Social and Behavioral Sciences Commons^™

Health-Related Quality Of Life In The Working Uninsured: Conditional Indirect Effects Of Perceived Stigma Via Vitality And Interpersonal Needs, Preston Lee Visser

Electronic Theses and Dissertations

Stigmatization involves the application of labels to individuals in social contexts, leading to impaired access to social, economic, and political power. Although actual stigmatizing beliefs that society holds about particular groups are important, the extent to which individuals themselves perceive stigma from others and internalize stigmatizing beliefs is being increasingly recognized as a cause of psychological and physical distress. Little research has been done on explanatory mechanisms of the relations between perceived stigma and health outcomes, particularly in the area of stigma related to finances. Two important dimensions of overall health include depressive symptoms and health-related quality of life. According …

Health-Related Quality Of Life And Future Care Planning Among Older Adults: Exploring The Role Of Hope As A Moderator, Jodi L. Southerland

Electronic Theses and Dissertations

Older adults have an increased risk for illness and disease, factors that can lead to functional impairment and intensify the need for reliance on supportive services. Planning for long-term care needs is a vital component of healthy aging and continued autonomy. Yet, many older adults fail to make plans in advance, perhaps due to differences in personal characteristics.

The moderating effects of trait hope on the relationship between health-related quality of life (HRQoL) and preparation for future care needs (PFCN) was studied in a sample of 65 older adult primary care patients (<65 years) in western New York. Participants completed a questionnaire on 5 dimensions of PFCN (awareness of risk, information gathering, decisions about care preferences, concrete planning, and active avoidance). In addition, data were collected on five HRQoL domains (physical function, physical role function, emotional role function, social function, and bodily pain) and trait hope. Moderated multiple regression was used to test the moderator hypothesis controlling for personal characteristics. Post-hoc probing was used to further examine significant interactions.

At the bivariate level, social functioning, physical …