title: Health beliefs and their sources in Korean and Japanese nurses: A Q-methodology pilot study.
abstract: BACKGROUND
  Many health beliefs do not have supporting scientific evidence, and are influenced by culture, gender, religion, social circumstance and popular media. Nurses may also hold non-evidenced-based beliefs that affect their own health behaviours and their practices.
  
  
  OBJECTIVE
  Using Q-methodology, pilot Q-cards representing a concourse of health beliefs for Japanese and South Korean nurses and explain the content and sources of health beliefs.
  
  
  METHODS
  Qualitative.
  
  
  METHODS
  Two university campuses, one each in Japan and Korea.
  
  
  METHODS
  A convenience sample of 30 was obtained, 14 clinical nurses and 16 academic nurses.
  
  
  METHODS
  Literature reviews and expert informants were used to develop two sets of 65 Q-cards which listed culturally appropriate health beliefs in both Japan and Korea. These beliefs were examined in four structured groups and five individual interviews in Japan, and five groups and two individual interviews in Korea.
  
  
  RESULTS
  Our unique study revealed six categories regarding sources of health beliefs that provide rich insights about how participants accessed, processed and transmitted health information. They were more certain about knowledge from their specialty area such as that from medical or nursing resources, but derived and distributed many general health beliefs from personal experience, family and mass media. They did not always pass on accurate information to students or those in their care, and often beliefs were not based on scientific evidence.
  
  
  CONCLUSIONS
  Findings highlight the dangers of clinical and academic nurses relying on health belief advice of others and passing this on to patients, students or others, without mindfully examining the basis of their beliefs through scientific evidence.
authors.affiliation: Yamaguchi University, Faculty of Health Sciences, 1-1-1 Minami-Kogushi, Ube, Yamaguchi 755-8505, Japan. Electronic address: teriston@yamaguchi-u.ac.jp.
authors.forename: Teresa E
authors.initials: TE
authors.lastname: Stone
authors.affiliation: College of Nursing, Ewha Womans University, 52, Ewhayeodae-gil, Seodaemun-gu, Seoul 120-750, South Korea. Electronic address: sookjungkang@ewha.ac.kr.
authors.forename: Sook Jung
authors.initials: SJ
authors.lastname: Kang
authors.affiliation: College of Nursing, Ewha Womans University, 52, Ewhayeodae-gil, Seodaemun-gu, Seoul 120-750, South Korea. Electronic address: chiyoung@ewha.ac.kr.
authors.forename: Chiyoung
authors.initials: C
authors.lastname: Cha
authors.affiliation: College of Nursing, Ewha Womans University, 52, Ewhayeodae-gil, Seodaemun-gu, Seoul 120-750, South Korea. Electronic address: turale@ewha.ac.kr.
authors.forename: Sue
authors.initials: S
authors.lastname: Turale
authors.affiliation: Yamaguchi University, Faculty of Health Sciences, 1-1-1 Minami-Kogushi, Ube, Yamaguchi 755-8505, Japan. Electronic address: k.mura@yamaguchi-u.ac.jp.
authors.forename: Kyoko
authors.initials: K
authors.lastname: Murakami
authors.affiliation: Yamaguchi University, Faculty of Health Sciences, 1-1-1 Minami-Kogushi, Ube, Yamaguchi 755-8505, Japan. Electronic address: ashimizu@yamaguchi-u.ac.jp.
authors.forename: Akihiko
authors.initials: A
authors.lastname: Shimizu
mesh_terms: D055317:Evidence-Based Practice; D015438:Health Behavior; D006801:Humans; D007564:Japan; D010865:Pilot Projects; D056910:Republic of Korea
keywords: Culture; Evidence-based beliefs; Health beliefs; Japan; Korea; Nurse education; Nurses; Q-methodology