• Title/Summary/Keyword: Consumer Health

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A Study on Organizational Effectiveness of Administrative Personnel in Hospitals (병원 행정직원의 조직효과성 수준)

  • Lee, Duk-Gu;Park, Eun-Cheol;Yu, Seung-Hum;Sohn, Tae-Yong
    • Korea Journal of Hospital Management
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    • v.7 no.2
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    • pp.52-79
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    • 2002
  • The hospital is characterized by it's remarkable labor industry and human resources input by unit. Recently, the administrative personnel are recognized as an important staff to provide a hospital guidance to consumer and also easiness for consumer's visit to hospital. The purpose of this study is to find the organizational effectiveness of the administrative personnel in hospitals. The survey data involved in the study was derived from 229 personnels working in 3 medium and small sized hospitals and 1 university hospital in Inchon area. The major finding are as follows; 1. The organizational efficiency in accordance with the general characteristics of subjects in order of over 31 years of age, university graduates, long-term tenure and high position is higher, whereas, in as much as wage and well trained personnels in are higher, general hospital's organizational efficiency is higher in comparison with those of university hospital. 2. The organizational efficiency in accordance with satisfaction and the psychological motive contributional factors is higher as much as the high satisfactory level in every hospitals in general. 3. The organizational efficiency in accordance with the factors of job characteristics is higher in as much as difficulty of the jobs is lesser, however there was not statically significance. In as much as job standard level is higher and the more job responsibility the higher organizational efficiency. It was obvious that the higher professional expertise as well as the training and application level are improving the organizational efficiency. 4. The organizational efficiency in accordance with the factors of structural characteristics was higher in as much as the intercommunication was smooth and the structural formalization level are higher, however there was not statically significance between the participation level of decision making and the organizational efficiency. 5. In as much as older age, management of organization and the job level are satisfied, the higher structural formalization level, the smooth intercommunication have affected as major influence factors of organizational efficiency. 6. In the university hospitals is satisfied in the management and job level of hospital organization as there are no difficult jobs while the level of hospital's organizational formality is high and the intercommunication is smooth, which are improving the organizational efficiency. In the general hospitals is also satisfied the management and job level of hospital organization and psychological motive contributional factors is higher, it was apparent that the organizational efficiency is higher in as much as the level of job standardization is high and the intercommunication is smooth. As a result of this study, in order for improving the organizational efficiency of administrative personnel in hospitals, the management and job level as well as personal relation are preferably satisfied, whereas formalization of organization, intercommunication and etc. should be satisfied, and, therefore, it is advisable to buildup discriminated organizational management and environment for different division on the basis above factors. Since this study is carried on four hospitals in Inchon area, there is a certain limit to generalize its result to all domestic hospitals, nevertheless the gallop poll was made by developing the questionnaires with reasonability and reliability. Especially. as the study was carried by analyzing the comparison of influence factors' difference of organizational efficiency in accordance with the divisional characteristics of the university and general hospitals.

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The Critical Factors on Improvement of Medical institution Competitiveness (의료기관 경쟁력 향상에 영향을 미치는 핵심 요인)

  • Yeom, Jae-Kwang;Kang, Chang-Yeol
    • Korea Journal of Hospital Management
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    • v.12 no.1
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    • pp.1-30
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    • 2007
  • The study carried out a survey with employees of hospitals located in Daejeon, Chungnam, and Chungbuk from Sep. 12 to Sep. 30, 2005 in order to derive primary elements that affect the improvement of hospital's competitiveness. The study investigated and analyzed the employees' recognition on the change of competitive environment caused by the change of medical environment. The study also analyzed the elements that affect the hospital's competitiveness and the competitive strategies of the hospitals. The conclusion of this study can be summarized as follows. 1. Summary 1) Most of the employees responded that there is a rival in the competitive environment and the competitive is intense. Especially when the employees are married, live in urban areas, have an education level of university graduate or are managers, they tend to think the competitive is very intense. Also, they said that the competitive is based upon the quality of medical service. They mentioned the element that has the biggest effect on the competitiveness is the element of medical consumer and they recognized that the medical services in university and general hospitals have more competitiveness than the one-department hospitals. 2) It was investigated that the medical technique service has the most effect on the hospital's competitiveness. Also, the external service of medical techniques also has a large effect on the hospital's competitiveness. 3) When they were asked for the factors that affect the patients' decision on selecting a hospital, most of them responded "capability and technique of the medical staffs." Also, they said that "sufficient explanation from doctors" and "special center and clinic" are the factors that have big effects on the patients' decision. 4) In the SWOT analysis, most of them responded that the strength is the hospital's characteristics and the weakness is insufficient and obsolete equipment. They said the opportunity is the demands for professional medical service and the risk is the intense competitive among the hospitals. 5) In the SWOT strategy, they emphasized the strategy that uses the opportunity and the strength and the strategy that uses the opportunity while overcoming the weakness. 6) As for the basic competition strategy, most of them thought of the strategy of professionalizing the medical service most importantly. Next, they focused on the strategy of distinct service and the strategy of lower prime cost. 2. Conclusion 1) Because service competition between hospitals is happening seriously, need competitiveness security through right awareness transfer and satisfaction upgrade about medical consumer. 2) For medical technique service upgrade that equip Hospital's competitiveness but affects most, must solidify the countermeasure because professionalizing the medical service and newest medical technique induction should be achieved first, and compose task force for the external service of medical techniques improvement. 3) To improve SWOT of hospital, opportunity and the strength strategy choice that rescue hospital's characteristics heightening professionalizing the medical service level is fancied. 4) As for the basic competition strategy, will have to try in phase triangular position of hospital which is trusted medical level upgrade and excellent manpower security and finance independence through upgrade. The study was only done with hospitals in Daejeon, Chungnam and Chungbuk. Also, it is a study from the side of suppliers of medical service so there are limitations. However, the significance of the study is to present the basic data for improvement of hospital's competitiveness by examining the importance of medical techniques and external service of medical techniques that are the main effects on the improvement of hospital's competitiveness.

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A Survey on Customers' Perceptions of Nutrition Labeling for Processed Food and Restaurant Meal (가공식품 및 외식 영양표시에 대한 소비자인식조사)

  • Kwon, Kwang-Il;Yoon, Sung-Won;Kim, So-Jin;Kang, Ha-Ni;Kim, Hae-Na;Kim, Jee-Young;Kim, Seo-Young;Kim, Kil-Lye;Lee, Jun-Hyung;Jung, Sun-Mi;Ock, So-Won;Lee, Eun-Ju;Kim, Jong-Wook;Kim, Myung-Chul;Park, Hye-Kyung
    • Journal of Nutrition and Health
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    • v.43 no.2
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    • pp.181-188
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    • 2010
  • Consumer perception of processed food and restaurant food's nutrient labelling was surveyed. The subjects of this survey consisted of 1,507 parents, whose ages were 20-59 years old. The ratio of the respondents that have known nutrition labelling on processed foods was 89.8% and the ratio of whom have checked the nutrition labelling at their point of purchase was 72.3%. The nutrients which were considered important for nutrition labelling were fat (57.1%), calorie (56.3%) and sodium (49.0%). Also nutrient which were able to be recognized at a glance by the subjects were in the order of trans fat (62.1%), cholesterol (26.9%), calorie (23.9%) and sodium (21.0%). If restaurant menu's nutrient labelling be enacted, the answer rate that the menu's nutrition labelling may affect their menu choice is 90.6% of the respondents. Besides of the Fastfoods that are enforcement, restaurants of that customers want the menu to be labeled were 'pizza and chicken restaurants'. Nutrients that customers preferred to be labelled were calorie (62.0%), fat (60.3%) and sodium (50.9%).

Determination of S-Allyl-L-cystein, Diallyl Disulfide, and Total Amino Acids of Black Garlic after Spontaneous Short-term Fermentation (자가숙성발효 후 흑마늘의 S-Allyl-L-cystein, Diallyl Disulfide 및 Total Amino Acids 분석)

  • Kim, Mun-Su;Kim, Min-Ju;Bang, Woo-Suk;Kim, Keun-Sung;Park, Sung-Soo
    • Journal of the Korean Society of Food Science and Nutrition
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    • v.41 no.5
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    • pp.661-665
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    • 2012
  • Garlic (Allium sativum L.) is one of the oldest cultivated plants and has been used throughout the world as a food supplement and a folk medicine for thousands of years. Raw garlic has been processed into a variety of commercial garlic products for consumer convenience. The latest new processing technology, 'spontaneous short-term fermentation', has been developed to process raw garlic into black garlic. The physiologically active effects of garlic have been attributed to its organosulfur compounds. In this study, the proximate compositions and the total amino acid content of raw Namhae garlic and black garlic were determined. The two major organosulfur compounds of garlic, $S$-allyl-L-cysteine (SAC), and diallyl-disulfide (DADS), were also analyzed using RP-HPLC. The proximate compositions were not different between raw and black garlic. The amount of 13 amino acids was greater in black garlic than in raw garlic among a total of 17 amino acids considered. The black garlic had 2-fold higher levels of SAC and 30-fold higher levels of DADS than the raw garlic. Therefore, it is suggested that consuming black garlic produced by spontaneous short-term fermentation is more effective than consuming raw garlic, in order for consumers to take more physiologically active organosulfur compounds (SAC and DADS), which are the compounds that are good for consumer health.

Chinese Consumer Preference of Chicken Burgers Cooked by Sous-vide with Korean-styled Seasoning and Available on the Chinese Fast Food Market (진공저온조리를 이용한 한식 스타일 치킨버거와 중국 시판 치킨버거의 중국 소비자 기호도)

  • Bae, Sungeun;Jang, Jin A;Oh, Jieun;Lee, Kyungwon;Cho, Mi Sook
    • Korean Journal of Food Science and Technology
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    • v.45 no.1
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    • pp.126-132
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    • 2013
  • The purpose of this study is to examine the difference of Chinese consumer preference between chicken burgers cooked by Sous-vide adding Korean-styled seasoning and chicken burgers from local fast food restaurants. For Chinese women in their 20s who reside in Beijing, China, the most important attribute for eating-out was taste (M=6.5), health (M=6.0) and pleasure (M=5.6) in order and 68.60% of them replied that they were interested in Korean cuisine. More than 90% answered they like Korean food for its good taste, shape and color. As for burger preference, BB was significantly higher in terms of the overall and appearance preference. However, there was no significant difference between AB and SB. As for flavor and texture, it showed no significant differences among BB, AB, and SB products. For SB, total balance, soft texture of patty and balance of flavor characteristics were the reasons for their preference of the burger.

Improvement of the Efficacy Test Methods for Hand Sanitizers (Gel, Liquid, and Wipes): Emerging Trends from in vivo/ex vivo Test Strategies for Application in the Hand Microbiome (손소독제(겔형, 액제형, 와이프형)의 효능 평가법 개선: 평가 전략 연구 사례 및 손 균총 정보 활용 등 최근 동향)

  • Yun O;Ji Seop Son;Han Sol Park;Young Hoon Lee;Jin Song Shin;Da som Park;Eun NamGung;Tae Jin Cho
    • Journal of Food Hygiene and Safety
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    • v.38 no.1
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    • pp.1-11
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    • 2023
  • Skin sanitizers are effective in killing or removing pathogenic microbial contaminants from the skin of food handlers, and the progressive growth of consumer interest in personal hygiene tends to drive product diversification. This review covers the advances in the application of efficacy tests for hand sanitizers to suggest future perspectives to establish an assessment system that is optimized to each product type (gel, liquid, and wipes). Previous research on the in vivo simulative test of actual consumer use has adopted diverse experimental conditions regardless of the product type. This highlights the importance of establishing optimal test protocols specialized for the compositional characteristics of sanitizers through the comparative analysis of test methods. Although the operational conditions of the mechanical actions associated with wiping can affect the efficacy of the removal and/or the inactivation of target microorganisms from the skin's surface, currently there is a lack of standardized use patterns for the exposure of hand sanitizing wipes to skin. Thus, major determinants affecting the results from each step of the overall assessment procedures [pre-treatment - exposure of sanitizers - microbial recovery] should be identified to modify current protocols and develop novel test methods. The ex vivo test, designed to overcome the limited reproducibility of in vivo human trials, is also expected to replicate the environment for the contact of sanitizers targeting skin microorganisms. Recent progress in the area of skin microbiome research revealed distinct microbial characteristics and distribution patterns after the application of sanitizers on hands to establish the test methods with the perspectives on the antimicrobial effects at the community level. The future perspectives presented in this study on the improvement of efficacy test methods for hand sanitizers can also contribute to public health and food safety through the commercialization of effective sanitizer products.

Bundled Discounting of Healthcare Services and Restraint of Competition (의료서비스의 결합판매와 경쟁제한성의 판단 - Cascade Health 사건을 중심으로 -)

  • Jeong, Jae Hun
    • The Korean Society of Law and Medicine
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    • v.20 no.3
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    • pp.175-209
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    • 2019
  • The bundled discounting which the dominant undertakings engage in is problematic in terms of competition restraint. Bundled discounts generally benefit not only buyers but also sellers. Specifically, bundled discounts usually costs a firm less to sell multiple products. In addition, Bundled discounts always provide some immediate consumer benefit in the form of lower prices. Therefore, competition authorities and courts should not be too quick to condemn bundled discounts and apply the neutral and objective standard in bundled discounting cases. Cascade Health v. Peacehealth decision starts ruling from this prerequisite. This decision pointed out that the dominant undertaking can exclude rivals through bundled discounting without pricing its products below its cost when rivals do not sell as great a number of product lines. So bundled discounting may have the anticompetitive impact by excluding less diversified but more efficient producers. This decision did not adopt Lepage case's standard which does not require the court to consider whether the competitor was at least as efficient of a producer as the bundled discounter. Instead of that, based on cost based approach, this decision said that the exclusionary element can not be satisfied unless the discounts result in prices that are below an appropriate measures of the defendant's costs. By adopting a discount attribution standard, this decision said that the full amount of the discounts should be allocated to the competitive products. As the seller can easily ascertain its own prices and costs of production and calculate whether its discounting practices exclude competitors, not the competitor's costs but the dominant undertaking's costs should be considered in applying discount attribution standard. This case deals with bundled discounting practice of multiple healthcare services by the dominant undertaking in healthcare market. Under the Korean healthcare system and public health insurance system, the price competition primarily exists in non-medical care benefits because public healthcare insurance in Korea is in combination with the compulsory medical care institution system. The cases that Monopoly Regulation and Fair Trade Law deals with, such as cartel and the abuse of monopoly power, also mainly exist in non-medical care benefits. The dominant undertaking's exclusionary bundled discounting in Korean healthcare markets may be practiced in the contracts between the dominant undertaking and private insurance companies with regards to non-medical care benefits.

University students' eating behavior and consumer attitude in social commerce service (소셜커머스 이용 대학생의 외식 행동 및 태도 분석)

  • Kim, Hyun-Ah
    • Journal of Nutrition and Health
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    • v.47 no.6
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    • pp.426-434
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    • 2014
  • Purpose: The purposes of this study were to investigate eating behavior of university students through social commerce and to analyze factors affecting university students' attitude regarding social commerce. Methods: Questionnaires were distributed to 445 university students in Changwon, Korea from March 28 to April 28, 2013. A total of 339 questionnaires were used for the final analysis, which excluded improperly-completed questionnaires. Results: The major factor considered for eating behavior through social commerce was price (37.2%). Purchasing experiences of foodservice products according to types of foodservice were 64.9% for coffee shop, 59.3% for fast food restaurant, 53.4% for family restaurant, 46.0% for specialty restaurant, 35.7% for pizza restaurant, 35.4% for buffet, and 31.9% for bakery. Factors affecting satisfaction with social commerce for purchasing foodservice products were 'service quality of foodservice company', 'communication of social commerce', and 'discount rate of social commerce'. Factors affecting repurchasing intention of foodservice products through social commerce were 'service quality of foodservice company', 'site design of social commerce', and 'discount rate of social commerce'. Conclusion: In order to increase satisfaction with social commerce, 'service quality of foodservice company', 'communication of social commerce', and 'discount rate of social commerce' should be increased. And, to increase repurchasing intention of social commerce, 'service quality of foodservice company', 'site design of social commerce', and 'discount rate of social commerce' should be increased. In addition, two factors 'service quality of foodservice' and 'discount rate of social commerce' were found to have an effect on satisfaction and repurchasing intention of social commerce. For development of social commerce and foodservice industry, cooperative relationship between social commerce and foodservice industry is needed, and a reasonable price strategy should be established. The university students considered price as a major factor of eating behaviors and did not consider menu and taste as a major factor. From a longer perspective, such an eating behavior would have an effect on university students' dietary life and it would cause nutrition and health problems for university students. Thus, it implied that further studies from the perspectives of nutrition and health regarding eating behavior through social commerce service should be conducted.

Investigation of Requirement and Demand toward for Functional Traditional Hangwa(Korean Cookies) of Tradition (기능성 전통 한과류 요구도 및 수요도 조사)

  • Bok, Hye-Ja;Choi, Soo-Keun
    • Journal of the East Asian Society of Dietary Life
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    • v.18 no.5
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    • pp.692-701
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    • 2008
  • This study was conducted with 150 adults of 20 years or older, all of whom lived in Seoul. The awareness of traditional Hangwa (Korean cookies) was shown to be relatively low, with 2.9 points on average, and the intake of traditional Hangwa for a month was 2.1 times. For the reason that traditional Hangwa couldn't become popular, and the opinion that the reason was because the price is expensive was the highest, at 3.8. The next highest reasons given were because it is difficult to buy, and because it is inconvenient to eat, at 3.0. The traditional Hangwa was shown to enjoy positive awareness as opposed to negative awareness, while the manufacturing sanitation was also recognized to be relatively clean, with 2.6 points assigned to the opinion that it doesn't taste good, and 2.7 points assigned to the opinion that the manufacturing sanitation is unclean. With regard to the excellence of traditional Hangwa, the response that 'our tradition can be handed down' was the most often encountered, with a score of 3.9. The traditional Hangwa was appraised as excellent, with 3.6 points assigned to the opinion 'it suits our body because it is made with our agricultural products' and 3.4% for each opinion 'safe ingredients are used' and 'all ingredients are good for health'. With regard to the level of agreement for the development of functional traditional Hangwa, the positive group was higher than 25.3% of the negative group, with 27.3% for 'agree very much' and 22.0% for 'agree'. When converted into a 5-point scale for the development of functional traditional Hangwa, the group that was positive toward its development was high, with 3.4 points on average. All categories of excellence awareness were correlated with the level of agreement for the development of a functional food product (p<0.001). Consumer awareness toward the addition of traditional Hangwa functionality was generally positive, with 3.3 points or higher on average, and awareness of the aging suppression and diabetes control effects of Hangwa was also high, with 3.5 points. Next were Hangwa for diet, Hangwa for blood pressure control, Hangwa for mineral supple-mentation and vitamin additive-type Hangwa, with 3.4 for each, and Hangwa for health preservation, with 3.3 in order. With regard to the degree of interest toward functional traditional Hangwa for the treatment of diseases, obese patients cited aging suppression, at 3.2, and vitamin additive Hangwa, at 3.0, while Hangwa for dieting was assigned 2.8 points. Patients with high blood pressure, blood circulation, and diabetes were all shown as having a high degree of interest in all items, while evidencing particular interest toward Hangwa for diabetes control and Hangwa for blood pressure control. With regard to intention to purchase while developing functional traditional Hangwa, the group asserting intention to purchase was higher than 60% for all items except for Hangwa for diabetes control (58.7%). The Hangwa for aging suppression was highest, at 68.6%, and shown as having intention to purchase during development in the order of vitamin additive Hangwa at 68.0%, Hangwa for mineral supplementation at 64.6%, each of Hangwa for health preservation and Hangwa for blood pressure control at 62.7%, Hangwa for diet at 62.6% and Hangwa for diabetes control at 58.7%. The considerations during the development of functional traditional Hangwa were in the following order: storage at 4.1 points, taste and level of function at 3.9 points, size at 3.5 points, and packing at 3.4 points.

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The Possibility and Limitation of Age-friendly Industry Activation Policy of the Korean Government: 'From the First to Third Plan for Ageing Society and Population (2006-2020)' (한국 정부의 고령친화산업 활성화 정책의 가능성과 한계: '제1-3차 저출산·고령사회기본계획(2006-2020)'을 중심으로)

  • Park, Seung-Min
    • 한국노년학
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    • v.37 no.1
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    • pp.55-82
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    • 2017
  • The purpose of this research is to provide implications for the development of age-friendly industry of Korea by analyzing the age-friendly industry activation policy suggested by the Presidential Committee on Ageing Society and Population Policy in response to the population ageing problems. Policy and theoretical implications are derived from an analysis of age-friendly industry activation policy as directly related to the improvement of the three major problems (i.e. health, economy, and loneliness) of Korean older people. This analysis focuses on its specific content, common and core logic, and the validity of the logic. The results show that: 1)the first Plan for Ageing Society and Population suggests a policy for improving poverty, 2)the second Plan for Ageing Society and Population suggests a policy for improving health, and 3)the third Plan for Ageing Society and Population suggests a policy for improving health and loneliness. All policies not only are commonly based on the logically limited concepts of successful ageing and active ageing, but also are characterized by narrow realm, insufficient content, and fragmented policy. The results result in the following policy implications: 1)the age-friendly industry activation policy should be developed with continuity, sufficiency, and diversity, 2)lessons from the limitation related with the de-contextualisation of successful ageing and its elective affinity with consumer capitalism, 3)lessons from the prevention-oriented perspective of active ageing, and 4)lessons from the social characteristics of (non-)psychological resources, limitation of the reablement related with social investment state. The analyses also provide a theoretical implication that a different perspective on the social construct of ageing is needed beyond the dichotomy of ageing based on modelling ageing. Lastly, the paper suggests not only the limitation of the research but also the preferred follow-up studies regarding age-friendly industry activation policy.