Thesis (Ph. D.)--University of British Columbia, 2004. / Includes bibliographical references (leaves 201-218).

Thesis (M.S.)--University of Nebraska at Omaha, 2005. / Includes bibliographical references (leaves 84-89). Also available online (PDF file) by a subscription to the set or by purchasing the individual file.

Purpose of study: To examine change in balance-related fall risk and daily functional abilities in the first 2 postoperative weeks and up to 6 weeks after gynecologic surgery. Materials and methods: Prospective cohort study in gynecologic surgery patients age 65 and older. Balance confidence (Activities-specific Balance Confidence Scale) and functional status (basic and instrumental activities of daily living) were recorded pre-and post-operatively daily for 1 week and twice the second week. Physical performance balance and functional mobility were measured pre-and 1 week post-operatively using the Tinetti Fall Risk Scale, Timed Up and Go, and 6-Minute Walk test. Measures were repeated 6 weeks after surgery. Nonparametric tests for paired data were used comparing scores baseline to post-operative (POD) 7 and to POD 42. Results: Median age was 72 years (range 65-88). Fall risk was elevated during the first 2 post-operative weeks, greatest on the median discharge day, POD 2 (p < 0.01). Balance performance and functional mobility at 1 week were significantly lower than baseline (p < 0.01). Functional abilities declined, including new dependence in medication management at home in 22% of these independent and cognitively intact women. Conclusions: After gynecologic surgery, older women's fall risk is highest on POD 2 and remains elevated from baseline for 2 weeks. Functional limitations in the early home recovery period include the anticipated (bathing, cooking, etc.) and some unanticipated (medication management) ones. This information may help with postoperative discharge planning.

Touch--both touching another and being touched--is a primary form of communication. By old age, both the need and the desire for specific amounts and kinds of touching are well established for the individual. The present study was designed to obtain information about what elderly women in nursing and retirement homes report to be liked and disliked types of touching. Participants who volunteered for this study were 32 ambulatory females 65 years of age or older who were living in nursing or retirement homes. Each participant was shown a set of 20 photos and sketches depicting a staff person touching an elderly woman in various ways, and asked to rate their liking for the particular type of touching on a one to five scale ranging from "like very much" to "dislike very much." The set of photos and sketches included ten comparable scenes with one-half showing a male staff member and the other half showing a female staff member touching an elderly woman. Scenes included: foot massage, helping to stand, back rub, brushing hair, arm around shoulder, holding hand, helping to dress, stroking cheek, helping with toileting, and helping with a shower.

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Nordström är J, Waldesten, S. En studie om äldre kvinnor och hur de påverkas av samhällets ideal skönhet. Examensarbete i socialt arbete 15 poäng. Malmö högskola. Hälsa och samhälle 2011. ABSTRAKT Syftet med denna uppsats är att utforska och fördjupa förståelsen av äldre kvinnors relationer till kroppsliga utseende. Problem: En förutfattad mening som vi båda kände att vi stötte på var att de gamla inte bryr sig om hur de ser ut. Varför skulle du sluta bry sig om sin kropp bara för att du blir gammal? Media visar ofta en bild av äldre som svaga och utsatta grupp. På nyheterna är det ofta äldre människor som har exponerats för något. Vi är intresserade av hur äldre kvinnor drabbas av samhällets skönhetsideal. Det är ett aktuellt ämne publicerar media ständigt artiklar och annonser om hur man kan uppnå sina kroppsuppfattning genom olika metoder. Rubriker kan ses i tidningarna är "ät dig smal", "hålla sig ung längre" och "träna dig till den perfekta kroppen". Metod: Kvaliativ, semi-strukturerade intervjuer med sju kvinnor har genomförts. De är 65-91 år gamla. Resultat: Resultatet av denna studie visar att äldre kvinnor känner kroppen ideal. de är mycket medvetna om hur de ska klä sig för att inte bryta mot några normer. de tar hand om sin kropp och är aktiva med sitt utseende. / Nordström, J, Waldesten, S. Youthful norms of beauty is prevailing in the society. A study about older women and how they affected of society ideal beauty. Degree project in social work 15 poäng. Malmö University. Health and Society 2011. ABSTRACTPurpose in this paper is to explore and deepen the understanding of older womens relations to bodily appearance. Problem: A bias that we both felt that we encountered was that of old do not care how they look. Why would you stop caring about their body just because you grow old? Media often show an image of the elderly as weak and vulnerable group. On the news, it is often older people who have been exposed to something. We are interested in how older women are affected by society's beauty ideals. It is a topical subject, the media constantly publishes articles and ads about how to achieve their body image through various methods. Headlines can be seen in the newspapers is "eat yourself thin", "stay young longer" and "train yourself to the perfect body". Method: Qualitive, semi-structured interviews with seven womens were conducted. They are 65-91 years old. Result: The result of this study shows that older women know the body ideals. they are very aware of how they should dress so as not to violate any standards. they care for their body and are active with their appearance.

The study examined how college students perceive older versus younger women based on their tattoo status (i.e., no tattoo, feminine tattoo, or masculine tattoo). A randomly assigned sample of 376 responded to a survey involving a 2 X 3 experiment designed to assess the impact of age (older versus younger) and tattoo status on four dependent measures: credibility, promiscuity, and attractiveness. Results indicate that older and younger women are perceived differently depending on their tattoo status. Not wearing a tattoo may lead to a more favorable perception of older women than wearing one, but wearing a feminine tattoo may engender a more favorable impression of older women than having a masculine tattoo. In contrast, avoiding to wear a tattoo may not be as helpful for the perception of younger women as it is for older women. Also, while younger women may be rewarded for gender role transgression with respect to tattoo status this is not so for older women.

Quality of life (QoL) in cancer survivors is an important area of research. While data are available about QoL and breast cancer, there is a paucity of research regarding older breast cancer survivors. The purpose of this research was to examine QoL in older women with early stage breast cancer, within the first year of post-treatment survivorship. The specific aims of this study were to: 1) Describe the changes in overall QoL and the four QoL domains of Physical, Psychological, Social, and Spiritual well-being; 2) Examine the effects of a psychoeducational support intervention on QoL outcomes in older women; and 3) Describe nurses' perceptions of their interactions with older breast cancer survivors. A descriptive, longitudinal design was used to answer the research questions. Data for this study were drawn from the Breast Cancer Education Intervention (BCEI), a longitudinal psychoeducational support intervention for women with early stage breast cancer. Fifty women from the BCEI who were 65 years of age and older were included in this sample, of whom 24 were assigned to the Experimental (EX) Group and 26 were assigned to the Wait Control (WC) Group. Data were collected at three time points: baseline, three months, and six months after study entry. Measurement tools included the BCEI Demographics Form, the Quality of Life-Breast Cancer Survey (QoL-BC), and field notes of the BCEI Research Nurses. The QoL-BC survey is a 50-item scale that measures QoL in women with breast cancer. Descriptive statistics, Generalized Estimating Equation (GEE) methods and t-tests were used to answer research questions #1 and #2. Content analysis was used to answer research question #3. Subjects reported good overall QoL at baseline, but QoL declined over six months. Physical and Psychological well-being declined from baseline to six months later. Social well-being initially improved from baseline to three months but declined at six months. Spiritual well-being initially declined at three months and improved at six months. There was insufficient power to detect a difference in the effects of the BCEI Intervention between the two groups. However, the decline in overall QoL was less in the EX Group. Field notes focusing on nurses' perception of their interactions with older women revealed four themes. These themes include: continuing breast-related health, personal health issues, family health issues, and potential stressors. Results from this study suggest that: 1) changes in overall QoL and within the four QoL domains occur over time; 2) decline in overall QoL was lessened by the BCEI Intervention; and 3) concerns after treatment are both breast cancer and non-breast cancer related. Study findings can direct future research in the following areas: 1) identification of specific concerns within each QoL domain that could lead to an increase or decrease in well-being in older breast cancer survivors; 2) interventions tailored to the needs of older breast cancer survivors to maintain, improve, or lessen decline in QoL after treatment; and 3) reconceptualizing QoL in older breast cancer survivors to include non-cancer related factors.

Over half (57%) of the women diagnosed with breast cancer are age 65 and older. Treatment for breast cancer may exacerbate current chronic illnesses and/or cause multiple treatment related side effects such as insomnia, fatigue, decreased physical functioning, alterations in body image, poorer quality of life, and changes in psychosocial health. While many women with breast cancer experience these changes, research suggests that older women have different needs than younger women and may not always benefit from interventions. The purpose of this integrative review of literature was to evaluate interventions designed to improve treatment related side effects in female breast cancer survivors age 65 years and older. This review of literature was conducted using CINAHL, PsycINFO, and MEDLINE databases using various key terms. Inclusion criteria consisted of peer reviewed research articles, women who have experience breast cancer, interventions directed at decreasing side effects, and research articles written in the English language.While using these search criteria, no interventions were found therefore, the age group was lowered to include women 50 and older. Eleven studies met the inclusion criteria. Interventions addressed a variety of treatment related side effects and were delivered in multiple formats. The findings indicate that interventions resulted in a significant improvement in sleep and fatigue, physical function, perception of body image, psychosocial health, and quality of life for older women with breast cancer. While these findings are positive, the literature did not break down results based on developmental stage or "older" age groups. Currently, there is limited literature that examines interventions in women age 65 and older, this may limit nurses' ability to suggest successful interventions to some of our oldest cancer survivors.

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