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Biomedical subjects

J Dixon

Publications and source records attributed to J Dixon.

204 records · Page 12Linked to original sources
PubMedDate not supplied

Psychometric and descriptive perspectives of illness impact over the life span.

This article describes the development of an instrument that quantifies illness over the course of life. The sample was comprised of 308 women, aged 50 to 70, who were alumnae of a master's program in nursing. Each submitted information concerning illness experienced during each decade of life. Each time period was then rated multidimensionally (Duration, Discomfort, Interference, Threat to Life) to reflect the impact of the various conditions and the means by decade (Decade Impact) were computed. In general, after the first two decades, magnitude of ratings increased with age, indicating greater disease impact. Interrater reliability and internal consistency reliability of the scale were high. Evidence for construct validity included substantial differences between those with and without specific illness conditions, as well as correlations with hospitalization history and health self-ratings. In cluster analysis of patterns across decades, five distinct patterns emerged into which subjects were grouped.

Age Factors↗
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A challenge.

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Nurses↗
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Effect of nursing interventions on nutritional and performance status in cancer patients.

Cancer patients, assessed as nutritionally at risk, were randomly assigned to a control group or to one of four intervention groups receiving (a) nutritional supplementation, (b) relaxation training, (c) both nutritional supplementation and relaxation training, or (d) neither nutritional supplementation nor relaxation training. Fifty-five subjects completed a four-month intervention period during which they were visited biweekly by a nurse (except control subjects). In repeated measures analyses of variance, significant group-by-time interactions were obtained for weight and arm muscle circumference (a measure of protein stores), indicating that for these measures the groups changed differentially during the intervention period. The group-by-time interaction approached significance on the Karnofsky Performance Status Scale. For all three variables, gain was greatest for the relaxation group; the most severe loss occurred in the control group. These findings suggest that the cachexia of cancer may be slowed or reversed through noninvasive nursing interventions.

Activities of Daily Living↗