PURPOSE: This study was to identify the death recognition, meaning in life, and death attitude of participants in the death education program. METHODS: A survey was conducted, and 205 data were collected. Descriptive statistics, chi-square-test, ANOVA, and Duncan test were used. RESULTS: 1) The followings were the characteristics of death recognition shown by the participants. Over half of the participants said that they had given some thoughts on their deaths, that they had agreeable view on death acceptance, and that diseases and volunteer works made them think about their deaths. Moreover, suffering, parting with family and concerns for them, etc. were the most common reasons for the difficulty of accepting death. As for 'the person whom I discuss my death with', spouse, friend, and son/daughter were the most chosen in this order. Lastly, the funeral type that most of the participants desired was cremation. 2) The means of meaning in life and death attitude were 2.92+/-0.29 and 2.47+/-0.25, respectively. There were significant differences between health status, meaning in life and death attitude. 3) A significant positive corelationship was found between meaning in life and death attitude (r=0.190, P=0.001). CONCLUSION: For an effective death education program that would fit each individual's situation, an educational content that can make a person understand the meaning of his or her life and death, includes knowledge to lessen the fear and anxiety of death, and helps a person heal from the loss of a family member is absolutely necessary.
Anxiety ; Cremation ; Friends ; Humans ; Quality of Life ; Spouses ; Stress, Psychological

In order to maintain the donation of the human bodies required for medical education and research, we investigated social characteristics of those who have signed up to the donation program. The data registered in Chungbuk National University were analyzed and then compared to those registered in 9 of other universities in Korea. In addition, a telephone survey was performed for 128 registrants of Chungbuk National University. The number of registrants was rapidly increased after 1999 and the donation of body was sufficient for medical education and research after 2005. The number of registrants of Chungbuk after 2005 shows gradual increase whereas 10 other schools shows slight decrease. The age of registrants at signing up to the program showed the largest proportion in seventies (33.9%), followed by sixties (28.9%) and fifties (22%). Multiple registration which means two or more registrants from one family represented 40.9%. After the use of cadaver and cremation, most of the bereaved family preferred to keep and visit the cremains in the charnel house of medical school more than to carry out the school. By the telephone survey, 71% of the registrants answered they are in middle or upper middle class of living, and 77% responded that the motivation was voluntary for the society without any reward. Based on the present results we could expect the body donations will reasonably maintaine. Most of dornors have pure motivation without any reward from the school. Keeping their cremains at charnel house of the medical school were strongly favored so it is important to make enough facilities and management system as well.
Cadaver ; Cremation ; Education, Medical ; Human Body ; Humans ; Korea ; Motivation ; Reward ; Schools, Medical ; Sociology ; Telephone

Death and dying of human being is a comprehensive system, and death orientation, the subjective meaning related to every component of the death system is developed throughout life. this study was designed and carried out to identify, describe and classify the orientations of Korean adult toward the death system. In an attempt to measure the subjective meaning of death and dying, unstructured Q-methodology was used. The 65 Q-statements developed by Kim(1994), used by Kim(1994) and Park(1996) were adopted as Q-population and 39 Q-statements were selected by the three researchers for Q-items for this study. Thirty-three P-samples were sampled from P-population of literature Korean men and women, 35 and 55 years of age, lived in urban Korea for the last 10 years. Sorting of the 39 Q-items according to the level of personal agreement, and a forced normal distribution into the 9 levels were carried out by the P-samples. the Z-scores of the Q-sort data were computed, and the principal components factor analysis by PC-QUANL Program were carried out. the demographic, socio-cultural and health-related attributes of the P-samples were descriptively analysed. Eight types of death orientation were identified : Type I ; "naturalist". Six P-samples. Death is a natural phenomena, to be accepted as it is and to follow its natural course. Prefer to be informed of all facts and possibilities concerning the course of dying and death to occur to self. Type II ; "life-after-life negator". Three P-samples. Time and process of death is the destiny of each person. Death means 'darkness' and 'end to every thing, the absolute end'. Yet, wish physical integrity at the dying and after death. Type III ; "life-after-life believer". Six P-samples. Men are travellers passing by this life bound to the life-after-life. Priority concerns are on the activities. to prepare self for the eternal life ahead. Disregard premature and sudden death. Type IV ; "here-now believer". Five P-samples. Positive regard to the cremation of the body and donation of the organs on death. Regard religious and customary post-mortem rituals meaningless. Negate life-after life. Type V ; "believer of rituals". Five P-samples. Death being accepted as a part of a natural end to, and destiny of human life. Concerned to ensure a dignified end to personal life and dignified post-mortem rituals. Type VI ; "Realist"(derived from Type I). Tow P-samples. Life and death as universal reality. The abrupt death at golden age at the peak of happiness is favored to avoid inevitable physical and mental distress of self and the family. Agreed to the cremation of the body. disregard rituals. Type VII ; "Fatalist"(derived from Type II). Five P-samples. Not favored, yet, all man are destined to death, the inevitable end of all living beings. to ensure dignified end by personal consummation, information. on one's dying and imminent death are to be shared. Type VIII ; "reality avoider"(derived from Type III. One P-sample. Negative to longevity, artificial prolongation of, meaningless and distressful life. Highly positive to post-mortem organ donation.
Adult* ; Ceremonial Behavior ; Cremation ; Death, Sudden ; Female ; Happiness ; Humans ; Korea ; Longevity ; Male ; Q-Sort ; Tissue and Organ Procurement