• Journal of Hospice and Palliative Care
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• v.21 no.2
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• pp.58-64
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• 2018

Purpose: This study was conducted to evaluate the impact of a two-week palliative care education program on Korean Hospice volunteers. Methods: A total of 71 volunteers were assigned to two groups: Group A (intervention, n=34) and Group B (usual care, n=37). Group A received six sessions of palliative care education for two weeks. The level of volunteers' motivation, death anxiety, and communication with the dying were measured at baseline and after the program ended. Results: The palliative care education program had positive influence on the volunteers' motivation (t=2.341, P=0.022), death anxiety (t=-2.166, P=0.034), and communication with the dying (t=-2.808, P=0.006). Conclusion: The findings of this study suggest that a palliative care education program may be an effective way to boost hospice volunteers' motivation, ease their death anxiety and improve their communication with the dying.

• The Journal of Korean society of community based occupational therapy
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• v.5 no.1
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• pp.35-43
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• 2015

Objective : The purpose of the study is to find the factors affecting a social phenomena of the elderly and suggest a basic data for efficiency of a senior policy and type of the life in Korea. Methods : We refereed to sources from the Korean Statistical Information, the National Pension Service, and the Ministry of Health and Welfare. We also surveyed and analysed the depression and death anxiety among the elderly in 2014. Results : First, most of them were low educated people and family composing a couple. An annual income were average. Second, medical costs were increasing constantly in proportion to the increase of aging population. Third, they had high depression index resulting from negative thinking of the future and themselves. Fourth, the death anxiety level of them were more than moderate and that was about the death of themselves and the process of the death. Conclusion : It is needed to help physical, mental, and social health and improve the quality of the life in the elderly through social program established a variety of special fields like occupational therapy and family support program belonging to the government.

• Korean Journal of Hospice Care
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• v.8 no.1
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• pp.1-12
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• 2008

Perpose: The purpose of this study was to investigate the perception of death between Korean and Chinese nursing students. And it will help develop curriculum for preparing death, the quality of hospice care, as well as nursing education and practice. Methods: Data was collected from 492 nursing students participated(248 Korean and 244 Chinese) by questionnaire designed for examining Death Orientation (Thorson & Powell, 1988). They were analyzed using Cronbach's Alpha coefficients, factor analysis, t-test, ANOVA and regression analysis (SPSS; win 12.0 version) Results: More than half of the Korean nursing students followed a religion (58.5%) while the majority of Chinese nursing students did not follow a religion (93.9%). In the view of the afterlife, nursing students in China had two views. 'I really don't know what happens after a person dies (30.3%)' and ‘There is no afterlife and death is the end (29.5%)’. On the other hand the Korean nursing students’ answer were, 'After dying, a person goes to heaven or hell (27.3%)' and 'I really don't know what happens after a person dies. (22.9%)' The study also found that the average of 25 items in Death Orientation is 2.36points of nursing students in Korea and 2.50points of nursing students in China. This means that the concern, anxiety and fear were of the middle level for the Chinese Students and were higher than Korean students (t=3.51, p=.000). In the low factor of death orientation, those in Korea had higher 'anxiety of burden to family' than those in China (t=-3.50, p=.001). The nursing students in China had higher 'anxiety of the unknown (t=4.96, p=.000)', 'fear of suffering (t=6.88, p=.000), 'fear of extinction body and life (t=5.20, p=.000), 'fear of lost self-control(t=2.12, p=.034)', and 'anxiety of future existence and nonexistence (t=2.33, p=.020)' than those in Korea. There was no statistically significant difference for the 'concern of body and fear of identity lost' category. The death orientation of Korean nursing students had statistically significant differences according to age (t=3.20, p=.002), religion (t=2.56, p=.011), and afterlife (F=4.64, p=.000). The contribution of Death Orientation had a statistically significant difference, the afterlife variable (0.735, p=0.001). The death orientation of Chinese nursing students did not have any statistically significant differences. Conclusion: In conclusion, there were differences in death orientation between Korean and Chinese nursing students. In particular, those who believed in afterlife showed acceptance of death. The results of this study suggest that nursing curricula should include education program on death and spiritual nursing. Additional studies are needed to establish death education in China with careful considerations on Chinese policies, cultures and social systems.

• Journal of Korean Academy of Nursing
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• v.22 no.1
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• pp.68-80
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• 1992

In order to provide data basic to the training of hospice volunteers, this study was carried out to investigate the personal attributes and the Death Orientation of hospice volunteers. 80 hospice volunteers were sampled from those registered on Seoul Catholic Social Service and Korean Association for Volunteers Effort conveniently. Data were gathered from August 16th to October 3rd, 1991. The instrument used for this study was the Death Orientation Questionnaire developed by Thorson and Powell, subjective age and religiosity questionnaire developed by Bell and Batterson, and subjective health criteria developed by Baumann. Data were analyzed using frequency, mean, standard deviation, Chi-square, and t-test by SPSS - program. Result of this study are summarized as follows ; 1. The majority of hospice volunteers perceived younger in their subjective age than their chronological age (65%), Perceived themselves to be healthy subjectively(88.8%), and revealed to have high religiosity score(96.3%) 2. Level of Death Orientation of hospice volunteers was revealed to be moderate.(Mn＝2.06, SD＝0.40, range, 1.45-3.53) Among 25 Death Orientation items, respondents revealed the highest concern over the afterlife (Mn＝3.53, SD＝0.71), revealed the lowest anxiety about not knowing the next world after his or her death(Mn＝1.45, SD＝0.69), and relatively high concern over leaving careful instructions after death (Mn＝2.97, SD＝0.83) Respondents revealed low Death Orientation score(below 1.99) to 12 negative items(2, 3, 5, 6, 7, 9, 14, 17, 18, 19, 20, 22). Thus hospice volunteers seem to be preparing for their own death and shown positive Death Orientation to some items relatively. 3. According to personal attributes (demographic, socioecnomic, and relevant variables) of hospice volunteers, there were no significant statistic differences of Death Orientation score. Thus pre-existing Death Orientation of hospice volunteers and their motive of participation to the hospice service are to be considered important variables influencing the Death Orientation.

• Survey Research
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• v.10 no.3
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• pp.131-156
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• 2009

This paper analyzes the relationship between death acceptance and religion using a national data set of 1,000 respondents. Death acceptance conceptually contrasts with death anxiety, but is recently preferred by death researchers due to its relatively neutral connotations. This research looks into the relationship between death acceptance and religion as most previous research thereon has been unable to suggest some definitive conclusion, using the LOWESS technique, path analysis, etc.. According to the result, the religious, women and the older are more death-accepting than the irreligious, men, and the younger respectively. Education forms a complex and curvy-linear relationship with death acceptance; at the level of graduate education and higher, the respondents get more death-accepting. By religion, Protestants turn out more death-accepting than Buddhists. Should this kind of research continue, the results may be applicable to determine optimal ways to approach the population with extreme attitudes towards death.

• Development and Reproduction
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• v.17 no.3
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• pp.179-186
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• 2013

Neural stem cells are found in adult mammalian brain regions including the subgranular zone (SGZ) of the dentate gyrus (DG) and the subventricular zone (SVZ). In addition to these two regions, other neurogenic regions are often reported in many species. Recently, the subcallosal zone (SCZ) has been identified as a novel neurogenic region where new neuroblasts are spontaneously generated and then, by Bax-dependent apoptosis, eliminated. However, the development of SCZ in the postnatal brain is not yet fully explored. The present study investigated the precise location and amount of neuroblasts in the developing brain. To estimate the importance of programmed cell death (PCD) for SCZ histogenesis, SCZ development in the Bax-knockout (KO) mouse was examined. Interestingly, an accumulation of extra neurons with synaptic fibers in the SCZ of Bax-KO mice was observed. Indeed, Bax-KO mice exhibited enhanced startle response to loud acoustic stimuli and reduced anxiety level. Considering the prevention of PCD in the SCZ leads to sensory-motor gating dysfunction in the Bax-KO mice, active elimination of SCZ neuroblasts may promote optimal brain function.

• Journal of Korean Academy of Nursing
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• v.31 no.6
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• pp.1021-1033
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• 2001

This study sought to find a nursing intervention tool for enhancing elderly women's lives by investigating the causes and the meaning of their grief. Method: This research was derived from a phenomenological tool such as qualitative research design. The data collection took place from December of 2000 until April of 2001 Through systematic interviews and participatory observations of five elderly women attending C welfare center located in downtown Seoul the data was collected. Each interview lasted an hour and a half and was arranged five times. The analysis of this research was conducted using the Giorgi method. Results: \circled1 There was obvious physical and physiological decline caused by aging old; as well as there being spouse health problems, additional physical suffering, signs of senility, and insomnia, \circled2 Further grief was imposed by unpleasant memories of the spouse; infidelity, incapability, and even disregard of her own well-being, \circled3 Then there was pity for children; unfaithful children, uncertain futures of the children, and early death of a child, \circled4 Also, regrettable fate, painful daily acttrities, unreliable factors, bad circumstances, and feelings emptiness were reported, \circled5 Finally, anxiety for the future; ac sense of despair, loneliness, economic hardship, and the fear of imminent death increased grief levels. Conclusion: A variety of programs and social meetings for the elderly to overcome their physiological or psychological crisis should be substantially developed and supported by the government. In order to implement the social welfare for the elderly women, special consideration whether on the governmental level or the personal level, should be devoted to the elderly who live without any financial support or social concern.

• Anxiety and mood
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• v.8 no.1
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• pp.41-49
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• 2012

Introduction : Suicide in Korea has increased to 31.2 persons per 100,000 population, the world's highest level. Suicide is the 10th leading cause of death in the world, but in Korea, it is 4th leading cause of death. Therefore suicide is a serious problem in Korea. Many suicide prevention strategies have been proposed. Despite efforts to prevent suicides in Korea, a steady increases in the number of suicides has been brought into question the effectiveness of suicide prevention activities in Korea. Methods : Strategy of restricting suicide methods in many countries was reviewed. Systematic approach to restrict suicidal methods in Korea is proposed. Results : Restricting suicide methods is one of the effective suicide prevention strategies employed in the UK and other countries. Since many suicides occur impulsively, suicide attempt lethality is an important factor in determining the rate of deaths in suicidal attempts. Physical restriction of suicide methods is important in preventing suicide, but restriction of cognitive access to information about suicide and suicide method is more important in preventing suicide. In particular hanging is one of the most common methods of suicides in Korea, it is crucial to develop strategies to prevent suicide by hanging cognitively. Also information about suicide should be properly controlled. To do this, suicide news reporting guidelines should be observed, and website makers whose websites provoke thoughts about suicide should be more strictly sanctioned. Conclusion : Restricting suicide methods along with other suicide prevention plans may be the most effective way to prevent suicide in Korea.

• Journal of Korea Entertainment Industry Association
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• v.13 no.2
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• pp.279-287
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• 2019

This study is a descriptive study to dentify gerotranscendence, family support, social support, self-esteem, and degree of fear of death and the relationship between old age. Through this study, it provide basic data that can help target elderly people do better in their later years. From June 2018 to October 2018, residents' self-governing centers, senior citizens' centers, and life-long education centers were visited to explain the purpose of the research, and those who voluntarily agreed to the research were selected. The following results were obtained by surveying 50 adults aged 60 or older in Seoul using structured questionnaire. The difference in the level of gerotranscendence, family support, social support, self-esteem, and fear of death according to the general characteristics of the target was analyzed as t-test and ANOVA. The correlation of gerotranscendence, family support, social support, self-esteem, and fear of death in early years of life was analyzed as Pearson correlation coefficient. Among the common traits, age was related to social support and death anxiety, marital status was related to family support, and life satisfaction was related to family support. There was a correlation between old age and fear of death, a correlation between family support and self-esteem, and social support related to self-esteem and fear of death. In conclusion, this study found that early retirement in the old age was associated with fear of death, and it was found that family support in the old age affected self-esteem and satisfaction in life. Future studies need to be conducted on groups of adults in the later years, including the degree of elderly age, satisfaction with living, and relationship between the elderly and the elderly.

• Korean Journal of Health Education and Promotion
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• v.22 no.4
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• pp.229-244
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• 2005

Objectives: An investigative effort was made to provide basic data upon which effective public health education can be constructed for schools. Methods: The research was made by delivering self-administered questionnaires to 536 men and women with unknown names from a national university during 1-month period on September of 2004. The questionnaire items included preventive attitudes, interests, anxiety, health behavior, consciousness, etc. centering upon life-style related diseases. Results and Conclusions: The preventive attitudes against life-style related diseases was of a higher level in female than male students, The smaller number of students had knowledge of the definition of life-style related diseases, willingness to learn, and gathered information on them. The number of students who had anxiety about them was also small and as low as 54.3% of students were willing to undertake periodic health examination. A great variation ranging from 4.7% to 81.7% was shown in the accuracy rate of answers on the questions asking about three leading causes of death, overconsumption of dietary salt, obesity, diabetes, hypercholesterolemia and colon cancer. With regard to health behaviors, a smaller number of students were involved in health behaviors. On the other hand, $25.7{\sim}35.1%$ of students had everyday exercises and breakfasts, 65.5% had no tobacco use. The study results showed that the survey subjects had deficient knowledge as well as a low level of preventive attitudes and interests against life-style related diseases. Moreover, their health behavior and health consciousness were undesirable apart from their low rates of taking periodic health examinations. Accordingly, the college students should be encouraged to take health education and to make more effective the existing health education in the university.