Journal List > J Korean Acad Nurs > v.41(3) > 1002712

Jo: Development and Evaluation of a Dignified Dying Scale for Korean Adults

Abstract

Purpose

The study was done to develop a dignified dying scale for Korean adults.

Methods

The process included construction of a conceptual framework, generation of initial items, verification of content validity, selection of secondary items, preliminary study, and extraction of final items. The participants were 428 adults who lived in one of 3 Korean metropolitan cities: Seoul, Daegu, and Busan. Item analysis, factor analysis, criterion related validity, and internal consistency were used to analyze the data. Data collection was done from March to June 2010.

Results

Thirty items were selected for the final scale, and categorized into 5 factors explaining 54.5% of the total variance. The factors were labeled as maintaining emotional comfort (10 items), arranging social relationship (9 items), avoiding suffering (3 items), maintaining autonomous decision making (4 items), and role preservation (4 items). The scores for the scale were significantly correlated with personal meanings of death scale. Cronbach's alpha coefficient for the 30 items was .92.

Conclusion

The above findings indicate that the dignified dying scale has a good validity and reliability when used with Korean adults.

Figures and Tables

Figure 1
Conceptual framework of dignified dying of Korean adults.
jkan-41-313-g001
Table 1
Demographic Characteristics of Participants (N=428)
jkan-41-313-i001
Table 2
Item Analysis (N=428)
jkan-41-313-i002

*Item deleted by item analysis.

Table 3
Factor Analysis and Reliability (N=428)
jkan-41-313-i003
Table 4
Correlation between Dignified Dying Scale and Personal Me-aning of Death Scale (N=428)
jkan-41-313-i004

Notes

This research was supported by Basic Science Research Program through the National Research Foundation of Korea (NRF) funded by the Ministry of Education, Science and Technology (2010-0007170).

References

1. Abdel-Khalek AM. Why do we fear death? The construction and validation of the reasons for death fear scale. Death Studies. 2002. 26:669–680. doi:10.1080/07481180290088365.
2. Anderberg P, Lepp M, Berglund AL, Segesten K. Preserving dignity in caring for older adults: A concept analysis. Journal of Advanced Nursing. 2007. 59:635–643. doi:10.1111/j.1365-2648.2007.04375.x.
3. Chochinov HM. Dying, dignity, and new horizons in palliative end-of-life care. CA: A Cancer Journal for Clinicians. 2006. 56:84–103. doi:10.3322/canjclin.56.2.84.
4. Cicirelli VG. Personal meanings of death in relation to fear of death. Death Studies. 1998. 22:713–733. doi:10.1080/074811898201236.
5. Collett LJ, Lester D. The fear of death and dying. Journal of Psychology. 1969. 72:179–181.
6. Corless IB, Nicholas PK, Nokes KM. Issues in cross-cultural quality of life research. Journal of Nursing Scholarship. 2001. 33:15–20. doi:10.1111/j.1547-5069.2001.00015.x.
7. Curtis JR, Patrick DL, Engelberg RA, Norris K, Asp C, Byock I. A measure of the quality of dying and death: Initial validation using after-death interviews with family members. Journal of Pain and Symptom Management. 2002. 24:17–31. doi:10.1016/S0885-3924(02)00419-0.
8. Doorenbos AZ, Wilson SA, Coenen A, Borse NN. Dignifi-ed dying: A phenomenon and actions among nurses in India. International Nursing Review. 2006. 53:28–33. doi:10.1111/j.1466-7657.2006.00458.x.
9. Gauthier DM, Froman RD. Preference for care near the end of life: scale development and validation. Research in Nursing and Health. 2001. 24:298–306. doi:10.1002/nur.1031.
10. Greyson B. Cardena E, Lynn SJ, editors. Near-death experiences. Varieties of anomalous experience: Examining the scientific evidence. 2001. Washington, DC: American Psychological Association;315–352.
11. Harville M, Stokes SJ, Templer DI, Rienzi B. Relation of existential and religious variables to the death depression scale-revised. Omega. 2004. 48:165–184.
12. Holcomb LE, Neimeyer RA, Moore MK. Personal meanings of death: A content analysis of free response narratives. Death Studies. 1993. 17:299–318. doi:10.1080/07481189308252627.
13. Jacelon CS, Connelly TW, Brown R, Proulx K, Vo T. A concept analysis of dignity for older adults. Journal of Advanced Nursing. 2004. 48:76–83. doi:10.1111/j.1365-2648.2004.03170.x.
14. Jacobson N. Dignity and health: A review. Social Science and Medicine. 2007. 64:292–302. doi:10.1016/j.socscimed.2006.08.039.
15. Jo KH. The meaning of dignified dying perceived by nursing students. Journal of Korean Academic Society of Nursing Education. 2010. 16:72–82.
16. Jo KH, Lee HJ, Lee YJ. Types of students' death attitudes majoring in human service area: Q methodological approach. Journal of Korean Academy of Nursing. 2005. 35:829–841.
17. Kei HY. Constitutional law. 2005. Seoul: Pakyoungsa.
18. Kim CS. Constitutional law. 2008. 18th ed. Seoul: Pakyoungsa.
19. Kwon BG, Kim HC. Bioethics & law. 2009. Seoul: Ewha Womans University Press.
20. Kwon YS. Constitutional law. 2008. Paju: Bobmunsa.
21. Lee EO, Im RY, Park HA, Lee IS, Kim JI, Bae JI, Lee SM. Nursing Research and Statistical Analysis. 2009. Seoul: Soomoonsa.
22. Lee HK, Jo KH. A pathmodel for death anxiety to suicidal ideation of the elderly. Journal of the Korean Gerontological Society. 2006. 26:717–731.
23. Lee HS. Korean dictionary. 2008. Paju: Minjungsearim.
24. Lee YJ, Kim SM. Validating the Korean version of the preferences for care near the end-of-life (PCEOL-K) scale. Korean Journal of Medical Ethics. 2009. 12:29–42.
25. Leung D. Granting death with dignity: Patient, family and professional perspectives. International Journal of Palliative Nursing. 2007. 13:170–174.
26. Lynn MR. Determination and quantification of content validity. Nursing Research. 1986. 35:382–385.
27. Proulx K, Jacelon C. Dying with dignity: The good patient versus the good death. American Journal of Hospice and Palliative Care. 2004. 21:116–120. doi:10.1177/104990910402100209.
28. Pullman D. Death, dignity and moral nonsense. Journal of Palliative Care. 2004. 20:171–178.
29. Ryu CS. SPSS 14.0 for Windows. 2006. 5th ed. Seoul: Elite.
30. Skevington SM, Bradshaw J, Saxena S. Selecting national items for the WHOQOL: Conceptual and psychometric considerations. Social Science and Medicine. 1999. 48:473–487. doi:10.1016/S0277-9536(98)00355-4.
TOOLS
Similar articles