Jeong Sun Kim

Health Promotion Lifestyle According to Self-Perception of Obesity and Objective Status Measured by Bioelectric Impedance Analysis in College Women

PURPOSE The purpose of this study was to identify congruence between self-perception and objective status of obesity according to %Fat, and to investigate health promotion lifestyle in college women. METHODS The participants were a convenience sample of 392 college women who were eligible and agreed to participate in this study. Respondents were asked questions using a health promotion lifestyle profile and were evaluated for their body composition using InBody 3.0. The data were analyzed with SPSS 14.0 program, which was used for Chi square, ANOVA, and post-hoc comparison with Scheffe. RESULTS The major findings were as follows; 1) Overall, 41.8% of participants misclassified their perceived status of weight by %Fat standards and kappa was 0.329. 2) Two percent were underweight by BMI but overweight by %Fat and 39.0% normal weight by BMI but overweight by %Fat. 3) There were significant differences in health promotion lifestyle according to self-perception of body weight but there was no difference in health promotion lifestyle according to %Fat standards. CONCLUSION These findings suggest the necessity for development and application of tailored health promotion program based on self-perception of body weight and %Fat in order to reform incorrect body image and health behavior in college women.

[A study on health concern, self-rated health, health status, and health promotion behavior of elderly women in urban area].

PURPOSE This study was conducted to examine the relationship among health concern, self-rated health, health status, and health promotion behavior of elderly women in urban areas. METHOD The subjects of this study consisted of 271 Korean elderly women over 65 years. The data was collected through personal interviews using questionnaires from March to May of 2003. The data was analyzed by the SPSS (ver.10.0) computer program, and it included descriptive statistics, t-test, one way ANOVA, and the pearson correlation coefficient. RESULT There was a significant positive correlation between self-rated health and health status. Health promotion behavior related to all health concerns, self-rated health, and health status. CONCLUSION This study showed that strategies of elderly care intervention to put in practice health promoting behavior is needed to improve quality of life in elderly women. In addition, health education appropriate for health maintenance and health promotion must be done for daily living to maintain well-being for the rest of their lives.

The Meaning of Death as Experienced by Elderly Women of a Korean Clan

The objective of this ethnography is to describe the meaning of death as experienced by the elderly. The authors collected data through participant observation and ethnographic interview with 14 key informants in a Korean clan between September 1994 and November 2001. They examined the data using taxonomy, proxemics, and value analysis techniques. Meanings of death included the end of pain, the dispersion of existence, moving to the next life by transcending the boundary, returning to the original place, and escalating into the world of the men’s group. These meaning are constructed in a sociocultural context of research fields and in accordance with patterns of behavior in everyday life.

Validity and reliability of Sleep Quality Scale in subjects with obstructive sleep apnea syndrome

OBJECTIVE The present study aimed to evaluate the validity and reliability of Sleep Quality Scale (SQS) in subjects with obstructive sleep apnea syndrome (OSAS). METHODS The known group technique was used for construct validity. The study sample was composed of 40 persons with OSAS and 37 normal subjects. OSAS was defined as an apnea-hypopnea index (AHI) of > or =5 plus an Epworth Sleepiness Scale (ESS) score of >10. Control group was composed of subjects who had no history of depression and sleep problems as identified by self-report and polysomnography. A Cronbachs alpha coefficient was used for internal consistency. RESULTS The total SQS score of the OSAS subjects was significantly higher than that of the normal subjects. The SQS score homogeneity was high with a Cronbachs alpha coefficient of 0.90 in all subjects, 0.87 in the OSAS subjects, and 0.70 in the normal subjects. CONCLUSION SQS was confirmed to be an instrument with validity and high reliability for measuring sleep quality in OSAS subjects.

Baby Boom Generation`s Burden for Taking Care of Children, Aging Anxiety, Preparations for Old Age and Quality of Life

Purpose: The purpose of this study was to provide basic data for use in development of strategy for healthy aging preparation and successful transfer to old age by identifying factors influencing quality of life of the baby boom generation. Methods: The data were collected from a total of 205 members of the baby boom generation(aged 48 to 56), and analysis was performed using descriptive statistics, t-test, ANOVA, Pearson`s correlation coefficient, and stepwise multiple regression using the SPSS(Version19.0) program. Results: Burden for taking care of children, aging anxiety, preparations for old age, and quality of life according to the general characteristics and health-related characteristics commonly showed a significant difference in education level and presence of stress. The greater the more burden for taking care of children and the deeper the aging anxiety, the lower the quality of life, and the better prepared for aging, the higher the quality of life. Factors affecting quality of life in the baby boom generation included preparations for old age, burden for taking care of children, monthly household income, and quality of sleep. Explanatory power was 32%. Conclusion: For successful transition to old age and for improvement of quality of life in the baby boom generation, a comprehensive approach in micro and macro dimensions will be sought.