Biomedical subjects

J Wilbur

Publications and source records attributed to J Wilbur.

At least 19 recordsLinked to original sources

PubMed2001

Exercise among blue-collar workers: application of the theory of planned behavior.

The purpose of this study was to identify cognitive predictors of blue-collar workers' (N = 468) intention to exercise and their self-reported exercise behavior. The theory of planned behavior (TPB) provided the framework for the study. A cross-sectional sample of skilled and unskilled workers from the physical facilities department of a large, Midwestern state university completed a questionnaire containing measures of attitude, subjective norm, perceived behavioral control, intention, and self-reported leisure exercise behavior. Structural equation modeling demonstrated that workers' attitude toward exercise and perceived behavioral control explained 61.7% of the variance of intention, whereas intention and perceived behavioral control explained 51.3% of the variance of exercise behavior. Subjective norm was not a significant predictor of intention to exercise. The findings support the use of the TPB in identifying cognitive factors that explain exercise behavior and suggest that interventions to promote exercise behavior in blue-collar workers should address their attitude toward exercise and their perceptions of behavioral control.

Adult↗

PubMed2001

Cardiovascular health interventions in women: What works?

Women's Cardiovascular Health Network members representing 10 Prevention Research Centers completed a literature review of approximately 65 population-based studies focused on improving women's cardiovascular health through behavior change for tobacco use, physical inactivity, or diet. A framework was developed for conducting the search. Databases (Medline, Psychlit, Smoking and Health, Cumulative Index to Nursing and Allied Health Literature) of studies published from 1980 to 1998 were searched. The review was presented at a meeting of experts held in Atlanta, Georgia. Output from the meeting included identification of what has worked to improve cardiovascular health in women and recommendations for future behavioral research. Additional information is available at www.hsc.wvu.edu/womens-cvh. Cardiovascular health interventions geared toward women are scant. Based on the available studies, program components that emerged as effective included personalized advice on diet and physical activity behaviors and tobacco cessation, multiple staff contacts with skill building, daily self-monitoring, and combinations of strategies. Recommendations for community-based tobacco, physical activity, and diet interventions are discussed. A few overarching recommendations were to (1) conduct qualitative research to determine the kinds of interventions women want, (2) examine relapse prevention, motivation, and maintenance of behavior change, (3) tailor programs to the stage of the life cycle, a woman's readiness to change, and subgroups, that is, minority, low socioeconomic, and obese women, and (4) evaluate policy and environmental interventions. The effects of cardiovascular interventions in women have been inappropriately understudied in women. Our review found that few studies on cardiovascular risk factor modification have actually targeted women. Hence, adoption and maintenance of behavior change in women are elusive. Intervention research to improve women's cardiovascular health is sorely needed.

Attitude to Health↗

PubMed2001

Recruitment and cardiovascular risk characteristics of African American and Caucasian midlife women.

This article describes the use of multiple strategies to recruit women, particularly African American women, into a home-based, moderate-intensity walking intervention and compares African American to Caucasian midlife women on cardiovascular risk characteristics at entry into the program. One hundred seventy-three women aged 45 to 65 years were recruited using a variety of strategies. Baseline findings showed that, on average, the women in the program had modifiable cardiovascular risk factors with proportionately more African American women than Caucasian women having hypertension and low physical fitness. The findings also illustrate the importance of using multiple recruitment strategies to encourage midlife African American and Caucasian women to participate in intervention trials.

Black or African American↗

PubMed2001

Physical activity research in nursing.

PURPOSE: To present exemplars of physical activity research in nursing, illustrate the importance of physical activity research across the lifespan, and recommend directions for theory development and research. METHODS: Studies of physical activity and exercise currently being conducted by nurse investigators were reported and critiqued by attendees of the Midwest Nursing Research Society 2000 Preconference session entitled "Promoting Physical Activity Among Diverse Groups Across the Health Continuum." Physical activity and exercise literature during the past decade was reviewed. Databases searched included Medline, CINAHL, Wilson, and ERIC. FINDINGS: Investigators have emphasized the need to evaluate the effects of theory-based physical activity interventions designed to alter key correlates of physical activity identified through descriptive research. CONCLUSIONS: Regular physical activity is necessary for health promotion and disease prevention for all populations. Continued research in this important area of health behavior is critical to identify the most effective interventions to increase physical activity among diverse populations.

Adolescent↗

PubMed2001

Measuring adherence to a women's walking program.

The purpose of this study is to demonstrate the use of a self-report exercise log and a heart-rate monitor in the measurement of adherence to the dimensions of an exercise prescription and to propose an alternative way to define adherence to a 24-week home-based women's walking program, which reflects the dynamic process of behavior change. Adherence was measured with exercise logs, Polar Vantage XL Heart-Rate Monitors, and pre- to postintervention change in VO2 max. Of the dimensions of the exercise prescription, frequency of walks documented by both the heart-rate monitor and the exercise log had a higher correlation than duration and intensity of walking, with change in VO2 max suggesting that frequency was potentially the most predictive adherence measure. Examination of the total number of walks and the number and sequence of weeks without walks over the 24-week intervention revealed dynamic patterns of adherence suggesting variation in the degree of behavioral change.

Aged↗

PubMed2001

Exercise behavior among female occupational health nurses. Influence of self efficacy, perceived health control, and age.

Physical fitness of the American worker is a core element of personal good health and a key factor in corporate cost containment. The Centers for Disease Control and Prevention specifically notes that health professionals should be physically active not only to benefit their own health but also to make more credible their endorsement of an active lifestyle. Guided by Pender's Health Promotion Model, this study gives a profile of the current status of exercise behaviors, physical self efficacy, and perceived health control among a sample of occupational health nurses. Surveys were mailed to a random sample of 300 female members from a midwestern state association of the American Association of Occupational Health Nurses. The mean exercise score was 30.7 MET hours per week, with walking the activity most often selected. Physical self efficacy was a significant positive predictor of exercise practice, while age exerted a significant inverse effect on exercise. The study findings may be used to stimulate discussion among occupational health nurses about how their own physical self efficacy and perceived health control may influence their exercise behaviors, and how in turn these beliefs and exercise practices may influence their decisions about promoting exercise programs at their workplaces.

Adult↗

PubMed2000

Molecular separation of two behavioral phenotypes by a mutation affecting the promoters of a Ca-activated K channel.

The Drosophila slowpoke gene encodes a BK-type calcium-activated potassium channel. Null mutations in slowpoke perturb the signaling properties of neurons and muscles and cause behavioral defects. The animals fly very poorly compared with wild-type strains and, after exposure to a bright but cool light or a heat pulse, exhibit a "sticky-feet" phenotype. Expression of slowpoke arises from five transcriptional promoters that express the gene in neural, muscle, and epithelial tissues. A chromosomal deletion (ash2(18)) has been identified that removes the neuronal promoters but not the muscle-tracheal cell promoter. This deletion complements the flight defect of slowpoke null mutants but not the sticky-feet phenotype. Electrophysiological assays confirm that the ash2(18) chromosome restores normal electrical properties to the flight muscle. This suggests that the flight defect arises from a lack of slowpoke expression in muscle, whereas the sticky-feet phenotype arises from a lack of expression in nervous tissue.

Action Potentials↗

PubMed1999

Guidelines for assistance to siblings of children with cancer: report of the SIOP Working Committee on Psychosocial Issues in Pediatric Oncology.

This is the seventh official document of the SIOP Working Committee on Psychosocial Issues in Pediatric Oncology, instituted in 1991. This document develops an additional topic discussed and approved by the SIOP Committee, "Assistance to siblings of children with cancer. " It is addressed to the pediatric oncology community and outlines general principles for helping siblings throughout phases of treatment: at diagnosis, during treatment, in the event of relapse, during bone marrow transplantation, after completion of therapy, during palliative care and the terminal phase.

Child↗

PubMed1999

Women's occupations, energy expenditure, and cardiovascular risk factors.

The purpose of this study was to examine the cardiovascular risk factors and energy expenditure of women from occupations that differ by physical activity level and socioeconomic level. Participants included 171 women randomly selected from employee lists at 10 employment sites. Measures included blood pressure, body mass index, levels of total and high-density lipoprotein (HDL) cholesterol, a submaximal aerobic fitness test on a bicycle ergometer, and a 12-month retrospective self-report of occupational, leisure time, and household energy expenditure. Women in active occupations had lower total cholesterol and higher HDL cholesterol than women in sedentary occupations. Women with higher occupational energy expenditure scores had higher HDL cholesterol and lower total cholesterol than women with lower occupational energy scores. Findings suggest that cardiovascular benefits, particularly for lipid profiles, may be derived from even small increases in occupational physical activity. The workplace may offer an environment for initiating policies to facilitate increased physical activity among women.

Activities of Daily Living↗

PubMed1998

Standardizing faculty evaluation of nurse practitioner students by using simulated patients.

Biases related to variations among patients and settings may be reduced by having faculty evaluate the clinical skills of students as they interact with simulated patients. The Student Clinical Performance Scale is a rating scale developed to standardize assessment of videotaped simulated patient encounters with family nurse practitioner students. In a pilot study of faculty interrater reliability, correlation coefficients for independent scoring by faculty pairs using the Student Clinical Performance Scale varied widely among six case studies, and several scenario- and faculty-related factors served as systematic sources of faculty variability. The findings demonstrate the importance of a rigorous approach to developing and testing instruments that guide measurement of clinical competence. The use of simulated patients to evaluate nurse practitioner students provides opportunities to assess a wide range of attributes and holds promise for assessing advanced clinical skills in controlled educational environments.

Clinical Competence↗

PubMed1998

Interpersonal styles of nurse practitioner students during simulated patient encounters.

Evaluation methods are needed to assess nurse practitioners' (NPs') interpersonal skills and provide students with systematic, qualitative feedback. The purpose of this study was to identify characteristics and styles of students' interpersonal behavior from patients' perspectives during simulated encounters. The 29-item Clinical Encounter Q-Set for NPs was generated pertaining to patients' perceptions of their interactions with NP students. Using Q-methodology, simulated patients (SPs) sorted the items immediately after each of their encounters with 45 NP students. Items were rank-ordered along a continuum, ranging from "most like my feelings regarding the encounter" to "least like my feelings." Three interpersonal styles were identified. "Nonjudgmental professionalism" characterized student behavior during the simulation portraying a patient with a sexually transmitted disease. "Competence/confidence" and "empathy/respect" were predominant styles exhibited during the hypertension simulation. The potential value of this method for teaching and evaluation is discussed.

Attitude of Health Personnel↗

PubMed1998

Sociodemographic characteristics, biological factors, and symptom reporting in midlife women.

OBJECTIVE: The purpose of this study is to examine the influence of sociodemographic characteristics, reproductive hormones, and body composition on symptoms reported by generally well midlife women. DESIGN: The design was a 24-cell, randomly selected quota sample, stratified by four occupations that varied in professional status, two races, and three age groups. One hundred fifty-three women, aged 35 to 69, who worked 20 or more hours a week, who were not on hormone replacement therapy, who were not pregnant, and who did not have a hysterectomy prior to the age of 53 participated in the study. Data were collected at 10 employment sites. Symptoms were assessed by a 22-item symptom index. Serum hormone levels of estradiol and follicle stimulating hormone (FSH) were drawn for each woman, and body composition was assessed by body mass index (BMI). RESULTS: Chi-square tests showed that significantly more White women than Black women experienced nervous tension, loss of urine, and vaginal dryness. Analyses of variance showed that women experiencing hot flashes had significantly higher FSH levels, lower estradiol levels, and higher BMI than women not experiencing this symptom. Estradiol (odds ratio 0.988) and BMI (odds ratio 1.094) were significant predictors of experiencing hot flashes when entered into a stepwise logistic regression with age and FSH level as covariates. CONCLUSIONS: Findings suggest that symptoms experienced by midlife women are consistent across races, and that interventions targeting weight reduction may improve hot flashes experienced by midlife women.

Adult↗

PubMed1998

Social role quality and psychological well being in employed black and white midlife women.

This study examined relationships among job, partner, and parent role quality and psychological well being in midlife black (n = 51) and white (n = 56) women employed in occupations varying by socioeconomic status (SES). Oversampling for black women ensured balanced occupational representation, allowing investigation uncontaminated by SES. Instruments included Baruch and Barnett's Rewards and Concerns Scales, Bradburn Affect Balance Scale, and Center for Epidemiological Studies Depression Scale (CES-D). Better well being scores were reported by black women than whites, and by professionals than non-professionals. However, when race, occupational group, and menopausal status were held constant in a multiple regression analysis, partner role quality was significantly related to both well being scores, parent role quality was related to life satisfaction only, and job role quality was not related to either. Nurses in the workplace can help women identify problematic aspects of their multiple social roles, and facilitate resolution of problems to improve worker health.

Adult↗

PubMed1995

The influence of demographic characteristics, menopausal status, and symptoms on women's attitudes toward menopause.

The purpose of this study was to determine the influence of demographic characteristics, including ethnicity, socioeconomic status, marital status, and number of children, as well as menopausal status, physical symptoms, and psychological symptoms on midlife women's attitudes toward menopause. A random sample of 149 women, aged 35 to 65 and stratified by occupation, age, and race, was selected from employee lists. A 20-item, 7-point semantic differential Menopause Attitude Scale was administered. Menopausal status was determined by self-report and serum hormone levels of estradiol and follicle stimulating hormone (FSH). Symptoms were assessed by a 28-item Symptom Index, the Center for Epidemiologic Studies Depression Scale (CES-D) and the Bradburn Affect Balance Scale. Overall the majority of women, regardless of ethnicity or socioeconomic status, had neutral feelings toward menopause. Postmenopausal women reported the most positive attitudes toward menopause, which may indicate that once women have gone through menopause they find it to be less troubling than they anticipated earlier in life. Negative attitudes toward menopause were related to psychological symptoms with higher scores on the depression scale, suggesting that these women may be at higher risk for a difficult midlife transition.

Adult↗

PubMed1995

Adherence to breast cancer screening guidelines among African-American women of differing employment status.

The purpose of this study was to identify and compare the adherence to breast cancer screening guidelines [monthly breast self-examination (BSE), age-related mammography, yearly professional breast examination (PBE)] among African-American women (AAW) of differing employment status. The Breast Cancer Screening Model served as the organizing framework for this study. One hundred fifty-four subjects were quota sampled according to age and employment group status. Findings showed that 63% of all subjects practiced monthly BSE and 76% had undergone a yearly PBE. Only 20% of all subjects had undergone a mammogram according to the age-related guidelines. Overall, breast cancer screening rates were lower than recommended across all employment groups. Variables that uniquely explained 74% of the variance in monthly BSE included level of education, marital status, social influence, knowledge of BSE, and intention to do BSE in the future. Age group, previous instruction on mammography, income, and perceived barriers related to mammography explained 15% of the variance in age-related mammography. Finally, marital status, previous information on PBE, and intrinsic motivation explained 42% of the variance in yearly PBE. Together, these findings highlight the need for (a) the development of strategies that will promote long-term adherence to all three screening guidelines, and (b) the design of qualitative studies using a representative sample of AAW of differing socioeconomic backgrounds.

Adult↗

PubMed1993

A quantitative survey to measure energy expenditure in midlife women.

The Taylor Leisure Time Physical Activity Questionnaire and the Tecumseh Occupational Physical Activity Questionnaire were modified to measure energy expenditure in midlife women. A three-dimensional measure of female physical activity resulted which reflected leisure, occupational, and household activities. Total daily energy expenditure for the specific activities was calculated using established metabolic units and reported time spent performing the activities. Test-retest reliability was evaluated at two weeks for 15% (n = 59) of the sample of 375 midlife women. There was high agreement on participation in the various activities, but low agreement on the time spent doing the activities. Cardiorespiratory fitness, established with a Monarch bicycle ergometer, was used to test the validity of the energy expenditure measure. Correlations were significant between cardiorespiratory fitness and both leisure activity and household activity, but not between cardiorespiratory fitness and occupational activity.

Adult↗

PubMed1989

Measuring physical activity in midlife women.

Women's risks for osteoporosis and cardiovascular disease are increasing. Although it is known that these risks decline with physical activity, it is difficult to associate specific risk levels with specific activity levels. Measuring activity levels is complex and problematic, especially in women. The present study explored the validity of a particular measure, the retrospective survey questionnaire, used with a female population to gauge physical activity, both occupational and leisure. To measure construct validity, four retrospective measures were administered to a sample of 43 middle-aged women representing three occupational groups (teachers, clerical workers, nurses) known to differ in activity levels. In addition, measurement approaches were triangulated by including a prospective measure, a beeper-cued record kept by subjects. A significant difference was noted among the groups on retrospective and prospective occupational activity measures, with clerical workers having the lowest levels of energy expenditure. The retrospective occupational measure correlated positively and significantly with the beeper-cued record kept during work; however, no correlation was found between the retrospective leisure measure and the beeper-cued record. These data suggest that the retrospective measure is appropriate for measuring the occupational dimension of physical activity. Additional study is required to identify women's leisure pursuits and the dimension of their household activities.

Adult↗

PubMed1986

Peak cerebrospinal fluid platinum levels in a patient with ependymoma: evaluation of two different methods of cisplatin administration.

Peak CSF and serum platinum levels were examined in a patient with ependymoma after each of four consecutive cisplatin doses of 100 mg/m2 administered by either 30-minute or 3-hour infusion. Both infusion lengths produced similar peak CSF platinum levels within 2 hours after the completion. Ultrafiltrate serum platinum levels correlated with the CSF platinum levels, whereas total plasma platinum did not. No differences in clinical toxicity or response were seen between the two methods of administration. Based on these preliminary results, similar peak CSF platinum concentrations are achieved by 30-minute or 3-hour infusions, and ultrafiltrate serum platinum concentrations can be used to predict these levels.

Brain Neoplasms↗