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: This study was conducted to identify the relationship of the elder abuse perception with the caregiving stress of adult caregivers and to investigate influencing factors on them. METHODS: Data were collected from 398 adults aged 30-65, and analyzed with the SPSS/WIN program. RESULTS: In the elder abuse perception, there were differences in age, marital status, education, job, person to be taken care of, age of elderly mother, duration of caregiving, economic status and health status of elderly parents. As for the caregiving stress, there were differences in age, marital status, income, health status, relationship with the elder, person to be taken care of, economic status and health status of elder parents. Influencing factors on the elder abuse perception included caregiving stress, education, marital status, health status of elders, and economic status of parents (30%). On the caregiving stress, elder abuse perception, economic status of elders, and relationship between caregivers and elders were influencing factors (24%). CONCLUSION: The results of this study suggest that it is needed to develop a nursing program to prevent elder abuse and to decrease caregiving stress in caregivers. In addition, it should be considered in tandem with significant influencing factors that were found in this study.
Adult* ; Aged ; Caregivers* ; Elder Abuse* ; Humans ; Marital Status ; Mothers ; Parents

PURPOSE: This study was conducted to examine an exercise program using a lay health leader for elderly participants. The test covered physical fitness (grip strength, static balance and complex movement abilities), depression, cognitive function and quality of life. METHODS: A quasi-experimental study using a non-equivalent control group pre-post design was employed. The participants were 62 elders from an institution for the aged, of whom 30 were included in the experimental group and 32 in the control group. The exercise program using a resident volunteer as a lay health leader was run three times a week for 12 weeks. The collected data were analyzed by chi2 test, t-test, paired t-test, and ANCOVA with SPSS/WIN 19.0. RESULTS: After the program, left grip strength (F=1.77, p<.001), right grip strength (F=9.97, p<.001), static balance (F=2.79, p<.001), ability to move complex (F=1.76, p<.001), depression (F=7.66, p<.001), the cognitive function (F=8.39, p<.001) and quality of life (F=1.08, p<.001) in the experimental group were significantly better than those in the control group. CONCLUSION: Study findings indicated that using a resident volunteer as a lay health leader was effective. It can be recommended as a public health resource and for consistent and comfortable education for the elderly in communities.
Cognition ; Depression* ; Hand Strength ; Physical Fitness* ; Public Health ; Quality of Life*

PURPOSE: This study was attempted to provide quality improvement and revitalization of visiting nurse services by Importance-Performance Analysis of persons being provided with the services. METHODS: The subjects were 350 people being provided with visiting nurse services from a long term home care institution in the kangwon Province during the period of data collection between Aug. 16 and Sep. 15, 2011. Data analysis was conducted through t-test, ANOVA, and IPA by using the SPSS/WIN 12.0 program. RESULTS: As a result of the Importance-Performance Analysis of visiting nurse services, it turned out that the strength on reliability, assurance, and empathy should be maintained with good work and the aspects of responsiveness appeared to be intensively improved, and the tangibility proved to be subject to improvement. CONCLUSION: For the activation of visiting nurse services, methods for improving the performance in the intensive care area and management strategy establishment which highlights the advantages of strength maintenance area are needed.
Community Health Nursing* ; Data Collection ; Empathy ; Home Care Services ; Humans ; Insurance, Long-Term Care* ; Critical Care ; Long-Term Care* ; Quality Improvement ; Statistics as Topic

PURPOSE: The study attempted to examine whether the group art therapy using a collage medium and reminiscence therapy prevented or reversed dementia, prevented depression, and improved the quality of life of elderly women at high risk for dementia in community public health centers. METHODS: As a quasi-experimental study with a nonequivalent control group, this study used a pre-post design. The subjects consisted of a random sample of women over 65 years of age who had been registered as being at high-risk for dementia at the Public Health Center of the G City, and the Dementia Support Center. Of these elders, 30 were assigned to the experimental group and 33 to the control group. The intervention was conducted twice a week for 5 weeks. chi2-test, t-test, Wilcoxon test were used to analyze the data. RESULTS: After the program, cognitive function, depression, and quality of life were significantly better in the experimental group than in the control group. CONCLUSION: The group art therapy can be utilized in community-based nursing practices by identifying and registering those who are at high risk for dementia. The results should prove useful when designing future intervention strategies targeting elderly individuals residing in communities.
Art Therapy* ; Cognition* ; Dementia ; Depression* ; Female ; Humans ; Public Health ; Quality of Life*

PURPOSE: The purpose of the study was to examine associations between job stress and work-related musculoskeletal symptoms (WRMS) in street sanitation workers. METHODS: A cross-sectional correlational study was conducted with 87 male street sanitation workers at E Gu in Seoul. The Job stress and WRMS were measured by using the Korean Occupational Stress Scale-Short Form and the KOSHA GUIDE H-9-2012 instrument, respectively. The WRMS was evaluated according to the National Institute of Occupational Safety and Health criteria. RESULTS: The participants reported greater levels of insufficient job control and interpersonal conflict than the general Korean population. Of the participants, 44.8% reported WRMS at any body parts. Specifically, 28.7% reported WRMS at upper parts, while 16.5% reported WRMS at lower parts. Compared to low levels of job demand, its high levels were significantly associated with WRMS at both upper and lower parts of the body (OR=3.62, 95% CI=1.15~11.38; OR=3.60, 95% CI=1.04~12.39). Compared to low levels of occupational climate, its high levels were significantly associated with WRMS at upper parts of the body (OR=3.18, 95% CI=1.22~8.26). CONCLUSION: Among street sanitation workers, job stress may be a correlate of WRMS. Therefore, nursing strategies for reducing job stress are needed to prevent and manage WRMS.
Climate ; Human Body ; Humans ; Male ; Musculoskeletal Diseases ; Occupational Health ; Sanitation* ; Stress, Psychological

PURPOSE: This study aimed to assess the levels of and relationships among health literacy, knowledge about diabetes, and self-care activities in the Korean low-income elderly with diabetes and to identify factors influencing the self-care activities of this vulnerable population. METHODS: This study surveyed a total of 151 low-income elderly patients with diabetes registered at 16 Visiting Health Care Services in B City, Korea. Health literacy was measured with the Newest Vital Sign. Diabetes knowledge was measured with the Diabetes Knowledge Test. The Summary of Diabetes Self-care Activities Questionnaire was used to assess diabetes self-care activities. A stepwise multiple regression analysis was conducted to identify significant factors influencing diabetes self-care activities in these patients. RESULTS: In the regression model, diabetes knowledge (beta=.322, p<.001), exercise (beta=.337, p<.001), and experiences of diabetes education (beta=.241, p=.001) were significantly associated with increased diabetes self-care activities in low-income elderly patients with diabetes when gender, education, health literacy, and subjective health state were controlled. CONCLUSION: To improve diabetes self-care activities in the low-income elderly with diabetes, it is important to develop a customized program considering their knowledge, exercise, and diabetes education experience.
Aged ; Delivery of Health Care ; Diabetes Mellitus ; Education ; Health Education ; Health Literacy* ; Humans ; Korea ; Self Care* ; Vital Signs ; Vulnerable Populations ; Surveys and Questionnaires

PURPOSE: This study was conducted to examine the effects of foot reflexology on arthralgia, ankylosis, depression and sleep in community-dwelling elderly women with osteoarthritis. METHODS: The research adopted a non-equivalent control group pretest-posttest design. Participants were 47 elderly women: 22 in the experimental group and 25 in the control group. The experimental group received foot reflexology twice a week for 4 weeks. The results were analyzed using chi2-test, t-test, and ANCOVA with the SPSS/WIN 21.0 program. RESULTS: The results showed that foot reflexology was statistically significantly effective in reducing arthralgia, ankylosis, and depression and in improving the quality of sleep as evidenced by differences between two groups. CONCLUSION: The results of this study indicated that foot reflexology is an effective nursing intervention in reducing arthralgia, ankylosis, and depression, and improving the quality of sleep. Therefore, it is necessary to develop foot reflexology as an independent nursing intervention for elderly women with osteoarthritis in community.
Aged* ; Ankylosis* ; Arthralgia* ; Depression* ; Female ; Foot* ; Humans ; Massage* ; Nursing ; Osteoarthritis*

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 aim of this study was to identify the roles, duties and tasks of elementary health teachers. Required knowledge, skills, and worker behaviors were also examined. METHODS: Elementary health teachers' jobs were analyzed by DACUM workshop. First, the health teachers' roles and related jobs were described, and then the jobs were divided into duties and subordinate tasks. The identified roles, duties and tasks were reviewed and refined, and then were organized in a DACUM chart. DACUM committee members discussed not only general knowledge, skills and work behaviors but also future trends and concerns. RESULTS: The DACUM chart for elementary health teachers consisted of 8 duties and 52 tasks. Required knowledge, skills and worker behaviors were also listed. CONCLUSION: Elementary health teachers play roles as health manager, health care provider, and teacher in school. Their roles, duties and tasks are being changed. Thus, their jobs need to be redefined legally, politically, and institutionally.
Committee Membership ; Education ; Health Personnel ; Humans ; Job Description ; School Health Services ; Task Performance and Analysis