• Journal of Nutrition and Health
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• v.56 no.5
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• pp.510-522
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• 2023

Purpose: In this study, data from the 7th Korea National Health and Nutrition Examination Survey (2016-2018) were used to examine the relationship between the prevalence of anemia and dietary intake among adults according to household types. Methods: Using data from a total of 10,646 subjects (4,428 men and 6,218 women), the general information, body measurements, results of biochemical examination, food and nutrient intake, and meal quality evaluation were analyzed according to the type of household. Results: The prevalence of anemia was higher in men belonging to single-person households (SPH) than in those from multi-person households (MPH), while anemia prevalence was higher among the women in the MPH than in the SPH. The men in SPH had a lower total food intake of nuts, vegetables, fruits, fish, and seaweed than the men in MPH, and consumed higher quantities of milk, oil, and processed foods. The women from SPH had a lower intake of seaweed and a higher intake of milk than those belonging to the MPH. In addition, the men in SPH had a lower iron intake and iron intake per 1,000kcal than the men in MPH, lower iron intake through plant-based foods, and a lower iron intake ratio compared to the reference nutrient intake. The total Korean Healthy Eating Index (KHEI) score was lower in both men and women in SPH than in those from the MPH. When analyzing the relationship between household type and anemia risk after correcting for the confusion variable, the risk of anemia in men in SPH increased compared to those belonging to the MPH. However, women showed no such significant correlation. There was no relationship between the total KHEI score and the risk of anemia by gender and household type. Conclusion: In conclusion, since anemia in men belonging to SPH is a matter of concern, it is essential to develop guidelines for anemia-related nutrition education for men living alone.

• KDI Journal of Economic Policy
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• v.31 no.1
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• pp.139-167
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• 2009

A new public insurance for long-term care was introduced in July 2008 to provide for the rising demand for long-term care as the population is aging rapidly. The demand for long-term care is expected to rise further because more and more elderly are living alone or in households with only other elderly, such as his/her spouse, without informal care of their adult children. Even when the elderly are living together with their adult children, daughters and daughters in law, once the main informal care-givers, are not available because they choose to become economically active and work more over time. Experiences of countries such as Japan and Germany with similar public long-term care insurance scheme highlight the importance of detailed analysis on the demand for long-term care for the financial stability of the insurance scheme. Countries which had underestimated the demand for long-term care at the time of adopting the scheme went through financial instability of insurance schemes. This study analyzes the determinants of the demand for long-term care using data from the second demonstration project (April 2006~April 2007) of the long-term care insurance scheme for the elderly in Korea. Taking full advantage of detailed data on the long-term care, this paper analyzes the eligibility for the long-term care insurance scheme and its use. According to study results, even when common diseases among the elderly such as cancer, diabetes, arthritis, dementia, hypertension, etc. are controlled together with other individual and socioeconomic factors, limitations the elderly are faced with in their twelve activities of daily living significantly affect the eligibility for the Korean Long-term Care Insurance Scheme. This means that limitations in daily living activities are more critical than common diseases among the elderly are to the eligibility for the Korean Long-term Care Insurance Scheme. Bathing and toileting problems have been found to be the most important factor affecting the eligibility for the insurance scheme, followed by eating, dressing and moving around inside the house. Moreover, the choices of whether to use long-term care and which to use between home care and institutional care are found to be significantly influenced by health status and various socioeconomic factors of the elderly. In particular, those with more limitations in daily living activities and the female elderly are more likely to use long-term care and institutional care rather than home care. As for home care users, those living alone or with adult children and those with monthly household income of more than 500,000 won are more likely to use home care. Most importantly, even when the monthly household income of the elderly is controlled, the elderly recipients of the National Basic Living Security, who are not charged for long-term care, are more likely to choose home care. This implies that price as well as income is a critical factor for the decision to use long-term care. Further study on the duration of long-term care use will surely enhance the long-term care policy, when panel data is available for simultaneous analysis of the likelihood of long-term care use and its use duration.

• Journal of Nutrition and Health
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• v.52 no.1
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• pp.58-72
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• 2019

Purpose: This study examined the food and nutrient intake of Korean elderly according to the anxiety and depressive condition using the data from the Korea National Health and Nutrition Survey (KNHANES) from 2013 to 2015. Methods: The participants were 3,504 elderly people over 65 years of age (1,523 in men and, 1,981 in women). The dietary information was analyzed using the 24-hour recall data. The anxiety and depressive state was assessed using the self-reported scale EQ-5D in the quality of life dimension. The subjects were divided into the anxiety depression group (AD) and non-anxiety depression group (NAD) according to their anxiety and depressive conditions. Results: In the male elderly, the AD group had a significantly lower education and economic level and higher proportion in living alone than the NAD group. The percentage of eating lunch and dinner alone in the male AD group was higher than that of the NAD group. The female AD group showed less a lower frequency of dinner than the NAD group. The male AD group had a lower consumption of total foods, fish and shellfishes, seaweeds, mushrooms, oils and fats, and seasonings than the NAD group. With regard to the nutrient intake, the male elderly NAD group had more sufficient nutrient intakes than the AD group. In particular, the daily intakes of dietary fiber, riboflavin, niacin, potassium and iron were significantly lower in the AD group. To compare with the nutrient density of the two groups, the vitamin C and niacin intakes were lower in the AD group than in the NAD group. Overall, the nutritional status of the male AD group was significantly lower than that of the NAD group. Meanwhile, the female elderly had showed a smaller difference in nutrient intake according to their anxiety and depressive condition. Conclusion: These results of this study show that more nutritional education and emotional support are needed to improve the nutritional status and health of the male elderly with anxiety or depression.

• Journal of Nutrition and Health
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• v.48 no.3
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• pp.277-288
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• 2015

Purpose: As the rate of senior citizens living alone increases in the current aging society, there is much concern regarding the health and nutritional intake of solitary senior citizens. Therefore, this study compared the nutritional intake of senior citizens according to their family type. Methods: In July and August of 2011, two senior citizen welfare centers in Seoul were visited to survey 267 elderly women. Excluding 54 subjects for which the data were incomplete, information from 213 subjects was analyzed. The subjects were divided into three family types, living alone (LA, n = 74), living with spouse (LS, n = 78), and living with children (LC, n = 61). Results: The mean age of the LA group was the highest, while the mean age of the LS group was the lowest (p < 0.001), and WHR of the LC group was the highest (p = 0.049). Income was the highest in the LS group (p < 0.001). Frequency of eating out was the lowest in the LA group (p = 0.031). By Duncan's multiple analysis, the amounts of energy intake, vegetable protein, fat, calcium, phosphorus, potassium, selenium, Vit D, Vit E, $Vit\;B_2$, niacin, $Vit\;B_6$, $Vit\;B_{12}$, and cholesterol were significantly higher in the LS group compared with the LA or LC group (p < 0.05). The intakes of calcium, Vit D, $Vit\;B_{12}$, and cholesterol were still significantly different among the three groups, even after adjustment for age and monthly income. The LA group ate less fruit and fish than the LS or LC group (p < 0.05). The LA group showed the lowest dietary diversity and the LS group showed the highest diversity (p = 0.014), however, the significance of dietary diversity score among the three groups disappeared after adjustment for age and monthly income. Conclusion: Elderly women living with spouse were receiving better nutrition than elderly women living alone or living with children. Therefore, solitary elderly women who do not live with their spouse or children should be offered greater opportunities to receive a balanced meal at a congregational kitchen or welfare center. To ensure their healthy diet, it is essential to provide continuous nutrition education with these groups in mind.

• Journal of Popular Narrative
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• v.25 no.1
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• pp.55-85
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• 2019

In this article, we examine the real meaning behind the stories in which the N-po Generation (Millennial Generation) is depicted, through the observation of entertainment programs, TV series, and movies. This could be an opportunity to investigate the aspects of emotional customs of our era, which have been described by television media as portraying the complex and multifaceted reality in the most mundane and popular manner while influencing the public. Problems with youth unemployment, the polarization of life, and instability are not only global issues but situations that specifically occur in South Korea. It is thus vital to pay attention to the inner side of the N-po Generation who enjoy Sohwakhaeng (small but certain happiness) by eating alone as the placebo effect of this tough reality. This is an agenda that should be viewed as a problem in the fundamental design of South Korean society. The consciousness of the problem shown in the TV series has been drawing attention. The TV series Because depicts a love narrative that concentrates on emotions in a relationship that started between housemates due to poverty and housing problems, leading to marriage. Thus, the TV series persuasively dramatized 'confluent love' in the N-po Generation. In the movie , Miso can be regarded as a symbol that represents the emergence of a new generation of cultural sensitivity. There is a suggestion in the sequence of that identifies the pursuit of taste with the discovery of identity. The TV series is a growth narrative that deals heavily with youth unemployment, temporary workers, fragmented families, and dating violence. The housemates in find emotional stability through interaction with each other, and courageously approach their individual problems. In the process, images of women, who are empathetic towards others and are willing to jointly solve their problems, are calmly depicted to reveal a story of growth revolving around a ground emotional community. The current problem that South Korean society should contemplate is how to be fully human beyond mere survival, and how to further seek the conditions of human existence. In that sense, what we should pursue is a notion of 'publicness', which can put several generations together. Because of the reality that confliction between generations must be triggered, in order to make a passage of sympathizing, mass media's sensitivity training becomes more important. This may be the duty of mass media.

• Journal of the Korean Society of Food Culture
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• v.32 no.5
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• pp.383-393
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• 2017

This study was conducted to analyze the dietary lifestyle of local Chinese consumers and to classify dietary characteristics according to their dietary lifestyle factors and dietary behaviors. This investigation was conducted for 1 month from 1 January 2017 targeting 300 adult males and females living in China using the online survey company surveymonkey. Four factors relating to dietary lifestyle were identified, gourmet factor, healthy factor, convenience factor and economic factor, and these were grouped into 4 clusters according to their dietary lifestyle factor scores. Group 1, the gourmet economy group, showed a high percentage of living alone and a high frequency of eating out, but a relatively low percentage of three regular meals per day. Their dietary lifestyle was sensitive to gourmet factors and economic factors, but less sensitive to health and convenience factors. Group 2, the wide interest group, contained a high percentage of individuals in their 30s, as well as more highly educated individuals and a higher income than other groups. Because their dietary lifestyle scores tended to be higher than those of other groups, they sought a variety of new foods and gourmet meals for enjoyment of dining and life, as well as well-being food materials and foods related to health. Group 3, the health economic group, constituted a family-type consumer group with lower income level than the other groups. Members of this group were seeking health food and natural food in their dietary lifestyle and tended to pursue a high economic profit ratio when purchasing food. Finally, group 4 showed a relatively higher percentage of women over 30 and individuals with a college level or higher education than the other groups. This group was more interested in health and taste than price and convenience, and showed the highest LOHAS orientation among middle aged Chinese women. Moreover, members of this group directly utilized their knowledge regarding nutrition in real life.