PREDICTORS OF FUNCTIONAL HEALTH IN LOW SOCIOECONOMIC STATUS, COMMUNITY-LIVING BLACK OLDER WOMEN WITH OSTEOARTHRITIS (BLACK WOMEN, WOMEN ELDERLY).
Contributors: University of Tennessee Center for the Health Sciences.
Published: 1994
Number of pages: 224
Subjects: Health Sciences, Nursing.; Health Sciences, Public Health.; Psychology, Psychobiology.
Description: Functional health is a multidimensional construct that comprises indices of physical, psychological, and social function. The functional health of Black older women is disproportionately affected by chronic illnesses such as osteoarthritis. Past studies have not examined the predictors of functional health in Black older women with osteoarthritis. The purpose of this study was to measure the influence of ethnically relevant indices of physical, psychological, and social function on the functional health of low socioeconomic status, community-living Black older women who have medically diagnosed osteoarthritis and no history of known coexisting medical conditions that cause severe debilitation. Using a non-experimental, correlational design, a non-probability, convenience sample of 100 Black older female participants from two local senior centers were interviewed. Functional health was measured with the Arthritis Impact Measurement Scales 2; physical function with body mass index, number of arthritic joints, and a Timed Eight-Foot Walk (timed walk); psychological function with the Short Portable Mental Status Questionnaire, Geriatric Depression Scale, and Spiritual Perspective Scale; social function with the demographics of age, income, and education, and the family characteristic of family size.

After identifying pertinent intercorrelations and candidate predictors from Spearman and Pearson correlation coefficients, multiple regression and path analysis data indicated that level of functional health could be determined using three interrelated variables: timed walk, number of arthritic joints, and depression. This combination of two physical function indices and one psychological function index explained 45% ($R\sp2 = .4535$) of the variance in functional health adjusted score and 52% ($R\sp2 = .5233$) of the variance in functional health unadjusted score. Depression was highly correlated with other antecedents and explained the largest amount of variance. Furthermore, 9 of 10 independent variables had direct or indirect influence on the level of functional health.

Study findings support the literature based conceptual framework guiding the study by showing evidence that all original independent variables except family size were antecedents of multidimensional functional health in Black older women with osteoarthritis. Findings also expand nursing knowledge and have major implications for future research and development of functional health intervention programs.
Notes: Source: Dissertation Abstracts International, Volume: 56-02, Section: B, page: 0744.

Thesis (PH.D.)--THE UNIVERSITY OF TENNESSEE CENTER FOR THE HEALTH SCIENCES, 1994.

School code: 0783.