PURPOSE: This study was done to verify the effects of foot reflexology on the self-esteem and vitality of elders. METHOD: A non- equivalent control group pre- and post-test design was used. Research instruments to measure self-esteem and vitality were used in this study. The participants were elderly women hospitalized in a hospital in Okcheon County, Chungbuk Province, Korea. The 18 patients in the experimental group performed 40 minutes of foot reflexology per time for a total of 12 times over two weeks, and the 18 patients in the control group received regular care only. Before and after the experiment, both groups were tested for self-esteem and vitality. Frequencies, percentages, chi-square-test, t-test and Mann-Whitney U test with the SPSS/WIN 10.0 program were used to analyze the collected data. RESULTS: Vitality of the elderly women patients improved significantly in the experimental group. However self-esteem did not increase significantly. CONCLUSION: Foot reflexology is effective as a nursing intervention in improving the health of elders.
Aged ; Female ; Foot ; Humans ; Korea ; Massage

This study was designed and undertaken to find out the influence of aerobic dancing on women's body image and self-concept, and to determine that body image is directly related to their self-concept. The data were collected from August 1st to September 30th, 1993. The subjects in this study were 150 women registered at aerobic center in Taejon city over for 4weeks(aerobic dancing group) and 132 women who visited at 3 beauty shop located in Taejon city and did not participate in any sports program over for 4 weeks(general group). Data were analysed for mean, X2-test, T-test, ANOVA and Pearson-correlation coefficients using the SPSS program. The results of this study were as follows ; 1. Hypothesis I : "There will be a difference in body image between aerobic dancing group and general group", was rejected(t=1.46, p>0.05). 2. Hypothesis II : "There will be a difference in self-concept between aerobic dancing group and general group", was supported(t=2.38, p<0.05). 3. Hypothesis III : "The more positive body image will be, the higher self-concept will be", was supported(r=0.3393, p<0.01). 4. In the relationships between the body image and the general characteristics of the subjects, occupation(aerobic dancing group and total group), religion(general group), and marriage status(total group) were statistically significant results. 5. In the relationships between the self-concept and the general characteristics of the subjects, the relationship between evaluational self-concept and occupation was statistically significant result in the total group, between the cognitive self-concept and occupation was in the general group and total group, and between evaluational self-concept and education was in the aerobic dancing group.
Beauty ; Body Image* ; Daejeon ; Dancing* ; Education ; Female ; Humans ; Marriage ; Occupations ; Sports

This study looks at the various alternative therapy methods used in day to day life by elderly, over 60 years of age. The elderly have come to know and practice these methods for the following reasons : it is good for the health ; it is the method used in the olden days when there wesn't modern medicine ; it has been passed down from generations ; it can be done at home without having the need to go to the hospital ; acupuncture or poulticing can be used ; it can be done at home, which was an important factor in rural areas where hospitals are few and far between ; and [herbal] medicine could be prepared at home at no cast ; it derives from experience ; it is impossible to ignore tradition passed down through the generations. Diet control and plants(herbs) are methods most often used, as they are easy to find and can be readily used in critical situations. Other methods include oriental medicine practices of moxibustion with moxa cone, negative therapy, hand and finger acupunture, finger press method, ordinary acupunture, finger press method, ordinary acupunture, manual healing methods of massage, diaphoretic therapy and meditation to reach a state of calm, and qigong dirigation. The reasons for its use are as follows : it has been used before ; it is effective ; there is some improvement after the treatment ; it is not harmful to the body ; medicine cannot be obtained and it is the only thing available ; it is not good for an old person to go to the hospital everyday, the symptoms are not serious enough to go to a hospital ; and acupuncture is for these things. The means that the elderly have come to practice these methods are ; it has been used since the past ; it has been told by the elders ; they have been told by friends ; it was part of their knowledge ; and they have come to know by watching their mother. Further, to regain vitality lost through old age, the elderly have relied on hot soup, a hearty meal, brewed honey water, pumpkin, or ginseng. Humans, by instinct, would rub or massage the areas that caused pain. These actions, combined with a breathing technique have been recognized in Tong-Eui-Bo-Gam(the essential of eastern medicine), the complete work of early modern medicine, are a useful means to revive chi. This knowledge is thought to have greatly affected our healthy lifestyle. Furthermore, though the demand for medical services would increase with age, the elderly have not always been able to tend to their needs at the hospital for reasons economic or other. Hence, these alternative therapy methods seem to have been practiced as a temporary means of relief. The excellence of our traditional therapeutic custom has not received full recognition due to the argument relating to its scientific merits. As a result, it has become vital to prove their effectiveness through scientific and other experimental means. The potency of moxibustion with moxa cone and hand and finger acupunture have been proven scientifically, but diet and herbal methods appear to be practiced as a result of customs passed down from generations. In addition, it is submitted that the effectiveness of the traditional methods of disease control and our heathy lifestyle that are easily found in the nursing field must be verified.
Acupuncture ; Aged ; Cucurbita ; Diet ; Family Characteristics ; Fingers ; Friends ; Hand ; History, Early Modern 1451-1600 ; History, Modern 1601- ; Honey ; Humans ; Instinct ; Life Style ; Massage ; Meals ; Medicine, East Asian Traditional ; Meditation ; Mothers ; Moxibustion ; Nursing ; Panax ; Qigong ; Respiration ; Water

This study was designed and undertaken to find out the degree of powerlessness, self-esteem and family support of elderly home residents and to determine the relationship between powerlessness, self-esteem and family support. The data were collected from October 1st to 20th, 1998. The subjects in this study were 271 elderly home residents over the age 60 living in Taejon city. The study tool for measuring powerlessness was developed by S.E.Chung(1998), the other for measuring self-esteem, was a self-esteem scale developed by Rosenberg, and the tool for measuring family support was developed by Choi(1983), Cobb(1976) and Kang(1984). Data were analysed for percentage, mean, t-test, ANOVA and Peason-correlation coefficients using the SPSS program. The results of this study were as follows ; 1. The degree of powerlessness, self-esteem and family support was scored avove the median. 2. The relationship between powerlessness and self-esteem revealed a no significant inverse correlation, but powerlessness and family support, showed a significant inverse correlation, and self-esteem and family support, registered a very statistically significant correlation. 3. The general characteristics showing the differences of the elderly' powerlessness were sex, one' s health of state compared to other elderly' and living expense load. These yielded statistically very significant results. 4. The general characteristics showing the differences of the elderly' self-esteem were sex, state of ownership of a house, age, religion, one's health of state compared to other elderly'. Among these, sex and state of ownership of a house revealed statistically very significant differences, also age, religion and one's health of state produced statistically significant differences. 5. The general characteristics showing the differences of the elderly' family support were sex, state of ownership of a house, having some diagnosed diseases or not and one's health of state compared to other elderly' health. These also showed statistically significant differences. In conclusion, the factors influencing the elderly' powerlessness, self-esteem and family support generally were age, sex, their economic independence and health of state(which included especially having a diagnosed disease). Also, the family support was needed to reduce their powerlessness and to have their self-esteem highly.
Aged* ; Daejeon ; Humans ; Ownership

Deep skin and soft tissue defects with exposed bone and tendon is difficult to treat, because skin graft rarely survives and flap surgery is sacrifice of donor site. Since "Stage I" membrane was developed by Yannas and Bruke in 1980, numerous kinds of artificial skin have been developed. The adaptability of "Terudermis", developed by the Terumo Co., as an artificial skin composed of sponge made of a fibrillar atelocollagen and a heat-denatured atelocollagen, was clinically evaluated on application to 13 cases presenting deep skin and soft tissue defect with exposed bones and tendons from October 1997 to march 1998. Terudermis has the advantage of allowing early incorporation of fibroblasts and capillaries into its collagen sponge due to very weak dehydrothermal cross-linking. Before Terudermis graft, several days of wet dressing and debridement were required to prepare healthy well-vascularized bed because Terudermis was weak on unsanitary wounds. After bed preparation, Terudermis was grafted like usual skin graft. Tie-over bolster dressing or compressive dressing was used case by case. The dressing was opened 2~3 days after Terudermis grafting. Wet dressing was done daily until the skin graft was done. Autologous skin graft was done 2-3 weeks after Terudermis graft. Our clinical results indicated that Terudermis was beneficial in treating 77% of our patients. Through the use of this new method, treatment of severe skin and soft tissue defects that are usually treated by musculocutaneous or other conventional skin flaps can be replaced by Terudermis as an new artificial dermis.
Bandages ; Capillaries ; Collagen ; Debridement ; Dermis ; Fibroblasts ; Humans ; Membranes ; Porifera ; Skin ; Skin, Artificial ; Tendons ; Tissue Donors ; Transplants ; Wounds and Injuries*

PURPOSE: Most of postoperative patients experience pain, state anxiety and sleep disturbance. These problems negatively influence the recovery of postoperative patients. So alleviating these problems has been one of the nurses' central roles. The purpose of this study was to examine the effects of back massage on pain, state anxiety and quality of sleep of postoperative gastrectomy patients. METHODS: A non-synchronized non-equivalent control group pre and post-test design was used. The research instruments used in this study were the Numerical Rating Scale (NRS) for pain, the State-Anxiety Inventory (STAI) for anxiety and the Verran and Synder-Halpern scale for quality of sleep. The subjects were patients admitted to a university hospital located in D city. Twenty-nine patients in the experimental group had a 10 min manual back massage stimulation for 5 days from the 1st day to the 5th day after their operation, and 25 patients in the control group did not. RESULTS: The degree of pain was significantly reduced according to post operation day and quality of sleep was significantly increased. However state anxiety was not significantly reduced. CONCLUSION: Back massage is a partially effective nursing intervention for postoperative patients with gastrectomy who experience pain and sleep disturbance.
Anxiety ; Benzeneacetamides ; Gastrectomy ; Humans ; Massage ; Piperidones

Flightdeck behaviour and flight safety are influenced by the national, organizational, and professional cultures of crewmembers. National complexity of the operating environment ensure that error will be an inevitable occurrence. The influences of three cultures that are relevant to the cockpit are described; the professional culture of the pilots, organizational cultures, and the national cultures surrounding individuals and their organizations. This study review the cultural difference of crewmember in Korea based on Hofstede and Helmreich study. The study concludes with a suggestion of CRM in Korea as strategy necessary for a safety culture considering the multi-cultures cockpit.
Humans* ; Korea ; Organizational Culture ; Transportation*

OBJECTIVES: To evaluate the occurrence of patient adverse events in Korean hospitals as perceived by nurses and examine the correlation between patient adverse events with the nurse practice environment at nurse and hospital level. METHODS: In total, 3096 nurses working in 60 general inpatient hospital units were included. A two-level logistic regression analysis was performed. RESULTS: At the hospital level, patient adverse events included patient falls (60.5%), nosocomial infections (51.7%), pressure sores (42.6%) and medication errors (33.3%). Among the hospital-level explanatory variables associated with the nursing practice environment, 'physician- nurse relationship' correlated with medication errors while 'education for improving quality of care' affected patient falls. CONCLUSIONS: The doctor-nurse relationship and access to education that can improve the quality of care at the hospital level may help decrease the occurrence of patient adverse events.
Accidental Falls ; Accidents, Occupational ; Adult ; Cross Infection/etiology ; Female ; Hospitals ; Humans ; Logistic Models ; Male ; Medication Errors ; Middle Aged ; Nurses/*psychology ; Odds Ratio ; Pressure Ulcer/etiology ; *Quality of Health Care ; Questionnaires

OBJECTIVES: To evaluate the occurrence of patient adverse events in Korean hospitals as perceived by nurses and examine the correlation between patient adverse events with the nurse practice environment at nurse and hospital level. METHODS: In total, 3096 nurses working in 60 general inpatient hospital units were included. A two-level logistic regression analysis was performed. RESULTS: At the hospital level, patient adverse events included patient falls (60.5%), nosocomial infections (51.7%), pressure sores (42.6%) and medication errors (33.3%). Among the hospital-level explanatory variables associated with the nursing practice environment, 'physician- nurse relationship' correlated with medication errors while 'education for improving quality of care' affected patient falls. CONCLUSIONS: The doctor-nurse relationship and access to education that can improve the quality of care at the hospital level may help decrease the occurrence of patient adverse events.
Accidental Falls ; Accidents, Occupational ; Adult ; Cross Infection/etiology ; Female ; Hospitals ; Humans ; Logistic Models ; Male ; Medication Errors ; Middle Aged ; Nurses/*psychology ; Odds Ratio ; Pressure Ulcer/etiology ; *Quality of Health Care ; Questionnaires

PURPOSE: This study was performed to verify the effect of Tai Chi exercise on patients with rheumatoid arthritis particularly their level of pain, fatigue, sense of balance and daily life performance (ADL). METHOD: It employed a non-equivalent control group pre- and post-test design. The research instruments used in this study were pain, fatigue, sense of balance and ADL. Thirty-two patients in the experimental group carried out 50 minutes of Tai Chi exercise for 12 weeks, and 29 patients in the control group did not. Before and after the experiment, both groups were tested for pain, fatigue, sense of balance and ADL. Collected data were processed using the SPSS/WIN 10.0 program analyzed by the frequency, percentage, X2-test, and t-test. RESULTS: Pain and fatigue significantly decreased in the experimental group. However the improvement in ADL of the rheumatoid arthritis patients was not statistically significant but their sense of balance was enhanced significantly. CONCLUSION: Tai Chi exercise is an effective nursing intervention that can be used for rheumatoid arthritis patients.
Activities of Daily Living ; Arthritis, Rheumatoid/*rehabilitation ; Fatigue/*rehabilitation ; Female ; Humans ; Male ; Middle Aged ; Pain/*rehabilitation ; Postural Balance ; *Tai Ji