Browsing by Author "Pemmasani, Deepishka"

Now showing 1 - 2 of 2
  • Thumbnail Image
    Item
    Incorporating Exercise to Buffer Aversive Health Effects of Loneliness Among Older Adults in the Life Trial
    (Oxford University Press, 2024-12-31) Kaushal, Navin; Pemmasani, Deepishka; de la Colina, Adrian Noriega; Nemati, Donya; Health Sciences, School of Health and Human Sciences
    Introduction: In 2023 the US Surgeon General announced an epidemic of loneliness and isolation. Prolonged loneliness among older adults has been shown to predict dementia and cardiovascular disease (CVD). However, exercise has been demonstrated to have preventive effects on CVD and cognitive health, but its effects on buffering these outcomes manifested from loneliness, or gender effects have not been investigated. This study aimed to test two moderated-mediation models to investigate if exercise moderates the relationship between loneliness and health outcomes. Methods: The Lifestyle Interventions and Independence for Elders (LIFE) Study is a randomized controlled trial (n=1,600) that assigned older adults (aged 65+) to either an intervention or control group. The present observational study analyzed participants in the control group. Measures included: exercise (accelerometry), loneliness (Center for Epidemiologic Studies Depression Scale [CES-D]), CVD risk (handgrip test), and cognitive health (global cognitive function). Model #14 from Hayes PROCESS Macro 4.0 in SPSS was used to analyze the data. Results: In both models, females experienced greater loneliness compared to males(β=.25, p<.001). The CVD risk model found Moderate-to-Vigorous Physical Activity (MVPA) to independently predicted handgrip strength(β=.11, p<.001), and interacted with loneliness to predict handgrip strength(β=.05, p=.03). The cognition model also found MVPA to independently predict cognition(β=.14, p<.001), and interacts with loneliness to predict cognition(β=.07, p=.03), and also demonstrate total moderated-mediation effects(β=.02, 95%CI.003 to.367). Conclusion: Exercise can buffer aversive cardiovascular risk and cognition from loneliness. Lonely older adults are a high-risk demographic that should be sought for enrolling in exercise programs.
  • Thumbnail Image
    Item
    The Impact of the Life Trial on Cardiovascular Health: Racial Disparities in Lifestyle Factor Improvement
    (Oxford University Press, 2024-12-31) Nemati, Donya; Pemmasani, Deepishka; Lavangu, Vaishali; Kaushal, Navin; Health Sciences, School of Health and Human Sciences
    Introduction. Cardiovascular disease is the leading cause of death among older adults. The American Heart Association promotes the lifestyle 8 (LE8) for cardiovascular disease prevention which includes healthy levels of exercise, sleep, smoking, BMI, blood pressure, nutrition (sodium), triglycerides and glucose levels. Exercise alone can improve most of these factors. The purpose of this study was to test if an exercise program can improve LE8 and identify racial (Black vs. White) differences. Methods. The LIFE Study is a randomized controlled trial that randomized 1,600 older adults (age 65+) to an intervention or control group (health-education program). The intervention included one-hour on-site exercise program twice per week with additional prescription of home-based exercise. LE8 measures included: exercise (accelerometers), sleep (Pittsburg-Sleep-Quality-Index), smoking (self-report). Blood samples measured glucose, triglycerides, and sodium, and on-site assessments measured blood pressure and BMI. Data was collected every six months for two years. STATA 18.0 was used to conduct multilevel modeling for each LE8 outcome. Results. A series of multilevel models revealed significant TimeXGroupXRace interaction effects for greater exercise(β=.12, p=.006), better sleep(β=.20, p=.04), lower BMI(β=.58, p<.001) and triglycerides(β=.38, p<.001) only among White participants in the intervention arm at the fifth timepoint. Sodium(β=.13, p=.04), glucose(β=.09, p=.04), and blood pressure(β=.20, p=.04) were higher in Black participants with no time or group interaction. Smoking was nonsignificant Conclusion. The LIFE trial demonstrated improvement in some LE8 factors, and several racial health disparities. There is a need to understand biopsychosocial determinants that contribute to racial disparities to ensure that all participants benefit equally.