The Effects of a Fall Prevention Program on the Low-Income Elderly at Risk of Falls

PURPOSE: This study was conducted to determine the effects of a fall prevention program on knowledge, efficacy, and prevention behavior of falls among the low-income elderly. METHODS: This study used a nonequivalent control group pre and post test quasi-experimental research design. The study was conducted from August to October, 2008 with 20 subjects in the experimental group and 22 in the control group who were registered at the public health center of S District in D City. RESULTS: Hypothesis 1 "The experimental group that participated in the fall prevention program will show a higher degree of knowledge about falls than the control group" was supported. Hypothesis 2 "The experimental group will have a higher degree of self-efficacy of falls than the control group" was not supported. Hypothesis 3 "The experimental group will report fall prevention behavior more frequently than the control group" was supported. CONCLUSION: It was verified that the fall prevention program in this study was an effective intervention to improve knowledge about falls and fall prevention behaviors among the low-income elderly. The results can be used as part of an intervention to prevent falls for the vulnerable elderly such as the low-income elderly.

The Effects of a School Safety Education Program Based on the PRECEDE-PROCEED Model in Upper Grade Elementary Students

PURPOSE: The purpose of this study was to measure the effects of a school safety education program based on the PRECEDE-PROCEED model for upper grade elementary students. METHODS: One hundred ten 6th-grade students sampled from an elementary school in D City were divided into the education group (n=55) and the non-education group (n=55). School safety education was provided to the education group for 8 weeks and a questionnaire survey about safety knowledge, safety practice and the frequency of safety negligence was carried out before and after the education from March 2 to July 13, 2010. RESULTS: After the application of the safety education program, the education group got a higher safety knowledge score than the non-education group (p<.001). Both the education and non-education groups showed a significantly increased safety practice score (p<.01). In the comparison of safety negligence, the education group showed lower frequency (p<.01). In addition, according to the results of ANCOVA and t-test, the school safety education program influenced safety knowledge significantly (p<.001). CONCLUSION: This result shows that a school safety education program based on PRECEDE-PROCEED can improve safety knowledge. Further studies will be required to develop continuous and systematic safety education programs.

A Diagnostic Study on the Development of a Health Promotion Program for Vinyl House Farmers

PURPOSE: The purpose of this study was to investigate influencing factors of health problems which the vinyl house farmers had experienced. METHOD: Based on PRECEDE model, this study was done with 110 respondents(50 to 69 years old), working in vinyl house and living in the remote area where the primary health post located. RESULTS: Quality of life was low in economical status, emotional status, and physical function. Health problems were founded as pain and chronic fatigue that were caused by physical symptoms, weakened physical strength, and increased blood pressure and cholesterol. Behavioral and environmental factors were related with lack of exercise, irregular eating habit, curtailed sleep, overwork, wrong working postures, stress, and non-fulfillment of safety standard during spraying pesticide. Self efficacy was low in excercise practice, working way, and stress management. CONCLUSION: The Health Promotion Program for vinyl house farmers should be developed to improve health promoting behavior and self efficacy, to reduce stress, and to strengthen physical function.

A Comparison of Public's Stigma against the Mental Patients and Mental Patients' Perceived Stigma / 신경정신의학

OBJECTIVES: The purpose of this study is to compare public stigma against mental patients and mental patients' perceived stigma. METHODS: 549 members of general populations participated in the survey which included questions regarding prejudice and discrimination against mental mental patients, while 377 mental patients participated in the survey which included questions regarding perceived prejudice, experienced discrimination and a coping orientation to social stigma. RESULTS: The mental patients perceived prejudice more compared to public prejudice toward the mental patients. And they experienced discrimination less compared to public's practice of discrimination against mental patients. Also mental patients used passive-avoidance coping orientation against social stigma. CONCLUSION: This study concluded that consumer empowerment program for mental patients is just important as anti-stigma campaign.

A Study on Spiritual Well-being of Hemodialysis Patients / 간호학회지

The purpose of this study was to investigate the spiritual well-being of hemodialysis patients and the correlation between spiritual well-being and demographic characteristics and disease related characteristics. The subjects for this study were 98 patients who were diagnosed as having chronic renal failure and were being treated at the hemodialysis units of three hospitals located in Seoul, Pusan and Taegu, Korea. Data were collected from October 27, 1997 to November 15, 1997 by an investigator interviewing with a structured questionnaire. Palautizion and Ellison(1982)'s spiritual well-being scale was used after some modification. The results of this study are as follows; To analyze the differences between demographic characteristics, spiritual well-being, and disease characteristics and the spiritual well-being, T-test and ANOVA were used. 1. There were statistically significant differences in spiritual well-being for the demographic characteristics of age(p=0.0145) religious affiliation(p=0.0001) and level of education(p=0.04). 2. There were statistically significant differences in spiritual well-being for the disease characteristics perceived health status(p=0.0014) and vigor(p=0.01). 3. The mean score for spiritual well-being in hemodialysis patients was 57.10of a possible range 22-88. Among the components of spiritual well-being, the mean score for religious well-being was 27.01 of a possible range 11-44, and for existential well-being 30.09 of a possible range of 11-44. 4. Correlation between general characteristics and spiritual well-being showed that there were significantly positive correlations for level f education(p=0.0036), perceived health status(p=0.0001), vigor(p=0.0036), perceived health status(p=0.0001), vigor(p=0.0036) and religion (p=0.0004).