• Journal of Hospice and Palliative Care
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• v.2 no.1
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• pp.36-45
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• 1999

Purpose : Cancer, one of the major causes of death in Korea, tends to become chronic due to the rapid development of diagnostic and therapeutic methods. As a result, the number of home-based cancer patients is in the increasing trend. However, on account of the insufficiency of continuous and comprehensive cancer patient management system, a number of cancer patients are left in a defenseless state. This study was designed for need assessment of home-based cancer patient to establish the community-based health care system for the comprehensive and continuous health care service to improve the quality of life of cancer patients and reduce rare burdens of their families. Methods : Through making a survey for needs assessment toward the health care service, the 455 respondents among home-based cancer patients answered the given enquetes to analyze the management status and problems of home-based cancer patients Results : 1) Unsatisfaction rates of pain control is 25.5 percent for mild cases, 46.5 percent for severe cases. 2) According to the needs assessment of home-based cancer patients, most of the respondents want to receive economical support, alleviation for the pain and symptoms, and the information of health care and consultation. So these needs account for the main contents of the home-based cancer patient management plan. 3) In the aspect of the satisfaction rate for basic care need, most items account for $20{\sim}30%$ of satisfaction. And the proportion of need for special case is under 5%, satisfaction rate for special care need is about 50% of satisfaction. So the home-based cancer patients are not being cared sufficiently. Conclusion : According to the result of need assessment, many home-based cancer patients received inadequate pain and symptom management. And Satisfaction rate for basic and special care need is low. So development of comprehensive and continuous health care service to improve the quality of life of cancer patients and reduce care burdens of their families is very necessary.

• Child Health Nursing Research
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• v.11 no.4
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• pp.465-471
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• 2005

Purpose: The purpose of this study was to identify the self-image of adolescents with cancer. Method: This study was a descriptive study. The participants in the study were 75 adolescents recruited from four medical centers in Seoul and all were receiving cancer therapy Korean Offer Self-Image Questionnaire was used and data were analyzed using the SPSS program. Result & Conclusions: The self-image of adolescents with cancer exists within the average range, but all groups of adolescents with cancer had a more positive self-image than Korean reference groups. The reason why adolescents with cancer showed a relatively positive self-image despite their painful experiences, is because they developed new value systems and view point through their experiences and teaming to cope with their situation. This research revealed that relapse affects the self-image of adolescents and therefore it is important to note that adolescents with relapses need more intensive interventions to maintain their positive self-image. In order to help with their coping process, further research on the factors that affect self-image in adolescents with cancer is also needed.

• Child Health Nursing Research
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• v.16 no.1
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• pp.66-72
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• 2010

Purpose: This study was done to identify factors associated with fatigue in pediatric patients with cancer in order to develop nursing interventions for this population. Methods: The participants were 95 pediatric cancer patients admitted to a university medical center in Seoul, Korea, and 95 parents. The $PedsQL^{TM}$, Multidimensional Fatigue Scale developed by Varni (2002) was used to measure fatigue. Data were analyzed with the SAS program and t-test, analysis of variance (ANOVA), Pearson correlation coefficients, and multiple regression were used to identify the association of factors with fatigue. Results: The mean score for fatigue was 30.42 in the pediatric cancer patients and 34.77 in the parents. Fatigue was higher in patients living with a single parent, in patients whose father had a lower education and those patients with a fever. Pain, frequency and intensity of nausea and vomiting, depression, anxiety, and disruption of usual activity were positively associated with fatigue. The predictive factors for fatigue were disruption of usual activity, depression and living with or without parents. Conclusion: Pediatric patients with cancer experienced fatigue during their diagnosis and treatment. Of the multiple factors associated with fatigue, the association between disruption of usual activity and fatigue was the highest indicating a need to be concerned with this factor when providing interventions to alleviate fatigue.

• Journal of Korean Academy of Nursing
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• v.29 no.2
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• pp.271-280
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• 1999

The purpose of this study was to assess the nutritional status of cancer patients and non-cancer patients who were admitted to an internal medical department and to determine the degree of malnutrition among these patients. The study was performed from May to July l996 with 151 subjects recruited from the general medical department at D University Hospital. For nutritional assessment the anthropometric and biochemical assessment were performed. Biochemical measurements included serum hemoglobin, albumin, and lymphocytes. For anthropometric assessment, patient's body weight, skinfold thickness in four areas, body mass index, and percent of body fat were measured. The results were as follows : 1) Of the 151 patients who were studied, 47 patients had cancer while 104 patients had non cancer related disease. The mean age of the cancer patients was 57 and 52 for non cancer patients. The percentage of patients who had lost body weight during the last 6 months was 29.8% in cancer patients and 15.4% in non cancer patients. This percentage difference between the 2 groups was statistically significant. However, there was no statistical significance between the 2 groups in gastrointestinal symptoms which lasted more than 2 weeks. 2) There was a statistically significant difference in nutritional status(lympocyte : P＝.002 ; skinfold thickness in four areas : p＜0.05) between the cancer and the non-cancer patients. The percentage of the patients who had the possibility of malnutrition was 65.5% in cancer patients and 6% in non-cancer patients. 3) There was a correlation between the weight loss during the last 6 months before admission and body mass index and skinfold thickness.

• Journal of Korean Academy of Nursing
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• v.35 no.1
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• pp.195-205
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• 2005

Purpose: This study was to identify the relationship between perceived stress, anger expression, and level of depression in cancer patients. Method: A cross-sectional descriptive study design was used. Data was collected by uestionnaires from 185 in- and out-patients who were diagnosed with cancer at 3 university hospitals and the National Cancer Center using Spielberger et al.’s Anger Expression Scale, Cohen, Kamarch & Mermelstein's Perceived Stress, and Derogatise's SCL-90. The data was analyzed using descriptive statistics, Pearson correlation coefficient, and stepwise multiple regression with SAS/PC. Result: The perceived stress in cancer patients indicated a significant positive correlation to anger-in(r=.288, p=.000), anger-out(r=.232, p=.001), and depression(r=.68, p=.000), but no significant correlation to anger-control. The anger-in of cancer patients showed a significant positive relationship to anger-out(r=.53, p=.000), and depression(r=.383, p=.000), but no significant correlation to anger-control. Anger-out showed a significantly negative correlation to anger-control (r=-.248, p=.001) and a positive correlation to depression (r=.240, p=.001). The most significant predictor which influenced depression in cancer patients was perceived stress, followed by anger-in and hobby, and these factors explained their depression with a variance of 54%. Conclusion: These results suggested that cancer patients with a high degree of perceived stress are likely to be high in anger-out and anger-in. Perceived stress and anger-in are major factors which affect depression in cancer patients.

• Korean Journal of Adult Nursing
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• v.15 no.2
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• pp.205-214
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• 2003

Purpose: This study was conducted to examine the nurses' knowledge about and attitude toward cancer pain management. Method: Study subjects of this retrospective cross-sectional survey study were 343 nurses sampled conveniently in a tertiary teaching hospital in Seoul. Seven measurement tools were used to collect data on demographic data, knowledge about and attitude toward cancer pain management, barrier to cancer pain management, knowledge about and concerns for the opioid use, and professional education of cancer pain management. Result: Nurses showed knowledge deficit when their knowledge on the cancer pain management and the opiod use was evaluated using two case scenarios and the 15-item questionnaire respectively. Ninety-five percent of the nurses believed that cancer pain management is a major problem. However, inadequate staff knowledge of pain management was rated as the single most important barrier to adequate pain management by 20.4% of nurses. Only 10.9% and 23.2% of the nurses replied that nursing school's education and professional education in cancer pain management respectively, were adequate. Conclusion: This study confirms the existence of knowledge deficits and attitudinal barriers among Korean nurses that can impede cancer pain management. This study suggests a need for professional education for nurses on cancer pain management.

• Journal of Korean Academy of Nursing
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• v.48 no.1
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• pp.59-69
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• 2018

Purpose: The purpose of this study was to investigate variables and construct paths that affect complicated grief. Methods: Participants in this cross-sectional, descriptive study were 164 bereaved spouses of cancer patients at least 12 months before the death. Data were collected from October 2016 to February 2017 using self-report structured questionnaires and were analyzed using IBM SPSS 21.0 and AMOS 20.0. Results: The variables affecting complicated grief of bereaved spouses of cancer patients were the quality of end-of-life care (${\gamma}=.15$, p<.001), preparedness for death (${\beta}=-.06$, p=.005), and coping with bereavement (${\beta}=-.24$, p<.001), whereas the quality of death and dying did not show any effects. Preparedness for death had multiple mediating effects in the relationship between the quality of end-of-life care and complicated grief (z=-2.20, p=.028), and in the relationship between the quality of end-of-life care and coping with bereavement (z=2.11, p=.035). Coping with bereavement had a mediating effect on the relationship between preparedness for death and complicated grief (z=-2.39, p=.017). Conclusion: This study revealed that preparedness for death and coping with bereavement play a prominent role in complicated grief. Therefore, it is important to help in preparing for death and enhancing coping with bereavement of spouses providing end-of-life care to cancer patients. In addition, investigating cultural differences in the relationship between the quality of end-of-life care and complicated grief is recommended.

• Journal of Korean Academy of Nursing
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• v.27 no.4
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• pp.901-911
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• 1997

The purpose of this study is to provide a basis for nursing intervention strategies to promote quality of life in cancer patients. Therefore the study is designed to evaluate the effectiveness of perceived health status, self-esteem, health locus of control, self-efficacy, perceived susceptibility /severity, health promoting behaviors, and hope for quality of life. The sample was composed of 164 stomach cancer patients who visited outpatient clinics at a university hospital in Seoul. The following instruments were used in the study after some adaptation : Lawstone and others' Health Self-rating Scale, Rosenberg's Self-esteem Scale, Wallston and others 'Multidimensional Health Locus of Control Scale, Sherer & Maddux's Self-efficacy Scale, Moon's Health Beliefs Scale, Walker and others' Health Promoting Lifestyle Profile, Nowotney's Hope scale and Noh's Quality of Life Scale. Data were analyzed using a SAS program for Pearson correlation coefficients, descriptive correlational statistics and stepwise multiple regression. The results are as follows : 1. The scores on the quality of life scale ranged from 115 to 243 with a mean of 177.84(SD : 25.35). The mean scores(range 1-5) on the different dimensions were : emotional state 3.37 : economic life 3.47 : physical state & function 3.52 : self-esteem 3.66 : relationship with neighbors 3.37 ; family relationships 3.80. 2. There was a significant correlation between all the predictive variables and the quality of life (r=.20-.65, p<.01). 3. Stepwise multiple regression analysis showed that : 1) Self-esteem was the main predictor of quality of life and accounted for 46.9% of the variance in quality of life. 2) Perceived health status, hope and perceived susceptibility/severity accounted for 11.8%, 8.3%, 1.5% of the variance in quality of life, respectively. 3) Self-esteem, perceived health status, hope & perceived susceptibility /severity combined accounted for 68.5% of the variance in quality of life. In conclusion, self-esteem, perceived health status, hope and perceived susceptibility / severity were identified as important variables in the quality of life of cancer patients.

• Research in Community and Public Health Nursing
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• v.14 no.4
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• pp.686-698
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• 2003

Purpose: This is a descriptive correlation study purposed to provide basic data for comprehensive nursing care by analyzing the relationship between the burden and the quality of life of family caregivers of cancer patients treated with chemotherapy. Methods: As for the subjects of this study, 66 family caregivers who take care of cancer patients hospitalized and treated with chemotherapy participated in the research. The tool of this study was a structured questionnaire including questions concerning burden(19 items) and the quality of life(33 items). Collected data were analyzed using SPSS PC+ program through descriptive statistics, t-test, ANOVA, Pearson's correlation coefficient, and stepwise multiple linear regression. Results: 1) The mean score of burden was 2.6383. The mean score of quality of life was 3.3034. These score show that family caregivers perceive a moderate level of burden and the quality of life. 2) Family caregivers' burden was significantly related to symptoms in the cancer patient (r= 0.3501, P=0.0042) and family caregivers(r= 0.5340, P=0.0001). Family caregivers' quality of life was significantly related to symptoms in the cancer patient(r= -0.3528, P=0.0039) and family caregivers(r= -0.5472, P=0.0001). According to the result of examining' the relationship between burden and the quality of life, there was a statistically negative correlation(r= -0.6326, P=0.0001). 3) 'Family income after the onset of the patient' was the most important predictor of the burden of family caregivers($R^2$=0.158). 'Usual relationship with the patient' was the most important predictor of the quality of life of family caregivers($R^2$=0.138). Conclusions: The results presented above indicate that we must consider burden of family caregivers and symptoms experienced by them in order to improve the quality of life of family caregivers of cancer patients treated with chemotherapy.

• Asian Oncology Nursing
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• v.4 no.2
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• pp.135-142
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• 2004

Purpose: To examine informational needs of cancer patients receiving chemotherapy. Methods: A cross-sectional survey design was utilized. The sample was 198 cancer patients receiving chemotherapy for a diagnosis of stomach or lung cancer at a university hospital. A modified version of Toronto Informational Needs Questionnaire was applied. Results: Subjects reported highest informational needs in prognosis dimension, followed by the treatment dimension including side effects and alternative therapy. Information about medical tests and follow-up care after the treatment was also in great need. Dimensions of support for patients/family and sexuality were low in need. The degree of informational needs was negatively correlated with patient's age and number of children. Differences were found in informational needs according to the educational level employment status, and gender of the patients, while diagnosis and treatment options did not make differences in informational needs. Conclusion: Health care professionals need to perceive informational needs of cancer patients receiving chemotherapy, and to provide them with information especially in the area of prognosis and treatment. Informational intervention would be effective when it is given with consideration of patient's characteristics.