Mike Martin1, Denise C Park. 1. Department of Gerontopsychology, University of Zürich, Zürich, Switzerland. m.martin@psychologie.unizh.ch
Abstract
BACKGROUND AND AIMS: The present study examines the usefulness of a newly developed instrument, the Martin and Park Environmental Demands (MPED) Questionnaire, to measure the level of self-reported environmental demands of day-to-day events faced by adults aged 35 to 84 years, particularly as these demands influence forgetfulness in taking medications. METHODS: The MPED has two scales including Busyness, which addresses the density or pace of daily events to which an individual attends; and Routine, addressing the predictability or routinization of events independent of density. The MPED was administered to a sample of 121 rheumatoid arthritis patients, along with a baseline assessment battery measuring age, education, employment status, household size and other factors that might influence self-perception of Busyness and Routine. RESULTS: The scale showed good internal consistency and external validity. Higher levels of environmental demand were negatively correlated with age and positively correlated with employment, household size and medication-taking errors. There was a significant independent association between Busyness and adherence errors even after controlling for the effects of these sociodemographic variables. CONCLUSIONS: The MPED is recommended when trying to assess the general daily level of environmental demands.
BACKGROUND AND AIMS: The present study examines the usefulness of a newly developed instrument, the Martin and Park Environmental Demands (MPED) Questionnaire, to measure the level of self-reported environmental demands of day-to-day events faced by adults aged 35 to 84 years, particularly as these demands influence forgetfulness in taking medications. METHODS: The MPED has two scales including Busyness, which addresses the density or pace of daily events to which an individual attends; and Routine, addressing the predictability or routinization of events independent of density. The MPED was administered to a sample of 121 rheumatoid arthritispatients, along with a baseline assessment battery measuring age, education, employment status, household size and other factors that might influence self-perception of Busyness and Routine. RESULTS: The scale showed good internal consistency and external validity. Higher levels of environmental demand were negatively correlated with age and positively correlated with employment, household size and medication-taking errors. There was a significant independent association between Busyness and adherence errors even after controlling for the effects of these sociodemographic variables. CONCLUSIONS: The MPED is recommended when trying to assess the general daily level of environmental demands.
Authors: Rachel O'Conor; Julia Yoshino Benavente; Mary J Kwasny; Kamal Eldeirawi; Romana Hasnain-Wynia; Alex D Federman; Jennifer Hebert-Beirne; Michael S Wolf Journal: Gerontologist Date: 2019-09-17