Dementia is increasing in Australia in line with population ageing and is expected to peak by mid-century. The development of common forms of dementia, including Alzheimer’s disease, is associated with lifestyle-related risk factors that are prevalent among middle-aged Australians, including obesity, hypertension, high cholesterol, diabetes and depression. These risk factors can be significantly ameliorated through regular participation in moderate aerobic physical activity (PA). Current national and international guidelines recommend at least 150 min of aerobic PA per week for achieving health protective effects. Lifestyle intervention is a critical area for action as there are currently no medical or pharmaceutical interventions that can halt the progression of common dementias. Physician–patient discussions concerning risk reduction via habitual aerobic PA offers a complementary intervention as part of broader dementia management. Evidence suggests that to achieve the highest rates of adherence to PA, physician advice in primary care should be supported by wider policies, institutions and community services that offer a meaningful referral pathway and patient follow up after initial assessment. International Green Prescription programs provide examples of physician-led interventions in primary care that could inform further action in Australia.

Japan is a super-ageing society that faces pressures on its aged care system from a growing population of older adults. Naturalistic observations were undertaken at eight aged care facilities in central and northern Japan to explore how aged care is configured. Four aspects of contemporary provision were identified that offer potential gains in quality of life and health. The Japanese government mandates that aged care facilities must employ a qualified nutritionist to oversee meal preparation, fostering optimal dietary intake. A concept of life rehabilitation seeks to maximise physical and cognitive performance, with possible longevity gains. Low staff to resident ratios are also mandated by the Japanese government to afford residents high levels of interpersonal care. Finally, Japanese facilities prioritise experiences of seasonality and culture, connecting frail older people to the world beyond their walls.

This research describes the development and initial results from the Perceptions of Ageing and Disaster Vulnerability Scale (PADVS) that was designed to explore perceptions of vulnerability to disasters in the context of population ageing. Few Japanese studies have explored perceptions of disaster-related vulnerability in Japan, although this issue is growing in importance due to the acceleration of population ageing and the recurrence of large-scale disasters.
Following pre-testing, the PADVS was administered with 172 health students and professionals from three Japanese regions in 2016. The reliability and validity of the PADVS were assessed using commonly employed psychometric evaluation techniques, including assessment of face and content validity, internal consistency, item-total correlations, inter-item correlations, and factorial validity. Descriptive statistics were used to ascertain total, subscale, and item scores.
With one item removed due to poor fit, a 13-item version of PADVS exhibited acceptable reliability (alpha=.87) and validity. The scale fit a four-component solution following principal components analysis, with four indicative subscales. Results of PADVS completion showed clear respondent concerns about social isolation and lack of support networks, and poor functional capacity among older adult populations.
The PADVS provides a reliable and valid measure for researchers to assess perceptions of societal vulnerability related to disasters in the context of population ageing. Preparations for recurring disasters should focus on improving supportive social network connections among older adults and providing intervention measures to improve physical, cognitive, and emotional health for older adults, particularly those who live alone in the community. (C) 2016 Elsevier Ltd. All rights reserved.

This report describes the outcomes of a five-day, protocol-based interprofessional education (IPE) initiative to prepare undergraduate medical, nursing, and paramedic students for collaborative work with adults with dementia. Clinical placements provided a structured and supervised IPE experience for 127 students in two Residential Aged Care Facilities (RACFs) in Hobart, Australia, during 2013 and 2014. The IPE activity was based on a seven-step protocol formulated by an interprofessional team of educators and aged care practitioners that revolved around collaborative assessments of adults with complex health needs. This article describes the IPE protocol and presents the results of a pre- and post-placement attitude questionnaire and knowledge quiz administered to evaluate student attitudes towards IPE and knowledge of dementia. Data suggest that a five-day, supervised, and protocol-based IPE experience in a dementia-care setting can inculcate positive changes in student attitudes about collaborative practice and may encourage dementia-related learning outcomes.

Few researchers have explored perceptions of the local environment as a potential precursor to older adults' active leisure participation; fewer still have employed visual research methods as a tool for examining the modalities of environmental influences on leisure behaviour. This article introduces leisure researchers to the visual research techniques of Q method with photographs and photovoice and highlights the opportunities and challenges resulting from the use of visual techniques with populations of older adults. Data obtained in two visual research studies undertaken in 2008 and 2011 reveal the importance of home and local environment as a nexus for leisure participation and identify conditions that may facilitate activity participation in later life. Environmental conditions that are particularly significant in the case of older adults include the home garden, natural and aesthetically pleasing settings, the local social network and functional neighbourhood facilities. Visual research methods were used to generate these findings. Such research methods provide rich and nuanced data in studies concerning environment-behaviour interactions, which may be difficult to attain using conventional research methods.

This paper explores the evidence for environmental influences on older adult health and activity participation, identifies current knowledge gaps and limitations within this literature, and offers recommendations for future research via a systematic appraisal of 83 quantitative and qualitative studies. A Cochrane-type review procedure was followed, which incorporated structured database searches, inclusion and exclusion criteria, quality appraisal of included studies, and peer review. The review findings identify support for both personal and environmental influences on health and activity participation in later life. Reported personal influences include ethnicity and cultural norms, energy and motivation, sex, age, education, genetic heritage, self-efficacy, and personal financial circumstances. Reported environmental influences on activity participation include climate, level of pollution, street lighting, traffic conditions, accessibility and appropriateness of services and facilities, socio-economic conditions, aesthetics, pedestrian infrastructure, community life, exposure to antisocial behaviour, social network participation, environmental degradation, level of urbanism, exposure to natural settings, familiarity with local environment and others. Recommendations for future research include the need for innovative research methods; involvement of older adults as research collaborators; investigation of wider aspects of the active ageing concept; in-depth assessment of the environmental characteristics of areas; investigation of the pathways leading from environment to health and activity participation; and more theoretically informed research or increased contribution of research to theory development.

Aim
To develop community-generated recommendations to inform urban environmental remediation following earthquakes in Christchurch, New Zealand, and share these with local decision-makers during a participatory action research process.
Methods
This study employed three focus group discussions to critique mixed-methods and multiphase results and develop evidence-based recommendations. Participants included 30 volunteers and 8 knowledgeable advisers aged 65 years and older.
Results
Participant recommendations addressed the remediation of earthquake-affected suburbs, access to transportation, age-friendly design, safer communities, resilient support agencies, and restoration of resources for social and cultural activities.
Conclusion
Older collaborators identified salient barriers to active ageing and options for post-earthquake redevelopment that had not previously been considered in research or policy. Independently living older adults are well placed to work with researchers to develop recommendations to improve the urban environment following natural disasters as well as in times of relative stability.

This paper examines how neighborhood deprivation potentially affects older adults' participation in leisure time physical activity (LTPA). Recall surveys and semi-structured interviews were conducted with 63 elderly residents of high- and low-deprivation neighborhoods in Christchurch, New Zealand. Results showed that residing in a neighborhood of high socioeconomic deprivation was potentially associated with significantly lower levels of neighborhood-based LTPA and that this effect appeared to be partly mediated by deleterious physical and social environmental conditions. These results suggest that strategies to promote increased participation in LTPA among older adults may need to consider intervening in the physical and social environment in highly deprived neighborhoods. (C) 2008 Elsevier Ltd. All rights reserved.