PURPOSE: The purpose of this study was to develop and test a model to explain the transition state for Korean middle-aged women focusing on the transition concept. METHOD: A hypothetical model was constructed based on the transition model of Schumacher & Meleis(1994) and tested. Thehypothetical model consisted of 5 latent variables and 11 observed variables. Exogenous variables were demographic characteristics, obstetric characteristics, and health behavior. Endogenous variables were transition state and quality of life with 6 paths. The data from 221 middle-aged women selected by convenience was analyzed using covariance structure analysis. RESULT: The final model which was modified from the hypotheticalmodel improved to GFI=0.97, AGFI=0.94, NFI=0.94, and NNFI=0.95. The transition state was influenced directly by demographic characteristics, quality of life, and also indirectly by health behaviors. However, the influence of obstetric characteristics was not significant. The transition state was accountable for 68% of the variance by these factors. CONCLUSION: These results suggest that enhancing health behaviors of the women are necessary to increase quality of life and it consequently contributes to improving the transition state. This model could be used to explain the health related vulnerability in these ages and to diagnosis individual women.
Adult ; Female ; Humans ; Korea ; Middle Aged/*psychology ; *Models, Psychological ; Women/*psychology ; *Women's Health

PURPOSE: This study was conducted to evaluate the effect of a one-session spouse-support enhancement childbirth education on childbirth self-efficacy and perception of childbirth experience. METHODS: The design of this study was a nonequivalent control group pretest-posttest experiment. The participants in the study were 31 couples in the experimental group and 30 in the control group. The experimental couples were provided with one session on spouse-support enhancement childbirth education the night before delivery. Data were collected at two hours after delivery using the Childbirth Self-Efficacy Inventory (CBSEI) and perception of childbirth experience scale. Data were analyzed using PASW statistics 18 program. Frequencies, percentage, mean, chi2 test, t-test were used for data analysis. RESULTS: Childbirth self-efficacy significantly increased in the experimental group as compared to the control group, but there was no significant difference in perception of childbirth experience in the experimental group compared to the control group. CONCLUSION: The results suggest that a one-session childbirth education has beneficial effects on enhancing childbirth self-efficacy in pregnant couples. A one-session spouse-support enhancement childbirth education is recommended as an effective nursing intervention to promote couple's childbirth self-efficacy and it is also recommended that modifications of program to promote women's childbirth experience should be considered.
Adaptation, Psychological ; Adult ; Female ; Humans ; Male ; Parturition/psychology ; Patient Education as Topic ; Pregnant Women/*psychology ; *Self Efficacy ; Spouses/*psychology

PURPOSE: The study aimed to develop a mind-body therapeutic program and evaluate its effects on mitigating uncertainty, anxiety, and implantation rate of second-trial in vitro fertilization (IVF) women. METHODS: This study employed a nonequivalent control group nonsynchronized design. The conceptual framework and program content were developed from a preliminary survey of eight infertile women and the extensive review of the literature. Program focuses on three uncertainty-induced anxieties in infertile women: cognitive, emotional, and biological responses. To evaluate the effect of the intervention, the infertile women with unknown cause preparing for a second IVF treatment were sampled at convenience (26 experimental and 24 control). RESULTS: The experimental group in the study showed greater decrease in uncertainty and anxiety in premeasurements and postmeasurements than the control group did. However, no statistically significant differences in the implantation rate between groups were observed. CONCLUSION: This study is meaningful as the first intervention program for alleviating uncertainty and anxiety provided during the IVF treatment process. The positive effects of the mind-body therapeutic program in alleviating both uncertainty and anxiety have direct meaning for clinical applications.
Adult ; *Anxiety/psychology/therapy ; Case-Control Studies ; Embryo Implantation ; Female ; Fertilization in Vitro/*psychology ; Humans ; Infertility, Female/*psychology ; Mind-Body Therapies/*methods ; Treatment Outcome ; *Uncertainty ; Women/*psychology

PURPOSE: The purpose of this study was to investigate the influences of health perception, body image and sexual function on depression according to the menopausal stage in Korean middle aged women. METHODS: Subjects were 182 perimenopausal and postmenopausal women who had not received hormonal replacement therapy. A five-item General HealthShort Form (SF-36) Health Survey Questionnaire (Ware and Sherbourne, 1992) was used to measure health perception. Body image was measured Semantic Differential scale, CES-D was used to measure the level of depression, and sexual function was measured by FSFI. RESULTS: The subjects rated their health as 'moderate', their body image as 'moderate, and level of depression as 'high'. However, there were no significant differences in health perception, body image, and depression between perimenopasual and postmenopausal women. Postmenopausal women experienced lower levels of sexual function than perimenopausal women in sexual arousal, lubrication, orgasm, satisfaction, and pain. In stepwise regression analysis, 21.7% of variance in depression was shown to be perceived health and body image in postmenopausal women. However, in perimenopausal women, perceived health and sexual function explained 34.5% of variance in depression. CONCLUSION: These findings indicate that nurses must consider the menopasusal stage when counseling their patients.
*Body Image ; Depression/epidemiology/*psychology ; Female ; Health Status ; Humans ; Middle Aged ; Perimenopause/*psychology ; Postmenopause/*psychology ; Questionnaires ; *Self Concept ; Sexual Behavior/*psychology ; Women's Health

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 to explore adaptation experience to family among women who immigrated for marriage. Specific aims were to identify problems immigrant women face as family members and how they interact with other family members. METHODS: Grounded theory methodology was utilized. Data were collected from iterative fieldwork with individual in-depth interviews from 6 immigrant women as key informants, and 2 of their husbands and 2 of their mothers-in-law as general informants. RESULTS: Through constant comparative analysis, a core category emerged as "tearing down the wall in communicating". Causal conditions were feeling frustrated in one's expectations, differences in language and life style, differences in recognition, and perceptions of discrimination and prejudice. Strategies were learning the Korean language, learning Korean culture, managing stress, mediating differences between family members, and introspecting. Intervening factors were support systems, burdens of child-rearing, and the condition of one's health. Consequences were rooting oneself in one's family and accepting one's life as it is. CONCLUSION: Results of the study indicate that there is a need for nurses to understand differences in communication with family members among immigrant women and to provide information and emotional support to improve the adaptation of these women to their Korean families.
*Adaptation, Psychological ; Adult ; Emigrants and Immigrants/*psychology ; Family/ethnology/psychology ; Female ; Humans ; Interviews as Topic ; Marriage ; Parenting ; Social Support ; Women

The purpose of this study was to identify the relationship between self-empowerment and a existential spiritual well-being in pregnant women, and to provide the basic data for nursing intervention.The subjects were 182 women who visited 2 OBGY hospitals in Taegu, Korea and ranged in age from 21 to 40.The data was collected during the period from May 6th toMay 24th, 2002.The instruments were the revised existential spiritual well-being scale developed by Paloutzian and Ellison(1982). Originally the instruments were developed by Spreitzer(1995) and Jung Hea Joo(1998), who translated it into Korean.The data was analyzed using t-test, ANOVA, Pearson correlation coefficients and stepwise multiple regression.The results of this study were as follows :1. Mean score of total empowerment was 3.72 and the subcategory 'meaning', had the highest score at 4.15.2. Mean score of existential spiritual well- being was 4.16.3. Existential spiritual well-being was positively related to self-empowerment (r=.400, P=000).4. A significant statistical difference between education, religion and self-empowerment was found.5. A significant statistical difference between hope of pregnancy and a existential spiritual well-being was found.6. The most important variable affecting the existential spiritual well-being was meaning which accounted for 15% of the total variance in stepwise multiple regression analysed. Three variables, competence and hope of pregnancy accounted for 22% in existential spiritual well-being. From the results of the study, the following ecommendations are presented :1) Indeed, we should identify existential spiritual well-being for real meaning of spiritual well-being in future.2) It is required to check the effect of existential spiritual well-being and self-empowerment through the repeated studies.3) We need to take a serious view of the meaning affecting existential spiritual well-being in pregnant women.
Daegu ; Education ; Female ; Hope ; Humans ; Korea ; Mental Competency ; Nursing ; Power (Psychology) ; Pregnancy ; Pregnant Women*

PURPOSE: Even though a number of studies have suggested that appropriate measuring instruments of family stress for working women have to be developed, the validity and reliability of the instruments used have not been consistently examined. The purpose of the present study was to develop a sensitive instrument to measure family stress for married working women, and to test the validity and reliability of the instrument. METHOD: The items generated for this instrument were drawn from a comprehensive literature review. Twenty four items were developed through evaluation by 10 experts and twenty one items were finally confirmed through item analysis. Psychometric testing was preformed and confirmed with a convenient sample of 240 women employed in the industrial sector. RESULT: Four factors evolved by factor analysis, which explained 50.5% of the total variance. The first factor 'Cooperation' explained 28.1%, 2nd factor 'Satisfaction with relationships' 10.6%, 3rd factor 'Democratic and comfortable environment' 6.3%, and 4th factor 'Disturbance of own living' 5.5%. Cronbach's coefficient of this instrument was 0.86. CONCLUSION: The study supports the validity and reliability of the instrument.
Adult ; *Family Relations ; Female ; Humans ; *Questionnaires ; Reproducibility of Results ; Stress, Psychological/*diagnosis ; Women, Working/*psychology

Female ; Humans ; Male ; Men's Health ; Mental Health ; Spouse Abuse ; prevention & control ; Spouses ; psychology ; Women's Health

OBJECTIVE: This study aimed to evaluate the effects of a mindfulness-based psychosomatic intervention on depression, anxiety, fear of childbirth (FOC), and life satisfaction of pregnant women in China. METHODS: Women experiencing first-time pregnancy ( n = 104) were randomly allocated to the intervention group or a parallel active control group. We collected data at baseline (T0), post-intervention (T1), 3 days after delivery (T2), and 42 days after delivery (T3). The participants completed questionnaires for the assessment of the levels of depression, anxiety, FOC, life satisfaction, and mindfulness. Differences between the two groups and changes within the same group were analyzed at four time points using repeated-measures analysis of variance. RESULTS: Compared with the active control group, the intervention group reported lower depression levels at T2 ( P = 0.038) and T3 ( P = 0.013); reduced anxiety at T1 ( P = 0.001) and T2 ( P = 0.003); reduced FOC at T1 ( P < 0.001) and T2 ( P = 0.04); increased life satisfaction at T1 ( P < 0.001) and T3 ( P = 0.015); and increased mindfulness at T1 ( P = 0.01) and T2 ( P = 0.006). CONCLUSION The mindfulness-based psychosomatic intervention effectively increased life satisfaction and reduced perinatal depression, anxiety, and FOC.
Humans ; Pregnancy ; Female ; Mental Health ; Mindfulness ; Pregnant Women/psychology* ; Anxiety/prevention & control* ; China ; Depression/prevention & control*