ObjectivesInsight into older adults’ physical resilience is needed to predict functional recovery after hospitalization. We assessed functional trajectories in response to acute illness and subsequent hospitalization and investigated baseline variables and dynamic variables associated with these trajectories.DesignProspective observational cohort study (Hospitalization-Associated Disability and impact on daily Life Study).Setting and ParticipantsThis study included 207 older adults (aged 79.8 ± 6.9 years, 49% female, 57% frail) acutely hospitalized in 6 Dutch hospitals.MethodsFunctional disability was assessed using the 15-item modified activities of daily living index retrospectively 2 weeks before admission, and prospectively from admission up to 3 months after discharge. Baseline variables including frailty, somatic, physical, and psychosocial factors were assessed at admission. Dynamic variables (step count, pain, fatigue, and fear of falling) were continuously or repeatedly assessed during hospitalization. We performed individual spline modeling using random effects. Baseline variables and within-person mean levels and variability in the dynamic variables were assessed as predictors of functional trajectories.ResultsFunctional disability significantly increased before admission and decreased from admission to 3 months post discharge. Frail participants had a significantly higher increase in functional disability before admission compared with nonfrail participants. Lower step count, higher pain scores, and higher within-person variability in fear of falling were significantly associated with higher increase in functional disability before admission. Higher within-person variability in fear of falling was associated with more recovery.Conclusions and ImplicationsOlder adults increase in functional disability before hospitalization and start to recover from admission onward. Frailty and dynamic variables are associated with a higher increase in functional disability after acute illness. Our findings give more insight into older adults’ physical resilience, which may improve the prediction of functional recovery and may improve therapeutic decision-making and rehabilitation strategies to improve functional recovery after acute hospitalization.
Due to considerable occupational challenges and stressors, classical musicians might face increased risk for mental health issues, compared to the general population. As such, scholars have highlighted the importance of developing psychological resilience in musicians. Nevertheless, this important psychological characteristic has remained understudied within music psychology. The present study therefore examined the relationship between mental health issues and resilience. Using a cross-sectional survey design, a total of 64 musicians (including both music students and professionals) participated in this study. Results highlight that symptoms of depression/anxiety were relatively high within the current population. Moreover, music students experienced significantly more symptoms compared to professional musicians. Both resilience and general physical health were found to be negatively associated with mental health issues. The results highlight the need for further research into mental health issues in music students and provide preliminary evidence for the importance of psychological resilience in classical musicians.
This week, JMIR (Journal of Medical Internet Research) Cardio published our paper ‘Moderation of the Stressor-Strain Process in Interns by Heart Rate Variability Measured With a Wearable and Smartphone App: Within-Subject Design Using Continuous Monitoring‘. In this blogpost, I’ll attempt to break down the paper’s key findings in relatively lay language.
LINK
Many Caribbean reefs have shifted from coral-dominated to algal-dominated ecosystems. The high algae cover reduces coral recruitment, making the reef unable to recover from other disturbances and resulting in flatter reefs with lower biodiversity. One of the reasons for the proliferation of algae is a mass die-off of the herbivorous sea urchin Diadema antillarum in the early 1980s. Natural recovery of Diadema populations is slow to non-existent, making active restoration of this important grazer a top priority in Caribbean coral reef management, especially since Diadema densities were reduced by another mass mortality event in 2022. The marine park organizations of Saba and St. Eustatius want to restore Diadema populations by restocking cultured individuals. However, important knowledge gaps need to be addressed before large numbers of Diadema can be restocked on the reef. Current culture methods can only produce a limited number of competent larvae. In addition, only 8% of the settlers survive and after restocking, survival on the reef is low as well. In the RAAK PRO Diadema II project, the bottlenecks in Diadema culture will be addressed by comparing larval survival across multiple culture methods and investigating the relation between larval size and post-settlement survival. Growing-out juveniles at sea is likely to help prepare them for life in the wild, while restocking at an optimal size might also increase survival. Finally, a thorough restocking site selection based on high shelter availability and settlement rates will increase the long-term Diadema densities. The acquired knowledge and developed practices will be verified in a larger scale restocking experiment involving at least 5000 Diadema urchins. By restoring Diadema populations through restocking, macroalgae will be more intensively removed and corals will have a chance to settle and to survive, increasing the ability of the reef to cope with other stressors.
