a cross-sectional study on health and physical functioning in relation to coping strategies among community-dwelling, ethnically diverse older women横断面研究健康和身体状况与应对策略在社区,种族多样化的老年妇女.pdfVIP

Laganà and Zarankin BMC Womens Health 2010, 10:10 /1472-6874/10/10 R E S E A R C H A R T I C L E Open Access Research article A cross-sectional study on health and physical functioning in relation to coping strategies among community-dwelling, ethnically diverse older women Luciana Laganà* and Keren Zarankin Abstract Background: 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 womens 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. Methods: 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. Results: 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. Conclusions: These cross-sectional findings need corroboration by longitudinal research prior to d