TY - JOUR
T1 - Do psychological factors predict occurrence of influenza-like symptoms in vaccinated elderly residents of a sheltered home?
AU - Gidron, Yori
AU - Hassid, Avishag
AU - Yisrael, Hemda
AU - Biderman, Aya
PY - 2005/9/1
Y1 - 2005/9/1
N2 - Objectives. A previously shown relation between psychological factors and the occurrence of flu has not been tested in elderly people, who are at the greatest risk of mortality from flu complications. This study examined whether psychological factors predict the occurrence of influenza-like symptoms (ILS) in elderly residents. Design. A prospective correlation design was used. Method. Our sample included 70 elderly residents of a sheltered home (mean age 83.0 years) who were vaccinated against influenza and assessed for background, biomedical factors (e.g. number of illnesses) and psychological factors (e.g. hostility, depression, life-events, and social support). The occurrence of ILS during 2 subsequent winter months was evaluated by a nurse blind to patients' psychological data, according to explicit valid criteria and physicians' notes. Results. Seventeen patients (24.3%) developed ILS. Number of medications, little physical activity, hostility, depression, and little social support significantly predicted ILS. In a multivariate analysis, only number of drugs (relative risk, RR: 1.54; 95% confidence interval, CI: 1.06-2.22) and hostility (RR = 1.18; 95% CI: 1.00-1.38) significantly and independently predicted occurrence of ILS. Conclusions. Psychological factors (particularly hostility) predict occurrence of ILS in an elderly sample. Possible behavioural and immunological mechanisms linking hostility to development of ILS are discussed. These findings add to the literature on psychological factors and flu, and may have implications for the prediction and prevention of flu in elderly people.
AB - Objectives. A previously shown relation between psychological factors and the occurrence of flu has not been tested in elderly people, who are at the greatest risk of mortality from flu complications. This study examined whether psychological factors predict the occurrence of influenza-like symptoms (ILS) in elderly residents. Design. A prospective correlation design was used. Method. Our sample included 70 elderly residents of a sheltered home (mean age 83.0 years) who were vaccinated against influenza and assessed for background, biomedical factors (e.g. number of illnesses) and psychological factors (e.g. hostility, depression, life-events, and social support). The occurrence of ILS during 2 subsequent winter months was evaluated by a nurse blind to patients' psychological data, according to explicit valid criteria and physicians' notes. Results. Seventeen patients (24.3%) developed ILS. Number of medications, little physical activity, hostility, depression, and little social support significantly predicted ILS. In a multivariate analysis, only number of drugs (relative risk, RR: 1.54; 95% confidence interval, CI: 1.06-2.22) and hostility (RR = 1.18; 95% CI: 1.00-1.38) significantly and independently predicted occurrence of ILS. Conclusions. Psychological factors (particularly hostility) predict occurrence of ILS in an elderly sample. Possible behavioural and immunological mechanisms linking hostility to development of ILS are discussed. These findings add to the literature on psychological factors and flu, and may have implications for the prediction and prevention of flu in elderly people.
UR - http://www.scopus.com/inward/record.url?scp=24944509007&partnerID=8YFLogxK
U2 - 10.1348/135910704X20026
DO - 10.1348/135910704X20026
M3 - Article
C2 - 16238856
AN - SCOPUS:24944509007
SN - 1359-107X
VL - 10
SP - 411
EP - 420
JO - British Journal of Health Psychology
JF - British Journal of Health Psychology
IS - 3
ER -