Introduction: Previous studies on adolescent smoking cessation behavior based on the transtheoretical model have primarily focused on the development of cessation programs. Attempting to quit smoking is a prerequisite for executing smoking cessation. Appropriate methods must be selected based on the characteristics and intentions of individuals to increase smokers’ satisfaction and success rates in quitting. Therefore, this study aimed to identify changing processes influencing the stages of change associated with successful smoking cessation among adolescents and examined the related factors. This descriptive study explored a transtheoretical model of different stages of changes in smoking cessation behavior among adolescent smokers.Methods: The participants included 237 middle and high school students in South Korea. We examined the differences in stages of changes in smoking cessation behaviors based on general characteristics, smoking-related characteristics, smoking cessation change processes (cognitive and behavioral), smoking decisional balance (pros and cons of smoking), and self-efficacy.Results: The probability of reaching the preparation stage of smoking cessation was significantly lower among participants who did not know their father’s educational level than among those who knew their father’s educational level. Conversely, this probability was significantly higher among participants whose mothers had a college or higher education level and those who did not know their mother’s educational level than in those whose mothers had a high school or lower education level.Conclusion: These findings indicated that parental education is a significant predictor of the preparation stage of smoking cessation, highlighting the importance of the family environment in facilitating smoking cessation among adolescents. Accordingly, communication and support at home could help reinforce adolescents’ determination to quit smoking and make relevant plans. Thus, smoking cessation support should stress the need to enhance communication at home.

Choi Y, et al. J Korean Acad Community Health Nurs. 2018 Sep;29(3):359-370. https://doi.org/10.12799/jkachn.2018.29.3.359

Purpose: To investigate the association between smoking behavior in out-of-school youths (OSY) and individual, interpersonal, and organizational factors through an ecological model. Methods: Participants were 297 OSY aged 13–18 years, who visited J area’s counseling center. The independent variables were self-control (intrapersonal factor), parental attachment and social network (interpersonal factors), and exposure to no-smoking policy (community factor). The dependent variable was smoking. Descriptive statistics, χ²-tests, correlation analyses, and logistic regression analysis were performed. Results: The predictors of smoking in OSY were analyzed using demographic, intrapersonal, interpersonal, and community factors. Period after discontinuation of school, self-control, parental attachment, and friends’ smoking behavior were significant predictors. Smoking behavior was found to decrease when the period after discontinuation of school was over than one year, when the parents attachment increased and when self-control increased. Conversely, smoking increased when friends’ smoking increased. Conclusions: When administering smoking prevention programs for OSY, parental attachment and psychological traits, such as self-control, should be taken into consideration. Therefore, for effective results, such programs need to strengthen self-control, stress the importance of parental attachment through parent education, and enroll adolescents along with their friends who smoke. Implications and Contribution: Based on an ecological model, this descriptive survey, conducted to investigate the association between smoking behavior among out-of-school youths and individual, interpersonal, and organizational factors, proposes that smoking prevention programs should consider parental attachment and psychological traits, including self-control, for optimal effectiveness.

As the portion of older adults in the population in rural areas of South Korea exceeds 20%, the importance of health-related quality of life is increasing. The aim of the study was to examine the health-related quality of life through the ecological model and its basic determining factors for older adults. The study was conducted on 184 respondents aged 65 and over living in rural areas of South Korea. The measurements were health-related quality of life, health care service needs, sleep quality, social support, and personal characteristics. The collected data were tested using descriptive, t-test, ANOVA, and hierarchical multiple regression. The results showed that older adults in rural areas experienced a low quality of life. Religion, having a helper, and social support were significantly related to health-related quality of life in older adults. This directly shows that the government should make efforts to build a social support system to improve the gap between urban and rural areas. To improve the health-related quality of life of older adults in rural areas, it would be helpful to increase physical activity and to form a community, leading to a social network.

Purpose: An increasing number of nursing home are being established because of the increased demand for treatment and care of older adults with chronic diseases related to population aging. This study aimed to examine the impact of Long COVID, infectious diseases-related to work stress, fatigue, and coping on burnout among care providers in nursing home during the persistent COVID-19 pandemic. Methods: A total of 168 care providers, including nurses, nursing assistants, and caregivers working in nursing home between July 22 and August 12, 2022 were polled by a questionnaire survey. The collected data were analyzed using an independent t-test, one-way analysis of variance, Scheffé test, Pearson correlation coefficient, and multiple regression analyses via SPSS 21.0. Results: The prevalence of Long COVID-19 among care providers in nursing home was 85.7%, with a mean burnout score of 2.59 out of 5. Work stress related to infectious diseases (β=.27, p=.002) and infection control fatigue (e.g., fatigue related to complexity of nursing duties and shortage in employees [β=.51, p=.019], conflicts caused by uncertain situations and a lack of support [β=.50, p=.012]) were the variables that significantly associated with burnout. Conclusion: It is crucial to actively explore strategies for reducing overall work stress, anxiety, and fatigue, particularly related to infection management to alleviate burnout among care providers in nursing home. Our findings provide fundamental data for the development of interventions and policies to prevent care providers’ burnout, thus enabling the provision of high-quality care in nursing home.

The COVID-19 pandemic has been one of the worst infectious disasters in human history. The best way to minimize COVID-19 transmission is to follow preventive measures. This study aimed to examine the factors influencing adolescents’ COVID-19 prevention behaviors. The study was conducted online from 1 to 15 February 2023 with 196 adolescents aged between 13 and 18 years of age. The collected data were analyzed using descriptive statistics, Pearson’s correlation, the independent t-test, analysis of variance (ANOVA), and multiple hierarchical regression analysis. Adolescents’ COVID-19 prevention behaviors were influenced by intrapersonal factors, such as knowledge of and attitudes toward COVID-19, and interpersonal factors, such as social support. Community and governmental factors had no impact. Public health education strategies should be planned to include friends and family members in programs for preventing new infectious diseases such as COVID-19 so that adolescents can learn and share what they have learned, correct wrong behavior, and understand and change infection prevention behavior. In addition, it is necessary to actively support the development of public health education with appropriate contents in accordance with the characteristics and preferences of adolescents.