 |
The 130th Annual Meeting of APHA |
|
The 130th Annual Meeting of APHA |
Elizabeth Vasquez--Award Winner, BS and Ana F. Abraído-Lanza, PhD. Department of Sociomedical Sciences, Mailman School of Public Health, Columbia University, 600 W 168 St., New York, NY 10032, 212-305-5369, ev160@columbia.edu
There is controversy concerning the effect of age on coping with chronic illness. In some studies, older adults use less effective coping strategies than younger adults, but these differences are not found consistently. This study examines whether age is associated with coping among Latinos with arthritis. Based on prior theory and research on Latino populations, we hypothesized that age will be associated with more active coping when dealing with arthritis pain. Data for this study are from Time 1 of a four-month longitudinal study of patients recruited from an ambulatory arthritis clinic. Data were collected by a structured interview conducted primarily in Spanish. Coping was assessed with the Coping Strategies Questionnaire (CSQ). Acculturation and pain were assessed with standard self-report instruments, age and illness duration were assessed in years by self-report. The sample consisted of 200 Latinos (89.5% female), who had some form of arthritis (predominantly rheumatoid arthritis, 39%). In bivariate analyses, age was significantly correlated with passive coping (r=-.17), active behavioral coping(r=. 15) and coping self- statements (r=.17). In multivariate regression analyses, age was associated with decreased use of passive coping and greater use of active behavioral coping and cognitive self-statements, even after controlling for potential confounders of acculturation and illness duration. We conclude that age is associated with adaptive ways of coping among Latinos with arthritis. These findings may be explained by cultural and developmental processes.
Learning Objectives:
Presenting author's disclosure statement:
I do not have any significant financial interest/arrangement or affiliation with any organization/institution whose products or services are being discussed in this session.