Purpose
This study investigated the mediating effect of sleep discomfort in the relationship between tinnitus distress and depression.
Methods
This cross-sectional study used the Tinnitus Handicap Inventory, the Korean Screening Tool for Depressive Disorders, and the Korean version of the Pittsburgh Sleep Quality Index to examine a convenience sample of 139 individuals with tinnitus who were selected from an online patient community in January 2023. Data were analyzed using the independent t-test, Pearson's correlation coefficients, and the PROCESS macro with 95% bootstrap confidence intervals. All statistical analyses were performed using IBM SPSS/WIN 25.0.
Results
Tinnitus distress exhibited a positive correlation with depression (r=.70, p<.001) and sleep discomfort (r=.33, p<.001), and depression showed a positive correlation with sleep discomfort (r=.52, p<.001). Further, sleep discomfort had a statistically significant partial mediating effect in the relationship between tinnitus distress and depression (β=.11; 95% CI, 0.05~0.18).
Conclusion
The findings of this study indicate that sleep discomfort plays a partial mediatory role in the relationship between tinnitus distress and depression. Intervention programs for improving sleep discomfort among individuals with tinnitus are recommended to reduce depression in this population. In addition, screenings for sleep discomfort and depression should be routinely carried out as part of the treatment strategy for individuals with tinnitus.

Purpose
This study investigated factors affecting Quality of Life (QoL) of patients with Meniere disease.
Methods
A descriptive study design was used. Data were collected from March to April 2020 through an online survey of 130 participants diagnosed with probable or definite Meniere disease from a community of online-based patients. The data were analyzed using the independent t-test, Pearson’s correlation coefficient, and multiple linear regression analysis.
Results
Perceived health, anxiety, depression, family support, and health care provider support significantly correlated with QoL. As a result of the multiple regression analysis, family support, perceived health, anxiety, and ear fullness were identified as factors influencing QoL, and these factors accounted for 65.0% of the variance in QoL. Of these variables, family support was the factor affecting the participants’ QoL the most (β=.45).
Conclusion
These results indicate a need for continuous efforts and strategies to increase family support to enhance the QoL of this population. In addition, to increase perceived health (which was the second most influencing factor on the QoL of this population), improved health care provider support (which showed a positive correlation with perceived health) is also warranted. Therefore, nursing interventions aiming to increase social support should be developed and implemented.

PURPOSE
The purpose of this study was to explore the process of symptom acceptance of tinnitus patients.
METHODS
Data were collected from October 2017 to March 2018 through individual in-depth interviews with 15 tinnitus patients. Verbatim transcripts and field notes were analyzed using grounded theory methodology developed by Corbin and Strauss.
RESULTS
The core category about the symptom acceptance of tinnitus patients was identified as “accepting tinnitus as an alarming sign to escape from the prison of ear ringing and maintain good health.” The acceptance of tinnitus consisted of three phases: “desperate effort”, “resigned reflection on the past stage”, and “voluntary change in viewpoint stage”.
CONCLUSION
The findings from this study show that tinnitus had a great impact on the life of the patients. The core category: “accepting tinnitus as an alarming sign to escape from the prison of ear ringing and maintain good health” shows the agony and endeavor of the patients in the process of accepting the symptom as the part of their life amid lack of social insight into tinnitus. Healthcare providers' cooperation is needed to build a supportive social atmosphere to help these patients empathetically and enhance their coping capabilities and symptom management. This finding will be helpful for developing educational programs and intervention guidelines and providing appropriate counseling services for these people.

Citations

• Predictors of Depression in Individuals Aged over 60 with Tinnitus: A Cross-Sectional Study
  Seohyeon Kim, Sunghee H. Tak
  Korean Journal of Adult Nursing.2025; 37(1): 25.     CrossRef
• Mediating Effect of Sleep Discomfort in the Relationship between Tinnitus Distress and Depression: A Cross-sectional Study
  Woo Joung Joung
  Korean Journal of Adult Nursing.2024; 36(3): 251.     CrossRef

PURPOSE
The purpose of this study was to examine the relationships among perceived health, parental stress, social support, and quality of life of grandparent caregivers and to identify the factors influencing quality of their life.
METHODS
A descriptive correlational design was used. The data were collected by questionnaires from a convenience sample of 130 participants taking care of their grandchildren from ten children's daycare centers in Seoul, Korea from August to September, 2013. Data were analyzed using t-test, ANOVA, Pearson's correlation efficients, and multiple regressions.
RESULTS
Perceived health, parental stress and social support were correlated significantly with quality of life. As a result of the multiple regression analysis, education level, age of grandchildren, perceived health, parental stress and social support accounted for 48% of the variance in quality of life. Perceived health, parental stress, and social support were identified as factors influencing quality of life and the variable that most affected quality of life was perceived health.
CONCLUSION
The results of the study indicate that health of people taking care of their grandchildren must be promoted while relieving their parental stress with appropriate social support in order to improve quality of life.

Citations

• Understanding Grandparent Caregiving in Korean and U.S. Culture: An Analysis Using Role Theory
  Youjung Lee, Nancy Mendoza, Sok An
  The International Journal of Aging and Human Development.2024;[Epub]     CrossRef
• Korean Grandparents Raising Grandchildren: The Influence of Cultural Factors
  Youjung Lee, Sok An, Nancy Mendoza
  Journal of Intergenerational Relationships.2024; : 1.     CrossRef
• Intensity of Grandparent Caregiving, Health, and Well-Being in Cultural Context: A Systematic Review
  Athena C Y Chan, Sun-Kyung Lee, Jingchen Zhang, Jasmine Banegas, Scott Marsalis, Abigail H Gewirtz, Patricia C Heyn
  The Gerontologist.2023; 63(5): 851.     CrossRef
• Factors influencing quality of life in caregivers of adolescents with developmental disabilities
  Joung Woo Joung
  Osong Public Health and Research Perspectives.2022; 13(4): 298.     CrossRef
• Caregiver Stress and Related Factors in Korean Households Utilizing Childcare Support by Grandmothers
  Eun‐Jeong Kim
  Asian Social Work and Policy Review.2016; 10(1): 113.     CrossRef