The purpose of this study was to differentiate the change in exercise behavior into different stages and to investigate differences in the process of change, self efficacy, decisional balances and depression according to the stages of exercise behavior change among middle aged women in Korea by using the transtheoretical Model.

A convenience sample of 434 middle aged women (40-64 years) completed measures of all transtheoretical model constructs involved in exercise behaviors (stages and processes of exercise behaviors change, self efficacy and decisional balance) and depression. The data were analyzed by using the SPSS 10.0 program including descriptive statistics, and one-way ANOVA.

The subjects were distributed in each stage of change in exercise behaviors: pre-contemplation (n=106; 24.4%), contemplation (n=126; 29%), preparation (n=88; 20.3%), action (n=51; 11.8%), and maintenance (n=63; 14.5%). The processes of change, pros(advantages of behaviors), self-efficacy and depression were significantly differentiated across the stages of exercise behavior change. Cons(disadvantage of behaviors) was not significantly differentiated across the stages of exercise behavior change.

Results of this study suggested that discriminating of processes of change, self-efficacy, decisional balance, and depression could provide positive information to people about the stages of change in exercise behavior. Therefore, in designing interventions, the stage of a client's exercise behaviors change needs to be assessed prior to application of intervention programs in order to increase and maintain exercise behavior in middle aged women.

The study was performed to identify the process of change, decisional balance and self-efficacy corresponding to the stage of exercise behavior change based on a Transtheoretical Model in middle aged women.

The subjects consisted of 317 women by convenience sampling residing in city B. The collected data were analyzed using one-way ANOVA, Scheffe test, and Discriminant analysis by SPSS/WIN program.

The subjects were distributed in each stage of change of exercise behaviors: 53 subjects (16.7%) in the precontemplation stage, 86 subjects (27.1%) in the contemplation stage, 88 subjects (27.8%) in the preparation stage, 51 subjects (16.1%) in the action stage and 39 subjects(12.3%) in the maintenance stage. Analysis of variance showed that consciousness raising (F=24.96, p=.00), environmental reevaluation (F=7.13, p=.00), self reevaluation (F=19.47, p=.00), dramatic relief (F=15.22, p=.00), social liberation (F=4.26, p=.00), counter conditioning (F=26.44, p=.00), a helping relationship (F=13.17, p=.00), reinforcement management (F=21.25, p=.00), self liberation (F=27.70, p=.00), stimulus control (F=13.49, p=.00), pros (F=14.40, p=.00) and self-efficacy (F=39.91, p=.00) were significantly associated with the stages of change of exercise behaviors. Through discriminant analysis, it was found that 'stimulus control' was the most influential variable in discriminating the five stages of change.

This study can provide the basis of a staged matching exercise program using TTM for more effective and useful intervention.

To identify the status of regular cervical cancer screening practices among middle-aged women, the associations between regular practice and research factors, and the predictive model and factors effecting such behavior was studied.

Two hundred women, aged 40 to 60, were selected by convenience in one urban area of Seoul. They were asked about their regular attendance for screening, knowledge of cancer and screening, health belief, health self-determination index and certain personal factors.

Approximately 54.5% of the women had periodic screening tests every 6 months to 2 years. Their knowledge of cervical cancer and health belief were at the medium level of each scale, but their health self-determination scores (HSDI) were low. Some influencing factors, and their cancer odds ratio were identified through univariate regression analysis. These variables were included in a predictive model, and this model proved to have enough fit and classification power (83.5%). In this model, the financial state, self-belief and self-determination scores were found to be significant.

Middle-age women's intrinsic motivation for healthy behavior was found to be low in those who felt to be in a poor financial state, had higher perceived barriers, lower perceived benefits and a lower prevalence of undergoing regular screening test.

This study was to investigate the factors influencing quality of life of middle-aged women in rural area, to provide the basic data for health promoting intervention in order to improve quality of life.

The subjects were 469 middle-aged women by 40-64 from 7 rural areas in Gyeonggi-do, Jeolla-do and Gyeongsang-do. Data collection was conducted by using 6 questionnaires.

There were significant differences in the quality of life by age, educational level, marital status, religion, family pattern, and economic level. There were positive relationships between quality of life and health perception, social support, and negative relationships between quality of life and depression and stress. Stepwise Multiple Regression Analysis for quality of life revealed that the most powerful predictor was depression. Depression, health perception, social support, stress and economic level explained 51.5% of the variance.

Depression, health perception, social support, stress and economic level were related with quality of life of middle-aged women in rural area. Therefore, it is necessary to develop the nursing intervention these psycho-social aspects to increase the quality of life.

Objectives of the study is to examine the effectiveness of aromatherapy massage among middle aged women with abdominal obesity.

AB/BA crossover design of random blind assignment was applied. Aromatherapy and placebo massage were given to Group(A), Group(B), each groups applied each massages for 2weeks alternatively. Weight, abdominal circumference and appetite were compared for results check among the subjects.

The apparent effectiveness of Aromatherapy Massage in reducing weight, abdominal circumference and appetite was noted.

On the basis of results, they strongly support the facts of reduction of abdominal obesity by applying aromatherapy massage for middle aged women.

This study was aimed to identify the effects of a self-foot reflexology massage on depression, stress responses and functions of the immune system of middle-aged women.

This study was a one group pretest-posttest experimental design and the data was collected from August 1^st, 2004 to May 31^st, 2005. The subjects consisted of 46 middle-aged women (40 - 64 years) who were recruited from the Community Health Center in Busan city. Subjects were not treated for 4 weeks, subsequently they were trained in self foot reflexology massage for 2 weeks, and then they did their own daily for 6weeks (2 days at the research center, 5 days at home).The outcome variables were measured 4 times, at baseline, pre training, after training, and after the intervention. The collected data was analyzed using repeated measure ANOVA by the SPSS/WIN program.

There was a statistically significant difference in depression, perceived stress, systolic blood pressure, natural-killer cells and Ig G. However, there was not a statistically significant difference in dyastolic blood pressure, pulse or serum cortisol.

These results suggest that a self-foot reflexology massage could be utilized as an effective nursing intervention to reduce depression and stress responses, and to strengthen immune systems in middle-aged women.