• Asian Oncology Nursing
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• v.7 no.1
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• pp.3-13
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• 2007

Purpose: The purpose of this study was to identify the relationship of fatigue and functional status in patients with cancer. Method: The data were collected from August, 15 to October, 10, 2005. The subjects were recruited from three university hospitals and two general hospitals in B, U, and S cities in Korea. Fatigue was measured using the Fatigue Scale for Cancer Patients, and Functional Status was measured using the Karnofsky Performance Status Index. Result: 1) The mean score of fatigue was $79.72{\pm}21.25$(range: 26-130), and the mean score of functional status was $79.33{\pm}13.02$. 2) There were significant differences in the scores of fatigue by sex, age, marital status, employment, major care-giver, pain, and period after diagnosis. 3) There were significant differences in the scores of functional status by employment, major care-giver, pain, stage of cancer, period after diagnosis, and type of cancer. 4) There was a significant negative correlation between fatigue and functional status (r= -.472, p= .000). Conclusion: Increase in fatigue was associated with decrease in functional status in patients with cancer. Nurses must assess fatigue and functional status when caring for the cancer patients, and provide nursing intervention to relieve fatigue and to improve functional status.

• Asian Oncology Nursing
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• v.4 no.1
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• pp.5-15
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• 2004

Purpose: This study was conducted to examine utilization of alternative therapies and understand decisional criteria related to use of alternative therapies among chemotherapy patients. Method: Data were collected from 165 cancer patients through the use of questionnaire and interviews at the chemotherapy treatment rooms of two general hospitals located in Seoul. Result: Sixty point six percent of subjects after cancer diagnosis have experience of using alternative therapies and 39.4% were still using alternative therapies. On the average the patients used alternative therapies for 9.4 months and they paid 483,000 Won per month for alternative therapies. Decisional criteria related to use of alternative therapy were curability, social group influence about alternative therapy, confidence in alternative therapy, present symptoms, and who decide on the use of alternative therapy. These variables in the alternative therapy group were statistically different from those of the hospital treatment only group. Conclusion: Utilization rate of alternative therapy among chemotherapy patients is high and cost burden is heavy. Thus, they need to be educated about utilization of alternative therapy by nurse and medical personnel.

• Asian Oncology Nursing
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• v.4 no.1
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• pp.26-37
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• 2004

The purpose of this study was to determine and test treatment-seeking behavior type and decisional factors of the cancer patients after first detecting symptoms. This study used the methodological triangulation. In the first, treatment-seeking behavior type and decisional factor were described based on qualitative data collected from in-depth interviews with 29 cancer patients. Next, they were tested using quantitative data collected from a structured questionnaire involving 165 cancer patients with statistical method. As a result, treatment-seeking behavior from detecting symptoms to visiting a doctor categorized into immediate visit and delayed visit. The decisional factors on time interval between detecting symptoms and visiting a doctor was influenced by the perceived seriousness of symptoms, the experiences of visiting a doctor previously with similar symptoms, social-group influences on visiting a doctor, barriers to visiting a doctor, and health concerns. There were significant relationship between treatment-seeking time and these factors, however, there was no statistically significant relationship between treatment-seeking time and the demographic characteristics. It is expected that results of this study can be used for nursing education data of cancer patients for early diagnosis after detecting symptoms

• Journal of Korean Academic Society of Home Health Care Nursing
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• v.27 no.2
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• pp.156-168
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• 2020

Purpose: This study aimed to examine factors influencing health-related quality of life (HRQOL) and compare them between young-aged and old-aged patients with cancer. Methods: Data of 291 patients (young-aged: 168, old-aged: 123) were obtained from the 10th wave of the 2015 Korea Health Panel Survey. The HRQOL was measured using the Korean version of Euro-QoL-5D. Independent t-test, analysis of variance, and multiple regression analysis were performed to identify factors influencing HRQOL. Results: The average HRQOL score was 0.87±0.10 and 0.82±0.15 among young-aged and old-aged, respectively. The factors differed partially between the two groups. For young-aged, the influencing factors were activity restriction, subjectively perceived health status, and smoking. For old-aged, the influencing factors were activity restriction, subjective health status, and unmet healthcare needs. Conclusion: Strategies to improve the HRQOL of elderly adults need to be developed considering the age group. Additionally, studies that include clinical factors such as symptoms are required to prepare need-based practical approaches for better quality of life of such patients.

• Asian Oncology Nursing
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• v.7 no.2
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• pp.150-161
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• 2007

Purpose: This study was to assess the degree of infection prevention behaviors at home, and a relationship between those behaviors and barrier factors among cancer patients undergoing chemotherapy. Method: The data were collected from 92 cancer patients who were undergoing chemotherapy with more than two kinds of immunosuppressive agents at G university hospital in J city from February 17 to April 4, 2003. The instruments were the infection prevention behavior scale developed by researchers and the barrier factor scale by Gu et al. (2003). The data were analysed using mean, standard deviation, t-test, ANOVA, and Pearson's correlation coefficient by SPSS program. Results: The mean score of the behaviors for infection prevention was 2.61 of 4. The highest score was on the subscale 'rest and exercise', and the lowest score was on the subscale 'monitoring sign and symptom of infection'. And a negative correlation(r= -.208, p= .023) was found between infection prevention behaviors and barrier factors. The barriers correlated to infection prevention behaviors were mainly 'no habits' and 'no interest'. Conclusion: It seems that the degree of the behaviors for infection prevention was not performed enough to prevent infection among cancer patients. And there was negative relationship between infection prevention behaviors and barriers. We suggest to develop a nursing intervention program to enhance infection prevention behaviors through reducing the barrier factors.

• Journal of Korean Academy of Nursing
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• v.33 no.1
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• pp.71-78
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• 2003

Purpose: The study was done to identify the relationship of treatment side effects, family support, and quality of life in patients with cancer, and factors influencing quality of life. Method: A convenience sample of 106 patients who were receiving cancer treatment at W hospital were interviewed using the Side Effects scale by Hur, Family Support scale by Kang, and QOL scale by Ro. Result: Results indicate that women experienced more severe side effects than men. There was a negative relationship between side effects and quality of life, and a positive relationship between family support and quality of life. The most bothersome side effects were changes in taste and appetite, followed by general weakness and fatigue. Side effects such as loss of hair, nausea, dizziness, numbness, pins and needles in fingers and toes, and dry mouth were also experienced. General weakness and family support were analysed as to whether they were factors influencing quality of life. Conclusion: The results revealed that relieving general weakness should be given high priority in nursing interventions for patients undergoing cancer treatment. In addition, nursing programs should be developed that can reinforce family support.

• The Journal of Korean Academic Society of Nursing Education
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• v.13 no.1
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• pp.52-58
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• 2007

Purpose: The purpose of this study was to discover the factors affecting cancer patients. Method: The subjects of the study were 111 cancer patients over 20 years old, being treated in 3 hospitals in Seoul. The collection of materials was a self-report survey which was carried out from October 1, 2005 to September 30, 2005. The collected materials were analyzed by using frequency, percentage, average, standard deviation, t-test, one-way ANOVA, Pearson's Correlation Coefficient and Multiple Regression. Result: The average resilience of the cancer patients was 85.9 The average of the hope was 133.32. The family support score was 43.06. There was a statistically meaningful static correlation (r=618, p=.000) in the resilience and hope, in the resilience and family support (r=.539, p=.000), and in the hope and family support (r=.729, r=.000). As a result of the analysis with multiple regression, of the factors affecting cancer patients hope is a meaningful factor (38.2%), to explain resilience of cancer patients. A study on the factors affecting the cancer patients.

• Journal of Hospice and Palliative Care
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• v.12 no.2
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• pp.72-79
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• 2009

Purpose: The purpose of this study was to test the correlation between the levels of spiritual well-being and spiritual nursing care of nurses for cancer patients and to provide baseline data for spiritual nursing care. Methods: In the study, there were 209 nurses involved who cared for cancer patients, and they were from Christian General Hospital in a city, Jeonju. Data were collected from September 17 to 30 in 2008 using structured questionnaires. The data were analyzed using research methods, including descriptive statistics, t-test, ANOVA, Duncan test, and Pearson correlation coefficients. Results: The mean score of spiritual well-being of nurses was $63.41{\pm}10.32$ (range $20{\sim}80$) and that of spiritual nursing care was $26.96{\pm}7.05$ (range $15{\sim}60$). There was a significant positive correlation between the spiritual well-being of nurses and their spiritual nursing care (r=.353, P=.000). Conclusion: The spiritual well-being and spiritual nursing care have a positive correlation. The level of spiritual well-being of nurses was relatively significant, whereas that of spiritual nursing care was relatively low. Therefore, it is recommended, for spiritual nursing care that nurses responsible for cancer patients should pursue more spiritual growth, attend church services regularly, and should further be educated in their care and responsibility.

• The Korean Journal of Rehabilitation Nursing
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• v.18 no.1
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• pp.11-19
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• 2015

Purpose: The purpose of this study was to identify the perception on hospice, attitudes toward death and needs of hospice care between the patients with cancer and family. Methods: This study used descriptive research design. The participants were 118 patients with cancer hospitalized and 118 family caregivers of patients with cancer. The data collected by questionnaires from October to December, 2013. Results: There was significant difference in perception on hospice (recognition of hospice term and definition of hospice) and needs of hospice care between patients and family. Among the categories of the needs, 'medical needs' was the highest in patients and 'emotional care' was the highest in family. But there was no significant difference in attitudes toward death. There correlation between attitudes toward death and needs of hospice care was significant only in patients. Conclusion: Hospice care must be provided considering the death attitudes and needs of patients with cancer and family based on the understanding of perception on hospice, attitudes toward death of the patients with cancer and family.

• Journal of Korean Clinical Nursing Research
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• v.14 no.2
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• pp.103-114
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• 2008

Purpose: The purpose of this study was to investigate the level of QoL of the terminal cancer patients at home and to identify any influencing factors on QoL. Method: Subjects of this study consisted of 72 terminal cancer patients who were receiving home care nursing for more than 2 weeks in 6 general hospitals. Data were collected by a self-reporting questionnaire on QoL, pain, physical functioning, and symptom experience from Feb, 2006 to Dec, 2006. Data were analyzed by t-test, one way ANOVA, Pearson correlation coefficients, and multiple regression using SPSS Win 14.0. Results: Mean score of QoL was 98.6(230 in total). Except the level of family coping, general characteristics and disease related variables did not show significant difference in QoL. QoL was higher in the family with better coping, and QoL showed negative correlation with three types of pain, physical functioning, and symptom experiences. Least pain, physical functioning, and level of family coping explained QoL up to 26.7%. Conclusion: The QoL was closely related with pain, physical functioning, symptom experience, and family coping. And the least pain, physical functioning and level of family coping were important factors influencing on QoL of terminal cancer patients. However, some other variables influencing the QoL need to be investigated in the future.