PURPOSE: This study was conducted to evaluate life satisfaction(LS) and to assess the factors that influence LS in senior center elderly people. METHODS: The subjects were 253 elders who visited the Y city Senior Welfare Center between July 2006 and August 2006. Data were collected using structured questionnaires. The instruments were composed of Kang's Family Support Scale, Depression Scale by Sheikh & Yesavage, Laffery's Health Concept Scale, and LS scale by Choi. T-test, ANOVA, Duncan test, Pearson coefficients correlation and stepwise multiple regression were used to analyze the data using the SPSS Win 12.0 program. RESULTS: The LS level showed a maximum score of 38 with a mean score of 23.23. The mean scores for depression, health perception and family support were 5.52(maximum score, 15), 77.46(maximum score, 112), 43.45(maximum score, 55) respectively. The LS were significantly correlated with health perception, depression and family support. Depression was the most powerful predictor of and it accounted for 42.0% of the total variance in LS. A combination of significance of eudaimonistic health perception and satisfaction with pocket money accounted for 47.2% in LS. CONCLUSION: Depression and health perception were identified as affecting variables for the LS. Based upon these results, nurses should help the aged to enhance their LS.
Aged* ; Depression ; Humans ; Senior Centers ; Surveys and Questionnaires

BACKGROUND: There are two variations in the attention subitem of the Mini-Mental State Exam (MMSE): 'serial 7's subtraction and "sam-chun-ri-gang-san" backward. At a scale of one to five, they can be used interchangeably, which inevitably brings a considerable difference in results. Thus, we compared the scores of the 'serial 7's subtraction' and the "sam-chun-ri-gang-san" backward and analyzed the influence of sociodemographic factors on the differences. METHODS: We administered the Korean MMSE including the two types of attention item: serial 7's and "sam-chun-rigang-san" backward to 239 community-dwelling elderly people aged 65 or older in Kyung Hee University Medical Center and four Seoul senior centers and analyzed the difference from June 2012 to July 2012. RESULTS: The score for "sam-chun-ri-gang-san" backward (2.5+/-2.1) was lower than that of the serial 7's (3.4+/-1.7) by a mean point of 0.9+/-1.9. The score of "sam-chun-ri-gang-san" backward was zero in 31.4% of the subjects. However, only 9.6% scored zero on the serial 7's. The ratio of the same scores between two tasks was 36.0%. Education was the primary source of variance on difference score, followed by the number of family. There was no significant effect of age or gender when the score of difference was analyzed by multiple regression. CONCLUSION: In this study, subjects tended to outperform the serial 7's in general. Upon administering "sam-chun-rigang-san" backward instead of serial 7's due to the preference of the patient, we should take into account that the score of "sam-chun-ri-gang-san" backward was 0.9 point (mean value) lower than serial 7's to ensure appropriate interpretation of MMSE score.
Academic Medical Centers ; Aged ; Education ; Humans ; Senior Centers ; Seoul

PURPOSE: Interactive multimedia education using computer technology is increasing in the area of health education. The purpose of this study was to examine the effects of interactive multimedia education on community dwelling older adults' self-efficacy and knowledge for medication and level of satisfaction with the education program. METHODS: A nonequivalent control group pretest and post-test design was used in this study. The multimedia education was designed to enhance safe medication of older adults. Education consisted of seven modules which contained the medication name, usage, side effects, interactions, and storage requirements. Computerized interactive learning activities consisted of multimedia animations and games. A total of 60 older adults from two local senior centers were recruited and assigned to the experimental and control group. Twenty-six participants in experimental group used the interactive multimedia education on laptop computers. RESULTS: Participants receiving interactive multimedia education had significantly higher self-efficacy (F = 20.03, p < .001) and knowledge (F = 36.26, p < .001) scores than the control group did at post intervention. The experimental group indicated a high degree of satisfaction with the interactive multimedia education. CONCLUSION: The study results suggest that the interactive multimedia education is an effective teaching method that empowers older adults to facilitate individual learning using computer technology.
Adult* ; Education ; Health Education ; Humans ; Learning ; Multimedia* ; Senior Centers ; Teaching

PURPOSE: This study was performed to identify and understand the nature of attitude patterns regarding dying process exhibited in the elderly persons who lived in the community setting. METHOD: Q methodology was applied. Ten elderly were selected from the senior centers and requested to answer open ended questions by using written questionnaires. Additionally, 12 other elderly from different senior centers were interviewed in depth, and their statements were recorded via voice pen by researchers to derive Q-population. From the 120 Q-population, 33 Q-sample were selected. 22 P-sample were rated by 1 to 9 point scale respectively for Q-sorting. For Q-type analysis, pc QUNAL was used. RESULT: Three types of attitude patterns were identified, which were valuing dignity, seeking provision of nature, and avoiding of dying process. CONCLUSION: The significance of this study is as follows : Discovery of 3 attitude patterns of elderly toward dying, better understanding about elderly's perspectives for favorable dying, and informations for possible development of nursing strategies for elderly who is facing death.
Aged* ; Humans ; Nursing ; Q-Sort ; Senior Centers ; Voice ; Surveys and Questionnaires

Although healthy lifestyle have been proved as an effective way of improving higher well-beings for individuals, researches on health -promoting behaviors of minority elderly with a specific ethnic heritage have been sparsely tried. This study was designed to explore health-promoting lifestyle patterns of Korean immigrant elderly living in Seattle. USA and its relationships with two associated elderly were recruited from two senior centers and interviewed with a structured questionnaire. Data were collected from October 1998 to January 1999, and analyzed using SPSS program through which t-test, ANOVA, and Pearson Correlation Coefficients were tested. As the results, the mean HPLP score of the Korean immigrant elderly was 2.54 (SD =.36), showing significant differences by education (F=3.61, P=.016), economic status (F=3.01, P=.034), and current health status (F=3.69, P=.008). In self-esteem, two socioecomic variables showed statistical association with self-esteem; martial status (t= 2.47, P=.015) and living situation (F= 4.03, P= .021). The HPLP subscales that showed higher mean scores were nutrition (M=3.01, SD= .52) and interpersonal support (M= 2.65, SD= .47) while lower mean scores were detected in the domain of excercise (M= 1.92, SD= .74) and stress management (M= 2.26, SD= .47). Perceived health status revealed significant positive correlation with health-promoting lifestyle patterns (r= .19, P=.043) and self-esteem (r= .19, P= .043) and self-esteem (r= .32, P= .001) in the present study. It is concluded that engagement in health-promoting lifestyle patterns should be actively encouraged to enhance personal health of Korean immigrant elderly. Developing health promotion programs focused on exercise and stress management is also imperatively suggested not only for better health practices of Korean immigrant elderly population but also for enhancing their level of well-beings and life satisfaction.
Aged* ; Education ; Emigrants and Immigrants* ; Health Promotion ; Humans ; Life Style* ; Surveys and Questionnaires ; Senior Centers

PURPOSE: The present study was designed to explore and compare attributes of the quality of life between Korean elderly and Korean- American elderly. METHOD: The research design was a descriptive design and questionaries were used. Studies were done using questionnaires. Data were collected from convenient sample of 163 Korean elderly and 151 Korean-American elderly recruited from senior centers and churches. Collected data were analyzed by using SPSS/WIN 10.0. RESULTS: There were significant difference between Korean elderly and Korean- American elderly in education and income. Korean-American elderly showed higher self- esteem, self-efficacy, and quality of life than those of Korean elderly. The influencing factors on quality of life in Korean elderly were defined as self-esteem and self-efficacy. And the influencing factor on quality of life in Korean- American elderly was defined as self-efficacy. CONCLUSION: In conclusion, the results of this study showed that self-efficacy was a very important factor as attribution to the quality of life for both elderly group. Therefore, self-efficacy should be promoted in nursing intervention in order to enhance the quality of life for both Korean and Korean-American elderly.
Aged* ; Education ; Humans ; Nursing ; Quality of Life* ; Research Design ; Senior Centers ; Surveys and Questionnaires

PURPOSE: This study aims to examine the influence of vitamin D and calcium on depression and cognitive function of the elderly living alone in a city. METHODS: The participants were registered in eight senior centers in S city and they had lived alone. Data were collected between November 28, 2014 and March 7, 2015. A total of 155 people participated in data collection to measure the serum vitamin D, the serum calcium, depression, and cognitive function. The data were analyzed with t-test, ANOVA, Pearson's correlation and multiple regression analysis. RESULTS: There were significant differences in depression according to gender and perceptions of health status. Depression correlated significantly with the serum calcium and perceptions of health status, and a stepwise regression analysis showed that the perceptions of health status were significant. There were significant differences in cognitive function according to education level and age. Cognitive function correlated significantly with the serum vitamin D and a stepwise regression analysis showed that education level and age were significant. CONCLUSION: Consequently, elderly people with poor perceptions of their health status need a depressive intervention program and those with a higher age and lower level of education need a cognitive function intervention program.
Aged* ; Calcium* ; Cognition* ; Data Collection ; Depression* ; Education ; Humans ; Senior Centers ; Vitamin D* ; Vitamins*

PURPOSE: The purposes of this study were to examine the relationship between health belief and exercise compliance among elderly adults at senior centers and to identify factors influencing their exercise compliance. METHODS: The subjects of this study were 100 elderly adults who were using senior centers in J City. Data were collected from the 5th of August to the 14th of September in 2014 using a questionnaire about general characteristics, health belief, and exercise compliance. Data analysis included one-way ANOVA, independent t-test, Pearson's correlation, and stepwise multiple regression using the SPSS/WIN 18.0 program. RESULTS: The mean score for exercise compliance was 3.85 (range 1~5), and for perceived health state 3.17 (range 1~5). The mean score for each of the sub-factors of health belief was 3.89 for benefit, 1.94 for barrier, 3.34 for severity, 2.43 for sensitivity, and 3.65 for exercise self-efficacy (range 1~5). There was a significant correlation between exercise compliance and exercise benefit, and 28% of variance in exercise compliance was explained by exercise benefit in health belief, family history of illnesses, and perceived sensitivity in health belief. CONCLUSION: To promote exercise compliance among elderly adults at senior centers, exercise programs emphasizing exercise benefit should be developed.
Adult* ; Aged* ; Compliance* ; Humans ; Self Efficacy ; Senior Centers* ; Statistics as Topic ; Surveys and Questionnaires

PURPOSE: This study was conducted to verify the effects of a memory and visual-motor integration program for older adults based on self-efficacy theory. METHODS: A non-equivalent control group pretest–posttest design was implemented in this quasi-experimental study. The participants were 62 older adults from senior centers and older adult welfare facilities in D and G city (Experimental group=30, Control group=32). The experimental group took part in a 12-session memory and visual-motor integration program over 6 weeks. Data regarding memory self-efficacy, memory, visual-motor integration, and depression were collected from July to October of 2014 and analyzed with independent t-test and Mann-Whitney U test using PASW Statistics (SPSS) 18.0 to determine the effects of the interventions. RESULTS: Memory self-efficacy (t=2.20, p=.031), memory (Z=-2.92, p=.004), and visual-motor integration (Z=-2.49, p=.013) increased significantly in the experimental group as compared to the control group. However, depression (Z=-0.90, p=.367) did not decrease significantly. CONCLUSION: This program is effective for increasing memory, visual-motor integration, and memory self-efficacy in older adults. Therefore, it can be used to improve cognition and prevent dementia in older adults.
Adult* ; Cognition ; Dementia ; Depression ; Humans ; Memory* ; Non-Randomized Controlled Trials as Topic ; Psychomotor Performance ; Senior Centers

OBJECTIVES: This study was aimed to investigate the efficacy of cognitive training in community-dwelling elderly, and to support mental health care system for the elderly. METHODS: We investigated 1,994 and aged over 65 years elderly visiting senior center from April 2014 to July 2014. Their demographic data was investigated. Cognitive functions were evaluated by Korean Version of Mini Mental Status Examination for Dementia Screening (MMSE-DS) and Global Deterioration Scale. Quality of life was evaluated by Korean Quality of Life-Alzheimer's Disease (KQoL-AD) and depression by Short Korean Form of Geriatric Depression Scale. Before and after cognitive training, we analysed these data. RESULTS: MMSE-DS, KQoL-AD were significantly higher in score after the cogintive training than before of that (p<0.001). SGDS-K were significantly lower in score after the cognitive training than before of that (p<0.001). CONCLUSION: Cognitive training resulted in improvement in cognitive functions, quality of life and depression for communitydwelling elderly. These results suggest that future mental health care policy has to consider the importance of community-dwelling elderly.
Aged* ; Dementia ; Depression ; Humans ; Mass Screening ; Mental Health ; Quality of Life ; Senior Centers