Medicine and Health Sciences Commons^™

Diagonal Earlobe Creases And Coronary Artery Disease, Sandra Jeanne Vollmer

FIU Electronic Theses and Dissertations

PURPOSE: The purpose of this study was to examine the relationship between the diagonal earlobe crease and the incidence of coronary artery disease.

PATIENTS AND METHODS: A descriptive, correlational, retrospective and concurrent approach was utilized in examining 61 patients, all with a cardiac catheterization within the last six months. All were examined for the presence of diagonal earlobe crease, presence of coronary artery disease, total blood cholesterol levels, age, sex, and past medical histories. Analyses included the Fischer's exact test, regression analysis, and multiple logistic regression analysis.

RESULTS: The mean age of all the subjects 70.3. Mean cholesterol level of …

Relation Of Health Related Hardiness To Health Perception And Psychosocial Adaptation In Adult Hispanics With Chronic Hepatitis C, Darlene M. Boytell

FIU Electronic Theses and Dissertations

The purpose of this study was to investigate the role of hardiness in health perception and psychosocial adaptation in adult hispanics with chronic hepatitis C (n = 32). The Health Related Hardiness Scale and the Psychosocial Adaptation to Illness Scale were administered to 32 adult hispanics diagnosed with chronic heptitis C at a gastroenterology center. The results indicate that a comparison of subjects with low and high hardiness scores did not reveal significant differences on any of the PAIS domains (health care orientation, sexual relationships, psychological distress, vocational, domestic and social environments). Furthermore, hardiness subscales of control and committment did …

The Role Of Group Activity Participation In Depression Among Institutionalized Elderly, Amparita L. Cabrera

FIU Electronic Theses and Dissertations

The role of group activity participation in depression among a group of residents (N=65), age 80 and older, in a nursing home was examined using the framework of Roy's Adaptation Theory and Nolen-Hoeksema's Response Style Theory of Depression. Roy views depression as a maladaptation. Nolen-Hoeksema views group activity participation as a therapeutic distraction to break depressed moods and thus allow for positive adaptation.

This study utilized data from medical records, group activity attendance, and self-report questionnaires. Demographic distributions were computed and correlational statistics were performed between subjects' participation and their degree of depression, pain experience, functional status, presence of social …

Perceptions Of Nurses And Clients Related To Empathic Interactions, Patricia Christine Calhoun

FIU Electronic Theses and Dissertations

The definition of empathy is generally agreed upon, although its precise nature and characteristics within a nurse-client relationship are unclear. The perceptions of nurses and clients related to empathic interactions were examined using hospitalized clients and their direct care nurses. A phenomenological approach was chosen for research design and analysis.

Data for the study were collected by interviewing the nurses and clients individually. The interviews were recorded and transcribed. The data were analyzed using the seven step Colaizzi method.

The findings of the study indicate that nurses and clients have a multi-dimensional view of empathy. There is agreement that there …