Archives-July 2026

This study aimed to examine the current status of community volunteer participation and attitudes toward aging among community-dwelling older adults and to investigate the relationships between community volunteer participation, demographic characteristics, and attitudes toward aging. A cross-sectional study was conducted using purposive sampling. A total of 176 community-dwelling older adults aged 65 years and older were recruited from Ren'ai District, Keelung City, Taiwan. Data were collected through structured face-to-face interviews using a self-administered questionnaire. Descriptive statistics, independent-samples t-tests, one-way analysis of variance (ANOVA), and Pearson's product-moment correlation analyses were performed using IBM SPSS Statistics version 23.0. Age was negatively correlated with attitudes toward aging (r=?.14, p<.05), whereas the number of cohabitants (r=.37, p < .01), self-perceived health status (r =.49, p<.01), and monthly frequency of community volunteer participation (r=.32, p<.01) were positively correlated with attitudes toward aging. Significant differences in attitudes toward aging were observed according to marital status (F=13.59, p=.001) and educational level (F=4.20, p=.003). Post hoc comparisons indicated that separated participants had significantly less positive attitudes toward aging than married, unmarried, and widowed participants. In addition, participants with a senior high school or vocational high school education reported significantly more positive attitudes toward aging than those with an elementary school education. Community volunteer participation was positively associated with attitudes toward aging among community-dwelling older adults. Older adults who reported better self-perceived health, lived with more cohabitants, and participated more frequently in community volunteer activities tended to have more positive attitudes toward aging. These findings suggest that promoting volunteer participation and strengthening social support may facilitate positive attitudes toward aging and contribute to healthy and active aging. Future longitudinal studies are warranted to clarify the causal relationships between community volunteer participation and attitudes toward aging.

Deep infiltrating endometriosis (DIE) of the urinary tract is rare (1–6% of pelvic endometriosis), with ureteral involvement potentially causing silent obstructive uropathy. We report the case of a 28-year-old woman with cyclical left flank pain. CT scan revealed chronic left ureterohydronephrosis with a distal ureteral pseudo-mass. Pelvic MRI confirmed a T2-hypointense parametrial tissue plaque infiltrating the ovarian fossa, tightly stenosing the distal left ureter, with thickening of the left uterosacral ligament. Surgery provided histological confirmation of DIE, and postoperative ultrasound demonstrated complete resolution of hydronephrosis and clinical symptoms. This case highlights the essential role of pelvic MRI and early multidisciplinary surgical management in preventing irreversible renal damage.