Medicine and Health Sciences Commons^™

Conducting Life History Research With Adolescents, Kristin Haglund

College of Nursing Faculty Research and Publications

This article is a commentary on the life history approach, which specifically described aspects of and offered suggestions for conducting life history research with adolescents. The life history approach is well suited to a wide variety of types of health-related inquiry. In this article, the author used an exemplar study to show how well the life history approach was suited for questions regarding adolescent issues. This approach was also a good match for the developmental skills and needs of adolescents. The author uses the strengths and weaknesses of the approach and a detailed example of how she used the life …

Psychometric Testing Of The Self-Care Of Heart Failure Index, Barbara Riegel, Beverly Carlson, Debra K. Moser, Margaret Sebern, Frank D. Hicks, Virginia Roland

College of Nursing Faculty Research and Publications

Background: Self-care is believed to improve outcomes in heart failure (HF) patients. However, research testing this assumption is hampered by difficulties in measuring self-care. The purpose of this study was to evaluate the psychometric properties of a revised instrument measuring self-care in persons with HF, the Self-Care of Heart Failure Index (SCHFI). The SCHFI is a self-report measure comprised of 15 items rated on a 4-point response scale and divided into 3 subscales.

Methods and Results: Psychometric testing was done using data from 760 HF patients (age 70.36 ± 12.3 years, 51% male) from 7 sites in the United States. …

Length Of Stay After Vaginal Birth: Sociodemographic And Readiness-For-Discharge Factors, Marianne E. Weiss, Polly Ryan, Lisa Lokken, Magdalen Nelson

College of Nursing Faculty Research and Publications

Background: The impact of reductions in postpartum length of stay have been widely reported, but factors influencing length of hospital stay after vaginal birth have received less attention. The study purpose was to compare the sociodemographic characteristics and readiness for discharge of new mothers and their newborns at 3 discharge time intervals, and to determine which variables were associated with postpartum length of stay.

Methods: The study sample comprised 1,192 mothers who were discharged within 2 postpartum days after uncomplicated vaginal birth at a tertiary perinatal center in the midwestern United States. The sample was divided into 3 postpartum length-of-stay …

Couples' Views Of The Effects Of Natural Family Planning On Marital Dynamics, Leona Vandevusse, Lisa Hanson, Richard Fehring, Amy Newman, Jaime Fox

College of Nursing Faculty Research and Publications

Purpose: Natural Family Planning (NFP) requires periodic abstinence and partner cooperation to prevent pregnancy. The aim of this study was to learn about the effects of modern NFP methods on marital relationships. Design: Descriptive survey. Methods: Questionnaires were mailed to 1,400 randomly selected couples known to use NFP and residing in the United States of America; 334 couples (24%) responded. Content analysis was used to identify meanings and themes. Numeric analyses were used to determine frequencies. Findings: Nearly two-thirds of the qualitative comments were positive. Four themes were identified in the positive responses: relationship enhancements, knowledge improvements, spirituality enrichments, and …

The Wisconsin Fetal Alcohol Syndrome Screening Project, Marianne E. Weiss, Christine E. Cronk, Sandra Mahkorn, Randall Glysch, Sara Zirbel

College of Nursing Faculty Research and Publications

Problem: Fetal Alcohol Syndrome (FAS) is preventable, under-diagnosed, and under-reported. Wisconsin rates for alcohol use and binge drinking in childbearing-age women exceed the national average. FAS prevalence in Wisconsin has not previously been systematically evaluated. Methods: The Wisconsin Fetal Alcohol Syndrome Screening Project (WFASSP) used a multi-stage, multi-source prospective population-based screening methodology to identify children born in 1998-1999 in Southeast Wisconsin who met a surveillance case definition for FAS. The 4-stage methodology used screening of electronic birth files, abstraction of neonatal medical records, and direct assessment of facial features, growth, and development at age 2 to 3 years. Results: The …

Southeast Asian Refugee Children: Self-Esteem As A Predictor Of Depression And Scholastic Achievement In The U.S., Patricia G. Fox, Kenneth R. Burns, Judith M. Popovich, Ruth Belknap, Marilyn Frank-Stromborg

College of Nursing Faculty Research and Publications

The eruption of conflicts and war in this century has led to new masses of refugees and displaced persons. Globally, host countries will continue to confront issues of how to ensure the successful adaptation of refugees who typically are women and children. The United States received three major waves of Southeast Asian (SEA) refugees during the past twenty-five years. One million SEA refugees arrived in the past decade; the majority were children and adolescents. Today, there is still a lack of understanding surrounding mental health issues and their relationship to children's violence experience. We know that SEA refugee children suffered …

The Future Of Professional Education In Natural Family Planning, Richard Fehring

College of Nursing Faculty Research and Publications

Nurses and other health care professionals often have little knowledge of methods of natural family planning (NFP) and do not readily prescribe natural methods for their patients. One reason for this is that little or no information on NFP is provided in nursing or medical schools. The holistic, informational, and integrative nature of NFP fits well with professional nursing practice. A university online distance education NFP teacher training program, which offers academic credit and includes theory, practice, and the latest developments in fertility monitoring, has been developed for health care professionals. Professional NFP services in the United States need to …

A Comparison Of The Fertile Phase As Determined By The Clearplan Easy Fertility Monitor™ And Self-Assessment Of Cervical Mucus, Richard Fehring, Kathleen Raviele, Mary Schneider

College of Nursing Faculty Research and Publications

The purpose of this study was to compare the fertile phase of the menstrual cycle as determined by the Clearplan Easy Fertility Monitor (CPEFM) with self-monitoring of cervical mucus. One-hundred women (mean age = 29.4 years) observed their cervical mucus and monitored their urine for estrogen and luteinizing hormone metabolites with the CPEFM on a daily basis for 2–6 cycles and generated 378 cycles of data; of these, 347 (92%) had a CPEFM peak. The beginning of the fertile window was, on average, day 11.8 (SD = 3.4) by the monitor and day 9.9 (SD = 3.0) by cervical mucus …