Predictive Factors for City Dwellers' Attitudes toward Death with Dignity

일개 도시주민의 품위 있는 죽음 태도에 대한 예측 요인

  • Jo, Kae Hwa (College of Nursing, Catholic University of Daegu) ;
  • An, Gyeong Ju (Department of Nursing, Cheongju University) ;
  • Kim, Gyun Moo (Department of Emergency Medicine, Catholic University of Daegu School of Medicine) ;
  • Kim, Yeon Ja (Department of Nursing, Taegu Science University)
  • 조계화 (대구가톨릭대학교 간호대학) ;
  • 안경주 (청주대학교 간호학과) ;
  • 김균무 (대구가톨릭대학교 의과대학 응급의학교실) ;
  • 김연자 (대구과학대학교 간호학과)
  • Received : 2012.05.31
  • Accepted : 2012.10.17
  • Published : 2012.12.01

Abstract

Purpose: This correlation study was performed to examine Korean adults' perceptions and attitudes towards death with dignity and the withdrawal of life sustaining treatment and to identify factors that predict their attitude towards death with dignity. Methods: The study was conducted using convenience sampling of 291 adults from three towns of a metropolitan city in Korea. Data were collected using structured questionnaires which surveyed people's perception about and attitudes towards withdrawal of life sustaining treatment and scaled their attitude towards death with dignity. Data were analyzed by using descriptive statistics, Pearson correlation coefficients and multiple regression. Results: The attitude towards the withdrawal of life sustaining treatment and death with dignity showed a significant positive correlation (r=0.49, P<0.001). For attitudes towards death with dignity, significant predictors were attitudes towards the withdrawal of life sustaining treatment, age, religion, a proper withdrawal process and advanced medical directives, which explained 49.3% of total variance. Conclusion: The results of this study may contribute to development of a new medical decision-making system including nurses' appropriate roles in the process of withdrawing life sustaining treatment and advanced medical directives.

목적: 본 상관관계 연구는 품위 있는 죽음과 연명치료중단에 대한 일개도시 성인 남녀의 인식과 태도를 조사하는 한편, 품위 있는 죽음에 대한 그들의 태도를 예측할 수 있는 요인을 확인하기 위해 시도되었다. 방법: 일개 대도시 중 3개 마을의 성인남녀 총 291명을 편의 표출하였다. 구조화된 설문지 문항에는 연명치료중단에 대한 인식, 연명치료중단에 대한 태도, 품위 있는 죽음 척도에 대한 태도 등을 포함하였다. 자료는 기술통계, 피어슨 상관계수 및 다중회귀분석을 이용하여 분석하였다. 결과: 연명치료중단 및 품위 있는 죽음에 대한 태도는 통계학적으로 유의미한 양의 상관관계(r=0.49, P<0.001)를 보였다. 연명치료중단에 대한 태도, 연령, 종교, 연명치료중단의 적절한 프로세스 및 사전의료의향서(Advanced Medical Directives) 등은 품위 있는 죽음에 대한 태도의 중요한 예측 변수들로, 총 분산의 49.3%를 설명할 수 있었다. 결론: 본 연구 결과는 연명치료중단 및 사전의료의향서 프로세스 상에서 간호사의 적절한 역할 등 새로운 의학적 의사결정 시스템을 개발하는 데에 활용될 수 있다.

Keywords

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