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The relationship among characteristics of the family environment and behavioral and physiologic cardiovascular risk factors in parents and their adolescent twins.
Dissertations & Theses @ University of Pennsylvania Available online
Dissertations & Theses @ University of Pennsylvania- Format:
- Book
- Thesis/Dissertation
- Author/Creator:
- Riley-Lawless, Kathleen.
- Language:
- English
- Subjects (All):
- Families--Research.
- Sociology--Research.
- Public health.
- Nursing.
- 0569.
- 0573.
- 0628.
- Penn dissertations--Nursing.
- Nursing--Penn dissertations.
- Local Subjects:
- Penn dissertations--Nursing.
- Nursing--Penn dissertations.
- 0569.
- 0573.
- 0628.
- Physical Description:
- 154 pages
- Contained In:
- Dissertation Abstracts International 61-03B.
- System Details:
- Mode of access: World Wide Web.
- text file
- Summary:
- Family health promotion has the potential to enhance the health of multiple family members. Effective health promotion strategies require knowledge of the family environment. Specifically, family environment and how it relates to risk factor development warrants attention. The purpose of this study, guided by the Neuman Systems Model, was to examine the relationship of family environment (cohesion and conflict) and behavioral (physical activity, smoking) and physiologic (total cholesterol [TC], systolic blood pressure [SBP], diastolic blood pressure [DBP], and body mass index [BMI]) risk factors for cardiovascular disease (CVD) in parents and their adolescent twins.
- The nonprobability sample consisted of 63 Caucasian families who participated in Phase II of the Delaware Valley Twin Study, a longitudinal, observational, investigation of psychosocial, behavioral, and physiological risk factors for CVD in twin-families. Family environment data were measured by maternal responses to the cohesion and conflict subscales of the Family Environment Scale (Moos & Moos, 1981). Behavioral data were measured with self-report inventories adapted from epidemiologic surveys. Physiologic data were measured by nurse clinicians using standardized protocols. For data analysis, to maintain independence of observations, twins were split and assigned randomly to one of two groups.
- Results of correlational analysis indicated an inverse association between cohesion and father BMI (r = --0.26, p ≤ .05). Across family members, marginally significant associations between cohesion and CVD risk factors were observed. Specifically, cohesion was inversely associated with smoking, SBP, and BMI and positively associated with physical activity.
- Additional analysis revealed co-occurrence of risk factors in 16% of mothers and 36% of fathers, with elevated TC and BMI most often occurring together. Intrafamilial patterns of risk factors were also present. Specifically, in 34% of mother-father pairs, both had an elevated BMI and in families in which the mother had an elevated TC, 43% of fathers did also.
- Data suggest that dimensions of the family environment, specifically cohesion, are associated with the development of CVD risk factors. These associations warrant further study and need to be confirmed with a larger sample. Results support that prevention should begin early in life and within the context of the family.
- Notes:
- Thesis (Ph.D. in Nursing) -- University of Pennsylvania, 2000.
- Source: Dissertation Abstracts International, Volume: 61-03, Section: B, page: 1328.
- Adviser: Laura L. Hayman.
- Local Notes:
- School code: 0175.
- ISBN:
- 9780599701700
- Access Restriction:
- Restricted for use by site license.
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