Associations of professional quality of life and social support with health in clinical nurses.

AIM: To explore the associations of the professional quality of life and social support with health in nurses. BACKGROUND: Physical and mental health may be associated with absence from work among nurses. Few studies have explored the associations of professional quality of life and social support on the physical and mental health of nurses. METHODS: This was a cross-sectional study. In total, 294 nurses were recruited from a hospital in Southern Taiwan. A self-report questionnaire was used to collect data. RESULTS: Burnout, secondary traumatic stress and social support from relatives or friends were important factors of physical and mental health. Interactions between support from relatives or friends and secondary traumatic stress are important factors in physical health. CONCLUSION: Reducing burnout and secondary traumatic stress is important for physical and mental health of nurses. Increasing social support from relatives or friends may be useful to reduce the negative effects of secondary traumatic stress on the physical health of nurses. IMPLICATIONS FOR NURSING MANAGEMENT: Nurse managers could design interventions to reduce and prevent nurses from being influenced by burnout and secondary traumatic stress. Educating nurses to build effective social networks with relatives or friends and to seek support when experiencing secondary traumatic stress may also be needed.

Anxiety, Decision Conflict, and Health in Caregivers of Children with ADHD: A Survey.

The purpose of this study was to test a theoretical model to determine the effect of caregiver anxiety and decision conflict on the health of caregivers of children with ADHD. Cross-sectional analyses were conducted on data derived from caregivers (aged 24-70). Participants completed the Decision Conflict Scale, the Zung Anxiety Scale, the Duke Health Profile, and a demographic form. A path model that fit well indicated that anxiety and decision conflict had direct and indirect effects on the caregivers' health. Future study is needed to clarify factors contributing to uncertainty and to decrease emotional symptoms for caregivers, thus promoting their mental health.

Factors affecting perceptions of family function in caregivers of children with attention deficit hyperactivity disorders.

BACKGROUND: Attention deficit and hyperactivity disorder (ADHD) is the most common neurobehavioral disorder of childhood. ADHD has been shown to persist into adulthood in 30%-70% of cases. The long-term and escalating nature of ADHD creates an increasing burden on families because of the influence of hyperactivity and impulsivity on academic achievement and social interaction. There is a lack of information on factors influencing function in the families of children with ADHD. PURPOSE: The purpose of this study was to test theoretically derived relationships among family demographic characteristics; family factors such as support, hardiness, and caregiver health; and family-functioning outcomes. METHODS: This study used a cross-sectional study and structural equation modeling approach. A self-report questionnaire collected information from 122 caregivers on demographics, income, employment, and marital status data as well as on personal health, family support, family hardiness, and family function statuses as determined, respectively, using the Duke Health Profile, Family APGAR score, Family Hardiness Index, and Family Assessment Device. RESULTS: Structural equation modeling provided a reasonable fit to the data using AMOS (χ = .249, df = 1, p = .613, minimum discrepancy C = .249), goodness-of-fit index (.999), adjusted goodness of fit index (.990), normed fit index (.999), comparative fit index (1.0), and root mean square error of approximation (.000). Results indicated a 55.6% probability of becoming the construct model, with family hardiness and family support directly affecting family function and caregiver health. Family support functioned as a mediator in the relationship between family hardiness and family function. CONCLUSIONS/IMPLICATIONS FOR PRACTICE: The findings of this study help nurses improve professional assessments and interventions for families of children with ADHD by highlighting the importance of increased family support, promoting family hardiness, and promoting caregivers' health to improved family function.

Association between social support and health outcomes: a meta-analysis.

The purpose of this study was to examine the relationship between social support and health outcome variables, and the effect size of social support on health outcomes. Meta-analysis was used to synthesize the primary studies identified initially from a computer search of the literature in Taiwan. Through preliminary screening related to the inclusion criteria, 165 dissertations and theses and 43 journal articles were included in this study. Finally, 182 primary studies, including 145 dissertations and theses and 37 journal articles, were retained after eliminating outliers of each outcome variable to achieve homogeneity. Based on Smith's four modes of health, 16 health outcome variables were used. Health status, physical symptoms and responses, psychologic symptoms and responses, and depression were categorized as clinical variables. Role function and behaviors and role burden were categorized as role-function variables. Physical adjustment, psychosocial adjustment, adjustment of life, coping behavior, and stress were categorized as adaptive variables. Health belief, health promotion behavior, quality of life, well-being, and self-actualization were categorized as eudemonistic variables. Other than physical adjustment, social support could significantly predict all health outcomes (p < 0.0001). The results provided information not only on the magnitude of the sample size required to achieve statistical significance between social support and each outcome variable as a measure of health in future studies, but also on strategies to guide further intervention programs and to evaluate their effectiveness.

Influence of social support on cognitive function in the elderly.

BACKGROUND: Social support is important in daily activities of the elderly. This study tests the hypothesis that there is an association between social support and cognitive function among the elderly in a community setting. METHODS: Face-to-face interviews were conducted in a cross-sectional stratified random sample of 4,993 elderly (> or =65 years) city residents. Using multiple regression analysis, we investigated the influence of social support on cognitive function. RESULTS: 12% were over 80 years old. 53.28% were men. 67.14% were married. Higher Short Portable Mental Status Questionnaire (SPMSQ) scores (higher score means better cognitive function) were associated with strong social support, as measured by marital status and perceived positive support from friends. Lower cognitive function was associated with older and with female respondents. Only instrumental activities of daily living (IADL) were statistically and negatively related to SPMSQ. Lower functional status was associated with lower cognitive function. Elders with grade school educations had lower SPMSQ scores than did elders with high school educations. CONCLUSIONS: In Taiwan, higher cognitive function in community-living elderly was associated with increased social support. Life-style management should provide social activities for the elderly to promote a better quality of life.