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Biomedical subjects

L S Porter

Publications and source records attributed to L S Porter.

At least 19 recordsLinked to original sources
PubMed2000

Follow-up of coping skills training in adults with sickle cell disease: analysis of daily pain and coping practice diaries.

This study examined the 3-month follow-up effects of a pain coping skills intervention in African American adults with sickle cell disease. Sixty-seven participants were randomly assigned to either a coping skills condition or a disease-education control condition. Multivariate analyses applied to summary measures of coping, laboratory pain perception, and clinical measures indicated that participants in the coping intervention reported significantly lower laboratory pain and significantly higher coping attempts at 3-month follow-up in comparison with the control condition. Multilevel random effects models applied to prospective daily diaries of daily pain, health care contacts, and coping practice indicated that on pain days when participants practiced their strategies, they had less major health care contacts in comparison with days when they did not use strategies.

Adaptation, Psychological↗
PubMed1998

Reducing teenage and unintended pregnancies through client-centered and family-focused school-based family planning programs.

Achievement of the national health goal to reduce teenage and unintended pregnancies through family planning requires a holistic approach to primary prevention. Building upon Rogers' Science of Unitary Human Being, Orem's Self-Care Theory, and Rosenstack's Health Belief Model, a client-centered and family-focused school-based family planning program is proposed as a means to achieve the health goal. FNPs play a pivotal role in development and successful implementation of such a program.

Adolescent↗
PubMed1998

A comparison of coping assessed by ecological momentary assessment and retrospective recall.

Recent research suggests that retrospective coping assessments may not correspond well with day-to-day reports. The authors extended this work by examining the correspondence between short-term (within 48 hr) retrospective coping reports and momentary reports recorded via a palm-top computer close in time to when the stressor occurred. There was relatively poor correspondence between the 2 assessments. Some reports of momentary coping were not reported retrospectively, and some coping reported retrospectively was not reported at the time the stressor occurred. Cognitive coping was more likely to be underreported retrospectively; behavior coping was overreported. Participants were consistent in their discrepancies, but there was no correspondence between discrepancy rates and demographic or personality variables.

Adaptation, Psychological↗
PubMed1998

Pain and stress in sickle cell disease: an analysis of daily pain records.

This study examined daily reports of pain, medication use, health care use, and activity reduction in adults with sickle cell disease, and their association with stress. Participants were 53 adults with sickle cell disease. They completed the Daily Hassles questionnaire at the start of the study, and they kept daily records of pain and pain response over the following 14 days. On average, patients reported pain on 6.5 days of the 14-day study period. The average pain intensity rating during a painful episode was 4.4 on a 10-point scale. Pain was most often managed at home. Patients took medication (analgesics and/or narcotics) on 80% of the days they experienced pain, and they were more likely to use medication, particularly narcotics, as pain levels increased. At higher pain levels some patients also utilized a range of health care services. On average, patients also cut back considerably on household and social activities, especially when pain reached a level of over 5 on the 10-point scale. Those who were employed, however, were likely to continue to work, even when in pain. In addition, stress had significant positive associations with average pain intensity as well as reductions in household and social activities. Furthermore, stress predicted activity reductions even after controlling for pain intensity. Stress was unrelated to medication and health care use in this study.

Journal Article↗
PubMed1997

The experience of rheumatoid arthritis pain and fatigue: examining momentary reports and correlates over one week.

OBJECTIVE: To evaluate the daily experience of patients with rheumatoid arthritis (RA) in an ecologically valid manner; Ecological Momentary Assessment (EMA) was employed. Diurnal cycles and within-day variation of self-reported pain and fatigue were examined as were relationships between pain, fatigue, daily stressful events, and sleep. METHODS: Thirty-five patients with RA were alerted with an electronic beep 7 times per day for 7 consecutive days. Assessments were recorded at each beep. Upon awakening each day, sleep information was reported. RESULTS: There were large individual differences in variation of pain and fatigue. Stressors were associated with increased pain but not fatigue. Subjects with poor sleep had higher levels of pain and fatigue. Diurnal cycles of pain and fatigue were found, yet were observed for only some patients (37% and 34%, respectively). CONCLUSION: The use of EMA deepens our understanding of the pain and fatigue experienced by RA patients. This method may help identify subgroups of patients who are highly "psychoreactive" to environmental stimuli and/or who have diurnal patterns to their symptoms. It may also be used to improve existing instruments.

Adult↗
PubMed1997

Individual differences in the diurnal cycle of cortisol.

This study investigated individual differences in the diurnal cycle of cortisol and explored their relation to several psychosocial variables and to upper-respiratory symptoms. Cortisol and daily experience were assessed for 2 days in 109 healthy employed and unemployed community residents (mean age = 36.4 +/- 12.1, 69% female); self-report upper respiratory illness (URI) symptoms were assessed for an additional 10 days. Fifty-six (51%) participants showed typical declines in cortisol during both days, 19 (17%) showed no significant diurnal pattern on both days, and 34 (31%) showed different diurnal patterns on the 2 days. Individuals with no cycles did not differ from those with normal or inconsistent cycles on demographic factors, baseline psychological measures, health behaviors, or daily experiences over the two assessment days. Individuals without cortisol cycles, however, reported fewer URI symptoms than the remaining subjects. That 17% of our sample did not exhibit diurnal cycles of cortisol was surprising, given established views of normal endocrine function. Although average daily level of cortisol is related to a number of psychosocial and psychiatric factors (e.g. stress and depression), pattern of diurnal cycle was not related to any demographic or psychosocial measures in this study. The finding that flat cycles were related to fewer reports of URI symptoms suggests that perturbations in cycle may be related to processes associated with symptom susceptibility or symptom expression.

Adult↗
PubMed1997

Telephone hotline assessment and counselling of suicidal military service veterans in the USA.

Studies show that suicide occurs more frequently among people who are elderly, male, single, divorced or widowed, alienated, and among those with a life-threatening illness. Military service veterans are not spared these conditions; in some respect, they represent the 'down and out', the lonely and, increasingly, the older isolated people. This correlational descriptive study sought to identify the characteristic profile of telephone hotline users among veterans, their triggering crisis events, and whether the methods commonly used in suicide attempts relate to certain types of crisis. The random sample consisted of 271 veterans of the US military service, ranging in age from 20 to 79 years. Data were collected from nursing notes documented in the hotline suicide telephone call assessment records. The findings portray a sociodemographic profile of military veterans at risk of suicide attempts. Loneliness, alcoholism and unemployment topped the list of triggering events. The most common method used was drug overdose; shooting was a close second. These findings could serve as a base for development of suicide-prevention-focused programmes and optimal use of telephone hotlines for assessment and timely intervention of persons in great crisis.

Adult↗
PubMed1993

Daily events and mood prior to the onset of respiratory illness episodes: a non-replication of the 3-5 day 'desirability dip'.

We attempted to replicate and extend the findings of three previous studies (Evans & Edgerton, 1991; Evans, Pitts & Smith, 1988; Stone, Reed & Neale, 1987) that found a lagged relationship between daily life events, mood and the onset of episodes of respiratory illness. The findings and methods of the three previous studies are reviewed, and similarities and differences in their analytic approaches are discussed. Seventy-nine middle-aged male subjects completed daily records of life events, mood and symptoms for an average of 83 days. Twenty-three men suffered at least one illness episode that met our selection criteria. Using the methodology of Stone et al. (1987) and Evans et al. (1988), we were unable to detect a relationship between daily events or mood and the onset of illness episodes. The necessity of standardizing procedures of defining illness episodes and control days and the importance of including analyses of variables that may mediate the relationship between events and illness are discussed.

Affect↗
PubMed1988

The what, why and how of hyperkinesis: implications for nursing.

Hyperkinesis refers to a combination of traits that typically include: overactivity; restlessness; short attention span; distractability; low frustration tolerance; impulsiveness. Its aetiology and prevalence have not been established but associating problems underscore the importance of early identification and treatment. Theories about aetiology relate to minimal brain damage, heredity, temperament variations, maturational lag, dysfunction of the reticular activating system, food sensitivity, and learned response to unorganized environment. Hyperkinesis may be distinguished only by its behavioural manifestations. Insightful analyses of behavioural problems require viewing the child from a development perspective, such as those advanced by Freud, Erikson, Berne and others. Sensitivity to the ramifications of labelling the child as deviant is critical. Multidimensional assessment is needed upon which management decisions are made. An eclectic approach merits consideration: medication, if it works; therapeutic counselling; parental counselling; intervention with school personnel; and above all, support for the child. The nurse plays a crucial role in providing the health team with key information basic to establishing accurate diagnosis and evaluating interventions. The problem of hyperkinesis bears many implications for nursing practice and research.

Attention Deficit Disorder with Hyperactivity↗
PubMed1985

The faculty work plan and appraisal: its potential for faculty role development.

This exploratory study was designed to begin analysis on the "Faculty Work Plan" and its potential for faculty role development in a university setting. The specific goals were: (1) to identify the degree of congruence between faculty work plans and the school goals; and (2) to determine the relationship between faculty work plan/school goal congruence, faculty productivity, potency, and job satisfaction. The sample was composed of 26 respondents, 26 to 50 years old, from a pool of 48 full-time faculty members affiliated with a school of nursing in a university setting. Likert-type rating scores were used to measure Faculty Work Plan-School Goal Congruence (FWP-SG), job satisfaction, productivity, and potency. Data analyses were focused on frequency distribution, group means, and Pearson Correlation Coefficients on selected pairs of variables. Interesting findings were revealed. A strong relationship was found between FWP-SG congruence and faculty productivity (r = .85; p = .000) and potency (r = .84; p = .000). Several recommendations were suggested.

Adult↗
PubMed1984

Initial studies of hypoxic radioprotection by deoxygenated dextran-hemoglobin.

Initial studies were performed to examine the potential of perfused dextran-hemoglobin to protect pig skin or mouse bone marrow cells against radiation damage. Some protection was indicated in both systems. In the pig skin a protection factor of 1.5 was observed for moist desquamation, and 2.0 for necrosis. These results suggest the possibility of using blood substitutes to induce tissue hypoxia for therapeutic purposes.

Animals↗
PubMed1983

Ligand binding to protein measured by gel filtration on a dispersion column.

A double conical gel-permeation column is described, which permits an efficient dispersion of solutes in passage. It makes possible a facile determination of ligand binding to protein on the basis of the differential gel permeation of these molecules. The system has been applied, using Sephadex G-25 beads as column packing, to measure [3H]tryptophan binding to bovine serum albumin.

Chromatography, Gel↗