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Biomedical subjects

P M Keith

Publications and source records attributed to P M Keith.

At least 37 records · Page 2Linked to original sources
PubMed1987

Postponement of health care by unmarried older women.

This longitudinal research examined postponement of needed health care by unmarried older women. This research is timely since the unmarried are projected to be an increasing proportion of the aged population. Relationships between being unmarried (widowed, separated/divorced, never married) and postponement of treatment, reasons for postponement of care, and changes in health care behavior were examined. Data were analyzed from 1,159 widowed, 264 never married, and 251 separated/divorced women age 58 to 63 years at the time of the initial interview. Marital status was associated with postponing care and reasons for delaying care. The proportion of women who failed to obtain care and their reasons for doing so were fairly stable over a decade. Distress over finances tended to be more salient in determining postponement of care than health status. Formerly married and never-married women had somewhat different reasons for delaying care suggesting the need for targeted interventions by professionals.

Age Factors↗
PubMed1986

The social context and resources of the unmarried in old age.

A model of singleness in later life was developed to show how the social context may influence the personal and social resources of older, unmarried persons. The unmarried (especially the divorced) will be an increasing proportion of the aged population in the future, and they will require more services than will the married. Role transitions of the unmarried over the life course, finances, health, and social relationships of older singles are discussed with implications for practice and future research.

Age Factors↗
PubMed1982

A comparison of depression among employed single-parent and married women.

This study of employed single-parent (n = 52) and married women (n = 87) investigated employment characteristics (time spent at work, income), psychological resources (self-esteem, sex-role attitudes), and management of domestic activities (evaluation and satisfaction with performance) in relation to depression. For the most part, correlates of depression were quite different for the two groups of women. Nontraditional sex-role attitudes, more time at work, higher income, low work-family strain, and high self-esteem were associated with less depression among single parents. Positive work orientation, high self-esteem, less time spent at work, and satisfaction with domestic tasks were linked with lower depression among married women.

Adult↗
PubMed1982

Social-psychological factors in the dietary quality of married and single elderly.

The objective of this study was to examine the social-psychological correlates of diet quality of elderly married couples and elderly single women. The social-psychological factors included: personality, social interaction, and social influence variables. Eighty-two married couples (164 respondents) and 69 single women were randomly selected and interviewed. It was found that social influence variables were more important factors in determining quality of diet than either personality or social interaction variables. The elderly single women's higher quality diet was associated with more reliable sources of influence than those of the elderly married, a condition attributed to the independence and competencies required by their single living arrangements. For married couples, role dissatisfaction had negative consequences for wives' diets, and husbands' involvement in family food decisions had positive consequences for their own diet quality.

Aged↗
PubMed1981

Self-esteem discrepancies and depression.

This study examines the relationship between self-esteem discrepancies and depression in a long-term intimate relationship. It was hypothesized that depression is associated with discrepancies between married partner's self-appraisals, their perceptions of their spouses' appraisal of them, and their spouses' actual appraisal of them. Questions administered to 333 married couples (666 subjects) measured the three components of the self and depression. Absolute discrepancies were then correlated with depression. The findings provided support for the hypothesis.

Adult↗
PubMed1981

Influences on food decisions across the family life cycle.

The objective of this study was to examine the effects of the family life cycle on factors that influence food habits. Three hundred thirty-six married couples representing our four family life cycle were randomly selected and interviewed. Each partner was asked how important 14 different sources of influence were on his/her food decisions. Sources of influence included media, classes, government information, significant others, and financial and health concerns. These sources had their greatest impact on young families who were establishing family food habits. Impact of these influences changed only moderately for other life cycle stages, indicating more stabilized food habits for these marriage partners. Wives were more influenced than husbands in each life cycle stage. Health concerns, cost, and nuclear family members were the most important sources of influence. Information from the media, government, food classes, and extension had little to moderate influence.

Adolescent↗
PubMed1980

Changes in attitudes toward retirement: evidence from a panel study of older males.

Although societal evaluations of retirement may be changing, we hypothesized that attitudes toward retirement change little as persons pass through the years normally associated with retirement. To test this and other hypotheses, data were analyzed from a panel study of 1,152 older Iowa males. Results suggest that changes in retirement attitudes tend to be relatively insignificant. Selected occupational categories differ, however, as do employed and retired persons at the end of the 10-year study. Also, results vary somewhat by the item used to measure attitudes toward retirement, with more negative attitudes toward personal dimensions of retirement and greater acceptance of the societal dimensions.

Aged↗
PubMed1979

Anomia, self-esteem, and life satisfaction: interrelationships among three scales of well-being.

The extent to which anomia, self-esteem, and life satisfaction are conceptually distinct was studied by using factor analysis of the items from Srole's anomia scale, Rosenberg's scale of self-esteem, and the LSI-Z. The data came from interviews held with 1,332 older men living in nonmetropolitan areas of Iowa. The analysis demonstrated that, while the concepts of anomia and self-esteem are distinct, the domain of life satisfaction overlaps those of anomia and self-esteem. The representation of the five components of life satisfaction by the items of the LSI-Z is questioned, and caution in using the six-items version of Rosenberg's measure of self-esteem with older adults is suggested.

Aged↗
PubMed1979

Life changes and perceptions of life and death among older men and women.

Although social scientists have suggested that feelings about life and death may be related, for the most part, theories of social gerontology have developed independently of conceptions of death and finitude. This study examines whether life changes are associated with concurrent life and death attitude types among older men and women. Data were analyzed from structured interviews conducted with 214 men and 354 women during the second phase of a longitudinal study of the aged in small towns. Individuals were identified as positivists, negativists, activists, and passivists. Controlling for sex and income, changes in four life areas were examined in relation to these perceptions of life and death. Some of the patterns varied by sex, suggesting that the same changes have different implications for the well-being of men and women in late life. In general, those who had experienced discontinuity were more frequently negativists or passivists, while continuity tended to characterize positivists and activists.

Aged↗
PubMed1977

An exploratory study of sources of stereotypes of old age among administrators.

This exploratory study examines the relative effects of individual, client, and organizational characteristics on stereotypes of the aged held by nursing home administrators. Data from 45 administrators suggest that client characteristics may be more important than personal or organizational dimensions in explaining variation in perceptions of the aged. Sex of clients and other status characteristics affect attitudes toward the aged and possibly the quality of care.

Administrative Personnel↗