The Effect of an Empowerment Health Management Program on Self-esteem and the Quality of Life for the Urban Elderly

역량강화 건강관리 프로그램이 도시독거노인의 자아존중감과 삶의 질에 미치는 효과

Objectives: The purpose was to test the effect of an empowerment health management program on self-esteem and the quality of life for the elderly who live in cities. Methods: Forty-three elders were randomly assigned to either the experimental group that received the intervention to participate in one year's empowerment practice (one home visiting per week and phone counselling) (n=21) or to the control group that got home visiting only (n=22). The data was analyzed using ANCOVA. Results: There was no significant difference in the self-esteem score between the two groups after the intervention. But the quality of life score of the experimental group was significantly different from that of the control group after the intervention. Conclusions: The health management intervention using empowerment for the elderly living alone with chronic diseases in urban areas had positive effects on the quality of life. Therefore this intervention can be broadly applied to other elders living alone with chronic diseases in urban areas.