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Spouses
Kinds of Spouses Terms modified by Spouses Selected AbstractsSECONDARY TRAUMATIC STRESS, PSYCHOLOGICAL DISTRESS, SHARING OF TRAUMATIC REMINISCES, AND MARITAL QUALITY AMONG SPOUSES OF HOLOCAUST CHILD SURVIVORSJOURNAL OF MARITAL AND FAMILY THERAPY, Issue 4 2001Rachel Lev-Wiesel In this study, we examined the issue of secondary traumatic stress (STS) among spouses of Holocaust survivors who were children during the World War II. STS is defined as comprising the same components as posttraumatic stress disorder (PTSD), except that the person evidencing the symptoms has not actually been exposed to the traumatic event(s), but has developed them as a result of caring for someone with PTSD. Participants were 90 couples who completed self-report questionnaires regarding posttraumatic symptoms, psychological distress, and marital quality. The results showed that about one-third of the spouses suffered from some degree of STS symptoms. Secondary traumatic stress symptoms and psychological distress among spouses were significantly related to hostility, anger, paranoia, and interpersonal sensitivity in the survivor, but unrelated to whether the survivor had shared his/her reminiscences with the spouse. Female spouses were found to suffer more distress than male spouses, especially when their partner suffered high levels of PTSD. The results suggest that STS is, to a large degree, related to the demands of living with a symptomatic survivor, possibly more than to the empathic element thought to be central to this syndrome. [source] LABOUR MARKET ACTIVITY OF FOREIGN SPOUSES IN TAIWAN: EMPLOYMENT STATUS AND CHOICE OF EMPLOYMENT SECTORPACIFIC ECONOMIC REVIEW, Issue 4 2010Hwei-Lin Chuang The present study examines the employment status and choice of employment sector of female foreign spouses from Southeast Asia and Mainland China in Taiwan. The conceptual framework is based on the family labour supply model, human and social capital theory, and immigrant assimilation theory. Our findings indicate that in regard to employment status, family background variables, including the presence of small children and husbands' characteristics, play a more significant role in determining the employment probability for these foreign spouses than do human capital variables. In particular, for spouses from Southeast Asia, each additional child is correlated with a decrease in working probability of 11.3%, whereas college education has an insignificant effect on their employment probability. Employment assimilation for these marriage immigrants may be confirmed by the finding that the employment probability of foreign spouses rises rapidly with the number of years that have elapsed since migration. As for the choice of employment sector, a strong linkage between the employment sector of the foreign spouses and their husbands' employment sector is found in this study. [source] A Pilot Study of an Intervention for Breast Cancer Survivors and Their SpousesFAMILY PROCESS, Issue 1 2004Cleveland G. Shields Ph.D. Recent studies have shown that interventions that increase breast cancer patients' communication with family members lead to reduced patient distress. In this article, we report on a treatment development and pilot study of an intervention for couples coping with breast cancer. In phase 1 of this study, 10 couples participated in two focus groups that generated ideas and themes for the intervention. In phase 2, we developed and pilot tested our intervention with 48 couples: 12 in a 2-session format, 21 in a 1-session format, and 15 in a non-experimental control group. Our response rate shows that breast cancer patients and spouses were willing to participate and that treatment providers were willing to refer patients and their spouses. The 2-session format showed the most promise for producing positive change in mental health functioning and cancer-related stress. [source] A Couplehood Typology for Spouses of Institutionalized Persons With Alzheimer's Disease: Perceptions of "We","I",FAMILY RELATIONS, Issue 1 2001Lori Kaplan A qualitative analysis of 68 community-dwelling spouses of institutionalized patients with Alzheimer's disease was conducted. The goal was to ascertain to what degree they perceived themselves as married. Five groups representing different degrees of couplehood emerged. Ranging from strong couplehood to no couplehood, groups were given the following terms: "'Til Death Do Us Parts,""We, but ,,""Husbandless Wives/Wifeless Husbands,""Becoming an I," and "Unmarried Marrieds." Ways to interpret this typology and implications for both further research and practitioners are described. [source] A history of cancer in the husband does not increase the risk of breast cancerINTERNATIONAL JOURNAL OF CANCER, Issue 12 2006Eva Negri Abstract Spouses share the home environment, and dietary and other lifestyle habits. Furthermore, a cancer diagnosis in the husband is a stressful event for the wife also. Thus, a history of cancer in the husband may be an indicator of breast cancer risk. We investigated the issue in a large Italian multicentric case-control study on 2,588 women with incident breast cancer and 2,569 female hospital controls, admitted for acute, non neoplastic diseases. The adjusted odds ratio (OR) was 1.0 (95% confidence interval, CI, 0.7,1.4) for a history of any type of cancer in the husband, 1.0 (95% 0.4,2.7) for stomach, 0.7 (95% 0.2,2.3) for intestinal (chiefly colorectal), 0.9 (95% CI 0.5,1.7) for lung, and 1.3 (95% CI 0.4,4.3) for prostate cancer. The OR was close to unity also when data were analyzed in separate strata of patient's or husband's age, patient's education, or vital status of the husband. This study suggests that women whose husband had a diagnosis of cancer are not at increased risk of breast cancer, although results for individual cancer sites should be interpreted with caution, due to small numbers. © 2006 Wiley-Liss, Inc. [source] The Relationship Between Cohabitation and Marital Quality and Stability: Change Across Cohorts?JOURNAL OF MARRIAGE AND FAMILY, Issue 3 2003Claire M. Kamp Dush The relationship between premarital cohabitation and marital dysfunction was examined with a total sample of 1,425 spouses in two U.S. marriage cohorts: those married between 1964 and 1980 (when cohabitation was less common) and those married between 1981 and 1997 (when cohabitation was more common). Spouses in both cohorts who cohabited prior to marriage reported poorer marital quality and greater marital instability. When selection factors for cohabitation and subsequent marital instability were included in the statistical model, cohabitors in both cohorts continued to exhibit poorer marital quality and greater marital instability. These findings lend stronger support to an experience of cohabitation perspective than to a selection perspective as an explanation for why couples who cohabit before marriage tend to have more troubled relationships. [source] The division of labor in close relationships: An asymmetrical conflict issuePERSONAL RELATIONSHIPS, Issue 3 2000ESTHER S. KLUWER This research addresses couples'reports of their (hypothetical) attempts to maintain or change a gendered division of labor through conflict interactions. Two experiments in which spouses responded to scenarios showed that spouses reported more conflict over the division of housework than conflict over paid work and child care, and that wives more often than husbands desired a change in their spouses'contribution. Spouses reported more wife-demand/husband-withdraw than husband-demand/wife-withdraw interaction during hypothetical conflict over the division of labor, but only when the wife desired a change in her spouse's contribution. Together, the data imply that wife-demand/husband-withdraw interaction is a likely response to the asymmetrically structured conflict situation in which the wife is discontent with her husband's contribution to housework, while her husband wants to maintain the status quo. We further showed that defenders of the status quo were more likely expected to reach their goal than complainants. In the role of complainant, wives were more likely expected to reach their goal than were their husbands, but only when the conflict issue concerned their own gender stereotypical domain (i.e., family work). [source] Spouses of persons with dementia: Their healthcare problems, utilization, and costsRESEARCH IN NURSING & HEALTH, Issue 5 2004Ann M. Kolanowski Abstract Spouses of persons with dementia (PWD) often experience poor health outcomes related to the experience of living with the afflicted spouse. Using the Anderson and Aday Healthcare Utilization Model, we conducted a retrospective review of an administrative database from a private healthcare insurer to compare health problems that precipitate utilization, patterns of utilization, and costs of care of spouses of PWD (n,=,979) to those of spouses of persons without dementia (n,=,979). Spouses of PWD were treated for more anxiety disorders (OR,=,2.97; 95% CI,=,1.63,5.44), falls (OR,=,7.72; 95% CI,=,2.73-21.84), rheumatologic diseases (OR,=,2.5; 95% CI,=,1.24,5.06), and diabetes with no complications (OR,=,1.53; 95% CI,=,1.06-2.22), but less pneumonia (OR,=,.55; 95%; CI,=,.35,.88) than comparison spouses. Spouses of PWD had a higher number of emergency room (ER) visits (p,=,.01). There were no differences in costs between the groups. The findings can be used to develop interventions for spouses of PWD. © 2004 Wiley Periodicals, Inc. Res Nurs Health 27:296,306, 2004 [source] Helping at the bedside: Spouses' preferences for helping critically ill patientsRESEARCH IN NURSING & HEALTH, Issue 5 2004Deborah Eldredge Abstract Spouses of patients in intensive care units (ICU) need to be close and helpful to ill partners. According to adult attachment theory, emotional responses may be related to preferences for closeness and helpfulness, and according to control theory optimism also may influence spouses' emotional responses. Spouses' goals and helping behaviors were assessed in 88 spouses of ICU patients. Using a repeated-measures design, the relationships of closeness, helpfulness, and optimism to emotional outcomes were assessed. Preferences for closeness and helpfulness were strongly related, and together with optimism, predicted spouses' mood at some point of the illness trajectory. Spouses who were over-involved with partners' care requirements were at greater risk for emotional distress. Results suggest that closeness and helpfulness are integrated concepts, and that attachment dimensions of a relationship and optimism are useful for understanding spouses' emotional responses to critical illness. © 2004 Wiley Periodicals, Inc. Res Nurs Health 27:307,321, 2004 [source] Familial aggregation of amyotrophic lateral sclerosis,ANNALS OF NEUROLOGY, Issue 1 2009Fang Fang MD Objective To assess the relative risk for amyotrophic lateral sclerosis (ALS) in families of ALS patients. Methods We conducted a cohort study based on the Swedish Multi-Generation Register in 1961 to 2005. Among 6,671 probands (first ALS case in the family), 1,909 full siblings, 13,947 children, and 5,405 spouses were identified (exposed group). Other persons in the Multi-Generation Register, who were siblings, children, or spouses to persons without ALS, served as the reference group. Relative risks for ALS among the exposed group, compared with the reference group, were calculated from Poisson regression models. Concurrence of ALS within twins was assessed in 86,441 twin pairs registered in the Swedish Twin Register. Results Nine cases of ALS were noted among the siblings and 37 cases among the children of the probands, giving a 17-fold risk among the siblings (95% confidence interval, 8.1,30.4) and a 9-fold risk among the children (95% confidence interval, 6.2,12.0), compared with the reference group. Siblings and children had a greater excess risk if the proband was diagnosed at a younger age, and the excess risks decreased with increasing age at diagnosis of the proband (p < 0.001). Spouses had no significantly increased risk (p = 0.27). Two cases were identified among the cotwins of ALS probands, giving a relative risk of 32 (95% confidence interval, 5.2,102.6). Interpretation The siblings and children of ALS patients have an about 10-fold risk for ALS compared with the reference group. The excess risks vary with both age and kinship, indicating a major genetic role in familial ALS. Ann Neurol 2009;66:94,99 [source] Cannabis: What Makes University Students More or Less Likely to Use It?JOURNAL OF APPLIED BIOBEHAVIORAL RESEARCH, Issue 2 2006Frances V. O'Callaghan University students' motivations for using or not using cannabis were investigated. Students (n = 189) aged 17 to 29 years completed a survey to assess their intention to use cannabis and their beliefs about (a) advantages and disadvantages of using cannabis; (b) their perceptions of what significant others think they should do in relation to cannabis use; and (c) factors that might encourage them to use or not use cannabis. Two weeks later, they completed a follow-up survey asking about their actual behavior over the previous 2 weeks. Compared to non-users, users believed more strongly that cannabis would help them fit in with their friends, feel relaxed, forget their worries, and enjoy themselves. They also believed that their close friends, partner/spouse, siblings, and workmates would approve of their using cannabis. Users believed that certain factors (e.g., force of habit, wanting to relax, feeling stressed, being around other people using cannabis) would encourage them to use, while non-users rated work and study as strong reasons for not using cannabis. Beliefs that are relevant to users and non-users in education campaigns can be targeted to reduce the negative consequences of use in tertiary settings. [source] The effect of social networks and social support on common mental disorders following specific life eventsACTA PSYCHIATRICA SCANDINAVICA, Issue 2 2010P. K. Maulik Maulik PK, Eaton WW, Bradshaw CP. The effect of social networks and social support on common mental disorders following specific life events. Objective:, This study examined the association between life events and common mental disorders while accounting for social networks and social supports. Method:, Participants included 1920 adults in the Baltimore Epidemiologic Catchment Area Cohort who were interviewed in 1993,1996, of whom 1071 were re-interviewed in 2004,2005. Generalized estimating equations were used to analyze the data. Results:, Social support from friends, spouse or relatives was associated with significantly reduced odds of panic disorder and psychological distress, after experiencing specific life events. Social networks or social support had no significant stress-buffering effect. Social networks and social support had almost no direct or buffering effect on major depressive disorder, and no effect on generalized anxiety disorder and alcohol abuse or dependence disorder. Conclusion:, The significant association between social support and psychological distress, rather than diagnosable mental disorders, highlights the importance of social support, especially when the severity of a mental health related problem is low. [source] Social integration in young adulthood and the subsequent onset of substance use and disorders among a community population of urban African AmericansADDICTION, Issue 3 2010Kerry M. Green ABSTRACT Aims This paper examines the association between social integration in young adulthood and the later onset of substance use and disorders through mid-adulthood. Design Data come from a community cohort of African Americans followed longitudinally from age 6,42 years with four assessment periods. Setting The cohort all lived in the Woodlawn neighborhood of Chicago in 1966, an urban disadvantaged setting. Participants All Woodlawn first graders in 1966 were asked to participate; 13 families declined (n = 1242). Measurement Substance use was measured via interview at age 42 and includes the onset of alcohol and drug use disorders and the onset of cocaine/heroin use between ages 32 and 42 years. Social integration measures were assessed via interview at age 32 and include social roles (employee, spouse, parent), participation in religious and social organizations and a measure of overall social integration. Control variables were measured in childhood and later in the life course. Findings Multivariate regression analyses suggest that unemployment, being unmarried, infrequent religious service attendance and lower overall social integration in young adulthood predict later adult-onset drug use disorders, but not alcohol use disorders once confounders are taken into consideration. Unemployment and lower overall social integration predict onset of cocaine/heroin use later in adulthood. Conclusions Results show meaningful onset of drug use and substance use disorders during mid-adulthood and that social integration in young adulthood seems to play a role in later onset of drug use and drug disorders, but not alcohol disorders. [source] Electroclinical Picture of Autosomal Dominant Nocturnal Frontal Lobe Epilepsy in a Japanese FamilyEPILEPSIA, Issue 1 2000Masatoshi Ito Summary: Purpose: Autosomal dominant nocturnal frontal lobe epilepsy (ADNFLE) is the first described partial epilepsy syndrome known to be due to a single gene mutation. We found a first Japanese ADNFLE family with a novel mutation of the neuronal nicotinic acetylcholine receptor (nAChR) ,4 subunit (CHRNA4) gene. The aim of this report is precisely to describe the electroclinical manifestations of ADNFLE in this family and to compare these findings with those of other families reported previously in the literature. Methods: Three affected family members were investigated electroclinically by close clinical observation, interictal EEG, video-EEG monitoring, magnetic resonance imaging, and single-photon-emission tomography. Information about other affected family members was obtained from either the spouse or the parents. Mutations within the CHRNA4 gene were examined in seven family members. Results: The clinical manifestations and diagnostic findings in the members of this family were consistent with ADNFLE. However, there were intrafamilial and interfamilial variations in clinical features. The seizures of the patients were brief tonic seizures, with hyperventilation in children and secondarily generalized tonic,clonic convulsions in adults. The onset of the children's seizures began in infancy and early childhood. The children's seizures were sometimes provoked by movement and sound stimulation, and did not respond to antiepileptic drugs. On the other hand, the adults' seizures disappeared spontaneously or were easily controlled with carbamazepine. Three children showed hyperactivity, and two children had mild mental retardation. All patients had impaired consciousness during their seizures and no auras. A novel missense mutation (c755C>T) in exon 5 of the CHRNA4 gene was found in four affected family members. Conclusions: The electroclinical pictures of a Japanese family with ADNFLE were basically the same as those of other families reported, but with slight differences. ADNFLE is probably not uncommon, and it is very likely that there are unidentified patients with this inherited disorder in Japan. [source] Work, Family, and Individual Factors Associated with Mothers Attaining Their Preferred Work SituationsFAMILY & CONSUMER SCIENCES RESEARCH JOURNAL, Issue 3 2008Jenet JacobArticle first published online: 2 JUL 200 This study explores work, family, and individual factors associated with mothers attaining their preferred work situations, including full-time, part-time, work from home, and no paid work. Data are taken from a sub-sample of 1,777 mothers from a nationally representative sample contacted by random-digit dialing phone interviews by the University of Connecticut Center for Survey Research and Analysis and the Motherhood Study. Actual work situation, household income, spouse or partner's work situation, perception of family financial responsibility, race, and religion are associated with attaining preferred work situations using logistic regression, ANOVA, and chi-square analyses. Thirty-six percent of mothers who are in their preferred work situations have experienced fewer negative emotions and more positive emotions, suggesting implications for individual and family well-being and work,family policies. [source] Precautionary Savings Behavior of Maritally Stressed CouplesFAMILY & CONSUMER SCIENCES RESEARCH JOURNAL, Issue 3 2006Michael S. Finke According to precautionary savings theory, households tend to save more when future income is less certain. Divorce often results in reduced levels of household income and individual consumption comparable to other potential income shocks. Households that will divorce or separate in 5 years are identified from the Panel Study of Income Dynamics (1994,1999) to determine whether these households maintain greater wealth holdings in anticipation of divorce. When spouses earn comparable incomes, divorce-prone households have significantly higher wealth levels (p < .01) than households that remain married. When there is a higher-earning spouse, households have significantly lower wealth levels (p < .01) than households that remain married. Results suggest that spouses with comparable earnings treat divorce as a wealth shock, whereas higher-earning spouses rationally dissave when divorce is imminent. Equitable wealth allocation for lower-earning spouses may require a more detailed investigation of predivorce wealth changes. [source] A NATIONWIDE SURVEY OF MANDATORY PARENT EDUCATION*FAMILY COURT REVIEW, Issue 2 2008Susan L. Pollet In an effort to take positive steps toward coping with problems for families and children created by high levels of separation and divorce, ever increasing civil caseloads and the exposure of children to interparental conflict, court-affiliated educational programs have emerged in the United States for parents separating from their spouse or partner or going through a divorce. This article will provide an overview of the creation of such programs and their development, which includes a discussion regarding the numerous states currently mandating parents to attend. It will summarize some of the research which has been conducted as to the efficacy of the programs and will provide the results of our nationwide research for each state's parent education status. There is a discussion of domestic violence issues and sensitivities in the context of parent education programs and possible future directions for mandatory parent education. [source] Genetic Probes of Three Theories of Maternal Adjustment: I. Recent Evidence and a Model,FAMILY PROCESS, Issue 3 2001David Reiss M.D. Studies focusing on genetic and social influences on maternal adjustment will illumine mother's marriage, parenting, and the development of psychopathology in her children. Recent behavioral genetic research suggests mechanisms by which genetic and social influences determine psychological development and adjustment. First, heritable, personal attributes may influence individuals' relationships with their family members. These genetically influenced family patterns may amplify the effects of adverse, heritable personal attributes on adjustment. Second, influences unique to siblings may be the most important environmental determinants of adjustment. We derive three hypotheses on maternal adjustment from integrating these findings from genetic studies with other contemporary research on maternal adjustment. First, mother's marriage mediates the influence of her heritable, personal attributes on her adjustment. Second, mother's recall of how she was parented is partially genetically influenced, and both her relationships with her spouse and her child mediate the impact of these genetically influenced representations on her current adjustment. Third, characteristics of mother's spouse are important influences on difference between her adjustment and that of her sister's These sibling-specific influences are unrelated to mother's heritable attributes. The current article develops this model, and the companion article describes the Twin Mom Study that was designed to test it as well, as its first findings. Data from this study can illumine the role of family process in the expression of genetic influence and lead to specific family interventions designed to offset adverse genetic influences. [source] Resolving Disease Management Problems in European-American and Latino Couples with Type 2 Diabetes: The Effects of Ethnicity and Patient Gender,FAMILY PROCESS, Issue 4 2000Lawrence Fisher Ph.D. The management of type 2 diabetes requires major life style changes. How patients and family members resolve disagreements about disease management affects how well the disease is managed over time. Our goal was to identify differences in how couples resolved disagreements about diabetes management based on ethnicity and patient gender. We recruited 65 Latino and 110 European-American (EA) couples in which one spouse had type 2 diabetes. Couples participated in a 10-minute videotaped, revealed differences interaction task that was evaluated with 7 reliable observer ratings: warm-engagement, hostility, avoidance, amount of conflict resolution, off-task behavior, patient dominance, and dialogue. A series of 2 × 2, Ethnicity × Sex ANOVAs indicated significant effects for Ethnicity and for the Ethnicity × Sex interaction, but not for Sex. Latino couples were rated as significantly more emotionally close, less avoidant, less hostile toward each other, and had less dominant patients than EA couples; however, Latino couples achieved significantly less problem resolution and were more frequently off-task than EA couples. These findings were qualified by patient gender. The findings highlight important differences in how couples manage diabetes based on ethnicity and patient gender, and suggest that effective family-based programs of intervention must take both characteristics into account. [source] Types and Patterns of Later-life MigrationGEOGRAFISKA ANNALER SERIES B: HUMAN GEOGRAPHY, Issue 3 2000William H. Walters This paper refines previous typologies of later-life mobility by explicitly evaluating the spatial migration patterns and household characteristics of retired American migrants. Migrants' lifecourse attributes (economic status, disability, presence of spouse), large-scale migration patterns (internal migration) and household characteristics (living arrangements, economic independence, residential independence) are used to identify three types of post-retirement mobility. The first type, amenity migration, has a distinctive spatial pattern that suggests a search for attractive climate and leisure amenities. The second type of mobility, assistance migration, can be traced to low income and the absence of a spouse in the household. It often results in residential and economic dependence , specifically, in co-residence with adult children or other labor force members. The third type of mobility, migration in response to severe disability and spouse absence, tends to result in nursing home residence. While amenity migration has long been associated with good health and favorable economic status, this analysis reveals that many disabled and lower-income retirees share the inmigration pattern typical of amenity migrants. In fact, amenity migration is the predominant type of mobility among those migrants with fewer than two unfavorable lifecourse attributes (low income, severe disability and spouse absence). Unlike previous lifecourse typologies, this study shows no clear relationship between moderate disability and co-residence with adult children. The results suggest that co-residence is primarily a strategy for reducing living costs rather than a means of coping with moderate disability. [source] Nocturnal Home Hemodialysis: Focus on the PartnerHEMODIALYSIS INTERNATIONAL, Issue 1 2003H Vos Background. Nocturnal home hemodialysis (NHD, 6 times weekly 6,8 hours) results in a better clinical and psychosocial condition of dialysis patients. However, this intensive therapy has important consequences for partners, who bear at least some responsibilities during the treatment. Methods. Since December 2001, we included 15 patients in a Dutch NHD project (,Nocturne'). All patients are assisted by their spouses. An aim of Nocturne is to study the effects of NHD on partners and other family members with questionnaires and interviews by a social worker. Results. NHD affects daily life of partners much more than conventional therapies. Partners feel very involved with the treatment. The invasion of the treatment in bed, the noise and light produced by the machine, the daily assisting of the patient, less freedom, and co-responsibility for the treatment are felt as a burden, specially during the first months of the treatment. However, the improved clinical condition of their spouse, resulting in less fatigue, less disability, less uremic symptoms, less complications, more attention for and contribution to family life, better quality of life and better mood are considered major improvements, with important positive effects for the quality of life of all family members. Additionally, partners consider the fact that they make an important positive contribution to their spouse's health valuable. All partners judged NHD, despite some negative consequences, as a major improvement of their life. Conclusion. The positive effects of NHD are more important than the negative consequences for partners of patients. However, partners need active support by nurses or social workers, specially during the first months of the treatment. [source] Semen quality and sedentary work positionINTERNATIONAL JOURNAL OF ANDROLOGY, Issue 1 2004Julie Støy Summary Increased scrotal temperature can, in experimental settings, markedly disturb the production of semen. Sedentary work position may increase the temperature of the scrotum, but previous studies have failed to determine whether changes in scrotal temperature caused by sedentary work actually do affect semen quality. This study was carried out to elucidate the possible harmful effects of sedentary work on sperm count and other semen characteristics. In 1981,1983 a semen sample was obtained from 3119 men who attended an infertility workup in one of four Danish fertility centres. A total of 2517 men returned a postal questionnaire with information on life style, leisure time activities, occupational history and job duties. Information on job specific work position was obtained from The Danish Work Environment Cohort study 1990 (DWECS). In this analysis DWECS data for a total of 1747 men was included from men aged 18,39 years with >30 h of work per week. For all job titles represented in the DWECS, the mean proportion of sedentary work was estimated. The sperm cell concentration was 30.6 million/mL among men in the quintile with lowest job specific sedentary work compared with 40.5 million/mL in the highest quintile. The difference was, however, not statistically significant. Stratification on infertility period, educational level of the man, fertility centre, and fertility-related disease of the spouse did not influence the results. The analyses do not suggest that sedentary work is a risk factor for abnormal semen characteristics. [source] The influence of caregiver burden on sexual intimacy and marital satisfaction in couples with an Alzheimer spouseINTERNATIONAL JOURNAL OF CLINICAL PRACTICE, Issue 1 2008C. Simonelli Summary Objective:, This study investigates affective and sexual dimensions in partners involved as caregivers of Alzheimer dementia (AD) subjects. A negative correlation between burden of the caregiver and sexual-affective quality of life was assumed. Design and methods:, Hundred participants with AD partner (33 male, 67 female), aged between 55 and 85 years were recruited and data were collected from the Caregiver Burden Inventory scale and a semi-structured interview that included demographic information, medical history, relationship and sexual satisfaction, and current sexual function. AD group was compared with a control group (CG) (N = 100) matched for age, sex, education and marital status on measures of the semi-structured interview. Data were analysed using frequency count, univariate analysis (chi-squared and ANOVA) and bivariate correlation. Results:, The findings revealed that mean burden level was 31.59 (SD 19.51). A difference between experimental and CGs was found for sexual and affective marital satisfaction (p < 0.05). The same variables showed a rather negative correlation with total burden levels (r = ,0.374, p < 0.001; r = ,0.448, p < 0.001). [source] Caregiving burden and psychiatric morbidity in spouses of persons with mild cognitive impairmentINTERNATIONAL JOURNAL OF GERIATRIC PSYCHIATRY, Issue 6 2005Linda Garand Abstract Background While the deleterious psychosocial and mental health effects of dementia caregiving are firmly established, very little is known about the burdens or psychiatric outcomes of providing care to a spouse with less severe cognitive impairment, such as mild cognitive impairment (MCI). We characterized the nature and level of caregiver burden and psychiatric morbidity in spouses of persons diagnosed with MCI. Methods Interview assessments were completed on a cohort of 27 spouses of persons with a recent diagnosis of MCI. Patient medical records were reviewed to collect information regarding the MCI patient's medical history. Results Respondents endorsed elevated levels of both task-related responsibilities and subjective caregiver burden. Depression and anxiety symptom levels also showed some elevations. Measures of caregiver burden were significantly associated with depression and anxiety levels. In particular, even after controlling for demographic risk factors for distress, nursing task burden was correlated with elevated depressive symptoms, and greater lifestyle constraints were correlated with higher anxiety levels. Conclusions Although caregiver burden and psychiatric morbidity levels were lower than those typically observed in family dementia caregiving samples, our findings suggest that MCI caregivers have already begun to experience distress in association with elevated caregiving burden. These individuals may be ideal targets for selective preventive interventions to maximize their psychological well-being as caregiving burdens related to their spouses' cognitive impairment increase. Copyright © 2005 John Wiley & Sons, Ltd. [source] Gender, kinship and caregiver burden: the case of community-dwelling memory impaired seniorsINTERNATIONAL JOURNAL OF GERIATRIC PSYCHIATRY, Issue 8 2003Neale R. Chumbler Abstract Background This study examined whether there were gender and kinship (spouse, child, more distant relative) differences in caregiver burden. It further examined the constellation of gender and kinship by examining whether adult daughter caregivers experienced greater burden compared to wives, husbands, sons, and other more distant relatives. Methods The sample consisted of 305 family caregivers of memory-impaired individuals who were age 70 years or older and resided in non-institutional settings in Arkansas. A cross-sectional design was employed using validated measures to assess both the memory-impaired elders' and family caregivers' self-reported physical and memory status. Results After controlling for the age and health status characteristics of the memory-impaired elder, sociodemographic and health status characteristics of the family caregiver, and the caregiver coping response (measured by the sense of coherence), multiple regression analyses found kinship, but not gender differences in caregiver burden. Adult children experienced more caregiver burden than more distant relatives. There were no significant differences in caregiver burden between adult children and spouses. Adult daughters had greater caregiver burden scores compared to more distant relatives, but had comparable scores to wives, sons, and husbands. Other significant correlates of burden included caregiver personal characteristics (age and ethnicity) and the sense of coherence. Conclusions The study discusses the practice implications of adult children and adult daughters' propensity to suffer burden when caring for their memory-impaired parents living in the community. It also discusses the relevance of caregiver personal characteristics and the sense of coherence as correlates of burden. Copyright © 2003 John Wiley & Sons, Ltd. [source] Personal and social determinants of health services utilization by Mexican older peopleINTERNATIONAL JOURNAL OF OLDER PEOPLE NURSING, Issue 3 2010Maria Isabel Peñarrieta De Córdova PhD de córdova m.i.p., mier n., curi e.j.m., gómez t.g., quirarte n.h.g. & barrios f.f. (2009) Personal and social determinants of health services utilization by Mexican older people. International Journal of Older People Nursing 5, 193,201 doi: 10.1111/j.1748-3743.2009.00193.x Background., Increased healthcare needs among older individuals around the world demands a better understanding of factors influencing healthcare service utilization patterns. Objective., To examine personal and social correlates to health services utilization among Mexican older persons. Design and methods., This was a cross-sectional study conducted between 2004 and 2006 with 2030 Mexican adults 60 years and older and based on a health services utilization framework. A two-stage cluster sampling with probability proportionate to size was used. Participants were randomly selected and recruited in four metropolitan areas in Northeastern Mexico. Chi-square and Pearson's chi-squared tests and logistic regression were used for data analyses. Results., Significantly more women than men had lost a spouse and were illiterate. Also, females reported significantly poorer health, higher nutritional risk and lower ability to perform activities of daily and instrumental living than males. Predictors of healthcare utilization were: Having a caregiver during an illness; perceiving to have a health problem; being able to afford food, and having children. Conclusions., Predisposing, enabling and need factors are strong predictors of health services utilization among Mexican older persons. In addition, gender differences exist among this population in relation to health status, but not to health services demands. [source] Living with prostate cancer: a critical review of relatives' experiencesINTERNATIONAL JOURNAL OF UROLOGICAL NURSING, Issue 2 2010Poul Bruun The aim was to review the existing qualitative research literature on the perspectives of the spouse, sons and daughters on life in a family where the male partner/father has prostate cancer. PubMed and CINAHL were searched using the MESH words: prostatic neoplasm, spouse, family, adult children, son, daughter and qualitative research. The search was limited from December 1960 to January 2008. The search returned 560 papers; only six qualitative research papers were relevant and included in the study. The main results of the perspectives of spouses, daughters and sons are presented in relation to the following four stages: diagnosis, pretreatment decision-making, awaiting treatment and treatment/post-treatment. The studies reviewed indicate that the spouse, sons and daughters were all markedly affected by the man's serious diagnosis. Some studies highlights the methodological problem of non-independent informants: in a couple or focus group interview, the different individuals interviewed will always be influenced by the statements or presence of others, or the couple will act as a system and their individual views cannot be identified. This paper concludes that there is a lack of European research through all stages of the illness. In order to learn about the individual, perspective studies should only include either the spouse or the son or daughter as informants. Further research on all stages of the illness is needed. The studies should have a longitudinal design. [source] Experience of parents with head and neck cancer who are caring for young childrenJOURNAL OF ADVANCED NURSING, Issue 6 2010Cherith J. Semple semple c.j. & mccance t. (2010) Experience of parents with head and neck cancer who are caring for young children. Journal of Advanced Nursing,66(6), 1280,1290. Abstract Title.,Experience of parents with head and neck cancer who are caring for young children. Aim., This paper is a report of a study exploring the experience and support needs of parents with head and neck cancer, who are also caring for their young children. Background., The incidence of head and neck cancer is steadily rising in the younger age groups (under 50 years). As a direct consequence, more parents of young children are being diagnosed with this cancer. Methods., Using a qualitative descriptive design, 12 patients with young children under the age of 16 were interviewed during 2008. The data were analysed using cognitive mapping. Findings., At diagnosis, parents experienced the fear of missing milestones in the life of their children and fear of telling the children about their diagnosis. During treatment, parents' inevitable stays in hospital led to separation from the children and the need to prepare their children for the first hospital visit. Parents experienced many debilitating effects of treatment, which had an impact on family activities, especially those that involved eating. There was often changing roles within the family. After treatment, the experience of living with cancer for parents resulted in the desire to get back to day-to-day life. Parents had an increased appreciation of life but were also living with uncertainties. The most important support networks for parents were their spouse, family and friends. Conclusion., Oncology nurses are in an excellent position to offer support and guidance to parents with cancer who have children, and should encourage them to explore with the family the best way of managing role change during treatment. [source] Exercise and Diet Beliefs of Overweight Women Participating in an Exercise and Diet Program: An Elicitation Study Using the Theory of Planned Behavior,JOURNAL OF APPLIED BIOBEHAVIORAL RESEARCH, Issue 3 2004Rebecca Ellis Gardner The purpose of this study was to examine the exercise and diet beliefs of overweight women using the theory of planned behavior. Participants were 104 overweight community women and university students who completed a 4-week exercise and diet program. The most salient exercise beliefs for the participants were (a) increased motivation, structure and accountability, and social support (behavioral beliefs); (b) job or school responsibilities and traveling (control beliefs); and (c) group members and the program trainer (normative beliefs). The most salient diet beliefs were (a) improved eating habits and convenience (behavioral beliefs), (b) lack of control over food preparation and inconvenience (control beliefs), and (c) family and spouse or significant other (normative beliefs). These results are discussed in comparison to beliefs held by different populations and in regard to implications for intervention design. [source] Survival of intimate partner violence as experienced by womenJOURNAL OF CLINICAL NURSING, Issue 3 2005Aune Flinck MNSc Aims and objectives., The study set out to describe women's experiences of intimate partner violence, the consequences of such violence, the help they received and women's experiences of their survival. Background., Social and health professionals do not have sufficient ability to identify and help families who suffer from intimate partner violence. Methods for identifying and treating partner violence not have been developed adequately. Method., The study was conducted in Finland by loosely formulated open-ended interviews with seven battered women. The data were analysed by inductive qualitative content analysis. Findings., Women had past experience of maltreatment and a distressing climate at their parental home. Women experienced both themselves and their spouse as having weak identities; their ideals, patterns of marriage and sexuality were different. Violence occurred in situations of disagreement. Women tried to strike a balance between independence and dependence in the relationship. The different forms of couple violence were interlinked. The women sought help when their health and social relationships got worse. An awareness of the problem, taking action, counselling and social relationships helped them survive. Religiousness was a factor that involved commitment to the couple relationship, made religious demands on women and promoted the recovery of integrity. Conclusions., Intimate partner violence was associated with the family model, childhood experience of maltreatment, the partners' weak identity and conflicts between individualism and familism. Social and healthcare professionals need competence in early intervention and skills to discuss moral principles, sexuality, and violence in a way that is free of prejudice and condemning attitudes. Spiritual approaches in the context of interventions should be taken into consideration. Relevance to clinical practice., In a clinical context, nurses should be aware of the symptoms of violence, and they should have skills in dealing with intimate moral and spiritual issues. [source] | |||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||