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Biomedical subjects

V Champion

Publications and source records attributed to V Champion.

29 records · Page 2Linked to original sources

Breast self-examination in women 65 and older.

Studies of breast self-examination (BSE) in older women have revealed deficiencies in both frequency and proficiency of practice. Current data from an ongoing study indicate that practice is sufficiently poor as to make the detection of lumps difficult. Interventions to increase frequency and proficiency, however, have been encouraging. Several studies are reporting significant improvement in practice following specific strategies. Barriers such as forgetting and embarrassment need to be addressed when attempting to increase frequency and proficiency. The efficiency of BSE cannot be adequately addressed until women are trained at a proficient level.

Aged↗

Public values and beliefs toward nursing as a career.

The purpose of this study was to compare the perceptions of "ideal career" and "nursing as a career." The goal was to provide information for development of innovative recruitment strategies. The sample of 1,116 included college freshmen, students in grades 6 through 12, parents, school nurses, teachers, and counselors. Data were analyzed by t test and analysis of variance to determine differences in attitudes between "ideal career" and "nursing as a career." Similar perceptions for both were opportunities for employment, application of intellectual abilities, caring for people, and an opportunity for academic and scholastic achievement. An "ideal career" was seen as more financially rewarding, more respected, and more powerful than nursing, and as providing more opportunities for leadership, for making decisions, for obtaining and applying knowledge, and for working in a safe environment. Recommendations include strategies to improve recruitment and retention of nurses.

Adolescent↗

Beliefs about medication and dietary compliance in people with heart failure: an instrument development study.

BACKGROUND: Sodium retention is often a precursor to hospitalization in people with heart failure (HF). Lack of compliance with medications and with dietary sodium restrictions affects sodium retention. OBJECTIVES: The purpose of this study was to evaluate the reliability and validity of the Beliefs about Medication Compliance Scale and the Beliefs about Dietary Compliance Scale. METHODS: The Beliefs about Medication Compliance Scale and the Beliefs about Dietary Compliance Scale are instruments we developed specifically to measure beliefs about compliance with behaviors that affect sodium retention in persons with HF. The scales, based on the Health Belief Model, were designed from a review of literature and from self-reports of people with HF. A convenience sample of 101 people with HF completed the scales. RESULTS: Internal consistency reliability was satisfactory. Factor analysis provided initial support for construct validity of the scales. CONCLUSIONS: Future testing of the scales is needed in more diverse populations. The scales can then be used to test interventions tailored to individual subjects' beliefs about compliance.

Adult↗

Recent mammography in women aged 35 and older: predisposing variables.

Early detection through regular mammography screening is the most effective way to decrease mortality from breast cancer. Our purpose in writing this report was to identify factors that influenced women to adhere to mammography guidelines within the year prior to the study. A sample of 581 women aged 35 years and older was used. Data were collected during in-home interviews led by graduate research assistants. Results indicated that the predisposing variables of seriousness, benefits, health motivation, control, knowledge of breast cancer and mammography guidelines, socioeconomic status, age, physician recommendation for mammography, and prior breast symptoms were significantly related to having had recent mammography.

Adult↗

Development and psychometric testing of the Bakas Caregiving Outcomes Scale.

BACKGROUND: Family caregivers of stroke survivors experience more depression, emotional problems, social inactivity, and general ill-health than noncaregiving individuals. While a number of instruments measure these variables in family caregivers, they are often too global, indicating the need for a situation-specific instrument measuring life changes resulting from providing care. OBJECTIVES: To develop and psychometrically test the Bakas Caregiving Outcomes Scale (BCOS) measuring changes in family caregiving outcomes in the stroke population. METHOD: 48 items were developed, with 27 being judged as content valid by a panel of five experts. Psychometric testing with two convenience samples of family caregivers of stroke survivors (ns = 92, 104) was conducted using item analysis, Cronbach's alpha, factor analysis, and hierarchical multiple regression. RESULTS: Item analysis in sample no. 1 resulted in a 12-item scale with alpha = .90. The scale was further shortened to a 10-item scale in sample no. 2 with alpha = .77. Unidimensionality was supported by factor analysis in both samples. Using hierarchical multiple regression, 63% of the variance of the 12-item BCOS in sample no. 1, and 45% of the variance of the 10-item BCOS in sample no. 2 was accounted for by the constructs in the conceptual model. Criterion-related validity was supported in both samples by significant correlations with the LIFE-3 and a criterion variable with the same response format as the BCOS. Significant BCOS correlations with the SF-36 Health Survey subscales in sample no. 2 provided further evidence of criterion-related validity. CONCLUSION: The 10-item BCOS is a brief, easy to administer instrument that has evidence of reliability and validity in family caregivers of stroke survivors. The 10-item BCOS could serve as a valuable measure in research, as well as an assessment tool to identify family caregivers in need of intervention.

Caregivers↗

The relationship of attitudes, knowledge, and social support to breast-feeding.

Although more women are initiating breast-feeding, few continue for more than 1-3 months into the postpartum period. The current report studied the relationship of attitudes, social support, experimental and demographic variables, and knowledge to length of breast-feeding. A totaL of 102 women were included in the study and were followed for 1 year. Perceived attitudes toward breast-feeding, selected demographic variables, and past experiences were related to length of breast-feeding.

Adolescent↗

Cross-cultural comparison of images of nurses and physicians.

This study investigates attitudes related to the image of nurses and physicians across 30 cultures, using six concepts. Significant differences were found between physician and nurse with respect to power. Moreover, although the physician was highly correlated with knowledge and independence the nurse was correlated with kindness. Nurses' ability to influence health care decision-making may be limited if they are viewed as powerless, and they must address this deficit in their public image.

Asia, Western↗

Tailoring interventions for health behavior change in breast cancer screening.

PURPOSE: Health professionals continue to seek strategies to help individuals increase health-promoting behaviors and decrease those behaviors related to unhealthy lifestyles. Various health behavior theories currently guide interventions that focus on health behavior changes. Of these, a tailored approach uses individual data on beliefs and behavior to guide the content and delivery of interventions. The purpose of this paper is to explain the usefulness of theories in tailoring health promotion messages to increase health-protecting behaviors. OVERVIEW: A brief overview of current popular theories that focus on individual behavior is presented, followed by illustrations of a tailored intervention approach for breast cancer screening. Applications of the tailored intervention approach in ongoing studies to increase breast cancer screening are described. CLINICAL IMPLICATIONS: Clinical implications of the ongoing projects suggest practical and widespread utility of tailoring health-promoting messages to increase healthy lifestyles. The tailored approach may be used by a multidisciplinary team to focus on the individual's unique factors to impact behavior change rather than to deliver the same standard message to all individuals.

Adult↗