• Journal of muscle and joint health
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• v.18 no.2
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• pp.270-281
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• 2011

Purpose: This study was done to determine if osteoarthritis (OA) patients living in rural Korea would have a benefit from a structured group program focused on self-help strategies. Methods: A hundred and twenty-six patients with OA were recruited from nine Primary Health Care Posts. The experimental group received a 6-week self-help education program while the control group received usual care. T-tests and c2-tests were used to determine the homogeneity between the experimental and control groups. Independent sample t-tests were performed to determine the effect of the treatment program. To guard against such likelihood, the level of significance of t-test was determined by Bonferroni correction within the study constructs. When significant group differences were found in study variables at baseline, analysis of covariances (ANCOVAs) were used for group comparisons of outcome variables. Results: The experimental group reported more significant improvement in fatigue, difficulty with physical activity, depression, quality of life, self-efficacy, and health behaviors than did the control group. The experimental group also showed improvements in range of motion and muscle strength as compared to the control group. Conclusion: A self-help group education program was an effective and powerful strategy to promote physical and psychosocial health in OA patients

• Journal of muscle and joint health
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• v.11 no.1
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• pp.31-41
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• 2004

Purpose: The purpose of this study was to test the effects of self-help program offered to patients with arthritis. Method: A quasi-experimental study design with nonequivalent groups was employed for the study. The subjects in the experimental group were 19 residents of K City who visited K Health Center with chief complaints of osteoarthritis and who agreed to participate in the self-help program from January through April 2003. The subjects in the control group were 18 patients with arthritis, selected among patients on the waiting list of self-help program using random sampling method. Data related to pain, ADL, exercise self-efficacy, and knowledge about arthritis were obtained from both groups. SPSS Win 11.5 was used for the data analysis. Results: The results of this study were as follows. 1. The pain score and exercise self-efficacy of the study group were significantly higher than the control group. 2. The ADL score and knowledge about arthritis were not significantly higher than the control group. Conclusion: Based on the study results, self-help program was proved to be effective in alleviating pain, and promoting exercise self-efficacy related to arthritis.

• Journal of muscle and joint health
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• v.19 no.1
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• pp.71-83
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• 2012

Purpose: The purpose of this study was to develop and evaluate the effects of Tai Chi Self-help program for Hemophilic Arthritis Patients. Method: A quasi-experimental design was used. The subjects were 48 patients who underwent orthopedic surgery (24 experimental group, 24 control group). The subjects of experimental group were participated in the Tai Chi self-help group program in which 16 times for 8 weeks. The program consisted of health education on hemophilia, Tai Chi exercise, and workshop and its outcomes have been evaluated on WOMAC(Western Ontario and McMaster scale), mobility, pain, fatigue, muscle strength, depression, and quality of life(SF-36). The obtained data were analyzed by using the t-test or Fisher's exact test of PASW 18.0. Results: 1) The score of WOMAC, pain, fatigue, and depression decreased significantly in the experimental group as compared to the control group. 2) The score of mobility, muscle strength, and quality of life increased significantly in the experimental group as compared to the control group. Conclusion: Considering these research results, the program could be useful to improve joint movement, strength and psychological condition for patient with hemophilic arthritis, particularly in those who underwent orthopedic surgery.

• Research in Community and Public Health Nursing
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• v.18 no.2
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• pp.242-251
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• 2007

Purpose: The purpose of this study was to evaluate the effect of an Oriental self-help group program on living-alone elders in rural areas. Method: A one-group pretest-post test design was used. The subjects of the experimental group participated in the oriental self-help program, health education, feet bathing in hot water, cupping therapy, and foot-reflexology. The obtained data were analyzed using the Wilcoxon signed rank test and Pearson correlation coefficients of SPSS. Results: 1) The level of blood triglyceride, SGOT and glucose decreased significantly in the experimental group compared to the control group. 2) The scores of depression and stress decreased significantly in the experimental group compared to the control group. 3) The score of Yangsaeng increased significantly in the experimental group compared to the control group. 4) Depression was higher when the score of stress was high, and the score of depression and stress were lower when the score of Yangsaeng was high. Conclusion: Considering the results of this research, the program is effective in improving physiological indexespartially,emotionalindexesand Yangsaeng. Therefore this program can be implemented as a community-based self-help group program for living-alone elders in rural areas.

• Research in Community and Public Health Nursing
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• v.26 no.3
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• pp.260-267
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• 2015

Purpose: This study aimed to examine the effectiveness of the workshop on the nurses' knowledge about urinary incontinence (UI) self-management, attitudes toward UI, and self-efficacy to plan and implement a UI self-help group program for their clients. Methods: A one-group pretest and posttest design was used to examine changes in knowledge, attitudes, and self-efficacy following a one-day training workshop. Twenty-seven community health nurses completed a questionnaire before and after the workshop. Before participating in the workshop, the participants were required to take a UI online continuing education program developed by the researchers. During the workshop, the participants took four sessions which consisted of an introduction of a self-help group program, demonstration of a 5-week UI self-management program contents, pelvic floor muscle training and biofeedback practice, and group discussions to plan the implementation in their workplaces. Results: A significant improvement in knowledge of and attitudes toward UI were found (t=3.53, p=.002; t=2.83, p=.009, respectively) after the workshop. Participants also demonstrated improvement in their self-efficacy to plan and operate a UI self-help group program (Z=-2.64, p=.008). Conclusion: The one-day workshop for community health nurses is a feasible strategy to increase their abilities and confidence in operating a UI self-help group program.

• Korean Journal of Health Education and Promotion
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• v.20 no.3
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• pp.207-219
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• 2003

This study was conducted to identify the effects of the comprehensive nursing aided self-help program for hypertensives. The program educates hypertensives in community areas about blood pressure, self-care, health promoting behaviors, and life satisfaction. For this purpose a one group time series design was used. Sixteen subjects were evaluated from S Community Health center of B city. Self-help programs developed by the author were given to the subjects. The program consisted of group education on hypertension and self-care including blood pressure self-monitoring, recording of self-care activities, and encouraging and reinforcing self-help. The whole program was carried out from October to December in 2002. Data was analyzed by repeated measure ANOVA, and post-hoc Turkey. The results were as follows： There were significant relationships between changes in systolic pressure(F＝10.638. P=.000), diastolic pressure(F＝6.783. p＝.013), self-care(F＝13.506. p＝.000), and health promoting behavior(F＝9.067. p＝.001) at the 6th week and the 9th week. There were no significant relationships between changes in life satisfaction at the 6th week or 9th week. From these results, it can be concluded that the self-help program is an effective nursing strategy to promote self-care of hypertensives in community areas.

• Journal of East-West Nursing Research
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• v.19 no.2
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• pp.78-87
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• 2013

Purpose: This study has investigated experience of middle aged women who attended a self help group to overcome midlife crisis. Methods: To analyze types of experience that middle aged women attending the self help group went through to overcome midlife crisis, Q-methodology has been used. The 32 selected Q-samples from each of 27 subjects were classified into a shape of normal distribution using a 9-point scale. The collected data were analyzed using a QUANL PC program. The 38 selected Q-samples from each of 27 subjects were classified into a shape of normal distribution using a 9-point scale. The collected data were analyzed using a QUANL PC program. Results: The types of experience were classified into four categories; Type I (attempt to change), Type II (devoted to my role), Type III (tolerance and acceptance) and Type IV (role as a senior citizen). Conclusion: This study is significant in that it has attempted to analyze the approach and usefulness of a self-help group program. It is suggestive that a local society support group may be necessary to help people with midlife crisis and further studies for nursing intervention and strategic development are required.

• Journal of muscle and joint health
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• v.5 no.1
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• pp.39-56
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• 1998

This study was an quasi-experimental study, done to identify factors Influencing the reduction of symptoms in patients with fibromyalgia. The primary purpose of the study was to develop a Self-Help Program suitable for patients with fibromyalgia in Korea. The secondary purpose was to identify the effects of a Self-Help Program which included stretching exercise. This study was carried out between Feb. 24 and July 8, 1997 and patients in the study Included out patient diagnosed with fibromyalgia based on the criteria developed by the American College of Rheumatology(1990) and H, University which is a tertiary patient care clinic for Rheumatism. The experimental group included 38 patients who were residents of Seoul or Kyungi province, and a control group of 38 patients who were residents of other areas. The control patients were matched to the experimental group patients and they were selected considering the number of tender points on the Fibromyalgia Impact Questionnaire score and a score of self-efficacy. The experimental group participated in a Self-Help Program based on the American Arthritis Foundation(1995) guidelines. The program participants participated in a small group which consisted of 12-15 members attending the program once a week, for 6 weeks with each program lasted two to two and a half hours. The stretching exercise was carried out in each patient's home every day following the video tape exercise provided by the researcher, and the researcher provided encouragement and concern to the patients by calling them once a week. The number times the exercise was performed was divided by the number of participants to calculate the percentage of performance and determine the amount of exercise. Self-efficacy was measured by the Self-Efficacy Scale developed by Lorig et al. (1989) for arthritis patients. The degree of pain was converted to scores based on the Visual Analog Scale, the number of tender points was converted to scores based on the criteria of the ACR(1990) and of Yunus. Depression was measured by CES-D and physical disability, sleep disturbance, fatigue, and anxiety of patients with fibromyalgia were measured by the Fibromyalgia Impact Questionnaire. The level of the exercise performance was converted to scores using the number of times the exercise was performed following the video tape prepared by Association of Rheumatology Health Professionals. Data were analyzed by SPSS windows and the results ire described below. 1. The experimental group which participated in the Self-Help Program showed higher efficacy scores than the control group when both groups were analyzed for depression and the number of tender points as common variables(F=9.146, p=.003). 2. The experimental group which participated in the Self-Help Program showed lower scores than the control group, for pain, the number of tender points, depression, physical disability, fatigue, sleep disturbance and anxiety. These symptoms of fibromyalgia can all be seen to have subsided(F=9.483, p=.003 : F=32.680, p=.001 ; F=11.104, p=.001, F=5.344 : p=.024, F=7.630 : P=.007, F=15.6512, p=.003 : F= 7.5412, p=.008). 3. In the experimental group, the self-efficacy score for the first three weeks showed a positive correlation with the exercise-performance score for four to six weeks (r=.387, p=.043). 4. In the experimental group, the relationship between the level of exercise-performance and the reduction of symptoms showed a significant correlation only to physical disability(r= -.500, p=.001). 5. In the experimental group, the relationship between the self-efficacy score and pain, the number of tender points, depression, physical disability, fatigue, sleep disturbance and anxiety score showed inverse correlations and thus, a reduction of symptoms occured when the self-efficacy score increased(r=-.325, p=.004 ; r= -.253, p=.027, r=-.452, p=.001 : r=-.434, p=.001 ; r=-.316, p=.005 ; r=-.460, p=.001 ; r=-.397, p=.014). Therefore, self-efficacy improved following the Self-Help Program including the stretching exercise. It was also found that physical symptoms (pain, number of tender points, level physical disability) and psychological symptoms (depression, fatigue, sleep disturbance, anxiety) were reduced. Moreover, It was found that the higher the self-efficacy, the the higher the degree of achievement of goals set for the stretching exercises. In addition, the level of exercise-performance influenced the level of physical disability, one of the symptoms of fibromyalgia. Accordingly, the conclusions from this study are that exercise-performance and the reduction of symptoms is achieved through promotion of self-efficacy. Therefore, it is proposed that are the Self-Help Program including stretching exercises is an appropriate nursing intervention for the reduction of symptoms of fibromyalgia.

• Korean Journal of Family Social Work
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• no.62
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• pp.103-139
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• 2018

The purpose of this study was to explore the social workers' reflections developed during the participatory action research seeking practice methods in the community welfare center single parent self-help groups. Nine social workers and researchers sharing difficulties in the community welfare center single parent self-help group practice were involved in the participatory action research. We performed a circulatory research repeating 'plan-action-reflection-replan' cycles through ten sessions of research meetings including peer supervision in parallel with 4 self-help group practices. Multiple practice methods were derived as the result among which change in the social workers' perception was the key. We focused on the result that the social workers' perception was changed by reflections from participatory action research and the contents of the reflections were qualitatively analyzed using materials acquired during the study. As a result the following 5 themes were derived; 'recognition and worry on the lack of appropriate practice for the self-help group', 'specification of the social workers' role based on the changed perspective on the member-social worker relation', 'confirmation of the possibility of the concerned person initiated practice', 'detailed understanding of the single parent self-help group in the community welfare center', and 'renewed recognition of the development of the single parent self-help group in the community welfare center'. Based on these results, empowerment and reflection/reflective practice for single parent self-help group in the community welfare center were discussed.

• Korean Journal of Adult Nursing
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• v.26 no.4
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• pp.466-478
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• 2014

Purpose: The purpose of the study was to explore and describe the experience of breast cancer self-help group activities in Korea. Methods: The data were collected via individual in-depth interviews with 8 women with breast cancer, who participated in self-help groups during 2012~2013. All interviews were audio-taped and transcribed, and they were analyzed using a phenomenological method. Results: Six theme clusters were identified. "Breakthrough toward survival" describes how the participants identified self-help groups and got involved in the activities. "Genuine comfort obtained by 'misery loves company' deals with the emotional relief and catharsis. "New life fully recharged" demonstrates the changed belief system and the joy for life and living. "Rebirth in family" deals with how family dynamics has been changed. "Societal change by raising collective consciousness" illustrates many activities to improve their rights and advocate employment issues. "Obstacles to the group harmony" illustrates the major difficulties including interpersonal conflicts the participants encountered during their participation. Conclusion: The results of the study showed that participating in self-help groups was mostly beneficial for women with breast cancer. Therefore, oncology professionals need to encourage them to participate in self-help groups and also need to provide professional support to self-help groups for their harmonious interpersonal relationships.