Routinization: risk factor or marker of adjustment to negative health issues?
Valérie Bergua1, Céline Meillon1, Karine Pérès1
1University Bordeaux, INSERM, BPH, U1219, Bordeaux, France.
International Journal of Geriatric Psychiatry
|February 1, 2022
Summary
Routinization in older adults is not a risk factor for negative health outcomes when measured once. However, tracking routines over time reveals they predict increased dementia, institutionalization, cognitive decline, depression, and poorer subjective health, indicating an adjustment process.
Area of Science:
- Gerontology
- Epidemiology
- Cognitive Science
Background:
- Routinization is a coping mechanism for older adults facing health challenges.
- Its role as a risk factor versus an adjustment mechanism for adverse health outcomes requires clarification.
Purpose of the Study:
- To investigate the association between routinization and negative health outcomes in older adults.
- To determine if routinization predicts mortality, institutionalization, dementia, disability, cognitive decline, depression, and subjective health.
Main Methods:
- Utilized longitudinal data from two large French epidemiological studies.
- Included 961 participants (average age 77) living independently with no cognitive impairment.
- Employed Cox proportional hazards models and Latent process mixed models to analyze routinization (Preferences for Routines Scale-Short form) and health outcomes.
Main Results:
- Routinization score at baseline did not predict any adverse health outcomes.
- Time-dependent routinization score significantly predicted increased risk of dementia (HR=1.08) and institutionalization (HR=1.18).
- Time-dependent routinization also predicted greater cognitive decline (β=-0.02), more depressive symptoms (β=0.02), and decreased subjective health (β=0.02).
Conclusions:
- Routinization measured at a single point is not a long-term predictor of negative health outcomes.
- Routinization, when assessed dynamically over time, emerges as a significant predictor of adverse health outcomes.
- These findings suggest routinization functions as a marker of the adjustment process to health issues in older adults.
Related Concept Videos
01:18Factors Affecting Illness
4.6K
When a person's physical, emotional, intellectual, social development or spiritual functioning is compromised, this deviation from a healthy normal state is called illness. Illness creates stress that in turn harms individuals. Irritation, anger, denial, hopelessness, and fear are behavioral and emotional changes an individual experiences in the phases of illness. A variety of factors influence a person's health and well-being.
For instance, risk factors are connected to illness,...
For instance, risk factors are connected to illness,...
4.6K
01:26Stress Prevention and Stress Management Techniques IV
68
Stress often leads to unhealthy habits like smoking, excessive drinking, and overeating, which offer short-term relief but ultimately increase long-term health risks. These behaviors create a cycle that temporarily lowers stress levels but can result in severe long-term health consequences. Breaking these habits is essential to reduce the risk of chronic diseases and improve overall well-being. Three primary changes that support better health include quitting smoking, reducing alcohol intake,...
68
01:52Regression Toward the Mean
6.5K
Regression toward the mean (“RTM”) is a phenomenon in which extremely high or low values—for example, and individual’s blood pressure at a particular moment—appear closer to a group’s average upon remeasuring. Although this statistical peculiarity is the result of random error and chance, it has been problematic across various medical, scientific, financial and psychological applications. In particular, RTM, if not taken into account, can interfere when...
6.5K
01:12Relative Risk
472
Relative risk (RR) is a statistical measure commonly used in epidemiology to compare the likelihood of a particular event occurring between two groups. This metric is important for evaluating the relationship between exposure to a specific risk factor and the probability of a particular outcome. It plays a crucial role in medical research, public health studies, and risk assessment. Relative risk quantifies how much more (or less) likely an event is to occur in an exposed group compared to an...
472
01:29Psychological and Sociocultural Causes of Schizophrenia
221
Schizophrenia, a complex psychiatric disorder, has been historically misunderstood. Early psychological theories attributed its origins to childhood trauma and unresponsive parenting. However, contemporary research largely rejects these notions, favoring the vulnerability-stress hypothesis. This model proposes that individuals with a genetic predisposition to schizophrenia may develop the disorder following exposure to significant environmental stressors. Notably, studies on high-risk...
221
01:30Stress and Mental Health
239
Chronic stress profoundly affects mental health, significantly influencing mood, behavior, and overall quality of life. Research closely links chronic stress with mental health conditions such as depression, anxiety, and substance use disorders. Ongoing exposure to stress can lead to physiological and psychological changes, initiating a cycle of emotional distress and maladaptive coping mechanisms.
Individuals with depression often experience challenges in both their personal and professional...
Individuals with depression often experience challenges in both their personal and professional...
239