• Journal of the Korea Academia-Industrial cooperation Society
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• v.21 no.12
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• pp.759-771
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• 2020

The purpose of this study was to explore the meaning of life in near-poor elderly living alone and experiencing depression. We focused on their lived experiences so that we could understand the essential structure of what kind of life they live. The eligible population included those aged 65 or older, showing 9 points or higher in the Korean form of Geriatric Depression Scale (KGDS), currently living alone for more than 1 year, having no problems of communication difficulties, and nationally defined as a near-poor group. A purposive sample of 8 seniors enrolled in s mental health welfare center in Incheon Metropolitan City were recruited. The phenomenological approach suggested by Colaizzi was used. Data was collected from May 2018 to October 2019 through in-depth interviews. As a result of the study, 6 categories, including 48 themes and 19 theme clusters, were drawn from the data: 'a shabby life that cannot live without help', 'a life where the body and mind are sick', 'a life that wants to be self-reliant', 'a life of gratitude', 'a life with inner peace', and 'a life that needed institutional support.' Findings of this study can be evidence for developing suitable emotional support programs for the near-poor elderly living alone and to enact various welfare laws and policies at the national level.

• The Journal of the Korea Contents Association
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• v.21 no.3
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• pp.561-566
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• 2021

Schools are highly feared to spread widely in the event of an infectious disease, and systematic management and prompt response are needed as it can undermine students' health and learning rights. This study was conducted to identify the current status of infectious diseases common to elementary, middle and high school students and to provide basic data to protect students and faculty from the threat of infectious diseases and maintain normal school functions. Sejong City was selected for investigation. The three major infectious diseases are influenza, chickenpox and aquarium, all of which are classified as acute viral infectious diseases and have fast propagation speed and strong propagation power, which can have fatal consequences for students living in groups. The research data were analyzed using the 2019 infectious disease report data from the Education Ministry's Education Administration Information Network (NEIS), and the current status data reported by elementary, middle and high schools nationwide were analyzed. The research method was to compare the current status of infectious diseases across the country and Sejong City, compare the status of issuance by each school level, compare the status of infectious diseases by item, and analyze the status of infectious diseases by time. The results of the survey on the status of the three major infectious diseases are expected to be used as basic data for managing infectious diseases not only in Sejong City but also in the nation, so that they can be used to establish measures to manage student infectious diseases in the future.

• The Journal of the Korea Contents Association
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• v.21 no.4
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• pp.591-602
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• 2021

The purpose of this study is to compare and analyze the factors influencing happiness between the baby boom generation and the elderly generation, and to clarify the difference in the factors affecting happiness in old age. Thus, using the data of the '2019 Seoul Survey Urban Policy Indicators Survey', a total of 15,451 people including 7,831 baby boomers (born 1955-1963) and 7,620 seniors (born before 1954) were sampled. Through regression analysis, we analyzed what factors affect happiness. As a result of the analysis, family relations were the most influential factor of happiness in both groups, but next, satisfaction through participation in leisure activities for baby boomers and economic support for elderly generations had a great influence on happiness. In addition, the degree of participation in SNS, which has no effect on the baby boom generation, is a significant factor influencing happiness for the elderly, showing that participation in the digital environment is important to the elderly. In the results of this study, it was suggested that the baby boom generation and the elderly generation are significantly different in terms of group characteristics, and therefore their social needs for the pursuit of happiness in their old age should be approached differently.

• The Journal of the Korea Contents Association
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• v.21 no.4
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• pp.678-687
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• 2021

Styrene is a commercially important chemical used mainly in the production of raw materials and plastics. To determine the effect of styrene on hepatic activities of antioxidant enzymes, styrene was treated to Sprague-Dawley rats at 50 mg/kg, 200 mg/kg and 400 mg/kg (i.p) twice a day for 4 days. There were determined the significantly increased activities of serum AST (aspartate aminotransferase), ALT (alanine aminotransferse), and the increased content of MDA (malondialdehyde) at the dose of 400 mg/kg compared to the control. The hepatic activities of XO (xanthine oxidase) and CYPdAH (cytochrome P450 dependant aniline oxidase) in the dose of 400 mg/kg compared to the dose of 200 mg/kg were more increased, which means the excessive ROS (reactive oxygen species)s were produced during Phase I. In addition, significantly decreased were rates of the hepatic activities of GPx (glutathione peroxidase), CAT (catalase), SOD (superoxide dismutase) and GST (glutathione S-transferase) at the dose of 400 mg/kg compared to the control. And, the group at the dose of 400 mg/kg showed more significantly decreased GSH (glutathione) level than the group at the dose of 200 mg/kg. The decrease in GSH could ascribe to the toxic metabolites of styrene, such as styrene oxide. In conclusion, these results indicate that the excessive ROSs and the toxic metabolites of styrene may result in the hepatotoxicity, and be related to their imbalanced activities for antioxidant enzymes.

• Korea Journal of Hospital Management
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• v.26 no.4
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• pp.12-28
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• 2021

Purposes: The convenience of smartphones have lead to people's overdependence on devices, which may cause obstacles in daily life. It is useful to manage smartphone overdependence by using mobile health applications. We aimed to investigate the acceptance of mobile health applications designed to help in the management of smartphone overdependence. Methodology/Approach: We developed the extended model based on the Unified Theory of Acceptance and Use of Technology 2. The modified model had six hypotheses with six variables: result demonstrability, performance expectancy, effort expectancy, social influence, perceived risk, and behavioral intention to use. We randomly included 425 smartphone users in an online survey in 2020. A structural equation model was used to estimate the significance of the path coefficients. Findings: Performance expectancy and social influence had a very strong direct positive association with behavioral intention to use. Result demonstrability had a direct positive association with performance expectancy. Perceived risk had a strong direct negative association with performance expectancy. Performance expectancy and social influence were the main factors directly influencing the acceptance of mobile health applications for the management of smartphone overdependence. Practical Implications: We demonstrated smartphone users' acceptance of mobile health applications for smartphone overdependence management. Based on these results, we could develop mobile health applications more effectively.

• Journal of Industrial Convergence
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• v.19 no.6
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• pp.187-195
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• 2021

This study was conducted to identify the characteristics of immune function and inflammatory changes for elderly women, by having them to participate in line dance program. For this purpose, 18 elderly women in their 60s to 70s, living in Y city were selected, and 9 of the participants were randomly assigned to participate in the line dance program for 12-weeks (line dance exercise group), while the other 9 participants were assigned to carry out their daily lives without participating in certain physical activity (control group) for the same period. The subjects' immune function and inflammation were measured using SPSS 24.0 for datafication, and the average and two-way ANOVA analysis were conducted. The result indicates the immunoglobulin, IgA, has increased, but not dramatically. The level of IgG(p<.05), and IgM(p<.05) increase were detected from the line dance exercise group, but not so much from the control group. Inflammation indicator, the CRP(p<.05), were significantly reduced from the line dance exercise group, but not much for the control group. According to the collected data, line dance for the elderly women can be considered as an effective exercise program, and the result shows that inflammation is reduced and immune function is improved. It also implies the needs of active physical activity arbitration to keep the elderly women's health and to prevent the chronic disease in the future.

• Korean Journal of Community Nutrition
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• v.27 no.5
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• pp.406-421
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• 2022

Objectives: The purpose of this study was to investigate the blood biochemical characteristics, comorbidities, dietary intake, and other risk factors leading to poor glycated hemoglobin (HbA1c) control in elderly Korean diabetes patients over 65 years of age. Methods: Data from the 4^th (2007-2009) and the 7^th (2016-2018) Korea National Health and Nutrition Examination Surveys (KNHANES) were used. Socio-demographic characteristics (age, gender, region, household income, education level, marital status, nutrition education, diabetes duration and diabetes treatment), lifestyle characteristics (drinking, smoking, regular walking, and subjective health perception), anthropometric characteristics (height, weight, and waist circumference), blood biochemical characteristics (HbA1c, high- density lipoprotein cholesterol, triglycerides, total cholesterol, blood urea nitrogen, and blood creatinine), co-morbidities (obesity, hypertension, hypercholesterolemia, hypertriglyceridemia, and anemia), energy and nutrients intake, food group intake, and HbA1c control-related risk factors were compared. Results: Compared to the 4^th survey, the 7^th survey showed an increase in diabetes prevalence among men, an increase in the prevalence of diabetes in the older patients, and an increase in the duration of diabetes. The energy ratio from carbohydrate consumption in the 7^th survey was lower than in the 4^th. Compared to the 4^th survey, thiamine and riboflavin intake had improved, and the intakes of vitamin A, vitamin C, and niacin had worsened in the 7^th. A comparison of food group intakes showed that there was a decrease in the consumption of whole grains, potatoes, and milk and an increase in the intake of beverages and alcoholic beverages. The risk factors for poor control of HbA1c were the duration of diabetes and co-morbid hypertriglyceridemia in the 4^th survey, whereas subjective health perception, obesity, and hypercholesterolemia as co-morbidities were found to be risk factors in the 7^th in addition to the risk factors highlighted in the 4^th survey. Conclusions: For the future management of elderly Korean diabetes patients, greater care is indicated for men over 75 years, and those with low levels of education. It is necessary to increase the intake of milk and vegetables, and reduce the intake of beverages and alcoholic beverages. In addition, it is necessary to reduce the incidence of obesity, hypercholesterolemia, and hypertriglyceridemia for proper control of blood sugar.

• Journal of Korean Home Economics Education Association
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• v.34 no.2
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• pp.21-40
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• 2022

This study was conducted to survey students' current eating behavior and nutritional knowledge to provide researchers with basic data that can help students with positive, practical, and healthy eating habits. For this purpose, a self-administered questionnaire was distributed to students of a vocational high school located in Gyeongsangnam-do. A total of 270 questionnaires were collected from a convenience sample and the data were analyzed using SPSS Version 25.0. The results are as follows. First, 57.40% of students lived with "parents," and 55.56% of students' household monthly income levels were "Low." Second, as for the eating behavior of the subjects, the students who ate 'two meals' a day showed the highest at 64.81%, 'one meal' occupied 17.41%, and those who ate one meal a day, 'School cafeteria' was the eating place most frequently mentioned (65.96%). Third, when students were classified based on their nutritional knowledge levels, "High" group comprised 37.78%, "Moderate" group 37.41%, and "Low" group 24.81% of the total students. Regarding the experience of nutrition education, 64.44% answered 'no experience of nutrition education' in the last 12 months, and among the 35.56% of students who had received nutrition education, 72.92% received the education from school teachers. Based on these results, to prevent problems with the eating habits that can occur to vocational high school students, organic cooperation between families, schools, and local communities is required. Furthermore, full support from the government is needed. In addition, more efforts are needed for practice-oriented dietary education so that nutritional knowledge can be converted into correct eating behavior.

• Journal of Internet of Things and Convergence
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• v.8 no.5
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• pp.119-125
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• 2022

With the recent increase in dementia patients due to aging, measures to prevent their wandering behavior and disappearance are urgently needed. To solve this problem, various authentication methods and location detection techniques have been introduced, but the security problem of personal authentication and a system that can check indoor and outdoor overall was lacking. In order to solve this problem, various authentication methods and location detection techniques have been introduced, but it was difficult to find a system that can check the security problem of personal authentication and indoor/outdoor overall. In this study, we intend to propose a system that can identify personal authentication, basic health status, and overall location indoors and outdoors by using wristband-type wearable devices in a private blockchain environment. In this system, personal authentication uses ECG, which is difficult to forge and highly personally identifiable, Bluetooth beacon that is easy to use with low power, non-contact and automatic transmission and reception indoors, and DGPS that corrects the pseudorange error of GPS satellites outdoors. It is intended to detect wandering behavior and abnormal signs by locating the patient. Through this, it is intended to contribute to the prompt response and prevention of disappearance in case of wandering behavior and abnormal symptoms of dementia patients living at home or in nursing homes.

• Journal of Convergence for Information Technology
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• v.11 no.8
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• pp.42-52
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• 2021

This study was conducted to identify the influence of the discrimination experienced in daily life and social isolation on depression among older adults living in the community. This study was a secondary analysis of the data of 2017 Living Profiles of Older Adults Survey. The participants was a representative sample among the older adults 65 years and older. Data from 10,041 older adults were analyzed for this study. Hierarchical logistic regression analyses were used. When the discrimination experiences was added in model 1, the likelihood of being depressed was 1.95(1.60-2.36) times higher for those who experienced discrimination comparing with those who didn't experienced discrimination. When the social isolation was added in model 2, the likelihood of being depressed was 1.89(1.55-2.30) times higher in those who experienced discrimination. In addition, as the number of close friends, neighbors, and acquaintances decreased by one, the likelihood of being depressed increased by 1.14 times. Those who were isolated from family, friends, neighbors and acquaintances were 3.90 times more likely to be depressed. Therefore, social efforts are needed to reduce the experience of discrimination. Maintaining a social network or creating a new network will contribute to lowering the level of depression in older adults who have experienced discrimination.