Therapeutic Effects of an Outdoor Activity Program on Nursing Home Residents with Dementia

Abstract

Objective: The purpose of this one-year pilot study was to obtain preliminary information on the effects of an outdoor activity program, in comparison to an indoor activity program, on sleep and behavior in nursing home residents with dementia. Structured activity programs have been shown to improve dementia-related behavior problems, and there are some indications that improved behavior is associated with improved sleep. Previous research has shown that sleep disturbance is common in nursing home residents, and that limited exposure to light bright enough to entrain circadian rhythms contributes to their sleep problems. Thus, we expected to see improvements in behavior in both the outdoor and indoor activity groups, but improvements in sleep in the outdoor activity group only.

Methodology: A two-group (outdoor program, indoor program) two phase (baseline, intervention) design was used. Subjects were randomized to the outdoor or indoor program groups. Sleep and behavior disturbance were assessed over a 10-day period at baseline (usual activity conditions, which were expected to include little or no time spent outdoors) and at intervention (daily structured activity program offered outdoors or indoors). Sleep was assessed with wrist actigraphs with photocells, which also allowed for monitoring of light exposure. Behavior disturbance was assessed with the Cohen-Mansfield Agitation Inventory. Both activity programs were offered Monday-Friday over a 2 week period, included similar content and were offered by research project staff. The analytical approach emphasized primary changes between baseline and intervention measures of sleep and behavioral symptoms in the two activity groups. Because this was a pilot study, the significance level was set a priori at p< 0.10.

Findings: The outdoor activity group experienced significant improvements in maximum sleep duration. Both groups showed significant improvements in total sleep minutes. There also was a significant improvement in verbal agitation in the outdoor activity group.     

休闲价值观与世界一流大学

广义的休闲价值观是指休闲本身的价值、休闲对个体生命的意义，尤其指休闲与工作之间的辩证关系。世界一流大学是具有世界一流师资并拥有自由精神等特征的大学。休闲与学校的关系源远流长，在古希腊时期，休闲是人生的重要目的，也是教育的目的，休闲与学校有着密切联系。随着社会发展和历史变迁，休闲的价值和地位也经过了曲折起伏的过程，休闲与学校的关系也需要重新梳理。近代休闲具备的自由、社会交往和创造性等特征仍使之与学校特别是世界一流大学有密切关系，休闲理念和价值观也对世界一流大学建设具有重要的积极意义。     

论休闲阅读

当代社会休闲阅读的兴起 ,渐渐成为图书馆阅读行为中一道亮丽的风景。这种现象产生的根本原因是人类物质文明的进步 ;其直接原因在于个人闲暇时间的增多、工作压力的增大。休闲阅读的特点表现为趣味性、自主性、普及性。休闲阅读的发展是与现代图书馆平民化的趋势一致的 ,是图书馆发挥公益作用及生存发展的良机 ,是图书馆发挥教育职能、提升全民素质的重要方式。图书馆应该抓住机遇 ,在观念全民化、布局分散化、规章简约化、馆藏多样化、导读长期化等方面进行变革。     

Prevalence of Sufficient Physical Activity Among Parents Attending a University

Objective: The benefits of regular physical activity are well documented. However, approximately half of all university students are insufficiently active, and no research to date exists on the activity behavior of university students who are also parents. Participants and Methods: Using an adapted version of the Godin Leisure Time Exercise Questionnaire (ie, the Physical Activity Prevalence Questionnaire), the authors examined the prevalence of sufficient physical activity among 245 parent students from 6 faculties and 12 programs. Results: Half (49.5%) of the students who were not parents (n = 90) were sufficiently physically active, compared with 16% of students who were parents (n = 3, p < .002). The authors found that 33.3% of parents and 13% of nonparents limited their activity level as a result of illness or injury (p < .05). Conclusions: Most parent students in this study were insufficiently active and at potential risk for the negative health consequences of inactivity. This is a grossly understudied population, and researchers must conduct further studies to understand what can be done to facilitate physical activity among this potentially vulnerable group of students.     

An Empirical Examination of Sexual Relations Between Adolescents and Adults

SUMMARY

The American view that adolescent-adult sexual relations are by definition “child sexual abuse” has spread throughout the Western world and reshaped public policy. This paper, originally presented as a talk, examines the scientific validity of this view. A historical perspective traces the conflation of the adolescent experience with rape, incest, and that of the young, prepubescent child. Biological and cognitive perspectives support the view that adolescents have more in common with adults than children. Sweeping claims that adolescents react as children are said to is critically tested by examining two types of relations-those between heterosexual teenage boys and women and those between gay or bisexual teenage boys and men. Non-clinical empirical data show overwhelmingly that such relations are characterized mostly by positive reactions based on consent if not initiative on the part of the minor, with perceived benefit rather than harm as a correlate. It is concluded that the American view is false, and that public policy that heightens official reaction to such relations, such as that currently proposed by the European Union, are either misinformed or disingenuous in alleging to protect when the motive is to control adolescents.     

城市周边地区休闲旅游发展研究——以郑州市为例

随着新的休假制度的实行,人们倾向于短线旅游,因此城市周边地区的休闲旅游越来越热,在分析发展城市周边地区休闲旅游的条件的基础上,对郑州周边地区休闲旅游资源进行SWOT分析的结果显示,要做到城市周边休闲旅游的可持续发展,必须充分利用当地的资源优势,在保护与优化的前提下,要加强政府的宏观调控和管理,加强宣传促销的力度,还要精心设计游憩项目。     

分级指导式口语教学模式的实验报告

总结了目前口语教学的特点和趋势,同时对比澳大利亚口语教学的模式,指出现有的口语教学模式存在的问题,根据英语教学中的临近发展区的原则,提出了一种可行的教学模式,提供了该教学模式同传统的教学模式的对比实验,阐述了该教学模式的可行性和意义。     

从宗教活动考察太平天国的兴与亡

太平天国在拜上帝教思想的指导下,进行了一系列的宗教活动,这些宗教活动对太平天国运动的兴起和壮大产生了极大的促进作用,但随着形势的发展,它所带来的负面影响也是显而易见和致命的。     

我国休闲体育发展状况及发展对策研究

随着我国改革开放的不断深入、社会经济的快速发展及人民群众物质生活水平的显著提高,我国的休闲体育得到了可喜的发展,休闲体育娱乐项目逐渐变得丰富多彩。休闲体育是群众体育的坚实基础和主要类型之一,是一种文明、科学、健康的现代生活方式。笔者从休闲体育的定义、特点出发,阐述了我国休闲体育的发展现状,分析了我国休闲体育发展的必然性,并预测了其发展前景,为我国休闲体育的建设和发展提供了必要的理论依据,在此基础上提出了相关的发展对策及建议。     

休闲：社会主义和谐社会的润滑剂

休闲的人本特质与社会主义和谐社会的要求具有天然的一致性,社会主义和谐社会的基本特征也要求休闲的充分健康发展,而充分健康发展的休闲也将有利于社会主义和谐经济、和谐政治、和谐文化和和谐社会的建设,因而休闲是社会主义和谐社会的润滑剂,是和谐社会建设不可忽视的重要内容之一。