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Kim and Choi: Effects of Family Support, Ageism Experience, Loneliness and Powerlessness on Death Anxiety in Elders
Original Article

Korean J Adult Nurs 2014;26(5):584-591.

Published online: NaN October 2014

DOI: https://doi.org/10.7469/kjan.2014.26.5.584

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

Kui Bun Kim1, Youn Joo Choi2,

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 5 June 20148 October 2014       Accepted 9 October 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.

Abstract

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.

Keywords: Elders, Family support, Ageism experience, Loneliness, Powerlessness, Death anxiety

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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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