• Women's Health Nursing
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• v.28 no.3
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• pp.197-209
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• 2022

Purpose: This study aimed to investigate family functioning among spouses of gynecologic cancer patients in Korea. McCubbin and McCubbin's Family Resilience Model (1993) guided the study focus on burden of care, family resilience, coping, and family functioning. Methods: An online survey collected data from 123 spouses of gynecologic cancer patients through convenience sampling from online communities for gynecologic cancer patients in Korea. Burden of care, family resilience (social support, family hardiness, and family problem-solving communication), coping, and family functioning were measured by self-report. Results: The patients (44.7%) and their spouses (47.2%) were mostly in the 41 to 50-year age group. Stage 1 cancer was 44.7%, and cervical cancer was the most common (37.4%) followed by ovarian cancer (30.9%) and uterine cancer (27.6%) regarding the cancer characteristics of the wife. Family function, burden of care, family resilience, and coping were all at greater than midpoint levels. Family functioning was positively related with social support (r=.44, p<.001), family hardiness (r=.49, p<.001), problem-solving communication (r=.73, p<.001), and coping (r=.56, p<.001). Multiple regression identified significant factors for family functioning (F=25.58, p<.001), with an overall explanatory power of 61.7%. Problem-solving communication (β=.56, p<.001) had the greatest influence on family function of gynecologic cancer families, followed by coping (β=.24, p<. 001) and total treatment period of the wife (β=.17, p=.006). Conclusion: Nurses need to assess levels of family communication and spousal coping to help improve gynecologic cancer patients' family function, especially for patients in longer treatment.

• Journal of Korean Academy of Nursing
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• v.44 no.1
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• pp.55-63
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• 2014

Purpose: This study was conducted to examine the late effects, social adjustment, and quality of life in adolescents who had been completely treated for childhood leukemia and their parents. Methods: Participants consisted of 41 pairs of adolescent survivors (13-18 years) and their parents. Parents checked for their child's physical late effects. The Korean Version of Post-Traumatic Symptoms for psychological late effects, social functioning questionnaire for social adjustment and the PedsQL 4.0 Generic Core Scales for quality of life were completed by adolescents and parents. Data were analyzed using SPSS. Results: Twenty out of 41 adolescents had one or more physical late effects. Adolescents showed more serious psychological late effect than parents. Five children and seven parents had above cut-off scores and they were considered the high risk group for posttraumatic symptoms. Parent-reported scores were significantly higher than child-reported scores in terms of social adjustment and emotional functioning of quality of life. Low school functioning in adolescents was associated with physical late effects. Conclusion: The results indicate that long-term and systematic management for childhood leukemia survivors affect positive social adjustment and can further improve quality of life.

• Research in Community and Public Health Nursing
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• v.7 no.2
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• pp.216-228
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• 1996

The purposes of this study were to investigate levels of physical, cognitive, and social functioning in institutionalized elderly. The subjects were 78 residents of a nursing home for the elderly in Pusan. The data were collected from June 24th to July 8th, 1996 using interview and observational method. The structured questionnaires developed by Kim, by Kwon & Park, and by researcher were adopted to measure physical, cognitive, and social function, respectively. The data were analyzed using percentages, means, t test, ANOVA, Pearson correlation coefficient, Cronbach's alpha with the SPSS PC programs. The results were summarized as follows: 1. 34.2% of the subjects had a paralysis, strokes 26.3%, hearing impairment 15.9%, vision impairment 11.8%, mental disturbance 11.8%, cognitive disturbance 10.5%. 2. The mean score on the physical function for the subjects was 73.14, and the items with low functioning levels were 'ascending the stairs', 'bathing' in that order. There was no significant difference in physical function according to the following demographic characteristics: sex, age, and education level. 3. 50.0% of subjects was categorized 'definite dementia', 'questionable dementia' 11.5%, 'definite non-dementia' 38.5%. There was a significant difference in cognitive function according to sex, but were no significant differences according to following demographic characteristics: age and education level. 4. The mean score on the social function for the subjects was 17.60. The items with comparatively high score were in simple activities such as 'enjoying talking with his friends', 'watching TV or listening to the radio', and the items with low score were in complex activities such as 'enjoying a hobby',. 'enjoying a game', 'reading the newspaper or book'. There were no significant differences in social function according to sex and age, but was a significant difference according to education level. 5. Social function was positively correlated with both physical function and cognitive function.

• Korean Journal of Social Welfare
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• v.52
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• pp.143-170
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• 2003

This study investigated the effectiveness of the assessment of psychosocial treatment outcome in symptomatology and social functioning as rated by the depressed client's significant other in explaining the client's symptomatology and social adjustment at 6 and 12 month follow-up period after the 16-week psychosocial treatment was terminated. The data were drawn from the National Institute of Mental Health Treatment of Depression Collaborative Research Program of the U.S. Significant others of depressed clients have rarely participated in the assessment of treatment outcome, although they are major participants of the clients' daily life and have meaningful opportunities to observe the clients' functioning in different social situations. Thus, this study aimed to examine the explanatory power of the significant others' outcome assessment in depressive symptomatology and social functioning for the long-term outcome in symptomatology and social adjustment. The outcome measures used by the significant others were actual performance, expected performance, gap between actual and expected performance, and symptomatology drawn from the Katz Adjustment Scale-Relatives Form. Three major findings were: (1) in general, the posttreatment assessment by the significant other demonstrated stronger explanatory power of the follow-up status than the assessment rated at pretreatment in all of the four outcome domains; (2) the significant other's assessment of actual and expected performance at both pre- and posttreatment demonstrated significant explanatory power of the follow-up status in symptomatology and social/leisure and work adjustment; and (3) the significant other's assessment of social functioning at pretreatment improved the explanatory power over and above the explanation by symptomatology in the follow-up status of social/leisure and work adjustment; however, at posttreatment, symptomatology improved the explanation over and above social functioning more frequently in predicting both symptomatology and social/leisure and work adjustment. These findings suggest the effectiveness of the measures of symptomatology and actual and expected performance as assessed by significant others. The results imply that mental health professionals and researchers need to involve the depressed client's significant other in the treatment and make good use of their contribution in treatment planning and further intervention in the follow-up period to prevent relapse.

• Journal of the Korea Convergence Society
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• v.8 no.8
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• pp.163-176
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• 2017

The purpose of this study was to examine the anxiety, depression, uncertainty, social support, and QoL and to identify the factors influencing QoL in women with thyroid cancer. A descriptive survey was performed from April to October in 2014 with self-reporting questionnaires for depression, uncertainty, social support, and QoL. Participants were 106 women with thyroid cancer who visited a outpatient department of endocrine surgery in a hospital. Data were analyzed using SPSS 22.0. As the results of this study, the mean scores of global QoL were moderate. Anxiety was significantly influenced physical functioning, emotional functioning, and social functioning. Uncertainty was significantly influenced physical functioning and cognitive functioning. Therefore, from the results of this study, nursing practice focused on anxiety and uncertainty relieving care for female thyroid cancer patients to improving QoL. And also, in order to understand the QoL of women with thyroid cancer, it is necessary to deeply understand the QoL through qualitative and quantitative research to determine the QoL by treatment period and treatment type.

• Asia pacific journal of information systems
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• v.23 no.4
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• pp.29-51
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• 2013

In line with network technology development and smart device penetration, the social network service (SNS) has expanded its influence. The SNS which is a service based on communication and sharing among people, has grown based on users' voluntary engagement and participation and its influence has appeared beyond the cyberspace into the overall areas of domestic and foreign culture and society. In particular, SNS-based real-time communication during diverse disasters, can help prevent further damage. By sharing information on social donation activities and environmental campaigns, people have used SNS as a tool to change the society in a more positive way. Such series of activities functioning as a power to change the society have been made much faster and wider through the help of a new media called SNS. To better understand such trends, we are required to study about the SNS and its user relationships first. In this context, this study sought to identify the effects of people's desire to build friendships through SNS on the voluntary and society-friendly activities of people. This study considers online pro-social behavior and proposes online citizenship behavior. Citizenship behavior has been examined in organization context. That is, organizational citizenship behavior explains an employee's pro-social behavior in an organization context. Organizational citizenship behavior is characterized by the individual's helping others and promoting the functioning of the organization. By applying organizational citizenship behavior to an online context, we propose online citizenship behavior, an individual's pro-social behavior in an online context. An individual's pro-social behavior, i.e., online citizenship behavior, could be considered as a way for the better management of online community and society. It also needs to examine the development of online citizenship behavior. This study examined online citizenship behavior from the friendship desire. Because online society or community is characterized by online relationships between members, the friendship between members would lead to pro-social behavior, i.e., helping others and promoting the functioning of the online society, in such online context. This study further examines the antecedents of friendship desire in terms of SNS interactivity with its four factors. The findings based on the survey from real SNS users explain that the three factors of SNS interactivity (connectivity, enjoyment, and synchronicity) increases online friendship desire which then increases online citizenship behavior significantly. This study contributes to the literature by examining the key role of online friendship desire in leading to online citizenship behavior and identifying its antecedents in terms of SNS characteristics. The findings in this study also provide guidance on how to manage online society and how to promote the effective functioning of SNS.

• International Journal of Human Ecology
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• v.7 no.2
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• pp.75-84
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• 2006

Internalizing and externalizing behavior problems may be more common in children with disability families but rarely known is the magnitude of the problem and the risk factors compared to those in children with non-disability families. This study was undertaken to examine if socio-economic factors, parental health, and family functioning affect children's internalizing and externalizing behaviors differently between two comparison groups. The research literature on childhood behaviors was briefly reviewed. The data was derived from the Mental Health of Children and Young People in Great Britain, 2004. Regression analyses provide evidence that the family type, economic status, and income level are uniquely associated with an increased risks of internalizing or externalizing behavior problems in children with disability families, whereas sex, age, family size, parental health, and family functioning factors have similar impacts on the child's internalizing or externalizing variances between two groups. Intervention is desirable to address the concerns influencing internalizing and externalizing performances among children with disability or non-disability families.

• Journal of the Korean Academy of Child and Adolescent Psychiatry
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• v.25 no.4
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• pp.187-195
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• 2014

Objectives : The objective of this study was to investigate the relationship between restricted, repetitive behaviors and interests (RRBI) and autistic symptoms in Korean high functioning autism spectrum disorder (ASD) children and to examine the structure of RRBI. Methods : Participants included 147 high functioning ASD subjects and 181 unaffected siblings. ASD subjects were divided into two groups based on the presence of RRBI. The domain scores of the Korean version of Autism Diagnostic Interview-Revised (K-ADI-R), Korean version of Asperger Syndrome Diagnostic Scale and total scores of Korean translated version of Social Responsiveness Scale, Korean version of Social Communication Scale were used for comparison of ASD symptoms between the groups. Eleven items from the RRBI domain of the K-ADI-R were used in principal axis factor analysis (PAF). Results : A statistically lower nonverbal IQ score was observed for ASD with RRBI than for ASD without RRBIs, and more social deficit, communication deficit, and behavioral and emotional problems were observed for ASD with RRBI compared to ASD without RRBI. Using PAF, two distinct factors were identified. 'Resistance to trivial changes in environment', 'Difficulty with minor changes in personal routine & environment', and 'Compulsion/ritual' were included as one factor. Conclusion : Analysis of the data suggests that the presence of RRBI in high functioning ASD is associated with a more severe presentation of autistic disorder. In addition, there appears to be heterogeneity within RRBI in autism except insistence on sameness.

• Journal of the Korea Convergence Society
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• v.12 no.9
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• pp.323-330
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• 2021

Purpose: This study aimed to identify the maternal functioning and related factors among early postpartum women. Methods: In this cross-sectional study, 243 women recruited from three women's hospitals. Participants completed a structured questionnaire in on-line or off-line between 6 and 12 weeks postpartum. Data were analyzed using descriptive statistics, the t-test, analysis of variance, Pearson correlation coefficients, and stepwise multiple regression with SPSS for Windows ver. 25.0. Results: The mean score for the maternal functioning was 73.28±16.78 out of 120 points. Maternal functioning was associated with postpartum depression (r=-.57 p<.001), and spousal and family support (r=.54, p<.001). According to the stepwise multiple regression, postpartum depression (β=-0.43, p<.001), spouse and family support (β=0.39, p<.001), employment (β=0.12, p=.012) and delivery method (β=-0.10 p=.026) had a significant relationship with the maternal functioning among postpartum women. These variables had an explanatory power of 49.0% for maternal functioning. Conclusion: It is necessary to develop and implement a maternal intervention program focused on alleviating postpartum depression and improving spouse and family support. This study will be the starting point for various studies by identifying the maternal functioning of postpartum women for the first time in Korea.

• Korean Journal of Social Welfare
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• v.64 no.3
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• pp.183-202
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• 2012

Remarriages constitute an increasing proportion of all marriage in Korea. In 2010, 21.9% of marriage were remarriages for one or both partners. In spite of such increasing of remarriage, not much attentions were given the issues of remarriage in the academic circle of social welfare in Korea. This study is conducted to understand the nature of remarriage, the family structure in remarriage, the relationship between the boundary ambiguity and the family functioning in remarriage. Although boundary ambiguity is believed to be more problematic for remarriage families than first-marriage families and as such has been the topic of research in the U.S.A and other countries, few studies have focused on this topic in Korea. This study examined degree of boundary ambiguity of 125 samples of remerried women and their family functioning. Also, the study examined the relationship between the boundary ambiguity and the family functioning in remarriage. This study conceptualized boundary ambiguity as an incongruence between physical and psychological presence or absence of family members. The findings indicated that the majority of respondents(67.6%) were categorized as having both no psychological and no physical ambiguity. 19.8% of respondents were categorized as having physical ambiguity, 9.9% as having psychological ambiguity, and 2.7% as having both psychological and physical ambiguity. Statistically significant differences of family functioning in remarriage were found among four groups having different type of boundary ambiguity.