Institut für Höhere Studien - Institute for Advanced Studies
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The Effectiveness of an App-Based Fitness Program on Self-Perceived Physical Functioning in Older Adults: Randomized Waitlist-Controlled Trial
Full text linkBackground
A decline in physical functioning can result in a loss of independence, particularly in older adults. Information and communications technologies supporting physical activity, such as fitness apps, are perceived as promising tools to increase activity levels. However, only little is known about fitness apps’ impact on older people’s abilities and skills to accomplish activities of daily living.
Objective
In this study, we aimed to investigate whether a newly developed app-based physical activity program improves self-perceived physical functioning or at least prevents a functional decline in older adults.
Methods
We targeted older adults in their early years of retirement and conducted a randomized waitlist-controlled trial in Austria. The app-based program was received by the intervention group (IG) for a period of 14 weeks first; afterwards, the IG handed over the devices to the control group (CG). Both groups had 3 appointments with a fitness coach. The app comprised 3 functions, a multicomponent fitness exercise program, recommendations for outdoor activities, and e-learning courses. Self-perceived physical functioning was measured by 4 common daily life activities rated on 6-point scales. Data were collected through online surveys at 3 time points, 8 weeks before intervention start (t -1 ), at intervention start (t 0 ), and 14 weeks later at the end of the intervention (t 1 ). We estimated generalized linear mixed models and derived average marginal effects. The effects are presented as differences in percentage points resulting from differences in estimated probabilities between groups before and after the intervention.
Results
A total of 219 participants between 60 and 72 years, 96 in the IG and 123 in the CG, were analyzed. The intervention significantly increased the self-perceived abilities of “climb up stairs and carry something” (odds ratio [OR] 2.67, 95% CI 1.37-5.18; P =.004) and of “lift and carry groceries” (OR 1.99, 95% CI 1.02-3.89; P =.04). On the contrary, no significant impact on the ability to “walk 1 km” (OR 1.91, 95% CI 0.85-4.30; P =.12) and “stretch to the toes” (OR 1.31, 95% CI 0.62-2.76; P =.48) was found. The probability of rating “climb up stairs and carry something” as “very easy” increased by 8.8 percentage points (95% CI 2.6-14.9; P =.005) and “lift and carry groceries” by 7.9 percentage points (95% CI 0.5-15.3; P =.04). Predicted probabilities showed that outcomes improved in the IG and remained unchanged in the CG.
Conclusions
Although the fitness app was designed as a multicomponent program, it supported only selected capabilities relevant for independent living. The app-based physical activity program increased self-perceived physical functioning related to strength, endurance, and balance, but not to flexibility. This highlights a clear need for future apps and research to focus on all relevant areas, including flexibility and mobility, which are crucial for fully maintaining independence in older adults
Studierende in Österreich. Die Studierenden-Sozialerhebung 2023 und deren Ergebnisse im Lichte krisenhafter Zeiten.
No full textDigitale Gesundheitsanwendungen im europäischen Vergleich
Full text linkDigital applications have become an integral part of everyday life and are increasingly relevant in healthcare. In Austria, there are ongoing discussions whether some of these apps should become reimbursable by public health insurance. This report examines the definition of digital health applications, as well as the legal, technical, institutional and financial background for digital health apps in a selection of European countries. It also considers the regulatory characteristics of these applications and to which extent they are already included in public funding in the individual countries. Ultimately, the report presents conclusions regarding the inclusion of digital health applications into the pub-licly financed health system in Austria.
The report focuses on the framework in Belgium, Denmark, Germany, England, Estonia, France and the Netherlands. However, it should be noted that these frameworks are not yet fully developed and continue to undergo adjustments. In general, it can be observed that the decision-making and financing logic is based on the existing structures of the respective national system, resulting in different forms (centralised vs. decentralised de-cisions on remuneration; financing via fee for service vs. as part of a bundled payment). The regulatory structures also diverge in other ways, e. g. whether health apps are un-derstood as a distinct and new line of services or are to be included into the existing service categories. It is proposed that the incorporation of digital health applications into the publicly financed healthcare system should be used to reinforce existing objectives and help easing shortages
Ungleiche Wege ins Studium: Hochschulzugang und Sektorenwahl von First-Generation-Studierenden in Österreich
Full text linkAligning social, environmental, and economic externalities of critical infrastructures with utilities’ resilience and public interest
Full text linkCritical infrastructures (CIs) provide essential services, such as energy and water supply, that support the core functions of the economy and society. These services generate positive external effects, like well-being and economic performance, and negative external effects, like service interruptions or pollution, which are not always reflected in their price. These effects vary in scale across market and non-market interactions, highlighting the public good and common-pool resource nature of CIs.This article examines how CIs in the energy and water sectors account for public costs and benefits when adopting innovative technologies to enhance resilience and service sustainability. A social, economic, and environmental impact assessment was conducted to analyze how CI operators consider and implement international regulations related to services with public good characteristics. Based on qualitative interviews and surveys, the study identifies misalignments and opportunities regarding CIs’ strategic and operational practices and existing policies.Based on this analysis, we recommend: i) the development of multi-level “public interest” indicators, ii) balancing public and private responsibility for service resilience costs, iii) fostering collaboration across governance levels, and iv) aligning national and EU policies. Full market internalization of external costs or benefits may be limited due to varying societal spillover effects. Regulation of utilities and public financial support for the provision of services may be justified or needed in such a case. Addressing collective and individual needs, along with collaboration between public and private actors, is essential for developing measures that deal with broader spillover and cascading effects of CIs’ service provision
Die stille Entmachtung durch Algorithmen
No full textEgal, welche Firma – wer Fragen hat, landet bei Bots. Diese Entwicklung ist auch demokratiepolitisch gefährlich, rührt sie doch an einer Grundsatzfrage: Wer hat das Sagen – Menschen oder Maschinen
Extending the demand system approach to asset pricing
Full text linkThis article introduces a shrinkage procedure which allows to improve upon the parametric portfolio approach introduced in Brandt et al (Review of Financial Studies 22(9): 3411–3477, 2009) and more general factor conditional frameworks. We analyze optimal investment decisions for constant absolute and constant relative risk aversion. In both preference classes, especially out-of-sample performance of the optimal strategies is rather volatile. In order to reduce parameter and model uncertainty, we augment the optimal strategies by a shrinkage device that pulls the portfolio weights toward a predetermined policy portfolio. Our theoretical approach thereby extends the demand systems approach of Koijen and Yogo (Journal of Political Economy, 127(4):1475–1515, 2019) to more general classes of preferences and provides conditions for the existence of equilibrium. As a side product, we establish that the characteristics-based parametric portfolio approach of Brandt et al. (Review of Financial Studies 22(9): 3411–3477, 2009) can only be justified as optimal investments under exceedingly strong assumptions. In empirical US data, our shrinkage approach outperforms the parametric approach and the naive 1/N-strategy over quite a wide range of levels of absolute and relative risk aversion