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Kim, Kim, Kim, Lee, and Yang: Attitude to Death and Life Satisfaction between Groups of Elderly People with and without Cancer
Original Article

Asian Oncology Nursing 2013; 13(4): 240-247.

Published online: 31 December 2013

DOI: https://doi.org/10.5388/aon.2013.13.4.240

Attitude to Death and Life Satisfaction between Groups of Elderly People with and without Cancer

Hyun-Jung Kim1, So-Jeung Kim1, Jeong Soon Kim1, Sug-Young Lee1, Young Hee Yang2

1Graduate School of Nursing, Dankook University, Cheonan, Korea.

2Department of Nursing, Dankook University, Cheonan, Korea.

Address reprint requests to: Yang, Young Hee. Department of Nursing, Dankook University, 119 Dandae-ro, Dongnam-gu, Cheonan 330-714, Korea. Tel: +82-41-550-3881, Fax: +82-41-559-7902, hanul96@dankook.ac.kr

Received 4 October 2013       Accepted 23 December 2013

© 2013 Korean Oncology Nursing Society

(open-access):

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.

Abstract

Purpose

This study was to examine attitude to death and life satisfaction between groups of elderly people with and without cancer.

Methods

This study used a descriptive research design. Data were collected from January to March 2013. Participants were 66 elderly without cancer and 65 elderly with cancer. A questionnaire was used to collect data.

Results

The attitude to death of participants was relatively positive and the degree of life satisfaction was medium or greater. There was no significant difference in attitude to death between the groups with and without cancer. However, the score for the life satisfaction of the group without cancer was significantly higher than that of the group with cancer. Attitude to death was significantly different according to sex, living together with family, and intention to prepare for death. Life satisfaction was significantly different according to gender and religion. The correlation between attitude to death and life satisfaction was not significant in both groups.

Conclusion

As a result of this study the elderly had a generally positive attitude to death and were satisfied with their lives. Cancer influenced elderly people's life satisfaction, not their attitude towards death. To improve life satisfaction for elderly people with cancer, we need to research which factors could be important.

Keywords: Elderly, Cancer, Attitude to Death, Satisfaction

Figures and Tables

Table 1
General Characteristics of Elderly without Cancer and Elderly with Cancer (N=131)
aon-13-240-i001
Table 2
Attitude to Death and Life Satisfaction between Elderly without Cancer and Elderly with Cancer (N=131)
aon-13-240-i002
Table 3
Differences in Attitude to Death between Elderly without Cancer and Elderly with Cancer (N=131)
aon-13-240-i003

Educ.=Education; MS=Martial status; LT=Living together; ES=Economic status; BNW=Belief in next world; PD=Preparation for death.

Table 4
Differences in Life Satisfaction between Elderly without Cancer and Elderly with Cancer (N=131)
aon-13-240-i004

Educ.=Education; MS=Martial status; LT=Living together; ES=Economic status; BNW=Belief in next world; PD=Preparation for death.

Table 5
Correlations of Attitude to Death and Life Satisfaction (N=131)
aon-13-240-i005

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