"please keep me updated about oximeters "
Sleep Apnea Forum Bringing Power to the Patient
New? Free Sign Up
Then check our Welcome Center to a Community Caring about Sleep Apnea diagnosis and Sleep Apnea treatment:
CPAP machines, Sleep Apnea surgery and dental appliances.
CPAP Supplies
Latest Activity
Men with Supportive Partners More Likely to Adhere to CPAP Therapy
WESTCHESTER, Ill. – Men who work with their female partners while receiving continuous positive airway pressure (CPAP) therapy for obstructive sleep apnea (OSA) are more likely to adhere to their treatment, according to a research abstract that will be presented on Monday at SLEEP 2009, the 23rd Annual Meeting of the Associated Professional Sleep Societies.
Results indicate that patients who work with their partners have the highest level of adherence for CPAP therapy. Encouragement, the use of negative tactics (such as evoking fear or blame) and reminding did not produce an increase in treatment adherence.
The study obtained demographic and relationship quality information from 23 married/cohabitating male OSA patients before CPAP initiation, and included adherence data from 14 men. Partner involvement with CPAP was assessed at day 10 and three months post CPAP initiation using 25-item measure of tactics to encourage healthful behavior. Tactics used included positive (encouraging) negative (blaming) bilateral (working together) and unilateral (reminding).
According to the principal investigator, Kelly Glazer Baron, PhD, postdoctoral fellow at Northwestern University in Evanston, Ill., the study showed that patients who believed that their relationships were more supportive were more likely to work together with their partner while using CPAP.
"We know that in many health conditions, having a supportive partner can improve adherence and emotional well being when dealing with a chronic illness" said Baron. "This is the first study in CPAP treatment to show that working together with the partner in an active and supportive manner was associated with better adherence"
CPAP is the most common and effective treatment for OSA. By working to normalize breathing, CPAP helps protect patients from the severe health risks that are related to OSA, which include heart disease, diabetes, hypertension, and stroke.
Source: American Academy of Sleep Medicine
Results indicate that patients who work with their partners have the highest level of adherence for CPAP therapy. Encouragement, the use of negative tactics (such as evoking fear or blame) and reminding did not produce an increase in treatment adherence.
The study obtained demographic and relationship quality information from 23 married/cohabitating male OSA patients before CPAP initiation, and included adherence data from 14 men. Partner involvement with CPAP was assessed at day 10 and three months post CPAP initiation using 25-item measure of tactics to encourage healthful behavior. Tactics used included positive (encouraging) negative (blaming) bilateral (working together) and unilateral (reminding).
According to the principal investigator, Kelly Glazer Baron, PhD, postdoctoral fellow at Northwestern University in Evanston, Ill., the study showed that patients who believed that their relationships were more supportive were more likely to work together with their partner while using CPAP.
"We know that in many health conditions, having a supportive partner can improve adherence and emotional well being when dealing with a chronic illness" said Baron. "This is the first study in CPAP treatment to show that working together with the partner in an active and supportive manner was associated with better adherence"
CPAP is the most common and effective treatment for OSA. By working to normalize breathing, CPAP helps protect patients from the severe health risks that are related to OSA, which include heart disease, diabetes, hypertension, and stroke.
Source: American Academy of Sleep Medicine
Views: 35
Replies to This Discussion
-
Permalink Reply by Daniel on
-
File this research under "Obvious." Reminds me of the most unsupportive bed partner I've ever met when setting up a patient. The girlfriend looked at the patient when he put on the CPAP mask for the first time and said, "I'm glad I met you before your diagnosis." Sheesh! Could she have said anything less supportive?
-
Permalink Reply by Laura Hand on
-
Yeah, I know the feeling. Me and the hubby have been looking at CPAP/other devices because I will most likely end up with one. I just looked at the pics and said "these are so unattractive" and he replied "so is dying in your sleep" I am going to try and keep that in mind....
Daniel said:File this research under "Obvious." Reminds me of the most unsupportive bed partner I've ever met when setting up a patient. The girlfriend looked at the patient when he put on the CPAP mask for the first time and said, "I'm glad I met you before your diagnosis." Sheesh! Could she have said anything less supportive?
-
Permalink Reply by Mike on
-
that's cool that your wife will adjust your cpap mask for you in your sleep. my wife gives me the old elbow to the rib cage when my mask leaks. which is why i've been religious in my pursuit of the perfect mask!
David said:I have a somewhat humorous aside to this, being a nurse my wife is hyper aware of when my CPAP leaks or my breathing changes. Her eyesight is so bad that if she forgets where she puts her glasses she can't see to find them. Several times I have wakened in the middle of the night when she's tugging on my mask to adjust the fit and she will be within millimeters of my face. Scares the bejesus out of me!
-
-
I actually think the bigger problem is the patient himself/herself being hostile to the treatment, not the partner. I'm one of the most supportive partners of my wife's cpap treatment i can imagine, but she herself resents using the device. At the end of the day, one's own attitude will determine success/failure.
Daniel said:File this research under "Obvious." Reminds me of the most unsupportive bed partner I've ever met when setting up a patient. The girlfriend looked at the patient when he put on the CPAP mask for the first time and said, "I'm glad I met you before your diagnosis." Sheesh! Could she have said anything less supportive?
© 2025 Created by The SleepGuide Crew.
Powered by
