People taking care of more than one generation -- such as their children and parents -- engaged in fewer healthy behaviors, found a study by researchers from Indiana University and Arizona State University.
As the U.S. population continues to age, more and more midlife adults find themselves similarly "sandwiched," leading the research team to conclude that "encouraging healthy behaviors among caregivers has the potential to prevent significant illness and premature mortality." The study involved 4,943 participants in a longitudinal study who reported the number of hours per week they spent caring for their children, parents and in-laws. The researchers looked at five health behaviors: checking food labels for health value when buying foods, using a seat belt, choosing foods based on health value, exercising regularly and cigarette smoking. Compared with people caring for a single generation, people in the sandwich generation were less likely to check food labels, wear seat belts or choose foods based on health values. They also smoked more cigarettes each day. Dong-Chul Seo, assistant professor in the Department of Applied Health Science in IU's School of Health, Physical Education and Recreation, will discuss the findings during a poster presentation on Monday, Oct. 27, at 2:30 p.m.
For more information, contact Seo at 812-855-9379 or seo@indiana.edu. Co-authors include Seo, Laurie Chassin, Department of Psychology at ASU; Jonathan T. Macy, Department of Psychological and Brain Sciences at IU; Clark C. Presson, Department of Psychology at ASU; and Steven J. Sherman, Department of Psychological and Brain Sciences at IU.
Activity and aging
Indiana University researchers studied 730 highly active people, ages 20 to 93, to see how their physical and mental quality of life and rates of obesity-related diseases compare to the general population. Their study participants, United States Master Swimmers, reported swimming regularly for an average of 18.6 years. The percentage of Master Swimmers classified as obese (5.4 percent) and the prevalence of obesity-related diseases such as hypertension (6.5 percent), diabetes (1 percent) and coronary artery disease (1.3 percent), was significantly less than the general population. Their measures of physical and mental quality of life also were significantly better than the general public, with the typical decline in physical quality of life occurring later for them -- around the age of 55. Jeanne Johnston, assistant professor in IU's Department of Kinesiology, said research involving physical activity and obesity-related diseases typically begins by looking at sedentary people and uses this population to establish baseline data, rather than examining active people who could represent model behavior. "The low incidence of overweight and obesity as well as the self-reported diseases demonstrates that active engagement in physical activity improves both physical and mental health as well as the diseases people might have," she said. Examining highly active people, Johnston and her colleagues wrote, might lead to a better understanding of the relationship between lifelong physical activity, successful aging, morbidity and quality of life.
Johnston can be reached at 812-855-5073 and jdjohnst@indiana.edu. Researcher Kelly Pfaffenberger, a student in the Department of Kinesiology in IU's School of Health, Physical Education and Recreation, will discuss the findings Monday, Oct. 27, during the session Promoting Physical Activity through Health Education, from 2:30 p.m. to 4 p.m. -Indiana University
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