Psychosocial factors for influencing healthy aging in adults in Korea.

BACKGROUND: Healthy aging includes physical, psychological, social, and spiritual well-being in later years. The purpose of this study is to identify the psychosocial factors influencing healthy aging and examining their socio-demographic characteristics. Perceived health status, depression, self-esteem, self-achievement, ego-integrity, participation in leisure activities, and loneliness were identified as influential factors in healthy aging. METHODS: 171 Korean adults aged between 45 and 77 years-old participated in the study. Self-reporting questionnaires were used, followed by descriptive statistics and multiple regressions as inferential statistical analyses. RESULTS: There were significant differences between participants' general characteristics: age, education, religion, housing, hobby, and economic status. The factors related to healthy aging had positive correlation with perceived health status, self-esteem, self-achievements, and leisure activities, and negative correlation with depression and loneliness. The factors influencing healthy aging were depression, leisure activities, perceived health status, ego integrity, and self-achievements. These factors were able to explain 51.9%. CONCLUSIONS: According to the results, depression is the factor with the greatest influence on healthy aging. Perceived health status, ego integrity, self-achievement, self-esteem, participation of leisure activities were also influential on healthy aging as beneficial factors.

Quality of life of Korean and Korean American older adults: a comparison.

This study compared the quality of life (QOL) between Korean and Korean American older adults. The participants included 306 older adults (155 Korean, 151 Korean American) age 65 and older who met eligibility criteria and agreed to participate in the study. No significant difference was found in QOL between Korean and Korean American older adults. Differences in the subcategories of QOL between the two groups in cluded higher scores for the Korean older adults in physical functioning, social functioning, and body pain. Scores for the subcategories of role limitations due to physical problems and vitality were higher for the Korean American older adults. Multiple regression analysis revealed that the powerful predictors of QOL for both groups were self-esteem and activities of daily living (ADLs)/instrumental ADLs (IADLs). It is recommended that nursing interventions to increase self-esteem and performance of ADLs/IADLs be developed to enhance QOL among older adults.

[Experiences of nurse turnover].

PURPOSE: This study was designed to search for nursing intervention strategies centering around the meaning structure of the nurse's turnover experience by applying phenomenological methods. METHODS: The participants were 6 nurses in small and medium sized hospitals who had experienced at least 1 turnover. Data were collected used MP3 records. The data analysis was done by Giorgi (1985) method. RESULTS: The results were divided into the following categories: 1) Careless decision: wrong decisions, imprudent desire, insufficient patience, unclear future, 2) Inappropriate working environment: irregular working hours, high workload, poor working environment, insufficient understanding of related divisions, lack of opinion collection, low salary, 3) Interpersonal relations problems: discord with colleagues, difficulty in relationships with others, difficulty in daily lives, 4) Lack of specialization: feeling of inertia, lack of role identification, lack of self identification, 5) Inappropriate coping: regret with clinical challenges, difficulty with a new environment, repentance, expectation, relative humility, 6) New self-dignity: expectation, new challenge, relaxing lives, decisions based on future-oriented confidence. CONCLUSION: The finding of this study will offer profound information on the nurse's turnover experience and provide basic raw materials for improving the quality of nursing performance and contribute to the development of hospital organization.

[Effects of individual reminiscence therapy on older adults' depression, morale and quality of life].

PURPOSE: This study examined the effects of individual reminiscence therapy on older adults' depression, morale, and the quality of life. METHODS: The design was a single-group pre-test and post-test study. Subjects consisted of 31 older adults from two senior centers and a welfare center in Seoul. Individual reminiscence therapy was applied to study subjects four times, once a week for an hour at each time. Measurement tools were the Geriatric Depression Scale Short Form Korea (GDSSF-K) for depression, Mun Ae-ri's (1996) scale for morale, and Medical Outcomes Study Short Form 36 (SF-36) for the quality of life. Data was analyzed using descriptive statistics, paired t-test, and pearson correlation. RESULTS: The application of individual reminiscence therapy reduced older adults' depression (t=-5.65, p=.000), and enhanced older adults' morale (t=4.65, p=.000). The application of individual reminiscence therapy improved older adults' quality of life (t=5.00, p=.000). CONCLUSION: Findings of the study suggest that individual reminiscence therapy may be applied as a nursing intervention that contributes to the improvement of older adults' quality of life, reduces their depression, and enhances their morale.

[A study of factors that influence the promotion of healthy behavior in the elderly according to types of residency].

PURPOSE: The goal of this study was to investigate the factors influencing health promoting behaviors in elderly individuals according to types of residency. METHOD: This was a descriptive study. The subjects were comprised of 243 elderly aged 65 years or over living in 3 large cities. The instruments used for this study were a health promoting lifestyle, perceived health status, geriatric depression short form scale-Korea, social support scale, and self-efficacy. The data was analyzed using SPSS Win 12.0. RESULT: Powerful predictors of a health promoting lifestyle were depression, self-efficacy, and perceived health status for the elderly living at home. In the cases of the elderly living in institutions, a powerful predictor of a health promoting lifestyle was identified as social support. CONCLUSION: For the operation of long-term care insurance, a service for home care programs is needed for the elderly living at home in order to reduce depression and to increase self-efficacy and perceived health status. In addition, social support provided by health-care professionals should be developed to promote a healthy lifestyle for the elderly living in institutional environments.

Comparison of health-promoting behaviors of noninstitutionalized and institutionalized older adults in Korea.

PURPOSE: To compare the health-promoting behaviors of noninstitutionalized and institutionalized Korean older adults. DESIGN: Descriptive survey. METHODS: The study sample included 214 Korean older adults (108 noninstitutionalized and 106 institutionalized) aged 65 years or over living in Seoul and Daegu, Korea. Data were collected from April to August, 2003. Measures were the Health Promoting Lifestyle Profile (HPLP), the Rosenberg Self-Esteem Scale (RSES), and the General Self-Efficacy Scale. FINDINGS: The average scores for HPLP, self-esteem, and self-efficacy of noninstitutionalized older adults were higher than those of institutionalized participants. Noninstitutionalized participants also scored significantly higher than did the institutionalized participants on self-esteem and self-efficacy. CONCLUSIONS: Studies were focused on the effects of various nursing interventions for health promotion are needed for older adults, especially those in institutions.

[The effects of a health promotion program for elderly].

PURPOSE: The purpose of this study was to develop and to evaluate a health promotion program for elderly. METHOD: Subjects were 63 elderly women (experimental group: 33, control group: 30). The study was a nonequivalent control group pretest-posttest design. The data was analyzed with an SPSS Window program, then the data was computed for the purpose of each study. RESULT: 1. In designing the program, the experimental group was given health education--2 times per week, for 8 weeks--and they participated in recreation programs and stretching exercises five times a week. 2. Stretching exercises including health education, significantly affected the total Cholesterol, HDL-cholesterol, triglycerides, health behavior and self-efficacy. 3. The body fat weight was not significantly affected by the stretching exercises. CONCLUSION: This program was tested to promote the health of elderly and verified as an effective nursing intervention program, because the outcome of this program ascertains that this program enhances self efficacy of exercise, reduces Cholesterol and triglyceride levels' increases HDL-cholesterol, and helps promote the understanding of heath behavior.