Biomedical subjects

L L Northouse

Publications and source records attributed to L L Northouse.

24 records · Page 2Linked to original sources

PubMedDate not supplied

Differences in plasma and nipple aspirate carotenoid by lactation status.

BACKGROUND: Dietary antioxidants, such as provitamin A carotenoid, have a protective effect against breast cancer. The transport of carotenoid from the blood into the breast microenvironment may be enhanced by lactation. OBJECTIVE: To examine the association between plasma and nipple aspirate carotenoid levels by lactation and post-wean status. METHODS: The sample consisted of 43 women, ages 18-45, who were at least 12 months postpartum. Women who had breastfed their last infant were at least 3 months post-wean. Women collected breast fluid every other day for 17 days and had a venipuncture for total nipple aspirate and plasma carotenoid, and completed a written health assessment. RESULTS: The association between plasma and nipple aspirate carotenoid levels was significant for breastfeeding women (r =.39, p=.03), but not for non-breastfeeding women (r =.31, p =.27). However, while the association between plasma and nipple aspirate carotenoid levels was significant for women at or less than 9 months post-wean (r =.65, p = .01), the effect for women after 9 months post-wean (r = .21, p =.45) was not significant. CONCLUSION: Lactation may be protective by enhancing the delivery of chemopreventive substances available in the blood to the cell level of the breast, even after breast involution has occurred post lactation.

Adult↗

PubMedDate not supplied

Psychological impact of the diagnosis of breast cancer on the patient and her family.

The diagnosis of breast cancer creates emotional distress for patients as well as family members. This article reviews studies on the psychological adjustment of women and their family members during the diagnosis, hospitalization, and early convalescence from breast surgery. Studies indicate that the diagnostic phase is an extremely stressful time for women, marked by high anxiety, uncertainty, and difficulty making decisions. The hospital phase is especially difficult for spouses, who must juggle work responsibilities with added home responsibilities and also spend time at the hospital supporting their wives. In the convalescent phase, patients and family members need to adjust to changes in family roles, cope with fears about recurrence, and learn to balance the needs of all family members. In order to provide high quality health care to breast cancer patients and their family members, physicians and nurses need to address the emotional as well as the physical aspects of recovery.

Adaptation, Psychological↗

PubMedDate not supplied

Social support in patients' and husbands' adjustment to breast cancer.

Data were obtained from 50 mastectomy patients and their husbands at 3 days and 30 days postsurgery to determine the nature of the relationship between social support and the adjustment of mastectomy patients and their husbands over time. Psychosocial adjustment was related to both patients' and husbands' levels of social support. Patients and husbands who reported higher levels of social support reported fewer adjustment difficulties at both 3 days and 30 days postsurgery. Patients and husbands differed significantly in the levels of support they perceived over time; husbands perceived less support from friends, nurses, and physicians. This study underscores the importance of assessing the support resources of both patients and husbands over time.

Adaptation, Psychological↗

PubMedDate not supplied

Adjustment of patients and husbands to the initial impact of breast cancer.

This study compared the psychosocial adjustment of 50 newly diagnosed breast cancer patients and their husbands at two points in time. Time 1 interviews were conducted approximately 3 days after surgery; Time 2 interviews were conducted 30 days later. Psychosocial adjustment was measured as a multidimensional construct using the Affects Balance Scale, the Brief Symptom Inventory, and the Psychosocial Adjustment to Illness Scale. Repeated measures analysis indicated that husbands' scores did not differ significantly from patients' scores on the adjustment measures that assessed level of mood and amount of symptom distress. Both patients and husbands reported levels of distress significantly above the level reported for the normal population. Patients and husbands differed only on the adjustment measure that assessed problems in carrying out various psychosocial roles, with patients reporting more role adjustment problems than husbands. Although both patients and husbands reported dramatic improvement in their levels of mood from Time 1 to Time 2, no significant change occurred in their levels of distress. Medical and demographic factors had little relationship to subjects' levels of adjustments at either time.

Adaptation, Psychological↗

PubMedDate not supplied

The impact of cancer in women on the family.

Using a family-stress framework, this paper analyzes the psychosocial impact of a woman's cancer on her family. More specifically, this paper explores the emotional distress that spouses and children of patients with breast cancer experience and discusses the role changes that are reported over time. Factors that put certain women and their family members at high risk of poorer adjustment to the woman's cancer also are identified. Finally, directions for future research and the implications of the research for clinical practice are discussed.

Adaptation, Psychological↗

PubMedDate not supplied

Emotional distress reported by women and husbands prior to a breast biopsy.

The purpose of this study was to describe the emotional distress of women (N = 300) and husbands (N = 265) prior to the women's breast biopsy and to identify factors related to their levels of distress. Standardized instruments were used to measure social support, uncertainty, marital satisfaction, family functioning, concurrent stress, hopelessness, and emotional distress. Women reported moderately high levels of emotional distress and significantly more distress than their husbands. Forty-two percent of the variance in women's distress scores and 42% of the variance in husbands' distress scores were accounted for by the independent variables. Concurrent stress, lower education, hopelessness, and uncertainty explained the most variance in women's distress, while concurrent stress, hopelessness, and family functioning explained the most variance in husbands' distress.

Adult↗