QUALITY OF LIFE OF ELDERLY WOMEN WITH SPINAL FRACTURES SECONDARY TO OSTEOPOROSIS.
Contributors: University of Alabama at Birmingham.
Published: 1996
Number of pages: 290
Subjects: Health Sciences, Nursing.; Health Sciences, Mental Health.; Gerontology.
Description: The purpose of this study was to describe the effects of sociodemographic characteristics, bone density, bone fractures, perceived health, pharmacologic agents, and exercise on the quality of life of community dwelling elderly women with spinal fractures due to osteoporosis. Roy's adaptation model and quality of life provided the conceptual framework. Descriptive statistics and regression-based path analysis were used to analyze the data. A nonexperimental causal model was tested with a convenience sample of 105 elderly women with osteoporotic spinal fractures living independently in a rural New England community. Data were collected using an investigator-developed sociodemographic questionnaire, the Cantril Ladder, the Yale Physical Activity Scale, the Osteoporosis Quality of Life Questionnaire, and a medical record review. Findings revealed that transportation by a friend, spinal fractures, and health perception had direct effects on quality of life. Perception of financial security, participation in a research study, and attitude toward retirement had indirect effects on quality of life through spinal fractures and health perception. Age, religion, marital status, type of residence, level of education, bone density, hip fractures, Colles fractures, pharmacologic agents, and exercise had no effect on quality of life. The variables in the causal model accounted for 63% of the variance ($R\sp2$ =.63) in quality of life.
Notes: Source: Dissertation Abstracts International, Volume: 57-08, Section: B, page: 4976.

Thesis (D.S.N.)--UNIVERSITY OF ALABAMA AT BIRMINGHAM, 1996.

School code: 0005.