The purpose of this study was to investigate the factors influencing health promoting lifestyles in college women thus providing the basic data necessary to establish a health promoting program. The subjects of this study were 274 college women, living in Seoul, Chung-Buk, and Kangwon, during the period from May 10 to July 15, 2000. The instruments for this study were the health promoting lifestyles scale developed by Bak, Insuk(1995), the self efficacy scale by Sherer et al. (1982), the social support scale by Su, Moonja(1988), the self-esteem scale by Rosenberg(1965) and the perceived health status scale by Lawton et al.(1982). The results of this study are as follows; 1. The average score for health promoting lifestyles was 2.45 on a 4 point scale. The health promoting lifestyles categories 'harmony relationships' (3.04) and 'sanitary life'(3.02) revealed higher scores, whereas scores for 'healthy diet' (2.32), 'exercise & activity' (2.14) and 'professional health management' (1.48) were lower. 2. The mean score for self-efficacy, social support, self esteem and perceived health status was 3.38 (on a 5 point scale), 2.88 (on a 4 point scale), 2.98(on a 4 point scale) and 3.08(on a 5 point scale) respectively. 3. Health promoting lifestyles showed significant positive correlation with self efficacy, social support, self esteem and perceived health status. 4. Stepwise multiple regression analysis revealed that the most powerful predictor of health promoting lifestyle was self efficacy. Self efficacy, social support, and perceived health status have significant effects on health promoting lifestyles. These predictive variables of health promoting lifestyles explained 25% of variance. Finally, the result of this study will provide important factors for the development of a nursing intervention program for the promotion of healthy lifestyles in college women.
Female ; Gangwon-do ; Humans ; Life Style* ; Nursing ; Self Concept ; Self Efficacy ; Seoul

PURPOSE: The purpose of this study was to elucidate the role of Korean women nurses in the independence movement and to examine their activities during the Japanese occupation from 1910 to 1945. METHODS: Nurses studied were women nurses referred to as Ganhowon, Ganhobu, Gyeonseupganhobu, Sanpa, and Josanbu at that time. Five participants such as descendents or relatives of nurses who participated in independence movements, were selected for interview to provide oral historical materials. An historical research approach was used and all of the data were analyzed according to period, region, and pattern of the independence movement. RESULTS: Throughout the historical literature and oral historical materials, it was found that from 1914 to 1945, thirty-eight women nurses actively participated in various types of independence activities such as mass hurrah demonstrations, raise the spirit of war, red cross activities, enlightenment movement and armed struggle to encourage the public to stand up against Japanese imperialism locally and abroad. CONCLUSION: The findings indicate that women nurses, as enlightened women, endeavored to solve social issues with their autonomous volition, and these action can serve as meaningful evidence for enhancing the social status of nurses.
Arm ; Asian Continental Ancestry Group* ; Female ; History of Nursing ; Humans ; Occupations* ; Qualitative Research ; Red Cross ; Volition

PURPOSE: The aim of the study was to identify nursing informatics competencies of nurses working for public health centers in Chungcheongnam-do. METHODS: Data were collected from June 10 to July 25, 2012 using the Nursing Informatics Competencies Questionnaire (NICQ). Data were analyzed by descriptive statistics, t-test, chi2-test, ANOVA and Pearson's correlation coefficient. RESULTS: Nursing informatics competencies of the subjects showed a mean score of 3.3+/-1.0 out of 5. As for scores of individual categories, the score for computer skills competencies was 3.3+/-1.0, informatics knowledge competencies 3.4+/-0.9, and informatics skills competencies 3.0+/-0.9. Nursing informatics competencies were positively correlated with the subjects' ages (r=.65, p<.001), computer usage hours (r=.23, p = .015), levels of demand for informatics knowledge (r=.51, p<.001), and informatics skills education (r=.78, p<.001). CONCLUSION: Nursing informatics is required to be connected with job training or in-service education on account of its growing necessity for public health nurses. It is also essential to develop programs for strengthening informatics competencies reflecting sub-categories of educational needs.
Informatics ; Nursing Informatics ; Public Health ; Public Health Nursing ; Surveys and Questionnaires

PURPOSE: This study was conducted to develop a resilience training program for nurses and test its effects. METHODS: A non-equivalent experimental group and a control group pretest-posttest study design was used with 56 participating nurses (28 nurses in the experimental group and 28 nurses in the control group). The resilience training program was provided to participants for 4 weeks from August 12 to September 4, 2013. Each session was scheduled for two hours per week. Participants completed the tools for resilience, positive affect, and perceived stress assessment. Data were analyzed using χ² test, Independent t-test, and 2*2 repeated measures multivariate analyses of variance (MANOVAs) with the SPSS/WIN 21.0 program. RESULTS: Application of the resilience training program significantly helped nurses enhance their resilience and positive affect to workplace adversity, and reduce their perceived stress. There were significant positive differences for these variables in the experimental group compared to the control group. CONCLUSION: The findings indicate that the resilience training program for nurses is effective and can be used as an intervention for a stress management guide for nurses.
Education* ; Multivariate Analysis

PURPOSE: This study was done to compare the effects of abdominal aroma massage and meridian massage on constipation and stress in college women with functional constipation. METHODS: The participants were 38 college women, 18 were in the aroma group and 20 in the meridian group. The aroma massage was given using aroma oil which was a mixture of lemon, lavender, rosemary, and cyprus. The meridian massage was given at 9 accupoints which influence intestinal functions. The treatment was given 5 days a week for 4 weeks. A constipation severity score, weekly defecation frequency, and a stress response score were measured before and every week of 4 weeks of the experiment. RESULTS: While there was no significant difference between two groups, there was a significant difference within the groups in the constipation severity (aroma group: 1st week, meridian group: except 4th week), defecation frequency (aroma group: 3rd week, meridian group: 2nd and 3rd week), and stress (aroma group: all weeks, meridian group: except 4th week) after different duration of experiment. CONCLUSION: Based on these results, both abdominal massages relieved constipation and stress. Resorting to either types of massage will contribute to the reduction of use of stool softeners, suppositories, or enemas.
Abdomen ; *Acupressure ; Acupuncture Points ; Adult ; *Aromatherapy ; Constipation/nursing/*therapy ; Female ; Humans ; *Massage ; Questionnaires ; Stress, Psychological/nursing/*therapy ; Students/*psychology ; Young Adult

PURPOSE: Non-Suicidal Self-Injury (NSSI), a highly prevalent behavior in adolescents, refers to the direct destruction of one's body tissue without suicidal intent. To date, the prevalence of adolescent self-injury in South Korea and its associated factors remain unknown. This study aims to determine the prevalence of self-injury in Korean adolescents as well as its associated factors. METHODS: We assessed 717 middle school students by means of an anonymous self-report survey. Information about demographic characteristics, lifestyle, anxiety and depression, self-esteem, and parenting behavior was obtained. Data were analyzed using χ² test, t-test and multiple logistic regression. RESULTS: NSSI was reported by 8.8% of respondents. Univariate analyses showed associations of exposure to alcohol use, anxiety, depression, self-esteem, and parenting methods with self-injury. In multiple analyses, alcohol use, anxiety, and parental abuse were associated with lifetime self-injury. CONCLUSION: The rate of NSSI in the South Korea was found to be lower than those of other countries. As our study suggests that alcohol use, anxiety, and parental abuse are associated with lifetime self-injury, health care providers at school should take these factors into account when developing prevention and intervention programs for adolescents.
Adolescent* ; Anonyms and Pseudonyms ; Anxiety ; Depression ; Drinking ; Health Personnel ; Humans ; Korea ; Life Style ; Logistic Models ; Parenting ; Parents ; Prevalence ; Self-Injurious Behavior ; Surveys and Questionnaires

PURPOSE: The purpose of this qualitative study was to explore the meaning of the experience of Korean immigrant nurses working in US hospitals. METHODS: Purposive sampling yielded 15 Korean immigrant nurses who had more than one year of clinical experience in US hospitals. Data were collected from March to August 2012 through in-depth interviews and thematic analysis was conducted using van Manen's hermeneutic phenomenological approach. RESULTS: The findings were classified into eight themes: 'struggling from staff at workplace being territorial to outsiders', 'feeling oppressed due to language barrier', 'accepting rational and horizontal relationships at work', 'staying alert in the environment where lawsuits are rife', 'feeling a sense of stability from the social system that values human dignity', 'maintaining self-confidence from prominent nursing practices and senior Korean nurses' professional reputation', 'performing essential comprehensive nursing care', 'promoting self-development to be equipped with professionalism.' CONCLUSION: The findings indicate that the Korean immigrant nurses were able to excel in their workplace when their clinical experience at US hospitals was combined with the lived space in US politics and environment, lived time of patience, lived body to be alert, and lived others with multi cultural characteristics.
Communication Barriers ; Cultural Characteristics ; Emigrants and Immigrants* ; Humans ; Nursing ; Politics ; Qualitative Research

PURPOSE: This study aimed to identify the associated factors of the perceived health status of the elderly in Korea and to provide basic data for developing nursing interventions for the elderly's health management. METHODS: This study used a descriptive correlational research design. The subjects of this study were 335 elderly people over 60 yr living in an urban city. Data were collected through personal interviews using questionnaires from September 2006 to March 2007. Empirical indicators of perceived health status were measured by SF-36, nutritional screening initiative (NSI), activities of daily living (ADL) Index, and instrumental activities of daily living (IADL) scale. The collected data were analyzed by descriptive statistics, Pearson's correlation, and hierarchical regression. RESULTS: The mean age of the subjects was 72.8 and 57.0% of subjects were female. 41.5% of variance in physical health was explained by nutrition, ADL, IADL, and the number of years attending school. Among them the most important factor was ADL. 13.2% of variance in mental health was explained by the number of family, nutrition, and IADL. Among them the most important factor was nutrition. CONCLUSION: It is necessary to develop supportive interventions for improving the perceived health status of elderly people by considering the most important factors shown in this study.
*Activities of Daily Living ; Aged ; Aged, 80 and over ; Female ; Frail Elderly/*psychology ; *Health Status ; Homes for the Aged ; Humans ; Interviews as Topic ; Korea ; Male ; Middle Aged ; *Nutritional Status ; Questionnaires ; Urban Population

In the 1960-70s, South Korea was still in the position of a science latecomer. Although the scientific research environment in South Korea at that time was insufficient, there was a scientist who achieved outcomes that could be recognized internationally while acting in South Korea. He was Ho Wang Lee(1928~ ) who found Hantann Virus that causes epidemic hemorrhagic fever for the first time in the world. It became a clue to identify causative viruses of hemorrhagic diseases that were scattered here and there throughout the world. In addition, these outcomes put Ho Wang Lee on the global center of research into epidemic hemorrhagic fever. This paper examines how a Korean scientist who was in the periphery of virology could go into the central area of virology. Also this article shows the process through which the virus found by Ho Wang Lee was registered with the international academia and he proceeded with follow-up research based on this progress to reach the level at which he generalized epidemic hemorrhagic fever related studies throughout the world. While he was conducting the studies, experimental methods that he had never experienced encountered him as new difficulties. He tried to solve the new difficulties faced in his changed status through devices of cooperation and connection. Ho Wang Lee's growth as a researcher can be seen as well as a view of a researcher that grew from a regional level to an international level and could advance from the area of non-mainstream into the mainstream. This analytic tool is meaningful in that it can be another method of examining the growth process of scientists in South Korea or developing countries.
Developing Countries ; Follow-Up Studies ; Hantaan virus ; Hemorrhagic Fever with Renal Syndrome* ; Korea* ; Methods ; Virology

Rapid integration of information technology into health care systems has included the use of highly portable systems-in particular, personal digital assistants (PDAs). With their large built-in memories, fast processors, wireless connectivity, multimedia capacity, and large library of applications, PDAs have been widely adopted by physicians and nurses for patient tracking, disease management, medical references and drug information, enhancing a quality of health care. Many health-related PDA applications are available to both dietetics professionals and clients. Dietetics professionals can effectively use PDAs for client tracking and support, accessing to hospital database or information, and providing better self-monitoring tools to clients. Internship programs for dietetics professionals should include training in the use of PDAs and their dietetics applications, so that new practitioners can stay abreast of this rapidly evolving technology. Several considerations to keep in mind in selecting a PDA and its applications are discussed.
Delivery of Health Care ; Dietetics* ; Disease Management ; Humans ; Internship and Residency ; Multimedia ; Patient Identification Systems ; Quality of Health Care