A Survey on the Meaning in Life of Elderly People / 기본간호학회지

PURPOSE: The purpose of this study was to measure meaning in life of elderly and to delineate basic data for developing nursing strategies for improving the meaning in life of elderly. METHOD: Subjects were 240 elderly above 65 years old staying in Busan and Kyungnam Province. The data was collected from May to Jun 2004. The instrument was utilizing Elderly Meaning In Life(EMIL) scale developed by Choi et al.(2003). RESULTS: The mean for elderly was 100.4, the range was from 37 to 148. 63.3% of subjects were in existential vacuum. The mean of 1 phase 'acceptance and awareness of self and life' was 36.9, 2 phase 'creative value realization' was 17.8, 3phase 'experiential value realization' was 2.8, 4 phase 'contentedness of past and present' was 43.7. There were significant differences according to the gender, religion, educational level, spouse, spending money, living arrangement and disease. CONCLUSION: On the viewpoint of above results, 63.3% of subjects were in level of existential vacuum, which required logotherapy. Therefore it shows that developing nursing-logotherapy to improve the meaning in life for elderly is demanded.

Development of Meaning in Life Scale II / 간호학회지

PURPOSE: The purpose of this study was to develop a meaning of life scale with high validity and reliability. METHOD: A conceptual framework composed of 4 phases of meanings of life was identified. And 49 preliminary items on a 4-points scale were developed through content validity. A reliability and validity test of the 49 items was conducted on 564 adults. By means of internal consistency of the 49 items, 1 item was deleted. To verify the 48 items, factor analysis, reliability test, and LISEREL were done. RESULT: Through exploratory factor analysis of the 48 items, 8 factors were extracted. These factors were labeled as 'self- awareness and self-acceptance', 'hope', 'responsibility awareness', 'love experience', 'self transcendence', 'relation experience', 'self contentedness', and 'Commitment'. Through LISEREL of the 48 items, 2 items were excluded and finally 46 itemsremained. Cronbach's Alpha of the 46 items was .94. The correlation coefficient of the Self-esteem scale was .79. CONCLUSION: By the above results, the researchers recommend the following: An exploratory study on the variables related to the meaning of life are needed for criterion validity of this scale. Studies on meaning of life of different groupa, and subjects are needed for reverification.

Development of Elderly Meaning in Life(EMIL) Scale / 간호학회지

PURPOSE: The purpose of this study was to develop elderly meaning in life scale with high validity and reliability. METHOD: The process of development of this scale were as follows. A conceptual framework composed of 4 phases of meaning in life of elderly was identified based on the literature review and interviews with elderlies and discussion with experts in meaning in life. Total 62 items, 4-points scale were developed. Through reliability testing, factor analysis, 40 preliminary items were selected. By means of internal consistency of 40 items, 2 items whose inner-items correlation coefficient was below .30 were deleted. Through factor analysis 1 item whose factor loading was below .30 was deleted. Finally 37 items were remained. To verify 37 items, factor analysis, reliability testing, LISEREL were done. Data were collected from 320 elderly subjects in Busan-KyungNam and Jeonla Province from May to June in 2002.. SPSS WIN. 10.0 Program was used. RESULT: The result of factor analysis of 37 items, 8 factors were extracted. These factors were labeled as 'self- awareness and self-acceptance', 'contentedness with life', 'purpose in life', 'love in family', 'role awareness', 'futuristic aspiration', 'commitment', and 'experience of love'. These factors included 4 phases of the meaning in life. Cronbach's Alpha of 37 items was .908 and correlation coefficient of PIL was .75. CONCLUSION: The researchers recommend the follows : The explorative study on the variables related to meaning in life are needed for criterion validity of this scale. The studies on meaning in life of different age groups, subjects are needed for reverification.

The Relationships between Sex-Role Identity and the Meaning in Life for a Matriarch / 여성건강간호학회지

The purposes of this study were to understand the sex role identity and the meaning in life(MIL) of matriarchs and analyze their relationships to offer basic data for effective nursing strategies for improving MIL. The data for this study was collected from the 10th of August to the 30th of November, 2000. The subjects were women registered in an occupational training program for unemployed matriarchs which is held in the Working Women's Center in Busan. The measurement tools of this study were MIL(unpublished)developed by researchers and sex role inventory designed by Kim Deuk Ran(1992). The results of this study were as follows: 1.Sex role identities of matriarchs were feminity 13.7%, masculinity 13.4%, androgyny 37.8% and undifferentiated 35.1%. 2. The mean MIL for matriarchs was 173.46+/-16.09. 3. The levels of MIL were 57.2% of the subjects felt a loss of meaning in life, i. e. existential vacuum, 42.8% were in pursuit of meaning but had not discovered it completely and 6.0% felt they had established meaning in life. 4.There were significant differences in MIL levels, concurrent to 4 types of sex role identities(F=11.93, P=.000). And according to Scheffe's post test, between feminity and masculinity, feminity and androgyny, masculinity and the undifferentiated, androgyny and the undifferentiated, there were significant differences. From the results of this study, most matriarchs felt loss of meaning in life, i. e. existential vacuum, and the group with masculine sex role identity had the highest level of MIL. In conclusion, the factors related to masculine sex role identity are necessary to develop nursing strategies for improving levels of MIL.

Development of Meaning in Life Measurement Tool / 간호학회지

The purpose of this study was to develop an instrument to measure meaning in life based on Frankl's theory of logotherapy. Data were collected from August to October, 1999 by means of questionnaires developed by researchers. The subjects were 351 adults living in Busan and Kyoung Nam province. The study was conducted as follows: 1) A conceptual framework was identified based on the extensive review of relevant literatures and interviews with adults and professionals in psychology, philosophy, theology, and nursing. 2) The 76 items, 4-points scale were developed. 3) The scale was tested on 351 adults to assess the reliability and validity, and factor analysis was done. 4) 63 items were established based on this testing and ten factors were extracted. These factors were labeled as self-awareness and self-acceptance, futuristic aspiration, valuelessness, purpose in life, contentedness with life, role awareness, experience of love, love in family, commitment, self- transcendence. Cronbach's alpha of the 63 items was .950. Comparative studies to assess construct validity and repetitive studies to heighten generalizability are needed. This tool can be utilized to measure Korean's meaning in life.

Meaning in Life of a Resident Community of Normal Adults / 성인간호학회지

PURPOSE: The purpose of this study was to measure meaning in life for a normal adult and to offer basic data for developing nursing strategies for improving the meaning in life of adults. METHOD: There were 351 subjects, from 20 to 60 years old, staying in Busan and KyungNam Province. The data was collected from August to October 2000. The instrument was designed by researchers. The data were analyzed with frequency, mean(+/-SD), t test and ANOVA. RESULT: 1. The mean MIL for adult was 187.7(+/-18.1). 2. The mean MIL of basic premise phase for discovery of meaning was 30.5, method phase for discovery of meaning was 111.1, and result phase for discovery of meaning was 46.4. 3. The levels of MIL, 56.4% of the subjects were in pursuit of meaning in life, 23.3% felt a loss of meaning in life. 4. There were significant differences in MIL according to the level of education(P=0.00), marital status(P=0.01) and monthly income (P=0.00). CONCLUSION: On the viewpoint of the above results, 23.3% of the subjects were in a level of existential vaccum which required keens Logotherapy. Therefore, it shows that developing nursing-logotherapy to improve the meaning in life for adults is demanded.

The Development and Effect of a Group Counseling Program for Unemployed Matriarchs / 간호학회지

This study was designed to develop a program for unemployed matriarchs and show if the program affected their view on the meaning in life. The subjects were women registered in an occupational training program for unemployed matriarchs, which is being practiced in the 'Working Women Center' located in Busan. The researchers selected 44 persons from the group who agreed to our program. This study was done from the 10th of March, 1999 to the 9th of October. The researchers used the measurement tools, The Purpose in Life, Self-esteem, Hope and Meaning in Life which was composed of 63 items developed by them. Their Cronbach's alpha were .88, .79, .76 and .95. The researchers analyzed the data with frequency, percentage, Mean, S.D, Wilcoxon signed ranks test which were deduced from SPSS 10.0 WIN program. The results of this study were as follows: 1) The program is composed of 'becoming intimate', 'open-minded', 'exploration on self', 'relax of repressed emotion', 'self- acceptance', 'establishing the life-goal', 'enrichment of human relationship' and closing. It took 20 hours for this program to come into practice. 2) According to the analysis of the general traits of all subjects, average age was 39.36. High school graduates were 86%, college graduates were 14% and divorce were 57%, bereavement were 18%, and the rest were 25%. 3) The result of 1st progam showed self-esteem during the program was high. 4) The result of 2nd progam showed self-esteem during the program was high. 5) The result of 3rd progam showed the sum scores of meaning in life, creative meaning, and attitudinal meaning during the program was high. 6) The result of 4th progam showed the sum scores of meaning in life and creative meaning during the program was high. On the viewpoint of above results, we convinced that 'a program for unemployed matriarch is effective to establish a stronger meaning in life. Therefore, it is demanded that support for unemployed matriarchs should not only be economic help such as technical training and help of living expenses, but also psychological, professional and systematic support.