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Life satisfaction and its correlates in older women with osteoarthritis
Sunghee H Tak1, Shirley C Laffrey
1College of Nursing, University of Arkansas for Medical Sciences, Little Rock, AR, USA.
Purpose:
To identify the relationships among functional disability, chronic daily stress, coping strategies, beliefs about personal control, social support, and life satisfaction in older women with osteoarthritis.
Design:
A descriptive, correlational design was used.
Sample:
The study participants were 107 women aged 60 years or older.
Method:
Study participants completed six survey questionnaires and a demographic form.
Findings:
Bivariate correlational analyses showed that older women with poorer functional ability experienced greater chronic daily stress, reported more frequent use of emotion-focused coping strategies, and had a higher chance health locus of control. A hierarchic regression analysis revealed that the perceived social support and internal health locus of control significantly contributed to the prediction of life satisfaction after demographic, illness-related, and stress-related variables were controlled.
Implications:
Stress management strategies matched to the participants' style of coping process can increase their sense of control over their health and enhance their social networks and activities.