The relationship of comfort and spirituality to quality of life among long -term care facility residents in southern Taiwan

• Main Author: Lee, Feng-Ping
• Format: Dissertation
• Language: English
• Published: ProQuest Dissertations & Theses 01.01.2005
• Subjects: Gerontology; Health facilities; Long term health care; Nursing; Quality of life; Spirituality
• ISBN: 9780496976188; 0496976184

This study was to test the relationship between comfort, spirituality and quality of life among long-term care facility residents in southern Taiwan. Using a framework derived from Neuman Systems Model, variables were placed in a proposed theoretical model that quality of life could be predicted by comfort and spirituality. A cross-sectional, correlational design with a causal modeling approach was utilized. A sample of 99 residents (mean age = 77.67 ± 7.82 years; 59.6% female) was recruited from seven facilities in Kaohsiung city and Hsien. Comfort was measured by General Comfort Questionnaire (Kolacaba, 2004), spirituality by Spiritual Perspective Scale (Reed, 1987), and quality of life by Quality of Life Index (Ferrans & Powers, 1985). Data were analyzed using path analysis, with standardized path coefficients judged to be significant at α = .05. Original theoretical model explained 32.6% of variance in quality of life. Spirituality showed a direct and positive effect on quality of life (β = .56). Comfort had indirect effect on quality of life, through its influence on spirituality. Four demographic variables (marital status, religion, family visit frequency, and subjective health status) were incorporated into revised theoretical model, which explained 56.7% of variance in quality of life. Spirituality (β = .337), family visit frequency (β = .243), and subjective health status (β = .41) showed direct and positive effects on quality of life. Comfort had an indirect effect on quality of life, through its influence of spirituality while controlling demographic variables. Finding on mediating effect of spirituality between comfort and quality of life suggests that nurses in clinical practice with residents care must attend to spiritual aspects of care and develop interventions that can assist residents to nurture their spirituality. Finding on an indirect effect of comfort on quality of life provided the evidence that the ultimate purpose of nurses that is to provide interventions to promote clients' comfort level. This was the first study to explore the role of spirituality in residents' quality of life. As the result of this study, greater understanding of the relationship between spirituality, comfort and quality of life has been gained for residents.