This research investigates the associations of psychological and biological factors with the self-perceived health of old persons. Participants were 411 residents of 11 retirement homes in Zagreb, Croatia: 104 men, 307 women, aged 56–96 years (average 79) at baseline, mobile, and not diagnosed with dementia. The variables measured, at baseline and at 2-year follow-up, were sociodemographics, self-perceived health, functional ability, cognitive function, depression, and social participation. Biochemical variables were measured from vein blood sample at baseline. Cross-sectional and longitudinal analyses explained 33%–38% of self-perceived health variance. Functional ability, depressive symptoms, and age were significant predictors of self-perceived health in all analyses. Two biological cardiovascular risk factors variables – glucose and urea – were significantly associated with self-perceived health.

Abstract. The aim of this article was to review research studies related to the issues of sleep in older adults, examining the relationship between sleep quality and a set of psychological variables of daytime functioning in healthy older adults: quality of life, subjective health, functional ability, cognitive function, and emotional state, in Europe. Combined scoping review search strategies resulted in a total of 84 articles selected for review. We conclude there is a considerable amount of European research on sleep quality and its correlates in older adults’ population. Studying these relationships may be the basis for the targeted planning of psychological interventions aiming at raising the quality of life in older adults. The selected domains of older adults’ everyday functioning were all well represented in the retrieved research studies.

Izvorni znanstveni članak UDK: 364.6 (053.9) Primljeno: veljača 2000. U članku su prikazani prvi rezultati istraživanja kojemu je cilj razviti modele otvorene skrbi za starije ljude, primjerene suvremenom pristupu socijalne skrbi za starije u Europi, a usklađene s tradicionalnim i drugim obilježjima starijeg pučanstva u Hrvatskoj. Prikazana su osnovna sociodemografska obilježja ispitanih starijih osoba, njihovo obiteljsko i zdravstveno stanje te dostupnost različitih zdravstvenih, socijalnih i drugih usluga, kao i njihove potrebe za takvim uslugama. Prikupljeni su podaci razmotreni kao temelj za provedbu sljedeće faze projekta, a to je razvoj modela cjelovite skrbi za starije ljude i njihove obitelji u skladu s regionalnim razlikama i poslijeratnim okolnostima. Naglašena je potreba decentralizacije sustava socijalne i zdravstvene skrbi te veće uključivanje lokalnih zajednica u skrb za starije. Ključne riječi: starije osobe, socijalna i zdravstvena skrb, lokalna zajednica.

Ciljevi ovog istraživanja bili su ispitati kvalitetu života, stresnost posla i načine suočavanja sa stresom kod medicinskih sestara zaposlenih u bolnici te utvrditi doprinose li neke sociodemografske karakteristike, samoprocjena stresnosti posla i strategije suočavanja sa stresom predviđanju kvalitete u različitim domenama života medicinskih sestara. Ispitane su 133 medicinske sestre (88% žena) u dobi od 20 do 63 godine, zaposlene u Kliničkom bolničkom centru Zagreb. Primijenjeni su upitnici: općih podataka i samoprocjene stresnosti posla, skraćena verzija COPE upitnika suočavanja sa stresnim situacijama te skraćena verzija upitnika kvalitete života WHOQOL-BREF, koji obuhvaća četiri domene: tjelesno zdravlje, psihičko stanje, društvenu interakciju i okoliš. Rezultati su pokazali da je kvaliteta života medicinskih sestara dobra u svim domenama, a razina stresnosti posla je jako visoka. Ispitane medicinske sestre najčešće koriste strategije suočavanja usmjerene na problem, a najrjeđe izbjegavajuće strategije. Niža razina samoprocjene stresnosti posla i viši stupanj obrazovanja značajni su prediktori bolje kvalitete života u domenama tjelesnog zdravlja i psihičkog stanja. Viša razina stresnosti posla jedini je značajni prediktor lošije kvalitete života u domeni okoliša. Učestalije izbjegavajuće suočavanje jedini je značajni prediktor lošije kvalitete života u domeni društvenih odnosa. Rezultati istraživanja mogu biti korisni u planiranju intervencija i edukacija za poboljšanje suočavanja sa stresom medicinskih sestara. Ključne riječi: kvaliteta života, medicinske sestre, stres na radnom mjestu, suočavanje sa stresom

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Abstract. This article examines the cross-sectional and long-term prediction of sleep quality (SQ) of 167 older nursing-home residents (80% females, 69–100 years), who participated in the study in 2008 and 2016. SQ was assessed in 2016 by the Pittsburgh Sleep Quality Index (PSQI); Total PSQI was found to be greater than 5 in 71% of participants. The domains of Subjective SQ and Daytime Functioning were relatively good, while Sleep Efficiency was most impaired. The observed set of predictors significantly explained 7–13% of PSQI variance cross-sectionally and 12–18% in the long-term effects analyses. The structure of predictors differed across SQ domains, in both the cross-sectional and the long-term effects analyses, and between the two, indicating the important impact of changes in psychophysiological functioning for current SQ of older adults.

The breakdown of structural arrangements in the former state socialist countries of Eastern Europe means that the "rules of the game" are being renegotiated. Intermediating institutions are now emerging as actors in this process. Based on a series of interviews with key members of one young nongovernmental organization in Croatia, this study seeks to test the validity of particular Western theories to explain whether such organizations foster policy entrepreneurship. Analysis suggests that both contextual and structural factors have an impact on nascent third sector infrastructure development in ways that delimit entrepreneurial resources.

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