Maternal sensitivity: a concept analysis.

AIM: The aim of this paper is to report a concept analysis of maternal sensitivity. BACKGROUND: Maternal sensitivity is a broad concept encompassing a variety of interrelated affective and behavioural caregiving attributes. It is used interchangeably with the terms maternal responsiveness or maternal competency, with no consistency of use. There is a need to clarify the concept of maternal sensitivity for research and practice. DATA SOURCES: A search was performed on the CINAHL and Ovid MEDLINE databases using 'maternal sensitivity', 'maternal responsiveness' and 'sensitive mothering' as key words. The searches yielded 54 records for the years 1981-2007. Rodgers' method of evolutionary concept analysis was used to analyse the material. FINDINGS: Four critical attributes of maternal sensitivity were identified: (a) dynamic process involving maternal abilities; (b) reciprocal give-and-take with the infant; (c) contingency on the infant's behaviour and (d) quality of maternal behaviours. Maternal identity and infant's needs and cues are antecedents for these attributes. The consequences are infant's comfort, mother-infant attachment and infant development. In addition, three positive affecting factors (social support, maternal-foetal attachment and high self-esteem) and three negative affecting factors (maternal depression, maternal stress and maternal anxiety) were identified. CONCLUSION: A clear understanding of the concept of maternal sensitivity could be useful for developing ways to enhance maternal sensitivity and to maximize the developmental potential of infants. Knowledge of the attributes of maternal sensitivity identified in this concept analysis may be helpful for constructing measuring items or dimensions.

What if nurses get what they have always sought: totally personalized care? Trends affecting nursing informatics.

We may be moving towards an era where nurses may get what they say they have always wanted--totally personalized care. This paper examines four major trends, i.e. the increasing importance of the genome, the informed patient, the rise of the patient-payer, and the 'instant gratification generation'. Each individually, and in combination, will have potential impacts on the future of health and nursing. The implications of these issues, and others are explored, as well as nursing's readiness to deal with the implications of truly and totally personalized care.

Design of an activity-based cost system for independent home care.

The study was executed to examine the independent home care agency by applying an activity-based cost management system, and to create an ABC-system for home care.

A prediction model for patient classification according to nursing need: Using data mining techniques.

The purpose of this study was to construct a prediction model for patient classification according to nursing need. The results were assessed from the classification of the hospitalized cancer patients by three different data mining techniques: logistic regression, decision tree and neural network. Among these three techniques, neural network showed the best prediction power in ROC curve verification. The prediction model for patient classification developed by neural network based on nurse needs produced a prediction accuracy of 84.06%.

[Comparison of influential variables for smoking temptation between adolescent and adult smokers].

PURPOSE: This study attempted to identify influential variables on smoking temptation between groups: adolescent smokers and adult smokers. METHOD: A survey was conducted with 376 adolescent smokers in 4 high schools and 451 adult smokers in community settings in South Korea. Univariate statistics and regression were used for data analysis. RESULT: The most powerful predictor of smoking temptation for adolescent smokers was nicotine dependency. On the other hand, the most powerful predictor of smoking temptation for adult smokers was self-efficacy for smoking abstinence. In the high smoking temptation group, depression and nicotine dependency were the predictors for smoking temptation for adolescent smokers and nicotine dependency and pros for smoking were the predictors for smoking temptation for adult smokers. In the low smoking temptation group, cons for smoking and process of change for smoking abstinence were the predictors on smoking temptation for adolescent smokers and self-efficacy for smoking abstention and pros for smoking were the predictors on smoking temptation for adult smokers. CONCLUSION: There were different influential variables on smoking temptation according to age groups and level of smoking temptation. Smoking-cessation interventions should be tailored to the level of smoking temptation of the individual smokers.

Concept analysis of coping with arthritic pain by South Korean older adults: development of a hybrid model.

This study was conducted to clarify and conceptualize the phenomenon of coping with arthritic pain by older adults. The Hybrid Model of concept development was applied to develop a conceptual structure of coping with arthritic pain by older adults. A refined definition of coping with arthritic pain by older adults emerged that identified the attributes and structure of the concept. This study reveals the characteristics of the ways that older adults cope with arthritic pain, such as how they experience themselves, how pain affects their daily life, and how they perceive the meaning of coping with arthritic pain. These characteristics indicate the complexity of the concept regarding the coping of older adults with arthritic pain. This area needs to be clarified when nursing staff assess coping with pain and plan pain management for older adults.

[An evaluation study of dementia information providing websites in Korea].

PURPOSE: The present study purposed to investigate and analyze domestic websites providing information about dementia and to suggest future directions for the development of dementia-related websites. METHOD: For this purpose, the researcher selected 13 domestic websites that were available in November and December 2004, and evaluated them in terms of construction, operation, accessibility and contents on a scale 4 point (0~3). RESULT: The construction of dementia-related websites got 6-13 out of 18 points, which suggests that management policies for the operation of dementia-related websites are inadequate. The operation of dementia-related websites got 7-15 out of 24 points. In particular, all 13 sites got a low score in the aspect of continuance. With regard to accessibility, the sites were evaluated on how easily users could access the sites and they got 2-8 out of 15 points. In evaluating contents, the sites got 9-18 out of 21 points with regard to the purpose and appropriateness of the contents. CONCLUSION: This shows that most sites did not provide diverse types of dementia-related information. Because it is highly advantageous to perform primary dementia-preventing management through websites, this study proposes to develop a website evaluation system in order to provide high quality dementia-related information.

[Influential variables on intention and action to quit smoking between adolescent smokers and adult smokers-based on the transtheoretical model].

PURPOSE: This study identified and compared influential variables on intention and action to quit smoking between adolescent smokers and adult smokers. METHODS: For the selection of variables, the transtheoretical theory was used. A survey was conducted with 376 adolescent smokers in 4 high schools and 451 adult smokers in community settings in South Korea. Discriminant analysis was used for data analysis. RESULTS: The variables of adolescent smokers that predicted an intention to quit smoking were: smoking temptation, self re-evaluation, counter conditioning and stimulus control. The variables that predicted an action to quit smoking were: self-efficacy for smoking abstinence, pros for smoking, self reevaluation, and self liberation. The variables of adult smokers that predicted an intention to quit were: smoking temptation, pros for smoking, cons for smoking, self reevaluation. The variables that self liberation and predicted an action to quit smoking were: self efficacy for smoking abstinence, smoking temptation, and counter conditioning. CONCLUSIONS: Developing stage specific smoking intervention methods based on different ways of how individuals make a decision to quit smoking within their contexts needs to be done.