PURPOSE: The study was done to identify the perceived health status, depression, and activities of daily living(ADL+IADL) of elderly women and men, and to define the difference between the two groups. In addition this study investigated the relationships among the variables of perceived health status, depression, and activities of daily living of both groups. METHOD: The subjects of this study were 579 elderly people over 65 years living in urban area. Data was collected through personal interviews using questionnaires from March to October 2005. Data was analyzed with the SPSS program. RESULT: There was a significant difference of perceived health status, depression, and activities of daily living(ADL+IADL) between the elderly women and men groups. There was a significant relationship among variables of perceived health status, depression, and activities of daily living in elderly men. However, there was no significant relationship among the variables in elderly women. CONCLUSION: The findings of this study give useful information for constructing an intervention program and care for elderly women and men.
Activities of Daily Living* ; Aged* ; Depression* ; Female ; Humans ; Male ; Surveys and Questionnaires

Esophageal involvement by malignant lymphoma is extremely rare. A case of follicular lymphoma of the esophagus, misdiagnosed as focal lymphoid hyperplasia (pseudolymphoma) in a 72-year-old man is presented. The esophagogram revealed diffuse narrowing of the lumen in the middle and distal portion without ulceration. The resected esophagus showed mural thickening without any remarkable mucosal change. Microscopically, the esophagus showed scattered follicular lymphoid aggregates in the submucosa, extending into periadventitial fat tissue. Most follicles were devoid of germinal center and consisted of loosely aggregated small cleaved cells without atypia. The surrounding stroma of the submucosa showed dense fibrosis entrapping the infiltrating small lymphocytes in a "indian-file" appearance. There were some reactive follicles with germinal center. In the lamina propria, many plasma cells and a few eosinophils were infiltrated. The gene rearrangement study showed rearranged band for Jk probe which confirmed monoclonal B-cell nature of infiltrated small lymphoid cells. The small cleaved lymphocytes arranged in follicles were positive for L26 and bcl-2 protein. This case demonstrated the necessity of immunophenotypic and gene rearrangement study in the diagnosis of pseudolymphoma in the digestive tract.
Male ; Humans

PURPOSE: This study was done to identify health behaviors, physical function, and life satisfaction in elderly women. Also, the study was done to identify the relationship among the variables of health behaviors, physical function, and life satisfaction in elderly women. METHOD: The subjects of this study were 205 elderly women. Data were collected through personal interviews using questionnaires from March to October 2005. Data were analyzed with the SPSS program. Result: There was a significant difference in health behaviors related to spouse, life satisfaction and education, social security and monthly income. There were significant relationships among health behaviors, physical function, and life satisfaction for elderly women. CONCLUSION: The findings of this study give useful information for constructing a health-welfare program for elderly women.
Aged* ; Education ; Female ; Health Behavior* ; Humans ; Surveys and Questionnaires ; Social Security ; Spouses

PURPOSE: The purpose of this study was to explain the effects of upper extremity exercise program on hemiplegic stroke patients. METHOD: The research was designed by a non-equivalent pretest-posttest way. The data were collected from February to August 2003 at a community health center located in Seoul. The study subjects were a conveniently selected group of 27 hemiplegic patients. The subjects were divided into two groups, the experimental group and the control group. 14 subjects were assigned to the experimental group in which the subjects did the upper extremity exercise training for 2 hours once a week during four weeks, while 13 subjects were assigned to the control group. The outcomes were evaluated on the basis of the upper extremity motor ability(hand power, pinch power, upper extremity ROMs), amount of motor use and the degree of depression. RESULT: 1. After treatment, the motor abilities of the affected upper extremity(hand power, pinch power, ROMs of wrist flexion/extension, shoulder extension) were significantly different between the two groups. However, there were no significant differences in elbow and shoulder flexion between experimental and control group. 2. After treatment, amount of motor use of affected upper extremity were significantly different between the two groups. 3. After treatment, the degree of depression were significantly different between the two groups. CONCLUSION: In considering these results, the upper extremity exercise program could be effective for hemiplegic patients by improving the function of their upper extremity. Long-term studies are needed to determine the effects of upper extremity exercise program.
Community Health Centers ; Depression ; Elbow ; Hemiplegia ; Humans ; Seoul ; Shoulder ; Stroke* ; Upper Extremity* ; Wrist

The lengthened average span of human life by virtue of recent developments in medicine has caused the population of elders to increase. The development of modern industrial society has transformed family structure from the large family system to that of a nuclear family. Due to the shift in family structure, the problem of support for the aged has surfaced as a nursing problem as well as a social problem. With regard to this problem, this study aims to investigate the adolescent's understanding of elders and aging. By identifying their understanding and classifying their attitude patterns, this study will help the nursing assessment of the support of elders in the family. This study employed Q-methodology, and the research was conducted from December, 1998 to May, 1999. One method of the research included deep interviews with elders, those who are in their 50's, 40's or 30's, and the adolescent. 183 Q-populations taken from literary works such as poems or novels were also formed as another method. Finally, 36 Q-cards were made after consultation with professors of the nursing department. The subjects of the P- sample were 30 high schoolboys/girls - who were in first, second, and third years. The result showed that 3 factors provided an explanation for 59.14% of the whole variables: the first factor, 41.37%; the second factor, 11.49%; and the third factor, 6.28%. These three factors were analyzed and categorized as three types. Twenty subjects out of the 30 were included in Type 1: Respecting Elders. The statements which showed the most positive consent were as follows: "The declining age is a perfect time to prosper completing a worthy life"; "Getting old, one needs financial stability"; and "Elders wish the best for their children." The statements showing the most negative response were as follows: "It is better to die than to live as an older person"; "Elders are insignificant"; and "Getting old is the worst unhappiness that tortures human."Four subjects were included in Type 2: Resenting Elders. The statements which showed the most positive consent were as follows: "Aging is a process of dying that nobody can escape from"; "Elders should be concerned about his health and try to maintain their health"; and "When you get older, you regret about the life in the past." The statements showing the most negative response were as follows: "When you get older, you should stand aloof greed and worldly things"; "When you get older, you become generous and gentle"; and "When you get he gets old, you change to become a comfortable and warm person." Six out of 30 subject were included in Type 3: Caring Elders. The statements which showed the most positive consent were as follows: "Elders should be concerned about his health and try to maintain their health"; "Elders wish the best for their children"; and "Elders deserve to be treated with filial respects." The statements showing the most negative response were as follows: "Elders are insignificant"; "Elders have freedom and plenty of free time."; and "Elders are alienated form and drove out of the society."The above-mentioned results show that most adolescents in Korea recognize aging as the time of fruition and development; it is a time of benefiting and giving back to society. Aging can also be seen as a time of generosity and magnanimity and the time of respect and favorable treatment from society, despite the change of modern society and the ostensible transformation of a family system. Their recognition seems deeply rooted in the traditional confucian values and the dual family system which is peculiar especially to the Korea - one which maintains both the superficial form of nuclear family and the substantial mode of the enlarged family system. In sum, many Korean adolescents attribute the meaning of the elderly and aging to the type of the respect with the elderly and the type of the elderly's caretaking.
Adolescent ; Aged* ; Aging* ; Emigrants and Immigrants ; Freedom ; Humans ; Korea ; Nuclear Family ; Nursing ; Nursing Assessment ; Social Problems ; United Nations ; Virtues ; Child Health

PURPOSE: We analyzed climacteric symptoms, bone mineral density (BMD), serum estradiol (E2) and follicle stimulating hormone (FSH) to identify the health benefits of meridian massage in perimenopausal women. METHODS: There were 16 women in the experimental group and 17 people in the control group. Meridian massage was performed for 4 weeks, 3 times a week for 20 minutes each session. The data were collected pre-treatment, posttreatment and 4 weeks after treatment. SPSS/WIN 11.5 was used for data analysis. RESULTS: After meridian massage, there were significant differences in climacteric symptoms (U = 65.50, p = .011) and BMD (U = 65.50, p = .011) between the two groups. The E2 level showed a significant difference between the two groups pre- and posttreatment (U = 75.00, p = .028). FSH showed a significant increase when measured at 4 weeks after the treatment as compared with the amount when measured post-treatment within the control group (z = -2.249, p = .025), experimental group showed a stable change in FSH. but there was no significant difference between the groups. CONCLUSION: In this study, we confirmed the effects of Meridian massage in decreasing climacteric symptoms, inhibiting the decrease of BMD and stabilizing serum hormone in perimenopausal women. Therefore, it can be considered for use as a nursing intervention for health management in perimenopausal women.
Bone Density ; Climacteric ; Estradiol ; Female ; Follicle Stimulating Hormone ; Humans ; Insurance Benefits ; Massage ; Statistics as Topic

This study is designed to investigate what elders think about the meaning of aging. We have used Q-methods to identify meaning of aging from elders, and developed self-referenced surveys to analyze characteristics In this study, we used a non-structured method to select Q sampling. From 183 Q populations, we selected 36 Q sampling. A total of 32 persons sixty-years or older were randomly selected for P samples. When the Q-sorting was complete, we interviewed the participants at both end of the extremes (agree or disagree), and documented their responses. We used PC QUANL to process the data and used principal component analysis for Q factor analysis. There were five subjective types for the meaning of aging by elders. Of the 32 P-samples of elders, 11 were identified as Type 1, 7 as Type 2, 2 as Type 3, 8 as Type 4, and 4 as Type 5. Type 1 : "Matured elders" Elders wished the well being of their children, thought older persons should maintain good health, worried about becoming senile, and dependent God believing in life after death. Type 2 : "Assertive-Rights" Elders categorized as Assertive-Rights insisted on their rights to life as a person. Type 2 elders characterized themselves as people who should keep themselves healthy, become weak and lack sexual desires, act selfish like a child, need to be protected, and be financially independent. Type 3 : "Passive-Dependents" Elders characterize themselves as those who pray for their children's well being, worry about the children even after their death, and becoming senile. Type 4 : "Hopeless" The "Hopeless" type of elders characterized aging as a time to pray for their children, insignificant beings, thoughts were selfish and child-like, poor, worried about going senile, regret their life overall, and preferred to die than to live as an old person. Type 5 : "Attached-Present" The "Attached-Present" type of elders thought elderly characterized themselves as acting selfish and child-like, wiser, anxious, regret their life, stand aloof of greed and worldly things, being a model for the society, and deserving to be treated with filial respect. Thus far, Korean elders seemed to have a positive and negative meaning of aging due to the current changes in the society, value system, and family structures. The above five subjective meanings of aging confirm that we need to approach and nurse the elderly differently. Years of aging are a part of and a natural process of life with various physical, psychological, and sociological changes. Nurses need to assist elderly to find the positive meaning of their life by providing appropriate physical, psychological, and social support at an earlier stage in nursing. Based on this study, we could derive the following two implication from the perspectives of science of nursing to care for elders. 1) Based on the studies investigating the type of meaning of aging, we could develop tools to assist in nursing intervention programs for elderly. 2) Based on research on the meaning of aging for different developmental stages of life, we could develop a model for roles for different family members in nursing and caring for the elders.
Aged ; Aging* ; Child ; Human Rights ; Humans ; Nursing ; Principal Component Analysis ; Q-Sort

PURPOSE: The purpose of this study was to identify the relationship between self reported climacteric symptoms, and depression, and the quality of life in middle aged women. METHOD: The subjects of this study were 149 women from 40 to 64 years of age. Climacteric symptoms were measured with Neugarton's tool(1965) and depression with Zung's tool. Quality of life was related to self reported climacteric symptoms were education level(F=3.011, p=.035), income measured by Rho's tool(1988). RESULT: The general characteristic variables significantly level(F=2.670, p=.057), income satisfaction (F=3.413, p=.011), perceived subjective health condition(F=28.623, p=.000). The general characteristic variables significantly related to depression were age(t=-2.476, p=.014), education level(F=4.492, p.013), income satisfaction (F=2.845, p.026), perceived subjective health condition(F=8.468, p=.000). The general characteristics variables significantly related to quality of life were income level(F=5.010, p=.000), income satisfaction(F=6.314, p=.000), perceived subjective health condition(F=3.516, p<=.032), menstruation cycles(t=-2.66, p=.023). The relationship between self reported climacteric symptoms and depression had a statistically a positive correlation(r=.357, p=.000). The relationship between depression and quality of life had a statistically with a negative correlation(r=-.397, p=.000). CONCLUSION: These results may contribute to a better understanding of depression and quality of life in middle aged women. Therefore, health programs for prompting climacteric women's health should be a planned based on results of the study.
Climacteric* ; Depression* ; Education ; Female ; Humans ; Menstruation ; Middle Aged ; Quality of Life* ; Self Report ; Women's Health

PURPOSE: The purpose of this survey was to investigate clinical nurses' understanding of delirium and their educational need of delirious patient care. METHOD: A survey questionnaire regarding nurses' general perception and understanding of delirium, experience with delirious patients and educational need was developed and conducted with 179 clinical nurses in a university hospital in Seoul. Data was analyzed using descriptive statistics. RESULTS: Nurses thought that delirium was one of the most important nursing problems and they considered it to be more treatable than to be preventable. However, the majority of nurses were not confident in caring for delirious patients. Nurses reported that delirium happened most often after surgery, and that possible contributing factors could be changes in physical environment and anxiety/stress, as well as medication and long-term isolation. Thirteen nursing interventions were identified but half of the nurses utilized only one or two of the thirteen. The most frequently used intervention was reorienting the patient followed by medication and emotional support, presenting family, and close observation. 99.5% of nurses addressed the importance of professional education on delirium care, especially in the area of intervention and management. CONCLUSION: The results support the strong need for development of a multi-component educational program on delirium care.
Adult ; Delirium/*nursing/psychology ; Female ; Hospitals, University ; Humans ; Male ; Models, Nursing ; Nursing Staff, Hospital/education/*psychology ; Program Evaluation ; Qualitative Research ; Questionnaires

No abstract available.