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Biomedical subjects

Keith J Petrie

Publications and source records attributed to Keith J Petrie.

At least 19 recordsLinked to original sources
PubMed2006

You eat what you are: modern health worries and the acceptance of natural and synthetic additives in functional foods.

There is an increasing array of functional foods available that are designed to confer health benefits. However, individuals' worries about new technology and modernity may influence the acceptance of these products. In this study, we investigated how modern health worries influence attitudes and decisions about functional foods. We asked participants (n=390) to rate pictures of products with either added vitamins or added scientific compounds. Each product shown purported to have one of three possible targeted effects: to reduce the likelihood of a disease, to reduce a risk factor associated with a disease, or to improve personal appearance. We found levels of modern health worries to be significantly associated with participants' reports of organic food consumption and presence of food allergies. Modern health worries were also significantly related to a preference for foods with natural as opposed to synthetic additives. Participants with higher levels of modern health worries had a greater acceptance of functional foods designed to reduce the likelihood of disease compared to participants with low modern health worries. Overall, the results suggested that modern health worries are an important psychological factor to consider with regards to attitudes toward functional foods.

Adolescent↗
PubMed2006

Changes in patient drawings of the heart identify slow recovery after myocardial infarction.

OBJECTIVE: The objective of this study was to investigate how changes in heart attack patients' drawings of their heart over the recovery period relate to psychological and functional recovery. METHODS: Sixty-nine inpatients admitted for acute myocardial infarction at the coronary care unit at a metropolitan hospital completed questionnaires at discharge, including a drawing of what they thought had happened to their heart after their heart attack. Fifty-six patients returned follow-up questionnaires at 3 and 6 months, including heart drawings, cardiac anxiety, time to return to work, changes in exercise frequency, and healthcare use. RESULTS: Increases in the size of the heart drawn at the 3-month follow-up relative to discharge were related to slower return to work (r = 0.48, p < .01), higher cardiac anxiety (r = 0.35, p < .05), and more phone calls to health services (r = 0.37, p < .05) as well as increases in worry about another myocardial infarction (r = 0.39, p < .01), increased activity restriction (r = 0.34, p < .05), higher use of alternative medicines (r = 0.40, p < .05), and less frequent exercise (r = -0.39, p < .05) relative to before the myocardial infarction. CONCLUSIONS: Drawings of the heart may be useful in identifying patients who have experienced heart attacks who are likely to develop greater heart-focused anxiety, complaints of ill health, and higher use of health care. Increases in the size of the patient's drawing of the heart may reflect increases in the extent to which their heart condition plays on their mind and directs their daily activities.

Activities of Daily Living↗
PubMed2006

The brief illness perception questionnaire.

OBJECTIVE: This study evaluates the Brief Illness Perception Questionnaire (Brief IPQ), a nine-item scale designed to rapidly assess the cognitive and emotional representations of illness. METHODS: We assessed the test-retest reliability of the scale in 132 renal outpatients. We assessed concurrent validity by comparing the Brief IPQ with the Illness Perception Questionnaire-Revised (IPQ-R) and other relevant measures in 309 asthma, 132 renal, and 119 diabetes outpatients. Predictive validity was established by examining the relationship of Brief IPQ scores to outcomes in a sample of 103 myocardial infarction (MI) patients. Discriminant validity was examined by comparing scores on the Brief IPQ between five different illness groups. RESULTS: The Brief IPQ showed good test-retest reliability and concurrent validity with relevant measures. The scale also demonstrated good predictive validity in patients recovering from MI with individual items being related to mental and physical functioning at 3 months' follow-up, cardiac rehabilitation class attendance, and speed of return to work. The discriminant validity of the Brief IPQ was supported by its ability to distinguish between different illnesses. CONCLUSION: The Brief IPQ provides a rapid assessment of illness perceptions, which could be particularly helpful in ill populations, large-scale studies, and in repeated measures research designs.

Adaptation, Psychological↗
PubMed2006

Psychosocial responses to environmental incidents: a review and a proposed typology.

OBJECTIVE: The objective of this review was to propose a typology for understanding the diversity of psychosocial reactions to environmental incidents. METHODOLOGY: The first section provides an introduction and background to the topic; we then attempt to provide a typology of psychosocial responses to environmental incidents. RESULTS: Response to an environmental incident can be usefully considered in terms of the exposure, the response of the individual, the action of professionals, the response of the community, and the influence of the society in which the incident occurs. We reviewed each of these factors. CONCLUSIONS: By examining incidents in an ordered framework, we suggest that a more comprehensive understanding is possible. We also suggest some basic ways in which the psychosocial management of such difficult and diverse incidents could be improved.

Behavior↗
PubMed2005

The influence of smoking imagery on the smoking intentions of young people: testing a media interpretation model.

PURPOSE: To assess a theoretical model of adolescents' exposure to films, perceptions of smoking imagery in film, and smoking intentions. METHODS: A structured questionnaire was completed by 3041 Year 8 (aged 12 years) and Year 12 (aged 16 years) students from 25 schools in Auckland, New Zealand. The survey assessed the relationships among exposure to films, attitudes about smoking imagery, perceptions of smoking prevalence and its acceptability, and expectations of smoking in the future. Measures included exposure to films, perceived pervasiveness of, and nonchalant attitudes about smoking imagery, identification of positive smoker stereotypes in films, perceived smoking prevalence, judgment of smoking acceptability, and smoking expectations. Path analytic techniques, using multiple regression analyses, were used to test the pattern of associations identified by the media interpretation model. RESULTS: Hierarchical regression analyses revealed that film exposure predicted higher levels of perceived smoking prevalence, perceived imagery pervasiveness, and nonchalant attitudes about smoking imagery. Nonchalant attitudes, identification of positive smoker stereotypes, and perceived smoking prevalence predicted judgments of smoking acceptability. Acceptability judgments, identification of positive stereotypes, and perceived smoking prevalence were all positively associated with smoking expectations. The media interpretation model accounted for 24% of the variance in smoking expectations within the total sample. CONCLUSIONS: Smoking imagery in film may play a role in the development of smoking intentions through inflating the perception of smoking prevalence and presenting socially attractive images.

Adolescent↗
PubMed2005

Patients and computers as reminders to screen for diabetes in family practice. Randomized-controlled trial.

BACKGROUND: In New Zealand, more than 5% of people aged 50 years and older have undiagnosed diabetes; most of them attend family practitioners (FPs) at least once a year. OBJECTIVES: To test the effectiveness of patients or computers as reminders to screen for diabetes in patients attending FPs. DESIGN: A randomized-controlled trial compared screening rates in 4 intervention arms: patient reminders, computer reminders, both reminders, and usual care. The trial lasted 2 months. The patient reminder was a diabetes risk self-assessment sheet filled in by patients and given to the FP during the consultation. The computer reminder was an icon that flashed only for patients considered eligible for screening. PARTICIPANTS: One hundred and seven FPs. MEASUREMENTS: The primary outcome was whether each eligible patient, who attended during the trial, was or was not tested for blood glucose. Analysis was by intention to treat and allowed for clustering by FP. RESULTS: Patient reminders (odds ratio [OR] 1.72, 95% confidence interval [CI] 1.21, 2.43), computer reminders (OR 2.55, 1.68, 3.88), and both reminders (OR 1.69, 1.11, 2.59) were all effective compared with usual care. Computer reminders were more effective than patient reminders (OR 1.49, 1.07, 2.07). Patients were more likely to be screened if they visited the FP repeatedly, if patients were non-European, if they were "regular" patients of the practice, and if their FP had a higher screening rate prior to the study. CONCLUSIONS: Patient and computer reminders were effective methods to increase screening for diabetes. However, the effects were not additive.

Aged↗
PubMed2005

Symptom experiences, symptom attributions, and causal attributions in patients following first-time myocardial infarction.

We examined symptom experiences, symptom attributions, and causal attributions reported by patients hospitalized for a first-time myocardial infarction (MI). We also explored the roles of symptoms, negative affect, and risk factors in promoting stress and other causal attributions. Patients (N = 65) completed measures of symptom experiences and attributions, perceived causes of their MI, state and trait negative affect, and risk factors. Patients attributed most of their symptoms to the heart condition, although rates varied from 48% (headaches) to 97% (nausea). The most common causal attribution was stress, followed by high cholesterol, heredity, fat consumption, and hypertension. Stress attributions were positively associated with state anxiety and specific, stress-related symptoms (e.g., fatigue and breathlessness). Anxious mood and stress-related symptoms appear to enhance the plausibility of stress as a cause of MI. Risk factors were moderately correlated with associated causal attributions. For many patients, however, attributions to hypertension, cholesterol, and family history of heart disease were discordant with their clinical data. Causal attributions remained stable over the subsequent 6 months.

Affect↗
PubMed2005

The role of illness perceptions: psychological distress and treatment-seeking delay in patients with genital warts.

This study examined the relationships between illness perceptions, psychological distress and treatment-seeking delay in genital warts patients. Sixty-six genital warts patients were approached while attending a sexual health clinic. They completed a questionnaire assessing their illness perceptions, psychological distress and treatment-seeking delay. Negative perceptions of illness consequences and control and a perceived cyclical timeline were associated with increased psychological distress. Perceived illness consequences maintained significance in a multiple regression equation, which accounted for 25% variance in distress. Depression was associated with treatment-seeking delay (r = 0.28, P = 0.03). In conclusion, illness perceptions may play an important role in the experience of psychological distress in genital warts patients. The implications of these findings for the design of health-care interventions are discussed.

Adult↗
PubMed2004

Fatigue self-management strategies and reported fatigue in international pilots.

The use of strategies to manage fatigue associated with work was investigated in a sample of 253 pilots operating Air New Zealand regional and international routes. Overall, 13% of pilots responded that they experienced fatigue from their job as a pilot three times a week or more but no differences in overall fatigue levels were found by age, rank or fleet. The use of napping by pilots prior to an overnight duty was variable and 25% of pilots responded that they napped only a little of the time or not at all before such a duty. Pilots who routinely used daytime napping prior to overnight duties reported significantly lower levels of general fatigue. The use of the cockpit napping procedure was evenly split, with 52.5% of pilots reporting the use of cockpit napping over the previous 12 months. The use of the cockpit napping procedure was associated with lower levels of reported fatigue. Hypnotic medication use in the previous 2 months was reported by 19% of pilots mostly on an occasional basis. Melatonin and alternative medicine were used less frequently than hypnotics. This study highlights fatigue as a major problem for many pilots operating regional and international routes. The strategies used by international aircrew to manage fatigue are variable and provide support for the association between napping and lower reported fatigue.

Adult↗
PubMed2004

A picture of health--myocardial infarction patients' drawings of their hearts and subsequent disability: a longitudinal study.

OBJECTIVE: The aim of this study was to examine whether myocardial infarction (MI) patients' drawings of their hearts predict subsequent return to work, exercise, distress about symptoms and perceptions of recovery at 3 months. METHODS: Just prior to hospital discharge, 74 consecutive patients aged under 70 admitted with an acute MI drew pictures of their hearts. Patients' recovery was assessed at 3 months by postal questionnaire. RESULTS: Patients who drew damage on their heart while in the hospital perceived that their heart had recovered less at 3 months (P = .005), that their heart condition would last longer (P = .01) and had lower perceived control over their heart condition (P = .05) than did patients who drew no damage. The amount of damage drawn on the heart was also associated with a slower return to work (r = .37, P < .05). While patients' peak troponin-T in the hospital was associated with the amount of damage drawn (r = .41, P < .001), it was not associated with the speed of return to work or other 3-month outcomes, apart from perceived duration of heart condition (r = .26, P < .05). CONCLUSION: Patients drawings of damage on their hearts after a MI predict recovery better than do medical indicators of damage. Drawings offer a simple starting point for doctors to assess patients' ideas when discussing their heart condition and an opportunity to counter illness negative beliefs.

Art↗
PubMed2004

The relationship of negative affect and perceived sensitivity to symptom reporting following vaccination.

BACKGROUND: The processes involved in how individuals attribute symptoms to illness are important for understanding the basis of symptom complaints. In a study of patients undergoing travel vaccination, we investigated the association of trait negative affect (NA) and perceived sensitivity to medicines to reported symptoms and symptoms attributed by the patient to treatment. METHODS: A sample of 121 patients attending a traveller's medical centre for vaccination prior to overseas travel completed a questionnaire prior to vaccination measuring trait NA, their perceived sensitivity to medicines, self-rated health, as well as recent symptoms and doctor visits. Patients were assessed 20 min after the vaccination and again at seven days for their current symptoms and symptoms attributed to the vaccination. RESULTS: We found both the number of symptom complaints and symptoms attributed to the vaccination immediately after treatment to be significantly associated with patients' perceived sensitivity to medicines and recent symptom complaints. At seven days, symptom complaints were also associated with perceived sensitivity to medicine as well as trait NA, while symptoms attributed by patients to the vaccination at seven days were significantly related to trait NA. At the seven-day assessment, high trait NA was predictive of associating a far wider range of general symptoms to the vaccination. CONCLUSION: The results suggest that trait NA does not cause an increase in the reporting of physical symptoms in an illness or intervention that causes highly specific or immediate symptoms. However, trait NA plays an important role in the process of misattributing common symptoms to intervention or illness-related causes and this process may help explain the association between trait NA and symptom reporting.

Adult↗
PubMed2003

The relationship of symptoms and psychological factors to delay in seeking medical care for breast symptoms.

BACKGROUND: The psychological processes involved in the delay between noticing breast symptoms and seeking medical care are not well understood. METHODS: We evaluated 85 women referred to a specialist breast clinic prior to their clinic appointment. We assessed the relationship between delay and the type of breast symptom, immediate emotional response to the symptom, perceived risk of breast cancer, fear of breast cancer treatment, and disclosure of the breast symptom to others. RESULTS: Delay was unrelated to demographic factors but was related to the type of breast symptom; women who had a breast lump waited a significantly shorter time period before visiting the doctor than those without a breast lump. Initial symptom distress on the discovery of the breast symptom was also significantly related to delay. Knowledge of a friend or family member with breast cancer, perceived risk of breast cancer and fear of breast cancer treatment, and disclosure of the symptom to a partner or other person were all unrelated to delay. CONCLUSIONS: The results show the importance of the type of symptom and initial emotional distress in delay and highlight the importance of widening public perceptions of breast symptoms other than breast lumps in order to reduce delay times.

Adaptation, Psychological↗
PubMed2003

Interpretations of smoking in film by older teenagers.

Research testifies that images of tobacco use in popular films are highly pervasive and typically glamorised. There are concerns that these images may promote motivations to smoke in adolescents, but little is known about how these images are interpreted by members of this age group. A qualitative study was conducted to explore how older teenagers interpret and decode smoking imagery in film. This study builds on earlier work with a younger age group (12 and 13 years) to explore how various interpretations of smoking imagery shape and support common understandings about smoking among older teenagers. Data were collected through focus groups. Eighty-eight 16 and 17 year old students were interviewed at school. Participants discussed their recollections of and responses to recently viewed films. Older teens were receptive to smoking imagery when it was used in a credible manner to portray an emotional state, sub-culture affiliation, and lifestyle. Experience as a smoker appeared to inflate the credibility of realistic smoking images, particularly those presented in gritty realism/drama film. Older teens perceived realistic images, as opposed to stereotypical images, as a salient reference to their own lives. Stereotypical images were also readily recalled and appeared to perform an important role in supporting misconceptions about smoking and contributing to popular ideologies about tobacco use. Stereotypical images presented in comedy and action genre also serve to present paradoxical and contradictory messages about tobacco use. In particular, participants recalled tobacco use in film as associated with stress and anxiety, drug use, and seduction. Film images of tobacco use in specific contexts appear to hold specific and significant meanings for older teens. Realistic images offered salient representations of the perceived reality of smoking for this group. Pervasive and credible smoking scenes in film may offer support and reassurance to older teens who currently smoke or hold ambivalent views about smoking. Consistent with younger adolescents, older teens presented a predominantly nonchalant response to smoking imagery in film, which is a powerful indicator of the pervasiveness and acceptability of smoking in general. In contrast with younger adolescent, older teens tend to draw upon their own experience with tobacco use when interpreting smoking images in film.

Adolescent↗
PubMed2003

Experimental evidence for interpretive but not attention biases towards somatic information in patients with chronic fatigue syndrome.

OBJECTIVE: This study tested whether CFS patients have an attentional information processing bias for illness-related information and a tendency to interpret ambiguous information in a somatic fashion. DESIGN: 25 patients meeting research criteria for a diagnosis of CFS were compared to 24 healthy matched controls on a modified Stroop task and an ambiguous cues task. METHOD: In the modified Stroop task, participants colour named a series of somatic, depressed and neutral words in order to ascertain whether the somatic words were more distracting to the CFS patients than the depressed and neutral words when compared to controls. In the ambiguous cues task, participants were presented with a tape-recorded list of 30 words including 15 ambiguous illness words (e.g., vein/vain) and 15 unambiguous words. For each word, they were asked to write down the first word that came into their head. A somatic bias score was obtained for each subject by summing the number of somatic responses to the ambiguous word cues. RESULTS: Although CFS patients were significantly slower in colour naming all of the Stroop word categories than controls, there was no evidence for illness or depressed words creating greater interference than neutral words. However, on the ambiguous cues task, CFS patients made significantly more somatic interpretations than controls and this bias was significantly associated with the extent to which they currently reported symptoms. CONCLUSION: CFS patients have an interpretive bias for somatic information which may play a part in the maintenance of the disorder by heightening patients' experience of physical symptoms and helping to maintain their negative illness schemas. Although patients did not show an attentional bias in this study, this may be related to the methodology employed.

Adult↗