• Journal of Korean Academy of Nursing
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• v.38 no.2
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• pp.270-277
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• 2008

Purpose: This study was done to identify predictors of the fighting spirit or helplessness/hopelessness in the patients' mental adjustment to cancer. Cancer patients' characteristics like performance status, metastasis and duration of diagnosis with demographic factors, spiritual support and social support were used as predictors of a fighting spirit or helplessness/hopelessness. Methods: A total of 124 ambulatory cancer patients completed the Mental Adjustment to Cancer (MAC) scale and responded in a structured instrument about their characteristics, spiritual and social support. Results: The results of multiple regression analysis revealed that confidence in the supporter ($R^2=.114$, p=.000), duration of cancer diagnosis ($R^2=.041$, p=.000) and faith ($R^2=.030$, p=.000) were predictive of a fighting spirit ($R^2=.185$, p=.000); whereas, education ($R^2= .074$, p=.001), performance status ($R^2=.055$, p=.000), satisfaction with social support ($R^2=.046$, p=.000), and metastasis ($R^2=.037$, p=.000) were predictive of helplessness/hopelessness ($R^2=.202$, p=.000). Conclusion: Social support, spiritual support and disease related factors like metastasis, performance status, and duration of cancer diagnosis need to be considered in a psychosocial nursing intervention for a fighting spirit or helplessness/hopelessness.

• Korean Journal of Adult Nursing
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• v.21 no.5
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• pp.529-537
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• 2009

Purpose: The purpose of this study was to investigate the correlation of sexual satisfaction and daily stress in breast cancer patients. Methods: Data was collected through self-administered questionnaires and analyzed by descriptive statistics, t-test, ANOVA and Pearson's correlation. Data survey was conducted with 500 conveniently selected breast cancer patients who visited the out patient department in 5 university hospitals in Seoul, Gyung-gi and Gang-won province. Results: The sexual satisfaction of breast cancer patients score was 31.34 and there were significant sexual satisfaction differences by age, education level, menopause and sexual activity frequency. Sexual satisfaction was negatively related with daily stress (r = -.177) especially personal stress (r = -.155), economic stress (r = -.138), stress of self (r = -.181), family stress (r = -.154) and stress about leisure (r = -.139). Conclusion: These findings are expected to make a contribution to creation of ideal sexual rehabilitation nursing interventions for breast cancer patients care nurse. Furthermore continuous and customized education and counseling programs can contribute to promote healthy sexual life for breast cancer patients.

• Korean Journal of Adult Nursing
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• v.22 no.6
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• pp.594-605
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• 2010

Purpose: The purpose of this study was to identify the effects of psychosocial intervention on depression, hope and quality of life of home-based cancer patients. Methods: The study design was a nonequivalent control group pretest-posttest design. Data were collected from September 21 to November 13, 2009. The subjects consisted of 81 cancer patients randomly selected who were registered at four public health center in Daegu, Korea. The 39 subjects in the experimental group received a psychosocial intervention and the 42 subjects in the control group received the usual nursing care. The weekly psychosocial Intervention protocol was comprised of health education, stress management, coping skill training and support (60 min) for eight weeks. Data were analyzed by using the SPSS/WIN 12.0 program. Results: Depression (F=23.303, p<.001) scores in the experimental group were significantly less than that of the control group. Further, hope (F=58.842, p<.001) and quality of life (F=31.515, p<.001) scores were significantly higher than those reported by the control group. Conclusion: The findings indicate that the psychosocial intervention was an effective intervention in decreasing depression and increasing hope and quality of life of home-based cancer patients.

• Women's Health Nursing
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• v.20 no.2
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• pp.137-147
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• 2014

Purpose: This study was done to investigate sexual behavior and sexual satisfaction according to gender difference in Korean patients with cancer Methods: In this study, a convenience sample of Korean patients with cancer who visited hospitals in J City was used. Data were collected between September and December 2012using structured questionnaires: Sexual frequency scale and General sexual satisfaction index (GSSI). Results: Over half of the patients reported loss of sexual desire and changes in sexual behaviors. There was a significant decrease in sexual satisfaction among the male patients, compared to the female patients (t=2.34, p=.020). There were significant correlations between sexual satisfaction and sexual behaviors (male patients r=.45, p<.001; female patients r=.59, p<.001). Conclusion: The results of this study demonstrate the need to take gender into account in developing interventions for patients with cancer. These results will also contribute to the development of improved interventions for sexual health care.

• Journal of Korean Academy of Fundamentals of Nursing
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• v.14 no.4
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• pp.457-465
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• 2007

Purpose: This study was done to analyze symptom distress and spiritual well-being in patients with cancer according cancer diagnosis, metastasis, treatment stage, number of hospitalizations and treatment modality. Method: The participants, 285 patients being treated in one of ten general hospitals either as in- or out-patients, completed the McCorkle and Young(1978) Symptom Distress Scale translated and adapted by Uhm(1986) and the Spiritual Well-Being Scale by Paloutzian and Ellison(1982) translated by Choi(1990). Data collection was done from June 19 to September 30, 2006. Results: For symptom distress, there were significant differences for cancer diagnosis(p=.018), metastasis(p=.000), treatment stage(p=.000), number of hospitalizations(p=.000), and treatment modality(p=.002). For spiritual well-being, the only significant difference was for cancer diagnosis(p=.002). Patients with ovarian/uterine cancer had the lowest spiritual well-being. Conclusion: For patients with cancer, symptom distress was significantly different for illness and treatment factors, in particular, stage of illness, while for spiritual well-being, patients with uterine ovarian cancer had the lowest spiritual level. These results indicate a need to develop nursing interventions to decrease symptom distress in patients according to treatment stage and to promote spiritual well-being, particularly in women with ovarian/uterine cancer.

• Journal of East-West Nursing Research
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• v.22 no.1
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• pp.51-59
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• 2016

Purpose: This phenomenological study aimed to identify breast cancer patients' experience of unkindness of healthcare providers. Methods: Ten participants who were diagnosed with breast cancer were recruited to participate in the study and asked to share their experience related to healthcare providers. Data were analyzed using the phenomenological method of Colaizzi. In-depth interviews were conducted from November, 2014 to March, 2015. Results: Seven consistent categories and fourteen theme clusters emerged from collected data. The seven themes were 'being treated thoughtlessly', 'not giving special services for breast cancer patients', 'cold and authoritative manner', 'incomplete explanation', 'not accepting an appeal', 'being sorry for having short consultation hours', and 'unskilled and careless treatment'. Conclusions: It is needed to develop health care services in the view of beneficiaries. This may reduce the patients' experience of unkindness of the healthcare providers and improve the satisfaction of health care service.

• Women's Health Nursing
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• v.21 no.3
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• pp.207-215
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• 2015

Purpose: This study aimed to develop a scale measuring sexuality information needs of patients with cancer. Methods: Nine items of sexuality information needs were based on the PLISSIT model and concepts of sexual rights. A factor analysis using principal axis factoring and Cronbach's ${\alpha}$ were performed to test validity and reliability. Data were collected from 211 patients with cancer visiting a cancer center in Seoul, Korea. Results: Factor loadings of the 9 items of sub scales ranged from .43 to .96. Three factors in this study explained 74.4% of the total variance. Cronbach's ${\alpha}$ of the 9 items was .83. Conclusion: The scale of information needs about sexuality showed acceptable construct validity and reliability. This scale would be useful to assess the levels of information needs for sexuality for patients with cancer. The possibility of the scales' expansion to other group could be investigated in future studies.

• Journal of Korean Academy of Nursing
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• v.31 no.3
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• pp.454-466
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• 2001

Purpose: The purpose of this study was to determine the effects of exercise program on cardiopulmonary functions and shoulder joint functioning in breast cancer patients who under- went radiation therapy after surgery. Method: Subjects in the experimental group(N=12) participated in an exercise program for eight weeks. The Exercise program consisted of shoulder stretching, arm weight training, and walking on treadmill. Maximal oxygen uptake (v2max), maximal running time, shoulder joint range of motion, and shoulder functional assessment were determined before and after the exercise program. Baseline sociodemographic and medical data were compared between experimental group and control group using the Fisher's exact test and Mann- Whitney U test. For effects of the exercise program, repeated measures ANOVA were used. Result: 1) Following the exercise program for eight weeks, both v$\alpha$ max and maximal running time tended to increase in experimental group comparing with the control group. 2) Shoulder abduction, extension and flexion of the operated upper extremity in the experimental group comparing with control significantly increased after the exercise program(p<0.05). 3) Shoulder flexion of the normal upper extremity in the experimental group comparing with control significantly increased after the exercise program(p<0.05). Conclusion: The results suggest that the exercise program for breast cancer patients undergoing radiation therapy after breast surgery can improve shoulder functions and increase cardiopulmonary functions, which are maximal oxygen uptake and maximal running time.

• Research in Community and Public Health Nursing
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• v.16 no.3
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• pp.270-281
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• 2005

Purpose: The objective of this study was to understand the caring experience of families with terminal cancer patients. Method: This was designed to be an inductive and descriptive study. Forty-seven families with terminal cancer patients were interviewed in depth and collected data were examined through content analysis. Result: The main categories of difficulties found in this study were 'suffering of patient', 'emotional suffering of family', 'bereavement of patient', 'difficulties in coping', 'problems in treatment', 'incurable situation', 'family problems', 'relationship with other people', 'economic problems', 'spiritual problems', 'problems in the future', 'informing patients of their condition', 'preparing death', 'emotional unstability', 'meaninglessness', 'unkindness of medical teams', 'poor environment for treatment', 'difficulties in hospital environment' and 'economic burden'. Conclusion: The main point found from this result was that families taking care of terminal cancer patients are suffering emotionally from watching the patients' pains and had difficulties in coping with the patients' situation and treatment. In addition, they had negative experiences in medical teams' attitude and hospital environment. This result can be used as an important guide for nurses to assess families' needs in the terminal care setting.

• Asian Oncology Nursing
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• v.8 no.1
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• pp.32-39
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• 2008

Purpose: This study was to identify the relationship between perceived family support and quality of life in hospitalized patient with terminal cancer. Method: Study subjects were 104 patients with terminal cancer who were hospitalized and treated at K university hospital, in Busan. Perceived family support and quality of life were measured using the Kang's Revised Family Support Scale and Youn's Quality of Life scale for terminal patients. Results: 1) The mean score of perceived family support was $4.23{\pm}0.61$. The mean score of quality of life was $5.83{\pm}1.37$. 2) The perceived family support was significantly different with primary care giver, food type, medical period after diagnosis. 3) The levels of quality of life was significantly different by number of children, effect of religion on the one' life, perceived state of disease and pain. 4) There was moderate positive correlation between perceived family support and quality of life. Conclusions: Increase in perceived family support was associated with increase in quality of life in hospitalized patients with terminal cancer. It is necessary that the development of nursing education program for family which help to support the patient with terminal cancer for increasing the quality of life of patient with terminal cancer.