• Asian Oncology Nursing
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• v.1 no.2
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• pp.157-167
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• 2001

Purpose : This study was 1) to determine the relationship between endogenous opioid-peptides and hope 2) to evaluate the availability of the opioid- peptides, known as biochemicals of emotion in psychoneuroimmunology, as a variable to explain hope. Method : blood sampling for 20 cancer patients' (age range 18-73, 13 men and 7 women, having mild pain or no pain, can do ADL) were made under approval from the doctors in a university hospital at 8 A.M. and quantitative analysis of opioid peptides were done by the internal standard method. In 10min after blood sampling, hope was measured using Kim and Lee's hope scale which had acceptable reliabilities and validity after making consent about interviewing. Blood was sampled from the seven normal adults for comparing the degrees of the opioids. None-parametric statistical analysis was used. Results : There was a significant difference in leucine enkephalin between normal adults and cancer patients. And significant positive relationship existed between chemotherapy and leucine enkephalin. So, the relationships between hope and the endogenous opioids in the patients before chemotherapy were re-tested, excluding the effect of chemotherapy on opioids. As a result, a significant negative relationship between hope and beta- endorphin(r=-.841<.05) showed. And there were highly negative relationships between leucine enkephalin and methionine enkephalin and hope, but not significant statistically. Conclusions : This results implies endogenous opioids can be used as a biological variable to explain hope. More researches in sophisticated design would be needed ,especially in human model.

• Asian Oncology Nursing
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• v.12 no.4
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• pp.339-346
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• 2012

Purpose: The purpose of this study was conducted to identify the impact of Symptom Severity and Symptom Interference on Sleep Disturbance among cancer patients. Methods: This study was conducted from October 8th to October 25th, 2012. One hundred eight cancer patients were recruited from S city in Korea. The instruments used in this study were the Symptom Severity, Symptom Interference and the Sleep Disturbance scales for patients with cancer. Data were analyzed using descriptive statistics, t-test, ANOVA, Pearson correlation coefficients and multiple regression with the SPSS/WIN 20.0 program. Results: The Sleep Disturbance for cancer patients showed a significant relationship with Symptom Interference and cancer stage. The significant factors influencing Sleep Disturbance were Symptom Severity and Symptom Interference. They explained 40.5% of the variance in stage IV. Conclusion: Patients with cancer experienced Symptom Severity and Symptom Interference which led to a negative effect on Sleep Disturbance. The results suggest that intervention programs to reduce Symptom Severity, Symptom Interference could improve Sleep Disturbance for cancer patients.

• Journal of Korean Academy of Nursing
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• v.36 no.2
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• pp.299-309
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• 2006

Purpose: The main purpose of this study was to develop a substantive theory on the process of the spiritual experience in Christian terminal cancer patients in the context of Korean society and culture. The question for the study was 'What is the spiritual process in Christian terminal cancer patients?'. Method: The research method used was the Grounded Theory Method developed by Strauss & Corbin(1998). Participants for this study in total were 9 Christian terminal cancer patients. Data was collected using in-depth interviews during April 2003 to March. 2004. Data collection and analysis were carried out at the same time. Result: From the analysis 58 concepts and 20 categories emerged. The categories were presented into a paradigm, which consisted of condition-actions/interactions-consequences. The theoretical scheme was described by organizing categories. In total, 4 stages were developed from the condition-actions/ interactions-consequences. Throughout these stages, the 'overcoming process of unbalanced interconnectedness' was the core category discovered. Conclusion: This study provides a framework for the development of individualized care interventions in the 'overcoming process of unbalanced interconnectedness' for Christian terminal cancer patients.

• Korean Journal of Adult Nursing
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• v.19 no.4
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• pp.603-613
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• 2007

Purpose: The purpose of this study were to investigate the self-reported quality of life and family burden and to examine the factors associated with the quality of life in patients with cancer. Methods: 216 patients participated in the cross-sectional study. The European Group of Research and Treatment of Cancer Quality of life Questionnaire (EORTC QLQ-C30) and the Family Burden Scale were sent by mail to 2,000 cancer patients. Two hundred and sixteen patients answered the questionnaire. The stepwise multiple regression was conducted to analyze predictors of overall quality of life. Results: All subscales of EORTC QLQ-C30 were significantly correlated with family burden. The regression analysis of patients with cancer revealed some variables as significant predictors; performance, perceived severity, family burden, time since diagnosis, and sex. Conclusion: The results offer a number of recommendations for future research and nursing practice focused on primary care for patients with cancer and their family for improving quality of life.

• Journal of Korean Public Health Nursing
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• v.24 no.1
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• pp.49-60
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• 2010

Purpose: This study investigated the quality of life, mental health and subjective health status of community dwelling cancer patients. Methods: Subjects were 212 out-patients with cancer at Kangwon University Hospital. The study was conducted from July 10 to August 14, 2008. Quality of life as determined by the Euro Quality of life-5 Dimensions (EQ-5D) was measured using Korea Centers for Disease Control and Prevention(KCDC). Mental health and subjective health status were measured using KCDC. Results: EQ-5D determined degrees of difficulty were 25.5%(mobility), 25.2%(anxiety or depression), 23.6%(pain or discomfort), 20.3%(activities of daily living), and 13.7%(self care). An analysis of the association between several factors and mental health showed that the statistically significant factors were age, gender, medical coverage, and private insurance. An analysis of the association between several factors and subjective health status showed that the statistically significant factor was occupation. Conclusion: Cancer patients suffer from significant psychological distress. Programs that address mental and physical health would be beneficial.

• Korean Journal of Adult Nursing
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• v.15 no.4
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• pp.551-562
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• 2003

Purpose: All nurses should provide spiritual care for their clients. It is especially important to care spiritually for cancer patients facing the crisis of life. Therefore, the purpose of this study is to analyze the concept of spirituality which is one of the basic concepts for spiritual care in cancer patients. Method: The subjects of this study were 8 cancer patients; 2 Christians,3 Buddhists, and 3 persons who did not have any religion. The data was collected and analyzed by Hybrid Model. Result: The results of this study were as follows: Dimensions of spirituality(vertical dimension connected with the absolute being, horizontal dimension related to others, existential dimension related to seeking of meaning), attributes of spirituality(dynamic process strengthened in suffering due to struggle with cancer, connectedness with the absolute being or will and belief in oneself, transcendence of reality, meaning and purpose of life, future oriented), outcomes of spirituality(intrinsic, behavioral). Conclusion: The spirituality of cancer patients is manifested differently by his(her) religion, age, past experiences and burden of family, and is able to be strengthened with cancer. Therefore, nurses should recognize that diagnosis and deterioration of cancer is not only a spiritual crisis but can be a good chance for spiritual growth, as well.

• Korean Journal of Adult Nursing
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• v.15 no.4
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• pp.617-627
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• 2003

Purpose: The purpose of this study is to investigate fatigue and its related factors in cancer patients receiving radiotherapy. Method: The subjects of this study consisted of 98 patients receiving radiotherapy. Subjects were recruited from C University Hospital radiation oncology unit located in Gwangju from March to May, 2001. Questionnaire and medical records were used for data collection. The obtained data was analyzed using SAS program that included descriptive statistics, t-test, ANOVA, Post-hoc test(Fisher's LSD) and Pearson's correlation coefficients. Result: The fatigue perceived by the subjects was middle level ($5.59{\pm}1.59$) and 72.4% of them reported greater than 5 points. The subjects in no religion, low income, and spouse caregiver groups experienced the higher fatigue than another groups, respectively. The subjects in nasopharyngeal cancer, head & neck radiation site, and analgesics medication groups did, experience fatigue as well. The fatigue not only positively correlated with symptom distress, disruption of usual activity, sleep dissatisfaction, and mood state, but also negatively with less family support. Conclusion: Cancer patients receiving radiotherapy experience the middle level of fatigue and it correlates with the multi-dimensional factors. However, further research is needed to identify the changes in fatigue over the radiotherapy period through longitudinal design and to develop nursing intervention for fatigue decrease.

• Research in Community and Public Health Nursing
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• v.25 no.2
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• pp.109-118
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• 2014

Purpose: This study examined the effectiveness of a forest-experience-integration intervention in community dwelling cancer patients. Methods: The study was done with a nonequivalent control group pretest-posttest design. The subjects of the present study were 53 community dwelling cancer patients who were registered in a community health center in Gyeongsangbuk-do. The subjects were divided into an experimental group (n=26) who participated in the forest-experience-integration intervention and a control group (n=27) who did not participate. Data were collected from May to June in 2011. Collected data were analyzed using SPSS PC+ 19.0 through $x^2$ test, and independent t-test. Results: There were significant differences between the groups in depression (t=-4.51, p<.001), self-regulation resilience (t=6.95, p<.001), interpersonal resilience (t=10.10, p<.001), positivity resilience (t=9.67, p<.001), and total resilience (t=13.93, p<.001) measurements. Conclusion: The forest- experience-integration intervention delivered to community dwelling cancer patients was an effective method for relieving depression and enhancing self-regulation resilience, interpersonal resilience, positivity resilience, and total resilience, and can be utilized as an effective nursing intervention for community dwelling cancer patients.

• Korean Journal of Adult Nursing
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• v.15 no.1
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• pp.78-87
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• 2003

Purpose: The purposes of the study were 1) to examine what relationships exist between PTE(perceived treatments effect) and PPS (perceived physical suffering) as the independent variables and hope as the dependent variable and 2) to examine whether PTE and PPS predict hope in cancer patients in their post-operative period within the Stotland's hope theory. Method: The Visual Analog Scale was used for measuring PTE and PPS and the Kim & Lee's Hope Scale which had acceptable reliability and validity was used for measuring hope. The data was collected from 38 hospitalized cancer patients who were in the post-operative period with a convenient sampling method. Result: There was a significant positive relationship between hope and the PTE in the low PTE group. There was a significant negative relationship between hope and the PPS in the low PPS group. There were no significant relationships between hope and the PTE in the high PTE group, and between hope and the PPS in the high PPS group. And the PTE explained hope with 71.2% of the variance in the low PTE group. Conclusion: PTE in the low PTE group and PPS in the low PPS group were identified as the factors to explain hope.

• Asian Oncology Nursing
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• v.11 no.2
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• pp.101-107
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• 2011

Purpose: This study was to understand and explain the adjustment of cancer patients receiving chemotherapy. Variables in this model were social support, uncertainty, resilience and coping. Methods: The data were collected for approximately five months from May through to September 2006 with cancer patients receiving chemotherapy or cancer patients finished chemotherapy using self-administered questionnaires. Descriptive statistics program, Amos 5.0, was employed to verify the goodness of the hypothetic model and the hypotheses formulated in the study. Results: The fitness of the finalized model turned out to be improved ($X^2$=332.644, df=70, GFI= .809, AGFI= .714, RMSEA= .138, AIC=402.644). Those variables made a 60.8% prediction of the patients adjustment. Conclusion: The hypothetic model presented in the study could serve to explain the adjustment of cancer patients receiving chemotherapy. Moreover, the use of the conceptual framework of the theory of planned nursing intervention would be very worthwhile as a strategy to boost the adjustment of cancer patients when receiving chemotherapy.