• Journal of agricultural medicine and community health
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• v.23 no.2
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• pp.157-174
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• 1998

A survey was conducted to study the influence of socia-demographic factors on health-related behaviors. from June 1 to July 31, 1996. The study population was 1,903 adults in Kyongju City. A questionnaire method was used to collect data. Health-related behaviors included 24 items for men and 26 items for women. The followings are summaries of findings : The compliance of health promotion activities was higher when the age was older in men, when married, when having no religion and when the education level was higher than the other groups. And it was significantly higher when the income was lower in men and higher in women, in the residents living in apartment, in white collar workers, in the chronic ill people and when the body weight was lower than the other groups. Notable differences were found in the composition of health behavior factors for socio-demographic characteristics. Men used more tobacco, coffee and tea, salt and alcohol than women. However, the practice rates of regular exercise and physical examination were higher in men than women. On the other hand, the practice rates of fruit/vegetable intake, milk drinking and regular tooth brushing were higher in women than men. When the age was old, the amount of fruit/vegetable intake, the frequency of physician visit and health check-up, and regularity of meal were increased. When the income was high, the use rate of seat-belts, the amount of coffee, milk, fruit/vegetable and red meat intake were increased. The frequency of regular exercise. tooth brushing, health check-up, pap test and breast self examination were higher in the rich than the poor. When the education level was high, the frequency of regular exercise and tooth brushing, and the use rate of seat belts were increased, and the amount of alcohol consumption and salt intake were decreased. These findings suggest that socio-demographic factors are significantly associated with the patterns of health behaviors. In conclusion public health programs and individual counseling efforts should be multifaceted and behavior-specific to encourage to practice healthy life-style.

• Journal of agricultural medicine and community health
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• v.26 no.1
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• pp.81-103
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• 2001

This study was conducted to identify the health behavior of middle-aged rural women and the factors that have an effect on them. For the purpose of the study, examinations were made from March 01, 2000 to March 31, 2000 with 468 women aged 40 to 64 out of 2,263 people whom four Primary Health Posts located in Yechon County, Kyongsangbuk-do Province, are in charge of. The results are summarized as follows. 17.5% of the subjects responded that the extent of their own interest in health were high. For the subjects having a chronic disease, a nuclear family, or an open family atmosphere, the extent appeared to be relatively higher, 15.4% responded that the extent of family's interest in their health was high. It was significantly high if the extent of education was high or if the family atmosphere was open. The subjects' average score of self-efficacy was 49.9 out of 68. The score significantly varied depending on religion, education, living together with a spouse or not, and the extent of the subjects' interest in health. The family pattern, family atmosphere, family's interest in the subjects' health were the variables that significantly influenced the self-efficacy. The average score of family function was 5.51 out of 10. The score significantly varies depending on age, education, occupation, financial status, the extent of the subjects' own interest in health, family atmosphere and family's interest in the subjects' health. In the practice of health behavior, the nonsmoking rate was 89.5%, the nondrinking rate 63.0%, the rate of exercising practice 6.6%, the rate of normal sleeping 75.6%, the rate of eating breakfast 91.7%, the rate of not eating between meals 18.2%, and the standard BMI 69.2%. In the frequency of health behavior, the subjects with the Breslow Index of 0-3, 4-5 and 6-7 accounted for 4.5%, 53.2%, and 42.3%, respectively. The average score of health behavior was 5.20 out of 7, in which significant variables were living together with a spouse or not, financial status, absence or presence of a chronic disease, and family atmosphere. In the multiple regression analysis with health behavior as a dependent variable, it was shown that living together with a spouse or not, financial status, and family atmosphere were the significantly substantial variables. The subjects were found to do health behavior well if they had not a spouse, a good financial status, or an open family atmosphere. They were also found to do health behavior well if the extent of self-efficacy was high or if the extent of family function was low, but these were not the significant variables. It is needed to develop a standard measuring tool fit for our environment and perform more studies in the future because the measuring tool used in this study was a tool developed in a foreign county. In promoting community health projects, it is required not to provide all community people with a uniform health program but to identify the health behavior of individuals and other variables such as living together with a spouse or not, financial status and family atmosphere before arranging for a proper health program.

• Journal of agricultural medicine and community health
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• v.25 no.1
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• pp.65-83
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• 2000

To know the relationship of general characteristics with activities of daily living(ADL) and instrumental activities of daily living(IADL), we carried out the study on the elderies living in Chollabuk-Do area during 6 months, from June to December in 1999. Study subjects were 281, women and men were 195(69.6%) and 85(30.4%) respectively. Mean ages of women and men were 71.9 and 70.8 respectively. 81.1% elderies has disease and 18.9% were disease free. Disease prevalences of movement joint disease, others, circulatory disease, digestive disease, dental disease, respiratory disease were 50.1%, 25.0%, 10.5%, 9.4%, 8.5%, and 6.3% respectively. The percentages to the use of medical institution in recent were 40.0% for hospital, 16.8% for oriental hospital, 14.5% for public health center, 10.9% for drug store, 10.0% for others, and 7.8% for dental service. The percentages to the improvement of symptom after the use of medical institution were 62.3% for normal, 19.4% for improvement, and 18.2% for non-improvement. The percentages to the health situation were 37.1% for bad, 35.7% for good, and 27.1% for normal. Activities of daily living were 67.1% for 6 scores, 27.9% for 5 scores, 2.1% for 4 scores and ADL of women was lower than the men's. Instrumental activities of daily living were 50.4% for 5 scores, 19.3% for 3 scores, 12.1% for 4 scores and IADL of women was lower than the men's. Frequencies of disability in ADL were 28.9% for incontinence, 6.1% for bathing, 2.9% for meal, 2.5% for walking around house, 1.8% for toilet use, 1.4% for dressing and disability frequencies of women in 6 items of ADL were higher than the men's. The percentages of high, intermediate, low ADL in activities of daily living were 67.1%, 32.5%, 0.4% respectively and decrease of high ADL, increase of intermediate ADL were found with the increasing of age. Frequencies of disability in IADL were 42.9% for payment in and out, 31.8% for payment of written claim, 21.1% for shopping, 16.4% for preparation of meal, and 11.8% for use of bus. All items of women in IADL was higher than the men's but preparation of meal. The percentages of high, intermediate, low IADL in instrumental activities of daily living were 50.4%, 42.5%, 7.1% and decrease of high IADL, increase of intermediate IADL were found with the increasing of age. Mean of ADL with the general characteristics was 5.56 and 2 variables of level of education, health situation were statistically significant. Mean of IADL with the general characteristics was 3.76 and 8 variables of age, sex, level of education, occupation, presence of spouse, duty of living cost, health situation, category of ADL were statistically significant. With the result of stepwise regression, ADL was statistically related with religion, health situation and ADL was statistically related with level of education, living together with family, duty of living cost, health situation.