This study was done to investigate levels of physical fitness, self efficacy(SE), instrumental activities of daily living (IADL), and quality of life(QL), and their relationships among the elderly. Data were collected from 47 noninstitutionalized elderly dwelling in their own homes and 43 institutionalized elderly living in homes for older people. The ages of the subjects were 65 years and over. The data were collected from January 20th to February 20th, 1995. Physical fitness was measured with T.K.K dynamometer, grip dynamometer, stop watch, and Purdue pegboard. Structured questionnaires developed by Kim, by Lawton and Brody, and by Ro were adopted to measure SE, IADL, and QL, respectively. The data were analyzed using t-test, ANOVA, and Pearson correlation coefficients. The results were as follows: 1. The noninstitutionalized elderly had higher scores in such measures of physical fitness as body weight, skinfold thickness, flexibility and coordination as compared to the institutionalized elderly. 2. On the following measures of physical fitness, men showed higher levels than women; in height when standing, height when sitting, body weight, and muscle strength. Women had more trunk flexibility than men. 3. Muscle strength was positively correlated with height when standing, height when sitting, and body weight. The following measures of physical fitness, muscle strength, flexibility and coordination, were negatively correlated with "up and go". 4. The noninstitutionalized elderly had higher scores in SE(t=2.28, p<0.05), IADL(t=2.24, p<0.05), and QL (t=2.41, p<0.05) as compared to the institutionalized elderly. 5. SE was positively correlated with both IADL (r=0.41, p<0.001) and QL(r=0.54, p<0.001), and the latter two variables were a positively correlated(r=0.30, p<0.001). 6. SE was positively correlated with the physical fitness measures of height when standing, body weight, strength of leg muscles, strength of back muscles, grip strength, and level of touching the floor, but negatively correlated with "up and go." 7. Positive correlations were revealed between IADL and the physical fitness measures of height, strength of leg muscles, level of trunk muscle extension, level of touching the floor, and coordination. The IADL was negatively correlated with "up and go". 8. QL was positively correlated with body weight (r=0.28, p<0.01) and skinfold thickness(r=0. 26, p<0.05). 9. Age was negatively correlated with the physical fitness measures of height when standing, height when silting, "up and go", strength of leg muscles, strength of back muscles, grip strength, level of trunk muscle extension, and coordination. 10. Age was also negatively correlated with SE (r=-0.24, p<0.05) and IADL(r=-0.22, p<0. 05). The above results suggest that caring elderly in their own homes were more effective and that nursing interventions to enhance physical fitness, SE, IADL, and QL especially for the institutionalized elderly are stressed.
This study was to compare changes in health behaviors, motivational factors, cardiovascular risk factors, and functional status (SIP) after implementing the 6-month motivation-enhancing program to institutionalized elderly women.
METHODS
Sixty-four elderly women participated. Face to face interviews with blood sampling and anthropometric assessment were conducted at the pretest, 10 weeks and 6 months during the program.
RESULTS
1. The program participants showed significantly better health behaviors over 6 months. The mean motivational level was also significantly improved, especially for perceived benefits, perceived barriers, and emotional salience. 2. The mean of cardiovascular risk factors for the participants was 21.8 at the level of low to moderate risk. After completing the program, total risk score was significantly decreased to 18.7 at 10 weeks, and further to 17.7 at 6 months. A significant reduction was also found in HDL and LDL-cholesterol levels, blood pressure, obesity, inactivity, and stress. 3. The functional status (SIP) was 11% at the baseline and significantly changed in positive direction at 10 weeks (M=9.3) and at 6 month (M=6.3). The significant improvement was also found in physical and psychosocial dimensions and sleep/rest dimension.
CONCLUSION
The motivation enhancing program was effective to reduce cardiovascular risks and to improve the functional status of institutionalized elderly women by motivating them to perform better health behaviors.
This study aims at providing more qualitative care in family nursing practice. It is designed to analyze the degree of quality of life(QL) among families of the patients. The subjects consisted of 79 families of hospital hospice patients and 74 families of home-based hospice patients. The ages of the subjects were 17-74 years, at five university hospitals in Seoul, Inchon, and Kyung Gi Province, and one clinic in Chunchon. The data were collected from September, 1996 to August, 1997. The instrument used for the study was the Quality of Life Scale(QLS), which was composed of six factors, developed by Ro. You Ja, The analysis was done using t-test, ANOVA, Scheffe test, and Stepwise multiple regression. The results were as follows : 1. There were no statistically significant differences between the families of hospital hospice patients and the families of home-based hospice patients ; however, the mean score of the families of hospital hospice patients was higher than that of the families of home-based hospice patients. The scores on QLS ranged from 75 to 224 with a mean score of 140.58 in the families of hospital hospice patients. In the families of home-based hospice patients, the scores ranged from 79 to 214, showing a mean score of 135.25. Among six factors of QLS, family relationships showed the highest score in the families of hospital patients. Self-esteem and relationship with the neighborhood were significantly higher in the families of hospital hospice patients than the families of home-based hospice patients(t= 2.69, P= 0.008 ; t= 2.04, p= 0.043). 2. In the families of hospital hospice patients, QL had significant relationship with family member's age (F= 2.52, P=0.029), marital status (F= 3.57, P = 0.018), economic state(F= 6.07, P= 0.004), and education level(F =3.77, P=0.014), In the families of home based hospice patients, QL had significant relationship with marital status(F=2.53, P=0.049), education level(F= 4.35, P=0.007), occupation(F=3.93, P=0.002), and patient's age(F=2.73, P=0.020). 3. Economic status accounted for 17% of QL, and diagnosis accounted for an additional 7% of QL in the families of hospital hospice patients by means of stepwise multiple regression analysis, In the families of home-based hospice patients, relationships with patient accounted for 12% of QL. The findings showed that self-esteem and relationship with the neighborhood were significantly higher in the families of hospital hospice patients than the families of homed-based hospice patients and family relationships showed the highest value in QL. These finding should be considered in nursing practice.
Ego-integrity in Erikson's stage theory is used frequently among health team members related to the care of the elderly and has specific meanings within the context of quality of life in later life. However, the concept of ego-integrity in the elderly has not been well articulated in the literature. This study was conducted clarify and conceptualize the phenomena of ego-integrity in the elderly.
A Hybrid Model of concept development was applied to develop a concept of ego-integrity, which included a field study carried out in Seoul, South Korea using in-depth interviews with old adults who were admitted as a right person for research subject according to attributes of ego-integrity analysed in the theoretical phase.
The concept of ego-integrity emerged as a complex phenomenon having meanings in several different dimensions which encompassed several attributes.
Ego-integrity is a concept having needs that should be treated in a specific way and it is possible to enrich the meaning and methods to manage ego-integrity in nursing interventions for promoting quality of life so that its application may have effects that have positive impacts on the elderly's well being.
Ego-integrity in older adults is the central concept related to quality of life in later life. Therefore, for effective interventions to enhance the quality of later life, a scale to measure ego-integrity in older adults is necessary. This study was carried out to develop a scale to measure ego-integrity in older adults.
This study utilized cronbach's alpha in analyzing the reliability of the collected data and expert group, and factor analysis and item analysis to analyze validity.
Seventeen items were selected from a total of 21 items. Cronbach's alpha coefficient for internal consistency was .88 for the 17 items of ego-integrity in the older adults scale. Three factors evolved by factor analysis, which explained 50.71% of the total variance.
The scale for measuring ego-integrity in Korean older adults in this study was evaluated as a tool with a high degree of reliability and validity.