Teaching Effectiveness and Adequacy of Practical Training in Nursing Students / 한국간호교육학회지

PURPOSE: The purpose of this study was to identify the teaching effectiveness and adequacy of practical training in nursing students. METHODS: This descriptive research was conducted using a convenience sampling. The sample consisted of 619 nursing students with experience in practical training among five colleges, located in four cities. The data collection was performed using self-reported questionnaires. Research tools, developed by Kim (1996), were used to measure the effectiveness of clinical instructors and the adequacy of practical training developed by researchers. The data was analyzed using SPSS 20.0. RESULTS: The average of teaching effectiveness was 3.43 (out of 5) and adequacy of practical training was 3.33 (out of 5). Teaching effectiveness and adequacy of practical training showed a significant positive correlation (r=.74, p<.001). Teaching effectiveness and each sub-area: adequacy of practical training, practical contents (r=.59, p<.001), practical attitude (r=.45, p<.001), practical instructor (r=.62, p<.001), practical environment (r=.46, p<.001), and practical evaluation (r=.64, p<.001), revealed a significant positive correlation. CONCLUSION: Nursing students prefer the actual training from professors who are more professional and clinical experienced. Professors presenting the theory lectures should also be aware of clinical practice so that education can be more professional and effective in terms of clinical practice.

Quality of Life in Low Income Korean Aged

PURPOSE: The purpose of this study was to identify the quality of life and its predictors in low income Korean aged. METHODS: This was a predictive correlational study. An accessible sample from the population of people who were 65 and over and were supported by the basic livelihood security system was 1,040. Quota sampling with strata of state division in the nation was chosen. Quality of life and its predictors in the subjects were measured. RESULTS: The mean quality of life in the subjects was 47.0+/-10.7. Predictors of this study significantly explained 54.3% of the total variance of quality of life. Depression was the most significant predictor of quality of life. Health problems, district, social support, leisure activity, and health behavior had effects on quality of life. CONCLUSION: This finding indicates that quality of life in lower income Korean aged is different from other populations by economic status. Demographics, health status and social status were predictors of quality of life in the aged with a small income.

Psychometric Evaluation of the Korean Social Support Questionnaire

PURPOSE: Research related to social support in Korea has been hampered by paucity of measurement tools reflecting Korean culture. The aim of the study was to develop Korean social support questionnaire (KSSQ) based on the Korean social support pyramid and to test psychometric properties of the KSSQ. METHODS: The questionnaire was administered to 701 subjects and 658 college students. Psychometric analyses included factor analyses, expert validity, criterion-related validity, internal consistency, and test-retest reliability. RESULTS: A principal components analysis support for construct validity, eliciting a three factor solution accounting for 65.46% of variance in scores. Concurrent and discriminant validity supported criterion-related validity. Internal consistency of reliability was support with Cronbach's alpha of .97-.98 for the entire scale. Test-retest reliability was .76. CONCLUSION: This initial testing of KSSQ to measure Korean social support demonstrates evidence of reliability and validity. Assessment of known-group validity and norm establishment of KSSQ are suggested to provide further sound psychometric properties and practical measurement tools.

Health Status, Depression and Social Support of Elderly Beneficiaries of the National Basic Livelihood Security System / 성인간호학회지

PURPOSE: The purpose of this study was: 1) To investigate health status(health behavior, health problem and cognition), depression and social support of elderly beneficiaries of the National Basic Livelihood Security System. 2) To identify the relationships among health status, depression and social support. METHODS: This descriptive study used a cross-sectional design. The study sample was a total of 883 elderly recipients supported from the National Basic Livelihood Security System. Quotas for sampling were designed and conducted nationwide throughout Korea. RESULTS: The mean age was 76.2 and the 79.6% of the sample were female. The scores for the health behavior, health problem, ADL, and cognition were 23.9, 4.4, 39.6 and 24.9, respectively. Additionally, the depression score was 19.8 and the social support score was 63.2. Gender, age, education, religion, marital status and monthly income were found as important variables in increasing health status and in decreasing depression among the elderly. Furthermore, depression showed a positive correlation with health problems, but showed negative correlations with health behavior, ADL, and cognition. The upper 25% of social support recipients suffered less depression than the lower 25% of the recipients. Subjects with more social supports had higher ADL scores and less health problem. CONCLUSION: These findings provide significant practical implications for nursing intervention, including social support for the elderly receiving assistance from the National Basic Livelihood Security System.

Structural Equation Model for the Health Behaviors of University Students in Korea / 간호학회지

PURPOSE: A structural equation model was analysed to explore the determinants of health behaviors of university students in Korea. METNOD: Nine hundred sixty nine university students were selected by random cluster sampling from five universities located in the central area of Korea. DATA COLLECTION: The data was collected by questionnaires about demographic characteristics, stressful life events, perceived social support, perceived health status and health behaviors. RESULTS: 1. Gender showed indirect effect on health behaviors. 2. Living together with(out) family had a direct effecton health behaviors: students living with family showed more positive health behaviors. 3. Stressful life events had an indirect effect on health behaviors via perceived health status;a higher score of stressful life events was the predictor for negative health behaviors. 4. A higher score of perceived health status predicted positive health behaviors. RECOMMENDATION: Each university should be encouraged to develop a health behavior control program and health promotion program for their own university students. It would be more effective to develop health programs separately according to the demographic or social characteristics of the students. It is also necessary for the Ministry of Education to reform the School Health Act and school health policy to strengthen a health promotion program for university students. In conclusion, following studies should identify and promote the validity and reliability of perceived health status and health behaviors measurements.

Social Support, Stressful Life Events, and Health Behaviors of Korean Undergraduate Students / 간호학회지

PURPOSE: This cross-sectional study was designed to explore the relationship among social support, experienced stressful life events and health behaviors of Korean undergraduate students, and validate the mediator effect of social support. METHOD: One thousand four hundred fifty-three undergraduate students were randomly selected from five universities located in the middle area of Korea. RESULT: The health behaviors of Korean undergraduates tend to have unhealthy patterns. In the case of the students living without family, experiencing more stressful life events and perceiving lower social support, health behaviors are poor. The relationship between perceived social supports, the frequency of the experienced stressful life events and the score of health behavior patterns is statistically significant. After controlling the effect of social support, the correlation coefficient between the frequency of experienced stressful life events and the score of health behavior patterns was slightly lower. The score of health behaviors between the group with an extremely high score of social support and the group with an extremely low score were statistically significantly different. CONCLUSION: Future studies need to be pursued to develop various strategies such as a health education programs and counseling programs for health maintenance and health promotion of undergraduates.

Comparision of Group and Individual Social Support on Burden and Family Functioning in Families with Asthmatic Children / 간호학회지

The main purpose of this study was to identify the effects of group social support and individual social support on the reduction of burden and improvement in family functioning of families with asthmatic children. The design of this study was a randomized pre-posttest quasi-experimental design to compare the two experimental groups. The theoretical framework for this study was derived from the study of burden in family caregivers by Suh and Oh(1993) based on the main effect model of social support theories. The data were collected from February 12, 1998 to May 29, 1998 at the pediatric out patient department of a university hospital located in Suwon city. The sample consisted of 39 family members who were identified as families with asthmatic children, Eighteen subjects were randomly assigned to the group social support group and 21 were assigned to the individual social support group. Group and individual social support members were seen for 60 to 90 minutes, four times over one to three weeks. The instruments used in this study were the Burden Scale developed by Suh and Oh(1993), the Visual Analogue Scale, and the Family Adaptability Cohesion Evaluation Scale(FACES-III) developed by Olson, Portner, and Lavee(1985). The collected data were analyzed using Mann-Whitney test, x2-test, Wilcoxon sign rank test, t-test, ANOVA(Scheff), pearson correlation coefficient, multiple regression, and social support process and content analysis. The results are as follow ; 1. There was no significant difference before the experimental treatment among the subjects in the group social support group and individual social support group for general characteristics, burden, or family functioning. 2. Hypothesis 1 ; "There will be a greater reduction on the burden score of the group social support group compared to the individual social support group" was not statistically significant(U=174.5, p=.683). The burden scores showed a significant decrease after participation in social support as compared to before participation for both groups. However there was a tendency for more reduction in the burden scores for the group social support than for individual social support. 3. Hypothesis 2 ; "There will be a greater improvement in the family functioning scores for the group social support group compared to the individual social support group" was not statistically significant(U=153.0, p=.309). There was a tendency toward improvement in the family functioning scores of the group social support as compared to that of the individual social support. 4. According to the length of the treatment period, families with asthmatic children displayed affirmative responses, and the families set up a self-help group of mothers with asthmatic children n order to share their experiences, to get information and to solve their problems. In conclusion, it was found that group social support was the more effective nursing intervention for reducing burden and for improving family functioning of families with asthmatic children.