Death is the critical moment of life. All elderly are faced with death. Therefore, the elderly's notion of death must be include in holistic care for the elderly. The purpose of this study was to understand the elderly's notion of death. The research questions were "What is the elderly's notion of death?", and "What is the embedded meaning of the elderly's notion of death?". This study was conducted using an ethnographic approch. The fieldwork for this study was done from July 1996 to July 1998 on an island in Chonbuk province. Data were collected by indepth interviews and participant observation. The result of this study is as follows The elderly's notion of death was founded on 'Being a ancestor god', 'Evaluation of one's own life', 'Be sujected to the evil(BuJung : the taboo of uncleanness)' 'Being a ancestor god' means the notion of death leading to eternal life. It means a relationship to this world, So, it is required for all descendants, especialy the son. Also, they thought that the Spirit is greater importance mote thait the body, and that the spirit is embedded in bone. And so, the spirit is delivered to descendants through a propitious site for grave(MoungDang). It is thought toa change in the fortune of the descendants(Balbok). 'Evaluation of ons's own life' means that life was evaluated personally and socially throughout the dy ing process. This means reflection on an individual's life and interpersonal relationship's, and appearance social aspects of the individual death. 'BuJung(be subjected to the evil)' emerged as fear about death, and pursuit of the cause of death, Most of the causes were attributed to supernatural entities. It contributed to the inspiration of a cornmunity identity. The elderly's notion of death was the present world oriented and actualized. This study contributed to the nurse's understanding of the Korean elderly's notion of death. Implications for nursing practice, education, and research were discussed. Further research at other settings and using other research methods were recommended.
Aged ; Cause of Death ; Education ; Humans ; Jeollabuk-do* ; Nursing ; Taboo

This study was designed to identify the relationship between perceived social support and discernd powerlessness held by the elderly residing in a rural community. The purpose of this study was to contribute to theoretical understanding of the relationship of these two variables and eventually to the more effective adaptation of the elderly to their situation. The subjects for this study were the 89 elderly residing in a rural community. Data were collected by a questionnaire from June 2 to 20, 1998. The data were analysed by descriptive statistics, t-test, ANOVA, Pearson correlated coefficient and stepwise multiple regression using a SAS program. The results of this study can be summarized as follows. 1. The relationship between perceived social support and discernd powerlessness was significant(r = -.23502, p=.0266). Especially, discernd elderly's powerlessness shows a highly significant relationship with family and neighborhood support(family r= -.45096, p=.0001, neighborhood r= -.35681, p=.0006). In the support patterns, the discernd powerlessness of the elderly has a significant relationship to emotional, informational and evaluational support. Therefore the hypothesis that, "the lower the degree of social support peiceived by the elderly, the higher the degree of discened powerlessness" was supported. 2. Stepwise multiple regression analysis revealed that the most powerful predictor of discened powerlessness was family support in support system (R2 = .2034), and emotional support (R2 = .0627) in support patterns. 3. General characteristic related to the degree of social support was only residential status(P< .05), but the degree of family support was related to spouse(t=2.390. p<.01). residential status(t= -2.157, p<.05), and household.
Aged* ; Family Characteristics ; Humans ; Residence Characteristics ; Rural Population*

No abstract available.
Aged* ; Humans ; Hypertension* ; Motor Activity*

OBJECTIVES: Outbreaks of pneumonia caused by Mycoplasma pneumoniae (MP) occur every 3-4 years in Korea, most recently in 2011. The aim of our study was to determine the optimal time to perform indirect particle agglutination antibody assays to improve early diagnosis of MP pneumonia in children. METHODS: A database of 206 pediatric patients treated for pneumonia at the Hanyang University Hospital from June to October 2011 was analyzed retrospectively for demographic characteristics and laboratory test results. RESULTS: Among the 206 patients treated for pneumonia during the study period, there were 160 children (mean age, 5.44 years) diagnosed with MP pneumonia, who were studied further. The mean age of these MP pneumonia patients was 5.44 years. Antibody titers increased with increasing time between symptom onset and the collection of serum collection: MP titers were <1:640 for sera collected after 5.44 days and titers > or =1:640 for those collected after 8.58 days; P<0.001). Antibody titers were considered positive when they reached > or =1:640. In 42 MP pneumonia patients in whom there was a four-fold or greater increase in titer between successive serum samples, the optimal cut-off time-point for distinguishing between the initial and second titer groups was 7.5 days after the onset of symptoms (sensitivity, 90.5%; specificity, 92.9%). CONCLUSIONS: Negative MP antibody titers earlier than 8 days after the onset of symptoms in children with pneumonia may require repeating to confirm the diagnosis. This finding could optimize diagnosis and result in better therapeutic outcomes of MP pneumonia in children.
Agglutination ; Child ; Disease Outbreaks ; Early Diagnosis ; Humans ; Korea ; Mycoplasma ; Mycoplasma pneumoniae ; Pneumonia ; Pneumonia, Mycoplasma ; Retrospective Studies ; Sensitivity and Specificity

No abstract available.
Paranasal Sinuses*

The diagnosis of primary cutaneous lymphoma is based on a combination of clinical, histological, immunophenotypic and genetic criteria. Nineteen cases of primary cutaneous lymphomas were studied for clinicopathologic, immunophenotypic, and genetic features. Seventeen (89%) cases were T cell origin and two cases (11%) were B cell origin. CD30-positive cutaneous lymphoproliferative disorder was the most frequent subtype, occupying 42% (8 cases) of the cases. CD8 was positive in 5 cases consisting of 3 cutaneous T cell lymphomas and 2 anaplastic large cell lymphomas. CD4 was positive in 2 cases of mycosis fungoides and 3 cases of lymphomatoid papulosis. Six (67%) of 9 cases of cutaneous T cell lymphoma were positive for TIA-1. Ten (83%) out of 12 cases showed clonal rearrangements of TCR gamma genes, however, one T/NK cell lymphoma and one anaplastic large cell lymphoma did not. EBV association was detected only in T/NK cell lymphomas among 10 cases examined. In conclusion, our study showed higher proportion of CD30-positive lymphoproliferative disorders and less frequent mycosis fungoides in Korea compared to the incidences in Western countries. Our immunostaining results suggested that mycosis fungoides and lymphomatoid papulosis are CD4-positive T cell origin, however, the remaining primary cutaneous T cell lymphoma is predominantly CD8-positive cytotoxic T cell origin.
Diagnosis ; Genes, T-Cell Receptor gamma ; Herpesvirus 4, Human ; Incidence ; Korea ; Lymphoma* ; Lymphoma, Large-Cell, Anaplastic ; Lymphoma, T-Cell, Cutaneous ; Lymphomatoid Papulosis ; Lymphoproliferative Disorders ; Mycosis Fungoides

PURPOSE: This study was done to examine actor and partner effect of dementia knowledge, self-efficacy and depression on dementia preventive behavior in elderly couples. METHODS: Participants were 115 couples aged 60 years or over who met eligibility criteria. All measures were self-administered. Data were analyzed using SPSS 18.0 and AMOS 18.0 program. RESULTS: Dementia knowledge in elderly couples showed actor and partner effect on dementia preventive behavior. Self-efficacy in the wife did not have direct effects on dementia preventive behavior, but showed indirect effects through dementia knowledge. Self-efficacy in the husband showed direct effects on dementia preventive behavior and indirect effects through dementia knowledge. Wife's depression had direct actor effect on dementia preventive behavior and indirect effect through self-efficacy and dementia knowledge. Husband's depression did not have direct actor effect on dementia preventive behavior, but indirect effect through self-efficacy and dementia knowledge. Effect size of wives' dementia knowledge, self-efficacy and depression on dementia preventive behavior was larger than that of husbands'. Dementia preventive behavior, dementia knowledge and depression had a mutual effect. CONCLUSION: Results indicate that to promote dementia preventive activity in elderly couples, programs should be conducted for both of the couple, but focused differently for wife and husband.
Aged ; Aged, 80 and over ; Dementia/*prevention & control ; *Depression ; Female ; Humans ; Knowledge ; Male ; Middle Aged ; Questionnaires ; *Self Efficacy ; Spouses/*psychology

This study was to find out the perception of toward death and caring behavior of lay parsons in one community : One Island in Pusan County, Chonbuk. The methodology of this study was ethnography. For this study, The fieldwork was conducted from October 1997 to July 1998. Data collected by in-depth interview and participant observations. The participants consisted of were 17 persons of both sexes. The key informants were four specific people. The result of this study is as follows; The people perceived two different kinds of death. Normal death, which means death from old age. The person was respected as an ancestor God and was believed to exist forever with their offspring. Abnormal death was regarded as negative, many had fears toward this king of death. The causes of abnormal death were supernatural phenomena and had absolute holy meanings. Whether death was good or bad, The death was not personal, but collective events as family or community affairs and was interpreted as death and birth for their offsprings. Funeral rites were family-centered and/or community-centered. The did normal procedures for normal deaths for abnormal deaths, there were many protective ceremonies(BuJungmagi : the prevention of the taboo of uncleanliness) for the remaining people. These ceremonies combined confucism and shamanism. Caring behavior for dying persons was ruled as community-centered, reciprocal and reality-centered principles.
Anthropology, Cultural ; Busan ; Funeral Rites ; Humans ; Jeollabuk-do ; Parturition ; Shamanism ; Taboo

PURPOSE: The purposes of this study were to measure the degree of uncertainty in illness, hope, and spiritual well-being and to examine the relationship among uncertainty in illness, hope, and spiritual well-being of cancer patients. METHOD: The data were derived from answers to questionnaires obtained from 93 cancer patients at one general hospital in J area from April 6, 2004 to May 8, 2004. The collected data were analyzed by SSPS 10.0. RESULTS: The mean score of uncertainty in illness of cancer patients was 55.96. The mean score of hope of cancer patients was 79.77, and spiritual well-being was 55.20. Uncertainty in illness of cancer patients was related negatively to hope(r=-.57, p=.000). Also uncertainty in illness of cancer patients was related negatively to spiritual well-being(r=-.57, p=.000). However, hope of cancer patients was related positively to spiritual well-being(r=.67, p=.000). CONCLUSION: Higher uncertainty in illness was related to lower hope and spiritual well-being of cancer patients. Based upon these results, nurses should help patients to improve their hope and spiritual well-being through mediation of uncertainty in illness.
Hope* ; Hospitals, General ; Humans ; Negotiating ; Uncertainty* ; Surveys and Questionnaires

PURPOSE: This study was done to identify types and characteristics of gender role identity from the perspectives of nursing students who experience challenges and maladjustments that are distinct from students in other departments because nursing students have a curriculum that includes both academic courses and clinical practice. METHODS: Q Methodology was used to examine differences in the meaning of gender role identity among individual students. Data from 40 women nursing students, using 40 Q samples representing masculinity and femininity, were collected and analyzed. RESULTS: The participants' responses were classified into three types: 'Affectionate-sensitive type' represented by those who share traditional Korean feminine characteristics and are delicately sensitive. 'Affectionate-assertive type' represented by those who have strong characteristics of warm leaders, and are responsive and confident. 'Sensitive-expressive type' represented by those who are excellent in communication and have high empathic ability. CONCLUSION: Nursing professors or counselors need to provide nursing students with guidance and counseling related to adaptation to school life, career exploration, and career choice based on the their type of gender role identity.
Career Choice ; Counseling ; Curriculum ; Female ; Femininity ; Gender Identity* ; Humans ; Masculinity ; Methods* ; Nursing* ; Students, Nursing*