Mara Julius

Glutathione and morbidity in a community-based sample of elderly

This study examined the association of blood glutathione level, a potential marker of physiological/functional aging, with a number of biomedical/psychological traits in a subgroup (N = 33) of a representative sample of community-based elderly. Higher glutathione levels were associated with fewer number of illnesses (p < 0.05), higher levels of self-rated health (p < 0.01), lower cholesterol (p < 0.05), lower body mass index, and lower blood pressures. Subjects with diagnoses of arthritis, diabetes, or heart disease (as assessed by physicians) had at least marginally significant lower glutathione levels than those who were disease free. Glutathione, together with age and a measure of suppressed anger, accounted for 39% of the variance of an index of morbidity. Glutathione, by itself, accounted for 24% of the variance. To our knowledge, this is the first evidence of an association of higher glutathione levels with higher levels of physical health in a sample of community-based elderly. Further studies in large samples are needed to investigate glutathione as a potential overall health risk factor for morbidity among the elderly.

Independence in Activities of Daily Living for End-Stage Renal Disease Patients: Biomedical and Demographic Correlates

Factors associated with physical well-being were examined in a population-based sample of adult end-stage renal disease (ESRD) patients in Michigan (n = 459). The dependent variables were two measures of physical functioning: (1) a ten-item measure of activities of daily living (ADL), and (2) the 45-item physical dysfunction dimension of the Sickness Impact Profile (SIP). Independent variables included four modalities of treatment (in-center hemodialysis, continuous ambulatory peritoneal dialysis [CAPD], related transplant, and cadaver transplant); primary cause of ESRD (eg, diabetes, glomerulonephritis); comorbidity (other illnesses besides primary cause of ESRD); and demographic characteristics (sex, race, age, marital status, education). ADL and SIP unadjusted mean scores differed significantly by category for each of the eight study factors (analysis of variance [ANOVA], P less than 0.0001), with the exception of sex for SIP means. The highest levels of dependency in ADL were reported by patients who were older, female, black, widowed, less educated, treated with in-center hemodialysis, had diabetes as the primary cause of ESRD, and/or reported more comorbidity. The partial effect of each factor on the dependent measures with adjustment for the seven other factors was assessed using analysis of covariance (ANCOVA). In the ADL analysis, sex, race, age, primary cause of kidney failure, and comorbidity were significant factors (probability values ranging from 0.05 for race to 0.0001 for sex, primary cause of ESRD, and comorbidity). The SIP physical dysfunction measure gave slightly different results. Race, age, primary cause of ESRD, comorbid status, and modality of treatment were significantly related to physical dysfunction (P less than 0.05 to P less than 0.0001).(ABSTRACT TRUNCATED AT 250 WORDS)

Daily symptoms and behavioral responses: Results of a health diary with older adults

Research on the health care behavior of older adults in response to symptoms will benefit from having data collection methods that can monitor health actions as they occur on a daily basis. In the present study, symptom experiences over a 2-week period and the actions taken in response to them were studied with a self-kept daily diary. Participants were 142 community-resident older persons, aged 62-94. Diary information about number of daily symptoms and the accompanying pain/discomfort was correlated with health perceptions and psychosocial indices obtained in an interview prior to the diary period. Women tended to take a more active response to symptoms than men, particularly in the area of personal care actions. Preventive health behaviors were not strongly related to symptom-related actions. Satisfaction with ones income was the only predictor of seeking professional assistance. Overall, the diary method is feasible to use with older adults, although certain groups may require special consideration (e.g., the visually impaired, persons with multiple symptoms per day, or those with a limitation on writing ability).

Correlates of Preventive Health Behavior in Late Life

A sample of 172 community-resident older adults (aged 64-96) were interviewed to investigate correlates of their preventively oriented, health-related practices. Four health practice groupings were used: Information-Seeking, Regular Health Routines, Medical and Self-Examination, and Risk Avoidance. Results indicated modest associations among individual behaviors and among the four health practice groups. Gender (i.e., women) and a supportive family environment were among the consistent predictors of good health practices, although each of the four behavior groups tended to have its own set of major predictors.

Preventive Health Practices among Older Men and Women

The preventive health practices of older men and women were examined from interviews with a community sample of 172 adults aged 64-96. Differences between men and women were found with only 10 of the 37 individual health practices. A mixed pattern was found in the relationship of personal and demographic characteristics, life outlook, self-health perceptions, and social network with health practices. The results suggest caution in interpreting how age and gender interact to influence the preventive health practices and health behaviors of older adults.

Studies in Creativity: III. Effect of Overlearning on Recall and Usage of Information

When Ss are instructed to write creative stories, using as many words from a learned list of paired words as they can, they show striking differences. Some tend to keep the pairs intact, others tend to fragment them, and still others make up new groupings. The purpose of this experiment was to investigate the influence of the strength of associative bonds on word usage. The first story was written after 4 repetitions of the list of 12 pairs of words (presented in varied order) and a second story was written after 12 repetitions. The results showed no significant differences in the usage of the experimental words for the two stories, although the memory tests revealed difference in the degree of learning. Furthermore, it was found that the measures of word usage did not differ significantly from a pilot study (Maier, Julius, & Thurber, 1967) in which both stories were written after 12 repetitions of the list of paired words. The concepts of associative bonds, reinforcement, and overlearning derived from learning studies, though adequate for studies of recall, cannot be freely generalized to problem situations. Problem situations introduce a selective function which alters the dynamics of the associative processes and these dynamics show considerable individual variation.

Marital Pair Anger-Coping Types May Act as an Entity to Affect Mortality: Preliminary Findings from a Prospective Study (Tecumseh, Michigan, 1971–1988)

The relationship between four anger-coping marital pair types and all-cause mortality was examined with a representative random sample in the community of Tecumseh, Michigan, in a longitudinal analysis (1971–1988) using 192 married pairs. Each spouse (age 35–69) in a married pair was independently classified as an expressive (anger out) or suppressive (anger in) anger-coping type; then four anger-coping pair types were tested for mortality risk, adjusted for major health risk factors. When both spouses were anger suppressors (n = 26 pairs; 13 deaths), death was 2 times more likely than in all Other Types (p < .05); significantly more pairs of “Both Spouses Suppress” occurred where both died than in Other Types. A spouse interaction effect (p = .06) occurred among Both Spouses Suppress Type but not in Other Types.