Thanks. Here's an abstract of the source of the news item
(
http://snipurl.com/14w61).
The International Journal of Psychiatry in Medicine
Issue: Volume 36, Number 3 / 2006
Pages: 269 - 281
SENSE OF HUMOR AND SURVIVAL AMONG A COUNTY COHORT OF PATIENTS WITH
END-STAGE RENAL FAILURE: A TWO-YEAR PROSPECTIVE STUDY
SVEN SVEBAK A1, BJØRN KRISTOFFERSEN A2, KNUT AASARØD A2
A1 The Norwegian University of Science and Technology, Trondheim
A2 St. Olav University Hospital, Trondheim, Norway
Abstract:
Objective: To explore the significance of sense of humor for survival
in a county cohort of patients diagnosed with end-stage renal failure.
This diagnosis is a life-threatening condition that calls upon coping
skills and regular dialysis. Method: All patients receiving dialysis in
the county of Sør-Trøndelag during February of one year (N = 52) were
invited. Forty-one completed the survey and had complete data (78.9%).
Predictors were related to survival status two years later. Three
blocks of predictors were tested: 1) age, gender and education; 2)
duration of disease, number of dialyses per week, and co-morbidity; and
3) quality of life and sense of humor. Confounding effects of variables
in blocks one and two were controlled for using Cox survival analysis.
Results: Nineteen patients (46.3 %) died over the 2-year observation
period. Survival decreased with higher age at time of survey (p <
..044), but was not significantly predicted by variables in block two. A
highly significant increase in survival was due to the psychological
variables of block three (p < .001) essentially accounted for by sense
of humor (p < .005). Those who scored above the median in sense of
humor increased their odds for survival by on average 31%. Conclusions:
Sense of humor appeared to mediate better coping and, therefore,
protected against detrimental effects of disease-related stressors upon
survival.
Glassman@work wrote:
> http://www.world-science.net/othernews/061212_humor.htm
>
>
>
> --
> JK Sinrod
> www.SinrodStudios.com
> www.MyConeyIslandMemories.com 
Humor beats disease, researchers find 
Linear Mode
