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Wednesday, 9 July 2008
Learning Objective 1: The learner will be able to comprehensively know the community elder peoples’ knowledge, attitude, and practice of bowel function and problems.
Learning Objective 2: The learner will be able to know the elder peoples’ nursing care needs, then to help them in maintaining bowel function and preventing bowel problems.
Bowel problems are common for the elderly. More attention should focus on identifying the community elder people's nursing care needs to provide high quality of care. Thus we explored the knowledge, attitude, and practice (KAP) of maintaining bowel function and preventing bowel problems among the elderly in Taipei, Taiwan. A cross-sectional research design was conducted with a randomly-selected sample of 120 elderly aged 65 and over. A questionnaire was used to collect data and was delivered by way of a face-to-face interview. The main findings indicated (1)The elderly revealed moderate scores on their knowledge of bowel function maintenance and bowel problems prevention (Mean = 20.05, SD = 4.28; total scores ranging from 0 to 29). (2)The community elderly tended to agree on they are accessible to bowel problems; they also agreed with the importance of normal bowel elimination and recognized the severity of bowel problems (Mean = 48.99, SD = 2.85; total scores ranging from 4 to 72). (3)The elderly undertook moderate degree of activities to maintain bowel function and to prevent bowel problems (Mean = 59.76, SD = 6.54; total scores ranging from 20 to 80). (4)Multiple regression analysis on practice indicating five variables (knowledge, diet habit, regular exercise, education level, and life stress) were recognized as significant factors and accounted for 51.0% of the variance. The elderly, having a substantial understanding of bowel function and problems, having a healthy diet habit, and undertaking regular exercise, took more practices to maintain bowel function and to prevent bowel problems. Conversely, the elderly who were facing high life stress and graduated from an elementary school took fewer practices. Based on our finding, detail and specific health promotion programs regarding bowel function maintenance and bowel problems prevention are recommended; we still need to improve their bowel function-related knowledge, attitude, and practice.