Loneliness and Life Satisfaction in Pneumoconiosis Patients Hospitalized in Long-term Care Facilities.
- Author:
Moonhye BAE
1
;
Jina CHOO
;
Keum Sun HAN
Author Information
1. Department of Nursing, Mun Kyung College, Korea.
- Publication Type:Original Article
- Keywords:
Pneumoconiosis;
Loneliness;
Life satisfaction
- MeSH:
California;
Caregivers;
Chronic Disease;
Coal;
Dyspnea;
Humans;
Institutionalization;
Loneliness;
Long-Term Care;
Los Angeles;
Marital Status;
Pneumoconiosis;
Republic of Korea;
Social Class;
Weights and Measures
- From:Korean Journal of Occupational Health Nursing
2009;18(2):185-193
- CountryRepublic of Korea
- Language:Korean
-
Abstract:
PURPOSE: Loneliness may be a typical psychological consideration in chronically ill patients, linking with low life satisfaction. We aimed to determine if loneliness would be independently associated with life satisfaction in pneumoconiosis patients hospitalized in long-term care facilities. METHODS: We recruited 164 patients from 3 pneumoconiosis-specialized hospitals in M and S cities, South Korea, and measured loneliness and life satisfaction by using the University of California Los Angeles loneliness and life satisfaction index-Z scales. The Multiple regression analysis was performed to examine an independent association between loneliness and life satisfaction after adjustment for age, the levels of dyspnea and bronchitisemphysema symptom, length of institutionalization, marital status, previous coal work experience, perceived socioeconomic status, and presence of caregivers. RESULTS: The mean of loneliness was 46.4. We found a significant association between loneliness and life satisfaction (standardized beta=-0.16, p=0.049), independent of all the covariates. Conclusions: Loneliness was an independent associate of life satisfaction in patients with pneumoconiosis who were institutionalized in long-term care facilities. Thus, a nursing intervention strategy for relieving loneliness is needed to increase life satisfaction in these patients.
