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Biomedical subjects

W Rakowski

Publications and source records attributed to W Rakowski.

At least 37 records · Page 2Linked to original sources
PubMed1992

Assessing elements of women's decisions about mammography.

We investigated motivational and cognitive processes of behavior change with respect to mammography screening. One hundred forty-two women (ages 40 and older) recruited from three worksites answered a 41-item questionnaire consisting of statements based on constructs from the transtheoretical model of behavior change. Principal-components analysis identified two factors: a six-item component representing positive perceptions of mammography (Pros) and a six-item component representing avoidance of mammography (Cons). Analysis of variance showed that Pros, Cons, and a derived Decisional Balance measure (Pros minus Cons) were associated with stage of mammography adoption. Results are consistent with applications of the model to smoking cessation. The model is also discussed as it relates to other theories of behavior change and as a general strategy for analyzing perceptual data pertinent to health-related actions and intentions for behavioral change.

Adult↗
PubMed1992

Assessing motivational readiness and decision making for exercise.

Motivational and cognitive processes of behavior change with respect to the area of exercise adoption were investigated. A total of 778 men and women, recruited from four worksites, answered a 40-item questionnaire consisting of statements based on constructs from the trans-theoretical model of behavior change. Principal-components analysis identified two factors--one a 6-item component representing avoidance of exercise (Cons), the other a 10-item component representing positive perceptions of exercise (Pros). Analysis of variance showed that the Pros, Cons, and a Decisional Balance measure (Pros minus Cons) were significantly associated with stage of exercise adoption. Results are consistent with applications of the model to smoking cessation and other areas of behavior change. Distinctions between exercise adoption and behaviors such as smoking cessation, weight loss, and alcoholism are discussed.

Adult↗
PubMed1992

The association of physical activity with mortality among older adults in the Longitudinal Study of Aging (1984-1988).

Self-reported physical activity/exercise and mortality among adults aged 70 and over were examined using data drawn from the 1984-1988 Longitudinal Study of Aging (LSOA). Analyses were conducted for the LSOA sample as a whole (N = 5901), for women (n = 3679) and men (n = 2222), and for persons with 1 + IADL difficulties (n = 1592). Results for the whole sample indicated that less activity/exercise was associated with a higher risk of mortality for each of four questions (activity compared to peers, have regular exercise routine, get enough exercise, days walking a mile per week). Analyses by gender indicated that all four questions were important for women, while the two questions asking for a judgment about activity were important for men. For persons with 1 + IADL impairments, walking was associated with lower mortality. This investigation supports literature on the importance of maintaining physical activity into older adulthood, and suggests that clinicians should attend to reports of activity level by their patients as one of the broader psychosocial domains of patient care.

Activities of Daily Living↗
PubMed1992

Mortality and the attribution of health problems to aging among older adults.

This study examined the association between mortality and attributing health problems to aging among 1391 respondents from the Longitudinal Study of Aging who indicated difficulty with activities of daily living. Of this number, 72 persons attributed impairment primarily to "old age." Logistic regression controlling for demographics, physical health problems, self-rated health, and social involvements showed an association with mortality (adjusted odds ratio = 1.78, CI = 1.05, 3.00). Attributing health problems to aging may carry a risk of adverse health events.

Activities of Daily Living↗
PubMed1992

Mammography for older women: who uses, who benefits?

In order to juxtapose the health, social, and behavioral factors associated with use of screening mammography with short-term mortality among elderly women, we analyzed the NHIS Cancer Epidemiology Supplemental Survey and the Longitudinal Study of Aging. After controlling for sociodemographic factors, having a usual source of care of and knowledge of screening guidelines, we found that a woman's health status is unrelated to having had a screening mammogram. Analyses of the LSOA, however, revealed that health factors were strongly related to 4-year mortality, particularly among women 75 and over. As it is unlikely that the subpopulation of older women who are at high risk of death within 4 years will benefit from a program of universal screening, outreach program messages and physician education programs should probably be designed to proactively recruit those most likely to benefit.

Age Factors↗
PubMed1991

Daily illness characteristics and health care decisions of older people.

Although investigations of health care decision making typically deal with patterns of health service use, increasing attention has focused on lay- and self-care actions in response to illness symptoms. This study examined the health care actions of a community sample of 142 older adults, who recorded illness symptoms and corresponding health care actions in daily health diaries for a 14-day period. Self-treatment and no-action decisions were found to be the most frequent response to illness symptoms. Professional-care decisions were associated with greater health care need, such as multiple symptoms and increased pain. Lay-care decisions were significantly related to symptoms of shorter duration. Women were also more likely than men to self-treat their illness symptoms. Results suggest that older people deal with a greater number of recurrent chronic symptoms than previously thought and that they make most treatment decisions without consulting their doctors or other health care providers. This investigation underscores the importance of a prospective diary methodology for studying the daily complexities of chronic illness experiences and for validating and conducting useful interventions.

Aged↗
PubMed1990

Information-seeking about health in a community sample of adults: correlates and associations with other health-related practices.

Action by individuals to acquire information about their health has been an element incorporated throughout theory, research, and programs related to health promotion. This report describes an attempt to determine if an information-seeking dimension could be empirically identified in a general community-resident sample, and if so, to examine some of its characteristics. A total of 281 adults aged 18-75 were contacted by telephone using random digit dialing and were interviewed about a variety of personal health practices. Factor analysis identified a five-item cluster representing a tendency to seek out information about health. Women were more likely than men to report seeking information. In addition, more frequent information-seeking was associated with favorable responses to several other health-related practices. Formal health service use was the only type of health practice not associated with information-seeking, perhaps because regularity of contact is influenced strongly by health professionals (e.g., reminder cards and having staff call to schedule annual exams). Overall, results of the investigation support the importance of information-seeking as a component of a personal health practice repertoire. Additional attention might be directed toward elaborating its role as a "process" variable in health education programs and social marketing efforts, particularly in areas such as response to recruitment messages, dropout vs. maintenance, and differential gains on outcome measures of program effectiveness.

Adolescent↗
PubMed1990

[Spatial and socio-demographic characteristics of commuters in Olsztyn Voivodship].

The authors discuss changes in commuting patterns and characteristics of commuters in Olsztyn Voivodship, Poland. It is found that "commuters to towns are considerably younger than [those] commuting in the opposite direction [and] a decisive majority of commuters are employed as manual workers (85%). Education level of female commuters in both directions was relatively higher than that of males, [with a] higher per cent of females [working] as white-collar workers." (SUMMARY IN ENG AND RUS)

Age Factors↗
PubMed1989

A comparison of perceived and objective CVD risk in a general population.

This report examines correspondence between perceived and objective (American Heart Association's RISKO) risk of heart attack and stroke in a randomly selected sample from two surveys (n = 4,171) conducted in each of two New England cities, in 1981-82 and 1983-84, respectively. Results confirmed prior reports that people tend to underestimate their CVD (cardiovascular disease) risk and showed that estimates of those at lowest risk were most accurate.

Adolescent↗