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Jo and Song: Effect of Family Cohesion, Subjective Happiness and other Factors on Death Anxiety in Korean Elders
Original Article
Journal of Korean Academy of Nursing

Journal of Korean Academy of Nursing 2012; 42(5): 680-688.

Published online: 31 October 2012

DOI: https://doi.org/10.4040/jkan.2012.42.5.680

Effect of Family Cohesion, Subjective Happiness and other Factors on Death Anxiety in Korean Elders

Kae Hwa Jo1, Byung Sook Song2

1Catholic University of Daegu, College of Nursing, Daegu, Korea.

2Pohang St. Mary's Hospital, Department of Nursing, Pohang, Korea.

Address reprint requests to: Jo, Kae-Hwa. College of Nursing, Catholic University of Daegu, 3056-6 Daemyung 4-dong, Nam-gu, Daegu 705-718, Korea. Tel: +82-53-650-4825, Fax: +82-53-650-4392, jokw@cu.ac.kr

Received 24 February 2012       Accepted 23 September 2012

© 2012 Korean Society of Nursing Science

Abstract

Purpose

The purposes of this study were to explore the effects of family cohesion and subjective happiness on death anxiety of Korean elders and to identify other factors contributing to death anxiety.

Methods

The participants were 280 elders who lived in P metropolitan city. Data were collected between November 5, 2011 and January 12, 2012 using the Short Portable Mental Status Questionnaire (SPMSQ), Family Cohesion Evaluation Scale, Subjective Happiness Scale, and Fear of Death Scale (FODS). Data were analyzed using the SPSS/WIN 19.0 program.

Results

Family cohesion, marital status, religious activity, perceived health status, and subjective happiness were included in the factors affecting death anxiety of Korean elders. These variables explained 50.1% of death anxiety.

Conclusion

The results of the study indicate that these variables should be considered in developing nursing intervention programs to decrease death anxiety and increase family cohesion and subjective happiness for life integration in Korean elders.

Keywords: Family, Cohesion, Elderly, Death, Anxiety

Figures and Tables

Table 1
Demographic Characteristics and Differences Level of Death Anxiety of Participants (N=280)
jkan-42-680-i001

HSD=Honestly significantly different.

Table 2
Means of Research Variables for the Subjects (N=280)
jkan-42-680-i002
Table 3
Correlation among Family Cohesion, Subjective Happiness, and Death Anxiety of Participants (N=280)
jkan-42-680-i003
Table 4
Variables influencing Death Anxiety of Subjects (N=280)
jkan-42-680-i004

Adj. R2=Adjusted R square; *Dummy variables.

Notes

This research was supported by the Basic Science Research Program through the National Research Foundation of Korea (NRF) funded by the Ministry of Education, Science and Technology (2011-0004953).

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