• Research in Community and Public Health Nursing
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• v.31 no.2
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• pp.156-165
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• 2020

Purpose: This study was performed to identify the factors influencing the fear of dementia in middle-aged and older adults. Methods: Data on the characteristics, dementia knowledge, dementia attitude, dementia health beliefs, and fear of dementia of 156 participants were collected from January 20 to March 22, 2018, using a structured questionnaire. The data were analyzed with the SPSS/WIN 21.0 program for descriptive statistics, using an independent t-test, one-way analysis of variance, Pearson's correlation coefficient, and stepwise multiple regression. Results: Significant factors associated with fear of dementia among middle-aged and older adults were subjective life satisfaction (F=3.72, p=.006) and regular exercise (t=6.05, p=.015). Fear of dementia has positive correlations with dementia attitude, perceived susceptibility, perceived severity, and perceived barrier. The determining factors affecting fear of dementia in middle-aged and older adults were perceived severity (β=.46, p<.001), followed by a perceived barrier (β=.20, p=.004) and perceived susceptibility (β=.17, p=.023), and the explanation power was about 47.8%. Conclusion: The results suggest that perceived severity, perceived barrier, and perceived susceptibility be considered in developing the nursing interventions to increase perceived severity, perceived susceptibility, and to decrease perceived barrier to dementia by evaluating dementia health beliefs to manage the fear of dementia among middle-aged and older adults.

• Research in Community and Public Health Nursing
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• v.28 no.1
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• pp.13-22
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• 2017

Purpose: The aim of this study is to examine the reciprocal causal relationship between social activities and health with reference to the cognitive function level among community-dwelling older adults. Methods: We conducted a longitudinal data analysis using the $4^{th}$ (Time 1) and $5^{th}$ (Time 2) waves from the Korean Longitudinal Study of Ageing adopting cross-lagged panel analysis (CLPA). Results: A total of 3,473 community-dwelling older adults were included in the analysis: 2,053 in the normal cognitive function group, 912 in the mild cognitive impairment group, and 508 in the moderate to severe cognitive impairment group. The CLPA revealed that higher levels of social activities at Time 1 significantly influenced better subjective health perception at Time 2 in all three groups. In addition, better subjective health perception at Time 1 significantly influenced higher levels of social activities at time 2 only in the normal cognitive function group. Conclusion: This study demonstrates that participating in social activities has positive effects on health regardless of the cognitive function level in community-dwelling older adults. This finding suggests that there is a need to develop strategies that can be used to encourage older adults with cognitive decline to maintain participation in social activities.

• Korean Journal of Adult Nursing
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• v.28 no.6
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• pp.659-668
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• 2016

Purpose: This study utilized secondary data and investigated the factors associated with life satisfaction by living arrangements among community-dwelling adults aged 65 years or older in Korea. Methods: A total of 2,134 participants were selected from the 2014 Korean Longitudinal Study of Aging (KLoSA). Univariable and multivariable logistic regression were used for data analysis. Results: The significant factors associated with life satisfaction in older adults living with others were education level (odds ratio [OR] 1.73, 95% confidence interval [CI] 1.41~2.11), place of residence in medium-size city (OR 1.57, 95% CI 1.25~1.97), place of residence in rural town(OR 1.52, 95% CI 1.19~1.95), depression (OR 2.99, 95% CI 2.43~3.68), frequency of contact with neighbors (OR 1.39, 95% CI 1.10~1.76), and social participation (OR 1.48, 95% CI 1.14~1.93). In contrast, factors associated with life satisfaction among older adults living alone were education level (OR 1.93, 95% CI 1.15~3.24) and depression (OR 2.49, 95% CI 1.48~4.19). Conclusion: These findings indicated that nursing interventions for improving life satisfaction among older adults should take into account their specific living arrangements.

• Journal of Korean Academy of Nursing
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• v.48 no.2
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• pp.167-181
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• 2018

Purpose: We developed and tested the effects of a coping skill training program for caregivers in feeding difficulty among older adults with dementia in long-term care facilities. Methods: A non-equivalent control group pretest-posttest design was used. The subjects comprised 34 caregivers (experimental group: 17, control group: 17) and 40 older adults with dementia (experimental group: 20, control group: 20). The developed program was delivered in 4-hour sessions over 6 weeks (including 2 weeks of lectures and lab practice on feeding difficulty coping skills, and 4 weeks of field practice). Data were collected before, immediately after, and 4 weeks after the program (January 3 to April 6, 2016). The data were analyzed using t-test and repeated measures ANOVA using SPSS/WIN 20.0. Results: Compared to their counterparts in the control group, caregivers in the experimental group showed a significantly greater improvement in feeding knowledge and feeding behavior, while older adults with dementia showed greater improvements in feeding difficulty and Body Mass Index. Conclusion: The study findings indicate that this coping skill training program for caregivers in feeding difficulty is an effective intervention for older adults with dementia in long-term care facilities.

• Journal of Korean Academy of Nursing
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• v.49 no.3
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• pp.225-240
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• 2019

Purpose: The purpose of this study was to evaluate the effects of reminiscence therapy on depressive symptoms in older adults with dementia using a systematic review and meta-analysis. Methods: Randomized controlled trials (RCTs) published from January 2000 to January 2018 were searched through Research Information Sharing Service (RISS), Korean Studies Information Service System (KISS), Korean Medical Database (KMbase), KoreaMed, PubMed, Cochrane Library, Cumulative Index to Nursing and Allied Health Literature (CINAHL), and Ovid MEDLINE. Two researchers independently performed the search, selection, and coding. Comprehensive Meta-Analysis 3.0 was used for meta-analysis, and Review Manager program 5.3 was used for quality assessment. Results: Out of the 1,250 retrieved articles, 22 RCTs were selected for analysis. The overall effect size of reminiscence therapy for mitigating depressive symptoms in older adults with dementia was -0.62 (95% Cl: -0.92 to -0.31). The effect size was greater in older adults under 80, those with less disease severity, and those for whom the therapy session lasted less than 40 minutes. Conclusion: Reminiscence therapy is an effective non-pharmacological therapy to improve depressive symptoms in older adults with dementia. Because its effectiveness is also influenced by age, disease severity, and application method, it is necessary to consider treatment designs based on individual characteristics as well as methodological approaches.

• Journal of Korean Biological Nursing Science
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• v.23 no.2
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• pp.151-158
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• 2021

Purpose: The purpose of this study was to investigate sleep quality in older adults in nursing home with objective data collection. Methods: Participants included 74 older adults in nursing homes in Korea aged 65 years or above. Data were collected using a wearable device (Fitbit), salivary melatonin level and Sleep Disorder Inventory (SDI). The Pearson correlation coefficient was calculated to examine whether there was any correlation between sleep-related variables such as Total Sleep Time (TST), Rapid Eye Movement (REM) sleep, shallow sleep, deep sleep, salivary melatonin level and SDI. Results: There were distortion of sleep structure, as TST comprised short REM sleep (15.93±5.47%), long shallow sleep (74.18±8.08%) and short deep sleep (9.89±5.03%). Also, salivary melatonin levels were low (15.06±7.77 pg/mL). Moreover, we found than melatonin was significantly associated with TST (r = .251, p= .044), REM sleep (r= .294, p= .020) and deep sleep (r= .391, p= .002). But there was no correlation between SDI and other sleeprelated variables. Conclusion: These findings highlight that insufficient sleep structure is associated with the salivary melatonin level among older adults in nursing home. We suggest developing programs to promote sleep quality of older adults in nursing homes.

• Physical Therapy Rehabilitation Science
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• v.11 no.1
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• pp.97-104
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• 2022

Objective: Flexed posture commonly increases with age in older adults and is characterized by kyphosis and forward head posture. Changes in the posture with age affect both balance and mobility. This study was conducted to examine the effects of a cervical stabilization exercise for community-dwelling older adults to improve balance. Design: Two groups pretest-posttest design. Methods: Fifty older adults were randomly assigned into the cervical stabilization exercise group (n=24) and control group (n=25). The cervical stabilization exercise group (n=24) participated in group exercise for 60 minutes twice a week over 4 weeks. Timed up and go test (TUG), four square step test (FSST), functional reach test (FRT), postural sway, cervical range of motion (CROM), proprioception, craniovertebral angle (CVA) were evaluated before and after the intervention. Results: TUG, FSST, FRT, CROM, Proprioception, CVA showed significantly greater improvement, compared with a control group (p<0.05). Conclusions: Findings of this study demonstrate that cervical stabilization exercise can help improve not only neck functional capacities but also balance. Therefore, it may be used as an effective balance exercise program for community-dwelling older adults.

• International Journal of Contents
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• v.17 no.4
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• pp.46-51
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• 2021

This pilot study examined the contribution of citizen science approach to the datification of factors influencing the progress of cognitive health of the older adults. Newspapers were reviewed and FGIs of field workers at a Day Care Center gathered relevant data from citizen. Two questions were put forward; whether new factors are drawn from citizen knowledge; if yes, whether they represent a new type of data. 'Aesal', personality of the older adults with dementia is noted as a new dementia affecting factor. The data on personality also present a new challenge for scientific measurement. The relationship between personality or psychology of the older adults and the risk of getting dementia has been a research field for a long time, yet the impact of personality on the progress of dementia has not been examined scientifically. Because of communication difficulties with the older adults with dementia, new types of indicators and new ways of measurements thus need to be developed.

• Journal of Korean Biological Nursing Science
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• v.25 no.2
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• pp.113-122
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• 2023

Purpose: The purpose of this study was to examine the effects of a mobile application on quality of life, wellness, and preventive behaviors against dementia among older adults who use senior citizen centers. Methods: Seventy-two older adults who used senior citizen centers were allocated to an intervention group (n = 36) and a control group (n = 36). The experimental treatment involved a cognitive enhancement program for preventing dementia using a mobile application for 12 sessions over 6 weeks. Data were analyzed using the t-test, chi-square test, Fisher's exact test, paired t-test, and independent t-test. Results: The cognitive enhancement program based on a mobile application was effective for wellness (t = -3.87, p < .001) and preventive behaviors against dementia (t = -3.98, p < .001) for older adults who used a senior center. Conclusion: The mobile application-based cognitive enhancement program developed in this study is recommended as an effective intervention for dementia prevention in older adults.

• Journal of East-West Nursing Research
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• v.22 no.2
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• pp.138-147
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• 2016

Purpose: This study aimed to explore the experiences of participation in community leisure programs among older adults. Methods: Data were collected using face-to-face interviews with nine older adults participated in community leisure programs and analyzed using a qualitative content analysis. Results: Seven themes emerged from the data: 1) A deep regret not learned, 2) unboring life, 3) living together, 4) having a happy life, 5) gaining recognition from family members, 6) cherishing their own lives, and 7) living for others. Conclusion: Findings indicate that there is a need for health professionals to understand meanings of participation in community leisure programs before planning community senior programs. More studies are needed to develop community leisure programs for older adults' health promotion in community health centers.