Browsing by Author "Radford K."
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Item Childhood stress and adversity is associated with late-life dementia in Aboriginal Australians.(2017-09-18) Radford K.; Delbaere K.; Draper B.; Mack H.A.; Daylight G.; Cumming R.; Chalkley S.; Minogue C.; Broe G.A.Objectives: High rates of dementia have been observed in Aboriginal Australians. This study aimed to describe childhood stress in older Aboriginal Australians and to examine associations with late-life health and dementia. Design A cross-sectional study with a representative sample of community-dwelling older Aboriginal Australians. Setting Urban and regional communities in New South Wales, Australia. Participants 336 Aboriginal and/or Torres Strait Islander Australians aged 60-92 years, of whom 296 were included in the current analyses. Measurements Participants completed a life course survey of health, well-being, cognition, and social history including the Childhood Trauma Questionnaire (CTQ), with consensus diagnosis of dementia and Alzheimer disease. Results CTQ scores ranged from 25-117 (median: 29) and were associated with several adverse childhood indicators including separation from family, poor childhood health, frequent relocation, and growing up in a major city. Controlling for age, higher CTQ scores were associated with depression, anxiety, suicide attempt, dementia diagnosis, and, specifically, Alzheimer disease. The association between CTQ scores and dementia remained significant after controlling for depression and anxiety variables (OR: 1.61, 95% CI: 1.05-2.45). In contrast, there were no significant associations between CTQ scores and smoking, alcohol abuse, diabetes, or cardiovascular risk factors. Conclusions Childhood stress appears to have a significant impact on emotional health and dementia for older Aboriginal Australians. The ongoing effects of childhood stress need to be recognized as people grow older, particularly in terms of dementia prevention and care, as well as in populations with greater exposure to childhood adversity, such as Aboriginal Australians.Copyright © 2017 American Association for Geriatric PsychiatryItem Looking out across the front yard: Aboriginal peoples' views of frailty in the community - a qualitative study.Lewis E.T.; Howard L.; Carroll R.; Howie A.; Kenning G.; Withall A.; Rockwood K.; Cardona M.; Radford K.; Schreyenberg K.; Peters R.Objective: Frailty is one of the most significant challenges to healthy ageing. Aboriginal Australians experience some of the highest levels of frailty worldwide, and despite this, no studies have explored frailty from an Aboriginal perspective. This is important because Aboriginal understandings and priorities in frailty may differ from Western/mainstream frailty frameworks. Furthermore, this lack of research severely hampers healthcare planning and service delivery. As a starting point, this study aims to understand the experiences, attitudes, and perceptions that Aboriginal older adults hold regarding frailty. DesignA qualitative study that utilized the Indigenous research method of Yarning for data collection as a culturally appropriate process for engaging Aboriginal peoples. Yarning circles and one-on-one yarns with 22 Aboriginal adults aged 45+ years living in one Australian capital city took place online and over the phone to explore the views that Aboriginal adults hold around frailty. Data were analysed thematically by Aboriginal researchers. ResultsSeven key thematic areas were identified: (1) Keep in with culture; (2) Physical markers of frailty; (3) Frailty throughout the life course; (4) Social, cultural, and psychological understandings of frailty; (5) We want information about frailty; (6) Appropriate and positive wording; (7) Frailty assessment. ConclusionsThere was interest and engagement in the concept of frailty by Aboriginal older adults and approaches to frailty that extend beyond the physical to address cognitive, psychosocial, cultural and spiritual domains are likely to be more acceptable to this population. Culture and community connectivity are essential elements in preventing and alleviating frailty and have wider positive implications for Aboriginal health and wellbeing. Existing tools in practice to assess frailty are not aligned with Aboriginal cultural norms. Culturally appropriate frailty assessment methods co-designed with the community which incorporate holistic and multidimensional approaches are urgently needed. (PsycInfo Database Record (c) 2024 APA, all rights reserved)