PURPOSE: Purpose of this study was to investigate the effects of stress, social support, and lifestyle on health-related quality of life among middle-aged women. METHODS: One hundred forty three-middle aged women were recruited and completed questionnaires regarding their stress, social support, lifestyle and health-related quality of life. Data was analyzed by using descriptive statistics, t-test, ANOVA, and multiple regression. RESULTS: Regression model was statistically significant (F=24.80, p<.001) with 46% of adjusted R2. Stress showed to be a major factor influencing health-related quality of life in middle-aged women (p<.001) and the presence of chronic illness (p=.011) was noted as next in the result of a multiple regression analysis. CONCLUSION: The results suggest that nursing professionals should include strategies to reduce stress and to consider helping women with chronic illness when developing a health promotion program to increase health related quality of life for middle-aged women.
Chronic Disease ; Female ; Health Promotion ; Humans ; Life Style ; Middle Aged ; Nursing ; Quality of Life

PURPOSE: The purpose of this study was to investigate Seoul teacher's satisfaction with and needs for health examination and health promotion programs. METHODS: The participants were 3,186 teachers in Seoul. Data were collected through an on-line survey system from November 16 to December 7, 2008. Collected data were analyzed by descriptive statistics, t-test, ANOVA, and Scheffe's test using PASW 18.0 program. RESULTS: Teacher's satisfaction with teacher health examination was low and needs for detailed tests of cancer and vocal cord disorders were high. Teacher's satisfaction with teacher health promotion programs was low and needs for stress management, exercise and vocal cord protection program were high. CONCLUSION: Vocal cord disorders should be included in teacher health examination and vocal cord protection program should be provided for teacher's health promotion. Stress management and exercise program should also be provided for teacher's health promotion.
Health Promotion ; Physical Examination ; Vocal Cords

PURPOSE: The purpose of this study was to evaluate the effect of the sexual education program on female college students' sexual knowledge and sexual autonomy. METHODS: The integrative 5-week (15 hour) sexual education program reflecting control and coping aspects of sexual autonomy was developed based on self-determination theory. 59 female students were assigned to the experimental (n=29) and the control group (n=30). Students completed the sexual knowledge and the sexual autonomy questionnaires at prior to the program, right after and 10 weeks after the completion of the program. Independent t-test were used to test the effectiveness of the program. RESULTS: Significant group differences were found on sexual autonomy score right after and 10weeks after the completion of the program. No significant group differences were found on sexual knowledge at any time after the program completion. CONCLUSION: The results indicate that the 5-week Sexual Education Program was effective in increasing female college students' sexual autonomy. Nursing professors majoring women's health nursing may contribute to improving college students' sexual autonomy by opening the sexual education program as a general elective curriculum. Strategies to improve sexual knowledge need to be considered for better effectiveness of the program.
Curriculum ; Female ; Humans ; Surveys and Questionnaires ; Women's Health

PURPOSE: The purpose of this study was to evaluate the effectiveness of the Permission, Limited Information, Specific Suggestions, Intensive Therapy (PLISSIT) model sexual program on female sexual function for women with gynecologic cancer. METHODS: The integrative 6-hr (two hours per session) program reflecting physical and psychosocial aspects of women's sexuality was developed based on Annon's PLISSIT model. Participants were 61 women with cervical, ovarian, or endometrial cancer. Of them, 29 were assigned to the experimental group and 32 to the control group. The women completed the Female Sexual Function Index (FSFI) including sexual desire, arousal, lubrication, orgasm, satisfaction, and pain. Independent t-test and repeated measured ANOVA were used to test the effectiveness of the program. RESULTS: Significant group differences were found on FSFI sub-domain scores including sexual desire, arousal, lubrication, orgasm, and satisfaction but not pain. Significant time differences were found on all domains except for pain in the experimental group repeated measured ANOVA. CONCLUSION: The results indicate that the three-week PLISSIT model sexual program is effective in increasing sexual function for women with gynecologic cancer. Nurses may contribute to improving women's sexual function by utilizing the program. Strategies to relieve sexual pain need to be considered for greater effectiveness of the program.
Adult ; Analysis of Variance ; Arousal ; Female ; Genital Neoplasms, Female/*psychology ; Humans ; Libido ; Middle Aged ; Orgasm ; Patient Education as Topic ; Personal Satisfaction ; *Program Evaluation ; Questionnaires ; *Sexuality ; Women/psychology

PURPOSE: The purpose of this study was to identify factors influencing desired postnatal weight loss in women after birth. METHODS: With correlational survey design, 191women of the study participants completed questionnaires on their desired postnatal weight loss and related factors, and body and health concerns during their hospitalization after birth. Data were collected from February to May, 2011. Data were analyzed using t-test, ANOVA, Pearson correlation coefficients, and multiple linear regression. RESULTS: The women's gestational weight gain, pre-pregnant BMI, body concerns, expected time to reach the desired weight after birth and health concerns were identified as factors influencing desired postnatal weight loss in women after birth. The model explained 68% of the variance. CONCLUSION: Results suggest that nurses in women's health care should consider women's gestational weight, pre-pregnant BMI and their body concerns, health concerns and expected time to reach the desired weight after birth when developing weight management program for women after birth.
Female ; Hospitalization ; Humans ; Linear Models ; Parturition* ; Questionnaires ; Weight Gain ; Weight Loss* ; Women's Health

PURPOSE: This study was to identify the effect of hand massage on comfort in women with gynecologic cancer undergoing chemotherapy. METHODS: A nonequivalent control group pretest-posttest design was used for this study. Hand massage was provided to the experimental group for 5 min (2.5 min for each side) once on admission day, twice from the second day until the day before discharge, and once in the morning on discharge day. RESULTS: Findings showed no significant differences in pre and post levels of general, physical, psycho-spiritual, social and environmental comfort. However, women's comfort levels in all domains were increased after the chemotherapy in the experimental group. CONCLUSION: Although there were some increases in women's comfort levels on all domains after the treatment, hand massage was not proved as a statistically useful nursing intervention in comforting women with gynecologic cancer. The results suggest that hand massage could be effective if it is applied longer than it was in this study. The future implications of hand massage in patients with various cancers are discussed.
Female ; Hand ; Humans ; Massage

PURPOSE: The purpose of this study was to evaluate the effectiveness of a sleep improvement program combined with an aroma-necklace on sleep, depression, anxiety, and blood pressure in elderly women living at home. METHODS: A program consisting of a four-week (one hour per week) sleep improvement intervention plus use of an aroma-necklace, was developed based on Cox's Interaction Model of Client Health Behavior. 70 elderly women were assigned to the experimental (n=35) or control group with no intervention (n=35). Data from 62 participants (32 in the experimental and 30 in the control) were analyzed using the SPSS 21.0 program. Women in the experimental group were instructed to constantly wear the aroma necklace filled with marjoram and orange oil until the program was completed. Sleep quality, sleep duration, sleep satisfaction, depression, anxiety, and blood pressure were measured to identify the effectiveness of the program. RESULTS: Significant group differences were found in sleep quality (t=-5.10, p<.001), sleep duration (z=-3.10, p=.002), sleep satisfaction (z=-4.13, p=<.001), depression (t=2.53, p=.015), and anxiety (z=-2.47, p=.014). No differences were found in the systolic or diastolic blood pressure. CONCLUSION: The results indicate that a sleep improvement program combined with an aroma-necklace was effective in improving sleep disturbances in elderly women living at home. Nurses may contribute to improving sleep among elderly women by applying this program to aged women living in various environments.
Aged* ; Anxiety* ; Blood Pressure* ; Citrus sinensis ; Depression* ; Female ; Health Behavior ; Humans ; Origanum ; Sleep Initiation and Maintenance Disorders

PURPOSE: This study was to identify the symptom severity, interference and their psychological predictors in thyroid cancer patients hospitalized for radioactive iodine administration. METHODS: One hundred seventy-seven thyroid cancer patients admitted to the isolation room for Iodine (I131) therapy were recruited. Subjects were asked to complete the questionnaire on core symptoms, thyroid cancer symptoms, interference, depression and state anxiety in the evening after receiving radioactive iodine therapy. Data was analyzed using frequency, percentage, mean, Pearson's correlation, and multiple regression with SPSS vs. 19. RESULTS: Lack of appetite, drowsiness, sleep disturbance, fatigue, and nausea were the 5 most core symptoms. More than 20% of patients experienced moderate to severe thyroid cancer symptoms including feeling cold, hoarseness, swallowing difficulty, and feeling hot. More than 30% of subjects experienced moderate to severe interferences in mood, general activity, and 22% in walking. Depression and state anxiety were identified as predictors of core symptoms, thyroid symptom severity and interference. CONCLUSION: Nursing interventions to reduce the symptom severity and interference need to be developed by considering thyroid cancer patients' depression and anxiety when hospitalized in the isolation room for radioactive iodine administration.
Anxiety* ; Appetite ; Deglutition ; Depression* ; Fatigue ; Hoarseness ; Humans ; Iodine* ; Nausea ; Nursing ; Sleep Stages ; Thyroid Gland ; Thyroid Neoplasms* ; Walking

PURPOSE: The purpose of this study was to identify influence of childbirth experience and postpartum depression on quality of life in women after birth. METHODS: Two hundred and eleven postpartum women were asked to complete the questionnaires on their childbirth experience during their admission and on their postpartum depression and quality of life between one to three weeks after birth. Initial data were collected from February 1 to May 30, 2011 at two obstetric hospitals in Busan, Korea. Data were analyzed using t-test, ANOVA, Pearson correlation coefficients, and hierarchical multiple regression. RESULTS: The women's childbirth experience and postpartum depression were identified as factors influencing quality of life after birth. The model explained 50% of the variables. CONCLUSION: Results suggest that childbirth educators should include strategies to increase a positive childbirth experience and to decrease postpartum depression in their education programs in order to improve women's quality of life.
Adult ; Analysis of Variance ; Depression, Postpartum/*psychology ; Female ; Health Status ; Humans ; Parturition ; Postpartum Period ; Pregnancy ; *Quality of Life ; Questionnaires ; Women/*psychology

PURPOSE: This study was conducted to identify the problem of bone health and potential influencing factors of bone mineral density (BMD) for women across the life cycle of menopause. METHODS: Complex sampling design data analysis was performed on the fifth Korea National Health and Nutrition Examination Survey 2010 in order to identify the problems with bone health, BMD and its influencing factors in 3,499 women who answered the menopausal status. Women's life cycle was categorized by premenopausal, postmenopausal, and elderly. RESULTS: 35.1% of premenopausal women, 73.3% of postmenopausal women, and 96.0% of elderly women had problems with bone health that were related to low BMD. Influencing factors of BMD were residential area, alcohol drinking, and body mass index (BMI) for premenopausal women; age, residential area, education, marital status, income, and BMI for postmenopausal women; and age, education, and BMI for elderly women. CONCLUSION: Problems with bone health required to be considered as a major health problem in all women regardless their life cycle. Interventions to maximize BMD need to be developed by considering its influencingfactors across the women's life cycle.
Aged ; Alcohol Drinking ; Body Mass Index ; Bone Density* ; Education ; Female ; Humans ; Korea ; Life Cycle Stages* ; Marital Status ; Menopause ; Nutrition Surveys ; Statistics as Topic