Purpose
This study examined the relationships of health literacy, physical activity, and grip strength with self-care compliance in older male patients with chronic heart failure.
Methods
A cross-sectional descriptive was conducted, and 106 older male outpatients with chronic HF were recruited from a veterans’ hospital in Seoul. Data were collected from February 7, 2022 to April 10, 2022 using a self-reported questionnaire and were analyzed using SPSS/WIN 23.0.
Results
The average age of the participants was 76.3±4.5 years, and the average time elapsed since the heart failure diagnosis was 3.22±2.01 years. The mean self-care compliance score was 42.21±6.03 out of 60 points. In the univariate analysis, grip strength was not significantly correlated with self-care compliance. The hierarchical regression analysis indicated that health literacy (β=.33, p<.001), physical activity (β=.32, p=.001), and alcohol drinking (β=-.28, p=.001) had statistically significant effects on self-care compliance, collectively explaining 34% of the variance (adjusted R² =.34, F=12.00, p<.001).
Conclusion
The study highlights the necessity of periodically assessing and considering health literacy and the level of physical activity when developing educational strategies to promote self-care compliance among older male patients with heart failure in outpatient nursing practice.

Purpose
This study aimed to develop the progressive lower-extremity exercise program for patients with total knee replacement arthroplasty and to evaluate its effectiveness on knee functions. Methods: A non-equivalent quasi-experimental design with matching sample was used. The control group was recruited prior to the experimental group with the matched inclusion criteria for age, gender, and duration of osteoarthritis. The experimental group (n=34) participated in the 8-week progressive lower-extremity exercise program and completed both pretest and posttest with the dropout rates of 15%. The control group (n=35) received conventional exercise intervention during the study period with the dropout rates of 17.5%. Outcome measures were days to achieve possible range of motion, lower-extremity strength, and knee symptoms and function. Data were collected from April, 2019 to March, 2020 and analyzed with a x ² test, independent t-test, and repeated measures ANOVA using SPSS/WIN V. 23.0. Results: The progressive lower-extremity exercise program consisted of pre-op education, post-op progressive exercise provided 2~3 times/day with progressive intensity and duration, followed by pre-discharge education. The study participants were 71.7 years old in average, mostly women, and having osteoarthritis for 9.3 years. The experimental group reported significant improvement in lower-extremity strength and knee symptoms and function compared to their controls after 8 weeks based on interaction effects. No significant interaction effect was found in days to achieve possible range of motion. Conclusion: The progressive lower-extremity exercise program provided additional benefits over the conventional exercise to patients with total knee replacement arthroplasty. This program is easily applicable and useful as rehabilitation nursing strategies in this population.

Citations

• The Effects of a Self-Efficacy Theory-Based Exercise Program for Patients Undergoing with Total Knee Arthroplasty
  Kyung-Hye Park, Hee-Young Kang
  Journal of Korean Academy of Nursing.2024; 54(4): 547.     CrossRef
• Effects of lower-limb active resistance exercise on mobility, physical function, knee strength and pain intensity in patients with total knee arthroplasty: a systematic review and meta-analysis
  Guo Wei, Zhenghui Shang, Yupeng Li, Yu Wu, Li Zhang
  BMC Musculoskeletal Disorders.2024;[Epub]     CrossRef

PURPOSE
The study aimed to investigate the effects of leg strength exercise for elderly women on their muscle strength, flexibility, and frequency of urinary incontinence.
METHODS
The participants were 117 elderly women. The data were collected between June and November 2017. The leg strength exercise was performed for 60 minutes, twice a week, for 24 weeks. Exercise classes were for 60 minutes including 10 minutes of warm-up exercises, 40 minutes of strength exercise, and 10 minutes of cool-down exercises. The muscle strength, flexibility, and frequency of urinary incontinence were measured before and after the leg strength exercise. The results were analyzed with χ2 test and, repeated measures ANOVA using the SPSS/WIN 22.0 program.
RESULTS
After the leg strength exercise, the leg strength significantly increased after 3 and 6 months each, and the flexibility of the leg significantly increased after 3 months. Additionally, frequency of urination before sleep significantly decreased after 6 months, and frequency of urination during bedtime also decreased. Moreover, frequency of urinary urgency and urge urinary incontinence significantly decreased.
CONCLUSION
The leg strength exercise had a positive effect on elderly women in terms of muscle strength, flexibility, and urinary incontinence. A follow-up study is needed to determine the long-term effects of the leg strength exercise.

Citations

• A Multisite Study on the Effect of a Urinary Incontinence Self-Management Program on Community-Dwelling Older Women in Korea
  Sunah Park, Aeyoung So
  Journal of Wound, Ostomy & Continence Nursing.2024; 51(1): 61.     CrossRef

PURPOSE
The purpose of this study was to examine the effects of Tai Chi exercise on muscle strength, balance, flexibility and bone mineral density among community dwelling elderly women.
METHODS
A quasi-experimental pretest-posttest design with a nonequivalent comparison group was utilized, Elderly women were recruited from the community settings and assigned to either the treatment group (n=30) or the comparison group (n=34). Both groups completed the pretest and the posttest measures at six months with an 29.7% of dropouts. Tai Chi exercise was performed for 60 minutes, three times a week for 24 weeks. The study participants were referred to the sports clinic of the university hospital where an exercise therapist and a technician measured muscle strength, balance, flexibility, and bone mineral density without the knowledge of the group assignment. Data were collected from June 14, 2010 to May 27, 2011.
RESULTS
At the completion of 6 month Tai Chi exercise, the experimental group showed a significant difference in knee flexor strength (t=3.26, p=.002), flexibility (t=-2.93, p=.005), and bone mineral density in femur (t=2.20, p=.032), compared to the control group.
CONCLUSION
Tai Chi exercise could be performed safely to community dwelling elderly women and effective for preventing declining in physical function in this population. Whether or not this health benefits would lead fall prevention will require further study.

Citations

• A trend of Tai Chi in osteoporosis research: A bibliometric analysis
  Libing Liang, Mingyue Zhang, Kunpeng Li, Jianmiao Hou, Caiqin Wu
  Complementary Therapies in Medicine.2024; 86: 103083.     CrossRef
• Effects of 12-week Tai Chi program on physical function, depression, and quality of life among cognitively impaired older adults: a feasibility study
  Hyunkyoung Oh, Rhayun Song, Seon Joo Kim
  BMC Geriatrics.2023;[Epub]     CrossRef
• The Effects of Tai Chi Chuan Exercise Training on the Lower Extremities of Middle-Aged and Elderly
  Bo-Jen Ko, Ting-Ting Lee, Tai-Yen Hsu, Chen-Fu Huang
  Applied Sciences.2022; 12(9): 4460.     CrossRef
• The effects of tai chi chuan exercise training on countermovement jump performance in the elderly
  Bo-Jen Ko, Tai-Yen Hsu, Chen-Fu Huang
  Research in Sports Medicine.2020; 28(4): 563.     CrossRef
• The Effects of Tai Chi Exercise on Hope, Dependency, and Perceived Health Status of Elderly Women
  Yong Ju Park, Ja Ok Kim
  Journal of muscle and joint health.2014; 21(2): 106.     CrossRef

PURPOSE
The purpose of this study was to identify the effects of the tailored group exercise program on perceived health status, physical strength, depression and cognitive function in seniors. METHODS: The subjects were 42 seniors of the experimental group and 28 seniors of the control group. The exercise program tailored by physical fitness was carried out for 16 weeks. The dependent variables were measured by Perceived Health Status Scale, The Senior Fitness Test, MMSE-K, and GDS-K. The collected data were analyzed by Fisher's exact test, Chi-square test and t-test, and ANCOVA using the SAS program. RESULTS: In terms of physical strength and depression there was significant difference among groups. Perceived health status and cognitive function were not significant different among groups. CONCLUSION: In this study, the tailored exercise program was effective and safe for the elderly, and resulted in improving physical and psychological health status in the elderly. This demonstrated that the tailored group exercises program on the basis of the subject's fitness, played an essential role in maintaining and improving the health.

PURPOSE
The purpose of this study was to examine the effect of use of a horticultural program on the cognitive function, activities of daily living, and hand grip strength of institutionalized dementia patients. METHOD: Twenty three study participants completed a five week protocol comprised of one week of baseline and four weeks of treatment. The study design was a one group repeated measurement study. For the first and fifth week of the study period, data was collected with 3 instruments: Korean Version of Hasegawa Dementia Scale (HDS-K), Katz's ADL index, hand grip strength. Data analysis was conducted by SPSS version 10.0. RESULTS: Total HDS-K score(p=.000), Activities of daily living(p=.013) and hand grip strength(p=.001) was significantly improved after treatment compared to the baseline. CONCLUSION: The horticultural program was effective for improving cognitive function, ADL and hand grip strength of the dementia patients. Repeated studies utilizing a control group are needed, using various durations, plants and processes, to confirm these results and to standardize the horticultural program protocol.

The purpose of this study was to explore the change of muscle strength, muscle endurance, flexibility and activities of daily living to develop a rehabilitational program. The subjects were selected randomly among the patients who underwent kidney transplantations at one major transplantation hospital in Seoul, Korea. This study was carried out between November 23, 1999 and February 15, 2000. The subjects in this study consisted of 16 patients who had kidney transplantations between 1 month and 12 months ago prior to this study. They were all on steroids and did not take any physical exercise regularly. The muscle strength, muscle endurance, flexibility and activities of daily living were evaluated at 1st week and after 12 weeks. The data were analyzed with numbers, percentiles, mean, standard deviation and t-test. The results were as follows: 1. After 12 weeks, the grip strength was significantly decreased than 1st week (p=.0002). 2. After 12 weeks, the back lift strength was significantly decreased than 1st week (p=.0002). 3. After 12 weeks, the muscle endurance was increased than 1st week, but it was not significant(p=.5487). After 12 weeks, the flexibility was significantly decreased than 1st week (p=.0002). 5. After 12 weeks, the activities of daily living was significantly decreased than 1st week (p=.0006). Like the above result, the kidney transplant receipients' muscle strength, flexibility and activities of daily living were reduced. In order to solve this problem, the writer has found that program development to prevent the defects should be extremely required. Since now on the number of patients should expand. After the kidney transplantation, the periods of 4, 8, 12 and 16 weeks are extended. The writer proposes to examine the different phase of change in each periods.