Body image is an important aspect of psychological well-being that is influenced by several biological and psychosocial risk factors. Cultural determinants of body image include the patterns of shared beliefs, values, practices, and social norms within a group that can act as a lens through which a person perceives, compares, and evaluates their body. Women tend to experience higher rates of body dissatisfaction than men, with reproductive milestones such as puberty, pregnancy, and postpartum being windows of vulnerability for body image concerns. The menopausal transition is another reproductive stage of women’s lives that involves major physical changes, psychological challenges, and social pressures that can impact body image negatively. However, the literature on the influence of cultural determinants on the body image of menopausal women is limited. Therefore, this perspective review paper aims to discuss the potential role of cultural determinants in influencing body image satisfaction in women undergoing the menopausal transition. To this end, the relationships between different cultural perspectives and body image around the world are first discussed. Sociocultural influences on body image throughout women’s lifespan and reproductive stages are then presented. Finally, cultural perspectives on menopause and aging and their potential influence on the body image of menopausal women are explored. This paper underscores the importance of considering culture and sociocultural factors when studying body image and highlights the need for further research on the cultural determinants of body image during the menopausal transition.

Advancing health equity requires more contextualised evidence. To synthesise published evidence using an existing framework on the origins of health disparities and determine care-related outcome disparities for residents of long-term care, comparing minoritised populations to the context-specific dominant population. Systematic review. Residents of 24-hour long-term care homes. The protocol was registered a priori with PROSPERO (CRD42021269489). Literature published between 1 January 2000 and 26 September 2021, was searched, including studies comparing baseline characteristics and outcomes in minoritised versus dominant populations. Dual screening, two-reviewer verification for extraction, and risk of bias assessments were conducted to ensure rigour. Studies were synthesized using a conceptual framework to contextualise evidence according to multi-level factors contributing to the development of care disparities. Twenty-one of 34 included studies demonstrated disparities in care outcomes for minoritised groups compared to majority groups. Thirty-one studies observed differences in individual-level characteristics (e.g. age, education, underlying conditions) upon entry to homes, with several outcome disparities (e.g. restraint use, number of medications) present at baseline and remaining or worsening over time. Significant gaps in evidence were identified, particularly an absence of literature on provider information and evidence on the experience of intersecting minority identities that contribute to care-related outcome disparities in long-term care. This review found differences in minoritised populations’ care-related outcomes. The findings provide guidance for future health equity policy and research—supporting diverse and intersectional capacity building in long-term care.

Background: The transition of social and health services to digital platforms has significant implications for the inclusion and well-being of older adults. Digital literacy is a key determinant of health and equity, particularly as services shift to digital platforms. For older adults, this is crucial for accessing essential services and information, aiding in emergency resource navigation and information access. Objective: This study examines how Canadian news media portray older adults’ digital literacy, using the Unified Theory of Acceptance and Use of Technology 2 (UTAUT2) framework to guide the analysis. Methods: News media articles from Canada, published from May 4, 2023, to July 4, 2024, were analyzed. Articles were identified through database searches and manual reviews, with inclusion criteria focusing on mentions of older adults and digital literacy. Critical discourse analysis was conducted using UTAUT2 factors to interpret the media narratives. Results: Of the 103 articles reviewed, 54 met the inclusion criteria. Four key themes emerged: (1) Performance and effort expectancy: media frequently depicted older adults as needing significant help with digital technologies, indicating potential digital ageism. (2) Social influence: fearmongering narratives suggest insufficient technological skills could result in social exclusion and limited access to essential services. (3) Facilitating conditions: articles highlighted older adults’ susceptibility to digital scams and fraud, reinforcing digital ageism. (4) Hedonic motivation: media portrayals emphasized active aging, illustrating how digital tools, such as home security systems, can enhance independence and quality of life. Conclusions: Many media narratives on older adults’ digital literacy perpetuate digital ageism. The study highlights how negative portrayals of older adults’ digital skills and their exclusion from digital spaces underscore the need for more inclusive media representations. Findings suggest that media outlets could play a crucial role in shifting to more supportive portrayals of older adults’ engagement with technology. Improving media portrayals can enhance digital engagement and preparedness among aging populations, contributing to better overall quality of life.

Background and Objectives: The coronavirus disease 2019 (COVID-19) pandemic led to many hospital service disruptions and strict visitor restrictions that affected care of older adult populations. This study investigates perceptions of hospital care for persons with dementia during the COVID-19 pandemic as shared on Reddit’s social media platform. Research Design and Methods: This study combined an Opinion Mining Framework with linguistic processing to conduct a sentiment analysis of word clusters and care-based content in a sample of 1,205 posts shared between February 2020 and March 2023 in Reddit’s English-language corpus. Data were classified based on reoccurring contiguous sequences of 2 words from our text sample. Results: Hospital dementia care discourse on Reddit advanced 4 negative sentiment themes: (1) fear of poor medication management, hydration, and hygiene, (2) loss of patient advocacy, (3) precipitation of advance directive discussions, and (4) delayed discharge and loss of nursing home bed. One positive sentiment theme also emerged: gratitude toward hospital staff. Discussion and Implications: Negative sentiment Reddit posts constituted a larger share of the posts than positive posts regarding hospital care for persons with dementia. People who posted about their experiences shared their concerns about hospital care deficiencies and the importance of including informal caregivers in hospital settings, particularly in the context of a pandemic. Implications exist for dementia training, improved quality of care, advance care planning, and transitions in care policies.

Introduction Burdensome care transitions may occur despite clinicians’ engagement in care planning discussions with residents and their family/friend care partners. Conversations about potential hospital transfers can better prepare long-term care (LTC) residents, their families and care providers for future decision-making. Lack of such discussions increases the likelihood of transitions that do not align with residents’ values. This study will examine experiences of LTC residents, family/friend care partners and staff surrounding decision-making about LTC to hospital transitions and codesign a tool to assist with transitional decision-making to help prioritise needs and preferences of residents and their care partners. Methods and analysis This study will use semi-structured needs assessment interviews (duration: 1 hour), content analysis of existing decision support and discussion tools and a codesign workshop series (for residents and care partners, and for staff) at three participating LTC home research sites. This qualitative work will inform the development of a decision support tool that will subsequently be pilot tested and evaluated at three partnering LTC homes in future phases of the project. The study is guided by the Person-centred Practice in Long-term Care theoretical framework. Interview audio recordings will be transcribed verbatim and analysed using reflexive thematic analysis. Participants will be recruited in partnership with three LTC homes in Ottawa, Ontario. Eligible participants will be English or French speaking residents, family/friend care partners or staff (eg, physicians, nurses and personal support workers) who have experienced or been involved in a transition from LTC to hospital. Ethics and dissemination Ethical approval has been obtained from the Bruyère Health Research Ethics Board (#M16-23-030). Findings will be (1) reported to participating and funding organisations; (2) presented at national and international conferences and (3) disseminated by peer-review publications.