Pain Coping Skills Training for African Americans With Osteoarthritis Study: Baseline Participant Characteristics and Comparison to Prior Studies

Background: The Pain Coping Skills Training for African Americans with OsteoaRTthritis (STAART) trial is examining the effectiveness of a culturally enhanced pain coping skills training (CST) program for African Americans with osteoarthritis (OA). This disparities-focused trial aimed to reach a population with greater symptom severity and risk factors for poor pain-related outcomes than previous studies. This paper compares characteristics of STAART participants with prior studies of CST or cognitive behavioral therapy (CBT)-informed training in pain coping strategies for OA. Methods: A literature search identified 10 prior trials of pain CST or CBT-informed pain coping training among individuals with OA. We descriptively compared characteristics of STAART participants with other studies, in 3 domains of the National Institutes of Minority Health and Health Disparities' Research Framework: Sociocultural Environment (e.g., age, education, marital status), Biological Vulnerability and Mechanisms (e.g, pain and function, body mass index), and Health Behaviors and Coping (e.g., pain catastrophizing). Means and standard deviations (SDs) or proportions were calculated for STAART participants and extracted from published manuscripts for comparator studies. Results: The mean age of STAART participants, 59 years (SD = 10.3), was lower than 9 of 10 comparator studies; the proportion of individuals with some education beyond high school, 75%, was comparable to comparator studies (61-86%); and the proportion of individuals who are married or living with a partner, 42%, was lower than comparator studies (62-66%). Comparator studies had less than about 1/3 African American participants. Mean scores on the Western Ontario and McMaster Universities Osteoarthritis Index pain and function scales were higher (worse) for STAART participants than for other studies, and mean body mass index of STAART participants, 35.2 kg/m2 (SD = 8.2), was higher than all other studies (30-34 kg/m2). STAART participants' mean score on the Pain Catastrophizing scale, 19.8 (SD = 12.3), was higher (worse) than other studies reporting this measure (7-17). Conclusions: Compared with prior studies with predominantly white samples, STAART participants have worse pain and function and more risk factors for negative pain-related outcomes across several domains. Given STAART participants' high mean pain catastrophizing scores, this sample may particularly benefit from the CST intervention approach

Development and evaluation of the health belief model scale in obesity [Obezitede sagli{dotless}k inanç modeli ölçegi'nin geliştirilmesi]

AIM: The aim of this study was to develop a scale based on the Health Belief Model which can provide a reliable and valid evaluation of obese individuals' belief and attitudes towards obesity. METHOD: The sample of the study that was conducted between July 2008 and May 2010 included 400 obese individuals who presented to the obesity clinics in Ege University Medical Faculty and Celal Bayar University Medical Faculty Hospitals. Obesity questionnaire form and Health Belief Model Scale in Obesity (HBMSO) developed by the investigators to collect data about sociodemographic and obesity characteristics of obese individuals as well as the health belief in obesity were completed in face-to-face interviews. The HBMSO were completed in face-to-face interviews again in the following three weeks to test-retest reliability of the scale. The analysis of data was The Statistical Package for Social Sciences (SPSS) for Windows 13.0.RESULTS: A principal component factor analysis was used to measure the construct validity of the HBMSO. Five factor groups were obtained as a result of the factor analysis. These five factors formed the domains of the HBMOS that included 32 items prepared as five point Likert scales. Total item correlation analysis was positive for all domains (>0.70 p0.60 p<0.00. CONCLUSION: These results show that HBMSO is a reliable and valid scale to measure the attitudes and beliefs of the obese individuals about obesity

Spirituality and religion in pain and pain management

Pain relief is a management problem for many patients, their families, and the medical professionals caring for them. Although everyone experiences pain to some degree, responses to it vary from one person to another. Recognizing and specifying someone else's pain is clinically a well know challenge. Research on the biology and neurobiology of pain has given us a relationship between spirituality and pain. There is growing recognition that persistent pain is a complex and multidimensional experience stemming from the interrelations among biological, psychological, social, and spiritual factors. Patients with pain use a number of cognitive and behavioral strategies to cope with their pain, including religious/spiritual factors, such as prayers, and seeking spiritual support to manage their pain. This article provides an overview of the complex phenomenon of pain, with a focus on spiritual and religious issues in pain management

Assessment of anxiety, depression, loneliness and stigmatization in patients with tuberculosis

Objective: The purpose of this study was to assess anxiety, depression, loneliness, and stigmatization in patients with pulmonary tuberculosis. Methods: A descriptive and cross sectional study was conducted with 208 out-patients in a state hospital due to PT. A patient identification form, Tuberculosis Patients Stigma Scale (TPSS), Hospital Anxiety and Depression Scale (HAD) and University California of Los Angeles (UCLA) Loneliness Scale were used as data gathering forms. Arithmetic averages, standart deviation (SD), pergentage, and correlation were used in statistical analysis. Results: The prevalence of anxiety (26.0%), depression (60.5%), and loneliness (49.0%) was observed to be among patients with PT. It was found that patients with PT suffered from stigmatization (47.6%). Conclusion: In conclusion, patients with PT experience high level of depression, moderate-high level of loneliness, mild level of anxiety, and moderate level of stigmatization