PubMed HealthSearch

Biomedical subjects

V F Engle

Publications and source records attributed to V F Engle.

11 recordsLinked to original sources

Prevalence and predictors of regularly scheduled prescription medications of newly admitted nursing home residents.

OBJECTIVE: The purpose of this study was to identify the prevalence and predictors of commonly prescribed regularly scheduled medications. DESIGN: Data were collected on the first day following nursing home admission in this non-experimental study. SETTING: A stratified, proportional probability sample of eight nursing homes in a large Mid-South city participated in this study. PARTICIPANTS: A consecutive sample of 574 new and readmitted nursing home residents who did not refuse participation. INTERVENTIONS: None. MAIN OUTCOME MEASURE(S): Data were collected on regularly scheduled prescription medications and resident and nursing home characteristics. RESULTS: Residents without a diagnosis of dementia were more likely to receive cardiovascular medications (Odds Ratio = 2.34; 95% CI = 1.56-3.49), and white residents were more likely to receive cardiovascular medications (Odds Ratio = 1.74; 95% CI = 1.19-2.53) or central nervous system medications (Odds Ratio = 1.72; 95% CI = 1.18-2.51). Older residents were less likely to receive central nervous system medications (Odds Ratio = 0.97 per year; 95% CI = 0.96-0.99), and females were more likely to receive cardiovascular medications (Odds Ratio = 1.89; 95% CI = 1.30-2.75). CONCLUSIONS: Resident characteristics were the most important predictors for cardiovascular and central nervous system medication prescriptions of new and readmitted nursing home residents.

Adult

Meta-analysis for the refinement of gerontological nursing research and theory.

A meta-analysis review of literature addresses concerns such as inclusion and exclusion criteria for articles in the meta-analysis and seeks potentially biasing effects of sample size and characteristics, measurement of variables, type of design, and analytic techniques. Whereas the narrative review of literature provides direction by identifying potential variables and relationships of concern, meta-analysis quantifies those relationships by integrating findings and providing explicit direction for research, practice, and theory development. Despite its strengths for quantitatively integrating study results, meta-analysis is time consuming, labor intensive, and may omit other sources such as case studies, historical and qualitative research, and clinical decision making.

Geriatric Nursing

Meta-analysis techniques.

The three elements of meta-analysis include exact specification of sources from which primary studies are identified; transformation of primary study findings to a common metric; and statistical analysis of primary study findings. Meta-analysis has several drawbacks, such as dependence on the quality of the reporting of primary analysis findings; dependence on sufficient numbers of eligible studies to justify statistical analysis; a lack of a universal common metric; and a lack of expert agreement about the best form of statistical analysis. As researchers become more familiar with meta-analysis, two effects will be seen: an increased use of meta-analysis elements in all review of literature, and increased attention to reporting important details of research in scientific journals.

Humans

Identification and management of DES-exposed women.

Diethylstilbestrol (DES), a synthetic estrogen compound, was prescribed to many women with history of miscarriage between the years 1940 and 1971. As a result of prolonged use of DES in gynecological practice, an estimated 1 million to 1.5 million women were exposed prenatally, resulting in multiple upper and lower genital tract abnormalities. These anomalies may affect reproductive function and place women at greater risk for developing clear cell adenocarcinoma (peak incidence at age 19) and squamous cell carcinoma of the vagina and cervix (peak incidence at ages 35 to 40). Emphasis has been placed on screening for clear cell adenocarcinoma rather than squamous cell carcinoma and reproductive alterations. Despite the previous emphasis during the 1970s and a subsequent decline in public and practitioner awareness, women are at risk for the known effects of DES exposure until the year 2010. Greater effort must be made by practitioners to identify and screen for DES exposure in their practices, as well as to educate the public regarding the health risks posed by DES exposure so that affected women may be reached and receive care.

Adenocarcinoma

The relationship of movement and time to older adults' functional health.

The relationship of movement (measured by walking cadence) and time (measured by perceived duration) to functional health was investigated in a sample of community-based, white, older women (N = 114). Significant relationships were found between health and movement, and between movement and time. Speed, inherent in both movement and time, may be an important qualitative dimension of functional health. Walking cadence shows the most promise for use as an inexpensive, noninvasive, easy-to-use clinical measure of health.

Aged

Mental status and functional health 4 days following relocation to a nursing home.

Nurses frequently note changes in the health status of the aged following admission to a nursing home. The purpose of this study was to determine the stability of mental status and functional health over a 4-day period immediately following relocation from hospital to nursing home. Participants (N = 55) over the age of 60 were chosen sequentially as admitted to a 120-bed, long-term care facility for rehabilitation or convalescence, and interviewed on Day 1 and Day 4 following admission. Level of consciousness, attention/concentration, orientation, memory, and higher cognitive function were evaluated by the Mental Status Examination, and six activities of daily living were evaluated by the Scaled Outcome Criteria. A matched pairs t-test (p less than .05) demonstrated no significant differences in mean scores between Day 1 and Day 4. Results indicated that these short-term residents were stable in their mental status and functional health during the immediate period following relocation. Additional study is needed, with evaluation of the environment and its effect on participants' and expectation for length of stay.

Activities of Daily Living

Self-assessed and functional health of older women.

This study examines the contributions made by functional health, age self-concept, and attitudes, and demographic variables toward explaining health self-assessments in a sample of older women. The participants in the study were a simple random sample of white females (114) over age sixty years and who were residents in five apartment complexes for the aged in a large Midwestern city. Significant correlations to self-assessment of health were found among measures of functional health, self-concept and attitudes, and demographic variables. Multiple regression analysis using five variables (self-assessment of speed, emotional behavior, age self-concept, body care and movement, and occupation) explained almost 40 percent of variance in self-assessment of health data.

Aged