A cross-sectional, correlational design with a causal modeling approach was utilized. A sample of 99 residents (mean age = 77.67 ± 7.82 years; 59.6% female) was recruited from seven facilities in southern Taiwan. Comfort was measured by General Comfort Questionnaire: Shortened Version, spirituality by Spiritual Perspective Scale, and quality of life by Quality of Life Index: Nursing Home Version. Data were analyzed using path analysis, with standardized path coefficients judged to be significant at α = .05.        The original theoretical model explained 32.6% of the variance in quality of life. Spirituality showed a direct and positive effect on quality of life (β = .56). Comfort had indirect effect on quality of life, through its influence on spirituality. Four demographic variables (marital status, religion, family visit frequency, and subjective health status) were incorporated into the revised theoretical model. The revised model explained a total of 56.7% of the variance in the quality of life. Spirituality (β = .337), family visit frequency (β = .243), and subjective health status (β = .41) showed direct and positive effects on quality of life. Comfort had an indirect effect on quality of life, through its influence of spirituality while controlling the effects of demographic variables.

The finding on the mediating effect of spirituality between comfort and quality of life suggests that nurses in clinical practice with residents in long-term care must attend to spiritual aspects of care and develop interventions assisting residents to nurture their spirituality.

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See more of The 17th International Nursing Research Congress Focusing on Evidence-Based Practice (19-22 July 2006)