• 한국노년학
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• v.29 no.3
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• pp.971-986
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• 2009

This research investigated how the participation of various social activities affects cognitive function in middle-aged and elderly population. To examine the relation between the participation of various social activities and cognitive function, we used data from the Korean Longitudinal Study of Ageing. Social activities were classified into four types as religious ritual, leisure, public association and ascriptive association activities, and MMSE-K score was used to measure cognitive function. Results from multiple regression analyses after adjusting for socio-economic status and health status show that the participation in religious and leisure activities have positive effects on cognitive function in middle-aged and elderly population. Participation in leisure activities in middle-aged male group helps preserve cognitive function, and leisure activity and ritual activity are significantly related to cognitive function in middle-aged female group. Meanwhile the participation in religious and leisure activities have positive effects on cognitive function in elderly male and female group. Based on these findings, we suggest that various programs to support the participation of elderly population in social activities should be developed for healthy life for the elderly.

• 한국노년학
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• v.34 no.2
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• pp.315-331
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• 2014

The goal of this study was to examine the association between employment and depressive symptoms among older adults in Korea, including analysis of potential gender differences. Using a sample of Korean adults aged 60 years or older from the 2008(Time 2) and 2010(Time 3) national longitudinal survey data from the Korean Longitudinal Study of Ageing, we regressed measures of depressive symptoms at Time 3 on employment at Time 2 (and employment both at Time 2 and Time 3), controlling for Time 2 depressive symptoms, subjective physical health, and sociodemographic variables as well. First, there was no evidence that older adults with a job at Time 2 had significantly lower levels of depressive symptoms at Time 3 compared to their counterparts. However, multi-group analyses showed that the effect of employment at Time 2 on depression at Time 3 differed by gender. For older men, employment predicted better mental health over time. However, this was not the case for older women. As such work role provided benefits only for older men. Second, older adults with a job at both Time 2 and Time 3 reported significantly lower levels of depressive symptoms at Time 3 than older adults who did not have a job either at Time 2 or Time 3. However, only older men who were employed at both Time 2 and Time 3 reported significantly less depression than their counterparts. These findings suggest that the mental health effects of employment are contingent on gender.

• 한국노년학
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• v.31 no.2
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• pp.195-209
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• 2011

This study examined the prevalence of and factors associated with unmet care need among community-dwelling middle-aged and older people in Korea. Data were from the 2006 Korean Longitudinal Study on Ageing (KLoSA), a national survey of 10,254 non-institutionalized adults aged 45 or older. Having unmet care needs was defined as needing personal assistance with activities of daily living (ADL) or instrumental activities of daily living (IADL) but having no available helper. Weighted logistic regressions were fitted to examine factors associated with unmet care needs. Overall, 7.3%, 14.5%, and 41.8% of subjects among the middle-aged, younger old, and older old, respectively, reported care needs of these, 34%, 33%,and 24% had unmet needs. Factors associated with unmet needs differed among the three groups: Education and income level were negatively associated with unmet needs among the middle-aged, but living alone was the only factor positively associated with unmet needs in both the younger and older old. The prevalence of and factors associated with unmet care needs differ by life-stage. Needed are home- and community-based care and services to meet the need for personal assistance among the elderly living alone in a community.

• 한국노년학
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• v.31 no.3
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• pp.463-478
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• 2011

This study examined the impact of late-life poverty on self-rated health, focusing on the mediating and moderating effects of health behaviors and social support. Despite the significant associations among poverty, health behaviors, and health outcomes, little studies have tested complex structural pathways among them. Thus, the purpose of this study is to identify multiple causal pathways between poverty and self-rated health, mediated and moderated by health behaviors and social support. To test the structural pathways, the structural equation modeling was utilized using the 2006 Korean Longitudinal Study of Aging data. The results of this study indicated that poverty had the direct negative impact not only on the health behaviors such as smoking and lack of regular exercise but also on the self-rated health. In addition, regular exercise significantly mediated the relationship between poverty and self-rated health. Finally, informal social support from family and friends buffered the negative impact of poverty on the self-rated health. Findings suggested that providing informal social support to the low income elderly is important in addition to the economic support. It is also necessary to develop programs for promoting healthy behaviors, especially regular exercise.

• 한국노년학
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• v.39 no.4
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• pp.861-881
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• 2019

The purposes of this study are to examine the factors affecting retirement satisfaction, focusing on health, social activity and social security anticipation, and to compare the results between young-old and middle-old. A total of 860 retired people who live alone or live with their spouses were selected from 6th Korean Longitudinal Study of Aging, and binomial logistic regression analysis was used to analyze 416 young-old(aged from 65 to 74) and 444 middle-old(aged from 75 to 83). The results are as follows. First, there was no significant difference in retirement satisfaction between young-old and middle-old. Second, when factors affecting retirement satisfaction was examined, young-olds showed hgher retirement satisfaction with higher perception of health condition and mental health condition, and showed lower retirement satisfaction with higher expectation of long-term care insurance. Middle-old was likely to show higher retirement satisfaction when they had better perspective on physical and mental health condition. The results of the study show that health condition of elderly is an important contributing factor in determining retirement satisfaction of the elderly. Based on the results of the study, political and practical suggestions were proposed to improve retirement satisfaction.

• 한국노년학
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• v.39 no.4
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• pp.699-721
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• 2019

The purpose of this study was to examine and compare factors affecting the subjective life expectancy among the elderly, and to suggest health practice and social welfare service implications for later life. A total of 4,483 seniors from the 6th wave(2016) of the Korean Longitudinal Study on Aging (KLoSA) were used for analysis. The subjects were divided into three age groups: the young-old (n=2,106, 65~74 years), middle-old (n=1,803, 75~84 years), and oldest-old (n=574, 85 years and older). Control variables were sociodemographic factors and health status factors. Independent variables were health promotion behavior, cognition of public care, participating social activity, economic activity, and receiving basic pension. The data were analyzed using hierarchical multiple regression. The main results were as follows. Health promotion behavior was associated with the young-old. Social activities and economic activity were associated with the young-old and middle-old. Receiving basic pension had a significant impact on all age groups. In the middle-old, significant results were focused on socio-demographic and health status factors compared to other groups. The results of this study will provide basic data for the elderly policy and welfare service and will help to find and improve the important factors for the life of the elderly.

• 한국노년학
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• v.39 no.4
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• pp.941-958
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• 2019

The purpose of this study was to explore change trajectories patterns of Self-Rated Health in middle aged, to identify socioeconomic factors, self-esteem, family relationship factors, and to identify relevant predictors. For this purpose, the 2,418 middle aged, who married couples were extracted from the 2^nd to 12^st waves of Korea Welfare Panel Survey data. The data analysis included Latent Class Growth Analysis, multiple logistic regression. The change trajectories patterns of self-rated health in middle aged were classified into four types: (1) high state-retained type(46.3%), (2) low state-retained type(19.6%), (3) reduced type(17.5%), (4) increasing type(16.6%). Despite the control of chronic diseases that are closely related to health, when the low state-retained type, which is a crisis group, was set as the reference group for the self-rated health, the economic participation, self-esteem and satisfaction of the family relationship had a more inadequate effect than the high state-retained type. Likewise, when the reduced type, which is a crisis group, was set as the reference group for the self-rated health, the economic participation, self-esteem, satisfaction of the family relationship, and family stress had a more effect than the increasing type. Based on the analysis results, this study suggest political and practical intervention to maintain the proper health, and the details are as follows.

• Korean Journal of Social Welfare Studies
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• v.41 no.1
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• pp.119-144
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• 2010

This study advances the knowledge of developmental patterns in affiliation with delinquent peers and delinquency during adolescence; data were obtained from waves 1-5 (2003-2007) of the Korea Youth Panel Survey. Semi-parametric group-based modeling (SGM) identified 3 affiliative trajectories of delinquent peers from age 13 to 16: rarely or never, persistently affiliative, and declining groups; and five developmental trajectories of delinquency: non-offending, late onset, low-level continuous, desisting, and chronic groups. A joint trajectory analysis predicted the membership of delinquency trajectories conditional on delinquent peer trajectories. Persistently affiliative group was more likely than others to follow chronic trajectory of delinquency; the rarely or never affiliative group was more likely to be non-offending. This study may help reconcile different theoretical models such as influence, selection, and enhancement models with respect to the role of delinquent peers in delinquency. The distinct theoretical models are equally valid, albeit each model pertains to a specific aspect of longitudinal patterns of affiliation with delinquent peers. Implications of this study for youth welfare were discussed to reduce increased risks for both affiliation with delinquent peers and delinquency.

• Korean Journal of Social Welfare Studies
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• v.42 no.3
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• pp.183-206
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• 2011

This study examined the longitudinal relationship between academic achievement and school satisfaction using a data of the Seoul Panel Study of Children(SPSC). Fully autoregressive cross-lagged analysis and multi-group comparison were performed to measure the longitudinal relationship between two constructs as well as differences between poverty and non-poverty groups. The results showed that both academic achievement and school satisfaction were stable over time in non-poverty group. Academic achievement at the 4th grade significantly affected the school satisfaction at the 6th grade and it subsequently affected on the academic achievement at the 8th grade in non-poverty group. In contrast, academic achievement was not consistent over time in poverty group. Only the school satisfaction at the 6th grade affected the academic achievement at the 8th grade. The findings of this study have various practical implication for school interventions. It is more important to keep supporting the children to maintain the level of academic achievement in non-poverty group. While, in poverty group, it is essential to make school satisfaction and academic motivation increase with school attachment programs.

• Korean Journal of Social Welfare Studies
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• v.40 no.1
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• pp.163-196
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• 2009

This study aimed to examine the direct impact and pathways of stress factors, internal resources(positive self-esteem and negative self-esteem) on the depressive symptoms based on stress coping theory, grouping older stage into three groups such as, the young-old, the old- old, oldest-old. This study further examined the mediating role of self-esteem in the relationships between stress factors and depressive symptoms. Data from 1st year Korea Welfare Panel Study were used for the analysis. The total number of participants was 4,338 who were over 65. Data are Analyzed using Structural Equation Modeling. Results revealed that stress factors and internal resources(positive self-esteem and negative self-esteem) directly affected depressive symptoms. The effects of stress factors on depressive symptoms were mediated by positive and negative self-esteem.. Results of multi-group structural equation modeling showed that the effects and pathways of stress factors and self-esteem on depressive symptoms were different into the three old groups. Based on the findings, the implications for policy and practice were discussed.