Hope, Self-Empowerment and Existential Spiritual Well-Being of Middle aged Women

Park, Myeung-Hee

The Journal of Korean Academic Society of Nursing Education 2003;9(2):222-233.
Published online June 30, 2003.

Park, Myeung-Hee;

Department of Nursing, Andong Science College

중년기 여성의 실존적 영적안녕과 희망, 자아힘돋우기(self-empowerment)

박명희

안동과학대학 간호과

Abstract

The purpose of this study was to identify the relationship between existential spiritual well-being, hope and self-empowerment in middle aged women. The subjects were 190 women who lived in Taegu, Korea and ranged in age from 35 to 59. The data was collected during the period from October 2nd to October 18th, 2002. The instruments were the revised existential spiritual well-being scale developed by Paloutzian and Ellison (1982), hope scale developed hope scale developed Nowotny(1989) and empowerment scale by Spreitzer(1995). The data was analyzed using descriptive statistics, pearson correlation coefficients and stepwise multiple regression. The results of this study were as follows : 1. Mean score of existential spiritual well-being was 4.18. Mean score of hope was 2.80. Mean score of empowerment was 3.73. 2. The score of existential spiritual well-being showed significantly positive correlation with the score of hope(r=.508, P=.000), self-empowerment(r=.458, P=.000). 3. There were significant differences in existential spiritual well-being according to age, presence of religion, leisure time activity. 4. There were significant differences in hope according to leisure time activity. 5. The most powerful predictor of existential spiritual well-being was hope and the variance explained was 25.8%. A combination of competence, leisure time activity, meaning, impact for 37.2% of the variance in existential spiritual well-being of middle aged women. Further studies need to be done to identify the effect of competence through the repeated studies and to develop a hope promoting program which can cause positive effects on a existential spiritual well-being.

Key Words: Existential spiritual well-being, Hope, Self-empowerment