Fertility status and symptoms in childbearing couples

The symptoms of 58 pregnant couples–37 with a history of infertility and 21 without a history of infertility–were compared. The Symptomatology Inventory, a checklist of 42 common physical and psychological symptoms of pregnancy, was completed by each spouse from months 4 to 9 of pregnancy. For purposes of analysis, the individual symptoms were grouped into three categories: physical symptoms, negative affective symptoms, and positive affective symptoms. Although the infertile pregnant couples did not experience more symptoms than fertile couples, their pattern of reporting pregnancy-related symptoms was quite different. In terms of both number and type of symptoms, infertile spouses' symptoms tended to be positively related. Compared to fertile couples, the infertile couples experienced symptoms globally and were more consistent in the number of symptoms reported by each spouse. Additional research is needed to confirm these findings and to determine the implications of these differences for childbearing and the marital relationship. ©1995 John Wiley & Sons, Inc.     

Symptoms,aging-stereotyped beliefs,and health-promoting behaviors of older women with and without osteoarthritis

The purposes of this study were to examine differences in symptoms, aging-stereotyped beliefs about management of symptoms, and health-promoting behaviors depending on a diagnosis of osteoarthritis and to investigate the associations between symptoms, aging-stereotyped beliefs, and health-promoting behaviors in 171 older Korean women. Compared to older women without osteoarthritis, those with osteoarthritis reported significantly more symptoms, a higher level of aging-stereotyped beliefs, and a lower level of health-promoting behaviors. Regardless of osteoarthritis, older women suffered from multiple symptoms, and musculoskeletal symptoms were the most frequently reported symptoms. Aging-stereotyped beliefs had a negative influence on health-promoting behaviors, whether or not older women were diagnosed with osteoarthritis. Findings of this study suggest that a broader assessment of multiple symptoms, specifically including musculoskeletal symptoms, is needed in order to enhance their management of symptoms. Health care providers should consider age stereotypes with regard to experience and management of symptoms in order to improve self-care behaviors of older people, and development of nursing intervention strategies in order to modify stereotypes and misconceptions about aging and to facilitate positive attitudes about old age is warranted.     

Back symptoms in nursing aides in a geriatric hospital. An interview study with special reference to the incidence of low-back symptoms.

The incidence of back symptoms, particularly in the lumbar region, was investigated in 267 female nursing aides in a geriatric hospital. The overall incidence of low-back symptoms was 46.8%. Low-back insufficiency was present in 40%, lumbago in 18.4% and sciatica in 7.6%. Nursing aides with low-back symptoms had a higher incidence of cervical and thoracic spine symptoms than those without low-back symptoms. Recurrence of low-back symptoms had been common, appearing in 82%. Nursing aides with lowback symptoms considered their work more stressful to the spine than those without low-back symptoms. No relationship was found between different kinds of lifting technique and the incidence of low-back symptoms.     

Common cancer-related symptoms among GP patients. Opportunistic screening in primary health care.

OBJECTIVE: To study the occurrence of symptoms related to the five most common forms of cancer among patients regularly visiting primary care. To estimate the proportion of symptoms needing GP examination, and the number of tumours thus diagnosed. DESIGN: Patients with some form of non-malignant chronic disease received a letter with information about cancer-related symptoms along with an invitation to regular check-up. The letter described the most common symptoms of breast, colorectal, lung, prostate and skin cancers. SETTING: 12 health centres in Kalmar County, Sweden. SUBJECTS: 5200 patients aged over 40 years. RESULTS: One patient in 13 reported cancer-related symptoms to the GP. Women reported more symptoms than men, and almost half of them had had symptoms at previous check-ups. The GP was able to explain 7 out of 10 patients' symptoms directly. When other symptoms were examined, 8 cancers were diagnosed as well as 6 pre-malignant tumours, corresponding to 3 tumour diagnoses per 1000 check-ups. CONCLUSION: While attending regular check-ups, patients may not report symptoms which cause anxiety and sometimes indicate serious diseases. It is possible to widen the perspective and link both primary and secondary prevention of certain cancers to the check-up.     

精神分裂症的抑郁症状

为了探讨精神分裂症抑郁症状发生率及其相关因素,对159例精神分裂症患者在疗前和疗后8周进行了阳性症状量表(SAPS)、阴性症状量表(SANS)和Hamilton抑郁量表(HAMD)评定,并对抑郁症状的相关因素进行了分析。结果显示,精神分裂症患者的抑郁症状发生率为60.38%;抑郁症状与阳性症状(SAPS总分)、住院次数和自杀未遂发生率有显著相关,而与阴性症状(SANS总分)和疗效无明显相关。作者认为抑郁症状是精神分裂症症状的组成部分,一般不需合并抗抑郁剂治疗。     

Assisting women to learn myocardial infarction symptoms

OBJECTIVE: The purpose of this study was to test how teaching format (factual versus storytelling) and restructuring the social norm of caring for others to caring for self affects how women learn to identify and respond to myocardial infarction (MI) symptoms. DESIGN: The study was a randomized pretest posttest full factorial experiment. SAMPLE: One hundred and thirteen women participated. MEASURES: Before and after reading the intervention pamphlet, the women wrote all the MI symptoms that they knew and rated their intention to call 911 if symptoms occurred. INTERVENTION: The women read one of the four MI pamphlets corresponding to the four conditions. RESULTS: No significant effects for learning MI symptoms resulted from teaching format or social norms. Women learned three additional MI symptoms. All responded with high intention to call 911 if MI symptoms occurred. CONCLUSIONS: Women can learn additional MI symptoms from reading a brief pamphlet about MI symptoms. Use of a storytelling format and the social norm of caring for self might not impact how many MI symptoms women learn. Studies using audiovisuals and larger samples are needed to clarify whether storytelling format and the social norm of caring for self-impact learning MI symptoms.     

深圳某社区青年女性下尿路症状的问卷调查研究

目的：分析青年女性人群下尿路症状（LUTS）的发病率和相关影响因素。方法：对广东省深圳市某社区青年女性人群进行随机抽样问卷凋查（问卷设计参考女性下尿路症状国际尿失禁标准问卷（ICIQFLUT）、国际前列腺状问卷（IPSS）布里斯托女性下尿路症状（BFLUTS）问卷及生活质量（QoL）等],根据具体情况进行调整。问卷由被调查者独立填写。结果：调查共发出问卷1500份,回收有效问卷1387份。储尿症状总患病率为91．2％,随年龄的增加,总储尿症状患病率呈增高趋势（P〈0．01）,与年龄和分娩方式有关;排尿症状总患病率为65．2％,随年龄的增加,总储尿症状患病率呈增高趋势（P〈0．01）,与生育情况、分娩方式以及文化水平有关。受调查者以刺激症状和梗阻症状的生活质量进行评分,分别为（2．87±1．32）分和（2．23±1．05）分;刺激症状和梗阻症状与生活质量评分的关联系数分别为0．51和0．23。结论：青年女性人群中的LUTS患病率很高,且不同程度影响青年女性的生活质量。     

Invisible and visible symptoms of multiple sclerosis: which are more predictive of health distress?

The purpose of this study was to examine whether it is the invisible or the visible symptoms or signs of multiple sclerosis (MS) that are associated with greater health distress. Visible symptoms include the use of assistive devices, problems with balance, and speech difficulties, while invisible symptoms include fatigue, pain, depression, and anxiety. In a sample of 145 adults with MS, participants reported on these symptoms and their current level of self-reported health distress. Hierarchical regression analyses were used to determine whether invisible or visible symptoms were more predictive of health distress. When visible symptoms were added as the first step in the regression, 18% of the variance in health distress was explained. When invisible symptoms were added as the first step, 53% of the variance was accounted for. The invisible symptoms of pain and depression were the most significant predictors of distress. For a subset of the sample that had had MS for more than 11 years, pain and depression continued to be important predictors, but assistive-device use and fatigue were also important. Nurses should be aware that invisible symptoms may be more troubling to patients than visible symptoms and should ensure that adequate screening and treatment are provided for those with MS.     

Warning symptoms in migraine: characteristics and therapeutic implications

The characteristics of warning symptoms preceding the migraine headache attack in 49 patients with complete migraine are described. These symptoms are divided into non-evolutive and evolutive warning symptoms, based on specific characteristics of each. Non-evolutive symptoms precede the attack by 8 to 48 h in 88% of our patients and have a constant and modest intensity. Evolutive warning symptoms appear within a few minutes up to 6 h before the attack. These symptoms become more and more pronounced towards the onset of the headache. There was no striking similarity between symptoms during the attack and the warning symptoms. In a number of patients with complete migraine, migraine attacks can be prevented by taking domperidone, a peripheral dopamine antagonist, at the time of the non-evolutive warning symptoms. These data suggest that the mechanism leading to a migraine attack can be operative 8-48 h before the headache begins and is possibly dopaminergically mediated.     

Premenstrual syndrome--psychiatric or gynaecological disorder?

The premenstrual syndrome (PMS) is a combination of mental and physical symptoms arising in the luteal phase of the menstrual cycle. The symptoms disappear after the onset of menstruation. During the rest of the follicular phase the patient is free from symptoms. The cyclical nature of the symptom variations is characteristic of the syndrome. The lack of a commonly accepted definition and a way to diagnose PMS has led to contradictory results in the search for its aetiology and treatment. The diagnosis of PMS should be based on prospective daily ratings of symptoms and defined criteria of subgroups. In our studies three subgroups can be identified. The "Pure PMS" group with significant cyclical symptoms being worse during the luteal phase and no symptoms during the follicular phase. A "Premenstrual aggravation" group with symptoms always present but with an aggravation premenstrually. A "Non-PMS" group of women who do not suffer from menstrual cycle related symptoms. These three groups show significant differences in the number of patients with an earlier psychiatric history and are different in the extent of neurosis on a personality test. The Pure PMS group had less neurosis and a lower frequency of patients with an earlier psychiatric history. In anovulatory cycles, whether induced or spontaneous, the cyclical nature of symptoms disappeared. This shows the important role that the corpus luteum has in precipitating symptoms in PMS. GnRH-agonists can be used to induce anovulation and this will stop the cyclical changes. Postmenopausal women receiving oestradiol/progestagen sequential treatment develop PMS-like symptoms when progestagen is added to the treatment.(ABSTRACT TRUNCATED AT 250 WORDS)     

Out-of-hospital cardiac arrest: significance of symptoms in patients collapsing before and after arrival of paramedics

The authors retrospectively studied victims of sudden cardiac death who experienced cardiac arrest before and after arrival of emergency personnel in order to define possible etiologic factors. There were 265 patients in the arrest-after-arrival (AAA) group and 414 patients in the arrest-before-arrival (ABA) group. All patients in the AAA group had symptoms prior to cardiac arrest. Approximately half the patients in the ABA group had symptoms. The presence or absence of symptoms prior to cardiac arrest appeared strongly associated with the cardiac rhythm at time of collapse and with discharge. Of patients with symptoms, 61% were in ventricular fibrillation or ventricular tachycardia, as compared with 93% of patients without symptoms (P less than 0.001); 32% of patients with symptoms were discharged, as compared with 57% of patients without symptoms (P less than 0.001). These data suggest two potential etiologies for sudden cardiac arrest; thrombosis/ischemia (associated with symptoms) and electrical (associated with no symptoms). Inasmuch as the AAA group represented 14% of witnessed cardiac arrests, patients with symptoms of myocardial ischemia or infarction should be aggressively treated.     

Child-rearing, marital, recreational and work role integration and climacteric symptoms in midlife women

This study investigated relationships between the roles women enact during midlife and the frequency and severity of symptoms they report at the climacteric. A sample of 185 healthy, middle-aged women completed measures assessing climacteric symptoms, adjustment to the marital role, and degree of participation in child-rearing, recreational, and work roles. Findings indicated that the more roles women enact, the less likely they are to experience climacteric symptoms. Adjustment to the marital role and an active recreational role were the best predictors of infrequent and mild climacteric symptoms. The number of hours worked was negatively related to recreational involvement and marital role adjustment but did not relate to climacteric symptoms. The child-rearing role was not related to symptoms. These findings indicate that successful marital adaptation and active role participation may be significantly related to diminished climacteric symptoms formation of midlife women.     

NEGATIVE THINKING: A KEY FACTOR IN DEPRESSIVE SYMPTOMS IN THAI ADOLESCENTS

Negative thinking, self-esteem, parental bonding, and everyday stressors are factors related to depressive symptoms in studies conducted in the United States, but they have been rarely explored in Thailand. An understanding of factors influencing depressive symptoms in Thai youth will lead to the development of interventions to decrease depressive symptoms among this age group. The purpose of this study was to examine the effects of parental bonding, everyday stressors, self-esteem, and negative thinking on depressive symptoms among Thai adolescents. A random sample of 812 high school students in Chon Buri, Thailand, participated in the study. The prevalence of depressive symptoms varied from 20–21% depending on the measures used. Negative thinking was the best predictor of depressive symptoms in Thai adolescents. Negative thinking also mediated the effects of parental bonding, everyday stressors, and self-esteem on depressive symptoms.     

Gynecological Management of Premenstrual Symptoms

The vast majority of menstruating women experience uncomfortable symptoms during the premenstrual phase of their menstrual cycles. Although many women do not require specific treatment of their symptoms, approximately 20% to 50% report moderate to severe premenstrual symptoms and about 5% meet the diagnostic criteria for premenstrual dysphoric disorder, the most severe manifestation of premenstrual symptoms. While the etiology of premenstrual symptoms remains unclear, several theories have implicated sex steroids and neurotransmitters in the development and manifestation of symptoms. Further complicating the delineation of etiology is that premenstrual symptoms can be somatic, psychological, or behavioral, as well as a combination of all three. Developing successful interventions for premenstrual symptoms has thus been challenging, with interventions focused on a particular aspect of premenstrual symptomatology. Treatments for premenstrual symptoms include lifestyle changes, cognitive behavioral therapies, and pharmacologic agents including ovulation suppression regimens, antidepressant medications, and anxiolytics.     

Pain,perceived injustice and the persistence of post-traumatic stress symptoms during the course of rehabilitation for whiplash injuries

The present study assessed the role of pain and pain-related psychological variables in the persistence of post-traumatic stress symptoms following whiplash injury. Individuals (N = 112) with whiplash injuries who had been admitted to a standardized multidisciplinary rehabilitation program were asked to complete measures of pain, post-traumatic stress symptoms, physical function and pain-related psychological variables at three different points during their treatment program. The findings are consistent with previous research showing that indicators of injury severity such as pain, reduced function and disability, and scores on pain-related psychological were associated with more severe post-traumatic stress symptoms in individuals with whiplash injuries. Contrary to expectations, indicators of pain severity did not contribute to the persistence of post-traumatic stress symptoms. Univariate analyses revealed that self-reported disability, pain catastrophizing and perceived injustice were significant determinants of the persistence of post-traumatic stress symptoms. In multivariate analyses, only perceived injustice emerged as a unique predictor of the persistence of post-traumatic stress symptoms. The results suggest that early adequate management of pain symptoms and disability consequent to whiplash injury might reduce the severity of post-traumatic stress symptoms. The development of effective intervention techniques for targeting perceptions of injustice might be important for promoting recovery of post-traumatic stress symptoms consequent to whiplash injury.     

卵巢癌患者的症状群与其生活质量的相关性

目的调查卵巢癌患者的症状群,并探讨症状群与其生活质量的相关性。方法便利抽样法选择2012年5-10月在山东省济南市某三级甲等医院妇科病房接受治疗的卵巢癌患者130例,采用安德森症状评估表(M.D.Anderson symptom inventory,MDASI)和卵巢癌治疗功能评估量表(the functional assessment of cancer therapy scale-ovarian,FACT-O)对其进行调查。结果卵巢癌患者有较高内部一致性的4个症状群分别为情感性症状、躯体性症状、胃肠道症状及治疗不良反应,其Cronbachα系数分别为0.838、0.632、0.715和0.613。患者生活质量评分均值为(96.78±17.13)分,与4个症状群均呈负相关(均P0.01)。其中情感性症状群、躯体性症状群及胃肠道症状群被纳入回归方程。结论卵巢癌患者存在情感性症状、躯体性症状、治疗不良反应及胃肠道症状四个主要症状群,其中情感性症状群、躯体性症状群、胃肠道症状群是生活质量的重要影响因素。因此,医护人员可以进行有针对性的治疗及心理疏导,以提高患者的生活质量。     

How age conditions the relationship between climacteric status and health symptoms in African American women

The purpose of this investigation was to evaluate the relationship between climacteric status and health symptoms across age cohorts in 522 African American women aged 25-75. Data were collected through home interviews and subjected to hierarchical regression analyses. In the overall sample a direct relationship was found between climacteric status and physical health symptoms but not mental health symptoms. A direct relationship between climacteric status and both physical and mental health symptoms was found for the younger age cohort 25-34. There was a direct relationship between climacteric status and physical health symptoms but not mental health symptoms for the 35-44 age cohort. The relationship between climacteric status and physical and mental health symptoms held despite controls for education, income, marital status, and body mass.