Asian Nursing Research

Cardiovascular Risk Factors and 10-year Risk for Coronary Heart Disease in Korean Women

Sunjoo Boo, Erika Sivarajan Froelicher — 2012-03-21

Summary: Purpose: The purpose of this study is to describe the prevalence of cardiovascular risk factors and to estimate the 10-year risk for coronary heart disease (CHD) in a nationally representative sample of Korean women.Methods: This is a secondary data analysis using the data set from the 2008 Korea National Health and Nutrition Examination Survey IV. The sample was 2,998 Korean women (weighted n = 14,420,987) aged 20–79 years without cardiovascular disease or diabetes. Prevalence of cardiovascular risk factors was calculated using sampling weights and presented in percentages. Ten-year risk for CHD was estimated with the Framingham Risk Score, and the proportions for three levels of 10-year risk were presented.Results: About 18% of the sample had hypertension, 7.5% are current smoker, 30.0% had total cholesterol ≥ 200 mg/dL, 25.7% had low-density lipoprotein cholesterol ≥ 130 mg/dL, and 47.3% had high-density lipoprotein cholesterol 20%.Conclusion: Modifiable cardiovascular risk factors are highly prevalent in Korean women, and the combination of risk factors is common. Development and implementation of multifaceted nursing interventions are required to confront the current epidemic rise of CHD in Korean women.

Reliability and Validity of the Turkish Version of Children's Somatization Inventory

Hasibe Kadıoğlu, Fatma Nevin Şişman, Ayşe Ergün — 2012-03-21

Summary: Purpose: The purpose of this study was to examine the psychometric properties of the Children's Somatization Inventory (CSI) in Turkish schoolchildren and adolescents.Methods: The CSI was translated using translation and back-translation. The participants were 813 schoolchildren, adolescents and their parents (n=453). Content and construct validity were assessed to test the validity of the CSI-24. Internal consistency reliability, interrater reliability (child-parent agreement) and test-retest reliability were assessed to test the reliability of the CSI-24.Results: Psychometric analyses of the Turkish version of the CSI-24 indicate high reliability and good content and construct validity.Conclusion: The Turkish version of the CSI-24 is a useful instrument for measuring self-reported somatic complaints in Turkish schoolchildren and adolescents between the ages of 9 and 15.

Prevalence of High Blood Pressure and its Relationship with Body Weight Factors among Inpatients with Schizophrenia in Taiwan

Yu-Li Lan, Tzy-Ling Chen — 2012-03-19

Summary: Purpose: The objective of this study was to document the prevalence of high blood pressure (BP) and to explore its relationship with weight among inpatients with schizophrenia. Additionally, other possible risk factors impacting BP levels in relation to patients' demographic characteristics and use of atypical antipsychotic drugs and medications to reduce blood pressure were analyzed.Methods: Using medical records, demographic data, and results of physical examination, this cross-sectional study investigated the prevalence of hypertension and high BP and its association with body weight among 1,030 inpatients with schizophrenia in a large psychiatric facility in Taiwan.Results: The prevalence of high BP and hypertension were found to be higher among inpatients with schizophrenia in Taiwan in comparison with those of the general population in line with the latest evidence. Hypertension was significantly associated with body mass index; meanwhile, other risk factors, including age, gender, length of hospital stay, time since initial schizophrenia diagnosis, medications used to reduce blood pressure, and atypical antipsychotics, were identified. However, body mass index was the most effective predictor of blood pressure in the study.Conclusion: The findings of this research shed light on the importance of developing effective weight and blood pressure monitoring and management programs for inpatients with schizophrenia. There is also a need for clinical nurses to employ multiple behavioral intervention strategies to minimize risks of high BP in patients with schizophrenia. We recommend that clinical nurses carefully monitor and control BP among inpatients with schizophrenia.

Informal Caregiving Patterns in Korea and European Countries: A Cross-National Comparison

Soong-Nang Jang, Mauricio Avendano, Ichiro Kawachi — 2012-03-19

Summary: Purpose: This ecological study examined demographic and institutional differences in informal caregiving. We conducted a cross-national study about the characteristics of informal caregivers in 12 European countries and Korea.Methods: Data were collected from individuals aged 50 years and older participating in the 2004/2005 Survey of Health, Ageing and Retirement in Europe and the 2006 Korean Longitudinal Study of Ageing. We examined the associations between informal caregiving and macrolevel characteristics (gross domestic product, total fertility rates, labor force participation rates, level of women's empowerment, long-term care resources).Results: Korea and some southern European countries, notably Spain and Italy, had high percentages of women, homemakers, coresidents, and spouses in informal caregiving roles. In contrast, Northern European countries such as Denmark and Sweden had high proportions of employed informal caregivers. Lower female labor force participation was associated with higher proportions of women caregivers. A higher proportion of women caregivers in the population were also associated with a lower national gross domestic product per capita.Conclusion: Our findings suggest that several contextual and institutional variables are associated with the proportion of women participating in caregiving.

Traditional Chinese Pregnancy Restrictions, Health-Related Quality of Life and Perceived Stress among Pregnant Women in Macao, China

Ying Lau — 2012-03-26

Summary: Purpose: The objectives of this study were to identify the prevalence and rationales of traditional Chinese pregnancy restrictions and to investigate the relationship between pregnancy restriction, health-related quality of life, and perceived stress level at a two-stage design.Methods: Stage I consisted of exploring the traditional Chinese pregnancy restrictions and their underlying beliefs based on extensive literature review followed by in-depth interviews with 30 pregnant women. Stage II investigated the relationship between pregnancy restrictions, health-related quality of life, and perceived stress among 1,151 women. Self-developed traditional Chinese pregnancy restrictions lists were measured on adherence towards the traditional Chinese pregnancy restriction. Perceived stress and health-related quality of life were measured by the Perceived Stress Scale and the Short Form-12 (SF-12) Health Survey, respectively.Results: The majority of the women adhered to traditional Chinese pregnancy restrictions in order to protect the unborn child from danger and to avoid the problems associated pregnancy and birth, such as miscarriage, stillbirth, death of the mother, and imperfections in the newborn. Pregnant women who adhered to behavioral restrictions were more likely to associate with poor physical component of health-related quality of life. However, there was no significant difference between pregnancy restrictions and Perceived Stress Scale scores.Conclusion: The findings provided cultural rationales of pregnancy restrictions within a Macao context that may assist health professionals to better understand women from different cultures. It is essential in the development of culturally appropriate healthcare to support women in making a healthy transition to motherhood.

The Effects of Baby Massage on Attachment between Mother and their Infants

Ayşe Gürol, Sevinç Polat — 2012-04-05

Summary: Purpose: This study was conducted to examine the effect of baby massage on attachment between mothers and their newborns.Methods: This study was carried out from June 2008 to February 2010 in a quasi-experimental design (57 in the experimental group, 60 in the control group). Between the dates of the study, all healthy primipara mothers and their healthy babies were included. Data were collected regarding their demographic characteristics and by using the Maternal Attachment Inventory (MAI). All mothers were assessed on the first and the last days of the 38-day study period. In the experimental group, the babies received a 15-minute massage therapy session everyday during the 38 days.Results: There was no significant difference found in the pretest mean value baseline of the MAI score in both groups. The posttest mean values of the MAI of the experimental group mothers (90.87 ± 10.76) were significantly higher than those of control group (85.10 ± 15.50). There was a significant difference between groups (p < .05).Conclusion: The results of the study have shown that baby massage is effective in increasing the mother–infant attachment.

A Comparative Study on Physical Function Test between Faller Group and Nonfaller Group among Community-Dwelling Elderly

Kyung Rim Shin, Younhee Kang, Dukyoo Jung, Miyoung Kim, Eliza Lee — 2012-03-26

Summary: Purpose: This study aimed to identify the physical function test differences between the faller group and the nonfaller group in a sample of the community-dwelling elderly.Methods: This study used a nonexperimental two-group-comparative study design. The participants were 356 people aged 65 years and over living in an urban area. From May to December 2010, data were collected through personal interviews using questionnaires and measurements of muscle strength, physical endurance, flexibility, motor agility and dynamic balance, and static balance. The collected data were analyzed by descriptive statistics, Chi square analysis, and t test.Results: Upper muscle strength was significantly weaker in the faller group (p<.05). Lower muscle strength was significantly weaker in the faller group; both hip flexion (p=.004), knee extension (Right: p=.004; Left: p=.031), left ankle plantar flexion (p=.045), and left ankle inversion (p=.036). Tandem standing with eyes opened and closed was significantly shorter, indicating decreased static balance in the faller group.Conclusion: Nurses should make efforts to implement exercise programs focused on physical fitness enhancement for community-dwelling elderly adults for fall prevention.