• Journal of agricultural medicine and community health
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• v.39 no.3
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• pp.146-160
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• 2014

Objective: This study was performed to explore the effectiveness of community organization as a strategy for health promotion. Methods: We used data from community health interviews from 6 administrative sections (eup, myeon, or dong) with high mortality from August to October, conducted once in both 2010 and 2013 as part of the Health Plus Happiness Plus Projects based on the concept of community empowerment in Gyeongsangnam-do Province. For 2010, the study subjects comprised a systematic sampling of 220 adults from each of the six sections for a total of 1320 subjects, and for 2013, 200 from each section for a total of 1200 subjects. We compared main health behavior indicators and empowerment score between these two years. Results: Smoking prevalence in men was 47.4% in 2013, and 47.7% in 2010, respectively. Prevalence of walking 5 days or more per week was 35.6% in 2013, significantly lower than 46.2% in 2010. Also, during that period, both biennial health examination rate and biennial gastric cancer screening rate among those 40 years of age and over significantly increased from 57.7% to 63.6% and from 49.3% to 55.0%, respectively. Mean empowerment score at the community level significantly increased from 12.6 to 14.0. Conclusions: This study suggests that the three-year implementation of community organization might have helped to increase the participation rate of biennial health examinations including cancer screenings in the community. However, this was not the case for smoking cessation and walking. Further studies are needed for evidence-based health promotion.

• Journal of the Economic Geographical Society of Korea
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• v.26 no.3
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• pp.289-309
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• 2023

While South Korea's universal healthcare system has garnered attention in public health, the issue of inequality in healthcare service provision among different age groups has incessantly become a significant concern. The focus of this concern is primarily on essential healthcare services, encompassing fundamental aspects of healthcare such as internal medicine, family medicine, and pediatric and adolescent care. This inequality is not limited to differences among age groups (both junior and senior demographics) but also extends to potential disparities in healthcare services based on geographic location, particularly in urban and rural contexts. This paper aims to investigate disparities in primary healthcare service resources in South Korea's evolving economic landscape between 1995 and 2021. We utilize a set of inequality indices with a spatial perspective through geographic cluster analysis. The findings reveal that concerns about inequality have been amplified during various economic events, including the IMF crisis in 1999, the global financial crisis in 2008, and the COVID-19 pandemic in 2020. These years are identified as significant phases that have contributed to manifesting spatial disparities in primary healthcare provisions, with a particular emphasis on the senior-aged population rather than junior or all population groups. Our findings underscore the pressing need to address the unequal distribution of essential healthcare resources as part of preparedness for potential economic impacts, requiring a comprehensive consideration of the interconnected nature of demographic and spatial dimensions in healthcare services.

• The Journal of the Korea Contents Association
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• v.22 no.9
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• pp.561-569
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• 2022

A study was conducted to determine whether there is a difference in the incidence of kidney cancer according to income level and the difference in delayed diagnosis. To this end, the incidence of kidney cancer in Korea was analyzed by income level and by stage. From 2015 to 2017, a national kidney cancer cohort was established by linking the KCCR(Korea Central Cancer Registry), NHISS(National health insurance sharing service), and the HIRA(Health insirance review and assessment service) database to calculate the kidney cancer incidence by stage and income level. During the study period, the incidence of kidney cancer in Korea increased in all income deciles, but decreased only in the medical aid population. The incidence of kidney cancer in Korea was 7.35 per 100,000 people, and 83.54% of them were locoregional kidney cancer. In the top 20% of the income decile, there was a high incidence of 21.46 cases per 100,000 people, among which 18.37 cases were locoregional kidney cancer. On the other hand, even after adjusting for risk factors related to kidney cancer, it was confirmed that the lower the income level, the higher the risk of being diagnosed with kidney cancer with distant metastasis (lowest income 20% adj.OR 1.807, 95% CI 1.411-2.222). In the insured population, the risk ratio of being diagnosed with unknown stage was 1.926 (95% CI 1.317, 2.816). The higher the income level, the higher the frequency of early cancer diagnosis, but the lower the income level, the higher the risk of being diagnosed with metastatic kidney cancer or an unknown stage, so health inequality according to income level was observed.

• Journal of dental hygiene science
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• v.16 no.3
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• pp.225-234
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• 2016

The purpose of this study was to determine the oral health condition and behavioral status of Korean adults according to occupational status. The subjects were 7,676 adults, aged between 19 and 64 years, who completed both oral examination and questionnaire survey, among those who indicated that they were currently participating in economic activities, according to the data from the Fourth Korea National Health and Nutrition Examination Survey. Occupational class and employment status were selected as measures of occupational status. Complex-samples logistic regression models were used to assess the associations among oral health, behavioral, and occupational statuses. We found a significant occupational class-related difference in the oral health and behavioral statuses of both the men and women. In particular, the prevalence odds ratios of untreated dental caries in manual workers were 1.19 and 1.67 times higher than in non-manual workers, for men and women, respectively. As for oral health condition and behavioral status according to employment status, the health risk in temporary employment workers was higher than that in permanent employment workers. As for the prevalence odds ratios of the risk of dental caries, the highest values were observed for tooth brushing fewer than 3 times per day, not undergoing oral examinations, and chewing difficulty complaints. The risk of dental caries for agricultural, forestry, and fishing workers for both men and women was found to be the highest among other workers. Thus, strategies to promote workplace oral health in the microscopic and macroscopic perspectives should be developed to constantly monitor oral health problems, and to identify vulnerable social groups within occupational groups and the related factors that mediate oral health differences.

• Health Policy and Management
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• v.34 no.2
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• pp.156-162
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• 2024

Background: This study aimed to explore the relationship between frailty and Area Deprivation Index (ADI) among older adults in Korea. Methods: We used data from the Korea National Health and Nutrition Examination Survey from 2014 to 2019, focusing on individuals aged 65 years and older. Frailty was assessed using Fried phenotype of frailty criteria. A multiple logistic regression analysis was conducted to assess the relationship between frailty and ADI adjusted for all covariates. Results: Among 9,825 older adults, those who lived in an area with a high ADI had a 1.2-fold higher risk of frailty compared to those who lived in an area with a low ADI (odds ratio [OR], 1.23; 95% confidence interval [CI], 1.09-1.37). Particularly, married individuals living in areas with a high ADI had an approximately 1.4-fold higher risk of frailty compared to those living in areas with a low ADI (OR, 1.35; 95% CI, 1.16-1.57). Conclusion: This study reveal a significant relationship between frailty and the ADI among older adults. In particular, married individuals who live in areas with a high ADI were found more vulnerable to frailty than those who live in areas with a low ADI. Therefore, policy intervention should be implemented to reduce health inequalities among older people, especially those living in the most deprived areas groups.

• Journal of Korean Library and Information Science Society
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• v.50 no.4
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• pp.1-31
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• 2019

The purpose of this article is to find out both strategies and methods that Korean libraries could be reborn and recognized as an essential public good for the information poor. To the end, the first discussion is about the Korean society's intrinsic standpoints on social minorities and information poverty. And the second discussion is on how the Korean library community has approached and met with the information poverty issues of social minorities. Special concerns are on analysing the achievements and limitations of Korean library policies for social minorities. Also investigated are the indigenous factors that have impeded the further development of library services for the information poor. And finally this article requests for scholarly efforts to strengthen the theoretical basis of library policies for social minorities, together with strategic suggestions for Korean librarians who wish to renovate their specialized services for social minorities.

• Journal of Preventive Medicine and Public Health
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• v.40 no.6
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• pp.475-486
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• 2007

Objectives : Socioeconomic position (SEP) refers to the socioeconomic factors that influence which position an individual or group of people will hold within the structure of a society. In this study, we provide a comprehensive review of various indicators of SEP, including education level, occupation-based SEP, income and wealth, area SEP, life-course SEP, and SEP indicators for women, elderly and youth. Methods and results : This report provides a brief theoretical background and discusses the measurement, interpretation issues, advantages and limitations associated with the use of each SEP indicator. We also describe some problems that arise when selecting SEP indicators and highlight the indicators that appear to be appropriate for health inequality research. Some practical information for use in health inequality research in South Korea is also presented. Conclusions : Investigation into the associations between various SEP indicators and health outcomes can provide a more complete understanding of mechanisms between SEP and health. The relationship between specific SEP indicators and specific health outcomes can vary by country due to the differences in the historical, socioeconomic, and cultural contexts of the SEP indicators.

• Asia-pacific Journal of Multimedia Services Convergent with Art, Humanities, and Sociology
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• v.7 no.11
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• pp.717-725
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• 2017

The purposes of this study are to find the difference in information literacy among the elderly home care service users and to identify the impact of information literacy on service quality and satisfaction among service users. To achieve the goals, this study used 466 responses from the elderly home care service recipients in Jeollabukdo providence, and conducted t-tests, ANOVA and a series of regression analyses. The results showed that there were significant differences in information literacy by gender, household type, residence area, education level and subjective health status among service users. The study also found that service users information literacy had a significant impact on service quality and satisfaction, and it confirms the importance of customized service. This study suggests that information literacy inequality exists among the elderly home care service users, therefore, the way to improve information delivery strategy should be developed for the information-poor elderly.

• Journal of Preventive Medicine and Public Health
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• v.40 no.5
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• pp.388-396
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• 2007

Objectives: The purpose of this study was to examine the relationship between the differences in employment status and self assessed health in Korea. Methods: We analyzed 4 year follow-up data generated by the Korean Labor and Income Panel Study(KLIPS), which was conducted on 1,207 men and 582 women who had undergone a change in employment status. The study subjects were placed into 1 of the following 4 groups based on their employment history; Non-precarious workers, Precarious to non-precarious workers, Non-precarious to precarious workers and Precarious workers. Logistic regression was then used to examine the relationship between the changes in employment status and self assessed health. Results: When males were considered, self assessed health was better among the precarious to non-precarious workers (OR 1.58, 95% CI=1.57-1.60) and the precarious workers (OR 1.29, 95% CI=1.28-1.30) than in the non-precarious workers, after adjusting for age, socioeconomic status (education level, occupational class, marital status, average equivalent household income and average number of hours worked per week), health behavior (smoking, drinking and exercise) and medical service access (regular medical examination, have chronic disease or hospitalized within 1 year). When female workers were considered, the precarious to non-precarious workers (OR 1.89, 95% CI=1.86-1.92), non-precarious to precarious workers(OR 1.24, 95% CI=1.23-1.26) and precarious workers (OR 1.27, 95% CI=1.25-1.28) all reported poorer health than the non-precarious workers after adjusting for the aforementioned factors. Conclusions: This study showed that changes in employment status were associated with differences in self assessed health among men and women. Specifically, the results of this study showed that a corresponding positive outcome based on self assessed health was greater for employees that changed from precarious to non-precarious jobs and for male employees with precarious jobs., whereas female employees with non-precarious jobs had higher self assessed health. However, additional longitudinal studies on the health effects of employment status should be conducted.

• Industry Promotion Research
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• v.9 no.2
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• pp.95-102
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• 2024

This study aims to compare the role of the public sector in the U.S. and Korean medical security systems and study response measures in the social risk situation of the COVID-19 virus. The COVID-19 pandemic was a typical case of a 'disaster' that spread across the world across borders in a short period of time and caused serious social welfare losses by increasing the annual number of deaths by approximately 4% in 2020. Threats to health security, such as changes in social order, unpredictable endings, prolonged control of daily life, and deepening inequality, affected the economy, politics, and environment as a whole, and people had to experience anxiety and confusion due to mental and physical stress. Furthermore, developed countries failed to provide help to low-income countries in the face of global disasters. In this situation, the country's disaster management capacity to minimize harm and secure resilience, especially disaster response capacity in the health and medical field, is inevitably very important. Therefore, this study compares how the health insurance system, which is a system to guarantee citizens' right to life, differs from the United States, a liberal health care country, and raises the need to strengthen the role of the public sector.