PURPOSE: Increasing numbers of Koreans have immigrated to the United States since the late 1960s. The first generation of Korean immigrants or their parents become old and institutionalized in American nursing home setting. Although the Korean elders would experience many cultural differences in the nursing home, no study to date has investigated their everyday lives on how they live through their later lives within a different cultural environment from their own. METHODS: Using ethnographic methodology, the purpose of this paper was to illustrate Korean residents' experiences and daily lives in a nursing home located in an east coastal city in the U.S. Participant observation, filed notes, semi-structured interviews were utilized by means of data collection. Eighteen Korean residents were observed, and five of them and two nurses participated in informal qualitative interviews. RESULTS: The overriding theme from the findings is "thrown in a different world." Three sub-themes include "constant struggles in making themselves understood", "dealing with culturally inappropriate nursing care," and "maintaining their own ways of life". CONCLUSIONS: The discovered themes reflect culturally isolated lives of the participants and open a venue for designing a culturally congruent nursing care for Korean elders living in the U.S. nursing homes.
Aged* ; Anthropology, Cultural ; Data Collection ; Emigrants and Immigrants ; Humans ; Nursing Care ; Nursing Homes* ; Nursing* ; Parents ; United States

PURPOSE: The purpose of this study was to investigate the influence of stress, spousal support, and resilience on the types of coping among women with breast cancer. METHOD: Using a cross-sectional survey design, a total of 120 participants, diagnosed with breast cancer, had a mass removal surgery, and were fluent in Korean, were recruited at a cancer center in Seoul, Korea. Self-reported questionnaires of stress, spousal support, resilience, and ways of coping were administered upon the permission from the original developers. Data were analyzed using SPSS 22.0 Win program. RESULT: Ways of coping was positively correlated with spousal support, resilience, and stress. Positive correlations were found between problem-focused coping, spousal support, and resilience. Positive correlations were found between emotion-focused coping with stress and resilience. Hierarchical multiple regressions revealed that spousal support had significant moderating effect on the relationship between stress and emotion-focused coping. CONCLUSION: Women perceived their diagnosis and surgery as more stressful, they more like to use emotion-focused coping. Women with more spousal support and resilience were found to use problem-focused coping more. Based on the findings of this study, a tailored intervention for women with breast cancer for improving their coping is expected in future research.
Breast Neoplasms* ; Cross-Sectional Studies ; Diagnosis ; Female ; Humans ; Korea ; Seoul

PURPOSE: The purpose of this study was to evaluate the effects of P6 acupressure and guided imagery on nausea, vomiting, retching, and anorexia of the patient with thyroid cancer who were undergoing high dose radio-active iodine therapy (HD-RAIT). METHODS: Using a randomized control group pretest-posttest study design, the participants were randomly assigned into the control group (C), the experimental group I (E1, P6 acupressure only) and the experimental group II (E2, P6 acupressure and a guided imagery). The patients were recruited from December 2011 to June 2012 in a tertiary hospital in Seoul, South Korea. A total of 82 patients completed the study. The Korean version of the Rhodes INVR and the anorexia scale by Grant (1987) were used. RESULTS: The levels of nausea, vomiting, retching, and anorexia were significantly different among the groups. The levels of nausea and retching especially showed significant group differences over time. Synergic effects of P6 acupressure with guided imagery had significant effects over separate P6 acupressure intervention. CONCLUSION: Non-pharmacological and nurse-provided P6 acupressure and guided imagery appeared to be effective and safe in reducing nausea, vomiting, retching, and anorexia of the patients with thyroid cancer underwent HD-RAIT.
Acupressure* ; Anorexia* ; Financing, Organized ; Humans ; Imagery (Psychotherapy)* ; Clinical Trial ; Iodine* ; Nausea* ; Nursing ; Republic of Korea ; Seoul ; Tertiary Care Centers ; Thyroid Gland* ; Thyroid Neoplasms* ; Vomiting*

PURPOSE: The purpose of this study was to investigate the risk of malnutrition and its relationship with depression and perceived health status. METHODS: A total number of 154 elderly over 60 years participated in the study through a community elderly center. The risk of malnutrition was measured by NSI (Nutritional Screening Initiative), depression by CES-D, and health status by a self-rated Likert scale. RESULTS: About one fourth (22.7%) of the subjects had a high risk, and 31.2% had a moderate risk of getting malnutrition. Regarding depression, 34.4% (53 elderly) of the subjects had a high risk. Overall health status had a mean of 3.46 within the range of 1 to 5. In relation to demographic factors, female elderly (chi-square=6.68, p= .04), aged younger than 75 years old (chi-square=8.60, p= .01), and having co-morbidity (F=9.81, p= .001) were significantly related to a high risk of malnutrition. Having a higher depression score, higher number of co-morbidity, and lower perceived health status were significantly related to a higher risk of becoming malnourished. CONCLUSION: The elderly's risk of getting malnutrition was significantly related to their depression and perceived health status. With these findings nursing interventions focusing on these factors should be developed in order to improve the elderly's multidimensional well-being.
Aged ; Aged, 80 and over ; Chi-Square Distribution ; Depression/*psychology ; Female ; *Health Status ; Humans ; Male ; Malnutrition/*etiology ; Middle Aged ; Nutrition Assessment ; Nutritional Status ; Risk

Purpose: This study aimed to explore and describe the lived experience of young adult heart transplant recipients in Korea. Methods: Fifteen young adult heart transplant recipients participated in this qualitative study. Data were collected from March to August 2019 through in-depth individual interviews and analyzed using Colaizzi's phenomenological method. Results: Their experiences about the arduous journey of heart transplant surgery and life after surgery were captured in four themes: (1) unwelcome rebirth without vitality, (2) facing unreachable ordinary tasks in life, (3) lifestyle bordering between burdensome and self-valued, and (4) finding the true meaning of a newly given life. Conclusion Young adult heart transplant recipients struggled with the burdens of their health problems, which impacted their employment and relationships. The participants' lifelong challenges and psychological turbulence identified in this study provide guidance for health-care providers to understand this population.

Purpose: The purpose of this study was to explore the lived experience of body alteration and body image with regard to immediate breast reconstruction among women with breast cancer. Methods: Data were collected from July to December 2020 through individual in-depth interviews with 15 women who had undergone immediate breast reconstruction due to breast cancer. Verbatim transcripts were analyzed using Colaizzi’s phenomenological analysis. Results: The following four theme clusters emerged. First, “revalued meaning of breasts due to cancer” illustrated the fact that cancer removal surgery brought the participants to reconsider the meaning of their breasts. Second, “had no choice but breast reconstruction” demonstrated the participants’ decision-making process of not wanting to lose breasts. Third, “unsatisfied breasts despite reconstruction” portrayed the distress due to the unexpected surgical outcomes. Finally, “restarted everyday routines with the altered body” described the healing process of the participants by accepting their changed body. Conclusion In Korea, where family-centeredness and fidelity are highly valued, women perceived their breasts not only as a symbol of femininity but as the mediator connecting the self to family. Despite the distress related to imperfect breasts, the participants were thankful for their reconstructed breasts. Breast reconstruction helped them return to daily life as the psychological trauma of breast cancer was healed. The participants rebuilt their body image by accepting their scarred new body. This may allow health professionals to provide constructive and culturally appropriate counseling in advance by providing insight into women’s perception of their body image with regard to breast reconstruction.

Purpose: This study aimed to explore and describe the lived experience of young adult heart transplant recipients in Korea. Methods: Fifteen young adult heart transplant recipients participated in this qualitative study. Data were collected from March to August 2019 through in-depth individual interviews and analyzed using Colaizzi's phenomenological method. Results: Their experiences about the arduous journey of heart transplant surgery and life after surgery were captured in four themes: (1) unwelcome rebirth without vitality, (2) facing unreachable ordinary tasks in life, (3) lifestyle bordering between burdensome and self-valued, and (4) finding the true meaning of a newly given life. Conclusion Young adult heart transplant recipients struggled with the burdens of their health problems, which impacted their employment and relationships. The participants' lifelong challenges and psychological turbulence identified in this study provide guidance for health-care providers to understand this population.

Purpose: The purpose of this study was to explore the lived experience of body alteration and body image with regard to immediate breast reconstruction among women with breast cancer. Methods: Data were collected from July to December 2020 through individual in-depth interviews with 15 women who had undergone immediate breast reconstruction due to breast cancer. Verbatim transcripts were analyzed using Colaizzi’s phenomenological analysis. Results: The following four theme clusters emerged. First, “revalued meaning of breasts due to cancer” illustrated the fact that cancer removal surgery brought the participants to reconsider the meaning of their breasts. Second, “had no choice but breast reconstruction” demonstrated the participants’ decision-making process of not wanting to lose breasts. Third, “unsatisfied breasts despite reconstruction” portrayed the distress due to the unexpected surgical outcomes. Finally, “restarted everyday routines with the altered body” described the healing process of the participants by accepting their changed body. Conclusion In Korea, where family-centeredness and fidelity are highly valued, women perceived their breasts not only as a symbol of femininity but as the mediator connecting the self to family. Despite the distress related to imperfect breasts, the participants were thankful for their reconstructed breasts. Breast reconstruction helped them return to daily life as the psychological trauma of breast cancer was healed. The participants rebuilt their body image by accepting their scarred new body. This may allow health professionals to provide constructive and culturally appropriate counseling in advance by providing insight into women’s perception of their body image with regard to breast reconstruction.

PURPOSE: This study was conducted to identify the differences in symptoms, depression, intimacy and quality of life (QOL), and the factors influencing QOL in men with prostate cancer undergoing androgen deprivation therapy (ADT). METHODS: This study used a cross-sectional, descriptive research design. Data were collected using a self-report questionnaire from 122 men with prostate cancer undergoing ADT. The data collection period was from November 19, 2018 to February 25, 2019. Data were analyzed using t-tests, χ2 tests, Fisher's exact tests, 4-way ANOVA and multiple regression. RESULTS: The mean age of the men was 70.3±7.3. There were statistically significant differences in urinary, bowel, sexual and hormonal symptoms according to treatment duration (F=23.74, p<.001). Factors influencing QOL explained 55% of the variance (adjusted R2=.55, p<.001). These factors were depression (β=−.52, p<.001), intimacy (β=.23, p=.001), ADT duration (β=−.17, p=.011), economic status middle (β=.23, p=.006), high (β=.29, p=.001) and sleep (β=.15, p=.023). CONCLUSION: The study found an association between ADT duration and symptoms, and the factors influencing QOL of participants. It provides a base for future research direction on ADT and patient QOL.
Data Collection ; Depression ; Hormone Replacement Therapy ; Humans ; Male ; Prostate ; Prostatic Neoplasms ; Quality of Life ; Research Design