Author Type

Graduate Student

Date of Award

2007

Document Type

Dissertation

Publication Status

Version of Record

Submission Date

October 2026

Thesis/Dissertation Advisor [Chair]

Parker, Marilyn

Abstract

Metabolic syndrome is a constellation of risk factors that are precursors to diabetes and cardiovascular disease. More women than men are diagnosed with metabolic syndrome. Emphasis on diagnosis of pre-diabetes has resulted in further interest in metabolic syndrome and the need for weight reduction. Advanced practice nurses care for women with overweight and obesity in the primary care setting; however there is a lack of evidence to support the effectiveness of nursing interventions to assist women with metabolic syndrome lose weight. Based on Orem's Self-Care Deficit Nursing Theory, this study investigated the use of a specific supportive-educative nursing intervention to assist individuals make healthy lifestyle choices to reduce body weight. A pre-test post-test, two group experimental design was used. It was hypothesized that women given individualized support, education, and guidance about lifestyle modification, which included carbohydrate counting, would lose more weight and have greater self-care ability than women given general support and education. The sample included 51 pre-menopausal women between ages 19 and 55 who had been diagnosed with metabolic syndrome. Body weight and perceived self-care, using the Self-as-Carer inventory, were measured at the onset of the study and again three months later. The two groups did not differ significantly as to weight or perceived self-care at baseline or at conclusion of the study. A repeated measures analysis of variance for weight loss and perception of self care was calculated and the results indicated that there was no significant difference in weight loss (p=.13) or perception of self care (p=.85) between the two groups. The use of a supportive-educative individualized nursing intervention enhanced participant awareness of healthy lifestyle choices. Further research is needed to determine the effectiveness of the intervention with a larger, more ethnically diverse sample and with participants diagnosed with other metabolic disorders.

Extent

95 p.

Comments

Includes bibliography.|Dissertation (Ph.D.)--Florida Atlantic University, 2007.|Christine E. Lynn College of Nursing|FAU Electronic Theses and Dissertations Collection|Includes bibliography.

Identifier

FA00000620

Format

pdf

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