to women's longevity in the European countries. Being in paid employment had a greater positive effect on the health of males in both regions. CONCLUSIONS: Ways in which age and the social determinants contribute to the poorer health status of women compared with men varies between groups of countries. This study highlights the need for action to address social structures, institutional discrimination and harmful gender norms and roles that differently influence health with ageing.