• Journal of Korean Academy of Nursing
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• v.47 no.3
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• pp.367-379
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• 2017

Purpose: This study aimed to understand and describe the caring experiences of spouses of elderly people with dementia. Methods: The hermeneutic phenomenological method was used and participants were 12 spouses aged 65 and over who were taking care of their husbands or wives with dementia at home. Data were collected from individual in-depth interviews on participants' actual caring experiences. Additionally, novels, movies, and memoirs on elderly couples with partner who had dementia were included as data for the analysis. The qualitative data analysis software program was used to manage and process the collected qualitative data. Data were analyzed using hermeneutic phenomenological analysis based on four fundamental existentials including lived body, lived space, lived time, and lived others. Results: Five essential themes emerged from the analysis: 1) body moving like an old machine, 2) swamp of despair filling with hope, 3) sweet time after bitterness, 4) disappointed elderly couple in the empty nest, and 5) unappreciation vs. empathetic feelings. These essential themes were comprehensively summarized as "the road leading to the maturation of life with dedication and hope while bearing the weight of caring based on the couple's relationship." Conclusion: The findings indicate that the nature of the caring experience of spouses of elderly individuals with dementia is filled with many dynamic and paradoxical dimensions. Thus, results of the study would help with developing interventions tailored specifically for elderly spouse caregivers to support their role adaptation and ultimately improving their quality of life.

• Journal of Korean Public Health Nursing
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• v.13 no.1
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• pp.1-11
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• 1999

This study was performed to estimate stressful life events, self-esteem and perceived health status in the elderly persons and to compare degree of self-esteem and perceived health status according to experience of stressful life events and general characteristics. The data was collected from 179 elders in a rural community. Data collection was done from October 20 to December 6, 1997. A comparison of self-esteem and perceived health status by experience of stressful life events and general characteristics was summarized as follows : 1) Eighty three persons, $46.4\%$ of the surveyed, have experienced stressful life events, including disease(54 persons) and death of family member(l2 persons). 2) Thirty eight percents of the surveyed persons evaluated they are not healthy. The average score of perceived health status of the elderly was 2.88± .92 for the scale of 5, which represents the healthiest status. 3) There were significant differences on the self-esteem score in the elderly according to having a spouse or not(t=3.51. p=.00l), having family members living together or not(t=2.98. p=.003) and socioeconomic status(F=7.08. p=.00l). 4) There were significant differences on the perceived health status in the elderly according to experience of stressful life events(t=3.51. p=.00l), having family members living together or not(t=2.09, p= .038) and socioeconomic status(F=6.56, p=.002). 5) Positive correlation was observed between self-esteem and perceived health(r= .5037, p=.000). The above results imply that support of family and society should be reinforced to improve self-respect and health of aged persons, and that it is desirable to build up social and economic environment promoting health status through daily life.

• Journal of Agricultural Extension & Community Development
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• v.21 no.1
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• pp.143-176
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• 2014

In this study, the multicultural families female marriage immigrants experience life in Korea to evaluate the difficulty. To this end, a multi-cultural families living in Gyeonggi Province accomplished female marriage immigrants choose eight people to consensual conduct in-depth interviews with qualitative analysis methods(CQR) were analyzed using. The findings in the three categories and therefore the region of 49 to 12 depending on the frequency analysis. Female marriage immigrants living in Korea psychological and emotional difficulties experienced in the relationship with your spouse, in-laws and relations, communication problems, difficulties in expressing emotional difficulties, respectively. Social and economic difficulties experienced discriminatory gaze, economic hardship, as a multicultural families become psychological atrophy, life, customs, and cultural differences, respectively. The process of coping with these experiences self-help meetings, participate in cultural programs, and community systems were used. By the results of this study multicultural families immigrant women to help overcome difficulties in the practical help and social services to the community through the ongoing support system was required to suggestions.

• Korean Journal of Social Welfare
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• v.69 no.2
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• pp.89-115
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• 2017

This study aims to provide evidence for supporting the families of people in prison, through understanding their families who have suffered for their imprisonment This research was conducted with seven family members with their spouse, son or daughter, or sibling in prison. The Giorigi's approach of analysis for the phenomenological qualitative research was used to explore the essence of the experiences of prisoners' families. This qualitative research drew five components on the basis of the experiences of prisoners' families : 'Living with the bridle named as the family of a prisoner', 'The pain having to hide from the public', 'Having ambivalence', and 'condemn the sin, but no the sinner', 'Picking oneself up'. The essential subjection of their experiences was interpreted into 'Face life, , with being under a yoke'. The findings suggest that the practical intervention of social welfare is needed to support the psychological, emotional, and social recovery of the prisoners' families.

• Journal of Nutrition and Health
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• v.37 no.3
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• pp.210-222
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• 2004

In recent years, the number and proportion of Korean elderly have grown rapidly, and elderly individuals show a disproportionate risk for poor nutritional status. The purpose of this study was to examine the relationship of sociodemographic background to nutrient intake of persons 65 years of age or older, living in 15 cities in Korea. Data on 1973 subjects (603 males, 1370 females), who participated in the Korean Elderly Nutrition Survey (2000), were analyzed. Their mean age was 72.3 years and their mean body mass index (BMI) was 24.2 kg/$m^2$. Basic sociodemographic data were obtained through personal interviews. The 98-item semi-food frequency questionnaire, developed and previously validated for Korean middle-aged and elderly subjects, was administered. “Percentage of subjects who consumed under 75％ Korean RDA,” “number of nutrients consumed below 75％ Korean RDA,” “mean nutrient adequacy ratio,” and “nutrient density” were used to determine nutritional status. Male elderly had better nutritional quality than female elderly. Nutritional quality decreased with age, especially in older elderly (over 75). Elderly who were underweight (BMI 〈 20 kg/$m^2$) showed poorer nutritional quality than those who were normal weight (BMI 20∼25 kg/$m^2$) and overweight (BMI $\geq$ 25 kg/$m^2$). Elderly who lived alone had significantly poorer nutritional quality than those who lived with a spouse, and/or with children. Lower education level and economic dependence also showed lower nutritional quality. A stepwise multiple regression analysis was performed to examine the effects of specific sociodemographic factors on nutritional quality. For number of nutrients under 75％ RDA as a dependent variable, education level explained 4.8％ of the variance, followed by living status, age, body mass index, gender, and living expense support (Model $R^2$ = 0.091). For mean nutrient adequacy ratio as a dependent variable, model $R^2$ was 0.098. Therefore, sociodemographic variables such as gender, age, body mass index, living status, educational level, and economic status influenced elderly nutrition status. These results indicate that an elderly nutrition intervention should focus on subjects who are poorly educated, living alone, age 75 or older, and/or underweight.

• Journal of Korean Academy of Fundamentals of Nursing
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• v.20 no.2
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• pp.98-107
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• 2013

Purpose: This study was done to identify the relationship of malnutrition, social network and health-related quality of life and to investigate the main factors influencing health-related quality of life in elders. Methods: The research design was a descriptive survey design using a convenience sampling. Data were collected by self-report questionnaires from 196 elders. Data analysis was done using SPSS 18.0 pc+ program for descriptive statistics, Pearson correlation coefficients and stepwise multiple regression. Results: The average score for health related quality of life was 3.33 (SD=0.86). Differences in health-related quality of life were statistically significant according to age, gender, occupation, presence of spouse, monthly income, source of income, economic status, medicine, and existence of chronic disease. Health-related quality of life was significantly correlated with malnutrition and social network. Major factors affecting health related quality of life for elders were malnutrition, occupation, age, social network, and economic status which explained 52.0% of the variance in health related quality of life. Conclusion: Findings provide a basis for developing nursing interventions to improve health-related quality of life. Future studies are needed a wide variety of variables that might influence health -related quality of life in elders.

• Journal of Korean Critical Care Nursing
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• v.14 no.3
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• pp.113-127
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• 2021

Purpose : This systematic review was conducted to identify which dyadic intervention could be implemented for heart failure patient-family caregiver dyads to improve patient and/or their family caregivers outcomes. Method : Eleven databases were searched from their inception to July, 2021. This review considered any randomized controlled trials that evaluated the effectiveness of intervention including heart failure patient-family caregiver dyads. Two reviewers independently evaluated the methodological quality using the Cochrane Collaboration's tool for assessing risk of bias and extracted details of the included studies. The studies included in this review were not suitable for meta-analysis and therefore the results were presented as a narrative summary. Results : Six studies including 900 dyads were included and mainly primary family caregiver of patients was spouse. Majority of dyadic intervention were focused on psychoeducational intervention excepting one study on mobile health intervention. All studies included in this review focused on patients' outcomes compared to family caregivers' outcomes and dyadic outcomes. Individual interventions improved quality of life among heart failure patients and their family caregivers in two articles. The overall quality of selected articles was low. Conclusions : This study provides moderate support for the use of a dyadic intervention to improve quality of life among heart failure patients and their family caregivers. More rigorous high-quality studies investigating interventions to meet the needs of patient and family caregivers in heart failure care are needed.

• The Journal of the Korea Contents Association
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• v.22 no.7
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• pp.370-383
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• 2022

The purpose of this study is to propose an art healing program that can be used in the field to improve the quality of life and positive interaction between the elderly with mild dementia and their spouses. Therefore, after considering the preceding studies, the art healing program was constructed in five stages: survey-analysis-design-plan-implementation and evaluation based on theoretical discourse. In addition, by pilot application to the elderly with mild dementia and their spouses using the Y Dementia Relief Center, the art healing program provides internal positive resources, strengthens mutually beneficial resources between husband and wife, and improves life satisfaction and happiness by experiencing relationships with neighbors in the local community. was confirmed to be effective. This study is significant in that it proposes an art healing support plan that supports dementia patients and their families together before entering a super-aging society.

• The Journal of Korean Society for School & Community Health Education
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• v.24 no.3
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• pp.23-35
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• 2023

Objectives: The purpose of this study is to examine the marital status, drinking behavior, and mental health characteristics of alcohol consumers, and to explore the relationship between marital status and mental health among alcohol consumers. Methods: The research data utilized raw data from the 8th Korea National Health and Nutrition Examination Survey (2020), Second Round. A total of 3,713 participants were included in the final analysis. Data analysis was performed using the statistical software SPSS version 26.0. Results: The relationship between the study participants and mental health revealed that compared to those with a spouse, individuals who were divorced or separated had an odds ratio (OR) of 2.598 for 'depression' and an OR of 2.142 for 'suicidal thoughts'. In the case of 'stress perception', individuals who were divorced or separated had an OR of 3.434. In terms of gender, females had an OR of 4.867 for 'depression', an OR of 2.510 for 'suicidal thoughts', and an OR of 1.847 for 'stress perception', compared to males. Regarding age, the odds of 'depression' were 1.801 times higher in the 60 to 79 age group compared to the 18 to 39 age group. For smoking status, smokers had an OR of 2.812 for 'depression' compared to non-smokers. The OR for 'suicidal thoughts' was 3.047, and the OR for 'stress perception' was 1.463. However, the relationship between mental health and binge drinking frequency and quantity of alcohol consumed in a single session was not significant. Conclusion: The divorced, separated, or bereaved groups may be vulnerable to 'depression,' 'suicidal ideation,' and 'stress.' Therefore, there is an expectation to explore strategies for the development and enhancement of community-based mental counseling and health education support programs, aiming to improve the mental well-being and quality of life of individuals and the local community.

• Women's Health Nursing
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• v.28 no.4
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• pp.307-316
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• 2022

Purpose: This study investigated the vulnerability to human immunodeficiency virus (HIV) infection and associated factors among married women in northwest Ethiopia. Methods: A community-based cross-sectional survey (n=657) was conducted from April 1 to 15, 2020, in Metema District, northwest Ethiopia, in four randomly selected kebele administrations (the lowest level of local government). The inclusion criteria were married women aged ≥18 years residing with their husbands. Logistic regression analysis was conducted to identify factors associated with married women's vulnerability to HIV infection. Results: Participants were on average 33.70±9.50 years and nearly one-fourth (n=148, 22.5%) were identified as vulnerable to HIV infection (i.e., experienced sexually transmitted disease symptoms or an extramarital affair of either spouse within the past 12 months). Only 18.9% reported sexual communication with their husband. Respondents who did not discuss the risk of HIV infection with their husbands had fivefold odds of vulnerability (adjusted odds ratio [AOR], 5.02; 95% confidence interval [CI], 1.43-17.5). Those who did not have premarital sex (AOR, 0.20; 95% CI, 0.05-0.77) had no worries about HIV infection (AOR, 0.27; 95% CI, 0.08-0.94), sufficient income (AOR, 0.56; 95% CI, 0.16-0.86), and less than four children (AOR, 0.69; 95% CI, 0.50-0.97) had decreased odds of being vulnerable to HIV than their counterparts. Conclusion: Not discussing risk of HIV infection with husband was a major factor of vulnerability to HIV infection as was premarital sex, worry about HIV, income, and number of children. Measures to strengthen couple's sexual communication and support economical stability is important for decreasing HIV vulnerability.