• International Journal of Human Ecology
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• v.2 no.1
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• pp.39-55
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• 2001

Concerns about paid-facilities for the elderly with dementia from middle and upper class families have been discussed lately in Korea. Small-scale, home-like group homes for the elderly with dementia were developed in Sweden in the 1980, but they have not been effectively introduced in Korea where they remain a comparatively new concept. The group home, however, would provide a good alternative to Koreans who feel guilty when they have to leave their frail parents in large-scale facilities or hospitals instead of caring for them at home. The aim of this paper is, first, to define the care of the demented elderly who come from upper and middle class families in Korea and, secondly, to discuss the need for group homes to help care for them. A survey was done by questionnaire and was answered by 577 respondents who belonged to middle and upper class families living in Korea in December 2000. Methods of analysis were frequency, mean, and Chi-square. The results of this study were as follows: 1) the traditional notion that the eldest son should be burdened with the primary responsibility for a demented parent has weakened remarkably; 2) a small-scale long-term care facility was considered the most desirable living environment for the demented elderly; 3) the facilities families needed for professional hospitals for victims of dementia, senior citizen centers, large and small-scale long-term care facilities, day-care centers, and short-stay and service housing. The study also revealed that there was low awareness of the group home. The most preferred type of structure for group homes was a single-family detached house, and the most preferred management system was small-scale that could create home-like atmosphere. Additionally the respondents wanted group homes to consist of 6-8 residents with 2-4 persons per room. The results of this study strongly suggest that policy makers should encourage the development of smallscale group homes as an alternative form of housing for the elderly with dementia.

• Korean Journal of Community Nutrition
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• v.29 no.1
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• pp.51-64
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• 2024

Objectives: This study examined the association between ultra-processed food (UPF) consumption and chronic diseases in elderly Koreans. Methods: Data from the 2019-2021 Korea National Health and Nutrition Examination Survey were analyzed. Dietary intake and UPF consumption were assessed using the NOVA food classification based on 24-hour recall data from 3,790 participants (aged 65+ years). Participants were divided into 4 groups based on the quartile of energy intake from UPFs. Regions were classified as urban or rural. Multivariable logistic regression was employed to estimate the adjusted odds ratios (AORs) with 95% confidence intervals (CIs) after controlling for potential confounders. Results: Among the participants, 71.3% resided in urban and 28.7% in rural areas. Compared to the urban elderly, rural participants tended to be older, have lower education and income levels, be more likely to live in single-person households, and have a higher smoking rate (P < 0.05). Urban elderly consumed more UPFs daily (146.1 g) compared to rural residents (126.6 g; P < 0.05). "Sugar-sweetened beverages" were the most consumed category in both regions. "Sweetened milk and its products" and "traditional sauces" were prominent in urban areas, while rural elderly consumed more "traditional sauces" and "distilled alcoholic beverages." Rural areas also had a higher carbohydrate-to-calorie ratio than urban areas. Compared to the lowest quartile of UPF intake, the highest quartile was significantly associated with impaired fasting glucose only in rural areas (AOR, 1.48; 95% CI, 1.00-2.19; P for trend = 0.0014). No significant associations were observed for diabetes in either urban or rural areas. Conclusions: This study suggests that high intake of UPFs is associated with increased odds of impaired fasting glucose in rural elderly. Further research is needed to elucidate the specific negative health effects of UPFs in different populations, and targeted efforts should promote healthy diets in both urban and rural areas.

• 한국노년학
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• v.29 no.3
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• pp.789-803
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• 2009

We investigated the influences of positive thought about social capital on social participation of the elderly Koreans. The study design was cross-sectional analysis of the National Statistic Office Study of Korean Society Statistics Survey 2003. Participants were total of 8,586 representative samples. Two types of social participation were investigated: meeting attendance and volunteer obligations. The base model included five thoughts about social capital that must be settled as a priority in Korea, i.e., reducing the differences between the rich and the poor, reducing the crime rate, reducing regulations and corruption, improving the moral level, eliminating environmental pollution. Social participation was influenced by positive thoughts about social capital, and different kinds of thoughts had different influences on different types of social participation. The elderly who responded positively to 'reducing the differences between the rich and the poor' attended all two types of social participation more. Along with education and health status, positive thought about social capital is another important factor that influences increased social participation. It may also compensate for deteriorating health with increasing age by promoting social participation. Encouraging social participation is a good way to improve the health of the elderly, as are efforts to change thought about social capital positively.

• Journal of the Korean Society of Food Culture
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• v.34 no.1
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• pp.23-33
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• 2019

This study examined the historical changes of and dietitians' needs for the Life Cycle-based Dietary Guidelines for Koreans. Content analysis of relevant documents, a survey of 307 dietitians, and in-depth interviews with eight dietitians were conducted. The dietary guidelines published between 2003 and 2004 included one set of common guidelines and several sets of dietary action guides corresponding to six target groups: pregnant and lactating women, infants and toddlers, children, adolescents, adults, and the elderly. The guidelines were revised between 2008 and 2011 and consisted of six sets of guidelines for the target groups without common guidelines. The dietitians considered five or six as appropriate numbers of guidelines for each group. Needs for separate guidelines for women of child-bearing age and male workers were reported. The dietitians preferred one set of common guidelines with specific action guides for each target group and wanted easier and more specific messages to be included in the new guidelines. It is suggested that the Life Cycle-based Dietary Guidelines for Koreans should be revised to reflect such dietitians' needs.

• Journal of Korean Academy of Fundamentals of Nursing
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• v.14 no.4
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• pp.493-499
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• 2007

Purpose: This study focused on identifying health promotion behavior of older adults, and factors affecting this behavior. Method: The participants in this survey analysis were Koreans aged 65 or over who had the ability to communicate and could do cognitive thinking, and who consented to participate in the survey. The survey questionnaire included items on demographic characteristics, level of depression, social support, activities of daily living, self-efficacy, and health promotion behavior. Data were analyzed using the SPSS Windows 14.0 program. Results: There were significant differences in health promotion behavior according to religion, economy and health status. Levels of depression, social support and self-efficacy had strong correlations with health promotion behavior. The factors that had the greatest effect on health promotion behavior were social support and self-efficacy. Conclusion: As social support and self-efficacy have been found to affect health promotion behavior in older adults, programs developed to enhance health of older adults should include activities to enhance both social support and self-efficacy.

• Journal of Nutrition and Health
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• v.21 no.4
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• pp.253-259
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• 1988

Riboflavin, Ascorbin Acid & Vitamin D status of 74 elderly Korean (35 men and 39 women)from urban households in Incheon were evaluated by blood analysis. Mean EGR-AC value of men was 1.05 while that of women was 1.03. Marginal deficiency of riboflavin(EGR-AC 1.15-1.35) was shown in 33.3% of men and 20% of women. Average plasma ascorbic acid contents of subjects were very low and men had significantly lower amount than women(0.23mg/㎗ vs 0.44mg/㎗). The percentages of subjects who had plasma ascorbic acid less than 0.4mg/㎗ were 88.9% of men and 45% of women. Mena serum Calcium, Inorganic phosphate contents and mean serum ALP activity of men were 9.97mg/㎗, 3.28mg/㎗ and 61.85 Unit/L respectively and those of women were 9.78mg/㎗, 3.49mg/㎗ and 67.80Unit/L respectively. From these results, Vitamin D status of subjects was considered to be normal.

• Nutritional Sciences
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• v.2 no.2
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• pp.113-118
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• 1999

Critical evaluation of energy intake data from dietary studies is difficult but important. To investigate the underreporting of total energy intake, we analyzed the one-day dietary intake data collected by 24-hour recall method from 550 elderly Koreans aged 60 years or older. Underreporting was addressed by computing the ratio of energy intake (EI) to estimated basal metabolic rate (BMRest). EI : BMRest ratio was found to be 1.38 for, men and 1.33 for women, with about 14% of men and women classified as underreporters. Underreporting of energy intake was highest in men and women who were overweight, had lower family income, or no school education. For men, the most significant variables to predict the ratio of energy intake to estimated basal metabolic. rate (EI : BMRest) were weight status, members of household, alcohol consumption and age, while income and education level were most significant for women.

• Journal of the Economic Geographical Society of Korea
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• v.19 no.1
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• pp.104-121
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• 2016

This study was conducted in order to investigate the factors affecting the elderly employment and especially focused on the factor of their residential areas. This paper performs binary logistic regression analysis with the micro data of 2014 Survey of Living Conditions and Welfare Needs of Older Koreans. To reveal the influence on the elderly employment, various dependent variables was used such as demographical, health, household, economic, lifelong job, living environment, and residential area characteristics. The elderly in rural areas have higher possibility of currently working than those in urban areas. Based on the results, more various and complex factors affected on the employment of the urban elderly. This suggested that differentiated policy supports were needed in the urban and rural areas.

• The Journal of the Korea Contents Association
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• v.21 no.2
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• pp.686-698
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• 2021

This study was conducted to analyze the mediating effect of health status and the moderating effect of economic activity in the relationship between depression and cognitive function of the elderly. For this, the data of 2017 National survey of Older Koreans that was collected all over country by Korea Institute for Health and Social Affairs were analyzed using Structural Equation Model for statistical analysis method. The results are as follows. First, the elderly's depression was found to have a negative effect on cognitive function and health status. Second, the health status of the elderly was found to have a positive effect on cognitive function. Third, a significant mediating effect of health status was founded in the relationship between depression and cognitive function. Fourth, the moderating effect of the elderly's economic activity was found in the path through which depression affects health status and health status affects cognitive function. Based on these research results, implications of social welfare were suggested.

• Health Policy and Management
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• v.33 no.1
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• pp.75-84
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• 2023

Background: The purpose of this study was to identify the factors affecting social discrimination experience on depression in the early and late elderly by region. Methods: This study used data from the National Survey of Older Koreans 2020. The subject of the study was the elderly aged 65 or older, and it was analyzed as those who responded. In order to analyze the effect of social discrimination experiences on depression, it was analyzed through binary logistic regression analysis. Results: The results of this study showed that the elderly who experienced social discrimination had a significant effect on depression. In addition, when four groups experienced social discrimination when using restaurants or coffee shops, depression was commonly affected. In addition, when both city and rural areas experience social discrimination when using sales facilities in social discrimination in the elderly, city areas are 2.21 times more likely to experience depression and 3.52 times more likely to experience depression in rural areas. The late elderly are more likely to experience 3.04 times more likely to experience social discrimination when using restaurants or coffee shops in city areas, and 3.03 times more likely to experience depression when experiencing social discrimination to make major decisions in the family in rural areas. Conclusion: In conclusion, it is necessary to prepare alternatives to prevent depression and improve mental health suitable for the characteristics of age and residential area. In addition, it suggests that personal and social efforts are needed to solve the problem of social discrimination in order to reduce depression in the elderly.