Abstract
Purpose: To identify the relationships among functional disability, chronic daily stress, coping strategies, beliefs about personal control, social support, and life satisfaction in older women with osteoarthritis.
Design: A descriptive, correlational design was used.
Sample: The study participants were 107 women aged 60 years or older.
Method: Study participants completed six survey questionnaires and a demographic form.
Findings: Bivariate correlational analyses showed that older women with poorer functional ability experienced greater chronic daily stress, reported more frequent use of emotion-focused coping strategies, and had a higher chance health locus of control. A hierarchic regression analysis revealed that the perceived social support and internal health locus of control significantly contributed to the prediction of life satisfaction after demographic, illness-related, and stress-related variables were controlled.
Implications: Stress management strategies matched to the participants' style of coping process can increase their sense of control over their health and enhance their social networks and activities.