• Journal of the Korea Convergence Society
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• v.9 no.4
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• pp.85-91
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• 2018

This is a qualitative research that was carried out to analyze the experience of loneliness of the elderly people living alone using the result of focus group interviews. This study conducted interviews with 28 subjects in the Senior Welfare Center of D city. For the purpose, 28 persons were divided into 5 groups, and interviews were carried out with each group for 50-70 minutes. and the voluntary character of research participation was sufficiently explained. As a result of the research, three topic collections consisting of 'Unavoidable lonesomeness', 'Inevitable death', and 'Acceptance of my life' and seven subjects, which consist of 'Absence of spouse', 'Independence for children', 'Death of neighbor (friend)', 'Fear of death left alone', 'Laying down', 'Taking care of my health', and 'Soothing loneliness in my own way', were derived. The elderly persons living alone who participated in this research expressed their feeling of unavoidable loneliness and their effort to overcome the loneliness. Based on the findings of this research, it is hoped that diverse plans to overcome psychological loneliness of the elderly people living alone will be developed.

• Journal of the Korean housing association
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• v.25 no.6
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• pp.123-132
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• 2014

Proportion of senior population living alone in South Korea has exceeded over 20.2% in 2012, and it is anticipated that the proportion would increase every year. Poverty rate of seniors living alone in Korea is also anticipated to increase the highest rate (76.6%) among OECD countries. In particular, seniors lacking family support are having greater difficulty and isolated due to high housing costs and housing instability. Therefore, they need a new housing alternatives for considering their economical difficulty and lacking family and social support. This study attempted to examine possibility to develop a new housing alternatives for Korean seniors, especially living urban area. For this purpose, this study identified the attitudes and preference for a new house alternatives(Senior Shared House) by Korean seniors living alone. The key findings of this study were as follows: 1) Eighty-five percent of seniors participated in this study responded the senior shared house was needed. 2) It should be developed by utilizing or renovating and renting out existing housing in city areas. 3) Pre-residence checklist can be developed to connect and match prospect residents. 4) Professional workforce (e.g. housing welfare professional) is absolutely necessary to perform the role of coordinator understanding the various characteristics of the seniors, and their living requirements. Recommendations and directions for future development of senior shared house were suggested.

• Journal of Korean Public Health Nursing
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• v.26 no.2
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• pp.204-214
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• 2012

Purpose: This study was conducted in order to the relationship between life satisfaction, health behaviors, and successful aging and factors associated with successful aging. Methods: Participants in this study included 159 elders living in one city. Data on life satisfaction (Choi's Life Satisfaction Scale for Korean elderly, 1984), health behaviors (Choi & Kim's Health Behaviors Scale for Korean elderly, 1997), and successful aging (Kim & Shin's Successful Aging Scale for Korean elderly, 2005) were collected by trained interviewers. For analysis of collected data, the PASW 18.0 program was used, which included descriptive analysis, t-test, ANOVA, Scheffe test, Pearson correlation coefficients, and Multiple regression. Results: Results showed a positive correlation between life satisfaction, health behaviors, and successful aging. Life satisfaction, self-perceived health status, and health behavior explained 60.8% of successful aging. Conclusion: There is a need to help improve health behavior and self-perceived health status of elders. We should also understand life satisfaction over their life span and establish a program that encourages healthy behavior in the community. Accordingly, these efforts will allow for achievement of a more successful aging process for the elderly.

• 한국노년학
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• v.30 no.4
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• pp.1179-1195
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• 2010

In this study, we investigated the effects of ego integrity on QoL(Quality of Life) of elderly living alone, where we focused on moderating role of SF36 health factors. To investigate the cause and effect of factors, we purposively collected 282 samples from senior welfare centers in Jeonju city and exploited reliability analysis, confirmatory factor analysis and SEM(Structural Equation Modeling) for 265 cases excluding some cases with missing values. As the results, first, we confirmed ego integrity was positive predictor of QoL. Second, it was proven that the effect of ego integrity on QoL of elderly living alone was stronger in the lower physical functioning group than higher physical functioning group. Third, we also verified that the group with more difficulties in activities or work as a result of poor physical health showed higher effect of ego integrity on QoL. Based on the results, we could explain the reason of conflicts regarding how elderly's health influenced on ego integrity. Also, in the practice of intervention to elderly's problem, we found the health factors could be an indicator of direction or effect of the intervention

• Korean Journal of Health Education and Promotion
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• v.23 no.3
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• pp.99-119
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• 2006

Objectives: This study intends to understand the difference within group of social support level and the effect of social support to health behaviors and health status of the elderly by selecting the old of local society as target. Methods: Data were obtained from self-administered questionnaire of 8,688 persons, older than 65 years, living in a community. We measured the sociodemographic characteristics, social support(family support, other support, quality of support), physical health state(subjective health status, number of chronic disease), physical function state(activities of daily living; ADL, instrumental activities of daily living; IADL), cognition state(mini-mental state examination-Korean; MMSE-K) and depression state(short form of geriatric depression scale; SGDS), health behaviors(smoking, drinking, exercise, eating habit). Univariate, multinominal logistic regression and covariance structure analysis were employed to analyze factors affecting on the social support of the elderly. Results: When considering the degree of social support by the sociodemographic characteristics of the older adults, the family support, other support and quality of support is better when the old is male, young, high education and self-reported living status is good and it has significance statistically. When considering the relation between social support and health status, the family support, other support and quality of support is better when the old's subjective and objective physical health status is good. The family support, other support and quality of support is better when the old's subjective health status is better. The other support and quality of support is better when the old's ADL(activities of daily living) and IADL(instrumental activities of daily living) are good. The family support, other support and quality of support is better when the old's cognitive function and depression state is better. When considering the relation between social support and health behaviors, in case of smoking and drinking, the quality of support, family support and other support is better when the old smokes and drinks rather than the old does not. In case of exercise and eating habit, the family support, other support and quality of support is better when the old exercises and eats regularly rather than the old does not. It has significance statistically. From the result of performing covariance structure analysis by structural equation modeling(SEM) with two endogenous variable(health behaviors and health status) and one exogenous variable(social support), factor loading of health status is 0.74 and factor loading of health behaviors is 0.05. The social support explains health status of 55.4% and health behaviors of 2.9%. Conclusions: This study has the meaning that it finds the difference of social support generating from inside of the group for the old residing in city and country and specifies the effect that the difference of social support influences to health status and health behaviors. From now on, in the development of health improvement strategy of the olds, it is necessary to approach from inclusive aspect while considering psychosocial factor such as social support and social economical factor as well as health status.

• Korean Journal of Adult Nursing
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• v.22 no.3
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• pp.239-249
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• 2010

Purpose: The objective of this study was to identify the relationships between family function and successful aging of vulnerable elderly using the circumplex model. Methods: The participants were the elderly (N=401) who were over 65 years old living in H city under the National Livelihood Security Act. Family Adaptability and Cohesion Evaluation Scale III and Successful Aging Instrument were used. Results: The family function perceived by the study subjects was average $43.20{\pm}16.62$ out of maximum 100 points. According to the analysis on family types suggested by circumplex model, there were 183 people for balance family (45.6%) and 218 people (54.4%) for extreme family. The total points on successful aging were $1.67{\pm}0.37$ out of 3 points. When the difference in points on the Successful Aging instrument were analyzed according to the scores on the Family Adaptability and Cohesion Scale those points of the balanced family were statistically significant (t=2.087, p=.038). Conclusion: In case of the balanced family type, the level of perceiving successful aging was relatively higher. For the improvement of family function, it is advised that the successful aging perception among vulnerable elderly can be uplifted through a program that enables effective communication with other family members.

• Journal of Korean Academy of Nursing
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• v.39 no.1
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• pp.21-32
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• 2009

Purpose: The purpose of this study was to investigate the level of life satisfaction and the significant factors which impact on life satisfaction of young-old (60-69 yr), old (70-79 yr), and oldest-old (80 yr or above) women. Methods: The participants for this study were 289 elderly Korean women living in the city of Daegu and Kyongpook province. The data were collected using structured questionnaires. ANOVA, Chi-square, and multiple regression with the SPSS program were used to analyze the data. Results: There were statistically significant differences among young-old, old, and oldest-old women regarding the existence of spouse, income, educational status, and religions. The model including variables related to physical, psychological, financial, and social aspects of life, explained variance of life satisfaction of elderly women differently, such as 55% of young-old, 37% of old, and 66% of oldest-old. Finally, self-esteem was the only predictor in explaining the level of life satisfaction among old women regardless age. Conclusion: Based on the findings of the study, implications for practical services for elderly women and recommendations of further study are provided. Nursing interventions should be developed to improve life satisfaction of elderly women according to age differences.

• 한국노년학
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• v.27 no.2
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• pp.445-458
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• 2007

This study aims to find the extent to which the elderly intends to live in their community and significant factors related to their intention and to provide basic but important empirical data in approaching to various community resources for community care service for the elderly. This study analyzed the raw data titled social welfare needs of residents of Busan Metropolitan City surveyed in 2005. Within the data, 1,673 households were selected in which at least one senior citizen aged 65 and over lived together. Questionnaires from in each household were analyzed. Research findings indicate that 80% of the respondents intend to live in their home rather than in residential institutions and that the elderly without adult children(55.2%) have less intention for living in their home than the elderly without their spouse(76.4%). Their intention-related factors were the presence of adult children, recognition on community resources for the elderly and perceived number of chronic diseases, when they were presumed to be healthy. When they were presumably weak or ill, socio-economic factors such as home ownership and welfare recipience were found to be more influential factors than family-related variables. The elderly who intended to live in home rather than to live in a residential institution were less likely to use social services in community than expected. Policy and practice implications were suggested on the basis of the findings.

• Journal of Agricultural Extension & Community Development
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• v.13 no.1
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• pp.69-83
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• 2006

This study aims to develop useful programs, which would promote the economic activities of rural elderly and their living standard as the silver population is growing in the society, to present the direction of policy related to the elderly for governmental agencies, and make it available as data that can be accessed by civil servants, in charge of elderly-related matters and currently serving at city office and municipal and county agricultural technique center, so that they can provide education to the elderly. For this, first, the economic condition of the rural elderly and their requirements have to be diagnosed. Second, we developed a program that specially aimed at improving their economic activities. To develop of program, a survey questionnaire was administered with the 881 elderly over 60 years old who live in 110 rural villages. Face to face interview was carried out by professional interviewer. The result was once posted in the 2nd issue of volume 14th of this journal in 2004 with the title of "Study of the rural elderly's activities and needs of economics." Based on such result of study, we developed the program to provide jobs to the rural elderly that are suitable for them. 2 types programs, which differ from each other depending on the subject of implementing the welfare of the elderly, were developed: first, "program to create jobs for rural elderly at the policy supporting level, which requires the government to drive forward, and second, 'program to provide education to rural elderly at the social level' to foster them as competent human resources."

• Journal of Community Nutrition
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• v.3 no.2
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• pp.120-126
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• 2001

Body antioxidant status is an important factor for the prevention of many chronic diseases in the elderly. This study was done to evaluate the nutritional status of antioxidant vitamins of the elderly by determining their intakes and plasma levels. It was also aimed to compare daily intakes and plasma levels of antioxidant vitamins by sex of age. Subjects were 225 elderly persons aged over 60 years old (63 males, 162 females) living in Ulsan area. Subjects were divided by groups according to age(＜ 65, 65－74, 75) and sex. Dietary Intakes were assessed by semi-quantitative food frequency questionnaires(FFQ). Plasma Vitamin C level was measured by 2,4-dinitrophenylhydrazine method and plasma levels of vitamin E, A and ${\beta}$-carotene were measured by HFLC. The average intakes of vitamin C were 104.9g(150% of RDA) and 104.4g(149％ of RDA) in the elder1y males and females, respectively. Vitamin C intake of the elderly was significantly decreased by aging but not different by sex. The average intakes of vitamin A were 678$\mu\textrm{g}$RE(96.9% of RDA) and 604$\mu\textrm{g}$:RE(86.2% of RDA) in elderly males and females, respectively. The average levels of Plasma vitamin C were 6.22mg/L and 11.45mg/L in the elderly males and females, respectively. Those levels are within normal range(6-20mg/L). However the percentage of the elderly males with deficiency(＜ 2mg/L) and marginal level(2-4mg/L) of vitamin C were 27.4% and 16.1%, respectively. Plasma retinaol levels were 0.39mg/L for the elderly males and 0.37mg/L for the elderly females, which were within normal range. But the percentage of subjects with marginal level were 28% ill both males and females. Plasma ${\alpha}$-tocopherol levels of the elderly were lower than normal range(5-12mg/L). Plasma levels of vitamin C, E and ${\beta}$-carotene, except retinol, were significantly higher in the elderly females compared to males and showed significant decrease by aging.