M. L. Caltabiano

Main and stress-moderating health benefits of leisure.

Abstract Main and stress-moderating effects of three types of leisure (Outdoor-Active Sport, Social, Cultural-Hobbies activities) on physical and psychological illness symptoms were examined. A survey of 340 Cairns residents (159 males and 181 females) provided data for the study. Leisure activities were prescaled for perceived stress-reducing benefits. The stress-reducing capacity of outdoor sport participation was beneficial for health in the absence of stressful life events. Life change and distress components of life events interacted differently with leisure factors in affecting health. The presence of social leisure was found to moderate the relationship between life event distress and symptoms. These stress-buffering effects of social leisure were not found to hold at high levels of social activity. Rather, high levels of social leisure exacerbated the effects of distress on symptoms. The presence of stress-reducing cultural-hobbies leisure moderated the effects of distress, but exacerbated the eff...

Factors Affecting the Progression towards Burnout: A Comparison of Professional and Volunteer Counsellors:

This study compared professional and volunteer counsellors on a number of key variables in the progression to burnout, namely, stressors, strain, defensive coping, social support, Type A personality, and breakdown. Job stressors unique to each group were identified but there was overwhelming evidence for professionals and volunteers belonging to a homogeneous counselling population as evidenced by similarity across major constructs. Path analysis supported theoretical formulations on burnout by Maslach and Cherniss, and gave support to Lin, Dean, and Ensels argument that social support may act as a buffer to burnout.

Measuring the similarity among leisure activities based on a perceived stress-reduction benefit

The leisure research arena is becoming more theoretically cognizant of, and research-orientated towards the stress-mediation benefits of leisure from a psychological, physiological and cellular-immunity level of analysis (Coleman and Iso-Ahola, 1993; Driver et al., 1991). The need for relaxation has been suggested by Driver and Tocher (1975) as a prime determiner of leisure choice. The notion of leisure as a mode of coping or stress-reducer is also present in theorizing which incorporates an escape dimension in explaining leisure motives (Iso-Ahola, 1990). The present study attempted to expand research on dimensionality of leisure by grouping activities in terms of their perceived capacity to reduce stress, and as such acts as a precursor to more psychophysiological orientations to studying leisure-related health benefits. Subjects consisted of 159 males and 181 females. Perceptions of the stress-reducing usefulness of 83 leisure activities were factor analysed using principal factoring with iteration (PA...

The impact of fatigue on daily activity in people with chronic kidney disease

AIMS AND OBJECTIVES To examine the impact of fatigue on the daily activity levels of people with chronic kidney disease, compare whether being predialysis or receiving different renal replacement therapies had any effect on fatigue and activity and identify whether any items in the fatigue severity scale were more predictive of daily activity levels. BACKGROUND Chronic kidney disease is a complex and long-term disease where people commonly experience fatigue and reduced levels of fitness; both of which impact on an individuals ability to carry out routine activities of daily life. DESIGN A descriptive cross-sectional design. METHODS A convenience sample of 112 people completed the fatigue severity scale and Human Activity Profile. Participants differed in their renal history and were either predialysis or receiving renal replacement therapy. RESULTS Women or older participants were significantly more fatigued and less active than men or younger participants. A significant difference between mean fatigue and activity scores was found for type of renal replacement therapy, with participants receiving peritoneal dialysis being the most fatigued and the least active. Additionally, lower levels of albumin were significantly correlated with greater levels of fatigue and the ability to engage in fewer activities. CONCLUSION People with chronic kidney disease regardless of whether they are predialysis or receiving either peritoneal or haemodialysis experience high levels of fatigue and are able to engage in fewer daily activities. The fatigue severity scale and the Human Activity Profile are useful indicators of fatigue and physical activities which can be used in routine assessment practices. RELEVANCE TO CLINICAL PRACTICE Renal nurses are ideally positioned to engage in early identification and regular monitoring of both fatigue and activity levels in people with chronic kidney disease. Individual care plans can be developed to incorporate supportive rehabilitative strategies which aim to reduce fatigue and maximise activity levels.

Variables Affecting the Perception of Self-Disclosure Appropriateness

Summary The perception of appropriate self-disclosure was examined as a function of sex of the interactants, intimacy, and valence of self-disclosure. Dependent variables investigated in addition to perceived appropriateness were perceived friendliness, maturity, warmth, psychological adjustment, openness, emotional stability, and sensitivity of the discloser; and mutual liking of, and desire for future contact with, the discloser. Normative evaluations of male or female confederate disclosure where intimacy level and valence had been experimentally manipulated, were provided by 64 male and 64 female volunteer undergraduate Ss, who were randomly assigned to the 16 cells of a 2(sex of discloser/confederate) × 2(sex of recipient/subject) × 2(intimacy) × 2(valence) factorial design. Interpersonal evaluations of the discloser occurred in the context of a structured acquaintance session. Female recipients were more receptive to disclosure thus viewing it as appropriate. Positive disclosure in contrast to negat...

Quality of life, fatigue, and activity in Australians with chronic kidney disease: A longitudinal study

In this study we investigated the relationship between health-related quality of life, fatigue, and activity levels of people with anemia secondary to chronic kidney disease over a 12 month period following the introduction of an erythropoietin-stimulating agent. Using a longitudinal repeated-measure design, 28 people with chronic kidney disease completed the Short Form-36 Health Survey, Human Activity Profile and Fatigue Severity Scale at the commencement of an erythropoietin-stimulating agent, and then at 3, 6, and 12 months. Over a 12 month period, a significant change was found for health-related quality of life in relation to role-physical, vitality, mental health/emotional well-being, and overall mental health. However, activity levels did not significantly improve during that time. Renal nurses in dialysis units and chronic kidney disease outpatient clinics have repeated and frequent contact with people with chronic kidney disease over long periods of time, and are in an ideal position to routinely assess fatigue and activity levels and to institute timely interventions to optimize health-related quality of life and independent activity.

Palatability versus healthiness as determinants of food preferences in young adults: a comparison of nomothetic and idiographic analytic approaches

Past research on adults has found that the sensory appeal or taste of foods is a primary determiner of food consumption and how people think about food. The nomothetic nature of this research may have underestimated the impact of health considerations on food choice. This study compared ‘nomothetic’ and ‘idiographic’ modes of analysis in 1) determining the relative influence of palatability and perceived healthiness of foods, on preference for the food, and 2) assessing the relationship between palatability and evaluations of healthiness. Additionally, gender differences were examined in relation to within‐person correlations between the concepts of preference, palatability and healthiness. Subjects (n=139) rated 81 foods on preference, palatability and healthiness. Findings from both the idiographic and nomothetic analyses indicated that palatability rather than health considerations determined preferences in young adults. The within‐person correlational analysis indicated a large number of persons, mostly female, who preferred unhealthy food. The sample was equally split in their evaluations of healthy food as palatable or not.

The interrelationship between orthorexia nervosa, perfectionism, body image and attachment style

PurposeWe investigated whether perfectionism, body image, attachment style, and self-esteem are predictors of orthorexia nervosa.MethodsA cohort of 220 participants completed a self-administered, online questionnaire consisting of five measures: ORTO-15, the Multidimensional Perfectionism Scale (MPS), the Multidimensional Body-Self Relations Questionnaire-Appearance Scale (MBSRQ-AS), the Relationship Scales Questionnaire (RSQ), and Rosenberg’s Self-Esteem Scale (RSES).ResultsCorrelation analysis revealed that higher orthorexic tendencies significantly correlated with higher scores for perfectionism (self-oriented, others-oriented and socially prescribed), appearance orientation, overweight preoccupation, self-classified weight, and fearful and dismissing attachment styles. Higher orthorexic tendencies also correlated with lower scores for body areas satisfaction and a secure attachment style. There was no significant correlation between orthorexia nervosa and self-esteem. Multiple linear regression analysis revealed that overweight preoccupation, appearance orientation and the presence of an eating disorder history were significant predictors of orthorexia nervosa with a history of an eating disorder being the strongest predictor.ConclusionsOrthorexia nervosa shares similarities with anorexia nervosa and bulimia nervosa with regards to perfectionism, body image attitudes, and attachment style. In addition, a history of an eating disorder strongly predicts orthorexia nervosa. These findings suggest that these disorders might be on the same spectrum of disordered eating.

Factors affecting the psychological functioning of Australian adults with chronic pain

The role of resilience, for adults facing ongoing adversity in the form of chronic medical conditions, has received little attention in the past. This research investigated the impact of resilience and coping strategies on the psychological functioning of 87 Australian adults with chronic pain, using a self-report questionnaire. It included the McGill Pain Questionnaire, the Connor-Davidson Resilience Scale, the Coping Strategies Questionnaire, the 36-item Short Form Health Survey, and the Depression, Anxiety and Stress Scale. Using hierarchical regression, after the effects of pain severity, catastrophizing, and ignoring the pain were controlled for, resilience was significantly associated with mental health-related quality of life (β = 0.18, P < 0.05), depression (β = -0.31, P < 0.01), and anxiety (β = -0.20, P < 0.05). In the final model for depression, resilience had a stronger association than pain severity. Resilience did not, however, influence individuals perceptions of their physical health-related quality of life. The link between resilience and mental health-related quality of life outcomes provides initial evidence for the potential application of resilience related interventions to pain management programs.

Chronic hepatitis B and C: Exploring perceived stigma, disease information, and health-related quality of life

Research indicates that chronic hepatitis C affects peoples quality of life, but such reports are scarce about hepatitis B. This Australian study explored whether perceived stigma and satisfaction with received information and care were related to health-related quality of life in people with chronic hepatitis B or C. A questionnaire was constructed comprising demographic questions and existing scales to measure the variables. The 77 participants were recruited through various online channels. The median age was 48 years, 74% had hepatitis C, 60% were female, and 73% were Caucasian. Participants with Hepatitis B reported substantially less perceived stigma than those with Hepatitis C, but there was no significant difference between the two groups in health-related quality of life. Participants with Hepatitis C reported higher satisfaction with received information. The results highlight specific aspects to consider in the care of people with chronic hepatitis. For example, people with hepatitis B do not seem to enjoy better health-related quality of life despite lower perceived stigmatization. Therefore, these patients may require other improvements in service delivery such as the provision of more culturally appropriate information and education about chronic hepatitis B.