• Journal of Nutrition and Health
• /
• v.52 no.5
• /
• pp.465-474
• /
• 2019

Purpose: This study examined the association between the serum 25-hydroxyvitamin D concentration and the cognitive functions in Korean elderly. Methods: The subjects were 393 adults aged 60 years or older who participated in the Yangpyeong cohort between July 2009 and August 2010. The subjects were classified into deficiency, insufficiency, or adequacy groups according to the serum 25-hydroxyvitamin D concentration diagnostic criteria suggested by the US Institute of Medicine (IOM). The cognitive function was assessed based on the Korean version of the Mini-Mental State Examination (MMSE-KC). The dietary intake was assessed using the quantitative food frequency questionnaire with 106 food items. Results: The proportions of deficiency, insufficiency, or adequacy in serum 25-hydroxyvitamin D were 6.6%, 44.5%, and 48.9%, respectively. The serum 25-hydroxyvitamin D concentration was significantly higher in men than in women and in outdoor workers than in other occupations. The adequacy group had higher MMSE-KC scores than the other two groups, but not to a significant degree. The proportion of cognitive impairment tended to decrease with increasing serum vitamin D concentration to deficiency, insufficiency, and adequacy (p for trend = 0.029). The deficiency group had a 2.28 times higher risk of cognitive impairment than the adequacy group, but the difference was not statistically significant (OR, 2.28; 95% CI, 0.18 ~ 1.07, p for trend = 0.119). Conclusion: The serum vitamin D concentration tended to be associated with the cognitive function in elderly Koreans living in rural areas. To confirm the associations, further longitudinal studies with large samples were required.

• Journal of agricultural medicine and community health
• /
• v.28 no.2
• /
• pp.49-59
• /
• 2003

Objectives: This study was intended to provide basic data available for the establishment of comprehensive and systematic public medical service for older persons about their concurrent pathology and time span for their bedridden state, and thereby, the medical service, and individual cares they have received. Methods: The study subjects included 207 elderly residents of men and women aged over 65, who were in the bedridden state at home at the time of investigation in September of 2002 at 11 'Myon' in Kongju city, Chungchongnamdo Province. They were asked to respond to the questionnaires by using interviews at their homes. Results: Of the elderly population studied, the overall rate of bedridden states was 1.61%(1.46% in men and 1.71% in women) and there was an increasing tendency with age in both sexes. The causes for bedridden states indicated that hypertension and atherosclerosis accounted for 43.6 % of them in men, and lumbago neuralgia spinal disease 40.3% in women as the most frequent cause, respectively. The mean years of bedridden states were greater in men(4.81${\pm}$2.89) than women(4.98${\pm}$2.89). By age groups, both sexes showed an increasing tendency of time span with age. The items of care required for the bedridden showed that bathing was the most frequent and it was followed by toileting, dressing and feeding in a decreasing order of frequency. The number of care per one patient was 3.4 in men and 3.5 in women with the increased tendency with decreasing age Ain both sexes. Conclusions: Though the proportion of bed-ridden patients increased according to the increasing age, there are substantial limitations in reducing the prevalence of chronic diseases. Therefore, it is required to establish the appropriate measures, such as various resources of health care services for dealing with the steadily increasing rate of bed-ridden patients.

• The Journal of the Convergence on Culture Technology
• /
• v.6 no.1
• /
• pp.163-169
• /
• 2020

The purpose of this study is to find out whether the environment is based on the Color Universal Design (CUD, CUD Recommended Color Set Guidebook), which is located in the area with the highest proportion of elderly people in the city of Busan in Korea. Five nearby parks in the walking district of Busan were selected to measure the environmental color with a spectrophotometer(Minolta CM-2600d) and web color search. The range of the color survey was limited to the pavement; public facilities(sign, benches, restroom), and exercise&sports facilities. The results of the study are as follows. Overall, the Y color group was dominant, with similar color usage and intensity, and similar levels of saturation. This was analyzed based on the Color Universal Design theory, suggesting that the visual characteristics of the elderly were not taken into account, and the Neighborhood Park located in Busan was found to lack the environmental color of consideration for the visual characteristics. In addition, this study could act as a basic study that can be applied to social and environmental colors that reflect the color perception and cognitive characteristics of the elderly.

• Journal of the Korea Academia-Industrial cooperation Society
• /
• v.22 no.4
• /
• pp.419-429
• /
• 2021

This study examined the differentiation and influence of socio-demographic factors that affect the daily living ability of the elderly living in urban and rural areas. The research data is 「Korean Social Life, Health and Aging Project」. The analysis target was 400 urban elderly people (K-gu, Seoul: surveyed Apr. ~ Jun. 2017) and 524 rural elderly people (B-myeon, Gyeonggi-do: surveyed Dec. 2015 ~ Feb. 2016). The research methods included descriptive statistical analysis, chi-square test through cross-analysis, correlation analysis, and logit analysis. The summary of the research results is as follows. First, the ratio of 'complete independence' in ADL/IADL was 'ADL(city)> ADL(rural)> IADL(city)> IADL(rural)". Second, the probability that the elderly living in rural areas will experience a lower ADL level and lower IADL level was 7.1 times and 3.25 times higher than that of the urban elderly. Lastly, the statistically significant variable affecting the ADL level of urban elderly was depression, and the IADL level was gender, age, economic activity, spouse presence, and depression. Age and economic activity were statistically significant variables for the ADL level of the rural elderly, and the IADL level was gender, age, and economic activity.

• Journal of agricultural medicine and community health
• /
• v.24 no.1
• /
• pp.79-89
• /
• 1999

The purpose of this study is to compare health status and activities for the pain and no-pain groups in the elderly. The study subjects included 189 elderly people(65 years and older) living in an urban area. They were surveyed at their homes through interview using a closed-ended questionnaire from Nov. 6th. to Nov. 16th. 1997. The instrument used in the study was selected after carefully reviewing pain-related articles and records well described the characteristics of the elderly. The data were analysed by using descriptive statistics and chi-square tests. The findings were as follows : Of the 189 subjects, 83.6% reported experiencing the pain for the last year. By the age, there were significant differences between the pain and no-pain group(${\chi}^2$=9.572, p=.023). The percentage of the pain complainers was the highest in 80 years and older(100.0%), followed by 70~74(89.1%), 75~79(81.3%), 65~69(76.8%) which presented crude increase according to age. By sex, men had lower pain prevalence(69.5%) than that of women(90.0%). The number of pain complainers was higher in women than men(${\chi}^2$=12.448, p=.023). There were significant differences between the pain and no-pain groups by spouse distribution(${\chi}^2$=10.736, p=.001), educational state(${\chi}^2$=13.020, p=.000), occupation(${\chi}^2$=18.807, p=.000). Pain prevalence in the subjects having no spouse(59.3%) was higher than those having spouse(40.7%), Illiteracy rate was higher in pain group(49.0%) than no-pain group(13.3%). The number of the subjects having occupation(full time or part time) was fewer in pain group than no-pain group. By health status, there were significant differences between two groups(${\chi}^2$=40.055, p=.000). : the pain group showed poor(61.4%), followed by moderate(22.1%), good(16.5%) while no-pain group showed good(64.5%), moderate(29.0%), poor(6.5%). By activities, there were significant differences between the pain and no-pain groups. The pain group was disturbed more severely than the no-pain group in movement(${\chi}^2$=57.829, p=.000), sleep(${\chi}^2$=12.785, p=.000), usual activities(${\chi}^2$=39.196, p=.000), receiving guests(${\chi}^2$=13.163, p=.000), and hobbies and recreation(${\chi}^2$=28.177, p=.000).

• Food Science and Industry
• /
• v.55 no.2
• /
• pp.154-165
• /
• 2022

Humans have been breeding the mulberry silkworm for the long period of time to obtain silk fabric and nutrient-rich pupae. Currently, silkworm larvae, pupae, and silk-Fibroin hydrolysates are registered as food raw materials, while silkworm feces and Bombyx batryticatus are registered as Korean traditional medicines. Among sericulture products, individually recognized health functional food ingredients include silk-protein acid-hydrolysates for immunity enhancement, Fibroin-hydrolysates for memory improvement, and freeze-dried 5^th instar and 3^rd-day-silkworm powder for lowering-blood sugar. Recently, HongJam produced by steaming and freeze-drying mature silkworms were reported to have various health-promoting effects such as preventing the onset of Alzheimer's disease and Parkinson's disease, enhancing gastro-intestinal functions, improving skin-whitening and hair growth, and extending healthspan. By consuming silkworm products with various health-promoting effects, it is possible to increase the healthspan of human beings, thereby reducing personal and national medical expenses, resulting in increasing the individual's happiness.

• The Korean Journal of Applied Statistics
• /
• v.26 no.5
• /
• pp.725-736
• /
• 2013

Retirement income is an important personal and social issue. Problems associated with financial risk wil1 become more pronounced with the growth in the elderly population. Medical expenses in senescence is closely related to financial risk; in addition, some diseases that require long term care will increase financial risk which result in lower quality of life for the elderly. Therefore, it is necessary to understand expected long-term care costs and to manage financial risk from the perspective of an individual. This study evaluate the length of period in which a person is expected to need long term care and actuarial present values of the total cost which needs to be prepared for the care through the Korean public long term care system based on the experience data obtained from Long Term Care Insurance for the Elderly in Korea and a multi-state model.

• Journal of Oral Medicine and Pain
• /
• v.38 no.1
• /
• pp.19-28
• /
• 2013

With Korea's rapid entry to aged society, elderly population has become a major age group both in the whole society and medical field and its importance will be constantly stressed out. Elderly population is also important in the field of oral medicine which deals with chronic and recurrent diseases in the orofacial region of non-dental origin but there exist few studies indicating epidemiology of elderly patients in this regards. This study aimed to investigate change of age distribution of new patients in a university-based dental hospital and oral medicine clinic for last decade and to investigate clinical epidemiology of elderly patients (${\geq}$ 65 years) of oral medicine clinic. This study was performed retrospectively using medical records of the new patients in Dankook University Dental Hospital in 2001 and 2011. According to the study, percentage of elderly new patients increased in both dental hospital and oral medicine clinic and degree of the increase was greater in oral medicine clinic than in the whole hospital (p=0.000). 13.5% of adult patients ${\geq}$ 18 years of oral medicine clinic were elderly patients ${\geq}$ 65 years. 83% of elderly patients were suffering from one or more systemic diseases. Although TMD was the most common reason for elderly patients who visited oral medicine clinic, oral soft tissue diseases, dry mouth, burning mouth syndrome and oromandibular dystonia was more frequently diagnosed in elderly patients compared to adult patients aged 18 to 64 years. Pain severity and interference of Brief Pain Inventory and depression and anxiety scores of Hospital Anxiety Depression Scales were higher in elderly patients than in the adult patients (p<0.05). Increase of elderly patients with chronic oral diseases and pain needs more attention of dentists and specialists of oral medicine to improvement of assessment and development of tailored management because large portion of the elderly patients have systemic diseases, polypharmacy and impaired communication, possibly restricting treatment options.

• Korea journal of population studies
• /
• v.31 no.1
• /
• pp.1-26
• /
• 2008

This research examines the effect of area level characteristics on individual health, particularly focusing on the vulnerable populations in Seoul. We consider adult individuals whose family income is under 1.5 million won, who are aged 65 and over, or who have neither spouse nor job but aged 40 and over as vulnerable populations. Using the 2005 Seoul Citizens' Health Interview Survey, we conducted multilevel analyses to simultaneously investigate the effect of area and individual level characteristics on health. Between-area variance of self-rated health status was greater for the elderly population than for all populations. Area material deprivation index and happiness index were associated with the self-rated health of economically disadvantaged populations. Vulnerable populations showed greater between-area variances in emotional health than the same for all populations. Area happiness index, material deprivation index, the proportion of households below poverty line and street safety showed statistically significant association with emotional health. The effect of area characteristics were particularly salient for the emotional health of elderly population and its between area variance was also notable.

• Journal of the Korean Society of Food Science and Nutrition
• /
• v.33 no.4
• /
• pp.668-678
• /
• 2004

The purpose of this study was to estimate seasonal variation of nutritional intake and quality in adults in longevity areas. Dietary survey was given to 469 subjects over age 20 living Bukjeju-gun, Yecheon-gun, and Sunchang-gun of Korea, using 24-hour recall method every 4 seasons over one-year period. The mean daily intakes (%RDA) of 4 seasons were 1313.3 ㎉ (72.0%) for energy, 47.3 g (82.2%) for protein, 20.2 g for fat, 228.0 g for carbohydrate, 12.8 g for dietary fiber. The differences were hardly significant among the seasons. Mean daily intakes of most of the vitamins and minerals were lower than RDA except vitamin C and folate, especially %RDAs of Ca, vitamin D, vitamin B$_2$, vitamin E were less than 60% of RDA. In general, nutrient intake were high in spring compared to other seasons except vitamin C which was high in fall and winter. Mean daily intakes of cholesterol were 151.7 mg and 124.3 mg in males and females, respectively. The differences was significant between the two sexes but not among the seasons. PUFA : MUFA : SFA ratio of the subject was 1.0 : 1.3 : 1.2. Average CPF ratio of energy intake was 72.7 : 14.4 : 12.9, and energy intake ratio from carbohydrate was low in spring, in contrast energy intake ratios from protein was significantly high in spring. Mean adequacy ratio (MAR), an index of overall nutritional quality was 0.64 for female and 0.71 for male. The indices of nutritional quality (INQ) were over 1 for most of nutrients except 0.73 of Ca, 0.87 of vitamin A, 0.69 of vitamin B$_2$, and 0.65 of vitamin E. Both MAR and INQ were significantly different among sex and seasons, values were higher in males than in females and were higher in spring with the exception of vitamin C. In conclusion, subjects in longevity areas did not consume enough nutrients quantitatively as well as qualitatively, especially Ca, vitamin A, vitamin B$_2$, and vitamin E. Also mean daily intakes of most of vitamins and minerals were insufficient in females, and were significantly different among season. Therefore we must consider a counterplan to augment nutrition intake for them. In addition, it seems to be essential to micro nutrients to the food composition database to estimate dietary intakes more accurately.