Depression and Cognitive Function of the Community-dwelling Elderly

PURPOSE: The purpose of this study was to examine the depression and cognitive function of community-dwelling older adults. METHODS: 243 aged over 65 in Won-Ju in South Korea participated in this study. Data were collected from April to June 2013 through interviews. This study utilized the Geriatric Depression Scale Short Form, the Korean version of MMSE-DS (MMSE for Dementia Screening), and infirmity testing for basic health status. Descriptive statistics, χ2, t-test, ANOVA, Scheffé's test, and Pearson's correlation coefficient were used. RESULTS: 75.3% of the participants belonged to the depression group, and the prevalence of cognitive impairment was 17.3%. There were significant differences in depression and cognitive function according to gender, educational level, type of insurance, subjective health, frailty, and whether to be a client of home care service. The level of depression was significantly higher and the level of cognitive functions was significantly lower in older adults in home care services than in community-dwelling older adults. CONCLUSION: This study is meaningful in that it included older adults in home care services to provide information to develop effective prevention programs for improving cognitive functions. The results of this study can be used to develop future community prevention and intervention.

Factors Affecting to Mother's Prenatal Care Utilization in Democratic Republic of Congo: Focused on Kenge, Boko Health Zone

PURPOSE: This study aims to identify factors affecting more than four times prenatal care utilization among reproductive aged women in Democratic Republic of Congo. METHODS: This was a cross sectional study conducted in Democratic Republic of Congo in July, 2014. Survey was done among 494 respondents, data were analyzed using SPSS 21.0. RESULTS: Multiple logistic regression showed an association between age (OR:1.037) in predisposing factor, women who have health insurance in their household (OR:2.876) and timing of first prenatal visit (OR:7.148) in enabling factors and number of delivery 3~5 times (OR:0.587) more than 6 times (OR:0.357) in need factor with more than four times prenatal visits. CONCLUSION: Maternal health improvement interventions should focus on education for women who are younger and multiparous. Early detection of pregnancy and encourage to visit in first trimester are needed. Finally, introduction of the health insurance system is important to minimize cost of out of pocket.

Job Competencies and Educational Needs Perceived by New Community Health Practitioners

PURPOSE: This study was performed to identify job competencies and needs for job education perceived by new community health practitioners. METHODS: This study used a qualitative research design. Eight new community health practitioners participated in this study. Data were collected through in-depth interviews and analyzed using content analysis. RESULTS: Five job competencies were identified in this study, including primary care, public health management, interpersonal relationship, teaching and counseling, and leadership. The contents of job education that they needed were management of major symptoms and chronic diseases, understanding and prescription of medications, emergency responses and care, management of endemic diseases, planning and management of public health programs, writing official documentsand computer works, and leadership training. The learning methods they preferred were connecting theory and practice, situation- or case-based learning, skill- or practice-based learning, and increased opportunities of clinical practice. CONCLUSION: The findings of this study provided the direction of job education for new community health practitioners. Job education for new community health practitioners needs to consider the job competencies and educational needs identified in this study.

Comparison of Health Locus of Control, Depression, Wellbeing, and Health Promoting Lifestyle Profile II in Middle Aged Korean and Korean-American Women / 여성건강간호학회지

PURPOSE: The purpose of this study was to identify differences in Health Locus of Control (HLOC), depression, wellbeing, and Health Promoting Lifestyle Profile II (HPLP) between middle aged Korean and Korean-American women. METHODS: Data from 80 Korean-American women living in Los Angeles, USA and 82 Korean women living in W-city, Korea, were collected using a self administered questionnaire including items on HLOC, HPLP, a Wellbeing Index and Major Depression Inventory. RESULTS: There were statistically significant differences between the middle aged Koreans and Korean-Americans on mean age, education, religion, and current health insurance. Significant differences were found on HLOC (F=2.504, p=.033) and Wellbeing (F=2.451, p=.036). The results also showed significant differences on HPLP (total HPLP, F=4.655, p=.001; physical activity, F=2.967, p=.014; nutrition, F=4.250, p=.001; spiritual growth, F=4.398, p=.001; interpersonal relations, F=2.648, p=.025; and stress management, F=5.201, p<.001) using ANCOVA. However, there were no significant differences on depression, or health responsibility in HPLP between the groups. CONCLUSION: Understanding middle aged women's health adjustments based on their culture will enhance the ability of health professionals to provide culturally congruent care and enable middle aged women to develop healthy lifestyles.

Analysis of Working Time of Nurses in Urban Public Health Center Branches in South Korea.: Focused on Nurses for Visiting Health Service and Chronic Disease Management

PURPOSE: The purpose of this study is to investigate working time of nurses in urban public health center branch, especially for nurses for visiting health service and chronic disease management. METHOD: Daily note, which was developed by this research team, was distributed to nurses at 7 urban public health center branches to be filled out them for 2 weeks during 2 month from June 2007 to August 2007. We analyzed 121 daily notes recorded by visiting nurses and 65 daily notes written by chronic disease management nurses were analyzed. RESULTS: The total working time for visiting nurses at urban public health center branches was 589.85 minutes per day on the average. They spent 147.13 min in actual visiting nursing services, 149.36 min in documenting, 66.94 in preparing, 77.69 min in transferring, and 11.84 min in referring. The total working time for chronic disease management nurses at urban public health center branches was 582.92 minutes per day on the average. They spent 148.77 min in actual chronic disease management services, 120.62 min in documenting, 42.46 min in group education, 37.38 in preparing, and 10.38 min in referring. CONCLUSION: Based on the results of this study, it is recommended to improve documenting systems and to increase community resources linkage were recommended through the results of this study. The results of this study are expected to be used to plan staffing at urban public health center branches in the future.

Effects of Community-based Case Management Program for Clients with Hypertension

PURPOSE: The purpose of this study was to analyze effects of a community-based case management program for clients with hypertension living in the community. METHODS: The research design was a one group pre and post-test design with 30 participants with hypertension who agreed to participate in the 8-12 week case management program provided by case managers from the National Health Insurance Corporation in 2002. Data were collected three times, before and after the case management services, and 6 months later. Outcomes included changes in blood pressure, knowledge of hypertension and daily life practices, including alcohol consumption, smoking, exercise, and medication adherence. RESULTS: Repeated-measures ANOVA and post-hoc tests of means revealed significant differences before and after service for systolic blood pressure, daily life practices (monitoring body weight and BP, low salt and cholesterol and high vegetable diet, and stress-relief practices), and exercise. The goal for medication adherence was attained after service. Significant improvements from baseline to 6 months after service were observed in measures of salt and vegetables in diet. There were no significant differences on hypertension knowledge, alcohol consumption or smoking behavior between before service and after, and at 6 months. CONCLUSION: The findings provide preliminary evidence that case management intervention can have positive outcomes on BP control, daily life practices, exercise, and medication adherence for clients with hypertension. However, additional interventions are needed to sustain long-term effects.

A Study of Factors that Influence Internet Addiction, Smoking, and Drinking in High School Students / 간호학회지

PURPOSE: This study aimed at exploring relationships among Internet addiction, smoking, and drinking and examining the effect factors on Internet addiction, smoking and drinking. METHODS: By using stratified sampling, 1,529 participants representing high school students in the Kangwon province were selected. Data was analyzed by SPSS 12.0. using chi-square, Pearson correlation coefficient and multiple regression. RESULTS: One-fifth of the total participants were at the mild or moderate stage of Internet addiction. Regarding smoking, 22.7% of male subjects and 4.5% of female subjects were current smokers. Regarding drinking, the percentages of subjects who drank alcohol once or twice per month were 53.5% of male students and 40.7% of female students. Internet addiction positively correlated with depression, novelty seeking, harm avoidance and reward dependence, Internet addiction negatively correlated with persistence, self-directness, cooperativeness, and self-transcendence. Significant factors affecting Internet addiction were depression, gender, novelty seeking, and self-transcendence. Important factors influencing smoking were drinking, gender, school type, satisfaction with school, novelty seeking, and reward dependence. Significant factors affecting drinking were smoking, novelty seeking, school type and ages. CONCLUSION: This study shows the necessity of developing and implementing effective intervention programs in order to prevent adolescents from experiencing Internet addiction and health risk behaviors.

The Influence of Depression, Temperament and Character of Female Adolescents on Smoking Behavior

PURPOSE: The purpose of this study is to analyze the smoking behaviors and to identify the impacts of depression, temperament, and characteristic on smoking experience in the female adolescents. METHODS: This study surveyed 691 highschool girls in the Gangwon area using self-administered questionnaires. Data were analyzed by SPSS 12.0. using Pearson correlation coefficient and multiple regression. RESULTS: The smoking rate of the highschool girls was lower than that of the national average. Depression was observed to be seriously in the highschool girls. There were a positive correlations among smoking experience, the school records and novelty seeking and a negative correlation between smoking and cooperativeness. The significant predictors of smoking experience were the type of school, the satisfaction with school, the school records, novelty seeking, reward dependence and cooperativeness. CONCLUSION: These results suggest that femalel adolescents who have the factors identified in this study are considered to have the potential for smoking. These results provide the basis for developing smoking prevention and cessation programs.

Model Development a Womens' Health Care Center in the Community / 간호학회지

The purpose of this study was to analyze womens' health problems using Green & Kreuter's 1991 PRECEDE model and to develop a model for a womens' health care center located in the community. The subjects were recruited from Wonju City. 1. The results showed that 23% of the sample population felt there was a need for a womens' health care center. The mean number of health problems was 3.1. The prevalence rate, was 44.4%, and the rate for an artificial abortion, was 36.4%. Also 30.5% did not have a health examination in the past year. Women using the hospital for medical care accounted for 45% of the sample, while 40% used the drugstore. The average score on the HPLP was 2.41, and this was influenced by self-efficacy, family support, sexual role, and health locus of control. There are a few educational programs in the city provided by the Wonju Health Center and by community health nurse practitioners. 2. The nursing center, as defined in North America, is a nurse-anchored system of primary health care delivery or neighborhood health center. Centers offer various services ranging from primary care to the more traditional such as education, health promotion, wellness screening, and coordination of services by advanced practice nurses. For examples in Sweden MCH centers provide total services for childbearing women and their families, sexual counseling and education for adolescents, and screening by midwives for cervical cancer. 3. The developed model combines purpose, target population, organization, and services, and is related to health resources. The purpose is primary health care and promotion of the quality of life. The target population can be grouped according to the life cycle, (premarriaged age group, the childbearing/child rearing age group, and middle aged and elderly women) and focuses on self-help. The organization of the center includes an advisory committee to plan and evaluate, and a health services team that will be multidisciplinary to provide health care, counseling education, and research. The model development suggested that a variety of women's health care centers are needed to insure adequate management of women's health. Follow-up research using PROCEED is needed to analyze health outcomes. Also a health nursing specialist system is required to develop health promotion, and improve the quality of life of women.

A Study about promoting Health Lifestyles and Relating Variables on the Life-cycle of Women / 간호학회지

Promoting women's health lifestyles are important due to their connection to family health. The purpose of this study was to analyse women's health lifestyles(HLP) and their effects on women's life-cycle, so in order to develop a program in a women's health care center. The subjects included were 1080 women over 18 years old living in Wonju city, and were selected by stratified and purposive sampling. The data were collected through a questionnaire and interview. The Cronbach alpha, %, mean, ANOVA, Pearson's correlation, and regression in SPSS PC Win. package was used to analyze the data. The sample was sepernted into three groups premarital group 20.2%(premarital women between 18 and 40 years old), delivery and children rearing group 49.9%(marital women between 18 and 40 years old), over middle agedelderly group 29.9%(women over 41 years old). Significant difference were found in the HPL according to group. Also, relating variables, such as self-efficacy, family functions, health locus of control and gender role perception that were considered relating variables to HPL significantly differed among the tree groups. HLP significantly correlated with self-efficacy, family functions, HLOC and gender role perception in all participants and at all groups. The regression analysis of HPL was interpreted 40.6% with relating variables, self-efficacy, health attention, family functions, and internal locus of control, health perception, power other locus of control and chance locus of control in all participant. Self-efficacy, family functions, health attention were considered important variables in premarital group, self-efficacy, family functions, internal locus of control, health attention, health perception and power of control were important in delivery-rearing group. Self-efficacy, health attention, internal locus of control, family functions and health perception were important in middle aged-elderly group. As a result, we found the differences HPL scores and relating variables according to life-cycle groups. Therefore, we should prepare health promoting education programs for women according to women's life cycles. Also we suggest that women's health care centers based on communities was needed for proper management of women's health.