Heart Disease In Older Adults: Causes And Prevention

Topic Heart Disease Among Older Adultsusing The Topic And Research Qu

Topic: Heart Disease among older adults Using the topic and research question you developed in week 1, you will design a quantitative instrument that could potentially answer your topic/research question if it were to be applied to a quantitative study. Keep in mind, this may take some stretching if you wrote your question leaning quantitatively. The purpose here is not to box you in but to ensure that you have a solid understanding of both methodologies. This assignment functions similar to 3.1 but in a quantitative format. Finally, view the rubric and examples to make sure you understand the expectations of this assignment.

Directions: You will develop a word document to include: Your research question in the form of a quantitative question (if it was not already). An instrument or protocol (survey, questionaire, archival data, etc) that could be used to answer the quantitative version of your research question. *Special note for those using archival data, you will describe the process of data retrieval for your archival data. See examples to help. A one paragraph description/justification of how your chosen instrument/protocol is the best choice for answering the quantitative version of your research question. See examples to help guide your writing: Quantitative Instrument Samples.pdf View the rubric: Rubric for Data Instrument.docx

Paper For Above instruction

Introduction

Understanding heart disease among older adults is essential given its high prevalence and impact on this demographic’s health outcomes. A quantitative approach offers measurable insights into relationships and risk factors, helping in the development of targeted interventions. The research question formulated for this study is: "What is the relationship between physical activity levels and the incidence of heart disease among adults aged 60 and above?" This question aims to quantify the association between activity levels and heart disease occurrence.

Quantitative Instrument Development

To explore this research question, a structured questionnaire will be used as the primary instrument. The questionnaire will include validated scales measuring physical activity levels, such as the International Physical Activity Questionnaire (IPAQ), and self-reported heart disease diagnoses. Demographic variables such as age, gender, BMI, and comorbid conditions will also be included to control for confounding factors. The choice of this survey instrument is grounded in its reliability, validity, and widespread use in epidemiological research on cardiovascular health (Craig et al., 2003).

Justification of the Instrument

The questionnaire is an optimal choice for this research due to its ability to collect large amounts of standardized data across diverse populations efficiently. It enables quantification of physical activity and health outcomes, facilitating statistical analysis of the relationship between variables. The validated scales within the questionnaire ensure that the data collected are accurate reflections of participants' activity levels and health status. Additionally, surveys are cost-effective and scalable for larger sample sizes, essential for studying health trends among older adults (Lee et al., 2008).

Data Retrieval Process (if archival data)

For those utilizing archival data, the process would involve accessing health records from medical institutions, insurance databases, or national health surveys such as the Behavioral Risk Factor Surveillance System (BRFSS). Data retrieval would include identifying relevant variables such as age, documented diagnoses of heart disease, and recorded physical activity information, if available. Ethical protocols for data use and confidentiality would be strictly followed, and data extraction would be performed using database queries, ensuring completeness and accuracy of the dataset.

Conclusion

In conclusion, selecting a validated questionnaire focused on physical activity and heart health provides a reliable, practical method to quantitatively assess the relationship between these variables among older adults. This instrument supports comprehensive data collection necessary for statistical analysis, ultimately contributing valuable insights to cardiovascular health research in aging populations.

References

• Craig, C. L., Marshall, A. L., Sjöström, M., Bauman, A. E., Booth, M. L., Ainsworth, B. E., ... & Sallis, J. F. (2003). International physical activity questionnaire: 12-country reliability and validity. Medicine & Science in Sports & Exercise, 35(8), 1381-1395.
• Lee, P. H., Macfarlane, D. J., Lam, T., & Stewart, S. (2008). Validity of the international physical activity questionnaire short form (IPAQ-SF): A systematic review. Public Health Nutrition, 14(10), 1683-1690.
• Sharma, A., & Mehrotra, S. (2015). Cardiovascular disease risk factors among older adults. Journal of Geriatric Cardiology, 12(4), 313–318.
• Fletcher, G. F., et al. (2013). Exercise standards for testing and training: A statement for healthcare professionals from the American Heart Association. Circulation, 128(8), 873–934.
• Wang, H., et al. (2017). Epidemiology of cardiovascular disease among older adults. Journal of Aging and Health, 29(1), 3-19.
• Centers for Disease Control and Prevention. (2020). Behavioral Risk Factor Surveillance System (BRFSS). Retrieved from https://www.cdc.gov/brfss/index.html
• Petersen, S. E., et al. (2019). Trends in cardiovascular health among older adults. Journal of Cardiology, 74(4), 415-423.
• Hansen, D., et al. (2018). The impact of physical activity on heart disease risk factors. European Heart Journal, 39(23), 2132-2140.
• Johnson, L., et al. (2021). Older adult health and cardiovascular disease prevention: A review. Geriatrics, 6(2), 23.
• World Health Organization. (2021). Cardiovascular diseases (CVDs). Retrieved from https://www.who.int/news-room/fact-sheets/detail/cardiovascular-diseases