• Research in Community and Public Health Nursing
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• v.14 no.2
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• pp.287-298
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• 2003

The purpose of the study was to develop an integrated prevention program to strengthen elders self-care capability and to examine its effectiveness on their psychological condition. This study used one group pre- and post-test design. Subjects were 85 elderly residents (over 65 years of age) who lived alone, and received free basic medical care and social welfare services in a rural community in Korea. Subject eligibility criteria for this study were to an elders who 1) is not currently taking any anti-depressant medication 2) is able to communicate, and 3) agrees to participate in this study. The integrated program was composed of horticulture, reminiscence, and friendship activities. Twelve sessions were provided for 12 weeks in community-based partnerships to achieve better outcomes. The intervention was case-managed by a public health nurse and aided by six volunteers. The main outcome variable was depression, which was assessed by using 15 items selected from the Geriatric Depression Scale-short form Korean version. Socio-demographic characteristics, functional status, and satisfaction with social support were used as covariates. Results showed that there was a significant intervention effect at post-intervention time point compared to pre-intervention time point(E.S. 0.94). Multiple linear regression analysis showed significant interaction effects between intervention and satisfaction with social support. These findings must be interpreted within the context that an effects of an integrated program could be more synergistically increased when social support factor is considered in the program. A community-based integrated prevention program of depression is effective for vulnerable rural elderly. It is suggested that randomized controlled trials within community setting for better methodological strength as well as multi-level outcomes on community need to be conducted in future.

• Journal of Community Nutrition
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• v.7 no.1
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• pp.42-48
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• 2005

This study was done to investigate effects of antioxidant supplementation on phytohemagglutinin (PHA) -stimulated interleukin-2 (IL-2) production by peripheral blood mononuclear cells (PBMCs) in elderly women. This study was designed as a placebo-controlled, single-blinded, randomized intervention trial. Twenty four elderly women aged over 60 years, visitings social welfare center in Seoul were divided into 3 groups, placebo (n = 8), vitamin C supplemented (n = 8) , and vitamin E supplemented (n = 8) groups. Experimental groups were given either 1000mg of L-ascorbic acid or 400 ill of d- $\alpha$-tocopherol for 4 weeks. There was no significant difference in antioxidant vitamins intakes and their plasma levels among pre-intervention groups. Plasma vitamin C or E levels was significantly increased after vitamin C or E sup-plementations. The increases of plasma thiobarbituric acid-reactive substance (TBARS) levels in the placebo group were significantly higher than those of the supplemented 2 groups. There were no significant differences in the changes of plasma IL-2 level between pre- and post-intervention among the 3 groups. However there was a significant increase in PHA­stimulated IL-2 production by PBMCs after 4-week vitamin E or vitamin C supplementation. Particularly, vitamin E supplemented group showed a higher PHA-stimulated IL-2 production than vitamin C supplemented group. These results indicate that vitamin E or vitamin C supplementation might enhance mitogen-stimulated cytokine production by immune cells, which could be one of the factors to improve health status in the elderly.

• Physical Therapy Korea
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• v.23 no.4
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• pp.16-26
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• 2016

Background: Deficiencies in the ability to maintain balance are common in elderly. Augmented feedback such as knowledge of results (KR) can accelerate learning and mastering a motor skill in older people. Objects: We designed this study to examine whether one session of Wii-Fit game with self-regulated KR is effective for elderly people, and to compare the effect of two different timings of self-regulated KR conditions. Methods: Thirty-nine community-dwelling elders, not living in hospice care or a nursing home, participated in this study. During acquisition, two groups of volunteers were trained in 10 blocks of a dynamic balancing task under the following 2 conditions, respectively: (a) a pre-trial self-regulated KR ($n_1=18$), or (b) a post-trial self-regulated KR ($n_2=21$). Immediate retention tests and delayed retention tests of balancing performance were administered in 15 minutes and 24 hours following acquisition period, respectively. Results: In both groups, significant improvements of balancing performances scores were observed during the acquisition period. Regardless of the group, mean of balancing performance scores on retention tests were well-maintained from the final session. There were no significant differences between groups in balancing performance scores during the acquisition period (p>.05); however, the post-trial self-regulated KR group exhibited significantly higher balancing performance scores in both the immediate retention test and delayed retention test than that of the pre-trial self-regulated KR group (p<.05). Conclusion: Therefore, subjects who regulated their feedback after a dynamic balancing task, during the acquisition period, experienced more efficient motor learning during the retention period than did subjects who regulated their feedback before a dynamic balancing task. Accordingly, in case of presenting the KR of motor learning in clinical settings to elders who reduced dynamic balance abilities, the requesting time of KR is imperative according to self-estimation processes as well as types of KR and practice.

• Korean Journal of Applied Biomechanics
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• v.20 no.3
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• pp.267-275
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• 2010

The purpose of this study was to investigate the effects of balance ability improvement exercise program which applied to the elderly people for increasing balance, stability and range of motion. Ten elderly people and ten university students were recruited as the subjects. Kinematic data were collected by seven real-time infrared cameras while subjects walk stair descent as a pre-test. Korean folk dance exercise program was applied to the elderly for 12 weeks. Same experiment on stair descent walk was performed as post-test. Results indicated that CM movement and selected joint angle patterns of elderly group after treatment changed to the similar patterns of young group. However, ankle joint angle and vertical GRF of elderly group after treatment also increased compared to those of the elderly group before treatment. This might be explained by the fact that elderly used a different walking strategy which maximize support base for increasing stability. Overall, these results indicated that the exercise treatment may affect to adapt and improve the gait pattern of stair descent of elderly people.

• Journal of Families and Better Life
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• v.28 no.1
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• pp.99-118
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• 2010

This thesis is to inquire into the effect of group art therapy by way of reminiscence on the depression of the elderly inpatients with geriatric illness. The subjects are 20 inpatients whose age is over sixty in the Elderly Nursing Hospital located in K county. Among them, 10 inpatients are arranged as the experimental group, and the rest 10 inpatients, as control group. The research period is from February 28, 2009 to August 21, 2009. For the experimental group, the group art therapy by way of reminiscence is carried out during 21 sessions once a week for 60 minutes per session. For both the experimental group and the control group, pre and post test is carried out, and then after four weeks, the further test is carried out. The measurement tools are KGDS(Korean Form of Geriatric Depression Scale) and KHTP. The data are analyzed by SPSS(for Windows) and SAS(ver. 9.1.2), by which one-way ANOVA, two-way ANOVA, and Scheffe test are carried out. The results are as follows. First, the average of the whole elderly depression levels is shown significantly in the post test and the further test between the two groups. The art therapy group is more effective on the reduction of depression of the elderly inpatients with geriatric illness than control group. Second, it is shown that there is significant difference between the two groups in the the elderly depression by KHTP. The art therapy group is more effective in the improvement of the reduction of the elderly depression in view of KHTP. In conclusion, the group art therapy is an efficient intervention which enables to reduce the depression of the elderly inpatients with geriatric illness.

• Journal of Families and Better Life
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• v.25 no.6
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• pp.95-109
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• 2007

The purpose of this research was to evaluate the effect of ceramic activities on elderly depression and life satisfaction. The research design was based on one group, with a pre and post-test study design. The subjects of this study included twelve elderly from anelderly daytime care center in Yang-san. Instruments used in this research were KGDS (Korea Form of Geriatric Depression Scale) developed by Jung et al., and a form of life satisfaction developed by Youn. A one-hour ceramic activity was offered to participants weekly, for five weeks. The results showed that depression and life satisfaction changed after the ceramic activities. The participants produced results of emotional aspects for demented old people. More specifically and significantly, positive emotions such as pleasure, in-terest, and tranquility were increased, while negative emotions such as anger or depression were significantly decreased through the ceramic activities. Thus, this study's ceramic activities program appeared to have beneficial effects on elderly depression and life satisfaction.

• Research in Community and Public Health Nursing
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• v.16 no.3
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• pp.241-248
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• 2005

Purpose: This research was carried out to examine if music therapy is effective in decreasing elderly people's depression level and in increasing their life satisfaction level Methods: This study used the quasi-experimental design with nonequivalent control group and the pre-test and post-test design, and was conducted from the 26th of July to the 26th of September in 2004. Data were collected using a questionnaire developed by Y.esavage et al. (1983) to measure depression level and one developed by Yoon (1982) to measure life satisfaction level. The subjects were 80 elderly people who were the members of an elderly welfare center in G city. The subjects were divided into an experimental group (n=40) and a control group (n=40). Results: The first hypothesis 'The depression level will be lowered in the experimental group who received music therapy' was supported (t=3.856, p=.000). The second hypothesis 'The life satisfaction level will be raised in the experimental group who received music therapy' was supported (t=2.040, p=.045). The results above suggest that music therapy can be an effective nursing intervention for reducing the depression level and increasing the life satisfaction level of elderly people.

• Journal of Korean Academy of Nursing
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• v.31 no.6
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• pp.998-1011
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• 2001

In order to improve self-management of elderly hypertensives in this study, the researcher examined the effect of blood pressure regulation by an abdominal relaxed breathing training which regulates physical response to stress and lessens the activity of the sympathetic nerve. Method: A quasi-experimental pre-test and post-test design was used. Thirty elderly hypertensive patient ; Sixteen in the abdominal breathing group and fourteen in the control group participated in this study. The abdominal relaxed breathing training consisted of eight sessions twice a week for four weeks. There was no intervention for the control group. Result: 1. There was a significant decrease in systolic and diastolic blood pressure between the experimental group and control group over three different times, and interaction by groups and over time. 2. There was no significant difference in the level of total stress response, physical stress response, behavioral-cognitive stress response between the experimental group and control group over three different times, and interaction by groups and over time. Conclusion: Findings indicate that this study will contribute to develop nursing strategies for the regulation of blood pressure for the elderly, which is easy for the elderly to learn as a nonpharmacologic approach.

• Korean Journal of Adult Nursing
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• v.20 no.4
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• pp.588-599
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• 2008

Purpose: This study was intended for the enhancement of the elderly's quality of life helping them overcome their physiological changes about aging and reinforcing their vitality. Methods: An nonequivalent control group post-test design was used for the study. The methods to perform the abdominal respiration exercise and to blow the pan-flute were demonstrated to 31 experimental subjects and 36 control subjects. The eight-week 30 minute daily home respiration exercise recipes were prescribed to the subjects. Mobile spirometers were used to measure FVC, $FEV_1$, $FFV_1$ / FVC, $SaO_2$, breathing discomfort. Daily life satisfaction scores were recorded. Music therapy accompanied the eight-week respiration program. A post-test was performed in the same manner as the pre-test. The gathered data were analysed by SPSS/WIN program. Results: 1) The pulmonary function and daily life satisfaction were significantly improved in the experimental group. 2) Both the experimental and control groups did not show significant differences in $SaO_2$. 3) The breathing discomfort was significantly reduced in the experimental group. Conclusion: The respiration exercise program for the elderly through the pan-flute improves the respiration activity of the elderly and enhances their daily life satisfaction scores. Therefore, this program produces effects in enhancing the quality of life for the elderly.

• Journal of Korean Biological Nursing Science
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• v.13 no.3
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• pp.291-297
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• 2011

Purpose: The research was to investigate the effect of stepbox exercise program on both male and female elderly' physiological index such as cardiovascular and to improve exercise efficacy. Methods: The research design was a non-equivalent control group, quasiexperimental study. From 2011-05-10 to 2011-07-26, 3 times a week for 12 weeks, the 43 elderly of health center of D district in G city who participated in the program and pre and post test at the same time were investigated. Results: Statistical significant differences had not been detected in systolic blood pressure and diastolic blood pressure, pulse showed a statistical significant differences. After test of physiological index, weights of participants showed decreasing tendency. body fat mass, skeletal muscle mass, BMI, body fat rate and waist-hip-ratio had also showed statistically significant differences. Conclusion: In conclusion, stepbox exercise program has positive effects on physiological index, blood pressure and pulse. Therefore, dynamic stepbox exercise program is considered to be a helpful intervention to improve comprehensive health conditions by giving the elderly both easy and less-pain exercise and the opportunity to manage their own health.