• 한국노년학
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• v.31 no.4
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• pp.1135-1153
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• 2011

The study aims to examine the interaction of socio-economic status in education and income in the difference of the level of subjective health, physical health, and mental health of middle-age and the elderly of Korea. While there have been various discussions in precedent study with respect to the serious increase in the number of dependent life alongside with increasing elderly population, research on the health level according to socio-economic status is highly limited, and also how the health level of middle-age and the elderly - whom will arrive at senescence in just a few years - is different. The study aims at analyzing the health level by hierarchy and age based on data targeting the whole nation. As for analysis data, the study utilized 1st Korean Longitudinal Study of Ageing (KLoSA) implemented by Korea Labor Institute, and carried out a path analysis to verify whether income and academic background serve as a parameter to the level of subjective health, physical health, and mental health. As a result, while the subjective health level decreases, the study confirmed an increase in chronic diseases, and extremely low level of mental health when people in middle-age enter the elderly. In addition, the higher the education and income, the more the health levels both on middle-age and the elderly; the result suggests that education background and income have mediated effects in all health level of middle-age and the elderly.

• 한국노년학
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• v.29 no.4
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• pp.1479-1500
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• 2009

This study examined BMI distributions among older adults in three different countries: the U.S., Japan, and Korea. The paper also explored differences in the factors predicting BMI in the three countries using three data sets: the U.S. Longitudinal Study of Aging (LSOA II, 8,589 persons), the Nihon University Japanese Longitudinal Study of Aging (NUJLSOA, 2,888 persons), and the Korean Longitudinal Study of Ageing (KLoSA, 2,397 persons). Descriptive analysis and multiple regression were performed. Japanese older adults were somewhat lighter than Koreans with fewer people at the upper end of the BMI distribution. Distributions of BMI among both Koreans and Japanese are shifted leftward relative to Americans. There is less dispersion in the distribution of BMI for Koreans and Japanese than among Americans. The association between socioeconomic variables and BMI is stronger in the U.S. and Japan than in Korea. Demographic variables are strong predictors of BMI in Korea. In Japan, all health behaviors have significant effects on BMI. It is concluded that the relationships between behavioral, demographical, and socioeconomic factors and BMI are not the same across countries. Results have policy implications for the involvement of health practitioners in helping older adults to control weight.

• 한국노년학
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• v.31 no.4
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• pp.1083-1101
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• 2011

The purpose of this study is to describe how the structural and functional features of social network change among widowed middle and older adults and to examine the effect of personal predictors of the social network change. Data was obtained from men and women between 45 to 98 years of age(N=118) who were bereaved by the death of their spouse since the first wave survey and participated in the second wave survey of the Korean Longitudinal Study of Ageing(KLoSA). The main findings are as follows: First, their social network after the bereavement was strengthened centered around children; for example, the number of adult children living in proximity to the parent, frequency of contact with children, and the financial and non-financial support from children generally increased. Second, the social network change pattern was categorized into four types such as "overall increased type," "children-centered increased type," "children/close relationship-centered increased type," and "stagnation type." Finally, the health condition of the widowed middle and older adults was a strong predictor of the social network change.

• 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.31 no.3
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• pp.553-571
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• 2011

The purpose of this research is to comparatively meta-analyze the total, short-term, and long-termeffectiveness of cases involving care of the elderly depression in the age range of 60 and over in the four countries, and to identify the relevant policy implications for developing depression care programmes for Korean older people. Ten studies conducted by RCT were found via AMED, EMBASE, Ovid Medline, PsycInfo. Use of Review Manager(5.5 version) shows that the interventions for caring depression were all effective: total effectiveness is OR=0.47(95% CI), short-termeffectiveness is OR=0.37(95% CI), and long-term effectiveness is OR=0.61(95% CI). This research provides three policy implications: Firstly, elements for increasing the long-term effectiveness of depression care interventions should be applied to all new programmes for caring elderly depression. Secondly, more focused depression interventions should be applied during the first half period of care programmes for elderly men, whilst the focus should be shifted to the last half period for elderly women. Finally, new interventions for caring depression that integrate both the medical and social support model of depression should be designed for elderly Koreans.

• 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.39 no.1
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• pp.37-60
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• 2019

This study was attempt to derive the aging trajectories of Korean elderly people and identify its characteristics. In particular, this study used the successful aging model of Rowe and Kahn as an analytical framework. Using the Korean Longitudinal Study of Ageing(KLoSA), this study applied group-based multi-trajectory analysis to identify multiple aging trajectories in sample of Korean elder aged 65~74(n=2,682). This study also used several demographic characteristics as baseline predictors to identify the characteristics of each aging trajectory. Five dimensions were analyzed in the multi-trajectory model: chronic disease, physical functional limitation, cognitive functioning, depressive symptom and social engagement. As a result of the analysis, five aging trajectories were identified: successful aging(17.8%), usual aging (33.9%), health declining aging(18.2%), pathological aging(7.9%), and aging with mild cognitive impairment(22.1%). In general, the odds of experiencing successful aging were high in men, low-aged, highly educated, high-income, and spousal elderly. On the other hand, for the elderly, who are under-educated, low-income, and high-aged, there was a high probability of experiencing a relatively difficult aging process. In particular, the odds of experiencing a mild cognitive impairment aging was high in older, lower-income women without a spouse.

• 한국노년학
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• v.39 no.1
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• pp.93-108
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• 2019

The purpose of this study is to examine the effect of absolute / relative poverty on the life satisfaction focusing on mediation effect of subjective social status by type of elderly residents. In order to analyze the distinct characteristics of the elderly, analysis was conducted with 3,327 the elderly living together and 668 the elderly living alone using 'Korean Longitudinal Study of Ageing(KLoSA)' from 3rd to 5th wave data provided by the Korea Employment Information Service. The main analysis results are as follows. First, each poverty rate for the elderly living together accounted for 43.5 percent and 51.4 percent, while 63.8 percent and 77.2 percent for the elderly living alone respectively. Second, life satisfaction was higher among the elderly living together than living alone, However, life satisfaction was not related to condition of poverty among the elderly living alone. Third, absolute / relative poverty were associated with life satisfaction of the elderly living together, and subjective social status had a mediating effect. However, relative poverty was not related to life satisfaction among the elderly living alone, which indicated that it needs to support not only the financial approach to overcome absolute poverty but also the multi-dimensional poverty perspective in the intervention of the elderly living alone Based on the results, the study suggested to make a tool to measure of poverty using multi-dimensional poverty indicators.

• Korean Journal of Culture and Social Issue
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• v.15 no.3
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• pp.339-357
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• 2009

As quickly becoming an ageing society in Korea, this study aims to investigate how family caregivers' burden with demented patients and social supports are related to their health and quality of life, and the interaction of caregiving burden and social supports on caregivers' health and quality of life. The participants were 207 family caregivers (106 females) of demented patients lived in Seoul, Kyunggi, and Chungcheong areas, whose average of age were 51.62 ( SD=9.25). The psychological tests used in this research included the following: Multidimensional Caregiver Burden Inventory, Chon's Physical Symptom Questionnaire, Hahn & Jang's Perceived Health Inventory, Negative Affect Self-Statement Questionnaire, and the Korean Version of Cambell's Subjective Well-being Scale, Social Support Survey in Medical Outcomes Study, and Kwon's Questionnaire for Maladjusted Problems of Demented. Results indicated that caregivers' burden with demented patient related to physical symptoms and depression positively, and perceived health and subjective well-being negatively. Social supports showed moderate effects on influences of caregiving burden in perceived health, depression, and subjective well-being of family caregivers with demented patients. It was identified the possibility of their buffering effect on negative results of caregiving burden with demented patients. Since caregiving burden accounted for the 34% of the variances for family caregivers' physical symptoms and depression, researchers discussed the promotion and intervention of their health and quality of life. Beside of different effects of social supports with level of caregiving burden, with previous studies it was discussed some saliant findings such as family caregivers with patients who showed severe dementia symptoms were perceiving even less supports from others.

• Journal of Korean Ophthalmic Optics Society
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• v.13 no.4
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• pp.145-149
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• 2008

Purpose: To study the difference between refractive errors obtained from manifest refraction (MR) and cycloplegic refraction (CR) in first-time spectacle wearers. To study the difference between manifest refractive errors and cycloplegic refractive errors in first-time spectacle wearers. Methods: From January 2002 to December 2002, manifest and cycloplegic refractions were carried out on the patients who visited an ophthalmology clinic for a spectacle prescription for the first-time. The patients were 509 male and 499 female patients aged between from 3 to 15 years old. Results: The cycloplegic refraction showed a less myopia and a more hyperopia compared with the non-cycloplegic refraction. The differences were more in female patients. The CR showed a less myopic and a more hyperopic refractive errors than the MR. The differences were more in female patients. The average results from a pre- and a post-cycloplegic refraction showed a reduction of -0.22D in male, and -0.20D in female for the myopic group. For the myopic group, the myopic refractive errors by MR were -0.22D in male and -0.20D in female higher than the refractive errors by CR. Hyperopic group showed an increase of +0.37D in male, and +0.56D in female. For hyperopic group the hypropic refractive errors by CR were +0.37D in male and +0.56D in female higher than the refractive errors by CR. This difference between the results of a preand a post-cycloplegic refraction was more if the patients were younger. This difference between refractive errors by MR and by CR showed the younger the more and the proportions of pseudo-myopia and or latent hyperopia were also higher with younger patents age. The amounts of with-the-rule astigmatism and the oblique astigmatism were increased for the post-cycloplegic refraction in the CR refraction. Simple astigmatism reduced, but there was no difference found in the amount of astigmatism. The prevalence of simple astigmatism reduced, but there was no difference in the amount of astigmatism. Conclusions: The difference between manifest refraction and cycloplegic refraction was more in younger group. The difference of refrative error between by MR and CR increases with ageing decrease. Pseudo-myopia and latent hyperopia was also found in the younger group. Simple astigmatism reduced after cycloplegic refraction, there was no difference found in the amount of astigmatism. The prevalence of simple astigmatism reduced, but there was no difference in the amount of astigmatism.