RETIRED EDUCATORS AS ADVOCATES: PROMOTING K-12 EDUCATION ABOUT AGING

Retired educators and other older adults can be influential advocates for K-12 education about aging, by promoting balanced and accurate education related to aging across grade levels and core disciplines. This article presents the processes, outcomes, and evaluation of a pilot project involving retired educators in Colorado and Montana. The experiences from this pilot project can help guide future efforts of retired older adults to increase teacher awareness of the need for K-12 education about aging.     

An accurate VO2max nonexercise regression model for 18-65-year-old adults

The purpose of this study was to develop a regression equation to predict maximal oxygen uptake (VO2max) based on nonexercise (N-EX) data. All participants (N = 100), ages 18-65 years, successfully completed a maximal graded exercise test (GXT) to assess VO2max (M = 39.96 mL x kg(-1) x min(-1), SD = 9.54). The N-EX data collected just before the maximal GXT included the participant's age; gender; body mass index (BMI); perceived functional ability (PFA) to walk, jog, or run given distances; and current physical activity (PA-R) level. Multiple linear regression generated the following N-EX prediction equation (R = .93, SEE = 3.45 mL x kg(-1) x min(-1), % SEE = 8.62): VO2max (mL x kg(-1) x min(-1)) = 48.0730 + (6.1779 x gender; women = 0, men = 1) - (0. 2463 x age) - (0.6186 x BMI) + (0.7115 x PFA) + (0.6709 x PA-R). Cross validation using PRESS (predicted residual sum of squares) statistics revealed minimal shrinkage (R(p) = .91 and SEE(p) = 3.63 mL x kg(-1) x min(-1)); thus, this model should yield acceptable accuracy when applied to an independent sample of adults (ages 18-65 years) with a similar cardiorespiratory fitness level. Based on standardized beta-weights, the PFA variable (0.41) was the most effective at predicting VO2max followed by age (-0.34), gender (0.33), BMI (-0.27), and PA-R (0.16). This study provides a N-EX regression model that yields relatively accurate results and is a convenient way to predict VO2max in adult men and women.     

Free operant measurement of taste preferences in prosimian primates

The sucrose preferences of two prosimian primate species, slow loris and greater galago, were determined under aperiodic reinforcement of a free operant. Stimuli were solutions of the following concentrations: 5%, 10%, 20%, 30%, and 40%. Solutions of intermediate concentration were preferred, and thus the function relating barpresses to concentrations was nonmonotonic.