title: Daily stress in elders with arthritis.
abstract: This study examined whether social support perceived by older people with arthritis mediated the experience of daily stress related to the physical disability of arthritis. Seventy participants completed survey questionnaires. The data were analyzed using the three-step regression analysis procedure. Daily stress was significantly correlated with physical disability and social support. Increased physical disability led to more daily stress. Also, arthritic patients with increased physical disability perceived lower levels of social support. Social support decreased the effects of physical disability on daily stress and had a significant effect on daily stress. However, social support did not fully mediate the effect of physical disability on daily stress. Caregivers should recognize that social support has a limited role in alleviating the daily stress that arthritic patients experience from physical disability. Studies are needed to develop and test stress management programs targeting various sources of daily stress.
authors.affiliation: College of Nursing, Univeristy of Arkansas for Medical Sciences, Little Rock, AR 72205, USA. taksunghee@uams.edu
authors.forename: Sunghee H
authors.initials: SH
authors.lastname: Tak
authors.forename: Song Hee
authors.initials: SH
authors.lastname: Hong
authors.forename: Robert
authors.initials: R
authors.lastname: Kennedy
mesh_terms: D000203:Activities of Daily Living / Q000523:psychology; D000223:Adaptation, Psychological; D000368:Aged; D001168:Arthritis / Q000517:prevention & control / Q000523:psychology*; D001294:Attitude to Health; D002908:Chronic Disease; D006233:Persons with Disabilities / Q000523:psychology*; D005260:Female; D006301:Health Services Needs and Demand; D006304:Health Status; D006801:Humans; D008297:Male; D008960:Models, Psychological; D009730:Nursing Assessment; D015404:Nursing Methodology Research; D011788:Quality of Life; D012044:Regression Analysis; D012307:Risk Factors; D018434:Sickness Impact Profile; D012944:Social Support; D015144:Southeastern United States; D013315:Stress, Psychological / Q000209:etiology / Q000517:prevention & control / Q000523:psychology; D011795:Surveys and Questionnaires; D014505:Urban Population