Journal of Transcultural Nursing
Volume 25, Issue 1, 2014, Pages 60-69

Dyspnea Coping Strategies in Korean Immigrants With Asthma or Chronic Obstructive Pulmonary Disease (Article)

Park S.K. , Stotts N.A. , Douglas M.K. , Donesky-Cuenco D. , Carrieri-Kohlman V.
  • a Korea University, Seoul, South Korea
  • b University of California, San Francisco, San Francisco, CA, United States
  • c University of California, San Francisco, San Francisco, CA, United States
  • d University of California, San Francisco, San Francisco, CA, United States
  • e University of California, San Francisco, San Francisco, CA, United States

Abstract

Purpose: Patients with lung disease develop coping strategies to relieve dyspnea. The coping strategies of Korean immigrants, however, are poorly understood. The purpose of this study was to describe the strategies that Korean immigrants with asthma or chronic obstructive pulmonary disease (COPD) use to cope with dyspnea and to compare similarities and differences in coping strategies between the two conditions. Design: Outpatients with asthma (n = 25) or COPD (n = 48) participated in a cross-sectional descriptive study. Method: Open-ended questions and a structured instrument were used to describe coping strategies for dyspnea. Descriptive and inferential statistics were used to analyze the data. Results: The most prevalent strategy was “I keep still or rest.” Korean immigrants also used traditional therapies to manage dyspnea. Conclusions: Although the coping strategies of Korean immigrants were similar to those of other ethnic groups, they incorporated elements of Asian medical practice and herbs. This finding enables health care providers to better understand Korean immigrants’ efforts to overcome dyspnea and to guide their patients’ approach to coping. © 2013, SAGE Publications. All rights reserved.

Author Keywords

chronic obstructive pulmonary disease Dyspnea Korean immigrants Asthma coping strategies

Index Keywords

complication human middle aged Aged Adaptation, Psychological ethnology chronic obstructive lung disease Cross-Sectional Studies cross-sectional study migrant psychology Humans Asian Americans male asthma female Aged, 80 and over Emigrants and Immigrants very elderly Asian American adaptive behavior Pulmonary Disease, Chronic Obstructive dyspnea Korea
Link
https://www.scopus.com/inward/record.uri?eid=2-s2.0-84890870479&doi=10.1177%2f1043659612472709&partnerID=40&md5=9546d5ec6c51846e09c5789db17360e3
DOI: 10.1177/1043659612472709
ISSN: 10436596
Cited by: 2
Original Language: English