• Journal of The Korean Digital Architecture Interior Association
• /
• v.13 no.1
• /
• pp.33-41
• /
• 2013

Considering the fact that quality of life(QOL) conceptually has objective and subjective attributes but difficulties in measuring the subjective aspect cause a number of studies not to be balanced, this study exploits AHP(Analytical Hierarchy Process) which has been used for systematic decision making to include the other aspect. As the first step of the process decision making hierarchy model is set by content analysis of the UNDP QOL index and additional review of previous studies. 'Improving urban QOL' is a goal on top, 'Economical QOL', 'Environmental QOL', 'Social QOL' and 'Physical QOL' are dimensions of sub-goal(means objectives), and further decomposition follows. AHP shows that the dimensions of economical, physical, environmental and social QOL scored higher respectively. The aim of the model is to measure and prioritize the urban QOL in the two case study cities. The final score of the each city could be computed by integration of relative weights of dimensions for urban QOL. The final score of QOL for city A was 0.6642 and for city B the figure decreased to 0.3358. The method of this study could be used in stages of the process of urban planning. First stage is when planners try to have a correct and reliable perspective from the existed conditions of the city. Second stage is when the projects should be investigated to be confirmed for their efficiency. In other words planners can direct the scarce resources towards the aspects of QOL which are more important. And the results revealed that using AHP creates opportunity to involving the different groups in the stage of criteria weighting so that the attitudes of local community could be integrated well to the decision making to be suitable for a new paradigm of participatory and communicative planning.

• Journal of Korean Academy of Nursing
• /
• v.39 no.3
• /
• pp.433-445
• /
• 2009

Purpose: The purpose of this study was to assess changes in pain, fatigue, anorexia, anxiety and quality of life(QOL) in patients with cancer who were on chemotherapy. Methods: Symptoms and QOL were examined both before chemotherapy and after 2 cycles of chemotherapy. The participants were 76 cancer patients receiving chemotherapy in one of 7 hospitals. Results: The patients experienced a mean of 2.22-2.23 symptoms out of 4 symptoms. Patients who were female, or suffered from breast or colorectal cancer experienced more symptoms. Fatigue at present, and most severe fatigue and anorexia in the previous 3 weeks increased significantly. Anxiety and QOL decreased significantly after 2 cycles of chemotherapy. Number of symptoms, anorexia at present, most severe anorexia in past 3 weeks, and anxiety had negative correlations. QOL before chemotherapy showed a positive correlation with QOL after 2 cycles of chemotherapy. In a regression analysis, anxiety, QOL at baseline, income, and the most severe pain in the past 3 weeks were significant predictors of QOL. Conclusion: Physical and psychological factors were significant predictors of both QOL and each subscale, and these factors correlated with each other. These results demonstrate the needs for early assessment and intervention from the start of chemotherapy to decrease symptoms and improve QOL.

• Journal of Korean Academy of Nursing
• /
• v.39 no.5
• /
• pp.751-758
• /
• 2009

Purpose: The purpose of this study was to investigate the Quality of Life (QOL) and related factors in the patients with dizziness. Methods: The data were collected between March and June 2008 for 200 individuals who agreed to participate in the study. Uncertainty (Uncertainty in illness scale), anxiety, depression (Hospital anxiety & depression scale) and Vestibular disability activities of daily living (Vestibular disability-activities of daily living [ADL] scale) as well as QOL (Dizziness Handicap Inventory) were measured. Results: The mean QOL score was 37.5 (${\pm}23.0$). Monthly income, etiology of, frequency of, and total duration of dizziness were the significant factors related to QOL in these patients. Having had a fall, anxiety, depression, uncertainty and vestibular disability in daily living were also significant factors influencing QOL. In multiple regression analysis, anxiety, vestibular disability-ADL, falls, total duration of symptoms, uncertainty, and etiology of dizziness explained 41% of variance of QOL. Conclusion: The level of QOL in our patients was moderate as compared to those in previous studies. Anxiety and vestibular disability were the most important factors predicting low QOL. Use of nursing intervention programs designed to relieve these factors should also result in improving the QOL in the patients with dizziness.

• Korean Journal of Adult Nursing
• /
• v.24 no.1
• /
• pp.52-63
• /
• 2012

Purpose: The purpose of this study was to measure the quality of life (QOL) and to identify the factors influencing QOL in gynecological cancer patients. Methods: The subjects of this study were 242 people who were receiving medical therapy or follow-up after surgery from one general hospital in Daegu. Data were collected from August 1, 2010 to January 31, 2011. A questionnaire including questions on QOL, distress score, distress problem, depression, anxiety, insomnia, perceived health status and body image were completed by the subjects. Results: The mean score of QOL was $70.68{\pm}13.40$. Religion, job, presence of spouse, level of education, household income, financial compensation, disease stage and recurrence were the significant factors related to QOL. Distress score, distress problem, depression, anxiety, insomnia, perceived health status and body image were also significant factors influencing QOL. Sixty eight percent of the variance in subjective overall QOL can be explained by body image, distress problem, distress score, anxiety, level of education and perceived health status (Cum $R^2$=0.689, F=76.316, $p$ <.001). Body image was the most important factor related to QOL. Conclusion: An integrative care program which includes general, disease-related and psychosocial characteristics of patients is essential to improve QOL in gynecological cancer patients.

• Korean Journal of Adult Nursing
• /
• v.17 no.1
• /
• pp.119-127
• /
• 2005

Purpose: The purpose of this study was to describe the degree of perceived health status, depression and quality of life(QOL) and to examine the relationships among these factors in breast cancer survivors. Methods: The subjects were 105 women with mastectomy after breast cancer diagnosis who were in the out-patient department of surgery at SNUH in Seoul. Data was collected using self-report instruments. The instruments included 1-item for perceived health status, Chae and Choe's QOL scale for Korean breast cancer survivors, and Beck Depression Inventory(BDI) as well as socio-demographic and medical information. Data were analyzed with SPSS WIN 10.0 program. Results: The levels of perceived health status and QOL were moderate. Mild depression was found on the BDI. QOL and depression showed a negative correlation(r= -.598), whereas QOL and perceived health status was correlated positively(r=.370). Depression, perceived health status, and time since diagnosis accounted for 47.4% of variance of the QOL. Depression was the most significant predictor of QOL in breast cancer survivors. Conclusion: Breast cancer survivors may experience depression and alteration in QOL. Future nursing research should be directed toward the implementation and evaluation of interventions that promote QOL and decrease depression in breast cancer survivors.

• Journal of Korean Academy of Nursing
• /
• v.37 no.3
• /
• pp.324-333
• /
• 2007

Purpose: The purpose of this study was to develop and evaluate a quality of life scale for Korean patients with cancer (C-QOL). Methods: The C-QOL was developed and validated as follows, item generation, pilot study, and psychometric tests. A total of 337 patients diagnosed with stomach, liver, lung, colon, breast, or cervix cancer were recruited. The patients were asked to complete the preliminary questionnaire comprising the content-validated items, the SF-36, and the ECOG performance status. The obtained data was analyzed using descriptive statistics, factor analysis, multidimensional scaling (MDS), multitrait/multi-item matrix, ANOVA, t-test, and Cronbach's alpha. Results: Preliminarily twenty-six items were generated through content validity and a pilot study. Factor analysis and MDS extracted a total of 21 items with a 5-point Likert-type scale (C-QOL). The C-QOL included five subscales: physical status (6 items), emotional status (6 items), social function (3 items), concern status (2 items), and coping function (4 items). The C-QOL established content validity, construct validity, item convergent and discriminant validity, known-groups validity, reliability, and sensitivity. Conclusion: The Newly developed C-QOL is an easily applicable instrument which established psychometric properties and reflected Korean culture. It is recommended for further study to examine the responsiveness of the C-QOL using a longitudinal research design.

• Journal of Korean Academy of Nursing
• /
• v.43 no.1
• /
• pp.81-90
• /
• 2013

Purpose: This study was done to test structural equation modeling of health-related quality of life (QOL) of men with obstructive sleep apnea in order to identify parameters affecting QOL and provide guidelines for interventions and strategies to improve QOL in these patients. Methods: Model construction was based on 'The conceptual model of patient outcome in health-related QOL' by Wilson and Cleary, using the variables; age, physiological factors, social support, cognitive appraisal, symptoms and QOL. Participants were 201 adult male patients recruited at a tertiary university hospital in Seoul. Data were collected via questionnaires, polysomnography, and clinical records. Results: Age and symptoms directly influenced QOL. Social support and cognitive appraisal about sleep did not have a direct influence on QOL, but indirectly affected it via symptoms. QOL was lower in patients who were younger and had more severe symptoms. Symptoms were more severe for patients with lower social support and more dysfunctional cognitive appraisal. When social support was lower, cognitive appraisal was more dysfunctional. Conclusion: These results suggest it is necessary to not only manage symptoms, but also apply interventions to increase social support and cognitive appraisal about sleep in order to increase QOL in patients with obstructive sleep apnea.

• Asian Journal for Public Opinion Research
• /
• v.7 no.2
• /
• pp.94-112
• /
• 2019

Objective: The objective of this study was to compare the quality of life (QOL) of patients with end-stage renal disease (ESRD) between patients receiving hemodialysis (HD) and patients receiving continuous ambulatory peritoneal dialysis (CAPD) and to compare personal characteristic factors relating to the quality of life in patients with ESRD. Method: This study used a descriptive research design. The sample was recruited using purposive sampling that included 76 ESRD patients receiving either HD or CAPD at a dialysis clinic in Phraphutthabat Hospital, Saraburi Province, Thailand. Data was collected using the Quality of Life Questionnaire for Chronic Kidney Disease ($KDQOL-SF^{TM}$) version 1.3. Independent t-test and ANOVA procedures were used to analyze study data. Results: The results revealed that the HD patients had a moderate level of QOL. The highest scoring dimension of QOL was the encouragement of staff at the dialysis unit and patient satisfaction with the treatment (${\bar{X}}=100$, SD=.00), followed by social support (${\bar{X}}=89.29$, SD =16.88) and cognitive function (${\bar{X}}=88.57$, SD=11.82). On the other hand, the lowest scoring QOL dimension was physical problems (${\bar{X}}=50$, SD=51.89), and pain (${\bar{X}}=50$, SD=39.03), followed by work status (${\bar{X}}=53.57$, SD=45.84) and burden from kidney disease (${\bar{X}}=58.48$, SD=31.07). The CAPD patients also had a moderate QOL. The highest scoring QOL dimension was the encouragement of staff in the renal unit and patient satisfaction with the treatment (${\bar{X}}=100$, SD=.00), followed by social support (${\bar{X}}=95.61$, SD=14.20) and cognitive function (${\bar{X}}=88.83$, SD=13.52). The worst scoring QOL dimensions were work status (${\bar{X}}=44.44$, SD=42.72), general health (${\bar{X}}=53.61$, SD=39.05), and pain (${\bar{X}}=62.70$, SD=41.14). The difference overall and in each dimension of QOL in ESRD patients who were treated with HD and CAPD was not statistically significantly different. The QOL was not significantly different among patients with different personal characteristics except for income and duration of treatment; in those cases, the difference in QOL was statistically significant (p=.05). Conclusion: The overall QOL and life expectancy of patients with ESRD treated with HD and CAPD are not affected by gender, age, marital status, education, occupation, or type of health coverage. QOL was not significantly different, except for patients with different incomes and duration of renal replacement therapy, whose QOL was significantly different. The QOL of patients receiving dialysis should be studied to develop a QOL program for patients with chronic kidney disease who receive dialysis.

• Korean Journal of Community Nutrition
• /
• v.16 no.1
• /
• pp.136-144
• /
• 2011

Assessment of quality of life (QOL) is a new method to investigate the effectiveness of dietary regimen. Particularly, diet-related QOL is the most appropriate method to estimate social and psychological problems originated from dietary regimen practice. The purpose of this study was to evaluate the diet-related QOL and the correlation between diet-related QOL and health-related QOL, and dietary regimen practice in online diabetes self-help patients who practice the dietary regimen. Sixty one subjects who intended to practice dietary regimen were recruited from online diabetes self-help community, and instructed to fill-up the self report questionnaires. Contents of questionnaire were comprised of general characteristics, clinical characteristics, dietary compliance, and dietary regimen practice. As a result, the mean score of the 'Dietary impact' among the diet-related QOL sub-scales was the lowest suggesting most of the subjects suffer from burden of dietary regimen practice. The "Dietary impact" was correlated with "Taste", "Convenience" and "Cost" (p < 0.05). "Self-care" and "Satisfaction" were positively associated with well-controlled blood glucose and dietary regimen compliance, but negatively associated with "Dietary impact". Diet-related QOL was significantly correlated with the Health-related QOL, particularly the mental and social component (p < 0.05). Diet-related QOL was negatively associated with BMI, and self monitoring blood glucose was negatively correlated with "Self-care" (p < 0.05). In conclusion, Diet-related QOL might be appropriate to evaluate the effects of dietary regimen or nutrition education. The need for dietary education of cognitive-behavioral strategies and problem-solving ability is required.

• Journal of Korean Academy of Nursing
• /
• v.44 no.1
• /
• pp.75-85
• /
• 2014

Purpose: The aim of this study was to explore how individual factors, physiologic factors, symptoms, environmental factors, functional status and health perception predict the quality of life (QOL) for older adults with osteoarthritis and to provide guidelines for interventions and strategies to improve QOL in these patients. The conceptual model was based on the Wilson and Cleary's Model. Methods: Data were analyzed using SPSS WIN 20.0 and AMOS 19.0 program. Results: The proposed model was a good fit for the data based on the model fit indices. Based on the constructed model, individual factors, social support, functional status and health perception were founded to have direct effects on QOL. Symptom had a indirect effect on QOL. Social support had a significant effect on QOL, and this model explained 63.6% of the variance in QOL. Conclusion: The results of this study suggest that nursing strategies to increase QOL in this population should contain social support to promote QOL and manage functional limitations and health perception.