Biomedical subjects

J A Zauszniewski

Publications and source records attributed to J A Zauszniewski.

At least 19 recordsLinked to original sources

PubMed2006

Effects of teaching resourcefulness skills to elders.

The objective of this study was to examine the effects of learned resourcefulness training (LRT) on health of elders in retirement communities (RCs). In a clinical trial, 46 elders in four randomly selected RCs received resourcefulness training and were compared to 43 elders in four RCs who participated in a focused reflection reminiscence (FRR) group. The two groups were similar at baseline. Repeated measures analysis of variance revealed no changes on anxiety or depression over time; however, both were significantly correlated with functional status (r's = 0.29 and 0.35, p's < 0.01), self-assessed health (r's = -0.18 and -0.26, p's < 0.05), and resourcefulness (r's = -0.24 and -0.21, p's < 0.05). Although main effects for group were not significant, interaction effects of group and time on self-assessed health and functional status were found. These findings suggest that although teaching resourcefulness to groups of elders in RCs may have beneficial effects on improving their perception of health and functioning over time, significant effects on mental health may not be apparent.

Activities of Daily Living↗

PubMed2001

Resourcefulness and health practices of diabetic women.

More than one fourth of the millions of Americans with Type 2 diabetes experience depression, of which two thirds are women. Unless the individual is resourceful, coexisting diabetes and depression adversely affect one' health practices. The effects of diabetic and depressive symptoms on health practices and the mediating and moderating role of learned resourcefulness in this relationship were examined in 90 women with Type 2 diabetes. Regression analyses showed direct negative effects of diabetic and depressive symptoms on health practices. The effects of depressive, but not diabetic, symptoms were partially mediated by resourcefulness; no moderating effects were found. The results suggest the need to test interventions to minimize symptoms associated with diabetes, particularly depression. Teaching resourcefulness to Type 2 diabetic women may promote their positive health practices by minimizing their depression.

Adaptation, Psychological↗

PubMed2001

Social cognitive factors predicting the health of elders.

The social cognitive model of health is primarily concerned with influences on a person's decisions to perform health behaviors. In this study, the relationships among social cognitive factors reflecting enabling skills (learned resourcefulness), internal motivation for health (health self-determinism), and help responses (coping responses) and a measure of physical and psychosocial health were examined in 137 chronically ill elders. Gender, race, and number of chronic conditions were predictors of learned resourcefulness. Learned resourcefulness was associated with the use of informal help, whereas health self-determinism was related to self-help and formal help. None of the help responses were significant predictors of health. Model testing revealed that greater resourcefulness or skill in coping with stressful situations was the most important predictor of health. Strategies are recommended to help elders achieve optimal health.

Adaptation, Psychological↗

PubMed2001

Sensation and Distress of Pain Scales: reliability, validity, and sensitivity.

Psychometric properties of the Sensation and Distress of Pain Visual Analogue Scales (VAS) are compared to dual numerical rating scales (NRS) with data from a randomized controlled trial of postoperative patients. On postoperative days 1 and 2, 15-minute test-retest reliability was .73 to .82 for the VAS and slightly lower for the NRS, r = .72 to .78, while convergent validity of the scales ranged from r = .90 to .92; construct validity of sensation and distress ranged from r = .72 to .85; and discriminant validity was lower, r = .65 to .78. Both instruments were significantly associated with pain reduction following treatment, p < .05 to .01. The VAS scores were significantly lower, p < .01 to .001, and more evenly distributed than NRS scores. It is recommended that the VAS be used in research to produce continuous scores that are more suited to parametric analysis.

Humans↗

PubMed2000

Translation and validation of Caregiving Satisfaction Scale into Korean.

The purpose of this study was to establish the equivalence and to examine the psychometric properties of a Korean translation of the Caregiving Satisfaction Scale (CSS). A convenience sample of 44 bilingual Koreans was selected. The Cronbach's alpha for the English and Korean versions were .87 and .90, respectively. There was significant mean difference between items 3 and 12 of the English items and their Korean translations. Pearson's Correlations demonstrated that 13 of the 15 CSS items had significant correlations (r = .35-.75, p < .05) between two versions. The correlation between total scores of both versions was .86 (p < .001). Overall, none of the items would be regarded as having unacceptable numeric properties. According to the fine process for translation, back-translation, and bilingual field test, the Korean version of the CSS appears to have concrete construct validity and reliability for use in measuring caregiver satisfaction in the Korean population.

Adult↗

PubMed2000

Spirituality, resourcefulness, and arthritis impact on health perception of elders with rheumatoid arthritis.

Arthritis is the leading chronic condition for older adults and the leading cause of disability in the United States. Providing holistic care to promote positive health perception and support healthy lifestyle decisions with these individuals is critical in attaining and maintaining quality of life. This study examined variables reflecting reactions to stress, lines of defense and resistance, and the basic core of humans in the context of the Neuman Systems Model in a convenience sample of 47 adults with a mean age of 70.4 years. The combined effects of the social, emotional, and physical impact of arthritis and additive or mediating effects of learned resourcefulness and spirituality on general health perception in older adults were investigated. Social, emotional, and physical impact together predicted health perception. The social impact of arthritis was a significant independent predictor for spirituality. Furthermore, spirituality and health perception were significantly correlated.

Adaptation, Psychological↗

PubMed1999

Developmental task achievement and learned resourcefulness in healthy older adults.

Although resourcefulness has been found to promote healthy functioning and is believed to be learned throughout life, studies have not examined relationships between developmental variables and resourcefulness. This study examined Erikson's eight developmental tasks as predictors of learned resourcefulness in 60 healthy elders. Hierarchical regression based on Erikson's theory revealed that 37% of the variance in learned resourcefulness was explained by trust, autonomy, initiative, industry, and identity whereas intimacy, generativity, and integrity were not significant. The results suggest that mastery of developmental tasks through adolescence play a key role in determining how resourceful healthy elders are in their daily activities.

Adaptation, Psychological↗

PubMed1999

Depressive cognitions and psychosocial functioning: a test of Beck's cognitive theory.

Depression, the most common mental disorder, is frequently treated with cognitive therapy based on Beck's theory, which suggests that depressive cognitions (negative views of self, world, and future) affect psychosocial functioning. This study tested Beck's theory in depressed inpatients, previously hospitalized and nonhospitalized outpatients, and undiagnosed adults. Multiple regression indicated that negative views of self, world, and future explained a substantial part of psychosocial functioning in all 4 groups. In the 3 depressed groups, views of self and world had a greater impact on psychosocial functioning than did the view of the future, suggesting that interventions to build self-esteem and enhance self-control may be most effective in improving psychosocial functioning of depressed adults.

Adult↗

PubMed1999

The Children's Cognitive Triad Inventory: reliability, validity, and congruence with Beck's cognitive triad theory of depression.

Depression, once thought rare in children, is now more widely recognized and believed to arise from negative views of self, world, and future, according to Beck's cognitive theory of depression. The Cognitive Triad Inventory for children measures the three negative views, and although reported as psychometrically adequate, this study extended previous analyses with confirmatory factor analysis in a sample of 122 school-aged children. Internal consistency was .82 (total scale) but ranged from .54 to .76 for subscales reflecting the views of self, world, and future. Confirmatory factor analysis revealed factors reflecting three aspects of the self rather than the three negative views. The findings suggest that Beck's theory about the negative cognitive triad may be less suitable for children than adults.

Child↗

PubMed1997

Teaching resourcefulness skills to older adults.

With rapidly increasing numbers of elders in the United States, there is a growing need for interventions to promote independence and productive, healthy lifestyles among the elderly. Highly resourceful persons have been found to function better in their daily activities than those who lack resourcefulness skills. These skills, including self-controlling techniques and problem-solving, are believed to be learned and therefore can be taught. This pilot study examined the effects of teaching resourcefulness skills to healthy elders on measures of learned resourcefulness, anxiety, depression, adaptive functioning, and life satisfaction using a quasi-experimental pre-test-post-test design. The intervention group consisted of 20 elders and the placebo group had 17 elders. Those elders who received the 6-week small group intervention that taught the skills constituting resourcefulness scored significantly higher on post-test measures of learned resourcefulness, adaptive functioning, and life satisfaction. Although significant negative correlations were found between resourcefulness scores and scores on measures of anxiety and depression, there were no significant differences in anxiety and depression between the intervention and placebo groups on the post-test measures. The findings suggest that learned resourcefulness training (LRT) is an important nursing intervention for promoting healthy, independent, and productive lifestyles among older adults.

Adaptation, Psychological↗

PubMed1997

Evaluation of a measure of learned resourcefulness for elders.

Learned resourcefulness is important in promoting independence and healthy, productive lifestyles among older adults, and therefore it is essential to have a measure of learned resourcefulness that is reliable and valid for this population. However, for elders published psychometric tests of Roseblaum's Self-Control Schedule (SCS), which is the measure of learned resourcefulness, are limited to internal consistency estimates. This study examined the ease of administration and psychometric properties of the SCS in three samples of healthy elders (age 65+). The findings yield promising evidence that the instrument is fairly easy for elders to understand when administered during face-to-face interviews. Evidence of reliability and validity is considerable, and the SCS shows acceptable internal consistency and construct validity. These findings support the potential usefulness of the measure of learned resourcefulness for adults.

Adaptation, Psychological↗

PubMed1997

The Depressive Cognition Scale: further psychometric evaluation.

Depressive cognitions often precede the development of affective and behavioral symptoms of depression. Cognitive factors have been shown to influence the development of depression in older adults and thus identification of depressive cognitions is important for prevention of clinical depression and early intervention. The Depressive Cognition Scale (DCS) assesses cognitions that may precipitate clinical depression, and it has been found to be internally consistent and to demonstrate construct validity with measures of psychosocial development. This psychometric investigation was designed to further examine the construct validity of the DCS through comparison with measures of hypothetically related constructs. An alpha of .78 indicated acceptable internal consistency. Construct validity was demonstrated by significant correlations with measures of depression, resourcefulness, adaptive functioning, and life satisfaction. The study, conducted with 160 healthy elders, provides additional support for the reliability and validity of the DCS and yields promising evidence of its usefulness with elderly persons.

Aged↗

PubMed1996

Self-help and help-seeking behavior patterns in healthy elders.

The challenges and losses that accompany aging may alter task performance and self-care ability. However, resourceful elders maintain independence in daily tasks despite adverse situations. Resourcefulness consists of self-help strategies for coping with adversity. Elders may also seek help from others when faced by challenges or losses. This study examines self-help and help-seeking behaviors in relation to depressive cognitions, adaptive functioning, and life satisfaction among 120 healthy elders. Self-help was significantly correlated with the absence of depressive cognitions and with higher adaptive functioning, but help-seeking was not. Both self-help and help-seeking were significantly correlated with greater life satisfaction. However, self-help and help-seeking were not associated. The findings suggest that healthy elders may benefit from interventions that facilitate self-help and those that teach them to seek outside help. Future research should examine self-help and help-seeking strategies in elders whose physical or psychological health is compromised.

Adaptation, Psychological↗

PubMed1995

Health-seeking resources in depressed outpatients.

The recent shift in the delivery of mental health services from traditional inpatient care to community-based treatment has amplified the need for psychiatric-mental health nurses to develop effective strategies for depressed clients in community settings. This study examined characteristics of 126 depressed outpatients with and without prior hospitalization and compared the two groups on variables related to depression using Schlotfeldt's health-seeking model. Results for both groups showed that absence of depressive symptoms and learned resourcefulness were significant predictors of adaptive functioning. Social interest was significant only for those without prior hospitalization. These findings support the use interventions that minimize depressive symptoms, teach resourcefulness and encourage social interest in depressed outpatients.

Adaptation, Psychological↗

PubMed1995

Theoretical and empirical considerations of resourcefulness.

Resourcefulness is important in preventing depression and promoting mental health. Three theoretical dimensions of resourcefulness are identified: self-control, self-direction, and self-efficacy. This small study evaluates Rosenbaum's (1980) Self-Control Schedule (SCS) as a measure of resourcefulness and provides initial reliability and validity estimates. Nursing clinicians were able to classify 83% of the SCS items into the three theoretical dimensions of resourcefulness. Subscales resulting from this classification were internally consistent. Factor analysis conducted in samples of depressed and nondepressed adults supported the classification of the SCS items. Future research is recommended to establish usefulness of the SCS instrument as an outcome measure of nursing interventions designed to promote resourcefulness.

Adult↗

PubMed1995

Operationalization of a nursing model for psychiatric nursing research.

Theoretical substruction provides a framework for deriving and operationalizing study variables related to abstract constructs identified in nursing theories. Moreover, substruction demonstrates the suitability of nursing models for empirical investigation and clinical application. In this paper, theoretical substruction is used to illustrate the significance of Schlotfeldt's health-seeking model for nursing research and practice. From Schlotfeldt's model, study variables are derived and the theoretical-empirical consistency of an exemplary research design examining hypothesized relationships among study variables is described. The research design, grounded in explicit nursing theory, illustrates the investigation of phenomena of concern to the nursing discipline and promises results that will contribute to nursing knowledge development.

Humans↗

PubMed1995

Development and testing of a measure of depressive cognitions in older adults.

Assessment of cognitive processes that predispose or contribute to clinical depression in elders is important for planning interventions that facilitate positive cognitive appraisal and effective coping strategies. Instruments evaluating severity of depression exist; however, none measure specific depressive cognitions. This paper describes the development and pilot testing of the Depressive Cognitions Scale (DCS) for older adults. Derived from Erikson's Psychosocial Theory, the 8 items comprising the scale were selected by clinical experts from a pool of 24 items. Each item reflects a depressive cognition that may arise from less than successful resolution of one of Erikson's developmental phases. Psychometric testing of the DCS was conducted with 60 functionally independent, community dwelling older adults (age 65+). An alpha of .78 indicated acceptable internal consistency. Construct validity was demonstrated by significant correlation with measures of psychosocial development. Further psychometric study of the DCS is recommended.

Aged↗

PubMed1994

Health-seeking resources and adaptive functioning in depressed and nondepressed adults.

Psychiatric mental health nurses remain challenged to develop theory-based strategies that assist depressed clients toward more productive, healthy lifestyles. This comparative study examined health-seeking resources, depressive symptoms, and adaptive functioning in matched groups of 63 depressed inpatients and 63 nondepressed adults. Results indicated high scores on measures of health-seeking resources correlated with high scores in adaptive functioning in both groups. Significant predictors of adaptive functioning were absence of depressive symptoms (nondepressed group) and learned resourcefulness (depressed group). Findings support Schlotfeldt's health-seeking model which explicates the significance of strengthening health-seeking resources to promote adaptive functioning.

Adaptation, Psychological↗