Oksoo Kim

Sex differences in social support, loneliness, and depression among Korean college students.

This study examined the sex differences in reports of social support (network size and satisfaction), loneliness, and depression among Korean college students and examined whether measures of social support and loneliness predicted depression scores. In the sample were 452 college students enrolled in four universities in Korea. The women reported a larger social support network size and being less satisfied with their support than the men. Women reported higher scores on the Revised UCLA Loneliness Scale and the Beck Depression Inventory than men. Social support satisfaction scores and network size on the Social Support Questionnaire–6 and scores on the Loneliness Scale predicted scores on Depression in both the groups. Loneliness was the largest predictor of Depression for either sex. The amount of variance in Depression accounted for by Loneliness was 35% for women and 24% for men.

Mediation effect of social support between ethnic attachment and Loneliness in older Korean immigrants

The purpose of the study was to investigate the mediating effect of two types of social support (emotional and tangible support) between ethnic attachment and loneliness in older Korean immigrants. Emotional and tangible social support had three components; network size, network composition, and satisfaction with network members. The sample consisted of 174 older Korean immigrants who lived in a metropolitan area. Telephone interviews were used to collect data using translated Korean versions of the Revised UCLA Loneliness Scale, Ethnic Attachment Questionnaire, and the Revised Social Support Questionnaire. Emotional and tangible social support network size and satisfaction mediated the effect of ethnic attachment on loneliness. Older Koreans who had stronger ethnic attachment had more emotional and tangible supports, were more satisfied with their supports, and had a lower level of loneliness. Emotional and tangible social network composition did not serve as mediators in this study.

Influence of mastery and sexual frequency on depression in Korean men after a stroke

BACKGROUND Post-stroke depression has negative impacts on rehabilitation. The physical deficits following stroke have been well studied, but there is little information on sexual behavior, mastery, and depression in stroke patients. OBJECTIVE The purpose of the study was to investigate the influence of sexual frequency and the sense of control on depression in Korean men after stroke. METHOD The sample for this study was a convenience sample of 67 Korean men after stroke visiting the convalescent center for disabled people in Seoul, Korea. Participants completed a Sexual Frequency scale, the mastery scale, and the Center for Epidemiologic Studies Depression (CES-D) test. RESULTS Seventy-eight percent of the subjects were depressed. Sense of control and sexual frequency contributed to depression. Scores on sense of control and sexual frequency accounted for 39.5% of the variance in the depression score. CONCLUSIONS Results indicate that an intervention for depression management after stroke should take into account sexual relationships with their partners and a sense of control.

COMPARISONS OF BODY MASS INDEX, PERCEPTION OF BODY WEIGHT, BODY SHAPE SATISFACTION, AND SELF-ESTEEM AMONG KOREAN ADOLESCENTS '

The purpose of this study was to compare sex differences in Body Mass Index, subjective perception of body weight, body shape satisfaction, and self-esteem in Korean adolescent boys and girls. Subjects were 109 boys (M age = 16.1 yr., SD =.6) and 131 girls (M age = 16.0 yr., SD = 5), recruited from two high schools in Korea. There were differences in Body Mass Index, perception of body weight, body shape satisfaction, and self-esteem by group. More girls (31%) than boys (16%) evaluated themselves as overweight, while higher proportions of boys (6.4%) than girls (1.5%) were actually overweight. A higher proportion of girls responded that they were dissatisfied with their body shape (61% vs 28%). Self-esteem mean score was significantly higher for the boys than the girls. There was a significant relationship between actual Body Mass Index and perception of body weight. There was a significant negative relation between Body Mass Index and rated self-esteem for girls.

The Lifestyle Modification Coaching Program for Secondary Stroke Prevention

PURPOSE The purpose of this study was to investigate the effects of the lifestyle modification coaching program on self efficacy, lifestyle and physiologic indexes related to the recurrence of stroke in patients with stroke. METHODS Sixty-one patients with stroke registered with a stroke center participated in this study. Of the participants, 32 were assigned to the experimental group and 29 to the control group. Self efficacy, alcohol drinking, smoking, physical activity, BMI (body mass index), WHR (waist-hip ratio), blood lipid level, and blood pressure were measured both for the baseline, as well as after intervention. The lifestyle modification coaching program consisted of an 8-week telecoaching session following face-to-face education. The control group received only the face-to-face education. RESULTS There were significant differences in physical activities, WHR, blood pressure within and between groups after intervention. The lifestyle modification coaching program had significant influences on blood pressure even after gender, age, and physical activity had been adjusted. CONCLUSION The results of the study indicate that lifestyle modification coaching program is effective for physical activity, abdominal obesity and blood pressure. Therefore it can be used by nurses in hospitals and communities as one of the secondary stroke prevention programs for patients with stroke.

LONELINESS: A PREDICTOR OF HEALTH PERCEPTIONS AMONG OLDER KOREAN IMMIGRANTS '

This study examined whether loneliness predicts health perceptions, i.e., emotional and physical health, in a sample of 174 older Korean immigrants living in a metropolitan area. Scores on the revised UCLA Loneliness Scale predicted scores on the Life Satisfaction Index-Z and perceived physical health in the older Koreans, but not scores on the Sympton Pattern Scale.

Analysis of Trends and Contents of Nursing Doctoral Dissertations in Korea

PURPOSE This study aimed to identify contents and trends of Korean nursing doctoral dissertations in terms of research methodology and theoretical characteristics. METHODS The design of the study was descriptive study and a total of 1,089 quantitative studies completed between 1982 and 2010 were reviewed using the analytical framework developed by the researchers. RESULTS The majority of studies utilized the experimental design (51.5%) and the others were survey design (38.8%) and methodological design (5.0%). Study subjects were shown as patients (45%), care givers (11.2%), ordinary persons (40.6%) and others (3.2%). There were growing trends in experimental design and patients as subjects. The prevailing data collection settings were hospitals (45.8%) and community (27.8%). The theoretical frameworks that studies were based on were the existing theories (37%) and a newly developed theoretical framework by a researcher (25.2%). a framework derived from other studies by the researcher (25.2%). Majority of studies (78.5%) employed a single theory as a theoretical framework. However, 31.8% of studies had no theoretical framework based on. CONCLUSION Findings of this study provided the opportunities to shed new light on the current status of Korean doctoral dissertation and to deliberate on the future direction of nursing studies in Korea.

Relations of Drinking Motives and Alcohol Consumption in Korean Male Office Workers

The relation between alcohol consumption and drinking motives was investigated among male office workers, 270 adult Korean men (M age = 38.6 yr., SD = 9.2) who were current drinkers. Heavy alcohol drinking was reported by 30.7% of the participants. Social motives had the highest mean score on the Drinking Motive Questionnaire. Participants ages 20 to 29 yr. were more likely to drink for social and enhancement motives than those ages 40 to 49 yr. Participants without spouses reported greater importance of social motives and enhancement motives than those with spouses. Social motives, coping motives, and age-predicted alcohol consumption were regressed on the Quantity-Frequency index. This index score explained 30.5% of the variance in social motives, coping motives, and age. These findings suggest that there is high prevalence of heavy alcohol consumption among Korean office workers, who were likely to drink alcohol to increase sociability and reduce tension.

Relationship between obesity, alcohol consumption, and physical activity of male office workers in South Korea.

This study investigated the relationship between obesity, alcohol consumption, and physical activity of males in South Korea. A total of 141 middle-aged office workers were recruited from two companies in Seoul, Korea. The data were collected through a structured questionnaire and body composition analyzer (Inbody 230). Based on body mass index, 30.5% of the study participants were overweight and 48.9% were obese. Based on the percentage of body fat and the waist-to-hip ratio, 21.3% and 47.5% were obese, respectively. Most of the participants drank alcohol, with a mean of 52.26 drinks in the preceding month. Among them, 38.8% were heavy drinkers. The prevalence of low and moderate physical activity was 73% and 22%, respectively. Significant differences were found for body mass index, percentage of body fat, and waist-to-hip ratio after controlling for physical activity as a covariate. Body mass index, percentage of body fat, and waist-to-hip ratio of light and heavy drinkers were higher than that of moderate drinkers. The prevalence of overweight, obesity, and alcohol consumption was high in male office workers. Heavy alcohol consumption should be considered a relating factor of obesity in office workers.

Risk factors related to hazardous alcohol consumption among Korean men with hypertension

The present study examines the alcohol consumption behaviors and risk factors related to hazardous alcohol consumption in men with hypertension in South Korea. The participants were 490 Korean hypertensive men > 20 years of age. The Alcohol Use Disorders Identification Test was used to detect hazardous alcohol consumption. The majority of the participants were current drinkers, and 37.4% were hazardous drinkers. However, very few participants had received consultation about alcohol consumption. Of the participants, 37.7% were current smokers, and almost half of them smoked more than one pack of cigarettes daily. The hazardous drinkers smoked much more than the normal drinkers, and their stress levels were higher than that of normal drinkers. Participants aged 40-49 and 50-59 years (odds ratio = 7.91, 95% confidence interval = 1.50-41.70; odds ratio = 7.57, 95% confidence interval = 1.31-43.70), those without stroke (odds ratio = 4.86, 95% confidence interval = 1.33-17.77), and current smokers (odds ratio = 4.24, 95% confidence interval = 2.00-8.98) were more likely to be involved in hazardous alcohol consumption. Successful blood pressure management will necessitate the education of such hypertensive men with consideration of their risk factors.