Researchers at UC San Diego School of Medicine found that physical health correlated with both cognitive function and mental health among older adults living in a senior continuing care facility.
加州大学圣地亚哥分校医学院（University Of California San Diego School Of Medicine）的研究人员发现，居住在特护老年社区的老年人的身体健康与认知功能和心理健康有关。
Ten thousand Baby Boomers turn 65 every day. By 2029, the entire generation born between 1946 and 1964 will be at least that old. What happens next concerns millions of Americans.
当年婴儿潮的孩子年满65岁的人数正以每天一千人的频率持续增加。到2029年，整整一代人。即1946年到1964年间生人，都会越过这条年龄线，这将与数以百万计美国人的生活息息相关。
Advancing age is broadly associated with declining cognitive, physical and mental health. In a new study of older adults living independently in a senior continuing care facility, researchers at University of California San Diego School of Medicine analyzed how distinctive factors, such as wisdom, loneliness, income and sleep quality, impact — for good and bad — the physical and mental functioning of older persons.
年龄的增长与认知功能及身心健康的下降有着广泛的联系。加州大学圣地亚哥分校医学院的研究人员对独居老人进行了研究，分析了学识、孤独、收入和睡眠质量等特殊因素对老年人身心健康的影响。
Writing in the May 8, 2019 issue of American Journal of Geriatric Psychiatry, a research team headed by Dilip Jeste, M.D., principal investigator of the study, Distinguished Professor of Psychiatry and Neurosciences at UC San Diego School of Medicine and director of the UC San Diego Center for Healthy Aging, found that physical health correlated with both cognitive function and mental health.
该研究的首席研究员、加州大学圣地亚哥分校医学院著名精神病学教授、加州大学圣地亚哥分校健康衰老中心主任Dilip Jeste领导的研究小组在2019年5月8日的《美国老年精神病学》杂志上发表文章，发现身体健康与认知功能及心理健康有关。
Specifically, cognitive function was significantly associated with physical mobility, wisdom and satisfaction with life. Physical health was associated with mental well-being, resilience and younger age. Mental health was linked to optimism, self-compassion, income and lower levels of loneliness and sleep disturbances.
具体而言，认知功能与体能训练、学识和生活满意度密切相关。身体健康与心理健康、适应力及年龄有关。心理健康与乐观、自怜、收入、低孤独感及睡眠障碍有关。
“Continuing care senior housing communities are important sites for studying and promoting health in older adults,” said Jeste. “Most people focus on diseases and risk factors, like old age, unhealthy diet and lack of activity. These are important, of course, but we also need to focus on areas that make up the whole person.
“特护老年社区是研究和促进老年人健康的重要场所，”Jeste说。“大多数人关注疾病和危险因素，如年老、不健康饮食和活动匮乏。当然，这些都很重要，但我们也需要全方位关注个人本身。
“Psychological traits like optimism, resilience, wisdom and self-compassion were found to be protective, while loneliness seemed to be a risk factor. An 85-year-old can be functioning better than a 65-year-old due to protective and risk factors.”
“乐观、适应力、学识和自怜等心理特征被发现是具有保护性质的，而孤独似乎是一个危险因素。由于自卫和风险因素，85岁的人比65岁的人更明显。”
In modern society, said co-author Danielle Glorioso, LCSW, executive director of the UC San Diego Center for Healthy Aging, aging persons do not necessarily receive the support of younger family members who can serve as caregivers.
合作者Danielle Gloroso，LCSW，加州大学圣地亚哥分校健康老龄化中心执行主任，他认为在现代社会中，老年人并不一定能够得到子女的照顾。
“Younger family members have jobs and children to take care of,” said Glorioso, “so older adults often have to choose between staying at home and feeling lonely versus moving to a more supportive and socially engaging senior housing system. This becomes an important but complex decision impacted by a large number of factors, including financial cost of the senior housing.”
“子女们有工作和需要照顾的孩子，”Gloroso说，“所以老年人通常不得不在呆在家里和感到孤独之间做出选择，而不是搬到一个服务性更强、更具社会吸引力的老年住房体系。”这是一个重要而复杂的决定，受到许多因素的影响，包括高级住宅的财务成本。”
A popular model of supported senior housing provides a continuum of care, from independent living to assisted living to full-time care for significant physical and cognitive impairment. For the majority of continuing care senior housing facilities, costs increase as residents transition to greater levels of assisted-living. “Delaying these transitions through facilitating longer independent living should be an important health care goal,” said Jeste. “Our findings shed light on areas that need to be a focus for seniors to live full, enriched lives.”
这种受欢迎的养老住房模式提供了一系列的护理服务，从独居到看护，再到针对身体和认知障碍的全职护理。对于大多数特护老年住房设施的费用随居民生活水平提高而增加。Jeste说：“延长老年人的独居时间以延缓全职护理应该是一个重要的医疗目标。我们这个发现揭示了老年人需要被关注的领域，并让他们过上充实的生活。”
One-hundred and twelve residents participated in the study, with a mean age of 84. Sixty-eight percent were female; 69 percent possessed a college education; 41 percent were married; and 72 percent reported total annual incomes exceeding $50,000.
112名居民参与了这项研究，他们平均年龄为84岁。68%的人是女性；69%的人受过大学教育；41%的人已婚；72%的人年收入超过5万美元。
Jeste said more longitudinal studies involving diverse samples of older adults are necessary to determine if psychosocial and other variables are potential risks or protective factors related to cognitive, physical and mental health and diseases.
Jeste说，纵向研究获取多样化样本是有必要的，这将帮助确定社会心理和其他变量是否与认知、身心健康和疾病有潜在风险或保护因素。
“The eventual goal would be to develop new health-focused interventions based on such research. Senior centers in the community should incorporate activities that address physical, social and mental aspects. We can all do something to improve and strengthen the quality of life of our aging population.”
“最终目标将是基于此类研究开发新的以健康为重点的干预措施。社区的老年中心应该包括处理身体、社会和心理方面的活动。我们可以改善和加强我们老龄化人口的生活质量。”
