This study was performed to evaluate the effect of 7-week comprehensive health promotion program for RA patients (CHPPRA) on changes in pain and depression. In addition, it was also examined that this effect was generated by changes in patients' health promoting strategies (positive self-image, positive thinking, problem solving, communication, pain management, stress management, exercise, and knowledge about RA) learned through CHPPRA. Twenty-eight out-patients of RA clinic in a university hospital participated for this study. The results are as followers. Changes in exercise, self-concept, positive thinking, problem solving, depression, and pain management were significant predictors to explain relieving pain level. Since all of these variables had positive standardized beta weights (betas), it can be interpreted that increasing level of these health promoting strategies may induce pain improvement. Changes in positive thinking, communication skill, exercise, self-concept, pain management, and knowledge about the disease were significant predictors to explain positive change in depression. Since all of the significant variables except the change in knowledge about the disease had positive standardized beta weights (betas), it can be interpreted that increasing level of these health promoting strategies may induce improving depression level. However, our results showed that the higher level of the knowledge about the disease was, the worse depression was.

The purpose of this study was to clarify the dynamic relationships among risk factors of arteriosclerosis and to develop and examine a model which could explain this relationship clearly. Data were collected from medical records of 400 male clients who visited a university hospital located in Inchon for physical examinations, from May 1996 to December 1996. Data were analyzed using the LISREL (Linear Structural Relationship) 8 program. To test the fitness of the hypothesized model, chi-square, RMSR (root mean square residual), GFI (goodness of fit index), CN (critical number) and Q-plot were used. Most of the fitness measurements, except the chi-square showed that the hypothesized model complimented the real data. According to the results, there were trends that obesity and hyperlipidemia were prevalent in heavier smokers, higher alcohol intakers, and groups who excercised less. Also, hypertension was more prevalent in older age, higher alcohol intaker, and higher serum lipid level groups. In contrast to the hypothesis, alcohol intake did not significantly affect serum lipid levels. This might be due to the serum lipid measurements (total cholesterol and trigryceride) used in this study to estimate hyperlipidemia. The direct effect of smoking on hypertension was not significant. However, the total effect of smoking on the hypertension was significant since indirect effects of smoking on hypertension, such as obesity and hyperlipidemia, were significant. The total effect of obesity on hypertension was significant since the indirect effect of obesity on hypertension via hyperlipidemia was significant, although the direct effect of smoking on hypertension was not significant. The degree of explaining hyperlipidemia with smoking, exercise, and obesity was high (60%), however, the degree of explaining obesity with age, smoking, alcohol intake, and exercise was very low (7%). On the basis of these results, high risk factors of arteriosclerosis such as hypertension, hyperlipidemia, or obesity are either directly or indirectly correlated each other. Therefore, it is difficult to predict outcomes for increasing or decreasing the risk factors by simply modulating a factor. Smoking, alcohol, and exercise both directly and indirectly affected major risk factors of arteriosclerosis. Therefore, correcting these variables is required to decrease risk factors. Finally, the relationship among other risk factors which have been known to be related with arteriosclerosis (diet, stress or hereditary) should be clarified in further studies.

The purpose of this study was to define the content of physiological knowledge needed for clinical nursing practices. Subjects of physiology were classified into 15 areas, and each area was further classified into subareas, resulting in a total of 194 subareas. The degree of importance of each subarea was measured with a 4-point scale. The subjects of this study were 179 nurses of two university hospitals located in Seoul and Inchon. The results were as follows: 1. The areas of physiology necessary for clinical nursing practice as a basic knowledge in the order of importance were : blood, respiratory system and renal physiology , function of the immune system, body fluid and cardiovascular system, body temperature, endocrine physiology and gastrointestinal physiology. However, the degree of importance for reproductive physiology, neurophysiology, energy and metabolism, cell and cell membrane physiology, muscular physiology and special sense was relatively low. 2. The most important content of physiology for all clinical areas in nursing was blood physiology. However, the degree of importance for each physiology area was different depending on clinical areas. 3. Subareas of physiology as a basic knowledge for clinical practice and education in nursing were blood transfusion, blood type, function of red blood cell, white blood cell and platelet, characteristics and function of hemoglobin, composition and function of hemoglobin, composition and function of plasma protein, and mechanism and function of plasma protein, and mechanism of blood coagulation and anticoagulation. In conclusion, areas of physiology necessary for clinical nursing practice were blood, respiratory system and renal physiology, function of immune, body fluid and cardiovascular system, body temperature, endocrine physiology and gastrointestinal physiology. However, the degree of importance for each physiology area was different depending on clinical areas in nursing.

The purpose of this was to provide fundamental data for determining contents of Fundamental Nursing Practice and developing desirable bedside nursing techniques for clinical nursing areas. Subjects for this study were 86 nurse who were employees of two university hospitals located in Seoul and a district area. Data were collected by questionnaires. Items of Fundamental Nursing Practice from were content into 72 items according to the result from content analysis of 9 textbooks of Fundamental Nursing. The results are as follows: 1) Items which above 80% of respondents practiced during the school inside practice or clinical nursing practice course were axillae temperature measurement, radial pulse measurement, respiratory rate measurement, application of oral hygiene, hand-washing technique, application of hot and cold bags, intermuscular injection technique, open bed-making, soap enema method, application of nelaton cathetrization and oral and nasal suction methods. 2) Above 90% of respondents replied that all items except temperature measurement and bed-making were requisite contents for Fundamental Nursing Practice. Above 10% of respondents replied oral and rectal temperature measurement and bed-making were unnecessary content. 3) Above 90% of respondents replied that operating method of all items except isolation technique, admission and discharge procedures, and retention enema in the Fundamental Nursing Practice course and clinical situation were consistent. The main reasons that respondents did not apply methods which they learned in the Fundamental Nursing Practice course to the clinical situation were 'insufficient time', 'colleagues were using different methods', 'insufficient supply of instruments' or 'inappropriate appliances'.

The purpose of this study was evaluate the usefulness of variables which were known to be related to blood pressure for discriminating between hypertensive and normotensive groups. Variables able such as smoking, alcohol, exercise, and stress, and demographic variables such as age, economical status, and education. The data were collected from 400 male clients who visited one university hospital located in Incheon, Republic of Korea, from May 1996 to December 1996 for a regular physical examination. Variables which showed significance for discriminating systolic blood pressure in this study were age, serum lipids, education, HDL, exercise, total smoking(in order of significance). By using the combination of these variables, the possibility of proper prediction for a high-systolic pressure group was 2%, predicting a normal-systolic pressure group was 70.3%, and total Hit Ratio was 70%. Variables which showed significance for discriminating diastolic blood pressure were exercise, triglyceride, alcohol, smoking, economical status, age and BMI(in order of significance). By using the combination of these variables, the possibility of proper prediction for a high-diastolic pressure group was 71.2%, predicting a normal-diastolic pressure group was 71.3%, and total Hit Ratio was 71.3%. Multiple regression analysis was performed to examine the association of systolic blood pressure with life style-related variables after adjustment for obesity, serum lipids, and demographic variables. First, the effect of demographic variable alone on the systolic blood pressure was statistically significant(p=.000) and adjusted R2 was 0.09. Adding the variable obesity on demographic variables resulted in raising adjusted R2 to 0.11(p=.000) ; therefore, the contribution rate of obesity on the systolic blood pressure was 2.0%. On the next step, adding the variable serum lipids on the obesity and demographic variables resulted in raising adjusted R2 to 0.12(p=.000) : therefore, the contribution rate of serum lipid on the systolic pressure was 1.0%. Finally, adding life style-related variables on all other variables resulted in raising the adjusted R2 to 0.18(p=.000) ; therefore, the contribution rate of life style-related variables on the systolic blood pressure after adjustment for obesity, serum lipids, and demographic variables was 6.0%. Multiple regression analysis was also performed to examine the association of diastolic blood pressure with life style-related variables after adjustment for obesity, serum lipids, and demographic variables. First, the effect of demographic variable alone on the diastolic blood pressure was statistically significant(p=.01) and adjusted R2 was 0.03. Adding the variable obesity on demographic variables resulted in raising adjusted R2 to 0.06(P=.000) ; therefore, the contribution rate of obesity on the diastolic blood pressure was 3.0%. On the next step, adding the variable serum lipids on the obesity and demographic variables resulted in raising the adjusted R2 to 0.09(p=.000) ; therefore, the contribution rate of serum lipid on the diastolic pressure was 3.0%. Finally, adding life style-related variables on all other variables resulted in raising the adjusted R2 to 0.12(p=.000) ; therefore, the contribution rate of life style-related variables on the systolic blood pressure after adjustment for obesity, serum lipids, and demographic variables was 3.0%.