A study of the relationship between subjective ratings of life change events and illness onset in the diabetic individual
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Abstract
The purpose of this study is to determine, "Is there a relationship between a diabetic individual's perception of stress and the onset of illness?" Thirty-seven diabetics who were patients in a midwestern hospital in June, 1983 were subjects of this study.Previous non-nursing research has correlated both the onset of diabetes and the exacerbation of illnesses with stress. This study has replicated the work of other biopsychosocial researchers and has particular implications for nursing and its role in prevention of illness.The instrument used to measure stress was the Schedule of Recent Experiences. Stress perception was measured by asking each subject to rate on a Likert scale the amount of stress associated with life events experienced in the past year. The instruments used to measure illness onset were the Signs and Symptoms of Stress Checklist and the Lab Indicators of Stress Checklist. Regression analysis and Pearson Product Moment correlations were used to analyze the data. The hypothesis was accepted with the subjective parameter (p•= <.001) and rejected with the objective parameter.Ball State UniversityMuncie, IN 47306