The Effects of a Self-Management Program on Successful Aging

ABSTRACT

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.