Rakowski W, Julius M, Hickey T, Verbrugge L M, Halter J B
Center for Gerontology and Health Care Research, Brown University, Providence, Rhode Island.
Med Care. 1988 Mar;26(3):278-97. doi: 10.1097/00005650-198803000-00005.
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 one's 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).
若能采用可在日常健康行为发生时进行监测的数据收集方法，对于研究老年人针对症状的医疗保健行为将大有裨益。在本研究中，通过一本自我记录的日常日记，对为期两周的症状体验以及针对这些症状所采取的行动进行了研究。参与者为142名社区居住的老年人，年龄在62岁至94岁之间。日记中关于每日症状数量及伴随的疼痛/不适的信息，与在日记记录期之前的一次访谈中获得的健康认知和社会心理指标相关联。女性对症状的反应往往比男性更为积极，尤其是在个人护理行为方面。预防性健康行为与症状相关行为的关联并不紧密。对个人收入的满意度是寻求专业帮助的唯一预测因素。总体而言，日记法对于老年人来说是可行的，尽管某些群体可能需要特别考虑（例如，视力障碍者、每天有多种症状的人或书写能力有限的人）。
