• Journal of the Korea Furniture Society
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• v.28 no.1
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• pp.16-26
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• 2017

In today's aging society, stable residential environment is essential for the elderly living alone to be able to do activities of daily living without restrictions and cherish a satisfactory quality of life. We developed a safe and convenient multifunctional sofa by removing complex combinations and decomposing processes of the multifunctional transformable furniture, appropriate for the use by elderly living alone. We deduced the 4 main keywords and details related to the purpose of sofa by analyzing the users' physical and mental characteristics through literature review and by using 24-hour scheduling, interviews, and actual measurement. Finally, by applying this to furniture planning, we designed 4 different types of multifunctional sofa system. Production was done in cooperation with AND Co. for 2 weeks using materials, colors and adhesives selectively chosen with careful consideration of their effects on the physical, mental aspects of the user to give optimal comfortability.

• Nutrition Research and Practice
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• v.14 no.3
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• pp.242-251
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• 2020

BACKGROUND/OBJECTIVES: This study was conducted to examine disparities in food and nutrient intakes based on family types identified among 1,856 participants who were the Korean elderly people in the 6th Korea National Health and Nutrition Examination Survey (KNHNES) excluding those who were currently practicing the diet therapy. SUBJECTS/METHODS: We separated the subjects into two groups: living alone (LA, n = 638) and living with a spouse (LS, n = 1,218). We also examined the disparities of dietary quantity and quality of those two groups using complex sampling design general linear regression analyses (CS GLM). RESULTS: In the LA group, there was a higher percentage of females and average age in LA group was higher than the participants in the LS group. Household income and education level were significantly lower in LA compared to those of LS. The frequencies of skipping meals were higher in LA. LA's food and nutrient intakes showed lower consumption of vegetables, fruits, seaweeds, and of most nutrients. Even after adjusting for the confounding factors, the consumption of vegetables, seaweeds, carbohydrates, potassium, riboflavin, and vitamin C showed lower in LA than LS. Moreover, LA's nutrient intake ratios compared to the KDRIs were lower which turned out to be similar to their nutrient intakes. CONCLUSIONS: These results show that dietary behavior and food intake of the elderly are associated with family types. Frequently skipping meals and less dietary variety are more common with elderly persons who were living alone. Therefore, it is necessary to integrate the supplementary food programs and nutrition education programs for the elderly living alone.

• Journal of the Korean Institute of Rural Architecture
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• v.25 no.3
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• pp.1-8
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• 2023

This study aims to analyze the trend of changes in the elderly living arrangement over the past 20 years and the reasons why the elderly choose these changes. The subjects of the survey were households aged 65 years or older in Korea. Data from the survey of Ministry of Health and Welfare conducted in 2004, 2014, 2020 were used for the analysis. The result of analysis was as follows; First, since 2000, the number of elderly households living with their children has been rapidly decreasing, while the number of elderly couple households and single elderly households is gradually increasing. Second, elderly living alone appeared more in rural areas, women, older people, and elderly with low education. They are in a vulnerable position that needs help. Therefore, welfare policies for the elderly should be focused on elderly single households. Finally the reason for choosing elderly single household in 2020 was that the voluntary choice by the individual accounted for a much higher rate than the unintentional choice by the children. In addition, the life satisfaction of the elderly who arbitrarily selected the living arrangement was higher than that of the elderly who deliberately chose the living arrangement.

• Korean Journal of Community Nutrition
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• v.26 no.5
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• pp.337-349
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• 2021

Objectives: The purpose of this study was to analyse the relationship between eating behaviour and healthy dietary competency of single and multi-person households, to improve healthy eating behavior. Methods: This study was conducted on 6,355 adult household members who participated in the Food Consumption Behavior Survey 2020. The subjects were divided into age groups comprising young people in their 20s and 30s, middle-aged people in their 40s and 50s, and the elderly in their 60s and above. The eating behavior and healthy dietary competency of single-person and multi-person households were then analyzed. Results: The average age of the members in the single-person households was found to be higher. Single-person households were also found to have a lower marriage rate and lower monthly household income than multi-person households across the age groups of young, middle-aged, and elderly people (P < 0.05). Among each of the age groups, single-person households had significantly higher rates of skipping breakfast and eating breakfast, lunch, and dinner alone than multi-person households (P < 0.05). Young single-person households had lower average scores on healthy dietary competency than multi-person households (P = 0.032). When adjusted for age, gender, marriage, education, occupation, and household income, single-person households had a higher risk of delivery/take-out, eating out, or skipping meals compared to multi-person households (P < 0.05). In multi-person households, the risk of skipping meals, eating alone, eating out, or delivery/take-out decreased as healthy dietary competency improved (P < 0.05). On the other hand, in single-person households, as healthy dietary competency increased, the risk of delivery/take-out or eating alone decreased (P < 0.05). Conclusions: The results of this study suggest that healthy dietary competency and eating practices can be improved by providing customized dietary education by age group for single and multi-person households.

• Journal of the Korean Institute of Rural Architecture
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• v.17 no.4
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• pp.1-8
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• 2015

This study is designed to identify the changes of the elderly's residential environment and life satisfaction in rural area during the past 20 years. Data from the survey of Ministry of Health and Welfare conducted in 1994, 1998, 2004, 2008, and 2014 were used for the analysis. The subjects of the study included a sample of 11,019 respondents who represent aged 65 and older in Korea rural area. The result of analysis indicated that; First, the average age of the rural elderly continuously increased and the rural elderly that hope to live with their grown-up children gradually declined. It means that the social responsibility of supporting the elderly is steadily expanding. Second, the ratio of rural elderly living with their children is decreased from 43% in 1994 to 11% in 2014, whereas the single elderly household who are living alone or living with spouse increased. And more elderly live with married children in order to help their children rather than receiving help from them. Third, the frequency of intercourse with their children tended to decline gradually, in contrast with communication frequency with them mounted steadily during the past few decades. Finally, the factors influencing the life satisfaction of rural elderly was health status, economic level, child relationship with them, and residential environment.

• The Korean Journal of Health Service Management
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• v.11 no.3
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• pp.79-90
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• 2017

Objectives : The purpose of this study was to identify the prevalence of malnutrition and to explore its association with socioeconomic and social support factors among Korean elderly in the community. Methods : The study sample was a weighted population of 10,160 elderly who participated in the 2014 Korean Elderly Living Conditions and Welfare Survey. Multiple logistic regression analyses were performed to assess the association socioeconomic and social support factors have with malnutrition. Results : Of the Korean elderly 18.6% were at risk of malnutrition. Being uneducated (OR=1.40) and having a lower household income (OR=1.97) were significantly associated with malnutrition even after adjusting for other socio-demographic and health-related covariates. Elderly who lived alone (OR=1.86) and who had poor relationships with their children (OR=1.97) were at much higher risk of malnutrition than their counterparts. Their having poor relationships with acquaintances and poor social participation were also associated with malnutrition. Conclusions : Socioeconomic and social support resources are important factors in the nutritional status of the elderly.

• Human Ecology Research
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• v.57 no.1
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• pp.73-89
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• 2019

This study explores the social phenomenon of the universalization of one-person households through a literature analysis and text mining in order to explore a future direction for Home Economics Education(HEE) development in the one-person household era. From 2010 to 2018, texts from newspaper articles and book content of one-person households were analyzed through R program. The results of the study are as follows. In order to develop students' competency to live a happy life in the one-person household era, it is necessary to: (1) expand the preemptive and collaborative research of HEE, (2) develop and operate a curriculum to raise the living competency to live alone, (3) expand opportunities for secondary school students as well as off-campus youth, middle-aged, and elderly students, and (4) develop various HEE's elective curriculum focusing on the ability to live as one-person household. Also, (5) in order to overcome the psychological and social poverty and isolation of one-person households, HEE should strengthen the learner's ability to form relationships through self-esteem, care of others, community life, communication and conflict resolution education. In conclusion, HEE's independent living competency, relationship formation competency, and practical problem solving competency are all necessary competencies to live in one-person households. In this study, it is meaningful to suggest a future direction for HEE and to use new research methods such as word cloud techniques in the absence of HEE's previous research in relation to the increase of one-person households.

• Journal of Korean Public Health Nursing
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• v.14 no.1
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• pp.26-40
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• 2000

This study was conducted to find out residential environment, mood states, ADL(Activity Daily Living) and nursing need of the elderly who live alone. The questionnaire survey was conducted on 154 single household elderly over 65years who live n D-city, Kangwon Province. The data were collected between September 1. 1999 and October 17, 1999 and analyzed by means of SPSS package. The results were as follows; 1. The percentage of the subjects who owned their house was no were than $13\%$., which showed that they still belonged to the economically vulnerable class. As for their residential environment, the average indoor temperature and humidity level were $16.45^{\circ}C\;and\;44.62\%$ respectively during the daytime between September and October, which proved to range within the standard scope. The average indoor illumination level was, however, 43.61 Lux, which showed that their illumination environment was very poor. 2. The average score of their mood states was 3.31. which turned out to be rather low. 3. The mean score of ADL was 1.69, which showed that they didn't have any serious inconveniences in their ordinary lives. 4. The mean score of their nursing need was 275, which proved to be close to the normal level. 5. The higher the room humidity was, the higher their nursing need increased. The higher the degree of illumination level was, the lower the degree of their nursing need was and the higher the level of ADL was. 6. The major factors influencing their moon status were the frequency of their contact with children and room humidity. These two factors could account for $22\%$ of the total mood status. These results suggest that the residential environment should be necessarily considered in the psychological nursing intervention for the elderly who live alone and they should be urgently supported in terms of health policy so that they can maintain the optimum level of illumination during the daytime.

• Health Policy and Management
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• v.18 no.4
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• pp.1-22
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• 2008

Burden of disease analysis provides a unique perspective on health by integrating fatal and non-fatal outcomes, yet allows the outcome of two classes to be examined separately. Although many studies have shown the inequality in health outcomes across socioeconomic status (SES), an analysis and comparison of Disability Adjusted Life Year (DALY) between different socioeconomic groups has been rare. This paper calculates the DALY and analyzes the distribution of DALYs for different SES. This study draws from 3,278 cases from the survey on "The Livelihood and Welfare Needs of the Elderly (2004)". It first provides a comprehensive assessment of the burden of 10 chronic diseases of the elderly based on DALY. Then this paper analyzes inequalities in the burden of disease by the levels of SES such as education, income, family size, occupation, and subjective economic conditions. For the elderly, the burden of disease is the highest for hypertension, arthritis and cancer. DALY rate per 1,000 people for the most socio-economically disadvantaged group is expressed as a multiple of the standardized rate for the least disadvantaged group (Rate Ratios). Family size is strongly related to. the difference in the burden of disease between SES groups, and the elderly Who live alone have higher DALY rate than those who live with their family. Other significant variables related to SES groups include subjective economic conditions, occupation, elderly income, and household income.

• Journal of the Korean Society of Food Science and Nutrition
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• v.28 no.1
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• pp.265-273
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• 1999

Elderly Koreans living in Muju Gun, Jeonbuk were divided into two groups with ages(65~74 years old group & over 75 years old group) and surveyed with questionnaire to investigate their dietary status and those factors affected with ages. The score of food habit in both sexes showed a falling tendency as their ages increased. Compared with elderly men, elderly women showed lower quality of diet. Elderly Korean were more consumed cereals and green vegetables than milk, egg, meat & fish, seaweed and fats & oils. As education level increased, the food habit score showed a rising tendency. The correlation coefficient between the score of food habit and education level was positive in illiterate and school graduates. The score of food habit of living together with their family was higher than those of living alone or living with their spouse. As household income increased, the food habit score showed a rising tendency. In the case of self consciousness of socioeconomic status was middle, food habit score is higher than those of very low. Dental status of eldery people did not affect food habit score. Palatability showed no significant correlation with age. Elderly Koreans prefered sweet taste than salty, sour, and bitter taste.