Abstract
The relationship between the level of physical help given by nurses and the level of difficulty with feeding in elderly patients with dementia was investigated by means of structural equation modelling. Data from 49 subjects, obtained at two time points 18 months apart, were correlated by means of a cross-lagged panel analysis and this formed the basis for the models that were tested. Four models were compared and the one that best fitted the data indicated a possible causal relationship over time between the estimated level of physical help given and the measured level of difficulty with feeding according to the Edinburgh Feeding Evaluation in Dementia (EdFED) scale. The method of structural equation modelling is fully described and possible models for testing in future are presented. Limitations of the present study are discussed and possible improvements proposed [NTResearch 1996; 1: 1, 44-54]
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