• Journal of agricultural medicine and community health
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• v.29 no.1
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• pp.29-41
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• 2004

Objectives: This study was to identify socioeconomic factors and health-related behaviors influencing on HRQOL(health-related quality of life) for the older adults in rural area. Methods: 483 subjects aged over 65 years responded a direct interview, which covered HRQOL, BMI, socioeconomic characteristics, and health-related behaviors including smoking, drinking, and exercise. Results: Overall, the mean number of healthy days were 15.1 days and not significantly different by sex. Men didn't show a significant difference in HRQOL by age group. But women reported lower levels of healthy days and higher levels of activity limitation and physical unhealthy days with increasing age. Results from ANCOVA showed HRQOL to be significantly associated with education, job, and family type. Men presented no significant difference in HRQOL by health-related behaviors, but women who have been drinking, or have less number of chronic diseases reported higher mean healthy days and lower activity limitation days, physical unhealthy days, and mental unhealthy days. Older adults who reported good to excellent self-rated health were higher healthy days and lower activity limitation, physical unhealthy days, and mental unhealthy days than those who reported fair to poor health status. Conclusions: The HRQOL for the older adults in rural area was related to socioeconomic characteristics, health-related behaviors and self-rated health status. A better understanding of factors related to HRQOL would help to improve the older adults' quality of life.

• Journal of the Korea Convergence Society
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• v.7 no.6
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• pp.151-160
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• 2016

The purpose of this study was to identify the factors that affect the level of physical activity targeted elderly and thereby propose a basis for physical activity promotion strategies. Methods : The study subjects were 164 older who agreed to participate and understand the purpose of the study. The collected data were analyzed using SPSS WIN 18.0 program multiple logistic regression. Results : Factors showing significant associations with physical activity are gender, spouse, education, job, chronic disease, BMI, subjective health status, perceived barriers, and social supports. In the logistic regression analysis, BMI and perceived barriers were significant factors related to minimal physical activity while chronic disease, BMI, subjective health status, and perceived barriers appeared to be significantly associated with health enhancing physical activity. The result suggest that policy should be established to increasing the level of physical activity.

• Therapeutic Science for Rehabilitation
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• v.11 no.2
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• pp.39-51
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• 2022

Objective : This study aimed to investigate the awareness and experience of community-based dysphagia therapy and related education in community-dwelling older adults. Methods : A total of 89 older adults were recruited from a public health center in Gyeonggi-do. Awareness, experience, and related education regarding community-based dysphagia therapy were analyzed using descriptive statistics. Results : We analyzed 89 questionnaires. Awareness, treatment experience, and education regarding dysphagia were low; however, the importance and intention to participate were high. Respondents wanted education about proper chewing and safe swallowing, oral health, oral motor exercise, and participation in community-based dysphagia programs in public health centers. The reason for the lack of experience in dysphagia education and therapy is insufficient information and opportunities. The respondents had a good understanding of dysphagia symptoms. Conclusion : Dysphagia therapy maintains swallowing and eating functions as a life-long Activity of Daily Living, and is a very important area in community rehabilitation. Based on the results of this survey, the necessity and importance of community-based dysphagia were identified. It is time to provide correct information and develop a systematic education program for community-based dysphagia therapy. Occupational therapists need to play an active role in improving quality of life by early detection and providing proper intervention.

• Therapeutic Science for Rehabilitation
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• v.7 no.4
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• pp.31-41
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• 2018

Objective: This study was to develop computerized screening test items for mild cognitive impairment. Methods: Through literature reviews, items from computerized tests for screening mild cognitive impairment were extracted. A panel of professional experts validated that the items were important and fit to screen for mild cognitive impairment. Results: A total 37 items were extracted from 12 computerized tests and 11 new items were added through the first panel review. After that, 18 items were removed via the second panel review. Finally, 16 items were selected by analyzing content validity ratio. 16 items consisted of memory, attention, and executive function areas. Conclusions: A total of 16 computerized test items were developed. It is urgent to validate them to screen mild cognitive impairment. Moreover, standardization studies for this test are required in the future.

• 한국노년학
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• v.38 no.1
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• pp.1-14
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• 2018

Everyday hearing handicap caused by presbycusis ultimately reduces quality of life in older adults. The aim of this study was to explore effects of cognitive impairment on self-reported hearing handicap in older adults with early-stage presbycusis. We compared K-HHIE scores between 40 elderly subjects with mild cognitive impairment (MCI) and age- and hearing-threshold matched 40 cognitively normal elderly (CNE) subjects. The results are as follows: 1) The MCI group scored significantly higher than the CNE group on the social/situational and emotional sections, and in total. 2) The MCI group scored significantly higher than the CNE group on all four subscales, and the most significant group difference was on the first subscale relating to interpersonal relationships and social handicaps. 3) Both groups scored highest on the item 8 (problems hearing whispering sounds) and item 15 (problems hearing TV or radio sounds). Besides those two items, the MCI group also scored high on the item 21 (problems hearing in a restaurant), item 6 (problems hearing when attending a party), item 3 (avoiding groups of people), and item 20 (personal or social restrictions). Our findings suggest that, among older adults with early-stage presbycusis, older adults with cognitive impairment tend to report greater everyday hearing handicap than their peers with normal cognitive function. Especially, they show significant problems hearing in background noise or multi-talker situations, which cause social restrictions and social/emotional loneliness.

• The Journal of the Korea Contents Association
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• v.19 no.7
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• pp.628-637
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• 2019

The purpose of this study was to investigate the systematic review and meta analysis the effect of community based rehabilitation on elderly people with mild cognitive impairment by ICF factors. This study used PubMed MEDLINE, Cochrane CENTRAL database from January 2009 to January 2019. As a result, a total of 5 studies were selected. The ICF factor effect size of the community based rehabilitation was 4.77 for physical function and structure, and 6.17 for activity and participation. The results of this study showed that the effect of community based rehabilitation of the elderly with mild cognitive impairment is effective on physical function, structure, activities and participation.

• Journal of Korea Entertainment Industry Association
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• v.15 no.7
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• pp.215-223
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• 2021

The purpose of this study is to investigate the effect of computerized cognitive therapy on cognitive function and Instrumental Activities of Daily Living for elderly people with mild cognitive impairment living in the community. 22 MCI elderly people were randomly assigned to 11 experimental group and 11 control group. For a total of 10 weeks, 3 times a week, 30 minutes per session, the experimental group received CoTras and the control group received traditional cognitive rehabilitation. Neurobehavioral Cognitive Status Examination(NCSE) and Korean Instrumental Activities of Daily Living(K-IADL) were used to investigate the changes in cognitive function and performance of instrumental activities of daily living before and after the intervention. As a result of the study, the experimental group showed improvement in overall cognitive function, including attention and memory, and performance in IADL. The use of CoTras may be considered to improve cognitive function and performance of instrumental activities of daily living for the elderly with mild cognitive impairment in the community.

• 한국노년학
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• v.39 no.1
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• pp.109-125
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• 2019

This study examined factors that prevent older adults from using computers and/or smartphones for their health information search and health management. This study conducted face-to-face survey of a total of 240 older adults aged over 65. Based on the responses of open-ended questions, this study conducted semantic network analysis. The results showed that low level of perceived usefulness(PU) (e.g., information I want to find, detailed information, and trustworthiness) and perceived ease of use(PEOU) (e.g., how to search for information, how to install applications, and visibility) are main factors that prevent older adults from using computers and/or smartphones for their health information search and health management. Furthermore, based on the results of semantic network analysis, further hierarchical regression analysis confirmed that PU and PEOU were positively associated with intention to use mobile application. Thus, the results imply that increasing older adults' PU and PEOU can promote their intention to use mobile application.

• Journal of the Korea Convergence Society
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• v.11 no.5
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• pp.153-158
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• 2020

The present study identify the predictive power of confrontational naming and generative naming as screening tests for normal and early cognitive impairment. The subjects were analyzed for 203 healthy elderly, 106 mild cognitive impairment (MCI), 31 mild dementia. The confrontational naming was measured by the short-term Korean Boston Name Waiting Test, and the generative naming was measured by the Control Associative Word Test. As a result of polynomial logistic regression, both confrontational naming and generative naming had a significant effect on discriminating cognitive impairment (MCI, mild dementia) in general elderly (p<0.05). On the other hand, when distinguishing mild dementia from mild cognitive impairment, the generative naming-phonetic test had no significant odds ratio. The results of this study suggest that when discriminating mild dementia in mild cognitive impairment group, it is not meaningful to look only at the total score of generative naming test.

• The Journal of the Korea Contents Association
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• v.21 no.4
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• pp.576-590
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• 2021

As a 'Senior Citizen' by applying an active theory based on a role model, elderly volunteers may seek to impart health to the local communities through volunteer activities. In addition, the strategies for promoting the elderly participation volunteering actions may apply with the lifelong education/learning model for citizenship development, which intends to expand the elder volunteer activity participants and the areas of volunteering actions. In this study, we attempted to find out how volunteering fieldworkers experience and perceive volunteer-promoting strategies for senior volunteers drawn from previous literatures and studies on promoting elderly volunteer actions. For the purpose of the study, we conducted in-depth interviews with 12 fieldworkers who worked senior-welfare centers and volunteer centers in Seoul and Kyeong-gi area. We used the directed-content analysis, which categorized 12 themes/categories commonly mentioned from previous literatures and studies. Within these categories, the analysis was made to derive issues and improve promoting strategies specified from the interviewees. The outcomes of the study included the insights regarding what promoting-strategies might be necessary to enrich existing senior volunteer actions. The study highlighted not only reviews volunteer fieldworkers' current experiences with senior volunteers but also barrier and practical suggestions for the continuous advances of senior volunteer programs and strategies.