• Journal of the Korean association of regional geographers
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• v.20 no.2
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• pp.217-229
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• 2014

This study was performed to identify neighborhood deprivation indicators associated with health and to test the contextual effects of those indicators on individual health. This study calculated SMR based on Dong district and see the differences of prediction across deprivation index and indicators. Then, a multi-level analysis using HGLM was conducted to test the contextual effect of neighborhood depreivation indicators on health after controlling for demographic and socioeconomic status of individuals. The results showed that regional SMR had strong correlations with land price, education, welfare recipients, female household proportion in Dong district but failed to show the correlation with individual health and neighborhood deprivation. Individual health was only associated with individual level of demographic and socioeconomic status. That is, spatial dispersion of illness is understood as the distribution of social classes in terms of socioeconomic status of individuals, not the contextual aspects of community.

• Journal of the Korea Academia-Industrial cooperation Society
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• v.22 no.6
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• pp.321-331
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• 2021

This study sought to analyze factors influencing high-risk drinking in single-person households. For this, data from the 2018 community health survey were used. Subjects were 32,389 adults above the age of 19 in single-person households. For the data analysis, high-risk drinking groups were extracted according to the high-risk drinking rate index of the survey to arrive at influencing factors and differences in health-related and sociodemographic characteristics. The IBM SPSS 25.0 software was used for analysis and a complex sampling design was applied. The results showed that the high-risk drinking rate of Korea's single-person households was 15.0% (male: 25.8%, female: 5.8%) and age, education under high school level, service-industry employees, smokers, people with depression, high blood pressure, and irregular breakfast eaters appeared as common elements for both genders. Stress appeared to only affect males while being diabetic only affected females. High-risk drinking was higher for males in their 30~40s and women in their 20~30s. The younger generation showed the highest numbers in high-risk drinking and factors like stress or depression appeared to be influencing factors for high-risk drinking. Hence, mental health programs along with customized health policies through health forms and lifestyle changes will be required to lower the high-risk drinking rates of single-person households.

• Health Policy and Management
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• v.9 no.1
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• pp.139-155
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• 1999

This study was performed to assess the practice behavior and the need for cancer screening in order to design the community projects in Suwon city. A random sample of urban married women was surveyed on knowledge, attitude, and practice of breast and cervical cancer screening by telephone from April 28th to May 19th. Four hundred two married women completed the questionnaire, and the results were as follows: 1. Urban women were not generally knowledgeable about symptoms, signs and etiology of breast and cervical cancer. Only 11.4% of respondents were fully aware of those subjects. 2. Two hundred eighty six repondents(71.1%) reported having had a mammogram or Pap smear, while 116 respondents(28.9%) reported never having had a mammogram nor Pap smear. 3. The rate of mammogram increased by age and income status significantly(p〈0.05). 4. The majority(73.1%) of women who had a mammogram reported that it was part of a routine physical examination and another 24.3% of the women reported that they had a mammogram for specific breast problems. Meanwhile, the reasons reported for never having a mammogram were as follows; never had any problems (72.1%), no chance(11.2%), no time(4.3%). 5. The main factors associated with adherence to mammography screening guidelines was monthly income status. 6. The majority(80.6%) of women who had a Pap smear reported that it was part of a routine physical examination and another 16.0% of the women reported that it was part of a routine physical examination and another 16.0% of the women reported that they had a Pap smear for specific uterus problems. Meanwhile, the reasons reported for never having a Pap smear were: never had any problems(69.0%) and no chance(11.5%) 7. Women with higher income status were most likely to have a Pap smear regularly (p〈0.01), and the rate of Pap smear increased by education level significantly(p〈0.05). The main factors associated with adherence to Pap smear screening guidelines were education level and monthly income status, similar to those of mammograph. These findings indicate that married women in Suwon city show a lower rate of breast and cervical cancer screening practice than that of developed countries. The rate of mammograph was especially low. It is, therefore, suggested that cost, environmental factors, process, and information for screening tests be considered more programmatically before designing a community project for breast and cervical cancer screening.

• Health Policy and Management
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• v.28 no.2
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• pp.151-161
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• 2018

Background: Family values of a married woman may be related to her own depressive mood. Since depressive mood of a married woman is likely to exert a negative influence, in terms of mental health, on her, her family members, and the whole society's, it may be very important to explore the relationship between family values in married women and their depressive mood. Methods: In this study, we analyzed nationally representative 5,818 married women aged 20 years or older from the 4th panel data of 2012 Korean Longitudinal Survey of Women and Families. As for variables of interest, we constructed three family values variables: family-oriented view of marriage, individualistic view of marriage, and traditional view of marital roles. Then we employed multivariate logistic regression analyses to explore the relationship between family values and depressive mood, adjusting for family and socio-demographic factors. Results: In total, 804 married women (18.4%) had experienced depressive mood. All of the three family values variables were significant in their relationships with depressive mood. The women categorized as 'very weak' in family-oriented view of marriage were more likely to experience depressive mood than the women categorized as 'very strong' (odds ratio [OR], 1.98; 95% confidence interval [CI], 1.53-2.55). By contrast, the women categorized as 'very weak' in individualistic view of marriage (OR, 0.43; 95% CI, 0.33-0.55) and in traditional view of marital roles (OR, 0.68; 95% CI, 0.51-0.92) were less likely to experience depressive mood than their respective counterpart women categorized as 'very strong.' Conclusion: In Korea, married women's values towards marriage itself and roles between wives and husbands had significant associations with their depressive mood. This suggests that in order to improve mental health in married women, we need to take social and cultural dimensions into consideration along with public health interventions.

• Health Policy and Management
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• v.10 no.2
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• pp.120-130
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• 2000

Studies on the relation between socio-economic factors and metermal and child health have found that poverty, lack of edcation, inappropriate health serives are affecting to maternal and child health. The Gender Related Development Index (GDI) focuses on equality between men and women as well as on the average achiement of all people taken together, using same cariables as the Human Development Index (HDI) which are life expectancy, literacy rate, and per capita GDP. This research is to inverstigate whether HDI and GDI are useful determinants for maternal infant mortality. Using 146 UN member countries date, we condented multiple regression analysis for maternal and infant mortality with three models which are Model(individual variables-literacy rate, per capita GDP), Model(HDI) and Model(GDI). The results showed that HDI and GDI are powerful determinants of both maternal and infant mortality, respectively HDI($\beta$=-1.18, t=3.3; $\beta$=1.04, t=5.1) GDI($\beta$=-1.44, t=3.9; $\beta$=1.28, t=6.5) The higher power in model with GDI for both maternal and infant mortalities represented that GDI was more powerful determinant of maternal and infant mortality, than HDI respectively HDI($R^2$=0.824, $R^2$=0.842), GDI($R^2$=0.834, $R^2$=0.865). In conclusion, the maternal and infant mortalities are explained by GDI than HDI and may be lower in the societies where there are less discimination between men and women.

• Health Policy and Management
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• v.24 no.4
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• pp.389-395
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• 2014

Background: Family planning is widely practiced today to resolve the over-growing population and overcome obstacles that thwart socio-economic growth. While Ghana was the first country in Africa to implement family planning program, its birthrate is still twice as much as world average due to weak infrastructure and strategic plans to enforce the policy. Thus, there is a need to objectively verify the factors that affect family planning of fertile women of Ghana. Methods: Total of 630 self-administered questionnaires were distributed from April 8 to 17 of 2013 to collect data. Six-hundred eighteen questionnaires were analyzed, excluding the 12 incomplete questionnaires. Collected data were analyzed using PASW SPSS ver. 18, and logistic regression analysis was performed to verify the factors that affect practice of family planning. Results: Satisfaction with health and medical facilities, experience with family planning education and awareness of birth control methods significantly affected practice of family planning. Based on analysis using odds ratio, enforcement rate of family planning increased by 4.574 times when the subjects were satisfied with health and medical facilities, by 3.920 times when received family planning education, and by 3.284 times when they were aware of birth control methods. Conclusion: By adopting family planning education program, government should be able to change fertile women's perception of family planning. A strategic plan is necessary in order to increase access to medical facilities, improve service satisfaction, and induce women to enforce family planning voluntarily.

• Health Policy and Management
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• v.24 no.1
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• pp.85-91
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• 2014

Background: This study aims to analyze West African pregnancy experienced women's self-rated health and related factors in Democratic Republic (DR) of the Congo, and provide basic data which can be used in developing maternal and child heath projects and health promotion programs to enhance women's self-rated health in the DR Congo. Methods: A survey was conducted among 400 women, 300 of whom were from Kenge and 100 from Boko in Bandundu Province. Three hundred and fifty-two questionnaires were administered on factors expected to affect the self-rated health, categorized into basic information and economic status of respondents, healthcare service, and illness patterns. The hierarchical logistic regression analysis was performed taking each variable into account. Results: The results show that those who have had nutrition education, work in the office, have no health insurance, or have had no illness for the last one year perceive themselves to be in good health. Conclusion: To improve the self-rated health status and promote maternal and child health in DR Congo, the results suggest that the government or relevant agencies should develop programs to educate people regarding health and nutrition, and policies based on the right status of each country. Systems are also required for healthcare at all social levels along with aspects to avoid illness in daily life.

• Health Policy and Management
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• v.23 no.4
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• pp.358-368
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• 2013

Background: There are some data to support the theory of a protective effect of parenthood against suicide, as proposed by Durkheim in 1897. We conducted this study to examine the relationship between children characteristics and suicidal ideation among Korean married women. Methods: The data were obtained from the Korean National Health and Nutrition Examination Surveys IV, conducted in 2007-2009, respectively (3,202 married women aged 20-49 years). The children characteristics are the age of the youngest child and the number of children living with subject. Data were analyzed by using logistic regression with SAS 9.2. Results: The risk for suicidal ideation was higher among married women having a young child (aged <7 years). It had strong effect on suicidal ideation in non-employee subjects. The odds ratio for suicidal ideation of women having a youngest child aged 2-3 years compared with reference groups was 1.673 with statistical significance. But the association of suicidal ideation with number of children shows insignificant. Conslusion: The findings suggest a different result with the theory, the protective effect of being a parent of young child on suicide risk for women, first suggested by Durkheim and supported by previous studies and the need for further prospective investigation that lead to policies according children characteristics aimed at improving married women's life.

• Health Policy and Management
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• v.27 no.3
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• pp.229-240
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• 2017

Background: This study purposed to analyze the spatial accessibility of women in childbearing age to the healthcare organizations (HCOs) providing delivery services in Gangwon-do. Methods: Network analysis was applied to assess the spatial accessibility based on the travel time and road travel distance. Travel time and travel distance were measured between the location of HCOs and the centroid of the smallest administrative areas, eup, myeon, and dong in Gangwon-do. Korean Transport Database Center provided road network GIS (Geographic Information System) Database in 2015 and it was used to build the network dataset. Two types of network analysis, service area analysis and origin-destination (OD)-cost matrix analysis, applied to the created network dataset. Service area analysis defined all-accessible areas that are within a specified time, and OD-cost matrix analysis measured the least-cost paths from the HCOs to the centroids. The visualization of the number of the HCOs and the number of women in childbearing age on the Ganwon-do map and network analysis were performed with ArcGIS ver. 10.0 (ESRI, Redlands, CA, USA). Results: Twenty HCOs were providing delivery services in Gangwon-do in 2016. Over 50% of the women in childbearing age were aged more than 35 years. Service area analysis found that 89.56% of Gangwon-do area took less than 60 minutes to reach any types of HCOs. For tertiary hospitals, about 74.37% of Gangwon-do area took more than 60 minutes. Except Wonju-si and Hoengseong-gun, other regions took more than 60 minutes to reach the tertiary hospital. Especially, Goseong-gun, Donghae-si, Samcheok-si, Sokcho-si, Yanggu-gun, Cheorwon-gun, and Taebaek-si took more than 100 minutes to the tertiary hospital. Conclusion: This study provided that the accessibility toward the tertiary hospital was limited and it may cause problems in high-risk delivery patients such as over 35 years. Health policy makers will need to handle the obstetric accessibility issues in Gangwon-do.

• Health Policy and Management
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• v.31 no.1
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• pp.46-55
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• 2021

Background: Patients with the chronic physical illness are more likely to experience depression, and the accompany of chronic physical illness and depression is particularly high in middle-aged and elderly women. Considering that depression is associated with somatization and the decline of therapeutic compliance when accompanied by chronic physical illness, middle-aged and elderly women who experience depression among chronic physical illness may increase their use of medical services. This study is to identify the effect of depression on the use of medical services, especially among middle-aged and elderly women with chronic physical illness. Methods: This study used the 2016 Korean Health Panel. For analysis, it used T-test, negative binomial regression, and multivariate regression combining propensity score matching. Results: First, depressive groups had a higher number of medical service utilization and total medical expenditure than the non-depressive group. Second, depression significantly increased medical service utilization (β=0.17, p=0.04) at the 5% significance level. Also, depression significantly increased total medical expenditure (β=0.37, p=0.08) at the 10% significance level. Conclusion: For those who have chronic physical illness among middle-aged and elderly women, the experience of depression was confirmed to be a factor affecting the use of medical services. In the end, it is important to come up with policy countermeasures for middle-aged and elderly women accompanied by depression and chronic physical illness.