The Effect of Social Support upon Compliance as Measured by Functional Health Patterns

Observation of client noncompliance with therapeutic regimens prompted this study. The purpose of this study was to investigate the client\u27s social support system and its effect on compliance. The null hypothesis constructed was: H0: There will be no relationship between social support and compliance as measured by functional health patterns in the Chronic Obstructive Pulmonary Disease Client (COPD) ( cx = 0.05). A convenience sample of 38 subjects from the outpatient Pulmonary Clinic at a Southern California Veterans\u27 Administration Hospital were interviewed for this study. Using a structured interview format, the investigator administered four questionnaire tools to each of the subjects. A Demographic Data Tool served to record confounding variables and descriptive information about the sample. The Compliance Behavior Inventory served to identify those therapeutic regimens followed by the subjects. The Norbeck Social Support Questionnaire identified the social support system of the sample and divided the sample into high, moderate, and low levels of support received. The Functional Health Pattern Tool measured subject compliance and divided the sample into functional, impaired, and dysfunctional levels of health. From the raw data, the following were computed for each subject: 1) intensity of social support, 2) quality of functional health, 3) functional health pattern means, and 4) compliance behavior inventory means. The Spearman rho rank order correlation test was applied to the paired variables of intensity of social support and functional health pattern means. This was one of three pairs of variables, but the most central one in terms of this study. Statistical findings for the paired variables of intensity of social support and functional health pattern means gave r=0.275 (p=0.095). Based on this finding, the null hypothesis was retained. Major conclusions of this study are: 1) that statistical findings show no significant relationship between social support and compliance as measured by functional health patterns; and 2) that further study needs to be done using a heterogenous sample and more valid, reliable, and sensitive indicators of compliance and functional health