The Effects of a Self-Management Program on Successful Aging

PURPOSE: The purpose of this study was to gain knowledge of successful aging for the Korean elderly and to identify the effects of an intervention program on the change of the knowledge. METHOD: Data were collected from 134 elders from 3 schools for the elderly in H City. The Successful Aging Scale was used to collect data and modified CDSMP was applied as the intervention. Descriptive statistics, t-test, ANOVA and ANCOVA were used. RESULTS: The total score of the knowledge of successful aging among the elderly cohort was 2.44 out of 3, and the scores of the factors making up old age were 2.66 for the success of children, 2.63 for self-control, 2.56 for self-efficacy, and 2.05 for happy marriage. Life satisfaction from the success of children and self-control were strongly correlated(r=0.7036, p=0.000). CONCLUSION: The self-management program brought positive changes to the knowledge of successful aging through the self-control parameter, and although it could not change the degree of knowledge of the overall successful aging among the elderly cohort, the program represents the first Korean nursing intervention focused on self-management techniques needed for successful aging.

A Chronic Disease Self-management Program for the Elderly in Korea

OBJECTIVES: The present study proposed to evaluate 1st-month and 3rd-month health status, depression, self-efficacy and medical expenses of a community-based health promotive self-management program for old Koreans. METHOD: Participants in the CDSMP were selected from elders in a community health center through convenient sampling. The program included a 3-hour session per week for 14 weeks. Outcomes of evaluation in the 1st month and the 3rd month included modified Self-rated Health Status Scale, Center for Epidemiologic Studies Short Depression Scale, Self-Efficacy for Managing Chronic Disease 6-item Scale, and 1-item Medical Expenses Scale. RESULTS: Self-rate health scores increased significantly just after the intervention (16.22), in the 1st month (17.57) and in the 3rd month (19.04) (chi2=32.06, p=.000); Depression scores (reversed) also increased significantly just after the intervention (6.04), in the 1st month (7.75) and in the 3rd month (8.39) (chi2=29.92, p=.000); Self-efficacy score increased significantly just after intervention (12.87) but it decreased in the 1st month (12.73) and in the 3rd month (12.04). But all of the three scores were still higher than those before the intervention (8.65) (chi2=32.42, p=.000): Medical expense score decreased at the end of the intervention (1.57) but the cost score increased in the 1st month (2.48) and in the 3rd month (2.39) (chi2=7.81, p=.050). CONCLUSION: CDSMP is effective in increasing self-rate health and self-efficacy and in decreasing depression in the Korean elderly. However, no significant effect of the program was observed in decreasing the medical cost of the Korean elderly.

The Effects of a Self-Management Program on Physical Function and Quality of Life of Patients with Knee Osteoarthritis / 간호학회지

PURPOSE: This study was to examine the effects of a Self-management program on physical function and quality of life of women with knee osteoarthritis. METHOD: The participants for this study, who had knee osteoarthritis, were recruited from an arthritis clinic, at a university hospital located in S city, Korea between February 16, 2004 and June 15, 2004. Seventeen subjects in the control group received no intervention and 18 subjects in for experimental group received an individual Self-management program. The self-management program consisted of dietary education and home-based exercise; walking and resistance exercise. The subjects performed this program 5 times per week during 8 weeks and recorded a diary for diet and exercise. In order to verify the effects of the Self-management program, physical function and Quality of life as a dependent variable were measured at three points in time: before, week4 and week8 after the interventions. RESULT: There were significant increases on physical function (F=5.08, p=.002) and significant interaction effects (F=7.42, p=.002) in the intervention group over the three measurement points in time. In addition, there were significant increases on quality of life (F=8.08, p=.002) and significant interaction effects (F=4.89, p=.016) in the intervention group over the three measurement points in time. CONCLUSION: This study revealed that a Self-management program can be used as an efficient nursing intervention for women with knee osteoarthritis.