• Journal of Labour Economics
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• v.27 no.2
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• pp.1-27
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• 2004

The share of self-employment shows a downward trend until 1990 and then an upward trend since then. The upward trend is mainly due to more employers and more male self-employed, which implies that self-employment plays a significant role as an alternative form of employment. This paper examines whether self-employment can be a bridge between no work and wage work in the processes entering into or exiting labor market, and if so, what determines the choice of self-employment as a bridge, using the data from the Korea Labor and Income Panel Survey(Wave 1 to Wave 5). Empirical analysis employing the probit model shows that the older, female, the less educated, and persons with bad health are more likely to choose self-employment as a bridge in the exit process and that they are less likely to choose it as a bridge in the entry process. Business cycle has a statistically significant negative effect on its role of bridge employment in the exit process but not in the entry process. The result implies that, in the ageing society, labor market policy should consider self-employment as a better alternative than wage work for the aged.

• Journal of Physiology & Pathology in Korean Medicine
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• v.25 no.3
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• pp.563-572
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• 2011

The purpose of this study was to investigate incidence and related factors of the metabolic syndrome in a Korean medicine hospital. The 716 subjects were analyzed using biochemical data and survey who took medical examination in Daejeon Korean Medicine Hospital for general health check-up. This investigation was conducted from February in 2008 to July in 2010. The metabolic syndrome was diagnosed according to the definition by the NCEP ATP III. The abdominal obesity guidelines for waist circumference applied by the WHO Western Pacific Region, IASO and IOTF: The Asia-Pacific Perspective in 2000. Incidence of metabolic syndrome was 12% (14.6% in men, 8.2% in women). The groups that have two metabolic risk factors were 21.9% in men and 7.5% in women. The incidence increased with ageing. The mean of metabolic syndrome`s triglyceride was in hypertriglyceridemia, and that of their BMI in men was in primary obese and that of their AST, ALT, ${\gamma}$-GTP means were in abnormal liver function. Smokers in men have metabolic syndrome 10 times more than non-smokers in men. Exercisers that do the exercise once or twice a week in women have metabolic syndrome 0.2 times more than non-exerciser in women. Women that have family history of stroke, were associated with metabolic syndrome by $x^2$-test. Men that have family history of hypertension, have metabolic syndrome 4 times more than otherwise men. Men that have family history of diabetes mellitus, have metabolic syndrome 3 times more than otherwise men.

• Health Policy and Management
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• v.26 no.4
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• pp.333-342
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• 2016

Background: The use of therapeutic materials based on new health technology has increased in recent years in the field of medicine, raising concerns for medical practitioners regarding increased spending on the new therapeutic materials amid the rapid population ageing and increase of chronic diseases in Korea. While therapeutic materials have significant importance in the health care system, they have not been given appropriate attention in the academic world of Korea. The purpose of this study is to identify factors that affect the growth of expenditure on therapeutic materials and to derive implications for an effective management considering the diversity of therapeutic materials. Methods: Using the claims data of the National Health Insurance Services, specific utilization patterns of groups of therapeutic materials in the middle classification level of Health Insurance Review and Assessment Service from 2007 to 2014 were analyzed. Four categories (J5083: drug eluting coronary stent, D0302: nonmetallic anchor, K6014: gauze, K6023: gauze) that exhibit unique patterns with respect to price and volume were selected. Then, decomposition analysis was performed to identify the largest contributor to the spending growth by dividing the products into existing, new, and abandoned products for the period between 2010 and 2013. Results: The effect of new products had larger impact on spending growth than the effect of core items in drug eluting coronary stent (J5083) and nonmetallic anchor (D0302). In addition, existing products in general included items priced relatively lower when compared with another item manufactured by the same company. In the gauze category, however, existing products had the largest impact on expenditure and the effect of volume was greater than that in other categories. Conclusion: This study provides evidence that appropriate management measures classified by the characteristics of therapeutic materials are required for therapeutic materials pricing and reassessment in Korea.

• The Korean Journal of Health Service Management
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• v.8 no.2
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• pp.197-208
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• 2014

This study examined the relationship between social support and depressive symptom among the middle and old-aged people, using dataset of the Korean Longitudinal Study of Ageing(KLoSA 3rd). The subjects were 7,874 persons aged 45 and over. Using this data, social support variables and its relation to depressions was observed based on social network model. A multiple regression model was used to study an association between social support and depressive symptom, controlling for socio-economic characteristics, health status and behavior. Also, this paper run two subgroup regression models based on gender of subjects (male, female), controlling for confounding variables. Authors found that there was lower the number of meetings with friends (1~3 times in a week: b=0.597, p<0.0001; 1~2 times in a month: b=0.609, p<0.0001; 1~6 times in a year or under: b=1.598, p<0.0001) and negative relationship between spouse satisfaction (b=-0.007, p=0.0237), children satisfaction (b=-0.019, p<0.0001) and depressive symptom. Also quantitative effect differences were compared according to gender and its effect on depression. Compared to the male group, female group showed significant difference in quantitative effect with number of meetings with friends and spouse satisfaction, but children satisfaction didn't show clear differences according to gender. This study suggested the importance of social support for promoting mental health among the middle and old-aged people.

• Journal of rehabilitation welfare engineering & assistive technology
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• v.8 no.3
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• pp.213-219
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• 2014

This study applied the data of 384 senior citizens over 65 years old having difficulties in everyday life, among the ageing research panel of Korea Labor Institute in 2000, due to their visual impairment in the final analysis to investigate factors affecting the use of vision aids by the aged with visual impairment. The analysis was based on the service usage Andersen-Newman model and the factors were classified into preceding factors, potential factors and desire factors. To examine the effects of each factors on the use of vision aids by the aged with visual impairment, logistic regression analysis was carried out. In the analysis results, the level of vision aids usage was shown to increase significantly with unemployed status and higher education level in the preceding factors, lower subjective stratum consciousness in the potential factors, and higher cognitive function in the desire factors. The limitation and implication of this study were suggested on the basis of the results.

• The Journal of the Korea Contents Association
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• v.13 no.4
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• pp.218-229
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• 2013

With the increase of the aging population in Korea, the welfare of Korean elderly has become one of main concerns of the society. One essential factor that may enhance the quality of life of the elderly is the active social participation. Involvement in the volunteer activity is one form of social participation that benefits both society and individual. The purpose of this study is to examine the level of Korean elderly's participation in volunteer activities and factors related to their participation in the context of different age group. People aged 55 and over from wave 2 data of Korean Longitudinal Study of Ageing are grouped into pre-old(55-64), young old(65-75), and old old (75 and older). Main analytic tools include descriptive statistics and logistic regression analysis. Results indicated that social relationships of the elderly were the most important factors related with their participation with voluntary activities. Also highlighted is the importance of considering the diversity among the older population.

• Korea Journal of Hospital Management
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• v.25 no.1
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• pp.13-20
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• 2020

Purposes: This study has the purpose to the improvement of health promotion for local residents through delivery of high-quality medical service by improving imbalance of medical use and seeking an improvement plan for accessibility of effective medical service by understanding the pattern of medical use by region. Methodology: As for the method, this study derived results at the significance level of p<0.05 through chi square test(χ² test) and Generalized Estimating Equation(GEE) SAS 9.4 version by using the data of the 7th Korean Longitudinal Study of Ageing 2018. Findings: Study results show that local residents use medical service such as hospitalization care and outpatient visit more as compared to the residents in Gyeonggi-do/large or medium-sized cities. The more the number of chronic disease, the more they select hospitalization care rather than outpatient visit. Results also show that patients engaged in labour tend to select outpatient treatment rather than hospitalization treatment. Meanwhile, severity of disease turned out to be higher amongst medical care beneficiaries than that of national health insurance patients when comparing the types of medical security. Practical Implications: In stead of solving the problem of the difference in medical use by region from the aspect of income and economic level, an integrative solution shall be provided putting viewpoint on the social phenomenon suited to the changes of the times. This study suggests a plan for using a health and medical community care center that acts as a gate keeper of regional medical service.

• Journal of Digital Convergence
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• v.16 no.7
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• pp.429-439
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• 2018

The objective of the study was to analyze difference in cognitive function according to social isolation level in elderly Korean. The author classified the social isolation into the structural isolation and contact isolation. Structural isolation corresponded to the no spouse or no children and the contact isolation corresponded to the absence of contact with children, friends or social association. Author conducted multivariate regression analysis with the elderly people aged 65 years or older from the 5th wave of the Korean Longitudinal Study of Ageing data. Number of sample was 3,971. It was confirmed that the level of cognitive function was lower according to level of social isolation. It was also confirmed that friends/neighborhood isolation, and social activity isolation showed significant relationships with cognitive functions. Based on the results, author suggested that to protect the elderly from negative effects of social isolation, we needed the policy to promote elderly's the participation in social activity. The study to analyze the factors related to social isolation was also needed.

• Journal of muscle and joint health
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• v.17 no.2
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• pp.192-202
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• 2010

Purpose: The purpose of the study was to examine the predictive relationships between predictors [(difficulty on daily activities due to arthritis, falls, and pain, grip strength, and activities of daily living (ADLs)], and perceived health in community-living older adults in Korea. Method: A descriptive, cross-sectional survey design was used. Data were obtained from Korean Longitudinal Study of Ageing conducted in 2006. A stratified sample was selected of 5,545 older adults who were over 60 years old for analysis of this study. Descriptive statistics, t-test, Pearson's correlations, and multiple regressions were used. Result: Mean age was 70.27 years (SD=7.27) ranged from 60 and 105 years old. Perceived health was significantly associated with grip strength, and ADL. With multiple regression, all main variables explained 22.1% for perceived health. Difficulty on daily activities due to pain was the strongest predictor on perceived health. Grip strength, ADLs, gender, and difficulty on daily activities due to arthritis and falls were also significant predictors on perceived health. Conclusion: When developing nursing intervention to improve perceived health in older adults, their difficulties on daily activities, grip strength, and ADLs should be assessed.

• Journal of the Korea Convergence Society
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• v.11 no.5
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• pp.309-316
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• 2020

This study aims to analyze the effect of social exclusion on depression of older adults. In addition, it is to address the mediating effect of social participation and the gender differences on social exclusion-social participation-depression relationship. The researcher conducted a secondary data analysis using the 6^th wave of Korean Longitudinal Study of Ageing. The final sample included 1,925 male and 2,653 female older adults. The results indicated that excluded from work, health, and housing increased depression of male older adults. In the female model, excluded from education also found to be a significant factor predicting depression. Different mediating relationships existed between male and female older adults model and gender differences were also revealed. Based on the findings, the researcher discussed social work implications.