OBJECTIVES: The purpose of this study was to measure the workload of home visit care activities and their relative values. This study examined also factors that affect the workload of home visit care activities. METHODS: The participants of this study were 126 homehelpers of 50 home visit care agencies at the 2nd Longterm Care Insurance Demonstration Project. The workload of home visit care activities was divided into total work and four dimensions ; physical efforts, mental efforts, stress and time. Home visit care activities consisted of four categories with 24 items. We used magnitude estimation method to measure their relative values of the four dimensions. The participants answered the relative values of each activities based on the reference service. We used the activity for supporting their elderly's evacuation as the reference service. RESULTS: Most of the respondents were over 40 years old female. They consumed most their time supporting elderly's going out. They consumed their highest physical, mental efforts, and stress for activities of coping with emergency situation. The Pearson correlation coefficients showed significant relationships between workload and each dimensions. This study showed that all four dimensions are statistically significant predictors of workload of home visit care activities. Also, we found that the home-helper's career affects the workload of home visit care activities. CONCLUSIONS: The workload of home visit care activities could be explained by physical efforts, mental efforts, stress and time.
Adult ; Female ; Geriatric Nursing/*organization & administration ; Home Care Services ; *House Calls ; Humans ; Korea ; Male ; Middle Aged ; *Workload

No abstract available.
Humans ; Nursing*

The purpose of this study was to construct model of sexual adjustment in people with spinal cord injury and to determine factors that relate to sexual adjustment using methodological triangulation. A total of 134 persons who were registered members of spinal cord injury organization and admitted rehabilitation unit in the hospital were included in the study. Participants answered questionnaire concerning importance of life events, sexual concern, sexual adjustment. Qualitative data were collected through semi-structured indepth interviews from 10 individuals with spinal cord injury who were previously included in the quantitative study. Constant compatative method was used to analyze the data. The results were as follows: 1) With respect to eleven other areas of life, sex life ranked the sixth and economic status ranked the highest in terms of importance. However social life ranked the lowest among the 11areas. 2) Among seven topics related to sexuality were methods and techniques to achieve sexual satisfaction, and helping a partner cope emotionally with limitation on sexual dysfunction was the second greastest. 3) The mean score for sexual adjustment was 19.47 which can be considered. 4) A process on how individuals with spinal cord injury adjust to their changed sexual life immerged from the qualitative data. It includs 4 stages: 'stage of loss' 'stage of endeavoring' 'stage of effort' and 'stage of adjustment'. Categories showing context for the action/interaction strategies were 'steadiness' and 'rediscovery as a sexual being'. There were three factors which may stimulate the adjustment process while the others may interrupt it. Those factors included personal matters, family matters and social matters. The individuals may follow each stage step by step but may go back to the previous step depending on the outcomes of their adjustment. 5) There were three factors which may stimulate the adjustment process while the others may interrupt it. Those factors included personal matters, family matters and social matters.
Humans ; Surveys and Questionnaires ; Rehabilitation ; Sexuality ; Spinal Cord Injuries* ; Spinal Cord*

The purposes of this study were to identify sexual interest and adjustment in patients with spinal cord injury and to determine the factors that relate to sexual adjustment. A total of 134 persons included in this study was the members of spinal cord injury organization and the impatients in rehabilitation unit between February and June 1999. Five questionnaires were answered concerning importance of life events, sexual concern, sexual adjustment, relationship with a sex partner, and depression. The collected data were analyzed by Frequency, t-test, ANOVA and pearson correlation. The results were as follows: 1) Considering the importance among 11 areas of life, economic status occupied the top, sex life held the sixth rank, and the mean rating for social life being 3.78 was the lowest of all. 2) As regard to 7 topics related to sexuality, the most attention was drawn to methods and techniques achieving sexual satisfaction, and the next interest was for helping partners cope emotionally with sexual dysfunction. 3) The mean for sexual adjustment and depression was average, and the mean for sex partner relationship was high. 4) Sexual adjustment in spinal cord injury patients correlated with economic status and sex partner relationship. While it was inversely correlated with age and depression. It was found that lower age and less depression play a positive role on sexual adjustment by SCI people. Also, higher economic status and favorable sex partner relationship increase sexual adjustment. In conclusion, a sex partner relationship, depression, economic status, and age seemed to influence on their sexual adjustment after SCI. Also, psychosocial factors would be more important for satisfying sexual life and relationship rather than physical factors.
Depression ; Economic Recession ; Humans ; Psychology ; Surveys and Questionnaires ; Rehabilitation ; Sexuality ; Spinal Cord Injuries* ; Spinal Cord*

No abstract available.

The purpose of this study is to identify and describe a process of sexual adjustment of individuals with spinal cord injury: and to describe and explore positive and negative influences on the adjustment process. This qualitative study was conducted with 10 Korean individuals with spinal cord injury who had been physically disabled for more than one year. Data were collected and analysed at a same time using grounded theory method. Major categories of this study showed a process how the individuals with spinal cord injury adjust to their individual life as sexual beings. The process included Changes of life caused by physical disability> Emotional distress> Stability of life> Recognition of self as a sexual being> Re-establishing own sense of values for sexual life> Behavioral efforts for restoration of sexual life> and individual responses to the behavioral efforts including Frustration> Resignation> Satisfaction> Dissatisfaction> and Limited satisfaction>. Initially physical aspects of sexuality seemed to be affected by spinal cord injuries. The changed physical aspects then influenced other aspects of their sexual life. Life satisfaction of each individual as a sexual being revealed as very subjective. It could be defined according to how the individual approved their sexual life no matter what and how much behavioral effort the person had done. In this study 3 types of sexual adjustment aspects were explored: 'Active adjustment' 'Passive adjustment' 'Maladjustment'. There were negative and positive factors influencing the adjustment process of individuals with spinal cord injury. Those factors might come from themselves. from families. or from social situations. Findings of this study suggested that sexual life of individuals with spinal cord injury should not be understood as a physical or behavioral matter. It was a combination of physical. psychological and social aspects of life. Therefore. appropriate rehabilitation programs for the sexual adjustment of individuals with spinal cord injury need to concern heterogeneous life values of them and obtain individualized services for each individual at a different stage of the sexual adjustment process.
Disabled Persons ; Humans ; Rehabilitation ; Sexuality ; Spinal Cord Injuries* ; Spinal Cord*

PURPOSE: The purpose of the study was to describe the experiences of do-not-resuscitate (DNR) among nurses. METHODS: Data were collected by in-depth interviews with 8 nurses in 8 different hospitals. Conventional qualitative content analysis was used to analyze the data. RESULTS: Eight major themes emerged from the analysis: DNR decision-making bypassing the patient, inefficiency in the decision-making process of DNR, negative connotation of DNR, predominance of verbal DNR over written DNR, doubts and confusion about DNR, least amount of intervention in the decision for DNR change of focus in the care of the patient after a DNR order, and care burden of patients with DNR. Decision-making of DNR occurred between physicians and family members, not the patients themselves. Often high medical expenses were involved in choosing DNR, thus if choosing DNR it was implied the family members and health professionals as well did not try their best to help the patient. Verbal DNR permission was more popular in clinical settings. Most nurses felt guilty and depressed about the dying/death of patients with DNR. CONCLUSION: Clearer guidelines on DNR, which reflect a family-oriented culture, need to be established to reduce confusion and to promote involvement in the decision-making process of DNR among nurses.
Adult ; Attitude to Death ; Critical Care ; Decision Making ; Family/psychology ; Humans ; Interviews as Topic ; Korea ; Nursing Staff, Hospital/*psychology ; Professional-Family Relations ; *Resuscitation Orders/psychology ; Social Support ; Tape Recording

This study was conducted by analyzing all 33 articles based on the LISREL, published from January 1991 to March 1999 in Korea. The analyses consisted of the publication date of articles, principal dependent variables, subjects of the research, adequacy of sampling, adequacy of research purposes and results, accordance between theoretical model and hypothetical model, fit measures, theoretical base of model modification, and adequacy of conclusion. The results were as follows : The thesis of 33 articles in total were outnumbered as 25 (75.8%) to 8 (24.2%) research articles. As for a sex classification of the subjects, 45.5% of the research were conducted around a female group of subjects, while 54.5% were done for both sex, The range of the sample size was 105 to 803, and the average was 259 subjects. A single theoretical variable was measured for each measurement variable, any difference between variables was hardly found in 8 articles (24.2%), and 19 articles (57.6%) did not consider any measurement error. To analyze if the representative has been considered while collecting the data, most data were collected by a convenient sampling. Seven articles (21.2%) were seen with a sign of a representative. Questionnaires were used in a majority (31 articles) of the data collecting process. Only 2 articles (6.1%) were measured with a physiologic index simultaneously. 14 articles (42.2%) were centered on theory development, 10 articles on theory synthesis, and 9 articles on theory test. The research purposes and results were consistent in 25 articles (75.5%) and 8 articles (24.2%) were inconsistent. The quality of life and health promotion behavior were the concepts most frequently studied as a dependent variable, and 7 articles centered on them. In applied theories a health promotion model was used on 4 articles (12.1%), while role theory and stress-coping models were in 3 articles respectively. The articles were analyzed to see if the hypothetical model was elaborated and tested by the theoretical model. Twenty-five articles proved to be rationale for the inconsistencies. Also, 56.5% proposed hypotheses were supported among the subject articles, and 30 articles (90.0%) suggested a revised model. Path coefficient (17 articles) and theoretical adequacy (17 articles) were the standards mostly used. In conclusion, the principal factors were obtained from the research are to be considered as the principes of LISREL application. First, a model has to be established on a theoretical base rather than empirical results dependent on the data. The results are also required to be globally interpreted. Secondly, at least 200 samples are necessary to satisfy the need. Third, more than 3 measurement variables are to be adjusted to a single theoretical variable; the measurement errors must be suggested as well. Finally, normal distribution characteristics of the data and the estimation method need to be reported. Based on the research result, the follows are suggested; Systematic criteria on the LISREL application and procedure need to be developed Agreement form is required to report the results of research using the LISREL
Classification ; Female ; Health Promotion ; Humans ; Korea ; Models, Theoretical ; Nursing Research* ; Nursing* ; Publications ; Quality of Life ; Surveys and Questionnaires ; Sample Size

PURPOSE: The exercise status in patients with rheumatoid arthritis, associations between exercise behavior and personal factors, and associations between exercise behavior and exercise-specific cognitions and their effects were assessed. METHOD: Four hundred thirty nine outpatients with rheumatoid arthritis were studied. The exercise status was measured by a single item. The intensity was multiplied by the frequency and duration of each exercise. The product of these intensity values for all exercises was defined as exercise behavior. Based on the Pender's revised health promotion model, exercise benefit, barrier, self-efficacy, enjoyment and social support were chosen as exercise specific cognitions and affect variables. Path analysis was used to identify the predictors of exercise behavior. Results: Compared to the duration before being diagnosed, the number of subjects who exercised regularly increased after being diagnosed. However over half of the subjects refrain from any sort of exercise and the type of exercise is very limited. Among the variables, exercise barrier, self-efficacy, and social support were found to be significant predictors of exercise behavior, and only previous exercise experience was found to be significant predictors of all behavior specific cognitions and affect variables. CONCLUSION: These findings suggest that studies should explore exercise behaviors and strategies to emphasize the cognitive-motivational messages to promote exercise behaviors.
Arthritis, Rheumatoid* ; Exercise ; Health Promotion ; Humans ; Outpatients

PURPOSE: This study examined the characteristics and service utilization of home nursing care beneficiaries under the Korean Long-Term Care Insurance (LTCI). METHODS: We used assessment data and claim data of National Health Insurance Corporation from July to August 2008. Data were composed of subjects who were the beneficiaries of home nursing care. RESULTS: A total of 634 subjects were analyzed. Of the subjects, 57.1% were 75 years and over. The average score of nursing care need was only 0.71 and the percentage of those whose nursing care need score was zero was 58.0%. More than half of the subjects had partially dependent musculoskeletal conditions, and 75.5% had two or more comorbidities. A third of them usedonly home nursing care, and another third used both home nursing care and general home care at the same time. Those who needed sore care used the largest home nursing care benefits. CONCLUSION: Home nursing care of LTCI performs community-based healthcare services under LTCI. Throughout the past two years, however, it has not been active. Understanding the characteristics of its users is important in order to develop effective strategies for activating home nursing care.
Comorbidity ; Delivery of Health Care ; Home Care Services ; Home Nursing* ; Insurance, Long-Term Care* ; Long-Term Care* ; National Health Programs ; Nursing Care