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Biomedical subjects

B M DeVellis

Publications and source records attributed to B M DeVellis.

7 recordsLinked to original sources
PubMed1992

Psychological well-being among people with recently diagnosed rheumatoid arthritis. Do self-perceptions of abilities make a difference?

OBJECTIVE: Satisfaction with abilities and perceived importance of abilities are 2 factors involved in the process of self-evaluation. We examined the role that these factors play in adjustment to rheumatoid arthritis (RA). METHODS: Data were collected, via telephone interview and mailed questionnaire, from 234 individuals with recently diagnosed RA. Disease severity information was obtained from participants' physicians. RESULTS: Consistent with study hypotheses, satisfaction was associated with psychological well-being only among those who viewed as very important the abilities being evaluated. CONCLUSION: These findings increase understanding of the conditions under which low levels of satisfaction are likely to be associated with psychological distress.

Adaptation, Psychological↗
PubMed1992

Nutrition education for cardiovascular disease prevention among low income populations--description and pilot evaluation of a physician-based model.

Low income Americans are at greatest risk for coronary heart disease but have least access to health promotion programs for life style modification. Primary care physicians may represent one of the few sources of preventive care available to the poor. However, the majority of physicians feel unprepared to help patients achieve dietary change, and few existing nutrition intervention programs address the special needs of low literacy populations. The Food for Heart Program was developed to facilitate dietary counseling experienced by primary care physicians who care for low literacy patients and to overcome barriers to behavior change faced by patients. The program consists of three components: (1) a validated dietary risk assessment that rapidly identifies atherogenic eating habits and requires no nutritional expertise to administer or interpret, (2) a structured diet treatment program that is culturally specific for a southern patient population and links practical behavior change recommendations with results of the diet assessment, and (3) a system for monitoring and reinforcement that prompts physicians to review progress, reinforce prior messages, and reward positive change. Behavior change theory is used to guide the intervention and readability of the material has been assessed at the 5-6th grade level. An evaluation study of the Food for Heart Program suggests that it has a positive impact on physician counseling and that patients are responding favorably to these efforts.

Cardiovascular Diseases↗
PubMed1992

Illness attributions and hopelessness depression: the role of hopelessness expectancy.

According to hopelessness theory, hopelessness expectancy is the proximal, sufficient cause of hopelessness depression. Consequently, hopelessness expectancy is viewed as mediating the influence of all other factors on hopelessness depression. Using a longitudinal research design, we examined hopelessness expectancy as a mediator of the relation between illness attributions and hopelessness depression in a sample of 57 adults with rheumatoid arthritis. Although hopelessness expectancy was a strong predictor of hopelessness depression, it moderated rather than mediated the relation between attributions and depression. Finding support for a moderating rather than a mediating model is inconsistent with theory but is consistent with the findings of Riskind, Rholes, Brannon, and Burdick (1987).

Activities of Daily Living↗
PubMed1991

Disease experience and psychosocial adjustment in children with juvenile rheumatoid arthritis: children's versus mothers' reports.

Adjustment in children with juvenile rheumatoid arthritis (JRA) has been evaluated most frequently by parental or teacher reports and with reference to disease severity. In this study, 38 children, ages 7 to 13 with JRA, and their mothers were interviewed. Modest correlations were found between children and mothers in their assessments of children's perceived competence in several domains (i.e., athletic competence, social acceptance, physical attractiveness, and global self-worth) and in their perceptions of how JRA is experienced by children and families. Children's perceptions of the disease experience were significantly correlated with the four measures of perceived competence, even after controlling for disease severity. The results highlight the importance of cross-validating parental reports with children's self-reports, and demonstrate the need to consider variables other than disease severity--in particular how JRA is interpreted by children--in predicting their adjustment.

Adaptation, Psychological↗
PubMedDate not supplied

Increasing nurses' person-centeredness.

In a two-phased study, two samples of registered nurses listened to audiotaped disclosure statements from simulated patients and responded to each statement "in as helpful a manner as possible." Their responses were judged for degree of "person-centeredness." Nurses in sample one (N=24) received no intervention between the two phases of the study; nurses in sample two (N=20), after completing phase I, listened to a brief message designed to enhance the helpfulness of their responses. No differences were found for the phase I person-centeredness scores; the nurses who received the intervention showed significant improvement in their degree of person-centeredness as compared to those who did not receive the intervention. Implications of these results are discussed.

Counseling↗