Comparison of quality of life and related factors according to premature menopause using the Korea National Health and Nutrition Examination Survey (2014-2017)

Purpose@#The purpose of this study was to compare the health‐related quality of life of premature menopausal women with that of normal postmenopausal women and to identify factors related to health-related quality of life in these two groups. @*Methods@#A secondary analysis was conducted of a sample of 5,910 postmenopausal women drawn from women aged 19–79 years, using raw data from the Korea National Health and Nutrition Survey between 2014 and 2017. Health-related quality of life was compared between premature menopausal women and normal postmenopausal women using the t‐test and chi‐square test, and factors related to health‐related quality of life were analyzed by multivariate logistic regression using SAS version 9.4. @*Results@#There was no significant difference in health‐related quality of life between premature menopausal women and normal postmenopausal women. Subjective health status and symptoms of depression were identified as factors related to quality of life in women with premature menopause, while engaging in aerobic physical activity, subjective health status, stress, and symptoms of depression were found to be related to quality of life among normal postmenopausal women. @*Conclusion@#It is necessary to support self‐care measures for both premature and normal menopausal women to adapt to changes caused by menopause, and multidimensional strategies should be developed considering postmenopausal women’s subjective health status and symptoms of depression to improve their quality of life.

Subjective Attitudes towards Terminal Patients of Nursing Students with Clinical Practice Experience: Application of Q Methodology / 한국호스피스완화의료학회지

PURPOSE: This study was conducted to identify subjective attitudes towards terminal patients in nursing students who had clinical practice. The types of subjective attitude were classified by applying Q methodology. According to those types, basic reference data for the development of educational programs were provided.METHODS: Thirty-four final Q samples were selected, and Q classification with a nine-point scale was performed with P samples of 43 nursing students. A key factor analysis was conducted with the collected data using the PC QUANAL program.RESULTS: Nursing students' attitudes towards terminal patients were grouped into three types. The total variable was 49.96%. Students with Type 1 (“wish for life-sustaining medical treatment”) thought that terminal patients accurately understood their medical condition and wanted to prolong their lives. Others with Type 2 (“need for service and support”) believed that a multidisciplinary nursing system needs to be established to help terminal patients prepare for death. Students with Type 3 (‘awareness and acceptance of death’) thought that terminal patients wanted to die with dignity at a hospice unit.CONCLUSION: This study analyzed various types of attitude towards terminal patients, as perceived by nursing students with clinical training experience. Development of educational programs for each attitude type analyzed in this study could contribute to systematic training programs for nursing students caring for terminal patients.

Factors Influencing Lower Urinary Tract Symptoms in Advanced Cancer Patients With Chemotherapy-Induced Peripheral Neuropathy / 대한배뇨장애요실금학회지

PURPOSE: This study aimed to investigate the severity of lower urinary tract symptoms (LUTS) and to identify factors that influenced LUTS in advanced cancer patients with chemotherapy-induced peripheral neuropathy (CIPN). METHODS: This cross-sectional study included a total of 158 advanced cancer patients with CIPN. A structured questionnaire including the International Prostate Symptom Score and the Functional Assessment of Cancer Therapy/Gynecology Oncology Group/Neurotoxicity scale was used. Data were analyzed using the Pearson correlation coefficient and multiple regression analysis. RESULTS: Nocturia was the most prevalent LUTS. A positive relationship was found between CIPN symptoms and LUTS. The duration of cancer diagnosis and the severity of CIPN were key factors that influenced LUTS. CONCLUSIONS: The severity of CIPN symptoms was the most important predictor of LUTS. Nurses’ care for advanced cancer patients should incorporate a comprehensive health assessment, which includes a history of treatment and physical neuropathic symptoms, for any patient complaining of CIPN symptoms.

Relationship between Fatigue, Sleep Disturbance, and Gestational Stress among Pregnant Women in the Late Stages

PURPOSE: The objective of this study was to investigate the relationship between fatigue, sleep disturbance, and gestational stress in women during late stage of pregnancy. METHODS: This study was conducted with 113 healthy pregnant women at gestational age greater than 27 weeks who were registered at community health centers and received prenatal care. A structured questionnaire regarding fatigue, sleep disturbance, and gestational stress was used. The data was analyzed using a t-test, an ANOVA, and Pearson correlation coefficients. RESULTS: The subjects with unplanned pregnancies and irregular exercise patterns showed a higher level of fatigue than those with planned pregnancies and regular exercise patterns. Pregnant women with caffeine intake manifested higher levels of gestational stress and sleep disturbance than those without. The levels of sleep disturbance and gestational stress increased as the fatigue levels increased. The fatigue levels increased with increased levels of sleep disturbance. CONCLUSION: Planned pregnancy, regular exercise patterns, and caffeine intake were related with fatigue, sleep disturbance, and gestational stress in women during late stages of pregnancy. Fatigue, sleep disturbance, and gestational stress had close associations to each other. In the future, such results should guide development of nursing intervention programs for women in late stages of pregnancy.

Parenting Stress and Information Needs at the End of Treatment after Complete Remission of Leukemia

PURPOSE: This study has attempted to comparatively analyze the parenting stress that parents of a child with leukemia and their information needs at the end of treatment after complete remission (CR) of leukemia. METHODS: For data collection, a structured questionnaire survey on parenting stress and information needs was conducted using parents of children with leukemia visiting the Blood & Marrow Transplantation Center at C University Hospital in Seoul from August to December 2011. A total of 100 parents were examined. RESULTS: The parents of children under treatment after CR had greater parenting stress than parents of children whose treatment was finished. The parents of children whose treatment was finished had greater information needs than the parents of children whose treatment was ongoing. The differences had no statistical significance. In both groups, information needs about patients' growth development and school adjustment was high. CONCLUSION: This study confirms that it is necessary to add information about daily life management, child's growth development, sociopsychological adaptation, school adjustment, and support of family, to the current symptom care-centered education program.

Mood State, Interaction Anxiety and Quality of Life of Cancer Patients with Chemotherapy-induced Alopecia

PURPOSE: This study was examined to identify the relationship between mood state, interaction anxiety, and quality of life of cancer patients with chemotherapy-induced alopecia. METHODS: The participants were 115 cancer patients. Data were collected from August to December 2012, and analyzed using descriptive statistics, Pearson's correlation coefficients, t-test, ANOVA and Duncan's multiple test. RESULTS: The mean scores of mood state (119.17+/-35.94), interaction anxiety (45.57+/-11.73), and global health status (38.08+/-22.45), functional scales (45.41+/-20.98), symptom scales (57.96+/-18.28) in quality of life were moderate or below. Negative correlations were found between mood state and quality of life, interaction anxiety and quality of life, but positive correlation were found between mood state and interaction anxiety. CONCLUSION: These findings indicate that mood state and interaction anxiety are important factors to improve quality of life of cancer patients with chemotherapy-induced alopecia, And it is meaningful in that this study prepared basic data for development of nursing intervention programs for effective management of chemotherapy-induced alopecia.

Positive and Negative Determinants for Pain Management in Both Cancer Patients and their Nurses / 기본간호학회지

PURPOSE: This study was carried out to obtain basic data for developing effective pain management by identifying the positive and negative determinants for pain management in both cancer patients and their nurses. METHOD: The participants were 85 cancer patients and 78 nurses at C university hospital in Seoul. Data were collected from December 2004 to March 2005 using structured questionnaires. RESULTS: The level of pain peaked at 5.02 when going into the hospital, and was then lowered to 2.08. The waiting time for analgesics was less than 30 minutes in 81.1% of the patients and for 68.2% answered that they reported their pain when the pain was no more endurable. Just over eighty percent (80.6%) of the patients were satisfied with the pain management. Only 10.3% of the nurses used a standardized tool for assessing patients, pain and 64.1% gave analgesics whenever patients complained of pain, while 19.2% did not when patients complained too frequently. Nurses who were unsatisfied with pain management accounted for 85.4% of the participants. Patients showed higher levels of barriers to pain management than nurses. CONCLUSION: There is a need to give cancer patients and nurses appropriate information on effective cancer pain management.

Effects of Foot Reflexzone Massage on State-Anxiety and Discomfort in Ovarian Cancer Patients Receiving Chemotherapy / 여성건강간호학회지

PURPOSE: This study was conducted to investigate the effects of foot reflexzone massage on state - anxiety and discomfort of ovarian cancer patients receiving chemotherapy. METHOD: A quasi experimental design with a non equivalent control group and non synchronized design was used. The experiment was conducted from October 1, 2003 to September 30, 2004. The subjects consisted of 40 patients admitted to C University Hospital. Twenty subjects were assigned to the experimental group and received foot reflexzone massage everyday for 3 days. The other 20 subjects were in the control group and received routine care. Foot reflexzone massage was done on both feet of the subjects for 30 minutes for 3 days using standard protocol. The 'State-Anxiety Inventory' developed by Spielberger was used to measure the degree of state-anxiety. Discomfort was assessed using the 'Symptom Distress Scale' of McCorkle and Young. Data was analyzed by a SAS program using t-test, Wilcoxon signed rank sum test and Wilcoxon rank sum test. RESULTS: State-anxiety and discomfort of subjects receiving foot reflexzone massage were significantly lower than those of the control group. CONCLUSION: These findings indicate that foot reflexzone massage could be an effective nursing intervention for relieving state-anxiety and discomfort in ovarian cancer patients.