Purpose
This study investigated health-related quality of life (HRQoL) and aimed to identify factors influencing HRQoL for patients with rotator cuff tears (RCTs). Methods: We conducted a descriptive correlational survey with 118 outpatients diagnosed with RCTs at a tertiary general hospital in Seoul. Data were collected between February and June 2021 using structured self-report questionnaires, including the numeric rating scale, Korean version of the Shoulder Pain and Disability Index, Verran and Snyder-Halpern Sleep Scale, and the World Health Organization Quality of Life Instrument, Short Form. Results: HRQoL showed significant positive correlations with sleep quality (r=.64, p<.001) and the frequency of shoulder-intensive sports activities (r=.24, p=.008). It was negatively correlated with symptom days per week (r=–.32, p<.001), symptom hours per day (r=–.51, p<.001), pain (r=–.21, p=.025), functional disability (r=–.49, p<.001), and depression (r=–.60, p<.001). Stepwise regression analysis indicated that sleep quality (β=.36, p<.001) was the strongest predictor of HRQoL, followed by occupation (β=.26, p<.001), depression (β=–.24, p=.010), and symptom hours per day (β=–.19, p=.013). Conclusion: Sleep quality was the most influential factor affecting HRQoL in patients with RCTs. These findings underscore the need for comprehensive nursing interventions that address sleep disturbances, provide psychological support for depressive symptoms, consider occupational demands, and promote early management of prolonged symptoms to enhance HRQoL in this population.

Purpose
This study aimed to examine the relationship between stigma and self-management among patients undergoing hemodialysis and to identify the key factors influencing their self-management practices. Methods: A convenience sample of 139 hemodialysis patients, aged 18 years or older with an arteriovenous fistula, was recruited from online websites designed for patients undergoing hemodialysis in South Korea. Data were collected using a self-reported questionnaire that assessed demographic and clinical characteristics, self-management behavior, and stigma. Data analysis included descriptive statistics, the independent t-test, one-way analysis of variance, Pearson r correlations, and hierarchical regression analysis to evaluate the influence of stigma on self-management. Results: Hierarchical regression analysis showed that demographic and clinical characteristics accounted for 25.1% of the variance in self-management, and the inclusion of stigma increased the explained variance to 31.4%. Significant predictors included the number of hemodialysis sessions per week (≥3) (β=–.38, p<.001), stigma (β=–.27, p<.001), monthly household income (≥4 million won) (β=.24, p=.014), and marital status (single) (β=–.18, p=.028). Conclusion: The findings highlight the substantial impact of stigma and treatment burden on self-management, while socioeconomic status and marital support serve as protective factors. Targeted interventions that reduce stigma and strengthen support systems are warranted.

Purpose
Patients in the Intensive Care Unit (ICU) experience a variety of symptoms. This descriptive correlational study aimed to determine the prevalence of symptoms and the physiological and situational factors associated with these symptoms in ICU patients.
Methods
We analyzed the Electronic Medical Records (EMRs) of 1,214 cases admitted to and discharged from the ICUs of a university hospital in Seoul over a 1-year period from June to September 2022. This analysis utilized standardized instruments embedded in EMRs and a natural language analysis framework developed by the researchers. Descriptive statistics, the x 2 test, the Fisher exact test, and multivariate logistic regression were employed to identify common symptoms and their related factors.
Results
In total, 85.7% of the cases had at least one symptom during their ICU stay, and 36.6% experienced 2 symptoms. Pain was the most frequently experienced symptom, affecting 69.5% of cases, followed by agitation (29.7%), dyspnea (29.7%), and delirium (4.8%). Multivariate logistic regression analysis indicated that the length of ICU stay influenced pain (odds ratio [OR]=1.04; 95% confidence interval [CI], 1.02~1.06; p<.001), delirium (OR=1.08; 95% CI, 1.06~1.11; p<.001), agitation (OR=1.07; 95% CI, 1.05~1.10; p<.001), and dyspnea (OR=1.19; 95% CI, 1.13~1.26; p<.001).
Conclusion
Pain, agitation, and dyspnea are common in ICU patients and are associated with the length of their ICU stay. Our study identifies factors related to these symptoms that could be targeted to manage and reduce their occurrence, providing a foundation for future research on various symptom assessment tools and natural language transcripts.

Purpose
The objective of this study was to ascertain the level of life satisfaction among baby boomers in South Korea, as well as the factors that influence it.
Methods
We conducted a secondary analysis and descriptive research using data from the 2020 Korea National Survey of Elderly. From a total of 10,097 individuals, we analyzed the responses of 605 who provided feedback on life satisfaction, applying sample weights for accuracy. Data analysis was performed using hierarchical multiple regression in the SPSS/WIN 23.0 program.
Results
The study's participants comprised 61.8% women, 80.2% individuals with a living spouse, and 54.8% high school graduates, and the participants had an average subjective health status score of 3.77 points. Hierarchical regression analysis revealed several significant factors impacting life satisfaction. These included the presence or absence of a spouse (p<.001), education level (p<.001), subjective health status (p<.001), experience of suicidal thoughts after the age of 60 (p=.004), and use of a smartphone or tablet (p=.037), degree of social respect (p<.001) and the degree of preparation for death (p=.001). The overall explanatory power for life satisfaction was 57.5%.
Conclusion
The life satisfaction of baby boomers did not differ greatly from that of previous generations of older adults. A future longitudinal study should observe changes in older adults' life satisfaction. Additionally, it is important to explore variations in life satisfaction across different age groups, especially given the increasing longevity of older adults.

Citations

• Deficits in facial emotion recognition and cognitive function among baby boomers
  Hyunsan Cho, Hee-Jin Park, Yoon Hee Park, Intae Hwang, Hyo Jin Kang
  Acta Psychologica.2025; 253: 104738.     CrossRef
• Prevalence of depression and its associated factors among Korean women: A cross-sectional study in Seoul
  Thi Thanh Lan Nguyen, Van Cuong Nguyen
  Archives of Psychiatric Nursing.2025; 57: 151928.     CrossRef
• The Relationship of Satisfaction With Life on Quality of Care in Nurses: A Cross‐Sectional Study
  Necmettin Çiftci, Abdullah Sarman
  Scandinavian Journal of Caring Sciences.2025;[Epub]     CrossRef
• Risk factors of depression among the baby boomer generation: A cross-sectional study using the 2022 Korean Community Health Survey
  Kyoung Mi Kim, Hye Jung Jun
  Journal of Korean Gerontological Nursing.2025; 27(3): 308.     CrossRef
• Purposes of Internet Use and Its Impacts on Physical and Psychological Health of Korean Older Adults
  Gyeong-Suk Jeon, Kyungwon Choi
  Healthcare.2024; 12(2): 244.     CrossRef