• Korean Journal of Adult Nursing
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• v.12 no.1
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• pp.112-121
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• 2000

The purpose of this study was to define the degree of the resourcefulness and the health-promoting behavior of cancer patients, to identify the relationship between the resourcefulness and the health promoting behaviors and to provide the basis for strategic nursing intervention. This study was conducted by an exploratory survey. Data were collected by self-reported questionnaires from 97 cancer patients in a university hospital in Tae-Gu from September to December of 1998. The sample data were collected by using a convenient sampling method. The following instruments were used in the study after some adaptation : Park Chai Soon's Health Promoting Lifestyle Profile, Oh Pok Ja's instrument for health promotion behavior and the Rosenbaum self-control schedule(SCS). The reliability of instruments was tested with Chronbach'alph(.79-.89). Data was analyzed by using the SAS program. T-test, ANOVA, and Pearson's coefficients of correlation. The results of this study were as follows: First, the average score of the resourcefulness variable was 22.20; the range of the score was from -30 to +81 The average score of the performance in the health promoting behavior variable was 96.13; the range of the score was from 39 to 137 Second, the resourcefulness variable was significantly different from such demographic factors as gender and perceived health status, but there was no statistically significant difference between the demographic factors and the health promoting behavior variable, except that of perceived health status. Third, the performance in health promoting behavior of cancer patients was significantly correlated with the resourcefulness of cancer patients(r= .50) In conclusion, resourcefulness was identified to be an important variable that could contribute to promote health-promoting behavior.

• Journal of Korean Academy of Nursing
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• v.36 no.5
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• pp.782-791
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• 2006

Purpose: The purpose of this study was to conceptualize and clarify a concept of "preparatory grief" in terminal cancer patients. Method: A hybrid model of concept development was applied to develop a concept of preparatory grief, which included a field study carried out in Busan, Korea. Participants of this study were 8 cancer patients. Results: On the basis of our literature, research and clinical experience, the concept of preparatory grief emerged as a complex phenomenon playing an important role in five areas; physical, emotional, interpersonal, religious, and transcendental dimensions. Two new attributes were defined through a field phase; trust of the post-mortal world and a serene state of mind. Indicators reflected attitudes of sadness, worry, regret, capability to adapt and hope. The results of preparatory grief were loss of energy and interest, emotional chaos, contemplation, taciturnity and restoration. Conclusions : Differentiating among preparatory grief and other symptoms in cancer patients is essential because of therapeutic implications. Understanding preparatory grief is necessary in order to manage cancer patients for promoting quality of life so that its application may have a positive impact on the patient's life.

• Journal of Korean Academy of Nursing
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• v.28 no.4
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• pp.970-979
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• 1998

Cancer has been considered a life-threatening disease and coping patterns could have a strong impact the physical and psychological health of patients and their family. The purpose of this study was to identify the change of coping patterns according to the phases of illness in the patients with cancer and their family caregivers and to compare the coping patterns of patients with those of their caregivers. The phases of illness consisted of 1st(initial) stage, 2nd(metastatic or recurred) stage and 3rd (terminal) stage based on literature. The coping methods were measured using the modified Ways of Coping Questionnaire by Lazarus & Folkman(1984). Seventy-nine patients(35 in stage 1, 31 in stage 2, and 13 in stage 3) and ninety-two caregivers (38 in stage 1, 30 in stage 2 and 24) agreed to participate from two general hospitals in Seoul and Choongnam. No significant changes were found in the coping patterns according to the phases of illness in both groups. Patients in stage 2 and caregivers in stages 2 and 3 problem-focused coping methods were significantly used more than emotion-focused coping methods. Patients in stage 1 significantly used two coping strategies that were cognitive reconstruction and emotion expression more than caregivers. Patients in stage 2 significantly used emotion-focused coping methods including minimizing threat, blame, and emotion expression excepting wishful thinking more than caregivers. We need more research to identify the relationship between the coping methods and their efficiencies through longterm observation and attempt to develope the nursing interventions that could have an improvement on positive coping methods and provide guidance on the problems the patients experience.

• Korean Journal of Adult Nursing
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• v.18 no.5
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• pp.746-759
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• 2006

Purpose: This study was designed to systematically explore and elicit information about terminally ill cancer patients' and primary family caregivers' subjectivity of death. Method: Using Q-methodology, 21 terminally ill cancer patients and 19 primary family caregivers sorted 40 statements during personal interviews. Results: The results of this study show that terminally ill cancer patients have four factors ('Attachment to life', 'Hope for heaven', 'Resignation to reality', 'Avoidance of pain') of response and primary caregivers have four factors('Dependence on religion', 'Faithfulness to reality', 'Obedience to fate', 'Agony of reality'). Comparing the subjectivities of death of terminally ill cancer patients and primary family caregivers, 'Hope for heaven' and 'Dependence on religion' reveal the similarities of their outlook. On the other hand, 'Attachment to life', 'Resignation to reality', 'Avoidance of pain', 'Faithfulness to reality', 'Obedience to fate', 'Agony of reality' reveals different aspects of their outlook. The group of terminally ill cancer patients and their families divided into four types. Type A was 'Attachment to life and Agony of reality', type B was 'Attachment to life and Obedience to fate', type C was 'Hope for heaven and Dependence on religion' and type D was 'Resignation to reality and Faithfulness to reality'. The positive group was C or 'Hope for heaven and Dependence on religion'. Conclusion: There are significant differences found in the subjective structure of death among terminally ill cancer patients and primary family caregivers. Therefore, it is necessary to develop an individualized nursing intervention for terminally ill cancer patients and family caregivers.

• Journal of Korean Academy of Nursing
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• v.41 no.2
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• pp.225-235
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• 2011

Purpose: To describe psychosocial adjustment of low-income Koreans who have cancer. Methods: Data were collected during 2008 using individual in-depth interviews with 18 Korean people with cancer. The income status of the participants was low, 11 were recipients of the National Basic Livelihood Protection program. Mean age was 58.3 yr and 11 were female. Five participants had stomach cancer, five, colorectal cancer, and four, breast cancer. Data were analyzed using grounded theory methodology. Results: The core category emerged as 'bearing up alone with double suffering'. 'Poverty and cancer: A double suffering' emerged as a causal condition. The adjustment process consisted of three stages: 'forming a treatment will to live', 'practicing for the cure', and 'restructuring self and repaying favors'. Each stage indicated action-interaction strategies which were employed to bear up alone with double suffering during the illness process. Self-reflection, parental responsibility, and support from the public sector played important roles in overcoming the double suffering. Two types of consequences were identified: Transcended life and strained life suppressed by poverty and cancer. Conclusion: The results provide insights into the psychosocial adjustment process for low income Korean with cancer and can be used in developing and implementing efficient home-care services for these people.

• Korean Journal of Adult Nursing
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• v.13 no.4
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• pp.620-631
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• 2001

Purpose: Fatigue is one of the most common complaints of cancer patients. In this study, we analyzed the change of fatigue level and general symptoms as time go by, so that, we could explain more on the mechanism and change of fatigue in relation with treatment, and explore the influencing factors. Method: The subjects of this study were 50 GI cancer patients who have visited the cancer center of A hospital in Suwon. We measured fatigue by using the Revised Piper Fatigue Scale(RPFS) at the time of starting and finishing induction chemotherapy, and starting the 2nd cycle of chemotherapy. Results: 1) The fatigue score was 2.81, 3.73, and 3.82 in a 10 point scale at the time of starting and finishing induction chemotherapy, and starting the 2nd chemotherapy, respectively. This means fatigue persisted until after the treatment. 2) Fifty two percent of participants complained of some kinds of symptoms when starting the treatment, and the proportion increased up to 92% when finishing the treatment. 3) Fatigue scores were significantly high in patients with fatigue-related symptoms than for patients without those symptoms. 4) Fatigue scores showed significant differences according to patients' general characteristics such as age, educational level, economic status, occupation, diagnosis, hematocrit, weight, and amount of sleepy. Conclusion: We have to develop intervention strategies to reduce fatigue in cancer patients in the consideration of influencing factors.

• Korean Journal of Adult Nursing
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• v.13 no.4
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• pp.560-570
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• 2001

Purpose: The purpose of this study is to identify factors of the causal attribution of cancer and to determine related variables. Method: Subjects were one hundred and thirty three cancer patients. The tool of the perceived causal attribution used was developed by authors and basically founded on Kim's work(1993). The SAS program was used to analyze the data along with descriptive statistics, t-test, ANOVA, Duncan's Multiple range test, and Principal component analysis and varimax rotation. Results: 1) The perceived causal attribution measurement revealed four factors; overload, destiny, stress, and constitution. The total percentage of variance explained by the four factors was 44.3%. 2) The scores of destiny on women, having religion, unemployed, lower level of education, no spouse, groups of uterine cervix and lung cancer, not receiving an operation and receiving radiation were significantly higher than those other groups. 3) The scores of stress on women, having religion, and not having a job were significantly higher than those on men, without religion, and having a job. 4) The scores of constitution on those in their forties, women, not receiving an operation and receiving radiation were significantly higher than for those in their sixties, men, receiving operation and not receiving radiation. There was no significant difference in the factor scores of overload by any variables. Conclusion: Factors of the perceived causal attribution of cancer among Korean cancer patients were overload, destiny, stress, and constitution. The scores of each factor the perceived causal attribution was significantly different by general and disease related characteristics.

• Korean Journal of Adult Nursing
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• v.17 no.4
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• pp.668-678
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• 2005

Purpose: The purpose of this study was to provide the basic data of a comprehensive counter-plan to promote health for people by comparing various factors related to cancer outbreak factors including general characteristics, health-related lifestyles, health promoting behaviors, perceived healthy status, life event stress and health care seeking behaviors with cancer patients and health people. Method: The study was designed to be a retrospective-comparison-survey-study and its data was collected through 5 types of questionnaires from September 2003 to December 2003. Results: Cancer patients had lower education and household income, and many of them had no occupation. Cancer patients had a higher rate of smoking and drinking periods. Exercise level was higher in healthy people. However, Cancer patients were better in sleep and rest. In comparison with health promoting behaviors, it was higher in healthy people than in cancer patients but the two groups had no significant differences statistically. The perceived health status was higher in healthy people than in cancer patients. The health care seeking behaviors were higher in healthy people than in cancer patients. Cancer patients and healthy people's life event stress had no significant differences statistically. Conclusion: As a result of comparative analysis of cancer patients and healthy people's health risk factors, smoking, drinking period, regular exercise and health care seeking behaviors were suggested as direct or indirect risk factors for cancer patients. These finding can be applied to health promoting behavior programs to keep and promote optimal health status as well as to prevent cancer disease.

• Journal of Korean Academy of Fundamentals of Nursing
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• v.15 no.2
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• pp.161-170
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• 2008

Purpose: The purpose of this study was to provide basic data for proper pain management. Method: Data were collected from 85 hospitalized patients with cancer pain. A retrospective chart review of level of pain, source of pain, verbal expression of pain, and pain management was done. The data were analyzed with the SPSS program. Results: The level of pain measured by NRS at the three time points was as follows Time 1 ($4.40{\pm}2.25$), Time 2 ($0.61{\pm}1.30$), Time 3 ($2.47{\pm}2.75$). The kinds of pain were somatic pain (51.8%), visceral pain (37.6%), neuropathic pain (12.9%). The analgesic amount measured by OME (oral morphine equivalent) was as follows: Time 1 ($70.85{\pm}69.65$), Time 2 ($91.61{\pm}89.20$), Time 3 ($96.71{\pm}94.25$). Degree of pain had significant differences according to type of cancer (F=-3.286, p= .002), cancer origin (F=2.906, p= .018), and metastasis (F=2.906, p= .018) at Time 2. Best control period had significant difference according to type of cancer (F=2.373, p= .023), and origin of cancer (F=2.466, p= .040) at Time 2 Conclusion: These finding will enable the application of nursing interventions for pain control in cancer patients, identification of kinds of nursing compared to priorities, and increased levels of comfort in cancer patients in clinical settings.

• Korean Journal of Adult Nursing
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• v.14 no.3
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• pp.378-389
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• 2002

Purpose: The purpose of this study was to identify the relationship of fatigue and quality of sleep in patients with cancer. Method: The data was collected from January to February 2001. Study objects were recruited K university hospital in Busan, Korea. Their fatigue was measured using the Revised Piper Fatigue Scale developed by Piper et. al(1998), and quality of sleep was measured using Quality of Sleep Questionare by Oh et. al(1998). Result: 1) The fatigue score was mean $114.80{\pm}34.88$(range: 22-220). The sub dimension that showed behavior/severity score at $33.70{\pm}13.89$, affective score at $24.23{\pm}3.33$, sensory score at $27.74{\pm}12.51$, and cognitive/mood score at $29.11{\pm}3.71$. And sleep quality score was mean $37.32{\pm}8.18$. 2) There was a significant difference in religion(F=4.157, P= .008), present therapy(F=2.536, P= .043), past therapy(F=6.625, P= .000), major caregiver(F=3.133, P= .028), and change of weight(F=7.965, P=.006), according to general characteristics in the fatigue in patients with cancer. 3) There was a significant difference in present pain(t=-2.103, P= .037) and change of weight(F=5.484, P=.005), according to general characteristics in the sleep quality in patients with cancer. 4) There was a significant negative correlation between fatigue and quality of sleep(r=- .340, P= .000). Conclusion: Patients with cancer experience in fatigue. Increase in fatigue are associated with decreases in quality of sleep. Nurses must provide patients with nursing care about the occurrence of fatigue and interventions to deal with sleep disturbance.