This research was conducted to examine the relationship of knowledge, health beliefs, and self-efficacy on osteoporosis.

The design of this study was a correlative design. The subjects were 1,615 Korean adults over the age of 20 registered in a new town and participants were asked to fill in a questionnaire developed by Kim, Horan & Gendler (1991), translated into Korean.

1) The subjects recorded an average score of 11.10 on osteoporosis knowledge. The average scores on the osteoporosis health beliefs was 15.68 for perceived susceptibility and the respondents recorded an average score of 40.40 for osteoporosis self-efficacy. 2) There were statistically significant differences in the degree of osteoporosis knowledge, self-efficacy and health belief according to gender, age, scholastic achievement, marital state, and jobs. 3) There were statistically significant positive correlations between osteoporosis knowledge and self-efficacy.

CONCLUSION: According to these results, an osteoporosis education program improving not only knowledge but also self-efficacy and health beliefs should be developed and applied to decrease the perception of barriers to exercise and intake of calcium.

To make a contribution to raising the quality of nursing and home healthcare services through reviewing the present state of home healthcare nurse specialist training institutions and education programs and creating concrete measures to establish high-quality education courses.

International comparative study of accreditation criteria and curriculum in home healthcare nurse specialist program.

The Authorization Standards of home healthcare nurse training institutions consists of 8 items, 23 evaluation criteria and 72 evaluation indexes. Proposal to develop a specialist training program: Curriculum. Modify and complement a present homecare nurse education program. Curriculum 1. Designate two forms of certification. The first certification has been granted the authority to serve as a manager and open a home healthcare agency to nurses having masters degrees and clinical experience for five years. The second certification is allowed to perform general home healthcare after having completed a short term training course. Currculum 2. To meet increasing demands, granting a certification to perform home healthcare to registered nurses having clinical experience of more than three years.

These results can be utilized in the home healthcare educational program for raising the quality of nurses and home healthcare services.