The purpose of this study were to identify the dietary practices of vulnerable older adults and to assess the foodservice and food provision service programs perceived by the health and welfare service providers in the community. A survey was conducted on health and welfare service providers working in outreach community centers and community health centers in Seoul. A total of 260 nurses and social workers participated in the survey and 224 responses were used for data analysis after excluding significant missing data. The respondents consisted of nurses (58.5%) and social workers (41.5%). In terms of the dietary life of the vulnerable older adults, they perceived that the food cost was burdensome to the older adults and poor dental conditions prohibited them from eating various foods. The health and welfare service providers rated highly for ‘home-delivered meal and side dish services are effective for checking older adults’ conditions' but rated low for availability of menu choices. In targeting vulnerable older adults for food and nutrition service programs, the home-delivered meal service was found to be suitable for older adults living alone, those over age of 80 years, those with mobility difficulties, and those with economic difficulties. The food provision service was appropriate for older adults living with their spouse or other family members. Vulnerable older adults are a heterogeneous population with diverse needs related to food and nutrition. Home-delivered meal/side dish service and food provision services will achieve their goals when they reach the correct targets with a customized service.
Adult ; Community Health Centers ; Eating ; Humans ; Meals ; Seoul ; Social Work ; Social Workers ; Spouses ; Statistics as Topic ; Surveys and Questionnaires

PURPOSE: The aim of this study is to investigate and elucidate actual experiences of alcoholics' spouses using familial social gatherings. METHODS: A total of nine women whose alcoholic husbands were attending Al-Anon meetings held in Y Cathedral in S District of Seoul were included in this study. Data collection of this study was conducted through in-depth interviews with participants from September 24 to November 30, 2015. Data analysis was conducted at the same time as the data collection, and analysis was performed according to the method suggested by Colaizzi(1978). RESULTS: We categorized the participants' experiences into five themes including ‘Trapped in a Deep Dark Tunnel’, ‘Life of Walking in an Endless Tunnel’, ‘Reaching a Dead End’, ‘Walking towards a Ray of Light’, ‘Finding Oneself on a Strange Path’. CONCLUSION: The results of this study provide an understanding of the essential structure of the life experiences of alcoholic spouses using familial social gatherings.
Alcoholics ; Alcoholics Anonymous ; Alcoholism ; Data Collection ; Female ; Humans ; Life Change Events ; Methods ; Seoul ; Spouses ; Statistics as Topic ; Walking

PURPOSE: The purpose of this study is to identify the effects of the elderly's health statuses, health behavior, and social relations on their health-related quality of life (HRQoL) according to their family types. METHODS: The subjects of this study were 1000 elderly persons (298 living alone, 420 living with their spouses, and 282 living with their family)living in C city in Gangwon Province. Data were collected through structured questionnaires from July 20 to September 30, 2015. The SPSS/WIN program was used for data analysis. RESULTS: The HRQoL of the elderly living alone was much lower than the other groups. The most influential factors on the HRQoL include self-rated health and depressive symptoms in all three groups. Social activities and skipping meals were associated with the HRQoL of the elderly living alone and living with their spouses, while marital status, number of chronic disease, and instrumental activities of daily living were associated with the HRQoL of the elderly living with their family. CONCLUSION: Nurses should take into account family types when designing interventions for improving the HRQoL of the elderly.
Activities of Daily Living ; Aged ; Chronic Disease ; Depression ; Gangwon-do ; Health Behavior ; Humans ; Marital Status ; Meals ; Quality of Life ; Spouses ; Statistics as Topic

OBJECTIVES: The goal of this study was to explore perceptions and experiences of general practitioners and midwives during sexual dialogue with menopausal women. METHODS: In a descriptive exploratory qualitative study, 13 midwives and 12 general practitioners were selected using a semi-structured interview and purposive sampling method. Data analysis was conducted using qualitative content analysis adopted by Graneheim and Lundman. RESULTS: Through data analysis “sexual disharmony” emerged as a central theme, which included three categories of reasons, strategies, and ramifications of sexual disharmony. Reasons for sexual disharmony included subcategories of aging and health related-problems, marital problems, and stereotypical perceptions regarding menopause and sexuality and daily concerns. Strategies used by couples to address sexual disharmony consisted of changing roles and values, pretending to reach orgasm, suppressing sexual desire, meeting sexual needs of husbands in accordance with religious rules, seeking help of peers, seeking friends or traditional medicine and health providers, seeking a help charmer, engaging in sex with other women to fulfill sexual needs, pretending to be moody to alleviate sexual tension. Sexual disharmony may lead to spending money on a prostitute instead of engaging in sex out of wedlock or a surge in social pathologies such as sexually transmitted disease. CONCLUSIONS: Healthcare providers must be aware of various sexual behavior of menopausal women and their husbands when they detect sexual disharmony in their patients. Results of this study can facilitate development of restricted guidelines for sexual discussion with menopausal women.
Aging ; Family Characteristics ; Female ; Friends ; General Practitioners ; Health Personnel ; Humans ; Medicine, Traditional ; Menopause ; Methods ; Midwifery ; Orgasm ; Pathology ; Sex Workers ; Sexual Behavior ; Sexual Dysfunction, Physiological ; Sexuality ; Sexually Transmitted Diseases ; Spouses ; Statistics as Topic

Objectives: To undersand the outcomes of major intervention measures on sexual transmission among HIV sero-discordant couples. Methods: Bernoulli Process Model was applied to model the major influencing factors of HIV transmission among HIV sero-discordant couples. The major influencing factors appeared as consistent condom use, antiretroviral therapy, frequency of sexual behavior. These parameters were from the HIV sero-discordant couples in 30 counties in 4 provinces (Guangxi Zhuang Autonomous Region, Yunnan Province, Xinjiang Uygur Autonomous Region and Henan provinces) from January 1, 2011 to December 31, 2012. According to the main factors, modeling-intervention strategies and measures on reduction HIV transmission among serodiscordant couples were formed. Results: Data from the present proportion of consistent condom use (85%) modeling and the coverage of antiretroviral treatment (60%) showed that, the proportion of cumulative seroconversion among the spouses was 1.76%. Results from the sensitivity analysis on modeling the consistent condom use and the antiretroviral treatment showed that, when the coverage of antiretroviral treatment was as 90% and the proportion of consistent condom use increased from 50% to 90%, with 80.7% of the risk of spouse seroconversion could be reduced. Or, when the proportion of consistent condom use was as 90% and the coverage of antiretroviral treatment increased from 50% to 90%, with 64.5% of the risk of spouse seroconversion could be reduced. Conclusions: With measures as consistent condom use plus provision of timely antiretroviral therapy to HIV positive index spouses, the risk of sexual transmission among sero-discordant couples could be greatly reduced.
Anti-Retroviral Agents/therapeutic use* ; China/epidemiology* ; Condoms ; Female ; HIV Infections/virology* ; HIV Seronegativity ; HIV Seropositivity/epidemiology* ; Humans ; Male ; Safe Sex ; Sexual Behavior/statistics & numerical data* ; Sexual Partners ; Spouses

PURPOSE: This study aimed to understand and describe the caring experiences of spouses of elderly people with dementia. METHODS: The hermeneutic phenomenological method was used and participants were 12 spouses aged 65 and over who were taking care of their husbands or wives with dementia at home. Data were collected from individual in-depth interviews on participants' actual caring experiences. Additionally, novels, movies, and memoirs on elderly couples with partner who had dementia were included as data for the analysis. The qualitative data analysis software program was used to manage and process the collected qualitative data. Data were analyzed using hermeneutic phenomenological analysis based on four fundamental existentials including lived body, lived space, lived time, and lived others. RESULTS: Five essential themes emerged from the analysis: 1) body moving like an old machine, 2) swamp of despair filling with hope, 3) sweet time after bitterness, 4) disappointed elderly couple in the empty nest, and 5) unappreciation vs. empathetic feelings. These essential themes were comprehensively summarized as “the road leading to the maturation of life with dedication and hope while bearing the weight of caring based on the couple's relationship.” CONCLUSION: The findings indicate that the nature of the caring experience of spouses of elderly individuals with dementia is filled with many dynamic and paradoxical dimensions. Thus, results of the study would help with developing interventions tailored specifically for elderly spouse caregivers to support their role adaptation and ultimately improving their quality of life.
Aged* ; Caregivers ; Dementia* ; Family Characteristics ; Hermeneutics* ; Hope ; Humans ; Methods ; Motion Pictures as Topic ; Qualitative Research ; Quality of Life ; Spouses* ; Statistics as Topic ; Wetlands

PURPOSE: The purpose of this study was to explore the meaning of pregnant women's experiences with drinking alcohol during first trimester of pregnancy METHODS: The data were collected through in-depth interviews of 7 pregnant women who drank alcohol in the first trimester. Giorgi's phenomenological method was used for data analysis. RESULTS: Findings included 6 main themes and 14 themes. The main themes concerning pregnancy and drinking were: ‘Open attitude in drinking, History of drinking in family or spouse, Seeking information in how drinking affects pregnancy, Regret not doing planned pregnancy and not quitting drinking before pregnancy, Willing to stop drinking until the child birth, Awareness about importance of preconception care. CONCLUSION: The results of this study provide a deeper understanding of pregnant women's experiences of drinking alcohol during the first trimester of pregnancy. These results can be used in the development of strategies to prevent drinking alcohol during first trimester and to support preconception care and prenatal care.
Binge Drinking ; Child ; Drinking* ; Family Planning Services ; Female ; Humans ; Methods ; Parturition ; Preconception Care ; Pregnancy ; Pregnancy Trimester, First* ; Pregnancy* ; Pregnant Women* ; Prenatal Care ; Spouses ; Statistics as Topic

PURPOSE: This study was done to examine the prevalence and associated factors of depressive symptoms among married immigrant women in South Korea. METHODS: Data from the 2015 Living Profiles of Multiculture Family Survey were used in this study. The sample consisted of 1,579 married immigrant women aged 19 to 39 years. Sociodemographic, acculturation, and social support factors were analyzed. Logistic regression was used for the data analysis. RESULTS: Married immigrant women having a poor relationship with their husbands and a culture gap with husbands were more likely to report depressive symptoms. Low socioeconomic status, no satisfaction with mother role, and no satisfaction with father role, and high social support resources were associated with depressive symptoms among married immigrant women in Korea. Having a moderate level of social support resources was more likely to lower the risk of depressive symptoms than high social support resources. CONCLUSION: The findings in this study indicate that prevention of depressive symptoms in married immigrant women in Korea could be aided by acculturation programs that include participation of husbands and social supports for the parenting role.
Acculturation ; Depression* ; Emigrants and Immigrants* ; Fathers ; Female ; Humans ; Korea* ; Logistic Models ; Mothers ; Parenting ; Parents ; Prevalence ; Social Class ; Spouses ; Statistics as Topic

Reproductive health (RH) education and services of female migrants in China have become an important health issue. This research aimed to investigate the RH knowledge and utilization among married female migrants, and to explore the influencing factors from the perspectives of population and sociology. We conducted a cross-section survey in Shenzhen and Wuhan, China, using the purposive sampling method. A total of 1021 rural-to-urban married migrants were recruited, with 997 valid survey results obtained. A face-to-face structured questionnaire survey was used, with primary focus on knowledge of fertility, contraception, family planning policy and sexual transmitted diseases/acquired immunodeficiency syndrome (STD/AIDs), and RH service utilization. The results showed that the RH service utilization (38.0%) was at a low level in married migrants and the accessibility of RH service was poor. Females who migrated to (OR=0.32) Wuhan obtained fewer RH consultations than those in Shenzhen. The workers with high school education received additional RH consultations and checkup services than those with other background education, apart from the white collar workers who received extra RH consultations and checkup services than the blue collar workers (P<0.05). We can draw a conclusion that the utilization of RH services in married female migrants remains at a low level in China. RH service utilization can be improved via the relevant health departments by enhancing the responsibility of maternal and health care in the community health service center.
Adolescent ; Adult ; China ; Cities ; statistics & numerical data ; Female ; Humans ; Population Dynamics ; Reproductive Health Services ; utilization ; Socioeconomic Factors ; Spouses ; statistics & numerical data ; Transients and Migrants ; statistics & numerical data

PURPOSE: This study was conducted to assess predictor variables of husbands in multicultural families and examine the relationship among variables after setting up a hypothetical model including influencing factors, so as to provide a framework necessary for developing nursing interventions of domestic violence. METHODS: The participants were 260 husbands in multicultural families in four cities in Korea. Data were analyzed using SPSS 22.0 and AMOS 20.0. RESULTS: Self-control, social support, family of origin violence experience and stress on cultural adaptation directly affected to dysfunctional communication, and the explanatory power of the variables was 64.7%. Family of origin violence experience in domestic stress on cultural adaptation, and dysfunctional communication were directly related to domestic violence in multicultural families, and the explanatory power of the variables was 64.6%. We found out that all variables in the model had mediation effects to domestic violence through dysfunctional communication. In other words, self-control and social support had complete mediation effects, and family of origin violence experience in domestic violence and stress on cultural adaptation had partial mediation effects. CONCLUSIONS: The variables explained in this study should be considered as predictive factors of domestic violence in multicultural families, and used to provide preventive nursing intervention. Our resutls can be taken into account for developing and implementing programs on alleviating dysfunctional communication in multicultural families in Korea.
Acculturation ; Communication ; Cross-Sectional Studies ; *Cultural Diversity ; Domestic Violence/ethnology/*statistics & numerical data ; Emigrants and Immigrants/psychology/statistics & numerical data ; Female ; Humans ; Male ; Models, Psychological ; Republic of Korea/epidemiology ; Self-Control/psychology ; Social Support ; Spouses/ethnology/psychology/statistics & numerical data ; Stress, Psychological/ethnology/etiology