A TEST OF A MODEL OF THE RELATIONSHIPS BETWEEN TIME ORIENTATION, PERCEPTION OF THREAT, HOPE, AND SELF-CARE BEHAVIOR OF PERSONS WITH CHRONIC OBSTRUCTIVE PULMONARY DISEASE (PULMONARY DISEASE).
Contributors: Indiana University School of Nursing.
Published: 1990
Number of pages: 221
Subjects: Health Sciences, Nursing.
Description: A causal model that extended Lazarus and Folkman's (Lazarus, 1966; Lazarus and Folkman, 1984) theory of stress and coping was tested with a sample of 97 adults who had medically diagnosed chronic obstructive pulmonary disease (COPD). The purpose was to test the relationships between the proposed causal model's variables (time orientation, age, perceived threat, educational level, hope, and self-care behavior) and to contribute to the understanding of factors that influence self-care behavior of persons who have COPD. Hypotheses for the correlational field study were: (1) time orientation directly affects threat, (2) time orientation directly affects hope, (3) perceived threat directly and positively affects self-care behavior, (4) perceived threat indirectly affects self-care behavior through hope, (5) degree of perceived hope directly and positively affects self-care behavior, (6) age indirectly affects self-care behavior through time orientation, and (7) educational level indirectly affects self-care behavior through perceived threat.

The following tools were used to measure the variables: Time Reference Inventory (Roos, 1962), time orientation; Miller Hope Scale (1986), hope; Moneyham Threat Index (1988), threat; and the Alberto COPD Self-Care Behavior Inventory, self-care behavior. Lisrel analysis was used to test the causal model. Hypotheses three, four, and five were supported by the data but the model was rejected due to a large chi-square statistic (33.66, 22 df, p =.053).

A modified model which excluded all nonsignificant paths and which added a path from self-care behavior to threat was tested. The data supported the model (chi-square = 8.18, 5 df, p =.147). The path coefficients, which ranged from.267 to.560, were statistically significant (p $<$.01). It was concluded for the sample that a positively toned future orientation decreases threat; hope is an important resource; and self-care behavior is performed to relieve symptoms and/or prevent complications. Recommendations for further research were made.
Notes: Source: Dissertation Abstracts International, Volume: 52-08, Section: B, page: 4119.

Thesis (D.N.S.)--INDIANA UNIVERSITY SCHOOL OF NURSING, 1990.

School code: 0815.