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The study aimed to examine the effects of self-acupunctural hand massage using aromatic oil on the stress, fatigue, and vital signs of Korean middle-aged women. A quasi-experimental study using a pretest/posttest control group, nonsynchronized design was employed. The study participants consisted of 55 middle-aged women (27 in the experiment group and 28 in the control group), who visited a community center in Seoul, South Korea. Self-acupunctural hand massage using aromatic oil as an experimental intervention was performed once per day, 6 minutes per session for the left and right hands each, for 3 weeks. A questionnaire was designed to measure the general characteristics, stress, fatigue, and vital signs (blood pressure and pulse rate). There were significant differences in the degrees of stress, fatigue, and vital signs (blood pressure) between the 2 groups. Self-acupunctural hand massage using aromatic oil decreased the stress, fatigue, and vital signs (blood pressure) of Korean middle-aged women. Self-acupunctural hand massage using aromatic oil can be utilized as an effective nursing intervention for decreasing stress, fatigue, and vital signs (blood pressure) for middle-aged women in clinical practice. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

This study was to examine the self-care competency, the presence of depressive symptom, and health-related quality of life and to evaluate the correlation of these measures among 146 stroke patients in South Korea. The analyses showed that mean score of self-care competency indicates a slightly lower level of self-care competency. There showed lower levels of self-care competency in patients with no occupation, hemorrhage or infarction stroke type, both attack area and with risk-factors or other diseases such as hypertension and/or diabetes. Self-care competency had a significant, negative relation with presence of depressive symptom, while self-care competency had a significant, positive relation with health-related quality of life. In the nursing practice, nurses need to pay attention self-care competency and the related factors for better qualitive care of stroke patients. Concrete interventions and strategies to improve the self-care competency of stroke patients are needed. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

This study was conducted on 60 male adult technicians in the worksite to examine the impact of the obesity management program on their eating habits, exercise self-efficacy, quality of life, and body components. This was a nonrandomized pretest and posttest intervention study. The obesity management program was applied for 16 weeks on diet education, exercise, and counseling provided by the occupational health nurse in the worksite. The questionnaire for measure included the general characteristics, eating habits, exercise self-efficacy, and quality of life. Body components were measured by using the InBody 720 device. The participants who received the obesity management program showed better eating habits, a higher level of exercise self-efficacy, a higher level of quality of life, lower levels of body weight and body mass index (BMI), a smaller waist and hip circumference, and a higher level of muscle mass as compared with the preapplication. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]