Health Psychology

Goodall, Tracy A.; Halford, W. Kim

doi: 10.1037/0278-6133.10.1.1pmid: N/A

Diabetes hasno known cure and is a leading source of morbidity and mortality. Clinicalmanagement involves patients managing a complex and variable regimen. Thisarticle reviews the determinants of effective self-management and the methods ofpromoting better self-management. Trait variables (e.g., personality anddemographics) have been presumed to affect self-management, but evidencesuggests they have little impact. The important determinants of self-managementare transient situational factors such as psychological stress and socialpressure to eat. Interventions to promote better self-management have reportedinitial improvements in blood glucose control, but the long-term effects areunclear. We conclude that self-management has been inadequately assessed andthat attempts to improve self-management have relied excessively on providinginformation. More research is needed to clarify determinants of self-management,and interventions to improve self-management will need to change thesedeterminants.Key words:insulin-dependent diabetes mellitus (IDDM), review, self-management,interventions

Houston, B. Kent; Vavak, Christine R.

doi: 10.1037/0278-6133.10.1.9pmid: N/A

Examined potential differences between individuals with high and low Cook and Medley (1954) Hostility (Ho) scale scores in regard to (a) self-esteem and particular developmental experiences; (b) utilization of social support, experience of anger, and the manner in which anger is managed; and (c) potentially health-damaging behaviors. Individuals with high Ho scale scores were found to be low in covert self-esteem and reported behavior on the part of their parents that reflected (a) less genuine acceptance, (b) more interference in the person’s desires as a child, and (c) more punitiveness. In addition, the results indicated that high Ho score individuals avoid seeking or accepting social support, experience anger that is excessive and that occurs in a wide variety of situations, and suppress expression of anger. Finally, it was found that hostile individuals tended to drink more alcohol and drive a car more frequently after drinking and to have greater relative weight.Key words: hostility, self-esteem, developmental factors, health behaviors

Barefoot, John C.; Peterson, Bercedis L.; Dahlstrom, W. Grant; Siegler, Ilene C.; Anderson, Norman B.; Williams, Redford B.

doi: 10.1037/0278-6133.10.1.18pmid: N/A

Correlated Cook-MedleyHostility Scale (Ho) scores with sociodemographic variables in a national survey of 2,536adults. Multiple regression models revealed that Ho scores were associated with race (p< .0001), years of education (p < .001), sex (p < .001), occupation (p =.0002), and income (p = .0025). Higher scores were found in non-Whites, men, and those of lowersocioeconomic status. There was a Race × Income interaction (p < .005), suchthat the greatest Ho score differences between the races occurred among those with the lowestincomes. Age was related to Ho scores in a curvilinear fashion: higher scores in the youngestand oldest age groups than in the middle-aged groups (p = .025). Marital status was unrelatedto Ho scores. These patterns of hostility are similar to the patterns of health indicators inthe population. Because hostility has been found to be associated with adverse health outcomes,hostility may account for some of the demographic variations in health status. However, it isargued that research must first establish the generality of the hostility-health relationshipacross subgroups of the population.Key words: hostility, sexdifferences, socioeconomic status (SES), race, health

Weinstein, Neil D.; Sandman, Peter M.; Roberts, Nancy E.

doi: 10.1037/0278-6133.10.1.25pmid: N/A

Tested in a fieldexperiment (N = 647) the hypothesis that perceptions of personal susceptibility are importantin decisions to test one’s home for radioactive radon gas. Experimental groupsubjects received a personal telephone call to tell them they lived in a high-risk area and apersonal letter to reinforce the telephone message. After the intervention, experimentalsubjects were significantly more likely than minimal-treatment subjects to acknowledge thepossibility of high radon levels in their homes. Perceptions of susceptibility and illnessseverity were significantly correlated with orders of radon test kits and with testingintentions. Nevertheless, there were no differences between groups in test orders orintentions. Results are discussed in terms of the difficulty of getting people to acknowledgesusceptibility and the factors other than risk perceptions that influence self-protectivebehavior.Key words: susceptibility,health behavior, prevention, radon, cancer

Jasper, John David; Harris, Richard Jackson; Lee, Brian C.; Miller, Kyle E.

doi: 10.1037/0278-6133.10.1.34pmid: N/A

The continued functioningof organ transplantation depends on obtaining the permission of the next of kin. Thiscommunication process between medical or transplant professionals and a donor family hingesheavily on the understanding of certain critical terms like brain dead, life support, andtransplantation. Communication issues in obtaining organ donation consent were examined, withparticular focus on what are literally life-and-death decisions. Using an experimentalsimulation methodology, data are offered in support of the claim that much miscommunicationoccurs in such situations. Directions for improving such communication by allaying latent fearsand more carefully defining crucial terminology are offered.Key words: organ donation,decision making, brain death, transplantation organ

Gibbons, Frederick X.; McGovern, Paul G.; Lando, Harry A.

doi: 10.1037/0278-6133.10.1.42pmid: N/A

Assessed perceptions of the health risks associated with smoking in comparison with not smoking among members of smoking cessation clinics. We measured these perceptions at three different time periods during the clinic, and then again at a 6-month follow-up. Results indicated that members who were abstinent at the follow-up had lowered their perceptions of the likelihood of contracting smoking-related illnesses (e.g., emphysema) if they were not smoking. In contrast, those who had relapsed lowered their perceptions of the health risks associated with smoking, but not their perceptions of nonsmoking disease vulnerability. The implications of these changes in risk perception for therapy involvement are discussed.Key words: smoking cessation, risk perception

Miranda, Jeanne; Perez-Stable, Eliseo J.; Muñoz, Ricardo F.; Hargreaves, William; Henke, Curtis J.

doi: 10.1037/0278-6133.10.1.46pmid: N/A

Examined theprediction from Mechanic’s(1972) attribution theory of somatization thatsomatizers who are under stress will overuse ambulatory medical services. Twohundred fourteen volunteer patients from university ambulatory care clinicscompleted the Diagnostic Interview Schedule and the Life Experiences Inventory.We examined somatization, psychiatric diagnoses, and life stress—andthe interaction of these factors—in predicting frequency of medicalvisits during the preceding year, after controlling for need (active medicalproblems) and predisposing factors. As hypothesized, life stress interacted withsomatization in predicting number of medical visits; somatizers who were understress made more visits to the clinics than did nonsomatizers or somatizers whowere not under stress. Although stress affected somatizers most, stress waspredictive of increased medical utilization for all patients. These resultssuggest that psychological services intended to reduce overutilization ofoutpatient medical services might best focus on stress reduction and be mostbeneficial to somatizers.Key words:somatization, psychiatric disorder, life stress, medical care utilization

Donovan, John E.; Jessor, Richard; Costa, Frances M.

doi: 10.1037/0278-6133.10.1.52pmid: N/A

Examined the relation ofpsychosocial and behavioral conventionality-unconventionality to health-related behavior incross-sectional data from 1,588 male and female 7th to 12th graders.Conventionalityunconventionality was represented by personality, perceived social environment,and behavior variables selected from the social-psychological framework of problem-behaviortheory (R. Jessor & S. L. Jessor,1977). Greater psychosocial conventionality correlates with more regularinvolvement in health-related behavior (regular physical activity, adequate sleep, safety beltuse, attention to healthy diet). Greater behavioral conventionality (less involvement inproblem behaviors such as marijuana use, problem drinking, delinquent-type behavior, andgreater involvement in conventional behaviors such as church attendance) was also associatedwith greater involvement in health-maintaining behavior. The overall findings provide supportfor the extension of problem-behavior theory to the domain of adolescent health behavior andfor the relevance of the dimension of conventionality-unconventionality.Key words: adolescence,health behavior, problem behavior, conventionality

Raphael, Karen G.; Cloitre, Marylene; Dohrenwend, Bruce P.

doi: 10.1037/0278-6133.10.1.62pmid: N/A

The prevalentuse of life event category checklists to facilitate event recall may be onereason that previous studies find that life events play only a small andambiguous role in the development of health problems. In this study, 136 personswith temporomandibular pain disorder syndrome (TMPDS) and 131 healthy controlsreported the occurrence of life events in 10 monthly interviews, using an eventcategory checklist. At the end of the study, they reported retrospectively andin detail about life events over the previous monthly periods. Only one quarterof the event categories appeared in both the monthly interviews andretrospective report for the same period. Detailed analyses revealed problems ofinaccuracy inherent in checklists that exacerbate problems of recall. Thefindings indicate that checklist category approaches should not be used when thegoal is to understand the role of stress in adverse health outcomes. Suggestionsare made about more adequate methods.Key words:stressful life events, reliability, life events inventories, methodology

Winett, Richard A.; Wagner, Jana L.; Moore, John F.; Walker, W. Bruce; Hite, Lee A.; Leahy, Michael; Neubauer, Tamara; Arbour, Dale; Walberg, Janet; Geller, E. Scott; Mundy, Laurie L.; Lombard, David

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