Caring about the family caregiver: A mentored journey building on the legacy of Janice Kiecolt-Glaser's pioneering research on caregivers' immune health

Comprehensive Psychoneuroendocrinology, Год журнала: 2024, Номер 20, С. 100259 - 100259

Опубликована: Авг. 6, 2024

Dr. Janice Kiecolt-Glaser has had enormous impact on understanding immune and health risks for stressed burdened caregivers of a family member living with Alzheimer's disease or related dementia (ADRD). Her scientific educational influence continues through the generativity to which she was committed during her career, mentoring multiple graduate postdoctoral mentees over many years. This celebratory essay serves underscore pearls wisdom offered by that influenced this former mentees' career choices. The purpose is two-fold. First, pass along "pearls wisdom" imparted may be useful burgeoning scientists, especially those in psychoneuro-immunology -endocrinology, who have not been exposed these pearls. Second, provide mentors, uncertain about their own generative influence, an exemplar power endurance wise advice.

Язык: Английский

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Stress and hypertension among African American women family caregivers of persons living with Alzheimer's disease and related dementias: An internet-based randomized controlled pilot study protocol (Preprint)

JMIR Research Protocols, Год журнала: 2024, Номер unknown

Опубликована: Сен. 27, 2024

Caregivers of persons with Alzheimer disease and related dementias (ADRD) neglect their health, including by ignoring stress levels. African American women are vulnerable susceptible to hypertension. Chronic caregiving hypertension place them at high risk for cardiovascular disease. Addressing reactivity or resilience is vital in lessening stress, enhancing quality life (QOL), fostering healthy blood pressure (BP) self-care behaviors. This pilot study aims investigate the feasibility acceptability implementing Mindfulness Motion (MIM) plus Dietary Approaches Stop Hypertension (DASH) intervention this population evaluate its effect on ADRD caregivers' QOL. Additionally, it explores mediation between interventions A small randomized controlled trial will recruit 28 Black female caregivers aged 40 years diagnosed an antihypertensive medication. Participants be randomly assigned either MIM DASH Alzheimer's Association caregiver training group (attention control). Trained facilitators deliver both over 8 weeks through 1-hour, group, internet-based sessions, via video telephone. After completion, groups receive coaching calls 9 months, beginning weekly followed 4 monthly encourage use educational materials. Primary outcome measures include (recruitment retention) (attendance). Secondary assess (Perceived Stress Scale), QOL, behaviors (Food Frequency Questionnaire self-reported physical activity). Data collection occurs baseline, 3 months. Quantitative data analyzed using descriptive statistics, CIs, models. was approved institutional review board April 2022 funded May 2022. The first were collected January 2023, last September 2024. completion all aims' analysis anticipated spring 2025. participants' mean age 62.4 (SD 7.98) years, a baseline systolic BP 128 19) mm Hg diastolic 79 10) Hg. reported that acceptable (at score 59.08, SD 7.38, compared 60.83, 5.56 training). Regarding feasibility, as reflected attendance, participants had attendance 6.3 2.3) 4.9 2.9) sessions. study's findings demonstrate conducting (MIM DASH) who also care families living ADRD. These results inform design larger intervention's efficacy scalability further. ClinicalTrials.gov NCT05721482; https://clinicaltrials.gov/study/NCT05721482. DERR1-10.2196/66975.

Язык: Английский

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Self-Rated Health Status and the Risk of Incident Type 2 Diabetes: A Prospective Cohort Study of Middle-Aged and Older Chinese

International Journal of Public Health, Год журнала: 2024, Номер 69

Опубликована: Авг. 15, 2024

Evidence on the relationship between self-rated health status and incident type 2 diabetes (T2DM) in China is scarce. This study aims to examine prospective association of with subsequent risk T2DM among middle-aged older Chinese subjects.

Язык: Английский

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Family caregiver perspectives on digital methods to measure of stress: a qualitative descriptive study (Preprint)

Опубликована: Сен. 2, 2024

Family caregivers provide essential care in the home to millions of individuals around globe annually. However, family caregiving results considerable burden, financial hardship, stress and psychological morbidity. Identifying managing is important as they have a dual role manging their own health well that person for. If becomes overwhelming, caregiver may no longer be able perform this role. Digital methods monitoring one strategy identifying effective interventions relieve burden stress. To explore perceived acceptability, challenges, opportunities using digital biosensing technologies measure We conducted descriptive qualitative study semi-structured interviews framework analysis methods. recruited adult (18 years) currently or previously caring for an with significant issues. Interview questions focused on more generally ecological momentary assessment, remote such smartwatches, fluid biosensors. Data were analysed approach. 27 whom 70% role, remainder identified three themes ten subthemes. Themes comprised ‘Providing meaningful data’ subthemes ‘Monitoring without action pointless’; enables self-management’ ‘Seeing bigger picture’; ‘Low monitoring’ effort’, ‘Practical alongside daily routines’ ‘Retaining control over monitoring’; ‘Inadvertent harms ‘Stigma stress’, ‘Need discretion’, ‘Contributing ‘Trust’. In examining perspectives diverse sample we themes. These useful considerations use implementation ameliorate relevance social community teams, researchers, policy makers. include providing situationally specific data resulting action, does not contribute inadvertent harm either recipient. Not applicable

Язык: Английский

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Stress and hypertension among African American women family caregivers of persons living with Alzheimer's disease and related dementias: Randomized controlled pilot study protocol (Preprint)

Опубликована: Сен. 27, 2024

Caregivers of persons living with Alzheimer’s disease and disease-related dementias (AD/ADRD) tend to neglect their health, including by ignoring stress levels. African American women are particularly vulnerable this, they also susceptible hypertension. Addressing reactivity/stress resilience is vital in lessening related caregiving, enhancing quality life, fostering healthy blood pressure self-care behaviors This pilot study aims investigate the feasibility acceptability implementing Mindfulness Motion (MIM) plus Dietary Approaches Stop Hypertension intervention (MIM DASH) this population evaluate its effect on AD/ADRD caregivers’ life. Additionally, explores mediating role between interventions behaviors. A small RCT will recruit 28 American/Black female caregivers aged 40 years or older Participants be randomly assigned either MIM DASH Association Caregiver Training group (attention control). Both delivered over eight weeks through one-hour telehealth sessions, accessible via video telephone. After completing health intervention, both groups receive coaching calls nine months, beginning weekly followed four monthly encourage participants utilize educational materials. an ongoing project. Recruitment, delivery, fidelity monitoring have been completed. Final data collection analysis occur December 2024. Our research pioneering elucidating mechanisms underlying resilience, exploring caregivers' psychological physiological responses stress, investigating These insights pave way for a larger randomized controlled trial effects among dementia. NCT05721482

Язык: Английский

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Family caregiver perspectives on digital methods to measure of stress: a qualitative descriptive study (Preprint)

Journal of Medical Internet Research, Год журнала: 2024, Номер unknown

Опубликована: Сен. 2, 2024

Family caregivers provide essential care in the home to millions of individuals around globe annually. However, family caregiving results considerable burden, financial hardship, stress, and psychological morbidity. Identifying managing stress is important as they have a dual role their own health well that person for. If becomes overwhelming, caregiver may no longer be able perform this role. Digital methods monitoring 1 strategy for identifying effective interventions relieve burden stress. This study aims explore perceived acceptability, challenges, opportunities using digital biosensing technologies measure We conducted descriptive qualitative semistructured interviews with an interview guide structured obtain data addressing our aims. used reflexive thematic analysis methods. recruited adult (aged 18 years older) currently or previously caring significant issues. Interview questions focused on more generally ecological momentary assessment, remote such smartwatches, fluid biosensors. 27 whom 19 (70%) were role, remainder identified 3 themes 10 subthemes elements The comprised "providing meaningful data" "monitoring without action pointless," enables self-management," "seeing bigger picture"; "low-burden monitoring" "low effort," "practical alongside daily routines," "retaining control over monitoring"; "inadvertent harms "stigma stress," "need discretion," "contributing "trust." In examining perspectives diverse sample monitoring, we opportunities. These useful considerations use implementation ameliorate caregivers' relevance social community teams, researchers, policy makers. include providing situationally specific resulting action, does not contribute inadvertent harm either recipient.

Язык: Английский

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