• Research in Community and Public Health Nursing
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• v.21 no.1
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• pp.128-138
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• 2010

Purpose: This study was to identify the relation between productive activity and physical and psychological ability in elders. Methods: A total of 294 subjects aged between 60 and 92 were selected through convenient sampling. Data were collected with a self-reported questionnaire from May to June, 2008. Collected data were analyzed by SPSS/PC Win. 15.0. Results: Of variance in productive activity, 13.3% was explained by house ownership, number of diseases, and successful aging. Of variance in physical and psychological ability, 25.4% was explained by house ownership, perceived health, number of diseases, and successful aging. The correlation coefficient between productive activity and physical and psychological ability was significant (r=.32, p<.001) Conclusion: Findings of this study may be useful in understanding the health status of community-dwelling elders and developing more specific health promotion programs.

• Journal of Korean Academy of Nursing
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• v.41 no.2
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• pp.165-174
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• 2011

Purpose: This study was done to identify effects of a fall prevention program on physical fitness and psychological functions in community dwelling elders. Methods: A quasi-experimental study was carried out with a nonequivalent control group pre & post-test design. The program, which included exercises and education, consisted of a 12-week group program and an 8-week self-management program using a health calendar. An experimental group (32) and a control group (21) participated. Results: There were significant differences in SPPB (t=-3.92, p<.001), TUG test (t=4.94, p<.001), standing with right leg (t= -3.60, p=.001), standing with left leg (t=-3.74, p<.001), front and rear maximum step length test (t=-4.34, p<.001), right-left maximum step length test (t=-2.65, p=.011), and fall efficacy (t=-2.42, p=.019). Fall efficacy, fear of falling and depression showed significant differences following the 12-week exercise program and 8-week self-management program in the experimental group. Conclusion: Study findings indicate that the fall prevention program is an effective nursing intervention to enhance physical fitness and psychological functions for elders. Using a health calendar, the self-management program was more effective for psychological functions compared to only the group program. Therefore, health providers should develop diversified fall prevention programs which include motivation plans to encourage clients in participating.

• Research in Community and Public Health Nursing
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• v.22 no.4
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• pp.429-437
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• 2011

Purpose: The purposes of this study were to describe the prevalence of low weight and to investigate related factors contributing to low weight in community-dwelling older adults. Methods: From the database of the Fourth Korean National Health and Nutrition Examination Survey (KNHANES-IV), the researchers selected 2,964 older adults aged over 65. The original study was a population-based epidemiological survey of health and nutrition with a stratified multistage clustered probability design. Data were analyzed using ${\chi}^2$-test and multiple logistic regression with the SPSS/WIN 18.0 program. Results: The prevalence of low weight in older adults was 4.7%. The prevalence of low weight was different according to demographic characteristics. That is, the rate was higher in male elders, older ones, and rural residents. In the cases of current smoking, frequent alcohol consumption and no chronic disease, the prevalence of low weight was higher. Age, gender, area of residence, and current smoking were found to be contributing factors to low weight in community-dwelling older adults. Conclusion: The result of this study provides important insights into possible reasons for low weight in community- dwelling older adults and suggests that low weight should be considered in promoting older adults' health.

• Journal of Korean Academy of Nursing Administration
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• v.18 no.4
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• pp.402-413
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• 2012

Purpose: This study was done to explore factors related to amount of service use for elders with long-term care needs. Methods: A descriptive-correlation design was used. The sample included 259 elders and their primary caregivers who had cared for the elders for at least 6 months. Data on long-term care need assessment, service use and interviews with primary caregivers were analyzed. Results: There was no significant relationship between the sociodemographic characteristics and the amount of services use. Amount of service use differed significantly by Long-term care classification. The mean scores for class 1, 2 and 3 were 22.68, 21.47 and 17.87 days respectively. Primary caregiver relationship with the elders and the number of family-friend helpers were also significant. Multivariate regression analysis showed that gender, marital status, activities of daily living, cognitive impairment, and secondary caregiver support explained 17% of the total variance of service use among these elders (F=3.50, p<.001). Conclusion: The results of this study indicate that critical factors including secondary caregiver support and individual background, and other functional dependencies except for physical function should be considered in accurately predicting the amount of service use for community dwelling elders with long-term care needs.

• Research in Community and Public Health Nursing
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• v.19 no.4
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• pp.554-563
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• 2008

Purpose: The purpose of this study was to investigate elders' experience in a mentoring program and preferred characteristics of the program. Methods: Two hundred and ten elders dwelling in Sungnam-si. Korea participated in the survey from April 1 to May 30, 2008. Using SPSS Win 10.0, descriptive statistics, Chi-square test, and t-test were performed. Result: About two thirds of the elders had experience as a mentee, and a large number of them reported that it was helpful. Compared to those without, the elders with the mentee experience were more likely to perceive that it is easier to build a mentor-mentee relationship. The most common reason for wanting a mentee experience was loneliness, whereas the most frequent reason for not wanting was feeling a burden when meeting a stranger. Preferred characteristics of a mentoring program differed between the elders who had the mentee experience and those who did not. Conclusion: This study concluded that a mentoring program is highly likely to provide psycho-social support to the elderly, Also, a large number of the elders who had never had a mentor-mentee relationship wanted to have it in the future. This study suggests that healthcare professionals include a mentoring program in healthcare services for the elderly, considering preferred characteristics of a mentor-mentee relationship.

• Research in Community and Public Health Nursing
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• v.20 no.1
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• pp.12-22
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• 2009

Purpose: This study was done to investigate factors associated with depression and quality of life (QoL) among the community-dwelling elderly. Methods: This study used a descriptive correlational research design. The subjects were 730 elders aged over 65 living in D district of Daegu. Data were collected using questionnaires for 30 days in April, 2007. The research instruments utilized in this study were a physical function scale of long-term care insurance system, Geriatric Depression Scale Short Form Korea Version (GDSSF-K), and Korean Quality of Life Scale (KoQoLs). The collected data were analyzed by descriptive statistics, t-test, ANOVA, Duncan, stepwise multiple regression, and Spearman correlation. Results: The mean age of the subjects was 72.6, and 68.8% and 57.9% of subjects were, respectively, female and living alone. 12.3% of variance in depression was explained by age, education, economic status, subjective health, alcohol consumption, condition of teeth, and fall experience. 18.2% of variance in QoL was explained by economic status, number of diseases, condition of teeth, incontinence, paralysis, and IADL. Economic status and condition of teeth were contributing factors to depression and QoL of the elderly. Conclusion: Findings of this study may be useful in understanding the health status of the community-dwelling elderly and developing more regionally specific health promotion strategies.

• Journal of Korean Academy of Nursing
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• v.42 no.2
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• pp.291-301
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• 2012

Purpose: The purpose of this study was to investigate homebound status and significant related factors for community-dwelling female elders according to age. Methods: The participants were female elders over 65 years of age registered in public health centers. Data were collected by interviewing the elders, who voluntarily completed the entire survey. For data analysis, descriptive statistics and multiple logistic regression were performed using SPSS version 18.0. Results: There were statistically significant differences in homeboundness and related factors between the young-old (65 to 74 years of age) and the old-old (75 years of age or older). The level of homeboundness of the old-old was higher than that of the young-old. Multiple logistic regression showed, timed "up and go", depression, and fear of falling as significantly associated with homebound status of the young-old, while hand grip strength (right), timed "up and go", static balance ability, severity of urinary incontinence, and fear of falling as significant for the old-old. Conclusion: The findings of this study indicate that homebound status and related factors for elders are different according to age, and therefore, interventions to prevent and help homebound elders get over being homebound should be developed according to age.

• Korean Journal of Biological Psychiatry
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• v.21 no.4
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• pp.175-181
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• 2014

Objectives It was the aim to examine the association of the thyroid-related hormones with cognitive function, depression, and subjective memory impairment in community-dwelling elders with questionable dementia. Methods The sample consisted of 399 community residents with 'questionable dementia' aged 60 or over in whom serum thyroid-related hormones [thyroid stimulating hormone (TSH) and thyroxine] had been assayed. Cognitive impairment was defined using the Korean version of the Consortium Establish a Registry for Alzheimer's Disease. Depression was diagnosed using the Korean version of Geriatric Depression Scale and subjective memory complaint (SMC) was checked using the subjective memory complaints questionnaire (SMCQ). Age, gender, education, and the presence of apolipoprotein E {\varepsilon}4 were included as covariates. Results There was a significant positive association between verbal fluency test (VFT) score and serum TSH levels (p = 0.01). There was a significant negative association between SMCQ total score and word list memory test (WLMT)(p = 0.002) or word list recall test (WLRT) score (p = 0.013). Conclusions Lower serum TSH levels were associated with semantic memory (VFT), and we found that SMC was associated with episodic memory (WLMT and WLRT) in this sample.

• Research in Community and Public Health Nursing
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• v.30 no.2
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• pp.119-129
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• 2019

Purpose: The purpose of this study is to develop and evaluate the effects of a multifaceted cognitive training program on cognitive function, depression, and instrumental activities of daily living (IADL) in community dwelling elders with mild cognitive impairment. Methods: A non-equivalent control group pretest-posttest design was used. The subjects were recruited from a community health center in D metropolitan city and were assigned to the experimental or control group. Weekly 50-minute session intervention was delivered to the experimental group over 12 weeks. 8 weeks and 12weeks after intervention, the changes in cognitive function, depression, and IADL in the groups were measured and compared. Data were analyzed with Mann-Whitney U test, Wilcoxon Signed Rank test, and post-hoc test with Bonferroni correction using SPSS/WIN 23.0. Results: When compared with their counterparts (n=15), the elders in the experimental group (n=12) showed significant improvement in cognitive function and depression at week 12. The mean scores of IADL at week 12 were not significantly different between the groups. Conclusion: The results indicate that this multifaceted cognitive training program is effective in improving cognitive function, depression, and avoiding deterioration of IADL among elders with mild cognitive impairment.

• Journal of Korean Public Health Nursing
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• v.26 no.3
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• pp.478-490
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• 2012

Purpose: The purpose of this study was to investigate the effects of oral exercise on oral function and quality of life among community-dwelling elders. Methods: This was a quasi-experimental study. Sixty four participants were recruited from the dental clinic of a public health center in G City, Gyeonggi-do. Thirty one participants were assigned to the experimental group and 33 to the control group. Participants in the experimental group performed oral exercise once a week for a period of three months. Subjects in the The control group received usual oral education. The Scores for oral function and quality of life were measured before and after the treatment. Data were analyzed using SPSS WIN 14.0. Results: After the experiment, statistically significant differences were observed between the two groups. were observed. The amount of saliva (p<.001), and the scores of for oral function (p<.001), and quality of life (p<.001) were higher in the intervention group compared to the control group. Conclusions: Oral exercise programs were effective in improving the oral function and quality of life among community-dwelling elders. Oral exercise could be an effective oral health nursing intervention for older people in the community.