THE RELATIONSHIP OF THE SENSE OF COHERENCE AND HARDINESS TO THE NUTRITIONAL STATUS OF ANORECTIC HEAD AND NECK CANCER PATIENTS (CANCER PATIENTS).
Contributors: Catholic University of America.
Published: 1991
Number of pages: 179
Subjects: Health Sciences, Nursing.; Psychology, Personality.; Health Sciences, Nutrition.; Psychology, Physiological.
Description: Nurses frequently identify patients who do well despite serious medical problems. One example of this is the subset of patients with head and neck cancer who maintain their weight or lose less weight than expected during radiation therapy. The Sense of Coherence and Hardiness are two theoretical constructs that may help to explain this positive response to adverse situations.

This study explored the relationship of the Sense of Coherence and Hardiness to the ability of 26 male and 13 female ambulatory head and neck cancer patients to maintain their nutritional status during radiation therapy. The Sense of Coherence was measured by the Orientation to Life Questionnaire; Hardiness was measured by the Health Related Hardiness Scale; and Nutritional Status was defined by the Body Mass Index.

Using Pearson Product Moment Correlations for each of the scales and subscales of the Orientation to Life Questionnaire and the Health Related Hardiness Scale it was determined that Hardiness was not significantly related to nutritional status during radiation therapy in this sample. Scores on the Orientation to Life Questionnaire did demonstrate a significant relationship between the Sense of Coherence and maintenance of nutritional status during radiation therapy. That is, those who maintained or improved nutritional status tended to score higher in Sense of Coherence. As would be expected, Sense of Coherence and Hardiness were positively related. It appears that of these instruments the Orientation to Life Questionnaire is more sensitive than the Health Related Hardiness Scale in explaining differences between patients who maintain their nutritional status and those who do not.
Notes: Source: Dissertation Abstracts International, Volume: 53-07, Section: B, page: 3399.

Thesis (D.N.SC.)--THE CATHOLIC UNIVERSITY OF AMERICA, 1991.

School code: 0043.