Many arthritis patients experience weakness of muscles in extremities mainly due to disuse atrophy and weight gain because of the limited activities and exercises. This study examines the effects of the 6-week aquatic-exercise program on the body fat and the muscle of the rheumatoid arthritis patients. Seventeen patients in the experimental group and 18 in the control group were assigned depending on their preference and physical condition. These patients had more than 3 points of pain out of 10, deformities in knee, wrist and ankle joints. The amount of aquatic exercise increases from 35 minutes in the first week to 60 minutes in the 6th week. In the resting period they discussed their own experiences about exercise, personal and family affairs, and performed some recreation programs in order to increase the self-efficacy and promote the relationship with other patients by the group activities. Skinfold thickness and circumferences of both extremities were measured before and after experiment to compare the difference. For testing the body fat Saham Model was used. Prior to the experiment two group's body weight, skinfold thickness and skin circumferences were not significantly different which indicates the homogeneity of two groups. Body weight and most parts of skinfold thickness of the experimental group were significantly lower than the control group after 6-week aquatic exercise program. Circumference was not significantly lower than the control after the program. These findings indicate the in-crease of muscle sizes and the reduction of the body fat. Therefore a more active application of aquatic exercise into a variety of clients is strongly suggested.

Although there are many research studies on the effectiveness of heat and cold therapy for patients with arthritis at home or health care center, little attention has been paid to determining which therapy associates with season is effective for patients with chronic arthritis. The purpose of this study was to explore the effectiveness of heat and cold therapy associated with season for patients with arthritis. An experimental design using replications with intervention was employed. A total of 27 female arthritic patients were selected. Data were collected in summer and winter. Hot bag and ice bag were applied on each patient's knee for each 20 minutes alternatively. Joint pain, discomfort and range of motion were measured. Data were analyzed using paired t-test, and two-way ANOVA. The results of this study were ; 1. Joint pain Heat therapy was effective for pain relief, as compared with cold therapy. Heat therapy was more effective for pain relief in winter than in summer. Cold therapy was effective for pain relief, but there was no statistically significant difference of pain relief between summer and winter. 2. Discomfort Discomfort was decreased using heat therapy, whereas it was increased using cold therapy. Although discomfort was decreased using heat therapy in both summer and winter, there was no statistically significant difference of discomfort between summer and winter. Using cold therapy, discomfort was decreased in summer, but increased in winter. and season had effect on discomfort. 3. Range of motion Although there was no statistically significant difference between the range of motion for both heat and cold therapy, range of motion was Increased using both heat and cold therapy. In winter, range of motion was increased rather than in summer by using heat therapy. Using cold therapy, The range of motion was decreased in both summer and winter. There was no stastistically significant difference of range of motion between heat therapy and cold therapy. Furthermore, there was no statistically significant difference of range of motion between summer and winter. In conclusion, both heat and cold therapy were effective for pain relief, discomfort, and range of motion, especially heat therapy. Heat therapy was effective for pain relief, discomfort, and range of motion in winter, as compared with summer. Cold therapy, however, was effective for only pain relief in winter, The findings suggest the use of heat therapy for patients with arthritis especially in winter.

An aquatic exercise program is one of the nursing intervention for the patients having rheumatoid arthritis. The purpose of this study was to obtain the effect of aquatic exercise program on depression and helplessness in the rheumatoid arthritis patients. Thirty five patients with rheumatoid arthritis were the subjects of this study. who were treated to the rheumatism center at a hospital in Seoul from December 1992 to April 1993. The data were collected before and after aguatic excercise. All data collected were analyzed using percent, t-test, ANCOVA with SPSS $pc^+$ program. The findings of this study were as follows : 1. The score of depression was not different between experimental group and control group(P=0.178). 2. There was significant difference in the helplessness score between experimental group and control group(F=4.60, P=0.039).

This deductive-survey study was undertaken in order to examine if there were relationship between causal perceptions, expectation for the cure and compliance. The sampling method was a non-probability, purposive sampling technique. The participants of this study was 195 volunteers 1) who have been diagnosed as having chronic arthritis and 2) who were at the rheumatis center of one university hospital in Seoul between September 18th to September 25th 1989. This instruments used for this study were the compliance scale developed by Choi and causal perception scale developed by the researcher. Analysis of data was done using pass analysis, Pearson correlation coefficient. The result of study were as follow : Hypothesis 1 : "It's correlated that causal perception, expectation for cure and compliance" was accepted. (F=4.85, p< .05) Hypothesis 2 : "It's correlated that causal perception, expectation for cure and with depression" was partially accepted. Total age group-worry and anxiety (r=.1580, p<.001) After 40-function of immunity (r=.1731, p<.05) warry and anxiety (r=.1730, p<.001). In the relationship between general characteristics and the variables, age group correlated with compliance and causal perception.

The purposes of this study are to identify effectiveness of the hospital-based home care project, to manage patients' problems in comprehensive way, to decrease the patients' economical burden to the arthritis patients. The design is nonequivalent control group pretest-posttest design with matched samples in terms of age, sex and disease severity. Fifty two patients were assigned in each of the experimental and control groups in Seoul, Kyunggi, Kangwon and Kwangju. Before the experiment and after 3-month period of experiment of home care, level of pain, duration of morning stiffness, Richie Index, ADL, self-efficacy and depression were measured. Nine patients were excluded from the control group because of denial of participation. Contents of home care provided to the experimental group include distribution of prescribed drugs, assessment of patient's condition and side-reactions of drug, pain control, depression control, nutrition guide, exercise teaching, and family counselling. Patients assigned to the control group visited the outpatient clinic once a month as usual. Null hypotheses were selected because physicians concerned about the ineffective change of patients' conditions due to indirect communication with patients through nurses. Level of pain, Richie Index, ADL, self-efficacy, depression and duration of morning stiffness did not significantly different between two groups as expected. In the experimental group, level of pain, ADL, Richie Index and duration of morning stiffness changed to the positive direction from the pretest to the posttest. However, level of depression and self-efficacy did not show any changes. Ninety percent of patients in the experimental group satisfied with the home care provided to them. Since this is the intermediate report, more detailed and long-term report will be prepared.

The purpose of this study is to describe specific system manifestations and suggested nursing interventions in patients with lupus. Lupus is a chronic, inflammatory, multisystemic disorder of the immune system. Antibodies are formed which react against the person's own normal tissue. This abnormal response can be very damaging and leads to the many manifestations of the lupus. Lupus can affect any part of the body, and patients experience symptoms in organs involved. So lupus patients have integumentary, blood, central nervous system, eye, gastrointestinal, musculoskeletal, kidney, heart and lining membranes, reproductive system involvement. The courses are unpredictable and very individualized. Lupus varies greatly in severity from mild cases requiring minimal interventions to those in which significant damage occurs to vital organs such as the lungs, heart, kidney and brain which ultimately can be fatal. In addition to direct physical care, the nursing professional has an excellent position from which to support the lupus patient. Patients need assistance with receiving current, accurate information about the disease process and also to be helped in developing realistic expectations and goals. Nursing interventions for the patient with lupus is challenge drawing on at the resources, knowledge and strengths the nursing teams have to offer. Because of the unpredictable, highly individualized and frequently changing the nature of the disease itself as well as the intricacy of the patient's needs. The nurse has a key role in its management. The patient and nurse, working together, have much to offer each other. These are of inestimable value to the patient. As the nurse listens to the patient and learns what problems the patient perceives, can guide the patient in a self-help program that allows to adapt to living with a chronic illness.