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Original Article

Effects of Family Support, Ageism Experience, Loneliness and Powerlessness on Death Anxiety in Elders

Kui Bun Kim1, Youn Joo Choi2
Korean Journal of Adult Nursing 2014;26(5):584-591.
Published online: October 31, 2014

1College of Nursing Science, Kyunghee University, Seoul

2Hallym University, Kangnang Sacred Heart Hospital, Seoul, Korea

Corresponding author: Choi, Youn Joo Hallym University, Kangnang Sacred Heart Hospital, 1 Singil-ro, Yeongdeungpo-gu, Seoul 150-950, Korea. Tel: +82-10-2055-2375, Fax: +82-2-961-9398, E-mail: 042183@hanmail.net
• Received: June 5, 2014   • Accepted: October 9, 2014

Copyright © 2014 Korean Society of Adult Nursing

This is an Open Access article distributed under the terms of the Creative Commons Attribution Non-Commercial License (http://creativecommons.org/licenses/by-nc/3.0) which permits unrestricted non-commercial use, distribution, and reproduction in any medium, provided the original work is properly cited.

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  • Purpose
    The aim of this study was to explore the factors contributing to death anxiety among elders through family support, ageism experience, loneliness and helplessness.
  • Methods
    The participants were 155 elders who lived in S city. The data were collected through a self-reported questionnaire in elders over age 65. In addition, their levels of death anxiety, family support, ageism experience, loneliness, helplessness and death anxiety were measured using a likert scale Data analysis using a t-test, one-way ANOVA, Pearson correlation and multiple regression analysis with the SPSS 20 program.
  • Results
    Significant differences were found in the levels of perceived death anxiety between the variables affecting death anxiety in elders. Pearson's Correlation were found family support (p<.001), ageism experience (p<.001), loneliness (p<.001) and helplessness (p<.001) with death anxiety.
  • Conclusion
    It is concluded that such variables should be considered for decreasing death anxiety by family support, ageism experience, loneliness and helplessness in elders.
  • Key Words: Elders; Family support; Ageism experience; Loneliness; Powerlessness; Death anxiety
Table 1.
The Differences of Demographic Variables on Death anxiety (N=155)
Characteristics Categories n (%) M±SD t or F p
Gender Male 96 (61.9) 2.64±0.32 -1.354 .178
Female 59 (38.1) 2.72±0.39
Age (year) 65~70 120 (77.4) 2.67±0.33 1.160 .316
70~75 25 (16.1) 2.61±0.44
＞75 10 (6.5) 2.81±0.33
Religion Yes 90 (58.1) 2.66±0.36 -0.454 .650
No 65 (41.9) 2.68±0.33
Education Elementary school 14 (9.0) 2.77±0.40 1.353 .260
Middle school 15 (9.7) 2.59±0.44
High school 56 (36.1) 2.72±0.35
College 70 (45.2) 2.63±0.31
Marital status Married 121 (78.1) 2.63±0.33 -2.389 .018
Others 34 (21.9) 2.79±0.38
Children 1 27 (17.4) 2.65±0.42 1.648 .181
2 88 (56.8) 2.63±0.33
3 27 (17.4) 2.76±0.29
＞4 13 (8.4) 2.79±0.41
Family members living together Spouse 60 (38.7) 2.61±0.34 1.070 .364
Spouse & children 53 (34.2) 2.69±0.31
Children 26 (16.8) 2.73±0.41
Alone 16 (10.3) 2.73±0.41
Housing Owned 128 (82.6) 2.64±0.32 -2.278 .024
Rented 27 (17.4) 2.81±0.44
Breadwinner Alone 98 (63.2) 2.63±0.33 1.793 .151
Spouse 25 (16.1) 2.69±0.38
Children 28 (18.1) 2.80±0.32
Social security 4 (2.6) 2.55±0.70
Economic activity Yes 85 (54.8) 2.64±0.30 -1.284 .201
No 70 (45.2) 2.71±0.40
Perceived socioeconomic level Good 5 (3.2) 2.79±0.38 2.716 .069
Fair 108 (69.7) 2.63±0.31
Poor 42 (27.1) 2.77±0.41
Comorbidity 1 89 (57.4) 2.65±0.32 1.385 .242
2 35 (22.6) 2.62±0.34
3 20 (12.9) 2.75±0.37
4 7 (4.5) 2.78±0.65
＞5 4 (2.6) 2.96±0.24
Table 2.
Correlation b etween the Variables (N=155)
Variables Death anxiety Family support Ageism Loneliness Powerlessness
r (p) r (p) r (p) r (p) r (p)
Death anxiety 1        
Family support -.402 (＜.001) 1      
Ageism .212 (＜.001) -.374 (＜.001) 1    
Loneliness .539 (＜.001) -.318 (＜.001) .410 (＜.001) 1  
Powerlessness .513 (＜.001) -.511 (＜.001) .436 (＜.001) .632 (＜.001) 1
Table 3.
Influencing Factors of Death Anxiety (N=155)
Variables B SE β t Tolerance VIF Adj. R2 F
1 (Constant) 1.819 .110   16.541     .286 62.653***
Loneliness 0.282 .036 .539 7.915*** 1.000 1.000
2 (Constant) 2.426 .194   12.488     .341 40.888***
Loneliness 0.239 .036 .457 6.632*** .899 1.112
Family support -0.135 .036 -.257 -3.723*** .899 1.112
3 (Constant) 2.175 .228   9.525     .355 29.207***
Loneliness 0.188 .044 .359 4.303*** .601 1.665
Family support -0.101 .040 -.192 -2.551* .739 1.353
Powerlessness 0.111 .055 .188 2.037* .494 2.024

*p＜.05

***p＜.001.

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    Citations

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    Effects of Family Support, Ageism Experience, Loneliness and Powerlessness on Death Anxiety in Elders
    Korean J Adult Nurs. 2014;26(5):584-591.   Published online October 31, 2014
    DOI: https://doi.org/10.7475/kjan.2014.26.5.584
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    Effects of Family Support, Ageism Experience, Loneliness and Powerlessness on Death Anxiety in Elders
    Korean J Adult Nurs. 2014;26(5):584-591.   Published online October 31, 2014
    DOI: https://doi.org/10.7475/kjan.2014.26.5.584
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    Effects of Family Support, Ageism Experience, Loneliness and Powerlessness on Death Anxiety in Elders
    Effects of Family Support, Ageism Experience, Loneliness and Powerlessness on Death Anxiety in Elders

    The Differences of Demographic Variables on Death anxiety (N=155)

    Characteristics Categories n (%) M±SD t or F p
    Gender Male 96 (61.9) 2.64±0.32 -1.354 .178
    Female 59 (38.1) 2.72±0.39
    Age (year) 65~70 120 (77.4) 2.67±0.33 1.160 .316
    70~75 25 (16.1) 2.61±0.44
    ＞75 10 (6.5) 2.81±0.33
    Religion Yes 90 (58.1) 2.66±0.36 -0.454 .650
    No 65 (41.9) 2.68±0.33
    Education Elementary school 14 (9.0) 2.77±0.40 1.353 .260
    Middle school 15 (9.7) 2.59±0.44
    High school 56 (36.1) 2.72±0.35
    College 70 (45.2) 2.63±0.31
    Marital status Married 121 (78.1) 2.63±0.33 -2.389 .018
    Others 34 (21.9) 2.79±0.38
    Children 1 27 (17.4) 2.65±0.42 1.648 .181
    2 88 (56.8) 2.63±0.33
    3 27 (17.4) 2.76±0.29
    ＞4 13 (8.4) 2.79±0.41
    Family members living together Spouse 60 (38.7) 2.61±0.34 1.070 .364
    Spouse & children 53 (34.2) 2.69±0.31
    Children 26 (16.8) 2.73±0.41
    Alone 16 (10.3) 2.73±0.41
    Housing Owned 128 (82.6) 2.64±0.32 -2.278 .024
    Rented 27 (17.4) 2.81±0.44
    Breadwinner Alone 98 (63.2) 2.63±0.33 1.793 .151
    Spouse 25 (16.1) 2.69±0.38
    Children 28 (18.1) 2.80±0.32
    Social security 4 (2.6) 2.55±0.70
    Economic activity Yes 85 (54.8) 2.64±0.30 -1.284 .201
    No 70 (45.2) 2.71±0.40
    Perceived socioeconomic level Good 5 (3.2) 2.79±0.38 2.716 .069
    Fair 108 (69.7) 2.63±0.31
    Poor 42 (27.1) 2.77±0.41
    Comorbidity 1 89 (57.4) 2.65±0.32 1.385 .242
    2 35 (22.6) 2.62±0.34
    3 20 (12.9) 2.75±0.37
    4 7 (4.5) 2.78±0.65
    ＞5 4 (2.6) 2.96±0.24

    Correlation b etween the Variables (N=155)

    Variables Death anxiety Family support Ageism Loneliness Powerlessness
    r (p) r (p) r (p) r (p) r (p)
    Death anxiety 1        
    Family support -.402 (＜.001) 1      
    Ageism .212 (＜.001) -.374 (＜.001) 1    
    Loneliness .539 (＜.001) -.318 (＜.001) .410 (＜.001) 1  
    Powerlessness .513 (＜.001) -.511 (＜.001) .436 (＜.001) .632 (＜.001) 1

    Influencing Factors of Death Anxiety (N=155)

    Variables B SE β t Tolerance VIF Adj. R2 F
    1 (Constant) 1.819 .110   16.541     .286 62.653***
    Loneliness 0.282 .036 .539 7.915*** 1.000 1.000
    2 (Constant) 2.426 .194   12.488     .341 40.888***
    Loneliness 0.239 .036 .457 6.632*** .899 1.112
    Family support -0.135 .036 -.257 -3.723*** .899 1.112
    3 (Constant) 2.175 .228   9.525     .355 29.207***
    Loneliness 0.188 .044 .359 4.303*** .601 1.665
    Family support -0.101 .040 -.192 -2.551* .739 1.353
    Powerlessness 0.111 .055 .188 2.037* .494 2.024

    *p＜.05

    ***p＜.001.
    Table 1. The Differences of Demographic Variables on Death anxiety (N=155)

    Table 2. Correlation b etween the Variables (N=155)

    Table 3. Influencing Factors of Death Anxiety (N=155)

    p＜.05

    p＜.001.

    Table 1.

    Table 2.

    Table 3.

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