Department of Psychology, California State University Northridge, 18111 Nordhoff Street, Northridge, California, USA.
BMC Womens Health. 2010 Mar 30;10:10. doi: 10.1186/1472-6874-10-10.
Although empirical evidence is available on the coping-health link in older age, research on this topic is needed with non-clinical samples of ethnically diverse older women. To contribute to filling such a research gap, we tested whether these women's general health and functional limitations were associated with specific coping strategies (selected for their particular relevance to health issues) and with known health-related demographics, i.e., age, ethnicity, income, and married status.
In this cross-sectional study, respondents were recruited at community facilities including stores and senior centers. The sample consisted of 180 community-dwelling women (age 52-98) screened for dementia; 64% of them reported having an ethnic minority status. The assessment battery contained the Mini-Cog, a demographics list, the Brief COPE, and the Medical Outcome Study 36-Item Short-Form Health Survey.
Hierarchical multiple regression analyses showed that older women who used behavioral disengagement and, to a smaller degree, self-distraction as a form of coping reported lower levels of general health. The opposite was the case for positive reframing and, to a lesser degree, substance use. Moreover, lower income was related to worse general health and (together with more advanced age) physical functioning. None of the coping strategies achieved significance in the physical functioning model.
These cross-sectional findings need corroboration by longitudinal research prior to developing related clinical interventions. Based on the initial evidence provided herein, clinicians working with this population should consider establishing the therapeutic goal of increasing the use of positive reframing while diminishing behavioral disengagement.
尽管有实证证据表明在老年时应对与健康之间存在关联，但仍需要针对不同族裔的非临床老年女性样本开展该主题的研究。为了填补这一研究空白，我们检验了这些女性的整体健康和功能限制是否与特定的应对策略（选择这些策略是因为它们与健康问题特别相关）以及已知的与健康相关的人口统计学因素（即年龄、族裔、收入和婚姻状况）有关。
在这项横断面研究中，我们在包括商店和老年人中心在内的社区设施中招募了被试。该样本由 180 名居住在社区的女性（年龄 52-98 岁）组成，这些女性经过认知障碍筛查，其中 64%报告自己具有少数民族身份。评估工具包包括 Mini-Cog 认知测试、人口统计学清单、Brief COPE 应对方式量表和医疗结局研究 36 项简短健康调查问卷。
分层多元回归分析表明，采用行为脱离和自我分散（程度较小）作为应对方式的老年女性报告其整体健康水平较低。而积极重新评估和（程度较小）物质使用则呈现相反的结果。此外，较低的收入与较差的整体健康（以及更高的年龄）和身体功能有关。在身体功能模型中，没有一种应对策略达到显著水平。
这些横断面研究结果需要通过纵向研究加以证实，然后才能开展相关的临床干预。基于本文提供的初步证据，与该人群合作的临床医生应该考虑将增加积极重新评估的使用并减少行为脱离作为治疗目标。
