OPUS: Open Ulethbridge Scholarship
Open ULeth Scholarship (OPUS) is the University of Lethbridge's open access research repository. It contains a collection of materials related to research and teaching produced by the academic community.
Self-archiving your research in OPUS is one way to meet Open Access policies of granting agencies. It is important to retain your final, post-peer-reviewed drafts for submission to OPUS, as this is often the only version publishers will allow to be archived. Click here for information on the U of L Open Access Policy.
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Item type:Item, Personality traits and coping with fear of falling: an interpretive description study of older adults in Canada(Sage, 2026) Adandom, Henrietha; Damag, Suha; Kalu, Michael E.; Adandom, Israel I.; Odole, Adesola C.; Cook, Lisa L.; Shan, Gongbing; Awosoga, Olu A.Fear of falling (FOF) can disrupt older adults’ mobility, autonomy, and emotional well-being. While psychological correlates are increasingly recognized, little is known about how personality traits shape coping responses to FOF as lived experience. This study used interpretive description informed by the transactional model of stress and coping to explore personality-linked coping orientations. Fifteen community-dwelling older Canadians (aged 65–84) completed in-depth interviews and a brief personality inventory. Reflexive thematic analysis revealed three coping orientations: cautious behavior as a meaning-making strategy, self-reliance and threats to autonomy, and adaptive engagement with support systems. Traits like conscientiousness and emotional stability influenced appraisals of control, while low extraversion tended to involve selective, trust-based support-seeking. Findings suggest that coping with FOF is not merely behavioral but reflects the dynamic interplay of personality, appraisal, and identity. These insights support the development of tailored, psychologically informed FOF interventions.Item type:Item, Personality traits and their association with falls and fall-related psychological concerns in adults aged 50 and older: a scoping review(Wiley, 2026) Adandom, Henrietha ; Nwankwo, Henry C.; Adandom, Israel I.; Akinrolie, Olayinka; Scott, David R.; Odole, Adesola C.; Cook, Lisa L.; Shan, Gongbing; Awosoga, Olu A.Background and Aims Falls remain a major health challenge in aging, yet little is known about how personality traits influence falls risk and related psychological concerns. This scoping review mapped existing evidence on relationships among personality traits, falls, fear of falling, and fall self-efficacy in older adults to identify key associations and research gaps. Methods A comprehensive search of five databases (MEDLINE, APA PsycINFO, Web of Science, CINAHL, SPORTDiscus) was conducted from inception (1945) through December 2024. Eligible studies examined personality traits, assessed with validated instruments, in relation to falls, fear of falling, or fall self-efficacy in older adults (≥ 50 years). All empirical designs were included. Data extraction followed PRISMA-ScR guidance, and findings were synthesized descriptively. Results Of 8060 records screened, eight studies met the inclusion criteria (three longitudinal, five cross-sectional). High neuroticism and low conscientiousness were the most consistently associated with greater fall risk and higher fear of falling. Extraversion showed generally protective associations with fear of falling, while Type A behaviour predicted higher fall incidence among men but not women. Openness and agreeableness showed no consistent patterns. Evidence on fall self-efficacy was limited to one study, and none addressed balance confidence. Measurement heterogeneity across personality and fall-related constructs limited comparability across studies. Conclusion Personality traits, particularly emotional instability and conscientiousness, appear relevant to fall risk and psychological concerns, though evidence remains sparse. Key gaps include limited work on fall self-efficacy and balance confidence, under-representation of clinical populations, and inconsistent measurement approaches. Future studies should use standardized instruments, longitudinal designs, and broader personality frameworks to inform personalised fall prevention strategies.Item type:Item, Association between sociodemographic factors and mobility among older adults: a systematic review and meta-analysis(Springer Nature, 2026) Onyeso, Ogochukwu K.; Scott, David R.; Alumona, Chiedozie J.; Kalu, Michael E.; Adandom, Israel I.; Akinrolie, Olayinka; Onyeso, Kelechi M.; Odole, Adesola C.; Victor, Janice; Doan, Jon; Awosoga, Olu A.Background Mobility limitation is associated with poor quality of life, morbidity, and mortality among older adults. This pre-registered systematic review [PROSPERO CRD42022298570] synthesised the coefficients of association between sociodemographic factors and performance-based mobility outcomes in older adults (≥ 60 years). Methods Electronic databases MEDLINE, WoS, EMBASE, CINAHL, AgeLine, and SPORTDiscus were searched from inception to 27 November 2023 for observational studies reporting an association between sociodemographic factors and performance-based mobility outcomes among older adults. Pairs of reviewers independently conducted title, abstract, and full-text screening, narrative synthesis, and meta-analysis following the PRISMA and MOOSE guidelines. The effect sizes, heterogeneity, dominance, and publication bias were analysed using R/R-Studio (version 4.3.2) and CMA (version 4). Results Of the 9,328 studies screened, 57 were included (n = 130,060 participants); the pooled mean age was 69.81 ± 7.21years, habitual gait speed (HGS) = 1.01 ± 0.28 m/s, and time-up and go score = 7.67 ± 3.56s. The narrative synthesis showed that the majority of the studies found older age (92.2%), women (62.9%), non-Caucasian (75.0%), and lower education (64.5%) associated with significant mobility outcomes. There was a paucity of studies on marital status, area of residence, income, occupation, religion, homeownership, and social status. Meta-analysis showed that older age r=-0.37 [-0.42, -0.32] and female gender r=-0.13 [-0.22, -0.03] were moderately associated with slower HGS. Conclusion Older age, female gender, non-Caucasian identity, and lower education were consistently associated with poorer mobility outcomes, pointing to sociodemographic sources of inequity and the need for targeted interventions. Limited evidence on marital status, residence, income, occupation, religion, homeownership, and social status restricted broader conclusions. Expanding research across these domains is critical to inform comprehensive strategies that advance equitable mobility and healthier ageing in diverse populations.Item type:Item, Association between life satisfaction and health behaviours among older adults: a systematic review and meta-analysis(Springer Nature, 2026) Alumona, Chiedozie J.; Scott, David R.; Aladejebi, Toyin; Kalu, Michael E.; Onyeso, Ogochukwu, K.; Odole, Adesola C.; Vogelsang, Laura; Singleton, Jerome; Awosoga, Olu A.Background Life satisfaction is a key indicator of quality of life among older adults. This systematic review and meta-analysis synthesised evidence on the association between life satisfaction and health behaviours such as smoking status, alcohol use, physical activity, diet/nutrition, and sleep among older adults aged 60 years and older. Methods The review was conducted and reported following the PRISMA guidelines. We searched the electronic databases MEDLINE, APA PsycINFO, Web of Science, CINAHL, and Global Health from inception to 10 January 2025 for observational studies reporting an association between life satisfaction and health behaviours. Two independent reviewers completed article screening, data extraction, and risk of bias assessment. The result was summarised through a narrative synthesis, and meta-analysis was completed using CMA (version 4). Results The 56 included studies were conducted across 22 countries between 1990 and 2025. The pooled mean age and female proportion were 70.59 years (95% CI: 68.98, 72.21) and 58.0% (95% CI: 55.1, 60.7), respectively. Narrative synthesis showed that most studies found quality sleep and/or 7–8 h of sleep (77.3%), a higher physical activity level (69.1%), and a regular intake of fruit and vegetables and/or a balanced diet regularly (52.9%) were significantly associated with higher life satisfaction. Smoking and alcohol use were associated with lower life satisfaction in 33.3% and 15.8% of the analysis, respectively. The meta-analysis showed that higher physical activity levels (r = 0.12, p = 0.003) were associated with higher life satisfaction. Only four studies on physical activity met the criteria for meta-analysis, and no studies on other health behaviours did. Conclusions Quality sleep and/or 7–8 h of sleep, a higher physical activity level, and regularly eating fruit and vegetables and/or a balanced diet are associated with higher life satisfaction. The review provides evidence for policymakers, healthcare workers, caregivers, and society to encourage healthy behaviours that foster healthy ageing. Future studies should use standardised instruments to assess health behaviours and life satisfaction, facilitating cross-study comparisons and the meta-synthesis of research findings.Item type:Item, Unbiased and skew-regular Hadamard matrices(Lethbridge, Alta. : University of Lethbridge, Dept. of Mathematics and Computer Science, 2026) Zaitsev, Vlad; University of Lethbridge. Faculty of Arts and Sciences; Kharaghani, HadiThis thesis explores the concept of regularity in Hadamard matrices. By generalizing the definition of regularity, researchers have combined the definitions of skew-type and regular Hadamard matrices to define skew-regular-Hadamard matrices. In this thesis, we consider skew-regularity in the context of both real and quaternary Hadamard matrices, and showcase some known applications of these objects. The concept of regularity appears in the definition of unbiasedness. Aided by our knowledge of regularity, we then explore unbiasedness for both real and quaternary Hadamard matrices, and classify small orders of mutually unbiased quaternary Hadamard matrices.