Research Interests: Cancer, Anxiety, Activities of Daily Living, Heart Failure, Lung Cancer, and 15 moreHumans, COPD, Internal Medicine, Congestive Heart Failure, Hospitalization, Chronic Disease, Female, Male, Cohort, Aged, Chronic obstructive pulmonary disease, ANXIETY, Cross Sectional Studies, Cohort Studies, and Medical and Health Sciences
Research Interests: Psychology, Public Health, Activities of Daily Living, Prospective studies, Humans, and 15 moreChronic Disease, Female, Male, Social Environment, Risk factors, Health Status, Clinical Sciences, Aged, Institutionalization, Risk Factors, Life Change Events, Cognition disorders, Family Characteristics, Residence Characteristics, and Population surveillance
Objective: To examine the relationship between religious activities and blood pressure in community-dwelling older adults. Method: Blood pressure and religious activities were assessed in a probability sample of 3,963 persons age... more
Objective: To examine the relationship between religious activities and blood pressure in community-dwelling older adults. Method: Blood pressure and religious activities were assessed in a probability sample of 3,963 persons age sixty-five years or older participating in the Duke EPESE survey. Participants were asked if their doctor had ever informed them that they had high blood pressure and if they were currently taking medication for high blood pressure. After the interview, systolic and diastolic blood pressures were measured following a standardized protocol. Data were available for three waves of the survey (1986, 1989–90, and 1993–94). Analyses were stratified by age (65–74 vs. over 75) and by race (Whites vs. Blacks) and were controlled for age, race, gender, education, physical functioning, body mass index, and, in longitudinal analyses, blood pressure from the previous wave. Results: Cross-sectional analyses revealed small (1–4 mm Hg) but consistent differences in measure...
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Research Interests: Psychology, Depression, Personality Assessment, Medicine, Activities of Daily Living, and 15 moreHumans, North Carolina, Female, Male, Incidence, Risk factors, African Americans, Clinical Sciences, Aged, Longitudinal Studies, European Continental Ancestry Group, Risk Factors, Cross Sectional Studies, Disabled Persons, and Psychosocial deprivation
This study uses Lawton’s model of “the good life” to examine whether the Apolipoprote in E-∊4 genotype functions as a risk factor not only for specific diseases but also for a misfit between elders’ personal needs and their physical and... more
This study uses Lawton’s model of “the good life” to examine whether the Apolipoprote in E-∊4 genotype functions as a risk factor not only for specific diseases but also for a misfit between elders’ personal needs and their physical and social environments. A biracial cohort of communitydwelling elders from five North Carolina Piedmont counties was assessed annually for 10 years. Six-year survivors (N = 2,076) were genotyped for this retrospective-prospective cohort study. Compared to those in whom this allele was absent, participants with the 4 allele were not different in social or residential resources, social behavioral competence, or perceived quality of resources. Exposed elders had an excess 10-year adjusted risk of institutionalization of 1.72 (95% CI = 1.29, 2.29), totally mediated by cognitive problems. The threat of the APOE 4 genotype to person-environment fit is mediated by cognitive problems, a finding that has focused but important implications for residential decisio...
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Background: The Association of Community Health Nurse Educators (ACHNE) developed research priorities for public health nursing in 1992 and in 2000. In 2006 the ACHNE Research Committee was asked to update and revise the 2000 ACHNE... more
Background: The Association of Community Health Nurse Educators (ACHNE) developed research priorities for public health nursing in 1992 and in 2000. In 2006 the ACHNE Research Committee was asked to update and revise the 2000 ACHNE Research Priorities for public health nursing. Methods: A review of public health nursing research abstracts (n=485) from seven selected nursing journals was completed to identify progress in addressing the 2000 Priorities, determine research methods used, health issues and health behaviors addressed, and demographics of study populations. Additional data gathered included research priorities from key federal funding agencies and insights from the editors of Public Health Nursing. Results: The most common 2000 topical research priority areas addressed related to health promotion, decreasing disparities, and global health. Less than 20% of the studies dealt with public health nursing workforce. Only 12% of the studies used quasi-experimental or experimenta...
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Research Interests: Psychology, Depression, Radio, Medicine, Activities of Daily Living, and 15 moreHumans, Physical Health, Female, Male, Religion and psychology, Health Status, Clinical Sciences, Aged, Questionnaires, Cross Section, Public health systems and services research, Risk Factors, Depressive Symptoms, Psychological Models, and Cross Sectional Studies
Research Interests: Psychology, Magnetic Resonance Imaging, Family, Medicine, Brain, and 15 moreHumans, Female, Male, American, Depressive Disorder, Mental Disorders, Risk factors, Middle Aged, Adult, Age Factors, Risk Factors, Logistic Models, Age of Onset, Psychology and Cognitive Sciences, and Medical and Health Sciences
Faculty developed a scavenger hunt game to introduce baccalaureate and generic registered nurse (RN) students to the concept of community in a brief, interactive, and challenging way. The game enabled students to examine community... more
Faculty developed a scavenger hunt game to introduce baccalaureate and generic registered nurse (RN) students to the concept of community in a brief, interactive, and challenging way. The game enabled students to examine community structures and processes. It stimulated skill-building in caseload management and reduced student anxiety about community-based care. The author discusses the outcomes, benefits, and limitations of the scavenger hunt.
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The epsilon4 allele of apolipoprotein E (APOE) has been associated with health-related outcomes that may adversely affect quality of life (QOL) in older adults. In the absence of published information, we sought to determine whether the... more
The epsilon4 allele of apolipoprotein E (APOE) has been associated with health-related outcomes that may adversely affect quality of life (QOL) in older adults. In the absence of published information, we sought to determine whether the epsilon4 allele was associated with subjective QOL across 5 parameters in a community sample of older adults. Prospective cohort study. Community-based sample of older adults in North Carolina (Duke site of the Established Populations for Epidemiologic Studies of the Elderly [Duke EPESE]). Self-responding genotyped sample members (n = 1,880) of whom 1,254 provided longitudinal data. APOE genotype and five newly constructed, reliable, and valid measures of subjective QOL derived from the Duke EPESE questionnaire. The 5 parameters measured were social, economic, mental and physical health, and functional status. Control variables included age, gender, race (African American or White), education and urban/rural residence. Among those with good baseline QOL, there was no significant association between the epsilon4 allele and any of the parameters of subjective QOL in longitudinal analyses. In controlled longitudinal analysis, older age women predicted poorer functional status; being African American, and reporting lower education predicted poorer subjective economic well-being; and being African American predicted better self-assessed mental health. This study is among the first to explore the association of the epsilon4 allele with overall QOL. Considered from a public health perspective, these findings challenge the uncritical assumption that the presence of this susceptibility gene in the population implies an excess burden of poor QOL. The findings do not contradict the previous association of epsilon4 with Alzheimer's disease (AD) and other conditions. Such conditions continue to merit full attention.
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The authors examined the determinants of poor self-rated health by use of data from the Duke University site of the Established Populations for Epidemiologic Studies of the Elderly (EPESE). Study participants were community residents, 65... more
The authors examined the determinants of poor self-rated health by use of data from the Duke University site of the Established Populations for Epidemiologic Studies of the Elderly (EPESE). Study participants were community residents, 65 years of age or older, selected from five contiguous counties in the north-central Piedmont area of North Carolina. Poorer self-rated health was correlated cross-sectionally with depressive symptomatology, poor functional status, chronic disease, lower income, less education, being married, younger age, being hospitalized within the past year, and current smoking habit. The authors emphasize the importance of a comprehensive model for understanding the components of the construct of self-rated health and propose possible explanations for the significant correlates of self-rated health.
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ABSTRACT This study describe the course and risk factors of psychological distress following bereavement, controlling for factors often omitted from studies of grief: psychiatric history, social support, and coping choices of the... more
ABSTRACT This study describe the course and risk factors of psychological distress following bereavement, controlling for factors often omitted from studies of grief: psychiatric history, social support, and coping choices of the bereaved. Spouses of patients hospitalized for serious illness or elective surgery were systematically screened and followed longitudinally through the recovery or death of the hospitalized patient. Of 440 respondents, 154 were bereaved within 2 months. Spouses were interviewed in their homes by trained interviewers at intake and 2, 6, 13, and 25 months postintake. Dependent variables were measured with the CES-D (depressive symptoms) and the PERI (general anxiety and hopelessness/helplessness) scales. Independent variables were measured with the SADS-L (past personal history of dysphoria) and the Lazarus' Ways of Coping scale as well as sociodemographic measures. Lifetime prevalence of a brief period of dysphoric mood among spouses before the patient's illness was 22%; past personal history of dysphoric mood was related to female sex, smaller networks, and more depression and anxiety during the hospitalization of their spouses. Newly widowed persons with a past history of dysphoria perceived their networks to be relatively nonsupportive, but devoted similar amounts of coping effort to seeking social support and reported similar amounts of social interaction compared with persons with no history of dysphoria. Persons with a past history of dysphoria reported elevated levels of depressive symptoms, general anxiety, and hopelessness/helplessness through 25 months postbereavement, yet their recovery trajectory was similar to those without a past history of dysphoria. It was concluded that a past history of subsyndromal symptomatology in conjunction with a stressful life event such as bereavement increases one's vulnerability to excess psychological distress.
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Writing for publication in nursing is essential to disseminate evidence, share initiatives and innovations with others, provide new information to keep nurses up-to-date, communicate the findings of research studies, and develop the... more
Writing for publication in nursing is essential to disseminate evidence, share initiatives and innovations with others, provide new information to keep nurses up-to-date, communicate the findings of research studies, and develop the science base of the profession. Writing ...
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To determine incidence and remission rates of insomnia in older adults and associated risk factors. Three-year longitudinal study, 1982-198--East Boston, MA; New Haven, CT; Iowa and Washington counties, IA. Participants were 6,899 men and... more
To determine incidence and remission rates of insomnia in older adults and associated risk factors. Three-year longitudinal study, 1982-198--East Boston, MA; New Haven, CT; Iowa and Washington counties, IA. Participants were 6,899 men and women aged 65 years and older. Self-reported difficulty falling asleep or early morning arousal (insomnia), along with physician diagnosis of heart disease, stroke, cancer, diabetes, or hip-fracture, self-report of physical disability, depressive symptomatology, perceived health status, and use of medications ascertained at both baseline and three-year follow-up. Nearly 15% of the 4,956 participants without symptoms of insomnia at baseline reported chronic difficulty falling asleep or early morning arousal at follow-up, suggesting an annual incidence rate of approximately 5%. Incident insomnia was associated with depressed mood, respiratory symptoms, fair to poor perceived health, and physical disability. In multivariate analyses, these risk factor...
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To describe the demographic and health-related factors related to excessive daytime sleepiness. To estimate the risk of mortality associated with excessive daytime sleepiness independent of nightime sleep problems and other factors that... more
To describe the demographic and health-related factors related to excessive daytime sleepiness. To estimate the risk of mortality associated with excessive daytime sleepiness independent of nightime sleep problems and other factors that limit survival. Four-year prospective cohort study with annual interviews. One urban and four rural counties in north-central North Carolina. Adults 65 years and older (n = 3962) living in the community. Excessive daytime sleepiness was measured as, "How often do you get so sleepy during the day or evening that you have to take a nap?" Mortality was based on continuous surveillance of the population by field investigators and abstraction of death certificates. Point prevalence of excessive daytime sleepiness in this population was 25.2%. Frequent daytime nappers were more likely than infrequent nappers to report nighttime sleep complaints and were more likely to be male and urban-dwellers, to report more depressive symptoms, more limited ph...
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Objectives:Religious participation is positively associated with mental health, but attendance at worship services declines during serious illness. This study assessed whether home visits by clergy or laity provide benefits to seriously... more
Objectives:Religious participation is positively associated with mental health, but attendance at worship services declines during serious illness. This study assessed whether home visits by clergy or laity provide benefits to seriously ill patients who may have difficulty attending religious services.Method:A cross-sectional study design nested in an observational epidemiologic cohort study was used. The regionally representative sample of patients had metastatic lung, colorectal, breast, and prostate cancer (n = 70); Class III and IV congestive heart failure (n = 70); or chronic obstructive pulmonary disease with hypercapnea (n = 70) and were observed regarding clergy–laity support in their natural environments. Dependent variable: 10-item Center for Epidemiologic Studies – Depression Scale. Independent variable: A one-item question measuring how much helpful support patients received from clergy or other persons from church, temple, synagogue, or mosque. Covariates: demographic, ...
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Previous studies have examined the role of genetic variations in the serotonin transporter-linked polymorphic region (5HTTLPR) in affective disorders. The authors studied 182 older depressed subjects and 107 elderly control subjects and... more
Previous studies have examined the role of genetic variations in the serotonin transporter-linked polymorphic region (5HTTLPR) in affective disorders. The authors studied 182 older depressed subjects and 107 elderly control subjects and obtained DNA for genotyping at the 5HTTLPR. There were no significant differences in allele frequencies generally or for number of short alleles for the group as a whole, but interesting gender effects emerged. Among men, 23% of depressed men had two short alleles, compared with only 5% of control subjects. Among women, 67% of depressed women with more than one episode had at least one short allele, compared with 41% of single-episode female patients. Also, 74% of women with a positive family history of psychiatric illness in any female relative had at least one short allele, whereas 53% had at least one short allele who did not have such a family history. Our results add to the literature linking this gene to affective illness. The negative associat...
Research Interests: Polymorphism, Prospective studies, Humans, Female, Male, and 12 moreAmerican, Depressive Disorder, Membrane transport proteins, Clinical Sciences, Aged, Longitudinal Studies, Public health systems and services research, Sex Factors, Genetic Polymorphism, Cross Sectional Studies, Psychiatric Status Rating Scales, and alleles
... DOI: 10.1177/0164027500222001 2000 22: 91 Research on Aging Marc A. Musick, Dana G. Blazer and Judith C. Hays Religious Activity, Alcohol Use, and Depression in a Sample of Elderly Baptists Published by:... more
... DOI: 10.1177/0164027500222001 2000 22: 91 Research on Aging Marc A. Musick, Dana G. Blazer and Judith C. Hays Religious Activity, Alcohol Use, and Depression in a Sample of Elderly Baptists Published by: http://www.sagepublications.com ...
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This is an exploratory study of the migration patterns of people older than age 70. If the life course perspective on retirement migration is correct, then this older category should be somewhat less inclined to enter the key national... more
This is an exploratory study of the migration patterns of people older than age 70. If the life course perspective on retirement migration is correct, then this older category should be somewhat less inclined to enter the key national destination states and more likely to be moving toward the usual sending states, unlike younger retirees. The Asset and Health Dynamics Among the Oldest Old (AHEAD) Study is critical to this study goal because it contains an over sample of Florida residents older than age 70. Respondents were interviewed in 1993 and again in 1995. The older movers who were identified tend to move locally, or within the state, but those who migrate across state lines are more often leaving Florida than entering it, as suggested by the life course theory.
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Objectives: Dramatic increases in living alone in late life have been associated with higher incomes and better health, obscuring the risk to subgroups living alone with diminished health and socioeconomic resources. This study describes... more
Objectives: Dramatic increases in living alone in late life have been associated with higher incomes and better health, obscuring the risk to subgroups living alone with diminished health and socioeconomic resources. This study describes race differences in the stability and life-course antecedents of living alone. Method: The prospective cohort study used data from the Established Populations for Epidemiologic Studies of the Elderly at Duke University ( n = 4,132) to estimate 10-yearprevalence, incidence, and predictors of living alone among Black and White elders. Results: New episodes of living alone were equally likely. Black elders’lower prevalence of living alone was a function of their 80 percent greater probability of a new coresident episode. Home ownership, residential tenure, and perceived good health were lower among Blacks living alone, compared to Whites, who had fewer living children. Stressful life events had similar effects on household size. Discussion: Race differ...
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... Additional Information. How to Cite. Hays, JC (2004), The Nurse Stump. Public Health Nursing, 21: 199. doi: 10.1111/j.0737-1209.2004.21301.x. ... You do not have a subscription to this Journal or Article. Please contact your librarian... more
... Additional Information. How to Cite. Hays, JC (2004), The Nurse Stump. Public Health Nursing, 21: 199. doi: 10.1111/j.0737-1209.2004.21301.x. ... You do not have a subscription to this Journal or Article. Please contact your librarian for details. Options for accessing this content: ...