Biomedical subjects

Helen B Miltiades

Publications and source records attributed to Helen B Miltiades.

3 recordsLinked to original sources

PubMed2002

Regional differences in functional status among the aged.

This study investigated regional differences in functional status among aged Medicare beneficiaries in the United States, and the degree to which population risk factors and certain geographic/environmental attributes of communities accounted for the regional differences. Four years of the Medicare Current Beneficiary Survey (1992-1995) were pooled together yielding 37,150 person-year observations of functional status for a sample of aged Medicare beneficiaries residing in the community or nursing homes. Multinomial logit models, estimated on a four-category functional status scale, produced strong empirical evidence of substantial regional differences in the prevalence of functional independence, functional limitations, IADL limitations, and ADL limitations, that could not be attributed to regional population composition, socio-demographic factors, lifestyle characteristics, and chronic medical conditions. Although such population risk factors accounted for much of the regional variations in functional status among older men, the notably higher prevalence of IADL and ADL limitations among older women residing in the Deep South could not be similarly attributed to such risk factors. Rather, the empirical results suggest that a significant portion of the harmful effects associated with residence in the Deep South among older women may be attributed to a higher prevalence of residence in counties characterized by lower population density and/or higher poverty concentration.

Activities of Daily Living↗

PubMed2002

The social and psychological effect of an adult child's emigration on non-immigrant Asian Indian elderly parents.

The impact of immigration on parents left behind has been largely ignored in the literature. This exploratory study uses cultural specificity theory to examine the effect an adult child's emigration has on the familial support system available to the parents left behind, and on the parent's psychological well-being. Twenty-nine parents (age 55+) in India, who had adult children in the United States, were selected using snowball sampling. Qualitative interviews based on a semi-structured interview schedule were conducted during the fall and winter of 1997. Results show that although most parents do not live in an extended family, they receive support from extended family members. However, the biggest source of daily support comes from hired help. Hired help allows parents to live independently and decreases reliance on informal support systems. Since hired help is relatively inexpensive most parents can substitute help for their children. This does not alleviate feelings of loneliness and depression.

Journal Article↗

PubMed2002

The effect of religious coping on caregiving appraisals of mothers of adults with developmental disabilities.

PURPOSE: This article explores the association between race and religious coping on caregiving appraisals for mothers who coreside with an adult child with mental retardation. DESIGN AND METHODS: 71 Black and 71 White women (aged 50 or older) were matched on demographic characteristics to control for the association between race and socioeconomic status. Structural equation analysis was used to examine the relationship between race, religious coping, and caregiving appraisals. RESULTS: Black women were more likely to use religious coping. Religious coping was associated with higher levels of caregiving satisfaction, but not with burden. Blacks experienced higher levels of caregiving satisfaction. Blacks also experienced higher levels of caregiving burden due to their poor health. IMPLICATIONS: The needs of Blacks should be considered when developing "best practices" in service provision. Culturally sensitive outreach approaches should not ignore the importance of faith and faith-based organizations in the lives of Blacks.

Adaptation, Psychological↗