title: Stress and coping among elderly African-Americans.
abstract: The purpose of this descriptive correlation was to examine the relationship between the amount of psychological stress experienced and the methods of coping with stress among elderly African-Americans. Demographic variables (age, gender, marital status, education, and occupation), personal resources (health, religion, and social support), and the effects of perception of racial discrimination were included to determine the relationship among the variables and to predict the perceived amount ofpsychological stress and the methods of coping. Subjects were males and females, who were community dwellers, between 65 to 88 years of age. Each subject completed four questionnaires: a Demographic Personal Data Questionnaire, the Short Portable Mental Status Questionnaire, the Stokes/Gordon Stress Scale, and the Ways of Coping Questionnaire. The data were analyzed by computing measures of central tendency, frequency, percentile, and measures of variability. Correlation and stepwise regression were used for predictions and to test null hypotheses. The findings indicated that elderly African-Americans experienced psychologically stressful events in their lives such as concerns for the world, slowing down, physical limitation, financial concerns, and not enough time with their children and grandchildren.
authors.affiliation: Nursing Department, Pensacola Junior College, Milton, FL, USA. sholt-hill@pjc.edu
authors.forename: Shirley Ann
authors.initials: SA
authors.lastname: Holt-Hill
mesh_terms: D000223:Adaptation, Psychological; D001741:Black or African American / Q000208:ethnology*; D000368:Aged; D000704:Analysis of Variance; D001294:Attitude to Health / Q000208:ethnology*; D005260:Female; D054624:Health Status Disparities; D006801:Humans; D008016:Life Change Events; D016014:Linear Models; D008297:Male; D015404:Nursing Methodology Research; D011287:Prejudice; D012648:Self Care / Q000379:methods / Q000523:psychology; D012720:Severity of Illness Index; D012959:Socioeconomic Factors; D015144:Southeastern United States / Q000453:epidemiology; D013315:Stress, Psychological / Q000175:diagnosis / Q000208:ethnology* / Q000517:prevention & control*; D011795:Surveys and Questionnaires