Effects of the Participatory Action Research on Reducing the Risk of Metabolic Syndrome in Adult Women

This study aimed to evaluate the effects of a participatory action research (PAR) on reducing the metabolic syndrome risk factors among the Koran adult women. The effectiveness of the PAR intervention was examined using a one-group pretest-post-test design. The data were collected from 58 adult women living in a community health center in Ulsan, Korea, between May and November 2016. The psychosocial factors (empowerment, social support, and quality of life), metabolic-related indices, and health behaviors were collected to measure the intervention’s efficiency. After applying it, the participants’ empowerment, social support, and health-related quality of life increased significantly, as compared to the pre-test. Furthermore, their metabolic-related indices improved significantly in the post-test, as compared to the pre-test. Therefore, the PAR intervention was found to be effective in enhancing the psychosocial factors, metabolic-related indices, and health behaviors in the aforementioned population and could be applied to other community health centers.

Factors Associated with Dietary Control and Physical Activity in the Management of Metabolic Syndrome in Korean Menopausal Women

The increased prevalence of metabolic syndrome (MetS) among menopausal women necessitates successful management strategies such as applying dietary restrictions and engaging in physical activity to improve their health and quality of life. We investigate factors associated with dietary control and physical activity in 564 menopausal Korean women classified as having MetS who partook in the 2016 and 2017 Korean National Health and Nutrition Examination Survey (KNHANES). To determine socio-demographic characteristics, lifestyle features, and MetS-related characteristics associated with dietary control and physical activity, multiple logistic regression analysis was performed. Of the women with MetS 36.1% applied diet control and 39.5% engaged in physical activity. Women who applied dietary control strategies to improve their health were more likely to be in the 40–49 age group (odds ratio (OR): 3.38; 95% confidence interval (CI): 1.25–9.18), to engage in physical activity (OR: 2.24; CI: 1.43–3.52), and to take hypertension medication (OR: 1.66; CI: 1.04–2.67) or diabetes mellitus medication (OR: 2.99; CI: 1.80–4.97). Physically active menopausal women with MetS were more likely to also engage in dieting (OR: 2.32; CI: 1.42–3.51). Accordingly, suggestions can be provided to healthcare workers in designing, not only individual approaches to lifestyle modification but also comprehensive interventions including dietary control and physical activity for menopausal MetS women. Health-care interventions like dietary control, which provide additional support to vulnerable MetS women, should target women aged 60 or above or those who do not take medicines for hypertension and diabetes mellitus.

Associations of eHealth literacy with health-promoting behaviours among hospital nurses: A descriptive cross-sectional study

AIMS

To investigate the associations of eHealth Literacy with health-promoting behaviours among hospital nurses in South Korea.

BACKGROUND

Health-promoting behaviours of nurses are crucial for their own improved health and health-related behaviours of patients. eHealth literacy refers to the ability to search, understand and evaluate health information available online. With the growing use of the Internet, eHealth literacy is emerging as an important factor enhancing health-promoting behaviours.

DESIGN

Descriptive cross-sectional design with self-reported questionnaires.

METHODS

Data were collected between March-May 2016 from five hospitals in South Korea. Health-promoting behaviours and eHealth literacy were assessed using Health Promoting Lifestyle Profile-II and K-eHEALS, respectively. Multiple linear regression models were used to examine the associations of eHealth literacy and health-promoting behaviours.

RESULTS

Nurses with high level of eHealth literacy had significantly positive overall health-promoting behaviours, stress management, interpersonal relations, self-actualization and health responsibility, but not for nutrition and physical activity.

CONCLUSION

Improving eHealth literacy through various strategies could be an effective way to boost health-promoting behaviours among nurses. However, improvement of actual health-promoting behaviours such as nutrition and physical activity will require systematic and organizational changes.

Self-Care Performance of Middle-Aged Stroke Patients in Korea

The incidence rate of middle-aged ischemic stroke patients has been increasing. Because of their high risk of recurrence, it is important for them to adhere to their self-care performance. The purpose of this study was to investigate predictors of self-care performance among middle-aged ischemic stroke patients. A descriptive correlational and cross-sectional survey design was used. About 140 participants who had been diagnosed with ischemic stroke within a year and visited neurological outpatients were investigated. Participants answered self-report questionnaires, the Secondary Stroke Prevention Knowledge Scale, the Health-Related Hardiness Scale, and the Subjective Self-Care Performance Scale. Hardiness, secondary-stroke-prevention knowledge, age, and stroke-diagnosis duration had statistically significant influences on self-care performance; hardiness had the largest effect. This study highlighted hardiness as the major predictor of self-care performance. To improve middle-aged ischemic stroke patients' self-care performance, nurses need an integrated approach that considers a patient's age, diagnosis duration, secondary-stroke-prevention knowledge, and, especially, hardiness.