Seib, Charrlotte and Whiteside, Eliza 
ORCID: https://orcid.org/0000-0001-9710-7987 and Lee, Kathryn and Humphreys, Janice and Dao Tran, Tiet Hanh and Chopin, Lisa and Anderson, Debra
(2014)
Stress, lifestyle, and quality of life in midlife and older Australian women: results from the stress and the health of women study.
Women's Health Issues, 24 (1).
e43-e52.
ISSN 1049-3867
Abstract
Background: Chronic psychological stress may pose a serious threat to health, although the mechanisms are not fully understood. This study examines the impact of stress on modifiable lifestyle factors, depressive symptoms, health-related quality of life (HRQOL) and chronic illness in older Australian women.
Methods: Cross-sectional data were collected from a random sample of 181 older adults aged 60 to 70years from rural and urban areas of South-East Queensland, Australia. We used structural equation modelling to examine associations between stress, modifiable lifestyle factors, HRQOL, and chronic illness.
Findings: Parameter estimates show that older women who reported life stressors where they felt helpless and feared for their life (high-magnitude stressors) also reported higher body mass index (p=.03) and more chronic illness (p<.01). In contrast, duration of exposure to life stressors was associated with higher depressive symptom scores (Center for Epidemiologic Studies Depression Scale; p=.02) and sleep disturbance scores (p<.01).
Conclusions: Our findings support the link between traumatic personal histories (exposure to high-magnitude stressors) and unhealthy lifestyle factors. Findings highlight the need for more research on how stress reduction, a healthy lifestyle, and positive coping strategies can be used to reduce the effects of high-magnitude stress on HRQOL and chronic illness.
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| Item Type: | Article (Commonwealth Reporting Category C) |
|---|---|
| Refereed: | Yes |
| Item Status: | Live Archive |
| Additional Information: | Copyright 2014 by the Jacobs Institute of Women's Health. Permanent restricted access to published version due to publisher copyright policy. |
| Faculty/School / Institute/Centre: | Historic - Faculty of Health, Engineering and Sciences - School of Health, Nursing and Midwifery (1 Jul 2013 - 31 Dec 2014) |
| Faculty/School / Institute/Centre: | Historic - Faculty of Health, Engineering and Sciences - School of Health, Nursing and Midwifery (1 Jul 2013 - 31 Dec 2014) |
| Date Deposited: | 05 Nov 2014 01:53 |
| Last Modified: | 16 Apr 2015 05:26 |
| Uncontrolled Keywords: | Australia; chronic disease; cross-sectional studies; depression; female; follow-up studies; health status; health surveys |
| Fields of Research (2008): | 11 Medical and Health Sciences > 1110 Nursing > 111005 Mental Health Nursing 11 Medical and Health Sciences > 1117 Public Health and Health Services > 111708 Health and Community Services 11 Medical and Health Sciences > 1117 Public Health and Health Services > 111714 Mental Health |
| Socio-Economic Objectives (2008): | C Society > 92 Health > 9204 Public Health (excl. Specific Population Health) > 920408 Health Status (e.g. Indicators of Well-Being) |
| Identification Number or DOI: | https://doi.org/10.1016/j.whi.2013.11.004 |
| URI: | http://eprints.usq.edu.au/id/eprint/26320 |
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