bluuebunny/crossref_metadata_2025 huggingface dataset:
Use of Videotaped Interventions in Research
Authors: Steinke Elaine E.
Published: July 2003

Evaluating conceptual and methodological issues are important considerations when developing a videotape for research intervention. The process of developing a videotape for research involves several critical steps to maintain scientific rigor during the project. Establishing content validity of the videotape script and maintaining scientific integrity while producing the videotape are key components. Issues such as copyright and intellectual property are important considerations. The use of videotape provides a consistent method of providing information to research subjects. Careful attention to the research process during each phase of development of the videotape will enhance the success of the project.
Framing Personal Risk in Public Health Nursing
Authors: Skillen D. Lynn , Olson Joanne K. , Gilbert Julie A.
Published: July 2003

The purpose of this qualitative study was to conduct a thematic analysis of unanalyzed semistructured interview segments from data that emerged during an earlier exploratory descriptive study on organizational factors and work hazards. The sample consisted of 56 transcribed interviews with staff and managerial public health nurses (PHNs) in five health units of the Province of Alberta before health care restructuring. The framework that resulted from this secondary analysis describes the ideologies (values, beliefs, concepts, and attitudes) of female PHNs related to their workplace environmental risks. Four categories of the overarching theme, framing personal risk in work environments, emerged: becoming aware, recognizing influences, comparing with others, and knowing rights and freedoms. Two subthemes also emerged: framing for no action and framing for action. When framing for no action, PHNs were either unconcerned or wanted to avoid trouble. When framing for action, PHNs found humor, took responsibility, used voice, collected support, and struggled for action.
Self-Transcendence and Depression in Middle-Age Adults
Authors: Ellermann Caroline R. , Reed Pamela G.
Published: July 2003

Self-transcendence has been found to be an important correlate of mental health in older adults and adults facing the end of life. This study extends current theory by examining the relationship of transcendence and other transcendence variables to depression in middle-age adults (N = 133). Reed’s Self-Transcendence Scale, the Center for Epidemiological Studies-Depression Scale, and measures of parenting, acceptance and spirituality were administered. Findings indicating significant inverse correlations between self-transcendence and depression, as well as between other measures of transcendence and depression support Reed’s (1991b) theory. Multiple regression analysis indicated that acceptance may be another significant correlate of depression. Significant gender differences and age-related patterns of increased levels of self-transcendence were found. Study results illuminate the need to continue research into developmentally based transcendence variables related to various experiences of health and well-being across the life span.
The Chinese Experience of Male Infertility
Authors: Lee Tsorng-Yeh , Chu Treu-Yen
Published: July 2003

The purpose of this study was to describe the lived experiences of Chinese men who were diagnosed as infertile. Thirty men who had experienced infertility were interviewed in or near the clinic of a large general teaching hospital located in Taiwan. The interviews were analyzed using content analysis. Five categories were generated from the interview data: emotional response after hearing the diagnosis; seeking possible explanations for the diagnosis; using alternative treatments other than those of Western medicine; stress from the discovery of the infertility secret by family, relatives, and friends; and grief for discontinuation of the family heritage. Men in this study described infertility as a frustrating and stressful experience. Findings from this study can add to the knowledge base on infertility and contribute to recommendations for improving the ways that health professionals guide, counsel, and support men who are infertile.
A Feminist Critique of Research on Cancer Pain
Authors: Im Eun-Ok , Chee Wonshik
Published: July 2003

A number of studies on cancer pain have been conducted but the researchers rarely considered gender and ethnic differences in cancer pain. In this article, nursing research on cancer pain is critiqued from a feminist perspective, and directions for future nursing research are proposed. A total of 82 nursing articles published in the United States were retrieved through MEDLINE and MELVYL data retrieval systems, and analyzed and critiqued in terms of four basic elements of research from a feminist perspective (bias as resources, dependability, credibility and adequacy, and intersubjectivity). In this article, the critique is presented with four themes that may provide reasons why nursing research on cancer pain rarely incorporated gender and ethnic differences: absence of participants’ own views and experiences, and rocentrism and ethnocentrism, lack of consideration on contextual factors, and distant relationships between researchers and research participants. To overcome the limitations, six critical elements including gender and ethnic sensitivity, avoidance of distorted views, respect for participants’ own views and interests, trust and openness, empowerment, and multiple methods are suggested to be incorporated in future nursing research on cancer pain.
Emotional Well-Being in a Person with Dementia
Authors: Kolanowski Ann M. , Litaker Mark S. , Catalano Patricia A. , Higgins Patricia A. , Heineken Jan
Published: July 2003

Self-reported mood and observations of affect are often used as indicators of emotional well-being. The purpose of this case study was to (a) describe the self-reported mood and affective pattern of an older man with severe cognitive impairments, (b) assess consistency in his responses to mood state, (c) compare mood pattern to premorbid personality, and (d) determine the concordance between self-reported mood and observed affect. Observations of mood and affect were taken three times per day for 35 days. There was concordance between self-reported mood and observed affect. The participant was consistent in his responses to mood 75% of the time. The pattern of self-reported mood reflected the participant’s long-standing personality traits of extraversion and neuroticism. Results, although not generalizable, demonstrate the need to consider the perspective of the person with dementia when addressing quality-of-life issues in research and practice.
Health-Promoting Self-Care in Family Caregivers
Authors: Acton Gayle J.
Published: July 2003

Caregiving for family members with cognitive impairment is stressful and time consuming. Because of the attention needed to manage the memory and behavior problems of the care receiver, family caregivers have little time to attend to their own health needs. Most research related to the health of family caregivers has been conducted within a stress-illness framework. Fewer researchers have studied caregiver health from a health-promotion paradigm. The purpose of this study was to compare health-promoting self-care behavior in family caregivers with demographically matched noncaregivers and to investigate the mediational effect of health-promoting self-care behavior on the relationship between stress and well-being. Findings revealed that family caregivers scored significantly lower on all measures of health promotion, with the exception of Nutrition and Number of Medications, and significantly higher on Barriers to Health-Promoting Actions. Health-promoting self-care behavior acted as a mediator to reduce the effect of caregiver stress on general well-being.
Critical Elements of Documentation for Data-Based Research
Authors: Antonakos Cathy L. , Miller Janis M. , Caruso Claire C.
Published: July 2003

Scientific integrity and progress are enhanced by precise documentation of the conceptual development and information management aspects of research. Careful and complete documentation of the research process supports accurate reporting. The exercise of documenting data management activities provides an opportunity for nurse researchers to reflect on a study to guide current work and inform and enhance future research. The literature includes many references to the need for data management but contains little advice regarding the nuts and bolts of documenting data management activities. This article describes specific steps for documenting data-based research beginning with the study design and ending with data analysis. The documentation framework and examples presented are sufficient to guide the comprehensive record keeping required for complex studies and can be modified to meet the simpler needs of smaller research projects.
Decreasing Effects of Iron Toxicosis on Selenium and Glutathione Peroxidase Activity
Authors: Bartfay Wally J. , Bartfay Emma
Published: July 2003

Heart failure due to chronic iron overload is a leading cause of cardiovascular mortality in the second and third decades of life worldwide, but its mechanism is not known. Deficiencies of selenium have been shown to result in damage to the myocardium and to the development of various cardiomyopathies. In the current investigation, the dose-dependent effects of chronic iron toxicosis on heart tissue concentrations of selenium and the protective antioxidant enzyme glutathione peroxidase (GPx) were investigated in a murine model of iron-overload cardiomyopathy (n = 20). Significant dose-dependent decreases in heart tissue selenium concentrations (r =- 0.95, p <0.001) and selenium-dependent GPx activity (r =- 0.93, p <0.001) were observed in chronically iron-loaded mice in comparison with placebo controls. These results suggest that dietary supplementation with selenium may be beneficial in the clinical management of disorders of iron metabolism.
Monitoring Hydration Status in Elderly Veterans
Authors: Wakefield Bonnie , Mentes Janet , Diggelmann Linda , Culp Kennith
Published: July 2003

Dehydration is a common water and electrolyte disorder in long-term care residents. Practical methods to detect and monitor dehydration are needed. This study determined whether urine color measured by a urine color chart reflects hydration status. The study employed a repeated measures design with two observations during a 10-hour period. Urine color was compared to the criterion standard of urine specific gravity and osmolality. The sample included 89 participants from two Veterans’ Affairs facilities. Urine color was graded on an eight-level color chart. Urine specific gravity and osmolality, serum sodium and osmolality, hematocrit, blood urea nitrogen (BUN), and creatinine were measured using standard laboratory procedures. Significant positive associations existed between urine color and both urine specific gravity and urine osmolality and between urine osmolality and serum sodium and the blood urea nitrogen to creatinine ratio. Although further testing is needed, the color chart has potential as a low-cost technology to monitor dehydration.
Self-Care in Adults with Sickle Cell Disease
Authors: Lenoci Jennifer M. , Telfair Joseph , Cecil Heather , Edwards Robert R.
Published: July 2003

This article summarizes the psychometric evaluation of the Chronic Illness Assessment Interview for Sickle Cell Disease (CIAI-SCD), an instrument based on a model of self-care for adult patients with chronic medical conditions. The CIAI-SCD was administered to 104 adults with sickle cell disease. A factor analysis identified three factors that reflected the psychological constructs of Personal Satisfaction and Perceived Control (Factor 1), Feeling Concerned and Worried (Factor 2), and Feeling Supported (Factor 3). Preliminary evidence for the internal consistency, test-retest reliability, content validity, and construct validity of the CIAI-SCD was obtained. After further refinement and validation, the CIAI-SCD may be a useful tool for assessing factors related to self-care skills among adults with sickle cell disease.
The Decision to Take Hormone Replacement Therapy among Women with Disabilities
Authors: Becker Heather , Stuifbergen Alexa K. , Gordon Dorothy
Published: July 2003

Whereas making decisions during menopause can be challenging for all women, those with physical impairments face special issues with respect to menopause in general and hormone replacement therapy (HRT) in particular. In this correlational study, the authors explored the factors such women consider when making decisions about HRT. One hundred sixty-seven women with physical impairments throughout the United States completed surveys concerning their attitudes and knowledge about HRT. Approximately half the menopausal women were currently taking HRT. The strongest predictor of HRT use was women’s perceptions of their health care providers’ opinions about their taking HRT, combined with their motivation to comply with the provider’s recommendation. This finding points to the significant role that nurses and other health care providers play in assisting women to make informed health care choices during menopause.
Examination of the Transtheoretical Model in Current Smokers
Authors: Andersen Susan , Keller Colleen
Published: July 2003

Although the transtheoretical model of behavior change has frequently been used as a basis for smoking-cessation programs, in very few studies have the study variables been linked with the theoretical concepts. This study used a convenience sample of 79 current smokers to determine the relationships among the stages of change and the processes of change. Logistic regressions were used in order to determine whether certain processes were related to specific stages and whether specific processes were related to movement among the stages. Participants in the precontemplation stage and the preparation stage were found to rely on specific processes, whereas those in the contemplation stage did not.
Using Hierarchical Cluster Analysis in Nursing Research
Authors: Beckstead Jason W.
Published: July 2003

This article is a pedagogical piece on hierarchical cluster analysis, a method for investigating the structure underlying data. Such methods are useful for finding similar groups of cases in data sets when it is not known a priori how many groups are present. The article is laid out as follows: First, a brief history and overview of the methods is presented; second, an illustrative example with a small hypothetical data set is used to clarify fundamental concepts; third, hierarchical cluster analysis is applied to a data set from the author’s own program of research to illustrate one way in which the methods may be employed in nursing research; fourth, the limitations of the methods are discussed; and finally, a list of suggested readings, at varying levels of detail, are provided for the interested researcher.
Older Latinos, Pets, and Health
Authors: Johnson Rebecca A. , Meadows Richard L.
Published: July 2003

The majority of the findings regarding pet ownership, interaction, and the human-animal bond have involved only Caucasians or have included other ethnic group members only incidentally. The extent to which older adults from other ethnic groups may benefit from pet ownership and interaction is unclear. If the benefits of human-animal interaction are to be used effectively in promoting health and preventing illness, it is necessary to identify the “boundaries” of effectiveness for this interaction across various populations. The present study is an initial effort at describing one ethnic minority group, Latino pet owners, the extent of their relationships with their pet, and the extent to which these relationships maybe beneficial in facilitating health. Twenty-four Latinos over age 50 were studied and are described in terms of their demographic characteristics, relationships with their pets, health, and exercise practices. The findings suggest that the participants were very devoted to their pets, had been involved with pets since child-hood, and viewed themselves as healthy.
Can Pets Function as Family Members?
Authors: Cohen Susan Phillips
Published: July 2003

This exploratory study investigated how clients of a large urban veterinary center viewed the role of their pet in the family and how they compared this role to that of humans. In Phase 1, randomly selected clients (N = 201) completed a questionnaire containing scales delineating family relationships and pet attachment. Being either a man or a college graduate was associated with lesser feelings of psychological kinship and intimacy, both with pets and people. Neither living with a partner nor having a child affected the strength of pet relationships. In Phase 2, 16 participants from Phase 1 completed a social network instrument and answered questions about family roles and boundaries. Thirteen of the 16 respondents said that there were circumstances in which they would give a scarce drug to their pet in preference to a person outside the family.
Companion Animals and Adaptation in Chronically Ill Children
Authors: Spence Linda J. , Kaiser Lana
Published: July 2003

Almost 20 million children in the U.S. have a chronic illness. Chronic illness requires ongoing management in the home, often with complex, stressful regimens. The increased lifespan of chronically ill children may lead to increased long term psychosocial and physical sequelae. Enhancing the quality of life for these children could promote optimal long-term adaptation. Health benefits of companion animals have been described across psychosocial, physiological, and behavioral spheres for healthy children and children with disabilities. These benefits have not been empirically examined for chronically ill children. This paper uses a stress-coping model to examine the role animals may play in adaptation for children with chronic illnesses. The contribution of companion animals to the constructs within the model and the adaptation process is discussed. This model provides a potential theoretical framework for synthesizing literature and pursuing empirical work on the role of companion animals in chronic childhood illness.
Animal-Assisted Therapy for Children with Pervasive Developmental Disorders
Authors: Martin François , Farnum Jennifer
Published: July 2003

The present study quantitatively evaluated the effects of interaction with dogs on children with pervasive developmental disorders (PDD), disorders characterized by lack of social communications and abilities. While interacting with a therapist, children were exposed to three different conditions: (a) a nonsocial toy(ball), (b) a stuffed dog, and (c) a live dog. Prosocial and nonsocial interactions were evaluated in terms of both behavioral and verbal dimensions. Results show that children exhibited a more playful mood, were more focused, and were more aware of their social environments when in the presence of a therapy dog. These findings indicate that interaction with dogs may have specific benefits for this population and suggest that animal-assisted therapy(AAT) maybe an appropriate form of therapy.
A Dog and a “Happy Person” Visit Nursing Home Residents
Authors: Kaiser Lana , Spence Linda J. , McGavin Lily , Struble Laura , Keilman Linda
Published: July 2003

Recent recognition of the importance of the human-animal bond has led to the proliferation of programs designed to improve the lives of nursing home residents through the use of animals. Because human-human interaction in the nursing home setting is often of an obligatory nature, we wondered if a visit from a nonjudgmental, outgoing, enthusiastic young adult (“a happy person”) could elicit the same positive influence as a visit from a nonjudgmental dog. The purpose of this study was to determine if elderly residents of a midwestern nursing home had a preference for the type of visitor (dog vs. person) when both visits were nonobligatory and nonjudgmental. Behaviors were evaluated to determine if one visitor was more likely to influence prosocial behaviors (moving closer, patting, smiling). Six residents were visited by both the dog and the happy person; 5 of 6 completed the final interview. Residents were equally likely to smile at and move closer to both visitors. Residents were more likelyto pat the dog. Three residents liked both visits equally; 1 preferred the dog, and 1 preferred the happy person. These data suggest that nonobligatoryvisits to nursing home residents from a happy person maybe as beneficial to the resident as visits from a dog.
Evaluating Quality of Telehealth Advice Nursing
Authors: Chang Betty L. , Mayo Ann , Omery Anna
Published: July 2003

Despite an increased interest in advice nursing, the quality of care has not been addressed. This article examines the quality of the nursing process (including problem identification, care planning, intervention, and evaluation) and its relationship to patient (consumer) outcomes. A sample of 157 nonredundant telephone calls from adults with medical-surgical problems were audiotaped, with providers’ and callers’ consent, and were rated through an implicit review method by registered nurse raters. The quality of the nursing process was found to be the best in the area of intervention. Patient (consumer) satisfaction was high with 95.4% of the consumers rating the calls as completely or at least somewhat satisfying, and 93.2% stating the advice was very or somewhat helpful. This study pioneers a way to rate the quality of advice nursing and lays the groundwork for further investigations of health care provider behavior and consumer outcomes.
Ethnic Differences in Exercise among Adults with Diabetes
Authors: Wood Felecia G.
Published: July 2003

The purposes of this secondary analysis of data from the National Health and Nutrition Examination Survey (NHANES) III Household Adult Data File (1988-1994) were to describe and compare exercise practices and preferences of adult Caucasians, African Americans, and Hispanics with diabetes and to relate that information to diabetes treatment modalities. The research questions were: (a) What proportion of ethnically diverse adults with diabetes do and do not exercise? (b) What are the preferred types of exercise by ethnicity, gender, and age? and (c) What are the relationships among exercise participation, exercise preference, and treatment of diabetes by ethnic group? More than one third of the total sample reported no exercise within the last month. There were no significant differences in amount of exercise by ethnic group. Gardening and walking were the preferred forms of exercise across age, gender, ethnicity, and treatment.
Modeling Attitudinal Antecedents of Nurses’ Decisions to Report Impaired Colleagues
Authors: Beckstead Jason W.
Published: July 2003

Nurses whose professional functioning is impaired due to substance abuse represent a threat to the health and safety of patients, other health care staff, and themselves. The major means for identifying impaired nurses is nonimpaired coworkers. Yet, only 37% of nurses who have had experiences working with impaired colleagues reported them to supervisors. A cross-sectional correlational research design, employing structural equation modeling, was used to explicate the relationships among the latent attitudinal constructs: permissiveness, morality, treatment efficacy regarding substance abuse, and punitive attitudes toward impaired nurses. The influences of these attitudes on perceived severity of impairment in fictitious coworkers and subsequent intentions to report these coworkers to nursing supervisors were modeled in a sample of 126 nurses. Permissiveness and positive attitude toward treatment were significantly related to intentions to report nurses. Moralistic attitude was not related to intention. Moralistic attitude was, however, strongly associated with a punitive attitude toward impaired nurses.
Complex Sampling Designs and Statistical Issues in Secondary Analysis
Authors: Kneipp Shawn M. , Yarandi Hossein N.
Published: July 2003

Conducting secondary analysis using large national survey data sets to answer pressing research questions is gaining acceptance in the nursing science community. There are, however, challenges confronted by researchers who wish to apply secondary analysis to large data sets due to the incorporation of complex sampling designs. This article presents sampling design issues inherent in many large national surveys and explains the rationale for applying sample and variance estimation weights when conducting statistical analyses. In addition, the rationale for using statistical software packages capable of analyzing data derived from complex sampling designs is described. Examples of differences in statistical outcomes with and without weights using Stata and SPSS are provided using data from the Medical Expenditure Panel Survey (MEPS). Based on the example analyses, the implications of the statistical outcome differences for study findings are discussed.
Impairing Injuries among Medical Personnel
Authors: Öhman Ulla , Bylund Per-Olof , Björnstig Ulf
Published: July 2003

Medically impairing injuries among medical personnel (n = 209) were analyzed based on data obtained from the Work-Related No-Fault Liability Insurance’s (TFA) injury registration system. Almost half (98; 47%) were injured during patient care, of which 29 were injured as a result of physical trauma inflicted by the patient. When moving themselves between the homes of the patients and between different wards, 94 (45%) were injured (18 in vehicle crashes). The injuries most often resulting in medical impairment were sprains and/or strains (101; 48%) and fractures (67; 32%). The injuries primarily affected the upper extremities (48%). Fifteen percent had a medical impairment of 10% or more, and in about half of the cases, the impairment was 1% to 4%. Every injured person was on sick leave for 7 months, on average, during the 2-year follow-up period. In 12% of the cases, the injury led to a disability pension.
Aboriginal Nurses’ Beliefs, Attitudes, and Values about Sexuality in Taiwan
Authors: Tsai Yun-Fang
Published: July 2003

The potential of risky sexual behaviors and adolescent unplanned pregnancy has become a primary issue in the health care system for aborigines in eastern Taiwan. Using aboriginal nurses to provide information on sexual behaviors may have potential in promoting healthy sexual practices among aborigines. The purposes of this study were to explore Taiwanese aboriginal nurses’ beliefs, attitudes, and values about sexuality. Several health centers in eastern Taiwan were randomly selected to recruit participants in the year 2000. A self-report questionnaire was administered to 206 female nurses (mean age = 28.4, SD = 7.4) who worked in various clinical units. The results revealed that aboriginal nurses hold moderately positive beliefs, attitudes, and values about sexuality. The conflict between aboriginal nurses’ belief and value systems about sexuality was clear. A conflict between aboriginal nurses’ value systems and patients’ behaviors also existed. Strategies to help aboriginal nurses to be more aware of their beliefs, attitudes, and values about sexuality should be an essential issue in the practice and education of nurses.
Answering Philosophical Questions Facing Contemporary Nursing Practice
Authors: Sarvimäki Anneli
Published: July 2003

The purpose of the article is to point out the relevance of asking and answering philosophical questions in nursing. The author characterizes philosophical questions as higher order questions that cannot be answered by empirical observations alone. Questions about the nature of nursing reality, about the nature of nursing knowledge, and about the validity of ethical principles are mentioned as examples of such questions. The means for dealing with philosophical questions in nursing range from formal, logical analysis to philosophical poems.
What Constitutes a Nursing Practical Skill?
Authors: Bjørk Ida Torunn , Romyn Donna M.
Published: July 2003

Practical nursing skills ensure patients’physical comfort, hygiene, and safe medical treatment. The learning, performance, or significance of nursing practical skills are seldom a theme in theoretical and philosophical debate or the topic of research within nursing. This might be due to a long-standing behavioristic tradition in nursing of viewing nursing practical skills in a simplistic way, only as correctly sequenced motor movement. The purpose of this article is to bring forth an argument for a broader understanding of the constitution of nursing practical skills. This argument is substantiated by a review of past and present conceptualizations of nursing practical skills as well as by philosophical reflections on the value of practical skills in the nursing profession. Nursing practical skills embrace dimensions of performance, intention, and nursing “disciplined” understanding.
A Matter of Extinction or Distinction
Authors: Nagle Lynn M.
Published: July 2003

In view of fiscal constraints and the increasingly technical environments of health care, the essential and unique contributions of all health care providers, including nurses, are being challenged. This article examines current challenges to the role of nurses and the future of nursing as a unique discipline. As the work of nurses becomes increasingly defined by the technologies of care, what will distinguish nursing from other disciplines and nurses from other care providers? Can nurses lay claim to uniqueness in their knowledge base, technical competencies, and caring behaviors? Other types of workers are increasingly rendering elements of clinical care traditionally provided by nurses. As we move into the next millennium, will nursing become extinct or distinct as a health care profession?
Is Integrative Science Necessary to Improve Nursing Practice?
Authors: Walker Lorraine O.
Published: July 2003

This article explores integrative science as a perspective for overcoming intellectual barriers between nurses’ valuing of the holistic person and the science and technology that drives advances in health care. Several meanings of integrative science are reflected in health science literature. One use of integrative science refers to comprehensive and unifying theories (or view-points) that draw together interrelated aspects of a field. Another use of integrative science pertains to efforts to formulate models that accommodate the special dualities that exist in studying humans. Integrative science as a perspective addresses overcoming intellectual separation of knowledge relevant to understanding of persons or populations by an open-ended sharing and juxtaposing of knowledge relevant to solving that problem. For nursing, integrative science may pose a threat to nursing knowledge. Failure to thrive, a nutritional and psychosocial phenomenon, is presented as an example of a topic manifesting the need for an integrative science perspective.
Nurses’ Participation in the Euthanasia Programs of Nazi Germany
Authors: Benedict Susan , Kuhla Jochen
Published: July 2003

During the Nazi era, so-called euthanasia programs were established for handicapped and mentally ill children and adults. Organized killings of an estimated 70,000 German citizens took place at killing centers and in psychiatric institutions. Nurses were active participants; they intentionally killed more than 10,000 people in these involuntary euthanasia programs. After the war was over, most of the nurses were never punished for these crimes against humanity—although some nurses were tried along with the physicians they assisted. One such trial was of 14 nurses and was held in Munich in 1965. Although some of these nurses reported that they struggled with a guilty conscience, others did not see anything wrong with their actions, and they believed that they were releasing these patients from their suffering.
Issues in Clinical Nursing Research
Authors: Nield-Anderson Leslie , Dixon Jane Karpe , Lee Kimberly
Published: July 2003

This article presents two case examples in which women with sickle cell disease, when invited to participate in a nursing experiment, requested assignment to the experimental group. This experience stimulated the authors to explore the ethics of random assignment relative to equipoise, informed consent, patient choices, study validity, the clinician-patient relationship, patient support networks, and other issues. There is a need for in-depth discussion about random assignment and its implications within the nursing research and advanced practice communities.
Conceptual and Technical Considerations when Combining Large Data Sets
Authors: Orsi Allen J. , Grey Margaret , Mahon Margaret M. , Moriarty Helene J. , Shepard Margaret P. , Carroll Ruth M.
Published: July 2003

Secondary analysis provides a useful method for the development of new knowledge. Larger samples can be constructed, and secondary analysis can be enhanced when data sets are combined. A standardized method for combining large data sets is crucial, yet literature on methods for combining large data sets for secondary analysis is lacking. The purpose of this article is to outline and explain the process of combining two or more large data sets (n = 276, n = 125) for secondary analysis by using these authors’previous work with large oncology and AIDS caregiver data sets.
Issues to Consider when Choosing and Using Large National Databases for Research of Families
Authors: Moriarty Helene J. , Deatrick Janet A. , Mahon Margaret M. , Feetham Suzanne L. , Carroll Ruth M. , Shepard Margaret P. , Orsi Allen J.
Published: July 2003

Secondary analysis of large national databases offers promise for research of families. In this article, issues that the secondary analyst must consider when choosing a database for research of families are described. Potential advantages and limitations of databases are discussed. Strategies to minimize potential limitations are highlighted.
Conceptual and Pragmatic Considerations in Conducting a Secondary Analysis
Authors: Shepard Margaret P. , Carroll Ruth M. , Mahon Margaret M. , Moriarty Helene J. , Feetham Suzanne L. , Deatrick Janet A. , Orsi Allen J.
Published: July 2003

In this article, the authors discuss conceptual and pragmatic considerations for conducting research of families using large secondary data sets. Conceptual considerations include establishing consistency among the theory, variables, and available data, and determining reliability and validity of the data in the context of the theory. Pragmatic considerations include the use of resources such as management of the data among several authors, criteria and methods for selection of a subsample, and, recoding of the data to examine dyadic difference scores. The Family Special Interest Group of the Eastern Nursing Research Society initiated this research as part of a project to analyze families using large national data sets. The purpose of the secondary analysis was to identify family beliefs about healt-promoting behaviors. Combining parent and teen data to create relational level data resulted in new information that had not been identified in the original survey.
Stress, Social Support, and Sense of Coherence
Authors: Wolff Angela C. , Ratner Pamela A.
Published: July 2003

In the Salutogenic Model, Aaron Antonovsky suggested that a sense of coherence (SOC) is the key determinant in the maintenance of health. He theorized that individuals with a strong SOC have the ability to (a) define life events as less stressful (comprehensibility), (b) mobilize resources to deal with encountered stressors (manageability), and (c) possess the motivation, desire, and commitment to cope (meaningfulness). To determine the effects of SOC on health outcomes, a greater understanding of the development and maintenance of SOC is necessary. Data from the 1994 Canadian National Population Health Survey were analyzed to investigate the effects of stress, social support, and recent traumatic life events on SOC. As predicted, stress and recent traumatic events were found to be inversely related to SOC, and social support was positively related. Traumatic events encountered in childhood were stronger predictors of SOC than traumatic life events experienced in adulthood.
Depressive Symptomatology in Three Latino Groups
Authors: Munet-Vilaró Frances , Folkman Susan , Gregorich Steve
Published: July 2003

The purpose of this study was to examine depressive symptomatology in three Latino groups: Mexicans living in Mexico City, Latino immigrants living in the South Bay area of San Francisco, and Puerto Ricans living on the island of Puerto Rico. The Spanish version of the Center for Epidemiological Studies Depression Scale (CES-D) was used as part of a larger study on stress and coping. The levels of depressive symptomatology in all three Latino groups were significantly higher than those reported in other Latino samples and in White Americans. Mexican immigrants reported the highest levels of depressive symptomatology.
Parent-Child Interactions and Development of Toddlers Born Preterm
Authors: Magill-Evans Joyce , Harrison Margaret J. , Burke Sharon Ogden
Published: July 2003

Fathers and mothers of 49 healthy preterm and 54 full-term infants were observed interacting with their child at 3 and 12 months using the Nursing Child Assessment Teaching Scale. Each parent completed the Parenting Stress Index at both times. At 18 months adjusted age, the children were assessed using the Bayley Scales of Infant Development, Sequenced Inventory of Communication Development-Revised, and MacArthur Communicative Development Inventory. Preterm children scored significantly lower on the Bayley Mental scale and on the number of words produced. Early parent-child interactions contributed to the child’s development. Mother’s interactions with the child, child gender, and family socioeconomic status predicted 17% of the variance in the Bayley Mental score. Mother’s and father’s interactions with the child, child gender, and the child’s behavior with his or her mother predicted 22% of the variance in receptive communication skills.
Proximal and Distal Correlates of Maternal Control Style
Authors: Sullivan Mary C. , McGrath Margaret M. , Harrison Margaret J.
Published: July 2003

Control, as an aspect of maternal interaction, has been found to be an important component to optimal child development. Maternal control style is defined as a mother’s tendency to be controlling or supportive of her child’s autonomy. The relationship between two types of maternal characteristics, proximal and distal, and maternal control style was investigated in a sample of 184 mothers and their 4-year-old children. Global ratings of videotaped data of two problem-solving tasks were made on a 5-point scale. An optimal maternal control style was associated with higher levels of the distal maternal characteristics of maternal education, age, occupation, and higher levels of the proximal characteristics of maternal responsivity and involvement. A hierarchical regression model explaining 26% of the variance in maternal control style scores supports the importance of both types of maternal characteristics. The results are discussed in relation to the methodology and the theoretical framework of role.
Maternity Care during the Post-World War II Baby Boom
Authors: Martell Louise K.
Published: July 2003

The purpose of this study is to describe maternity nursing during the post-World War II Baby Boom from the perspective of general duty nurses. During the Baby Boom, maternity care changed with medical advances and the highest birth rate ever in the United States. This study provides insight into the impact of context on nurses’work experiences. Seven general duty postpartum or nursery nurses were interviewed about their nursing experiences during the Baby Boom. Constant comparative analysis was used to synthesize the transcripts of the interviews into in-depth descriptions of participants’work experiences. The large numbers of mothers and babies in their care, the prevailing concerns for infections, and paternalism influenced these nurses’work. Expectations about and by the nurses as well as work relationships contributed to the nurses’acceptance and rejection of changes in care of mothers and babies.
Fatigue among Elders in Caregiving and Noncaregiving Roles
Authors: Teel Cynthia S. , Press Allan N. , Lindgren Carolyn L. , Nichols Elizabeth G. , Teel Cynthia S. , Press Allan N.
Published: July 2003

Fatigue is a complex symptom prevalent in informal caregiving. When role demands exceed caregiver resources, fatigue ensues and caregiving can be compromised. The purpose of this study was to compare perceptions of fatigue among older adults (N = 92) caring for spouses with Alzheimer’s disease, Parkinson’s disease, or cancer with a control group of older adults (N = 33) whose spouses required no extra care. Caregiving elders reported more fatigue, less energy, and more sleep difficulty than did control participants. All caregiving groups reported similar levels of fatigue, energy, sleep, and self-reported health even though there were marked differences regarding spousal status. Health care providers can support older caregivers in monitoring their own health and in recognizing the need for services that support the caregiving role.
Grief in Spouse and Children Caregivers of Dementia Patients
Authors: Lindgren Carolyn L. , Connelly Carolyn T. , Gaspar Heidi L.
Published: July 2003

Caring for a family member with dementia involves loss and inevitable grief during the illness duration. The purpose of this study was to determine the patterns of grief of caregivers of family members with dementia and the relationship of those patterns to the losses and experiences of the caregivers. Participants were 22 spouse caregivers and 11 adult children caregivers of family members with dementia. Caregivers’experiences were measured using visual analog scales and grief using The Grief Experience Inventory. Caregivers’ perceptions of the level of affection before the illness and the satisfaction of the marriage before the illness were inversely related to grief symptoms. Grief symptoms were also related to participants’ perceptions of loss of the future. Caregivers’emotional distress includes reaction to the losses they are encountering long before their care recipients die.
Self-Reported Health-Promoting Behaviors of Black and White Caregivers
Authors: McDonald Patricia E. , Fink Sue V. , Wykle May L.
Published: July 2003

The purpose of this study was to describe the behaviors that caregivers report carrying out to maintain their own health, and to compare the health-promoting behaviors of Black and White caregivers. Although many studies have examined health-promoting behaviors, few have examined health promotion among caregivers. Reported studies of caregivers’ health-promoting behaviors have not compared cultural groups. The sample for this study was selected by random digit dialing, and included 136 Black and 257 White caregivers of frail elders. Content analysis of respondents’ answers to the open-ended question, “In general, what do you do to stay healthy?” was used to address the research questions. Most caregivers reported specific behaviors they engaged in for the purpose of staying healthy. Although most of their behaviors addressed physical health, caregivers also mentioned behaviors that contribute to mental and spiritual health. Both differences and similarities were found in Black and White caregivers’ self-reported health behaviors, which have important implications for nursing practice and research in the future.
An Adolescent and Young Adult Condom Perception Scale
Authors: Hanna Kathleen M. , Tompkins Emily S.
Published: July 2003

A methodological study was conducted to initially test the psychometric properties of an adolescent and young adult condom perception scale. A 25-item scale measured the constructs of perceived benefits and barriers to using condoms in preventing human immunodeficiency virus and other sexually transmitted diseases. The items were developed based on a review of the literature and a review by experts who work with adolescents. The scale was self-administered to 209 voluntary participants (13 to 26 years of age), with 198 completing without missing data. Item analysis (interitem correlations, item to total correlations, and contribution to alpha coefficient) was conducted, and 10 items were deleted. Principal axis factor analysis with varimax rotation yielded three factors, which accounted for 44% of the variance. The factors were relationship-oriented barriers, condom benefits, and sexual satisfaction barriers. The total scale had an alpha coefficient of .82. The scale should be beneficial to further research of condom perceptions and use.
Effects of Traumatic Events, Social Support, and Self-Efficacy on Adolescents’ Self-Health Assessments
Authors: Cheever Kerry H. , Hardin Sally B.
Published: July 2003

The purpose of this study was to examine the relationship between adolescents’exposure to traumatic events and their self-health assessments, and to examine the protective effects of social support and self-efficacy on this relationship. Survey results (N = 1,427) indicated that experiencing violent and nonviolent negative life events and being exposed to a disaster were inversely associated with adolescents’ positive health assessments. As social support and self-efficacy decreased, adolescents’ health assessments worsened. Female and Black adolescents had less favorable health assessments than their male and White counterparts. Findings suggest that traumatic events are predictive of adolescents’health assessments and that social support and self-efficacy prevent adolescents’health assessments from declining following traumatic events.
The Moderator-Mediator Role of Social Support in Early Adolescents
Authors: Yarcheski Adela , Mahon Noreen E.
Published: July 2003

The purpose of this study was to examine social support as both a mediator and a moderator of the relationship between perceived stress and symptom patterns in early adolescents. Data were collected from 148 early adolescent boys and girls, ages 12 to 14, who responded to the Perceived Stress Scale, the Personal Resource Questionnaire 85-Part II, and the Symptom Pattern Scale. Using multiple regression analysis procedures specified for the testing of moderation and mediation, results indicated that social support did not play a moderating role in the relationship between perceived stress and symptom patterns, but social support did play a mediating role in this relationship. The findings are interpreted within the two major theoretical orientations that guided the study.
Life Histories of Rural Mexican American Adolescents Experiencing Abuse
Authors: Champion Jane Dimmitt
Published: July 2003

Histories of family violence are predictors of adolescent acceptance of interpersonal violence within intimate relationships. This study focused on the progression of abusive relationships from childhood to courtship and intimacy among 40 rural Mexican American adolescents in the southwestern United States. Emphasis was on interactions that were extensions of cultural expectations for intimacy, family, and sex roles. Within these life histories, transgenerational patterns of violence were found in patterns of learning, loving and belonging through past and present relationships. Sex-role identification with abusive behavior occurred across generations, emulating roles from the past and perpetuating expectations for abuse as part of intimacy. Previous abusive experiences were described as motivation for behavioral change, yet, within the patterns of learning, loving, and belonging in relationships, patterns of abuse and behaviors similar to the family of origin were found. An understanding of the influential role attitudes and expectations of abused individuals and their families has on behavior is relevant for interventions preventing existent and future abuse.