• Journal of Hospice and Palliative Care
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• v.12 no.2
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• pp.80-87
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• 2009

Purpose: The purposes of this study were to identify the types of widow's bereavement experience and understand the nature of it's bereavement by using Q-methodological approach. Methods: Contents Q sample included 46 statements obtained from literatures and interviews with 5 widows. P sample consisted of 13 widows who bereaved within 2 years. The data were collected from October 2004 to December 2006 and analyzed using Quanal program. Results: Two types of widow's experience were found. Type 1 was characterized by loss suffering, and type 2 was characterized by acceptance and adaptation Conclusion: Widows were found to experience different types of bereavement. Therefore, bereavement care team should assess the types of suffering pain and provide appropriate care to the widows. Also, need to be developed programs to relieve or prevent suffering of bereavement.

• 한국노년학
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• v.40 no.1
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• pp.147-161
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• 2020

The purpose of this research is to investigates 10-year trajectories of cognitive functions among older adults in their 70s to understand changes in cognitive functions as a continuum until very late life. This study also examines differences in trajectories of cognitive functions by gender and by changes in marital status, especially widowhood. Among participants of the Korean Longitudinal Study of Ageing(KLoSA), the sample of this study includes 800 older adults in their 70s during the first study wave (2006) and those who reported their cognitive functions for six consecutive study waves (2006, 2008, 2010, 2012, 2014, and 2016). The analyses were conducted in two steps. First, we conducted Latent Class Growth Analyses(LCGA) to investigated heterogeneous trajectories of cognitive functions in 10 years. Then, we performed multinomial logistic regression. Three heterogeneous trajectories of cognitive functions were identified. One group of 48.7% of older adults showed high cognitive function at baseline and maintained it over 10 years. Second group of 14.7% of older adults reported low cognitive function scores at baseline and showed continuous decline over time. Third group of 36.6% were showed mid-level cognitive functions and maintained their functions over time. We also found significant gender differences but not significant differences in marital status when we consider both in our model; however, the we found significant differences in changes in marital status when we did not consider gender in the model. The results suggest that the importance of considering dynamics of gender and changes in marital status to understand changes in cognitive functions in later life.

• Korea journal of population studies
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• v.35 no.1
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• pp.211-238
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• 2012

Using data from Korean Longitudinal Study on Aging (KLoSA), this study examines how continuity and change of marital status is associated with health over time among older women, focusing on the moderating effects of age and parent-child relationships. KLoSA data set has two waves of interviews, and for this study, 2046 women aged 65 and over were selected. To analyze data, Structural Equation Modeling (SEM) was used. The major findings are as follows. First, there was no statistically significant difference in health between continuously married older women and continuously single older women. However, older women who had transition from being married to being single showed lower physical health than continuously married and continuously single older women. Second, there were statistically significant differences in the effect of marital status on mental health according to the age of older women. Older women who had transition from being married to being single showed lower mental health than continuously married elders when older women were younger. Third, contact with children moderated the effect of marital status on physical health. Older women who had transition from being married to being single showed lower physical health than continuously single and continuously married older women when older women had less contact with their children. The findings imply after the loss of marital role, older women's relationship with adult children plays a significant role in promoting health. In conclusion, the findings of this study show the different pathways through which marital status is associated with health for 3 different groups of older women, being continuously single, being continuously married, and making transition from being married to being single.

• Korea journal of population studies
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• v.30 no.1
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• pp.25-47
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• 2007

본 연구는 미국 노인의 두 조사 시점에 걸친 결혼 상태(지속적 유배우, 배우자 상실, 지속적 무배우) 및 은퇴 상태(지속적 은퇴, 은퇴 전이 지속적 취업)가 다양한 측면의 정신건강(우울감, 행복감, 자긍심, 통제감)에 미치는 영향 및 이에 대한 성별의 중재효과를 살펴보았다. 이를 위하여 미국 전국규모 종단자료인 National Survey Of Families and Households (T1-T2: 1987-1993)의 50세 이상 응답자 1,798명의 자료가 분석에 포함되었다. 그 결과 T1-T2 간 배우자 상실은 우울감 증가 및 행복감 감소와 연관되는 것으로 나타났다. T1-T2 지속적 무배우 상태는 통제감의 증가와 관련되며, T1-T2지속적 무배우 상태인 남성의 경우는 지속적 무배우 상태의 굴성과 틀리 현저하게 행복감이 저하되는 것으로 나타났다. T1-T2 지속적 은퇴 상태는 우울감 증가, 자긍심 저하, 통제감 저하와 관련되었다. T1-T2 간 은퇴전이는 자긍심 저하와 연관되었다. 은퇴와 정신건강 저하간의 관련성을 일관적으로 제시하는 이상의 결과들은, 은퇴가 노년기 정신건강에 미치는 부정적 영향을 경감시킬 수 있는 보호적 중재요인의 규명에 대한 후속 연구의 필요성을 강력히 시사한다.

• Journal of Digital Convergence
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• v.16 no.2
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• pp.403-413
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• 2018

The purpose of this study was to analyze differences in general characteristics, loss experience, aging anxiety, and depression between young-old and old-old and to investigate the difference between the two groups in the effect of loss experience on aging anxiety and depression. The subjects were 65 elderly living in Seoul and Gyeonggi area. First, the young-old were more likely to have spouses than the old-old. Second, old-old experience more loss of health, relationships, economy, and role than young-old. And old-old had higher aging anxiety and lower depression than young-old. Third, for young-old, loss of health, economy, and role affected depression. And for old-old, loss of role affected aging anxiety and depression, and loss of economy affected aging anxiety. This study is meaningful as a basic data for preparing policy and system to supplement loss experience suitable for young-old and old-old.

• Journal of the Korea Academia-Industrial cooperation Society
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• v.17 no.4
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• pp.312-318
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• 2016

This study examined the influence of a Mindfulness Based Compassion Meditation Program on the brain activation and stress of elderly women who experienced loss of spouse using 2 channel EEG (Electroencephalography). The total number of subjects was 60, consisting of elderly women aged from 65~75years of in Y county; 30 in the experimental group and 30 in the control group who were checked by EEG before and after the study. The study was conducted from August to November, 2015. The Mindfulness Based Compassion Meditation Program was designed for the convergence of body and mind integration with compassion meditation for the purpose of developing love, sympathy, and compassion. The treatment was conducted once a week, for 60 minutes at a time, over a period of 16 weeks. The results in the experimental group showed an increase in the Activity Quotient (ATQ) Rt(82.51/85.83, p<.013) and AntiStress Quotient (ASQ) Lt (74.711/71.17, p<.050). The Activity Quotient shows the mental function and behavior tendency in the brain, while the AntiStress Quotient shows the state of physical and mental relaxation. The Mindfulness Based Compassion Meditation Program was shown to influence the brain activation and stress of the elderly women using the practical application of neuroscience.

• The Journal of the Korea Contents Association
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• v.19 no.3
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• pp.576-589
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• 2019

The objective of this study was to evaluate how wives of alcoholics could escape from the co-dependency relationship and recover their ego-subjectivity. This study conducted 1:1 in-depth interviews with five wives of alcoholics in order to achieve the study objective. Data collected from the interviews were analyzed by the phenomenological method proposed by Giorgi[1]. First, researchers extracted five subjects, including 'Co-dependency (Loss of ego-identity)', 'Impoverished life', Ego-prop', Ego-awareness', and 'Ego-subjectivity recovery' in the course of the data analysis. Secondly, researchers identified "Ego-subjectivity recovery through Ego-awareness of a wife of an alcoholic", an essential theme, by integrating all subjects. Researchers, based on the analysis results, proposed practical alternatives for various psychological treatment system and ego-prop like as counselling, family member of alcoholic wives and power of faith.

• The Journal of the Korea Contents Association
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• v.20 no.11
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• pp.534-545
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• 2020

In the super-aged societies, an increased elderly population living in solitude has been causing many problems. Since the elderly may incur a sense of loss and interest in suicide when living alone, this study investigated the effects of smartphones as well as types of living arrangements on elderly peoples' sense of loss and suicidal thoughts. This study found social roles and relationships were lower for older individuals using smartphones than those using 2G phones. Not surprisingly, those living with family members or a partner had significantly fewer suicidal thoughts than those living in solitude. However, our results indicate subjects' loss of role and relationships was affected more significantly by their smartphone usage (2G phone vs. smartphone) rather than their living arrangements (i.e., living with family or a partner vs. living in solitude). Moreover, smartphone users showed a lower sense of loss in terms of social roles and relationships. Among the elderly, loss of health, social role, and relationships were identified as precedents for increased suicidal thoughts; yet, economic capacity was surprisingly not an indicator of suicidal thoughts.

• 한국노년학
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• v.31 no.4
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• pp.939-967
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• 2011

This study observed elderly women's adaptation process on separation by death in rural areas through grounded theory approach and developed its entity theory. Participants for this study were 14 elderly women who have lost their husbands in the last 12 months. The study was conducted for 8 months starting January 2010. Each interview per session took 40 to 90 minutes, study notes were taken on site, and recorded contents were transcribed by the researcher which was myself. The research data were collected by in-depth interview and with help of local community's nurses who were in charge of taking care of the participants. The collected data were analyzed by applying Strauss & Corbin's grounded theory (1998). As a result of study, 80 concepts, 28 subcategories, and 12 categories were deducted during open coding process. Adaptation process on separation by death was process of 'finding a way to live alone' which used strategy of 'attempting a make changes in life', and 'embracing the situation' which were influenced by conciliatory conditions of 'degree on economic condition', 'change in health', and 'supporting system' which focuses on phenomenon of 'bearing life alone' which is influenced by context condition of 'marital chemistry of couples during lifetime', and 'the couple's leadership during lifetime' together with casual conditions of 'the fall of wall'. The adaptation process accordance to time flow were divided into 4 steps which were step of 'shock and release of emotions', step of 'longing and resentment', step of 'resignation and acceptance', and step of 'life's restructure'. Above results suggest right directions for welfare for the aged and process of 'finding a way to live alone' for participants by controlling several factors and using intervention strategy, and provided basic data required for developing and applying practical welfare mediation.

• 한국노년학
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• v.32 no.3
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• pp.675-687
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• 2012

This study is aimed to investigate the difference of leisure time use of elderly groups clustered with demographic factors and finally produce the leisure profile. A total 5392 time diaries, filled up by 65-years old and over in 2009 Time Use Survey, were analyzed by using descriptive statistics, correlation, cluster analysis, and ANOVA accompanied with the Scheffe's tests. The subjects could be clustered into 7 groups such as still working, work than leisure, hobby with friends, various leisure in a city, with religion and friendship, working and doing leisure in their spare time, and leisure in suburb based upon demographic factors such as age, gender, spouse, education, job, income and living area. The data also revealed that the clusters had different time use patterns in pursuing leisure. Overall, leisure in later life could be influenced by working status, and play an important role in filling their loss of job or spouse. The findings could help us plan upcoming leisure program and policies for the elderly.