• Korean Journal of Adult Nursing
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• v.15 no.2
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• pp.236-246
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• 2003

Purpose: The purpose of this study was to examine the differences of the process of change, decision making, self-efficacy and perception of subjective health according to the stages of exercise behaviors suggested by transtheoretical models among older adults. Method: The subjects consisted of 291 older adults. Trained research assistants interviewed the older adults using structured questionnaires. ANOVA analyses with post hoc test were used to examine the mean differences for each stage of exercise behavior using SPSS for windows. Result: The subjects were divided into five stages of exercise behavior: 24.4% precontemplation, 12.4% contemplation, 17.9% preparation, 12.4% action, 33.0% maintenance stage. There were significant differences in process of change, decision making, self-efficacy and subjective health perception according to the exercise stage of change. 'Self-liberation' and 'stimulus control' were important strategies for intention of exercise, while 'reinforcing management' for the actual practice of exercise. 'Self-efficacy' was an effective strategy to change older adults from pre-contemplation to preparation stage. Conclusion: For exercise intervention, older adults should be classified into groups according to their stages of exercise behaviors and provided effective individualized intervention depending on their stage.

• Journal of Korean Academy of Nursing
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• v.45 no.6
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• pp.919-927
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• 2015

Purpose: Effective transitional care is needed to improve the quality of life in older adult patients with chronic illness and avoid discontinuity of care and adverse events. The aim of this article is to provide an overview of the key features, broader implications, and the utility of Meleis' transition theory intended for the transitional care of older adults with chronic illnesses. We present the role of nurse in the context of transitional care and propose future directions to increase the quality of nursing care. Methods: The online databases Cumulative Index of Nursing and Allied Health Literature, MEDLINE, and Science Direct were searched for relevant literature published since 1970 along with textbooks regarding nursing theory. Results: An evaluation of the usefulness of transition theory based on transitional care in older adult patients with chronic illnesses is provided. Healthy transition should be the expected standard of nursing care for older adults across all healthcare settings. Conclusion: Nurses need to contribute to the development of transitional care for vulnerable populations; however, transition theory needs to be enhanced through additional theoretical work and repeated evaluations of the applicability in areas of transitional care.

• Korean Journal of Adult Nursing
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• v.29 no.2
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• pp.119-130
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• 2017

Purpose: The purpose of this study was to understand the nurses' experiences of end of life care of older adults with dementia living in long-term care hospitals and geriatric care facilities. Methods: The participants were nine nurses. Open in-depth interviews were used to collect data from June, 2016 to November, 2016. Colaizzi's phenomenological approach was used to analyze the data. Results: Three categories were identified. The nurses' reported experiences of end of life care of older adults with dementia were 'warm care with living together', 'care for family', and the 'self-reflection and responsibility as a nurse'. There were ten clusters of themes and 24 themes. The participants stated that the end of life care of older adults with dementia were individualized holistic care with dignity, being in older adults with dementia and family, and responsibility as a professional. Nurses reported the need for dementia hospice care. Conclusion: These results could be considered in planning nursing intervention for hospice care. The findings support the need for educational strategies and programs to improve end of life care among older adults with dementia.

• Korean Journal of Adult Nursing
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• v.21 no.3
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• pp.314-323
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• 2009

Purpose: This descriptive study was conducted to identify the level of knowledge of stroke symptoms and risk factors among older adults. Methods: A total of 200 older adults over 65 years of age were conveniently recruited from out patient departments of two hospitals and a health care center from October to November 2008. The level of knowledge was assessed using both open-ended questions and a structured questionnaire based on semi-structured interviews. Data were analyzed by t-tests and ANOVA using the SPSS program. Results: 52.5% of the sample had hypertension and 30% had diabetes. The mean knowledge scores for symptoms and risk factors were $8.4{\pm}3.1$ (out of 15) and $9.5{\pm}3.9$ (out of 16), respectively. The older adults who had lower education, lower family income, and who lived in rural areas were more likely to have less knowledge of stroke symptom and risk factors (p < .05). There was no significant knowledge difference between the older adults who had at least one risk factor and those who had no risk factor for stroke. Conclusions: Educational intervention should be focused on informing older adults who are at risk for stroke about the early symptoms and management of risk factors, especially those who have low education and low social status.

• Korean Journal of Adult Nursing
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• v.20 no.2
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• pp.200-208
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• 2008

Purpose: The purposes of the study were to understand the levels of older adults' perceived stresses in terms of family relationship, physical health, financial difficulty, death of family members, and household environment, and to identify the influences of the stresses on their suicidal ideation. Methods: The subjects were 302 older adults residing in Daegu, Korea. The data were collected by questionnaires between March and April 2007. Results: Older adults perceived the highest level of stress from the death of family members and had high levels of stresses from physical health, family relationships, financial difficulty, and household environment in order. The variables influencing suicidal ideation were stresses from family relationships, physical health, and financial difficulty. Conclusion: Based on the findings, it is recommended that nurses provide in-depth screening of suicide risk for older adults who visit general health care settings through the identification of the levels of stresses in terms of family relationships, physical health, and financial difficulty. It is further suggested to provide collaborative interventions between primary health care providers and psychiatric professionals for suicide prevention and treatment in older adults.

• Asian Pacific Journal of Cancer Prevention
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• v.15 no.24
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• pp.10927-10932
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• 2015

Background: Older age is associated with an increase in the incidence of cancer cases. Diagnosis and treatment of cancer in older adults can be stressful because of health decline related to age, comorbidities and inadequate treatment for pain and other symptoms of the disease. This survey is one of the unique studies in Jordan and in the Arab world that aimed at exploring the predictors of older adult individuals awareness towards cancer. Materials and Methods: A stratified random sampling technique was followed to reach a representative sample of 753 participants. The questionnaire of the study consisted of parts regarding demographic variables, awareness about screening tests, and signs and symptoms of cancer. In addition, specific questions related to factors linked to cancer were included. Cross-sectional design was adopted with face-to-face interviews at the interviewees' households. Results: The mean age of the participants was about 63 years; around 44% of them are above the age of 65 years. 'Being convinced that having no health problem makes the individual feel safe and not at risk of getting cancer' was the major reason for not doing a routine health check-up. Conclusions: The low levels of awareness about cancer, as well as the low use of the screening methods were crucial outcomes of this study. Thus, raising the awareness among health care providers and policy makers in the country about older adults' perception of cancer is a high priority.

• Journal of The Korean Society of Integrative Medicine
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• v.4 no.3
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• pp.61-68
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• 2016

Purpose : The purpose of this study was to examine the differences in sit-to-stand movement and static standing balance between young adults and older adults Methods : Thirty young adults and thirty older adults participated in this study. The Good Balance System was used to assess participants' sit-to-stand movement and static standing balance. The sit-to-stand movement was measured as mediolateral and anterioposterior displacement of the centre of pressure (mm/s) while sit-to-stand on a force platform, and time required to complete a sit-to-stand movement on a force platform. The static standing balance was measured as mediolateral and anterioposterior displacement of the center of pressure (mm/s) and velocity moment (mm2/s) while standing on a force platform with opened eyes and with closed eyes. Result : A significant difference was found in the mediolateral and anterioposterior center of pressure displacement and the time required to complete a sit-to-stand movement of the two groups (p<.05). A significant difference between the groups was found as to mediolateral centre of pressure displacement and the velocity moment when standing with opened eyes and with closed eyes (p<.05). Conclusion : In conclusion, older adults showed decreased sit-to-stand movement and static standing balance ability compared to the young adult. Clinicians should consider sit-to-stand and balance training for older adult.

• Nutrition Research and Practice
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• v.16 no.3
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• pp.354-365
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• 2022

BACKGROUND/OBJECTIVES: Understanding the mechanism of chewing and swallowing food is important when creating a proper diet for older adults. This study investigated whether texture-modified model foods can reduce the difference in chewing and swallowing parameters between healthy community-living young and older adults. SUBJECTS/METHODS: In total, 35 older and 20 young adults (mean age: 75 and 25 years, respectively), matched for sex and number of teeth, were recruited and their unstimulated salivation and tongue pressure were measured. Simultaneous assessment of chewing and swallowing characteristics was conducted using surface electromyography and a videofluoroscopic swallowing study while the participants ingested 8 g of model food with one to four levels of hardness. RESULTS: The average tongue pressure and salivation among older adults were 61% and 49.7%, respectively, of the corresponding values observed in young adults. The older adult group used significantly (P < 0.05) increased muscle force with more chewing cycles (P < 0.05) than the young adult group, which was maintained even when consuming foods with the lowest hardness, although without chewing. However, the age effect on oral processing time existed only for the hardest foods. Swallowing difficulties among older adults were demonstrated by the significant increase in vallecula aggregation time. The total food intake duration was significantly (P < 0.05) longer in older adults than in young adults, regardless of food hardness. CONCLUSIONS: There were measurable differences in the process of chewing and swallowing food between young and older adults, which can be improved with food hardness control. Adjusting food hardness may help food intake in healthy older adults.

• Physical Therapy Rehabilitation Science
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• v.11 no.1
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• pp.66-77
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• 2022

Objective: This study is a systematic review conducted to analyze the environmental factors that cause falls in the older adult. Design: Systematic review Methods: The study was conducted by searching the Research Information Sharing Service (RISS), Korean studies Information Service System (KISS), and Data Base Periodical Information Academic (DBpia) databases for literature published in South Korea up to July 2020. A total of 12 studies were selected for analysis based on the inclusion and exclusion criteria. Results: The results of the analysis revealed that all the selected literature were surveys and the study subjects were 65 years of age and above. The sample size ranged from a minimum of 95 subjects to a maximum of 3,278. A total of eight tools were used to measure the environmental factors associated with falls. The prevalence and recurrence of falls increase with age and deterioration of health. Older adult individuals who experience falls encounter difficulties in recovering from impaired physical function and disability; moreover, in severe cases, falls may lead to death. Falls are largely associated with a combination of intrinsic and extrinsic (i.e., environmental) factors. The purpose of this study was to assess potential extrinsic risk factors for falls. Falls occur in indoor environments, such as washrooms, bathrooms and living rooms, and outdoor environments, including roads and stairways, depending on the season, time of day, and use of ambulatory aids. In such environments, falls are mainly caused by slipping and stuttering. Conclusions: Therefore, as the rate of fall is influenced by several factors, extrinsic factors should be improved by developing comprehensive accident prevention programs that address the improvement of environmental risk factors around places of residence to reduce risk factors among the older adult, who, especially, are at a high risk for falls.

• Korean Journal of Adult Nursing
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• v.27 no.2
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• pp.211-222
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• 2015

Purpose: This study was conducted to test the model for sleep in community-dwelling older adults. The hypothetical model based on a senescent sleep model was constructed using the multiple influencing factors of sleep and associated adverse outcomes of changes in sleep in the older adults. Methods: Data were collected from 203 community-dwelling older adults living in Korea, and analyzed using IBM SPSS 21.0 and AMOS 21.0. Results: Increased age and multiple comorbidities were associated with decreased physical activities. Decreased physical activities were associated with smaller social networks, and smaller social networks were associated with higher level of loneliness. Multiple comorbidities, decreased physical activities, larger social networks, and higher level of loneliness were associated with maladaptive sleep hygiene. Decreased physical activities, higher level loneliness, and shorter actual sleep duration were associated with worse sleep quality. Smaller social networks and shorter actual sleep duration were associated with lower cognitive functions. Smaller social networks, higher loneliness, and worse sleep quality were associated with more severe depressive symptoms. Conclusion: These findings suggest that the sleep improvement interventions not only with physical perspectives but psychosocial ones for older adults may improve depressive symptoms as well as sleep quality.