• FluTrackers.com Inc. does not provide medical advice. Information on this web site is collected from various internet resources, and the FluTrackers board of directors makes no warranty to the safety, efficacy, correctness or completeness of the information posted on this site by any author or poster. The information collated here is for instructional and/or discussion purposes only and is NOT intended to diagnose or treat any disease, illness, or other medical condition. Every individual reader or poster should seek advice from their personal physician/healthcare practitioner before considering or using any interventions that are discussed on this website. By continuing to access this website you agree to consult your personal physican before using any interventions posted on this website, and you agree to hold harmless FluTrackers.com Inc., the board of directors, the members, and all authors and posters for any effects from use of any medication, supplement, vitamin or other substance, device, intervention, etc. mentioned in posts on this website, or other internet venues referenced in posts on this website.
  • We are not asking for any donations. Do not donate to any entity who says they are raising funds for us.

Social participation and risk of influenza infection in older adults: a cross-sectional study

tetano

Editor, Senior Moderator
BMJ Open. 2018 Jan 24;8(1):e016876. doi: 10.1136/bmjopen-2017-016876.
[h=1]Social participation and risk of influenza infection in older adults: a cross-sectional study.[/h] Shobugawa Y[SUP]1[/SUP], Fujiwara T[SUP]2[/SUP], Tashiro A[SUP]3[/SUP], Saito R[SUP]1[/SUP], Kondo K[SUP]4,[/SUP][SUP]5[/SUP].
[h=3]Author information[/h]

[h=3]Abstract[/h] [h=4]OBJECTIVES:[/h] Influenza infection can cause severe pneumonia, which is sometimes fatal, particularly in older adults. Influenza results in 3-5 million cases of severe illness and about 250 000 to 500 000 deaths annually worldwide. Social participation in the context of influenza infection is controversial because, although social participation is beneficial in maintaining physical function and mental health, it also increases the risk of contact with infected people. This study examined the association between social participation and influenza infection in Japanese adults aged 65 years or older.
[h=4]DESIGN:[/h] Cross-sectional study.
[h=4]SETTING:[/h] Japanese functionally independent adults aged 65 years or older.
[h=4]PARTICIPANTS:[/h] Among the respondents to the Japan Gerontological Evaluation Study (JAGES) 2013 survey, which took place during the period from October to December 2013, 12 231 men and 14 091 women responded to questions on influenza vaccination and influenza infection.
[h=4]OUTCOME MEASURES:[/h] Using JAGES data for 12 231 men and 14 091 women aged ≥65 years, we examined the association between social participation and influenza infection. The association between influenza infection and number of groups in which respondents participated was investigated among adults aged≥65 years, stratified by vaccination status and sex.
[h=4]RESULTS:[/h] Unvaccinated women who participated in two or more social activities were 2.20 times (95% CI 1.47 to 3.29) as likely to report an influenza infection as those who reported no social participation. In contrast, vaccinated women who participated in two or more social groups had no additional risk of influenza infection as compared with female elders with no social participation. Among men, participation in social activities was not significantly associated with influenza infection, regardless of vaccination status.
[h=4]CONCLUSIONS:[/h] Social participation was associated with a higher risk of influenza infection among unvaccinated older women, which suggests a need for further efforts to promote influenza vaccination, particularly among socially active elderly women.
? Article author(s) (or their employer(s) unless otherwise stated in the text of the article) 2018. All rights reserved. No commercial use is permitted unless otherwise expressly granted.


[h=4]KEYWORDS:[/h] influenza; older people; social capital; social participation; vaccination

PMID: 29371265 DOI: 10.1136/bmjopen-2017-016876
 
Back
Top Bottom