• 한국노년학
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• v.39 no.1
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• pp.21-35
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• 2019

The purpose of this study was to empirically verify the effects of spousal bereavement and complicated grief level on death anxiety of the elderly. The sample consisted of 1,998 adults who were aged 65 or older. Dependent variable was measured with the Death Anxiety Scale-Korean version (DAS-K). Independent variable was measured with both spousal bereavement and the Inventory of Complicated Grief-Korean version (ICG-K). Multiple regression analysis was performed using SPSS 23.0, adjusting for demographics, psycho-social and health variables. The results indicated that death anxiety level was lower among the bereaved with normal grief (p<.01) than non-bereaved. In contrast, death anxiety level was higher among the bereaved with complicated grief than non-bereaved (p<.01). The study result suggests that the most risky factor for death anxiety is complicated grief rather than the bereavement. Although the bereavement can be a universal experience, the severity and duration of symptoms after the bereavement may not be general. The unhealed emotional and physical pain after the bereavement stimulates death anxiety, and senior citizens who suffer from complicated grief often fail to integrate the bereavement and loss into reality, therefore, may not accept the death phenomenon itself. Anxiety and fear of death can emerge when they cannot acknowledge the bereavement. To manage complex sorrows and mitigate death anxiety, intervention programs should be provided to increase adaptability to the bereavement.

• Korean Journal of Social Welfare Studies
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• v.44 no.2
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• pp.327-358
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• 2013

This study aimed to analyze the trajectories of cognitive function and functional disability, and to identify the impacts of socio-demographic factors on the two variables. Based on the assumption that there are differences according to the progress of cognitive impairment, it focused on examining the differences in trajectories of cognitive function and functional disability between two groups: dementia conversion group and dementia non-conversion group among cognitively normal older adults. This study was conducted based on the data from a 3-wave panel study of a sample of 966 Yeoncheon elderly cohort aged 65 and over between 1997 and 2003. Latent growth curve model and multi-group structural equation modeling were used to examine the hypothesis. Results revealed that dementia conversion group exhibited faster rate of cognitive decline as well as lower initial cognitive level. Difference between two groups was not significant in the initial level of functional disability, yet dementia conversion group showed greater degree of deterioration in the functional disability over time than dementia non-conversion group did. In terms of the influence of socio-demographic factors on cognitive function and functional disability, the cognitive decline was more drastic in the female group, whereas functional decline was more apparent for the male group. The level of education in early life had a strong impact on the cognitive function in later life. Based on these findings, practical implication for high risk groups in cognitive function and functional disability were discussed.

• The Korean Journal of Food And Nutrition
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• v.15 no.2
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• pp.165-172
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• 2002

Studies were carried out to observe the influence of the Aralia continentalis Kitagawa root on blood pressure and blood constituents of the 24 hypertensive elderly(10 men and 14 women aged over 60). Total subjects were divided into three groups according to taking antihypertensive medications(A), antihypertensive medications and mixing beverages with the Aralia continentalis Kitagawa root(B) or mixing beverages with Aralia continentalis Kitagawa root(C). The systolic blood pressure of C group was significantly lower than that of A and B groups. The diastolic blood pressure of C group was lower than A and B groups. The blood glucose level of C group was a little lower than that of A and B groups. The level of TG increased more in A group than C group and decreased in B group. The levels of T-cholesterol and LDL-cholesterol lowered in B and C groups and HDL-cholesterol level was higher in C group. The GOT, GPT and T-bilirubin levels of C group were significantly higher than others. Mixing beverages with Aralia continentalis Kitagawa root did not affect on blood protein and non-protein nitrogens. In conclusion, mixing beverages with Aralia continentalis Kitagawa root had an effect on lowering blood pressure, blood glucose, T-cholesterol and LDL-cholesterol concentrations.

• Journal of Yeungnam Medical Science
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• v.7 no.2
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• pp.67-77
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• 1990

This study was intended to analyse the relation between the psychic traumatic experience and the psychological health of the aged. The authors carried out this study by means of the combined anxiety-depression scale(CADS) and the preadolescence traumatic experience scale(PTES) with 278 aged men and women residing in Taegu from September to October 1988. The results were as follows : 1. Based on the scores avaluated by CADS, the scores of the both groups showed that comparative group was accounted for $40.15{\pm}6.19$, while the experimental group for $57.75{\pm}6.37$, which showed significantly higher score in the experimental group(p<0.001). 2. The experimental group showed significantly higher early experience score than the comparative group in the dietary difficulty, alcoholism among family members, disunion between husband and wife, trouble between mother and children, early mother loss, parent's indifference and unwanted birth(p<0.001). 3. The experimental group showed higher early experience score than the comparative group by sex, age, marital status and grown location(p<0.001). 4. When the subjects were included in the unemployed and in the middle or low classes and their parents were engaged in agriculture and commercial business and believing in buddhism or non-religion, showed higher experience score (p<0.001).

• Korean Journal of Social Welfare
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• v.53
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• pp.285-310
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• 2003

As National Pension Scheme for all nation complete in 1999 through expanding application in cities, the public pension including Public Occupational Pension became main axis of old-age income maintenance. After 4years since then, now, it is only half of total National Pension insured persons who have been qualified to receive pension through participate and contribution. The other half of National Pension insured is left the excluded from public pension. This paper is intended to identify scale and characteristics of the excluded from public pension and to analysis its cause, and to explore policy measures for solving the excluded's problem. for current recipients over 60 years old generation, the its excluded's scale is no less than 86% of the old over 60 years. The probability of getting in the excluded is high in case of old elderly and female for current elderly generation. For future recipients 18-59 years working generation, the its excluded's scale is no less than 61% of the 18-59 years total population. The probability of getting in the excluded is high in case of 18-29 years and female for current working generation. As logistic regression analysis determinant factor of paying or not pension contribution for future recipients, it appear that probability of getting in the excluded for current working generation is high in case of younger old, lower education attainment, irregular employee, working at agriculture forestry fishery sector, construction sector, wholesale retail trade restaurants hotels sector, financial institution and insurance real estate renting and leasing sector in comparison with manufacturing sector, occpaying at elementary occupation, professionals technicians and associate professionals, sale and service workers, plant machine operators and assemblers, legislators senior officials and managers in comparison with clerks. The Policy measures for the current recipient old generation have need to reinforce supplemental role of Senior's pension(non-contribution pension) until maturing of public pension, because of no having chance of public pension participants for them. And the Policy measures for the future recipient working generation have need to restructure social security fundamentally corresponding with social-economic change as labour market and family structure etc. The pension system has need to change from one earner one pension to one citizen one pension with citizenship rights. At this point, public pension have need to manage with combining insurance's contribution principle and citizenship principle financing by taxes. Then public pension will become substantially universal social network for old-age income maintenance and we can find real solution for the excluded from.

• Journal of the Korean association of regional geographers
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• v.7 no.3
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• pp.74-90
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• 2001

Serious depopulation has occurred since the rapid economic growth after $1965{\sim}1995$. As a result, nowadays most of mountain villages face difficulty in maintaining and managing their settlement, because of the elderly population and the extremely small size of the settlement. Population change is understood as the origin of depopulation problems and the criterion for the depopulation. This study aims to identify the problems of over-depopulation in rural Korea and to classify the patterns and process of follow and to provide policy alternatives. It consists with the three parts : identifying the problems of over- depopulation, classifying the socio-economic factors of fallow land, analyzing a detailed case study of follow land in over-depopulation rural area-Sangju Gun and to provide policy alternatives. The results are summarizes as follows: 1) In the study area, the amount of fallow and abandoned cultivated land has increased since 1975. With the increased urbanization, the cause of the increase in fallow and abandoned cultivated-land is the labor shortage of quantity and quality. The underlying reasons for the abandonment of farmland are poor field conditions and the lack of rented farmland. 2) The secondary cause is a relative labor shortage through specialization into intensive horticulture. In the study area, specialization into pear requires intensive labor input. It has caused a relative labor shortage. 3) The third causes are landowner and the lack of rented farmland due to labor shortage. The declining of agriculture and forestry have caused out-migration and increased non-residents' landowner. 4) The fallow patterns are devided into two types the less favored farmland fallow type, non-residents' landowner(out-migrator) fallow type. The significant causes of the increase in fallow and abandoned cultivated land are the labor shortage, intensive farming, less favored farmland conditions, non-residents' landowner. The factors which caused the follow processes in Korea are socio-economic factors (labor shortage, intensive farming, less favored farmland conditions) and cultural factor(non-residents' landowner, psychological ties between rural areas and urban areas).

• Journal of Preventive Medicine and Public Health
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• v.34 no.3
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• pp.284-290
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• 2001

Objectives : To evaluate the association of snoring and hyper-tension in a rural population. Methods : A population-based sample of 1,763 adults in Chonnam, Korea was investigated with questionnaires and height, weight, and blood pressure measurements. Information on the demographic characteristics, cigarette smoking, alcohol consumption, hypertension and snoring was collected through a person-to-person interview using a structured questionnaire. The level of obesity was measured by the body mass index(BMI). Hypertension was considered to be present if the average of two blood pressure measurements was greater than 140mmHg systolic or 90mmHg diastolic, or if they were currently on antihypertensive treatment. Results : The prevalence of snoring was 42.7% in men and 39.8% in women. With regard to age, snoring prevalence was 44.3% in the middle-aged group(45 to 64 years), greater than 33.9% in the younger(<45 years) group or 38.7% in the elderly($\geq65$ years) group. The snoring prevalence increased progressively with increasing BMI, but cigarette smoking and alcohol consumption was not associated with snoring. Hypertension occurred more frequently in snorers than in non-snorers (Odds ratio: 1.25, 95% confidence interval : 1.01-1.55). However after adjusting for sex, age, obesity, smoking, and alcohol use, an effect of snoring on hypertension was no longer present (Odds ratio: 1.13, 95% confidence interval = 0.90-1.41). Conclusion : These results suggest that snoring might not be associated with hypertension.

• Korean Journal of Health Education and Promotion
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• v.24 no.5
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• pp.55-68
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• 2007

The purpose of this study was to investigate differences in longevity factors for 3 age groups: centenarians, octogenarians, and sexagenarians. There were 389 elderly Korean subjects who participated in this study. This included 109 centenarians who participated in the 1-wave study that examined the longevity factors using the health behaviors and psychological reactions. The study that examined the longevity factors by using odds ratio of the logistic regression analysis. The major findings indicate that female centenarians and octogenarians scored the highest in abstinence from alcoholic drinking than males from these same 2 age groups (OR=9.04, CI=4.04, 20.24). Centenarians scored higher in non-visiting hospitals (OR=11.48, CI=5.56, 23.70) and showed little emotion when watching sad scenes, upon comparison with the younger 2 age groups. Also, centenarians scored higher in laughter (OR=11.59, CI=5.04, 26.63), showing no anxiety (OR=12.49, CI=6.42, 24.32), and displaying indifference towards games, when compared with the younger 2 age groups. The findings imply that Korean centenarian leads to a life of longevity is the result not only of psychological reactions but also of health behaviors. Also, these results support future studies of improvement of longevity factors.

• Korean Journal of Occupational Health Nursing
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• v.7 no.2
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• pp.177-185
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• 1998

The purposes of this study were to investigate the effects of farming in greenhouses with respect to subjective fatigue symptoms among farmers and the degree of symptoms. The study compared 176 green-house farmers with 216 open field farmers using a subjective fatigue symptoms rating scale developed by the Industrial Research Institute of Fatigue, Japanese Association for industrial Hygiene. 1. With respect to complaint rates of the subjective fatigue symptoms, the results indicated that greenhouse farmers have, in order of severity, high degrees of low back pain, difficulty in collecting thoughts, and apt to forget. 2. With respect to cumulative scores of fatigue symptoms, the results indicated that both groups of farmers exhibited a lack of attentiveness and a high degree of dullness and sleepiness(category I), body projection of fatigue(category II), and difficulty in concentration(category III). 3. With respect to general characteristics, it was found that the degrees of subjective fatigue symptoms were found to be higher among females, people with lower educational levels, and the elderly, regardless of the group. 4. With respect to work related factors, farmers with more years of experiences were found to have higher degrees of subjective fatigue symptoms, except for open field farmers with less than nine years experience. Both groups of farmers were found to have high degrees of subjective fatigue symptoms when working less than eight hours a day and less than six months a year. 5. With respect to health habits, for people who get less than eight hours of sleep per day exhibited higher fatigue scores than people who get more than eight hours. People who do not smoke and drink also exhibited higher fatigue scores than people who smoke and drink. 6. The results of multiple regression showed that the risk factors related to the subjective fatigue symptoms of farmers in the greenhouse group were ages, levels of education, sex and for the comparison group, were sex. years of farming, and hours of sleep. The R-square were 12.5% in the greenhouse group and 12.1% in the comparison son group. The differences between the greenhouse and open field farmers in the degrees of fatigue symptoms were found not to be statistically significant even if the working conditions of the greenhouse farmers were poor. This may be attributed to non-work related factors, i.e., social, economical, and psychological factors among greenhouse farmers.

• The Journal of Korean Medicine
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• v.29 no.1
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• pp.192-199
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• 2008

Objective : Silent infarct is more common in healthy elderly people and seems associated with risk of future stroke. However, the prevalence and risk factors of silent infarct are unclear. We investigated the prevalence and risk factors of silent infarct. Methods : 56 first-ever cerebral infarct patients were enrolled in this study. CT images were made of all 56 patients. We divided them into two groups according to the presence of silent infarcts and comparedage, sex, education period, WHR, hypertension, diabetes mellitus, hyperlipidemia, smoking, numbness and weakness of thumb and index finger, neck stiffness, facial spasm, and blepherospasm. Result : Silent infarcts were found in 24 patients(43%). Most infarcts(48%) were located in basal ganglia. Age, sex, education period, WHR, numbness and weakness of thumb and index finger, neck stiffness, facial spasm, and blepherospasm were similar between the two groups. Diabetes mellitus, hyperlipidemia, and smoking were higher in the silent infarct group. Hypertension was higher in the non-silent infarct group. Conclusion : The prevalence of silent infarct in first-ever cerebral infarction patients was 43% and diabetes mellitus, hyperlipidemia, and smoking were higher in silent infarct patients.