BACKGROUND: The purpose of this study was to examine the effects of a group intervention program on elderly people with chronic disease(s) living in the community. METHODS: This study was a nonequivalent control group pretest-posttest study. Participants were 101 elderly persons with hypertension and/or diabetes mellitus. The experimental group participated in an intervention program as a group while the control group participated individually, both for 16 weeks. The program involved health education, stretching exercises with thera-band and massage. The experimental group attended this program including group discussions while the control group attended the same program but without group discussions. Data were collected before and after the intervention, which went from September 1 to December 26, 2010. Data were analyzed using descriptive statistics, Spearman's rho and repeated measure analysis of covariance. RESULTS: There were significant differences between the groups for depression (F=49.756, P<0.001) and quality of life (F=7.289, P=0.008) after the intervention program. CONCLUSIONS: Our results indicate that intervention programs with a group approach are more effective than an individual approach for community-dwelling elderly with chronic disease. Therefore, a group approach should be considered when planning programs for elders in the community.
Aged ; Chronic Disease ; Depression ; Diabetes Mellitus ; Exercise ; Health Education ; Humans ; Hypertension ; Massage ; Quality of Life

PURPOSE: The purpose of this study was to analyze the relation between sex perception, sexual life satisfaction, and life satisfaction of the elderly. METHODS: The respondents were 227 elders aged over 65. Data were collected from February 10 to December 15, 2007 by interviews and questionnaires. RESULTS: Of the respondents, 18.8% still had sex life and 25.5% wanted to have a date. The main reason to have a date was to relieve loneliness, and the percentage of those who wanted a date was 58.3. The perception level of sex life was 2.27 (men: 2.51, women: 2.14), the satisfaction level of sex life was 2.74 (men: 2.89, women: 2.64), and the level of life satisfaction was 2.98 (men: 3.10, women: 2.92). There was a positive correlation between the perception level of sex life and the satisfaction level of sex life; a positive correlation between the satisfaction level of sex life and the level of life satisfaction; and no correlation between the perception level of sex life and the level of life satisfaction. CONCLUSION: This study provides a base supporting the usefulness of various nursing intervention programs to enhance the quality of life through making elderly people have a positive perception of sex life.
Aged* ; Surveys and Questionnaires ; Female ; Humans ; Loneliness ; Nursing ; Quality of Life ; Sexuality

PURPOSE: The purpose of this study was to analyze the effect of walking on physical health such as body composition, blood pressure, blood glucose and blood lipids for residents in rural areas. METHOD: Data were collected from 109 residents at 4 community health centers and during the 12 weeks' period between May and July, 2007 with quasi-experimental pre/post-test design. The data were processed with SPSS Win 12.0. RESULT: 69.5% of the subjects had chronic degenerative diseases such as hypertension, arthritis and diabetes mellitus. Also, 52.9% had overweight and 14.7% had excessive obesity. There were significant positive changes in BMI, blood pressure, blood glucose and LDL among obese residents. However, there was no significant difference in total cholesterol, triglycerides and HDL among blood lipids. CONCLUSION: This study showed that a 3 months' walking program had positive effects on physical health and it should be continued.
Arthritis ; Blood Glucose ; Blood Pressure ; Body Composition ; Cholesterol ; Community Health Centers ; Diabetes Mellitus ; Hypertension ; Obesity ; Overweight ; Triglycerides ; Walking*

PURPOSE: The purpose of this study was to examine teenagers' Internet addiction and to find factors influencing it. METHODS: Data were collected from 596 middle and high school students between June 1 and June 20, 2009 with a self-rating questionnaire. The data were processed with SPSS/WIN 12.0. RESULTS: (1) 20.3% of the students were spending over three hours a day in Internet use. The percentages of mild and serious Internet addiction were 22.3 and 2.1, respectively. (2) The stronger Internet addiction was, the higher stress was and the lower social support was. There was a negative correlation between stress and social support (r = -.296, p < .01). There was also a positive correlation between Internet addiction and stress (r = .264, p < .01) while a negative correlation between Internet addiction and social support (r = -.127, p < .01). (3) Among the subjects' characteristics, sex, school and family type, frequency of processed food intake, average daily Internet use hour and sleeping hour, subjective health perception, and satisfaction level with parents and family made difference in the Internet addiction level. CONCLUSION: The result of this study will provide useful background data for the selection of target population, stress management and social support promotion programs to prevent teenagers' Internet addiction.
Adolescent ; Eating ; Health Services Needs and Demand ; Humans ; Internet* ; Parents ; Sex Characteristics ; Surveys and Questionnaires

PURPOSE: The purpose of this study was to examine the bone mineral density (BMD), body mass index (BMI), stress, and health promotion lifestyle of female college students and to assess relations among them. METHODS: A total of 220 female college students were assessed through anthropometric measurements and bone mineral density test using quantitative ultrasound. In addition, the subjects were asked about stress and health promotion lifestyle with a self-rating questionnaire. Collected data were processed with the SPSS/WIN 12.0 program. RESULTS: 1) Of the students, 67.8% had weight control experience. The percentage of the osteoporosis, osteopenia and normal groups were 2.8%, 53.5% and 43.8%, respectively, and the percentage of the underweight, normal and overweight groups according to BMI were 27.9%, 57.2% and 14.9%, respectively. 2) The levels of stress and health promotion lifestyle were 2.9 and 2.3, respectively. 3) There was a positive correlation between BMD and BMI (r=.196, p<.01). There was a negative correlation between stress and health promotion lifestyle (r=-.35, p<.01). 4) Weight control experience made negative effects on BMD and BMI. CONCLUSION: The findings of this study suggest the necessity of new health promotion programs to increase bone density of female college students. Stress management programs are also needed.
Body Mass Index* ; Bone Density* ; Bone Diseases, Metabolic ; Female* ; Health Promotion* ; Humans ; Life Style* ; Osteoporosis ; Overweight ; Thinness ; Ultrasonography ; Surveys and Questionnaires

PURPOSE: The purposes of this study were to identify the prevalence and influencing factors of fecal incontinence, and to analyze the association between fecal incontinence and depression. METHODS: The subjects of this study were 233 women living in rural areas, and data were collected using questionnaires from February 24 to May 30, 2012. Fecal incontinence was measured with the Continence Grading Score, and depression with the Geriatric Depression Scale. Collected data were analyzed using SPSS through chi2-test, Fisher's exact test, t-test and ANOVA. RESULTS: Of the subjects, 16.7% had fecal incontinence. The prevalence of fecal incontinence was higher in older women (chi2=23.55, p<.001), those with vaginal delivery (chi2=4.81, p=.049), those with parity of 4 or more (chi2=13.47, p=.003), and those with urinary incontinence (chi2=26.36, p<.001). The level of depression was significantly higher in older women (F=19.27, p<.001), those with low academic qualification (F=18.17, p<.001), those with urinary incontinence (F=4.15, p=.043), and those with fecal incontinence (F=14.90, p<.001). CONCLUSION: These results suggest that there should be supports by public health care for fecal incontinence prevention and care programs in order to promote the physical and emotional health of rural women.
Depression* ; Fecal Incontinence* ; Female ; Humans ; Parity ; Prevalence ; Public Health ; Urinary Incontinence ; Surveys and Questionnaires

PURPOSE: The purpose of this study was to identify the current urinary incontinence states in women above middle age dwelling in rural areas and their coping with the problems. METHODS: The participants were 261 women above middle age. Data were collected from February to May, 2012 using a structured questionnaire. The data were analyzed with the SPSS/WIN 20 program. RESULTS: The frequency of urinary incontinence in women above middle age was 45.4%. There were significant differences in urinary incontinence due to age, education, job status, frequency of delivery, and menstrual status. And, there were significant relations among urinary symptoms, difficulty of ADL, incontinence stress and depression. Frequently used coping-methods with urinary incontinence were washing frequently in order to avoid awful smell, paying attention to perineal cleaning, and going to restroom frequently. CONCLUSION: Community nurses who are in charge of primary health care ought to assess urinary incontinence and develop a urinary incontinence program that includes psychological and social factors.
Activities of Daily Living ; Adaptation, Psychological ; Depression ; Female ; Humans ; Middle Aged* ; Primary Health Care ; Smell ; Urinary Incontinence* ; Surveys and Questionnaires

PURPOSE: The purpose of this study was to analyze married immigrant women's utilization of health care and their demand for public health care services. METHODS: This study was conducted through descriptive survey with 102 married immigrant women in 2 cities, and survey was done from November, 2010 to May, 2011. RESULTS: The results were as follows. Of respondents, 70% were using medical services in Korea and only 38.2% of them were satisfied with services. Major difficulties in using health care services were 'access problem' (35.7%), 'communication problem' (27.7%), and 'medical cost' (19.8%). The respondents' main sources of health information were family (56%), health care center (15%). The types of health information and education demanded by respondents were children's health care (22.1%), pregnancy and delivery (21.1%), and common disease care (20.0%). The most wanted services from public health care institutions were vaccination (24.5%), health promotion (21.5%), and leisure activity programs (20.6%). There was a statistically significant difference in period of immigration and public health care demands. CONCLUSION: For married female immigrants, it is recommended to provide tailored public health care services such as outreach service and visiting nursing care service, and to set up different language signs for common disease patients.
Surveys and Questionnaires ; Delivery of Health Care* ; Education ; Emigrants and Immigrants* ; Emigration and Immigration ; Female ; Health Promotion ; Health Services Needs and Demand ; Health Services* ; Humans ; Korea ; Leisure Activities ; Nursing Care ; Pregnancy ; Public Health ; Vaccination

PURPOSE: The study was conducted to clarify effects of a clonorchiasis prevention education program for clonorchiasis prevention lecturers. METHODS: The research adopted a single group pretest-posttest design to see effects of the educational program to prevent Clonorchis sinensis infection. The subjects of this study were 74 clonorchiasis prevention lecturers from primary health care facilities. The pretest was conducted before the clonorchiasis prevention education program and the post test was done after the 2-day program in August, 2011. Descriptive statistics, t-test, and ANOVA were conducted to analyze the data. RESULTS: The confidence level in Clonorchiasis management activities was improved significantly from 4.1+/-0.53 points before the education to 4.4+/-0.46 points after the education (t=-5.117, p<.001). The knowledge level about prevention of Clonorchis sinensis was improved significantly from 16.1+/-2.72 points before the education to 18.3+/-1.14 points after the education (t=-6.629, p<.001). CONCLUSION: The results suggest that the education program was effective in improving the confidence and knowledge levels in Clonorchiasis management activities for the clonorchiasis prevention lecturers. Based on the results of this study, continuous research on how the increased knowledge and confidence levels of Clonorchis sinensis prevention affect the prevalence of Clonorchis sinensis infection.
Clonorchiasis* ; Clonorchis sinensis ; Education* ; Prevalence ; Primary Health Care ; Program Evaluation

PURPOSE: This study was undertaken to confirm the effects of autogenic training (AT) on stress response and heart rate variability in nursing school students experiencing stress related to clinical training. METHODS: The study was carried out from September 2012 to April 2013 in a quasi-experimental nonequivalent control group using a pretest-posttest design. The participants were 40 nursing students in their third year at either of two nursing colleges. All consented to participate. Nineteen nursing students at one college were assigned to the experimental group and underwent the 8-week AT program, and the other 21 were assigned to the control group and did not undergo any training. Stress response was assessed by questionnaire and HRV was measured three times, that is, before the program, at the end of the program, and 6 months after the end of the AT program. RESULTS: A significant time/group interaction was found for stress response (F = 4.68, p = .012), a subjective indicator. However, no significant interaction was found for the objective indicators of heart rate variability, normalized low frequency (F = 2.59, p = .090), normalized high frequency (F = 2.59, p = .090), or low frequency to high frequency ratio (F = 1.38, p = .257). CONCLUSION: The results suggest that AT provides an acceptable approach to stress reduction in nursing students.
*Adaptation, Psychological ; Autogenic Training/*methods ; Case-Control Studies ; Heart Rate/*physiology ; Humans ; Questionnaires ; Stress, Psychological/*rehabilitation ; Students, Nursing/*psychology ; Treatment Outcome