Forest-based interventions are a promising alternative therapy for enhancing mental health. The current study investigated the effects of forest therapy on anxiety, depression, and negative and positive mental condition through a meta-analysis of recent randomized controlled trials, using the PRISMA guideline. Of 825 articles retrieved from databases including PubMed, EMBASE, CINAHL, Cochrane, and PsycINFO, 6 met the inclusion criteria. The results of this study showed that forest-based interventions improved the mental health of participants in the intervention groups when compared to those in the control groups. Thirty-four outcome variables were analyzed from six studies. The overall effect size of the forest therapy programs was 1.25 (95% CI = 0.93–1.57, p < 0.001), which was large and statistically significant. These findings imply that forest-based interventions can improve mental health as a nonpharmacological intervention. This study is significant in that it is a meta-analysis of mental health that included only high-quality domestic and international RCTs. In future studies, more RCTs related to various forest interventions and studies involving many participants should be undertaken, which will complement heterogeneity in future meta-analysis studies.

Purpose: Korea is one of the most rapidly aging countries, accompanied by an increasing number of older adults with dementia. Certified-care-assistants are the primary care workers for these older adults. This cross-sectional descriptive study compared the factors influencing care behaviors among Korean and non-Korean certified-care-assistants in Korea. Methods: Participants, 113 Korean certified-care-assistants and 71 non-Korean certified-care-assistants, completed a survey questionnaire. The questionnaire was designed to assess dementia knowledge, attitude and care behaviors toward older adults with dementia. To determine the differences in these two groups, t-test was used. A stepwise multiple regression was performed to identify factors related to care behavior. Results: Significant differences in dementia knowledge, attitude and care behavior toward older adults with dementia emerged between Korean and non-Korean certified-care-assistants. Factors influencing care behavior varied by group. Dementia knowledge and education level were the significant factors of care behaviors in Korean certified-care-assistants, whereas attitude toward older adults with dementia was the significant factor in non-Korean certified-care-assistants. Conclusion: Findings indicate that different factors influence the care behavior of two groups. These findings can be utilized to develop certified-care-assistants' training curriculum that needs to be tailored by nationality to improve the quality of care for older adults with dementia.

Purpose: This study aimed to adapt and validate the Korean version of the Caregiver Burden Questionnaire for Family Caregivers of Hemodialysis Patients, originally developed by Hejazi et al. in 2022, to ensure its applicability and validity in Korea. Methods: Using both online and offline approaches, this study included 230 family caregivers. Data analysis was performed with SPSS AMOS version 29.0 using the Korean version of the Caregiver Burden Questionnaire for Family Caregivers of Hemodialysis Patients and the Korean version of the Zarit Burden Interview as the primary instruments. Results: The findings confirmed the high content validity of the questionnaire (scale-level content validity index = .99), and confirmatory factor analysis established its construct validity. Convergent validity was confirmed with average variance extracted values ranging from .43 to .87, and composite reliability scores ranging from .80 to .91. A significant positive correlation with the Korean version of the Zarit Burden Interview (r = .81) demonstrated concurrent validity. The tool consists of 21 items across four factors on a 5-point Likert scale, exhibiting excellent internal consistency (Cronbach's a = .91) and good test-retest reliability (intraclass correlation coefficient = .79). Conclusion: This study validated a reliable instrument for assessing caregiver burden in families of hemodialysis patients in Korea. This tool accurately measures caregiver challenges and has the potential to enhance societal health and welfare. (c) 2024 Korean Society of Nursing Science. Published by Elsevier BV. This is an open access article under the CC BY-NC-ND license (http://creativecommons.org/licenses/by-nc-nd/4.0/).

The population of older adults is increasing, as is the number of older adults with dementia. However, there is a lack of integrative interventions that include both cognitive training and physical exercise for older adults with dementia. The current study conducted a 12-week integrated program for older adults with low education and mild dementia; the study modified the contents developed by the National Dementia Institute. Effects of the integrated program were examined in 30 participants (16 from the experimental group and 14 from the control group). Analysis showed that the tailored integrated program increased the cognitive function of participants in the experimental group. The findings of this study suggest that using therapeutic strategies and providing person-centered care are necessary for older adults with low educational backgrounds and low literacy levels. [ Journal of Gerontological Nursing, 45 (3), 13–20.]

Lee YJ, et al. J Korean Acad Nurs. 2024 Aug;54(3):386-402. https://doi.org/10.4040/jkan.24010