Purpose: This study aimed to explore the relationship between digital health literacy, self-efficacy, and self-care behaviors, and to identify the effects of digital health literacy and self-efficacy on self-care behaviors among the community-dwelling elderly. Methods: This descriptive study used self-reported questionnaires and was conducted from January to April 2024. This study included 197 participants aged 65 or older, residing in nine cities and counties within Gyeongsangbuk-do. Data were analyzed using SPSS/WIN 23.0, employing descriptive statistics, t-test, One-way ANOVA, Scheffé tests, Pearson correlation coefficients, and hierarchical regression analysis. Results: The average scores were as follows: digital health literacy, 21.97±8.38 (out of 40 points); self-efficacy, 3.27±0.72 (out of 5 points); and self-care behaviors, 70.22±10.55 (out of 96 points). Self-efficacy (β=.32, p<.001) was identified as the primary factor influencing self-care behaviors. Additionally, job (β=-.20, p=.002) and gender (β=-.18, p=.007) were also significant factors. These factors explained 22.8% of the variance of self-care behaviors. Conclusion Based on the above study results, we found that to promote self-care behaviors of community-dwelling elderly people, developing and implementing training programs that enhance self- efficacy are imperative. Furthermore, efforts should be made to overcome regional disparities by developing and implementing various policies and programs at the government, local government, and community levels to enhance the digital health literacy of the elderly.

Purpose: This study aims to develop and test the psychometric properties of a scale for measuring the continuity of care specific to home health care patients in the context of Korean long-term care insurance services. Methods: In phase 1, the initial item pool was created based on the concept analysis results using a literature review and in-depth interviews. Phase 2 evaluated the psychometric properties of the scale in the survey conducted in 2021 using a sample of 202 receiving longterm care visiting nursing services. Exploratory factor analysis (EFA) was used to examine the construct validity. An internal consistency was examined using Cronbach’s α. Known group validity and criterion validity were assessed. Results: The EFA suggested five factors: therapeutic relationship, coordination of care, service availability, customized care plan, and consistency in service provision. The internal consistency reliability of the continuity of care scale was satisfactory (Cronbach’s α=.96). Known-group validity was established by comparing the continuity of care scores for high utilizers of home-visiting nursing services and low utilizers of home-visiting nursing services. Criterion validity was confirmed through the correlation between the developed scale and the performance of the visiting nurse service scale. Conclusion The developed scale was found to be reliable and relatively valid for measuring the patient’s perceived continuity of care within the Korean long-term care visiting nursing system.

Purpose: This study aimed to identify associations between self-esteem, social support, family empowerment, and health empowerment among children during the COVID-19 pandemic. Methods: A cross-sectional study was conducted among fifth- to sixth-grade children and their parents who were recruited from C elementary school in Gangwon-do, South Korea. The health empowerment, self-esteem, and social support as reported by children were measured by the Korean version of Health Empowerment Scale (K-HES), Self-Esteem Scale, and Perceived Social Support, respectively. The family empowerment as reported by parents of children was measured by the Family Empowerment Scale. Linear regression analysis was performed. Results: Of the participants, children’s self-esteem (β=.46, p<.001) and social support (β=.47, p<.001) and parents’ family empowerment (β=.27, p=.008) were significantly and positively associated with children’s health empowerment. Conclusion Among children in health-vulnerable environments due to the COVID-19 pandemic, establishing interventions for improving health empowerment needs to be considered as a nursing strategy for self-esteem, social support, and family empowerment at the intrapersonal and interpersonal levels.

Purpose: This study examines the factors influencing 30-day in-hospital mortality in elderly patients with community-acquired pneumonia (CAP) and compares them to those in adult patients. Methods: This secondary analysis used discharge data from the Korea Disease Control and Prevention Agency, covering the period from January 1, 2020, to December 31, 2022. Statistical methods included χ² tests, t-tests, the Cox proportional hazards model for calculating adjusted hazard ratios (HR), and Kaplan-Meier analysis. Results: The study found that older age (Adjusted HR=2.40, 95% CI=2.01-2.85, p<.001) and Emergency Room admissions (Adjusted HR=2.24, 95% CI=1.94-2.59, p<.001) are significantly associated with increased mortality in elderly patients. Other contributing factors include residency area (Adjusted HR=1.73, 95% CI=1.04-2.87, p=.035), hospital setting (Adjusted HR=1.34, 95% CI=1.05-1.70, p=.017), and the number of hospital beds (Adjusted HR=1.27, 95% CI=1.11-1.46, p=.001). Conclusion These findings underscore the importance of improving community health screenings and developing respiratory infection prevention programs for elderly patients, especially those in high-risk areas.

Purpose: The purpose of this study is to conduct job analysis of nurses at dementia care centers and to identify the importance, frequency, and difficulty of each duty and task. Methods: Through Developing a Curriculum (DACUM) Committee workshop, the committee members developed a job analysis tool using DACUM, and the nurses working at dementia care centers evaluated the importance, frequency, and difficulty of each duty and task. Results: The jobs of the nurses were derived from 10 duties and 66 tasks, and each duty consisted of 3 to 10 tasks. The important duties were ‘public guardianship project for dementia’ and ‘dementia diagnosis screening,’ the most frequent duties were ‘consultation and registration management,’ and ‘dementia diagnosis screening,’ and the most difficult duties were ‘public guardianship project for dementia’ and ‘project planning and evaluation.’ Based on these results, the core duties and tasks were derived, and the top priority duties were ‘consultation and registration management,’ ‘case management,’ and ‘support for families and carers of dementia patients’. Conclusion The most recent duties of nurses, who have the largest proportion of workers at dementia care centers, were identified, and the core duties that should be given priority in selecting the direction of education for job performance and professional improvement were presented. Based on the application method of education and training presented in this study, it is important to detail education and training that is appropriate for and applicable to each duty to support the professionalism of nurses at dementia care centers.

Purpose: This study examined associations between timing of marital dissolution, duration since marital dissolution, and self-rated health among marriage immigrants in South Korea who live in single-person households. Methods: This cross-sectional study employed a secondary analysis of data from the 2021 Korean National Multicultural Family Survey. We performed binary logistic regression analyses to examine the relationships between the variables of interest while controlling for social support, economic well-being, psychological well-being, and sociodemographic characteristics. Data from 407 marriage immigrant single-person households were included in the analyses. Results: Marriage immigrants’ self-rated health fluctuated over time but generally exhibited a downward trend following marital dissolution. After controlling for confounders, marital dissolution after age 50 and longer duration since dissolution (e.g., 3-6 years and 9+ years) were associated with increased odds of poor self-rated health. Unemployment and depressive symptoms significantly increased the odds of poor self-rated health, while higher social support had a protective effect. Conclusion Transitioning to singlehood after marital dissolution may have long-term negative health consequences, particularly for those experiencing this transition later in life. Proactive interventions focusing on social support and health resource acquisition within the initial 3 years of separation may be crucial to mitigate health decline.

Purpose: This study aimed to identify factors influencing subjective health status among individuals with spinal cord injury (SCI) using the International Classification of Functioning, Disability and Health (ICF) model. Methods: This study analyzed secondary data from the 2021 Survey on the Status and Needs of Individuals with SCI conducted by the Korea Spinal Cord Injury Association. A hierarchical multiple regression analysis was conducted in four steps. Independent variables included sociodemographic factors, satisfaction with medical services (environmental factor), the need for weight control, the need for nutritional education, the need for dietary management, and disability acceptance (personal factors) along with exercise and activity of daily living (activity and participation factors). These factors were added sequentially at each step based on the ICF model. Results: A total of 513 participants were analyzed in this study, with an average subjective health status of 5.51±2.39. Higher satisfaction with medical services (β=.27, p<.001), frequent exercise (β=.19, p=.008), and a greater level of activities of daily living (β=.02, p<.001) were significantly associated with improved subjective health status. Conversely, a lower need for nutritional education (β=-.25, p=.042) was negatively associated. Conclusion This study highlighted satisfaction with medical services, nutrition education needs, exercise frequency, and activities of daily living as important factors. These findings provide insight into how the health status of individuals with SCI can be enhanced through targeted interventions and support from healthcare providers.

Objective: To evaluate the effect of remote health interventions on self-management of hypertension. Methods: We systematically searched the literature for studies published in English in PubMed, Embase, Web of Science, China National Knowledge Infrastructure (CNKI), and Cochrane Central Register of Controlled Trials. The database was used to search for relevant studies with full text and evaluate the remote health interventions for hypertension self-management versus usual care for hypertension. RevMan 5.4 was used for data analysis. Results: A total of 19 studies eventually met our inclusion criteria. The results showed that the remote health interventions group could significantly reduce the levels of SBP (MD=5.67, 95% CI=4.12-7.22, p<.001) and DBP (MD=1.88, 95% CI=1.16- 2.60, p<.001), compared with usual care group, it also significantly improving the patient's quality of life (SMD=0.84, 95% CI=0.32- 1.37, p=.002), reduce waist circumference (MD=2.39, 95% CI=0.35-4.44, p=.020) and BMI (MD=0.49, 95% CI=0.06-0.91, p=.020), and significantly increasing the physical activity of patients (SMD=0.19, 95% CI=0.06- 0.31, p=.004). No obvious publication bias was found in this meta-analysis. Conclusion This study showed that remote health interventions for self-management can significantly improve patients’ quality of life with hypertension and better BP control than usual care. Further studies could be assess the long-term clinical effectiveness and economic evaluation of remote health interventions for self-management.

Purpose: This study aims to analyze the essence of infant parenting experiences of Vietnamese immigrant mothers married to Koreans’. Methods: The study participants are mothers who came to Korea from Vietnam as marriage immigrants, and have an experience of parenting infants in less than one year or are currently parenting infants. Data collection was carried out by interviews, and Colaizzi’s phenomenological method was used for analysis. Results: Total 17 meaning units, 8 themes and 3 theme clusters were identified. The three theme clusters are as follows: 1) A strange land, journey to ‘mother’, 2) A moment of carelessness, an unexpected accident, 3) The first step to safe parenting. Conclusion Vietnamese immigrant mothers have experienced of a sudden transition to motherhood in Korea, and have raised their infants in a bicultural environment. While raising their infants, they have encountered unexpected accidents due to differences in parenting culture and lifestyle. Nevertheless, Vietnamese immigrant mothers have made efforts to care for their infants safely and have shared parenting responsibility with their husbands. They also recognized the need for infant safety education based on community support. Therefore, in the future, infant safety education programs that consider cultural differences will be necessary.

Purpose: This study aimed to explore the current status of systematic review studies on patient-reported outcome measures (PROMS) published in Korean journals. Methods: Studies on the systematic review of PROMs, which applied the COnsensus-based Standards for selecting health Measurement Instruments (COSMIN) methodology. There were searched from the KoreaMed. The studies were evaluated based on the eight steps suggested by the COSMIN systematic review processes. Results: A total of eight systematic review studies were published in seven Korean journals. Patient-reported outcome measures (PROMS) measure for post-traumatic growth, social adjustment, physical impairment in post-intensive care syndrome, sleep quality, constipation, discharge readiness, post-traumatic stress disorder, and eHealth literacy. Conclusions No studies adhered to the steps of the COSMIN systematic review guidelines. Among the steps, the weakest points were searching strategies and evaluating measurement properties.