The purpose of this study was to analyze the trends of korean nursing research on dementia and to suggest the direction of future research. A total of 52 nursing research articles published from 1992 to 2001 were selected for this study. These articles were analyzed in a systematic way including time and source of publication, design of research, type of subjects, variable and tool of measurement, intervention outcome of experimental research, and theme of qualitative research.
The results were as follows : 1. The nursing research about dementia has appeared since 1992 and increased rapidly since 1998. 2. Eighteen of 52 studies were composed of dissertation of graduate school, and the research designs were mostly quantitative. There were 36 nonexperimental research, 11 experimental research, and 5 qualitative research designs. 3. The subjects of studies were mostly the caregivers of dementia patients as 33 of 52 studies. 4. Most measurement instruments used for research were developed by researcher him/herself, or redesigned and translated into korean as the original foreign version was used. 5. In correlational research, the trend was to study physical conditions in relation to activities of daily living and functional status in dementia patients and psychological conditions in relation to burden, quality of life, depression, and stress in their families. 6. 2 methodological research were development of assessment tool of dementia patients in community, and assessment of burden of caregiver. 7. In experimental research, subjects were all dementia patients, and interventions were music therapy(5), light therapy(2), education program, cognitive stimulation training, validation therapy, hand massage, reminiscence, horticultural therapy, and art therapy. 8. Theme of qualitative research was all caring experience of family. There were 3 phenomenologic methodology, l ethnography and l case study.
Based on these findings, the following recommendations were made:1. It’ s necessary to develop a reliable and valid instrument to measure the characteristics of dementia patients and family caregivers of dementia patients. 2. Experimental study should be repeated to prove the effect of intervention for dementia patients and their family.
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