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Biomedical subjects

P St James

Publications and source records attributed to P St James.

6 recordsLinked to original sources
PubMed1991

Psychosocial factors in maternal phenylketonuria: prevention of unplanned pregnancies.

BACKGROUND: Women with phenylketonuria (PKU) not treated prior to conception can have a pregnancy that results in serious fetal damage. In this report, factors associated with preventing unplanned (and hence late treated) pregnancies are described. METHODS: Subjects included 60 phenylketonuric women and two comparison groups composed of female acquaintances and diabetic women. All were interviewed and administered tests of intelligence, general well-being, knowledge, and personality. RESULTS: Thirty-five percent of the sexually active women with PKU used contraception only sporadically. The variables that best predicted reported frequency of birth control use were the extent to which women felt social support to use contraception (r = .64) along with positive attitudes about birth control (r = .66) and knowledge of family planning (r = .43). For the comparison groups, a different pattern of variables predicted contraceptive use, with locus of control figuring most prominently for the diabetics (r = .39) and social support for birth control being most important for the acquaintances (r = .46). CONCLUSIONS: As more girls with PKU enter childbearing ages, there will be an increased need for specific programs that address psychosocial factors in maternal PKU.

Adolescent↗
PubMed1990

The development of a patient knowledge test on maternal phenylketonuria.

A short multiple-choice knowledge test on maternal phenylketonuria was developed and validated. It was administered to 49 young female patients participating in a longitudinal study. The test was analyzed for its psychometric qualities and was found to be reliable: Cronbach alpha 0.62. Its validity was indicated by a moderate correlation with IQ scores (r = 0.40) and by its significantly differentiating between subjects who participated in patient education group meetings and those who did not. Items varied in difficulty, indicating which areas of knowledge need special educational efforts. The test was recommended for use to assess patients' knowledge, to identify misconceptions that appear to be remedied by patient education, to stimulate group discussions and to help evaluate educational programs.

Adolescent↗
PubMed1988

Modified WAIS-R for patients with speech and/or hand dysfunction.

A feasibility study showed that the research edition of the modified WAIS-R for patients with speech and/or hand dysfunction has promise. Four Verbal Scale subtests and three Performance subtests of the modified WAIS-R were correlated with the standard version. The Verbal IQs of an experimental group (n = 16 severely physically handicapped) and Performance IQs of a control group (n = 32 able-bodied adults) on the two versions were not significantly different. In a comparison study of nonretarded patients with severe cerebral palsy (n = 14) or with spinal cord injury (n = 14), the spinal cord group's mean Verbal IQs and Performance IQs on the modified WAIS-R were significantly higher than those of the severe cerebral palsy group, but the difference was relatively larger for Performance IQs than Verbal IQs. Acquisition of motor dysfunction early in development (severe cerebral palsy) compared to later in development (spinal cord injury) may constrain nonverbal intelligence more than verbal intelligence.

Adolescent↗
PubMed1981

Religion in patients with advanced cancer.

Data on religious belief, activity, and connections, and ratings of happiness, life satisfaction, and pain level were obtained periodically from 71 patients with advanced cancer. Religious belief showed substantial positive correlation with life satisfaction, and religious activity and connections were significantly correlated with both happiness and life satisfaction. Religious patients also reported significantly lower levels of pain, even though they were no less likely to report the presence of pain. Data from the 36 patients who have since died show no correlation between the religion variables and duration of survival. In general, the patients showed little change in religious belief over time. Religion seems to be an important source of support for many patients.

Adult↗