• Korea journal of population studies
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• v.29 no.1
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• pp.241-268
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• 2006

This study aim to examine the optimum population in Korea, which has the lowest fertility rate in the world. This study has significance because this rapid decline in the fertility rate is expected to bring the decrease of the population and unbalance in the population composition in Korea. From the social welfare perspective, the optimum population is guided by maximization of the social welfare level per person or the social welfare level in a society. The optimum population can be defined as follows: The proportion of older adults 65 and over is 15-17%, the proportion of work force is 64-69%, the index of aging is 72-104. Within the current population and population composition, the optimum population is estimated as 4.85-4.95 million. These findings imply that we need to remove causes of low fertility rate and prepare for policies encouraging immigration of labor force from foreign countries. In addition, policies and programs where children can be grown up in good environments and women and older adults can participate in labor force should be established.

• Korea journal of population studies
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• v.35 no.2
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• pp.29-53
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• 2012

This research studies how women's hourly wages affect childbearing using data from the National Longitudinal Survey of Youth. The results of discrete time hazard model show that the relationship between women's hourly wage and fertility is dynamic. Overall relationship looks negative, but they are not consistent across education levels. Women who have a high school diploma or less have a tendency to decrease childbearing when their wages increase. But women who have some college experience or a college degree are likely to have children when their wages increase. It means that only for highly educated women who are likely to be in high paying decent jobs, the rise of income can be used as a resource for reconciling the mother's and worker's roles. Or, for less educated women who are likely to be in the low paying jobs, the rise of income is not large enough to lessen role incompatibility.

• The Journal of the Convergence on Culture Technology
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• v.9 no.3
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• pp.153-158
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• 2023

The purpose of current study was to identify relations between pregnancy-childbirth infrastructures and intention to childbirth and relocation. We conducted a logistic regression analysis to determine the influence of the pregnancy and childbirth infrastructure level over the people's intentions to have any additional pregnancy and to relocate to other city. The results have showed that the younger the age and the higher the income is, the stronger the intention to have an additional pregnancy becomes, and that of the pregnancy and childbirth infrastructure, only the level of pediatrics service would affect the intention to have another pregnancy. As for the intention to relocate or move to another locations, the results have shown that such intention tends to decline where there are overall sufficient and good pregnancy and childbirth infrastructure in place.

• Korean Journal of Culture and Social Issue
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• v.18 no.1
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• pp.97-110
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• 2012

The sharp decline of fertility in industrialized countries since the 19th century constitutes a major problem for evolutionary approaches to human behavior. Why would people voluntarily reduce their total number of offspring, despite the fact that resources are so abundant in modern times? Here I review three evolutionary hypotheses for low fertility in modern societies, and discuss how the evolutionary perspective could shed new light on solving the problem of low fertility in Korea. Low fertility may be 1) a maladaptive outcome from the mismatch between our ancestral environments and evolutionarily novel environments, 2) a consequence of gene-culture coevolution where traits that reduce genetic fitness can still spread through a population as a result of imitation, especially if the traits are expressed by high-status people, or 3) an adaptation that maximize parents' long-term genetic fitness in knowledge-based industrialized societies where high parental investment is required for rearing competitive offspring. Based on these considerations, I suggest how the evolutionary explanations of low fertility can be applied to increasing the birth rate in Korea.

• Journal of Preventive Medicine and Public Health
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• v.17 no.1
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• pp.47-55
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• 1984

To study the risk factors associated with maternal HBsAg carrier and the effects of maternal HBs antigenemia on the neonatal health, sera of 729 pergnant women admitted to the Keimyung University Hospital for delivery during the period of February 1-May 30. 1982 were tested for HBsAg by RPHA method and for anti-HBs by PHA method. Among them 43 women (5.9%) had HBsAg and 246 women (33.7%) had anti-HBs giving an infection rate of 39.6%. The interview data for 43 HBsAg positive mothers and randomly selected 210 HBsAg negative mothers showed a statistically significant association between acupuncture history and HBsAg positive rate (p<0.005) which suggest that acupuncture might have contributed significantly to the propagation of viral hepatitis in Korea. The living standard of HBsAg positive mothers was generally lower than that of HBsAg negative mothers which supports the hypothesis that environmental factors are associated with viral hepatitis B infection. None of the 43 neonates born to HBsAg positive mothers had HBsAg in their cord blood. Three months after birth, 35 out of 43 infants were retested and only one infant became HBsAg positive. At six months of age, 32 out of 35 infants were retested and none of them were HBsAg positive except the same infant who was positive at three months. Among 20 control infants of HBsAg negative mothers, all of them were HBsAg negative at three and six months follow-up. These findings are not consistent with the supposition that perinatal infection is a main route of viral hepatitis B transmission in south-east Asia including Korea. HBsAg positive mothers had significantly higher rate of premature delivery (27.9%) than HBsAg negative mothers (11.7%) (p<0.05). Also, the low birthweight incidence rate was higher among HBsAg positive mothers (23.3%) than negative mothers (14.1%) but this was not statistically significant (P=0.16). The premature rupture of membrane was more frequent among HBsAg positive mothers (25.5%) than negative mothers (11.1%) (p<0.05). There were no significant differences in the stillbirth rate and incidence of congenital anomalies between HBsAg positive and negative groups. It was not clarified in this study due to small sample size whether higher incidence of premature delivery and premature rupture of membranes among HBsAg positive mothers was due to HBs antigenemia per so or their lower living standard than HBsAg negative mothers.

• The Korean Journal of Applied Statistics
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• v.28 no.4
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• pp.593-601
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• 2015

We summarize the twelve papers carefully selected for aging, pensions, and related issues, The twelve novel papers are grouped into three categories: sustainability, adequacy, pension reforms. In particular, these twelve papers include depth and extensive discussions for national pension system and present the direction of the various pension reforms. It will be a great help to policy makers and researchers.

• Proceedings of the Korean Environmental Health Society Conference
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• 2005.11a
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• pp.121-125
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• 2005

우리나라 영아 사망은 계속 감소를 보이고 있으나 상대적으로 낮은 출산율이 최근 문제시되고 있다. 영아 사망률은 인구의 사회적 건강의 요인으로서 넓게 인식된다. 따라서 영아 사망률의 사인을 밝히는 것은 낮은 출생률에 대비하고 출생아가 건강한 성인으로 자라날 수 있는 토대를 마련하기 위해서 중요한 연구가 될 것이다. 이에 본 연구에서는 국내에서는 처음으로 Record linkage를 통해 2000년부터 2003년 까지의 출생 자료와 사망 자료를 통합하여 유아 사망에 영향을 미치는 요인을 분석하였다. 다중 로지스틱 회귀분석을 통해 관련 변수들을 보정한 상태에서 조산아의 유아 사망 위험비는 1.42(95%CI =1.25-1.63)로 나타났다. 그 외에 산모의 연령, 부모의 직업, 거주지역 등이 유의한 위험요인으로 나타났고 본 연구에서 저체중은 영아 사망의 위험 요인으로 나타나지 않았다.

• Proceedings of the Korean Information Science Society Conference
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• 2011.06b
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• pp.67-70
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• 2011

정확한 병력수급을 판단하는 것은 병역정책 수립의 근간이 된다. 최근 출산율 감소, 병 복무기간 단축, 국방개혁에 따른 병력규모 변화 등 병력수급에 영향을 미치는 다양한 변수가 증가하여 정확한 병력수급 판단이 더욱 어려워지고 있다. 이러한 가변적인 요소들을 고려하여 잉여/부족 자원 규모를 전망하고 그에 따른 합리적인 인력정책 수립을 지원할 수 있는 병력수급 시뮬레이션 모델 및 시스템을 개발하고 제안하였다. 병력수급 시뮬레이션 모델은 연도별 현역대상자를 판단하는 공급모델과 현역소요를 판단하는 수요모델로 구성되어 있으며, 과부족 판단 결과를 토대로 정책 변수들을 재조정함으로써 여러 가지 대안을 도출할 수 있다. 군내외의 환경 요인은 지속적으로 변화할 것이고, 병력 수급 전망을 통한 적절한 정책 수립의 필요성은 더욱 커질 것이며, 본 시뮬레이션 모델은 합리적인 병역정책 수립 지원에 기여할 것으로 제고된다.

• Journal of Family Resource Management and Policy Review
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• v.11 no.1
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• pp.53-63
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• 2007

This study analyzes the contents of low birthrate measures by the government and their effectiveness. The discussion on the measures being promoted by the government is conducted by considering the analysis on the cause of low birthrates, introduction of overseas policies and government policy propositions, etc. The evaluation on effectiveness is conducted by considering the recognition of the policies by women who are the subject of childbirth and preceding studies. Low birth rates are not the problem of an individual anymore, but a task that the whole of society has to resolve. The comprehensive measures should be made including the elements that influence birth rate such as reducing the cost of raising a child, creating a favorable environment in society and worksite, and improving the nurturing environment, etc.

• Proceedings of the Korean Society of Health Policy and Administration Conference
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• 2004.05a
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• pp.48-86
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• 2004

. 최근 인구구조의 변화는 급속한 노령화로 요약되고, 이에 따라 제기되는 각종 노인문제는 각 부문별로 정책적 대응을 필요로 하고 있음. . 우리나라는 세계적으로 유래를 찾아볼 수 없을 정도의 속도로 노인인구가 급속하게 증가하는 가운데, 전통적으로 가족을 중심으로 하는 사적 영역에서 담당해오던 노인 부양기능이 약화되고 있으며, 낮은 출산율로 인해 청장년층의 노인부양 부담이 점차 더욱 커질 것으로 전망됨. - 특히 노년기의 보건학적 특성으로 인하여 보건 분야의 주요 현안들을 야기하고 있는데, 노인인구는 보건의료서비스에 대한 수요가 높은 집단으로 1인당 보건의료비용 또한 가장 높은 집단일 뿐만 아니라, 노인의 건강문제는 보건의료서비스 이외에 건강문제로 파생되는 다양한 사회적 서비스와 연계되어 있음. - ­이러한 사실은 한편으로는 우리 사회가 향후 노인의 건강문제로 인해 발생하는 높은 비용과 부담을 지게 될 것이라는 사실을 의미함과 동시에 다른 한편으로는 이에 대한 대책을 시급히 마련해야 한다는 것을 의미함. (중략)