Objectives: 1) To describe the sociodemographic and clinical characteristics of working and retired employees aged 55 years and older; 2) To determine the proportion with visual and hearing impairments in participants with Type 2 diabetes mellitus (T2DM); and 3) To determine the association between quality of life in participants with T2DM and visual and hearing impairments.

Methods: The study utilized a cross-sectional study design - data derived from the findings of the UP Wellness Initiative for Seniors and Elders (UPWISE) Program. The participants were working and retired university employees age 55 years and above residing in urban and rural-urban (rurban) communities. Stratified random sampling was utilized according to working status and sex. Visual and hearing impairments, and the presence of T2DM were assessed using a multidisciplinary diagnostic process, the comprehensive geriatric assessment (CGA).

Results: A total of 301 participants agreed to participate and completed the CGA. The mean age of the participants was 64.8 (±6.3), and 51.2% belonged to the young-old subgroup. There was an almost equal proportion of males and females while there were more working (53.8%) than the retired (46.2%). There were 17.6% of participants with T2DM and of them, 47.2% with visual impairment (VI) alone, 7.5% hearing impairment (HI) alone, and 37.7% with dual sensory impairments (DSI). Good quality of life was reported by 100% of T2DM participants with HI, 80% with VI, and 72.3% with DSI. There was no significant association between quality of life and vision and hearing impairments. On the other hand, a significant association was identified between T2DM and DSI (p-value, 0.001).

Conclusion: T2DM and vision and hearing impairments are prevalent among the two academic communities. Visual impairment was more common than hearing impairment. Participants diagnosed with T2DM and having a visual, hearing, or dual sensory impairments reported good quality of life.

Key Words: sensory, geriatric assessments, retired, employees, quality of life, diabetes mellitus

Geriatric Assessment ; Occupational Groups ; Quality of Life ; Diabetes Mellitus

INTRODUCTION AND OBJECTIVE

Periodontitis is highly prevalent worldwide, and previous investigations have reported increased prevalence and severity among elderly. Regular monitoring of dental health, which includes periodontal conditions, has been recommended by the Philippine Department of Health, as basis for the development and updating of policies and laws that will address the public health problem of periodontal disease among the ageing Filipino population. Therefore, this present study aimed to determine the prevalence and severity of periodontal disease among Filipino older adults who participated in the Focused Interventions for Frail Older Adults Research and Development Program (FITforFRAIL) study.

METHODS

This study on the periodontal status of Filipino older adults is a cross-sectional substudy of the FITforFRAIL research of the Institute on Aging, National Institutes of Health, University of the Philippines Manila. Participants aged ≥ 60 years were from four identified geographical regions in the Philippines. Three hundred sixteen completed oral health assessment, which included full mouth periodontal recording, and 183 participants were eligible for inclusion in the periodontal component. Periodontal diagnoses were determined using the Centers for Disease Control-American Academy of Periodontology (CDC-AAP) case definitions for surveillance of periodontitis and the 2018 European Federation of Periodontology (EFP)/AAP classification. Descriptive statistics (frequency, percentage, and mean) were used to report the sociodemographic characteristics and periodontal diagnoses of the participants. The clinical periodontal measures used to indicate the extent and severity of periodontitis were presented as mean [standard error (SE)] or percentage (SE).

RESULTS

Using the CDC/AAP case definitions, majority (97.3%) were diagnosed with periodontitis, with 33.3% having severe periodontal destruction. On the other hand, based on the 2018 EFP/AAP classification, all participants had periodontitis and most (94.5%) presented with severe disease. Moreover, using the latter classification system, the percentage of severe periodontitis was observed to increase with age. Among the young-old, 93.1% had severe disease, while 94.1% of the middle-old and 100% of the oldest-old were found to have severe destruction.

CONCLUSION

Based on the results of the study, the prevalence of total and severe periodontitis is high among this sample of Filipino older adults. Future studies for regular monitoring of the oral health of Filipino older adults are recommended.

Human ; Middle Aged: 45-64 Yrs Old ; Aged: 65-79 Yrs Old ; Geriatrics ; Aged ; Periodontal Diseases ; Prevalence ; Philippines

OBJECTIVES: This study aims to describe the demographic profile and determine the proportion and Active Aging health determinants of staff, faculty, and retired employees who are 55 years of age and older. METHODS: Mixed qualitative and quantitative methods, community-based, and participatory. Participants were working and retired faculty and staff, age 55 years and over, living within an urban campus of a University. The University Ethics Review Board approved the protocol. Focus group discussions (FGDs) led to the development of a pretested survey instrument. Additional health data were obtained using a validated Comprehensive Geriatric Assessment (CGA) tool. Trained and certified health professionals conducted the CGA. A Senior Geriatrician adjudicated the final diagnoses. Progress reports and validation workshops were conducted with study participants, content experts, and stakeholders. CSPRo, SPSS, and STATA were used to generate and analyze disaggregated data. RESULTS: Two hundred thirty-one (n=231) agreed to participate. The matched dataset was used in data analysis, representing a total of n=192 completed both surveys and CGA interview. Of the top 10 Geriatrician diagnoses, the highest-ranking non-communicable disease was hypertension and the top sensory diagnosis was presbyopia. Three of the self-assessed conditions were vision-related. They had better oral health than the recent national report. Most were highly independent and functional. The majority rated their QOL as good. Most had access to health insurance and a University Health Service. CONCLUSION Non-communicable diseases and visual disorders were the most common medical problems among working and retired university workers 55 years and older, living within the campus. To reduce NCDs, maintain functional independence and achieve a better quality of life especially among the retired, programs for older persons are recommended. These include access to medication, improved health financing, and senior wellness programs during and after employment. The results of the study will help understand and create a Framework for Active Aging that is relevant to this academic community.

Objectives: This study aims to describe the sociodemographic and clinical profile of working and retired staff and faculty age 55 years and older in an academic community living in Laguna, Philippines; to determine the proportion of participants with Type 2 Diabetes Mellitus (T2DM); and to describe the nutritional and frailty status of working and retired participants with T2DM. Methods: The study utilized a cross-sectional study design. The participants are current employees and retired faculty and staff of an academic community living in Bay and Los Baños, Laguna, Philippines. Stratified random sampling according to working status and gender was utilized. Participants with T2DM were determined and assessed based on their nutritional and frailty status using the comprehensive geriatric assessment (CGA), laboratory analysis, and mini nutritional assessment (MNA). Descriptive statistics were calculated for all continuous and categorical variables measured. Results: A total of 109 participants agreed to participate and completed the CGA, with 93.6% undergone blood extraction for laboratory analysis. The mean age of the participants was 63.7 (±5.8) and 57.8% belonged to the young-old subgroup. There were more working (60.6%) than the retired (39.4%) and more females (61.5%) than males (38.5%). There was a low level of malnutrition (0.9%) in this cohort. However, many had abdominal obesity and elevated low-density lipoprotein (LDL). Low vitamin D was prevalent. Type 2 Diabetes Mellitus was present among 14.7% of participants of which 93.8% were pre-frail and 6.3% were at risk for malnutrition. Conclusion Although malnutrition and frailty were not prevalent among those with T2DM in this cohort, more participants were pre-frail and at risk for malnutrition. There are many opportunities to reduce the risk of malnutrition and frailty in the community. Early screening and interventions are recommended to improve the health and wellbeing of the working and retired participants.
Aged ; Frailty

Background and Objectives With the global population aging, there is an emerging need for access to quality longterm care (LTC) services. Many countries have developed LTC systems while others are at the infancy stage. This paper aimed to provide an overview of the country’s readiness for LTC based on the perspectives of relevant stakeholders. Specifically, it described the roles, initiatives, and challenges of relevant organizations and community leaders for LTC provision. It also described the older persons (OPs) and carers’ perspectives towards LTC including their awareness, capacity, and preferences.
Home Care Services ; Long-Term Care ; Nursing Homes ; Philippines

Introduction: A demographic shift towards population aging is evident worldwide. This presents challenges particularly to low-income and middle-income countries like the Philippines. Understanding perceptions of aging, resilience, vulnerability, and gender identity will help prepare the health care system and social services in addressing the needs of the Filipino older population. Objective: To describe gender identity, perceptions of active aging, successful aging, resilience, and vulnerability among faculty and staff (working, retired) in an academic community in the Philippines. Methods: Survey and focus group discussions were conducted among working and retired faculty and staff aged 55 years old and above. Results, Analysis, and Discussion Almost all respondents had the same gender identity as their biological sex. There were differences in the respondents’ perceptions of active aging and successful aging and in their sources of strength and worries. Compared with retired respondents more working respondents believed that active aging meant being strong and physically active or being involved in sports. Female respondents thought that being socially active in their community and church was indicative of active aging. In contrast, male respondents equated being physically healthy with active aging. More working respondents and females (than retired and male respondents) thought that successful aging meant participating in community-based activities. In terms of vulnerability, differences were noted in the respondents’ sources of strength and worries. In general, retired respondents and female respondents said they got their strength from their grandchildren and from their religion. In contrast, working respondents and male respondents relied on their families for strength. It was also noteworthy that more retired respondents did not have any old agerelated worries compared with working respondents. Female respondents worried about their families while male respondents worried about death. Subjective nuances of being an older working or a retired employee in an academic community surfaced in the FGDs. The importance of context was evident in shaping the informants’ perceptions of active aging and frailty, and in their sources of worries and happiness. Overall, this paper adds to the body of knowledge about aging in the Philippines by studying a group of older Filipinos in an academic community. It showed that particular aspects of Filipino culture such as gender roles, religion, and close family ties permeate one’s life until he or she reaches old age. The results can help academic communities in policy formulation and program development to ensure that their older employees — throughout their life course — can adequately address vulnerability and resiliency needs to achieve active and successful aging.
Humans ; Female ; Male ; Frailty ; Gender Identity ; Philippines ; Aging