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Biomedical subjects

T Hickey

Publications and source records attributed to T Hickey.

13 recordsLinked to original sources
PubMed1992

Mortality and the attribution of health problems to aging among older adults.

This study examined the association between mortality and attributing health problems to aging among 1391 respondents from the Longitudinal Study of Aging who indicated difficulty with activities of daily living. Of this number, 72 persons attributed impairment primarily to "old age." Logistic regression controlling for demographics, physical health problems, self-rated health, and social involvements showed an association with mortality (adjusted odds ratio = 1.78, CI = 1.05, 3.00). Attributing health problems to aging may carry a risk of adverse health events.

Activities of Daily Living↗
PubMed1992

The continuity of gerontological themes.

Based on the premise that scientists should periodically examine the history of their ideas and methodologies, this article focuses on the issue of continuity in the evolution of scientific knowledge about aging. Taking a twenty-five-year perspective, selected research questions and priorities in the biomedical, behavioral, and social domains of aging are used to exemplify the continuity of the gerontological knowledge base. This article concludes that there is considerable evidence of continuity, despite the strong influences of changing cohorts of people and external forces that have shaped new ideas and research questions in gerontology.

Aging↗
PubMed1991

Mean length of utterance and the acquisition of Irish.

One of the most widely used indices of language development is a measure of utterance length in morphemes (MLUm). This study examines the applicability of MLUm to the acquisition of Irish. MLUm was calculated for data from Cian, aged 1; 11-3; 0. Even when an attempt was made to 'assume the maximum' by counting all possible morphemes, the correlation between a morpheme MLU (MLUm) and a word count MLU (MLUw) was very high (0.99). This points to MLUw being as effective a measure of Irish development as MLUm, as well as being easier to apply and more reliable. MLUw was calculated for the two younger children in the study (Eibhlís 1; 4-2; 1 and Eoin 1; 10-2; 6). An examination of the relationship between the three children's MLUw values and their grammatical complexity as measured on ILARSP (the Irish adaptation of LARSP) indicates that MLUw is a useful preliminary index for early development in Irish. However, further data are necessary to check whether MLUw loses its predictive relationship with grammatical complexity after a certain point. The study emphasizes the caution necessary in applying MLU to languages whose acquisition has not hitherto been studied, and underlines the role of MLU as a preliminary measure, which must not be overinterpreted.

Age Factors↗
PubMed1991

Ethical dimensions of intergenerational reciprocity: implications for practice.

This paper reviews the moral and ethical context of family relationships and caregiver stress, with an emphasis on the implications for professional interventions. Three views of filial responsibility are presented: parental reverence, a debt of gratitude, and caregiving as an expression of friendship and love. Case studies are presented to illustrate how an exploration of ethically defensible limits to caregiving might proceed.

Adult↗
PubMed1991

Health promotion for older people: all is not well.

The changing nature of disease risks and functional health status with aging suggests the need to focus health promotion efforts in the older population where they will be most effective in reducing morbidity, mortality, and disability. However, there is little consensus in the literature regarding the efficacy of various health promotion practices and the appropriate target groups within a diverse older population. Careful research on and thoughtful application of findings to this older population are needed to ensure the effective use of limited health promotion resources.

Age Factors↗
PubMed1976

Attitudes toward aging as a function of in-service training and practitioner age.

Age differences in attitudes toward aging were investigated as a function of a 3-hour training program with 322 women (18-74 years) from various geriatric health care and social service contexts. Using a quasi-experimental pre- and posttest design, sites were randomly divided into initial experimental and control groups, with all control participants receiving training following the research program. Results indicated few instances of unfavorable attitudes toward aging in any age group, with younger women evidencing less cynicism toward aging, less social distance from the aged, and slightly less stereotyping. Training appeared to result in less cynicism, stronger endorsements of family and public responsibility, and slightly greater anxiety. No Age X Pretest/Posttest interactions were found. The results are discussed in terms of their implications for service provider-client interaction, the correspondence of attitudinal and behavioral change, and appropriate instruments for assessing program impact.

Adolescent↗
PubMedDate not supplied

Attitude instrument analysis: an examination of factor consistency across two samples.

The factor analytic model of the practitioner-oriented opinions about people (OAP) was tested with a population of gerontological practitioners (N =558). A confirmatory factor analysis was performed to ascertain the degree-of-fit between these data and the published OAP factor model. After results supported the hypothesis that the two samples differed, a second factor analysis was designed to yield estimates of communalities by a least squares multiple regression technique. This analysis eliminated nine items not warranting inclusion in the instrument, redistributed the factors, and brought out a completely new factor. Finally, to test the hypothesis that attitudes toward aging and the aged are uncorrelated, a third analysis was performed in which the six scales of the oblique solution were refactored. The resulting higher order dimensions tended to support this hypothesis.

Aged↗
PubMedDate not supplied

Nursing staff training for an effective geropsychiatric environment.

In describing an early training program of the Gerontological Manpower Project, we have attempted to demonstrate that short-term, on-site training with a frim theoretical and empirical base, can be an effective vehicle for translating research into application. In this case, research and theory based on the importance of the environment as therapeutic, and directed to maximizing geriatric patient independence was incorporated into a geriatric training programmthis was delivered to personnel working with the elderly in two institutional settings, differing in geriatric patient population and service orientation. To improve the effectiveness of future training programs, extensive evaluative research was included in the training processes. Although results were predictably tentative, they did yield much useful information both for subsequent program design as well as reinforcing a need for this process itself. Finally, a very satisfying and beneficial result of this project, as specified by the research staff and all participants, is that effective application of research results via appropriate training mechanisms are easily within reach of the nurse-practioner, and the oft-desired bridge between academia and the service delivery system is truly a collaborative reality.

Aged↗