Internet addiction in Korean adolescents and its relation to depression and suicidal ideation: a questionnaire survey.

This study examined the relationship of Internet addiction to depression and suicidal ideation in Korean adolescents. The participants were 1573 high-school students living in a city who completed the self-reported measures of the Internet Addiction Scale, the Korean version of the Diagnostic Interview Schedule for Children-Major Depression Disorder-Simple Questionnaire, and the Suicidal Ideation Questionnaire-Junior. A correlational survey design was employed. Among the samples, 1.6% was diagnosed as Internet addicts, while 38.0% was classified as possible Internet addicts. The prevalence of Internet addiction did not vary with gender. The levels of depression and suicide ideation were highest in the Internet-addicts group. Future studies should investigate the direct relationship between psychological health problems and Internet dependency.

[Development of a nursing professional values scale].

PURPOSE: The purpose of this study was to develop an instrument to measure nursing professional values. METHOD: Forty preliminary items were selected by classifying 223 basic items extracted via a literature study and in-depth interviews of subjects and testing the relevance of their contents. In order to verify the reliability and relevance of the preliminary instrument, data was collected from 504 nurses in 3 general hospitals. RESULT: As a result of the item analysis, 29 items were selected from a total of 40 items. Five factors were extracted by factor analysis, and the total variance was 51.5%. For the explanation of variances by factors, the 1st factor, 'self-concept of the profession' accounted for 14.8%, the 2nd factor, 'social awareness' 12.1%, the 3rd factor, 'professionalism of nursing' 9.8%, the 4th factor, 'the roles of nursing service' 9.1%, and the 5th factor, 'originality of nursing', 5.6%. Cronbach's Alpha of those 29 items was .9168, which was high. CONCLUSION: This paper is meaningful in a way that it developed a tool capable of measuring nursing professional values, which reflects the characteristics of our country. In order to re-verify the relevance and stability of this tool, it is necessary that comparative studies should be conducted.

Attitudes of elderly Korean patients toward death and dying: an application of Q-methodology.

The aim of this study was to identify the attitudes of elderly Korean patients toward death and dying using Q-methodology to aid in the development of basic strategies for nursing care of elderly Koreans. Thirty participants at a university hospital sorted 40 selected Q-statements on a nine-point scale. Data analysis identified three types of attitudes toward death and dying in elderly patients in Korea: religion-dependent, science-adherent, and sardonic. Religion-dependent elders are highly dependent upon religion as evidenced by their reply that they would like to rely on God and a minister the most. Science-adherent elders have great affection for life and believe in modern medical advancements. The sardonic elders regard death as the dispensation of nature so there is no need to be afraid of death and dying. This study will contribute to the understanding that nurses and other health professionals have of the perceptions of elderly Koreans about death and dying. Also, the findings may provide the basis for the development of more appropriate strategies to improve death and dying education programs of health professionals.

[Predictive factors of aspects of the transtheoretical model on smoking cessation in a rural community].

PURPOSE: This study was done to evaluate the predictive value of aspects of the Transtheoretical model (TTM) of behavior change as applied to smoking cessation in a rural population. METHOD: A convenience sample was recruited from a public health center in a community. A total of 484 participants were recruited, including 319 smokers, 116 ex-smokers and 49 non-smokers. A cross-sectional and descriptive design was used in this study. Data was analyzed using descriptive statistics, frequency statistics, ANOVA and Logistic regression. RESULT: The major findings were 1) The participants were assessed at baseline for their current Stage of Change resulting in a distribution with 42.1% in Precontemplation, 24.1% in Contemplation, 9.7% in Preparation, 6.2% in Active, and 17.9% in the Maintenance stage. 2) There were statistically significant differences of processes of change, decisional balance and situational temptation across the stages of change. 3) The main factors that affect smoking cessation were age, number of years smoking, age when began smoking, self-liberation and negative/affective situations, which combined explained 33.2% of the smoking cessation. CONCLUSION: TTM variables measured prior to a smoking cessation program added little predictive value for cessation outcome beyond that explained by demographic and smoking history variables.

A Q-methodological study on nursing students' attitudes toward nursing ethics.

PURPOSE: Professional nursing ethics is a living, dynamic set of standards for nurses'professional moral behavior. Furthermore, in daily clinical nursing training, nursing students are constantly confronted with decision-making that is moral in nature. The aim of this study was to identify the perceived ethical attitudes in the clinical training process of senior nursing students using Q-methodology to offer basic strategies for nursing ethics education and thereby improve patients'care. METHODS: Q-methodology provides a scientific method for identifying perception structures that exist within certain individuals or groups. Thirty-seven participants in a university rated 38 selected Q-statements on a scale of 1-9. The collected data were analyzed using pc-QUNAL software. RESULTS: Principal component analysis identified 3 types of ethical attitudes in nursing students in Korea. The categories were labeled Sacred-life, Science-realistic and Humane-life. Sacred-life individuals think that a life belongs to an absolute power (God), not a man, and a human life is a high and noble thing. Science-realistic individuals disagreed that allowing an induced abortion or embryo (human) duplication is unethical behavior that provokes a trend, which takes the value of a life lightly; most of them took a utilitarian position with respect to ethical decisions. Humane-life individuals exhibit a tendency toward human-centered thought with respect to ethical attitudes. CONCLUSION: This study will be of interest to educators of students of nursing and hospital nursing administrators. Also, the findings may provide the basis for the development of more appropriate strategies to improve nursing ethics education programs.