Effectiveness of proprioceptive neuromuscular facilitation therapy and strength training among post-menopausal women with thumb carpometacarpal osteoarthritis. A randomized trial.

Background: Thumb carpometacarpal osteoarthritis (CMC OA) greatly affects post-menopausal women. It is characterized by pain and functional deficits that limit the performance of activities of daily life and affect quality of life.

Purpose: Analyze the effects of 4/weeks strength training, with and without proprioceptive neuromuscular facilitation (PNF) on the disability among post-menopausal women with thumb CMC OA.

Emotional Distress of Patients at End-of-Life and Their Caregivers: Interrelation and Predictors.

Patients at the end of life and their families experience a strong emotional impact. The well-being of these patients and that of their family caregiver are related. To study the variables related with the emotional well-being of patients with and without cognitive impairment at the end of life and that of their primary family caregivers.

Patients with limited communication in end-of-life situations: Initial psychometric properties of a discomfort observation scale.

This work presents an observational scale which takes into account different observable indicators of discomfort of patients in end-of-life situations with difficulties in communicating due to cognitive impairment, fatigue or sedation and provides details of its validation. In all, 71 adults participated. Model fit was adequate ((27) = 43.

[Benefits of physical activity in nursing home residents].

Objective: To assess the effects of physical exercise on physical, functional and psychological dimensions in nursing home residents.

Material And Method: A quasi-experimental design was used to test for treatment effects in a sample of elderly residents in two nursing homes. The treatment consisted of 8 weeks (two 60-minute sessions per week) of light physical exercise.

[Comparison of psychological well-being among Dominican and Spanish elders].

Introduction: Well-being and its association with distinct factors have played a central role in the arena of psychogerontology research. Given the importance of this topic, the present study examined several factors that could influence well-being among the elderly of two countries.

Material And Methods: This cross-cultural study was based on a survey of two samples of elderly people, one from the Dominican Republic (N=1,296) and another from Spain (N=476), sampled, respectively, by stratification and quota sampling.

[An analysis of well-being and age in the elderly].

Introduction: well-being is a key construct for understanding quality of life. The aim of the present study was to analyze how well-being changes in old age and to determine if there are any modifications in this variable during this period.

Material And Methods: the LIS and EBR scales were applied to a sample of 169 persons aged more than 64 years.

[Factorial confirmatory models of Ryff's scales in a sample of elderly people].

Several recent works have analysed the factorial structure of well-being measures. The aim of our study is to analyse the factorial structure of a widely used well-being scale, Ryff's Scales of Psychological Well-being, but in a specific subpopulation of the Spanish population, the elderly. For this particular subpopulation, the construct of well-being has been employed in most theoretical models that explain quality of life, and its role is therefore pivotal.

[Analyses of the social networks for the elderly through the Manheim interview].

Objective: To analyse who are the people giving psychological and instrumental support to the elderly, as well as potential differences among these caregivers according to age and/or sex of the elderly.

Material And Methods: Manheim interview for social support was used to gather the opinions of 101 elder people (>65 years) living in Valencia (Spain), from January to May, 2006.

Results: Statistically significant differences were found on both psychological and instrumental support depending on age and sex of the interviewed elderly.