# OLDER PATIENTS PERSONAL MODELS OF CHRONIC DISEASE

> **NIH NIH R01** · OREGON RESEARCH INSTITUTE · 1991 · $204,366

## Abstract

This project will investigate personal models of two chronic diseases in
older adults, non-insulin dependent diabetes mellitus and osteoarthritis.
Building on the concept of a schema in social cognition, personal models
are defined as patients' cognitive and effective representations of the
cause, symptoms, course, treatment, and consequences of their illness.
The specific aims of our personal-models approach are to relate the
content and structure of personal models to (a) model-guided processing of
illness-related information, and (b) disease-management activities and
functional status.  Studying personal models of two diseases will permit
(cross-validation of the personal-models approach in the prediction of
outcome variables in chronic disease, and (b) comparisons between the
models of these two prevalent diseases of old age.

Separate investigations of each disease will be conducted in parallel in a
sequence of interlocking studies.  Subjects in each investigation will be
aged 65 and older.  For each disease, in Phase 1, we will develop a
structured interview that will provide multiple indicators from which to
construct theoretically guided composite variables to assess key
dimensions of personal models.  Scores on these variables will be related
to a variety of patient characteristics.  Phase 2 will replicate Phase 1
using refined instruments and different samples.  In addition, we will use
several procedures from research in social cognition to investigate the
relations between the content of personal models and the processing of
illness-related information.  Finally, in Phase 3, prospective studies
will determine the stability of personal models and their utility for
predicting disease-management activities and functional status.

The long-term objectives of this project are to (1) contribute to basic
theory in social cognition by studying older adults' representations of an
important aspect of their everyday lives, and (2) to enhance the
effectiveness of patient-education programs and patient-practitioner
interactions designed to increase levels of disease-management activities
and functional status.

## Key facts

- **NIH application ID:** 3120611
- **Project number:** 5R01AG008837-02
- **Recipient organization:** OREGON RESEARCH INSTITUTE
- **SAM.gov UEI:** YGWAZMUHLGQ3
- **Principal Investigator:** SARAH E HAMPSON
- **Activity code:** R01 (R01, R21, SBIR, etc.)
- **Funding institute:** NIH
- **Fiscal year:** 1991
- **Award amount:** $204,366
- **Award type:** 5
- **Project period:** 1990-08-01 → 1993-07-31

## Primary source

NIH RePORTER: https://reporter.nih.gov/project-details/3120611

## Citation

> US National Institutes of Health, RePORTER application 3120611, OLDER PATIENTS PERSONAL MODELS OF CHRONIC DISEASE (5R01AG008837-02). Retrieved via MORVS 2026-10-25 from https://api.morvs.ai/grant/nih/3120611. Licensed CC0.

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