• 한국노년학
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• v.29 no.4
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• pp.1645-1663
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• 2009

The purpose of the study is to analyze the mediating effects of self-image on the relationship between experience of discrimination and self-esteem among the elderly in Korea. Furthermore, it is to explore whether these effects are moderated by social and economic activity participation. Data were collected from a cross-sectional survey of 543 community-dwelling Korean older adults (age≥65) drawn from community and senior centers in the mid-size city in Korea. The statistical analysis was performed by a structural equation modeling using LISREL statistical program. The results are fourfold. First, experiences of discrimination exerted the negative effects on physical, dispositional, and competent self-images of the elderly. Second, dispositional and competent self-image brought down by discriminative experiences lowered the levels of self-esteem. Third, social activity participation moderated the negative effects of discrimination experiences on physical and dispositional self-images. It also moderated the effects of dispositional self-image on self-esteem. Fourth, economic activity participation did not show moderating effects on the relationship between experience of discrimination and self-images. Meanwhile, it moderated the effect of competent self-image on self-esteem. These results demonstrate that to improve self-esteem of the elderly population, social welfare policies should make effort to reduce discrimination toward the elderly. Furthermore, social welfare organizations should also try to implement diverse community based programs geared for enhancing social and economic activities for elderly. Limitations and directions for future research are also discussed.

• The Korean Journal of Community Living Science
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• v.18 no.3
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• pp.417-431
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• 2007

This study investigates the differences among residental areas in the health, standard of living, and social relationships of female elderly living alone. The total of 501 subjects(185 from rural areas, 159 from fishing communities, 77 from the islands, and 80 from urban areas) were questioned from May to July, 2006. The research area was confined to Chungcheong Province. The female elderly living alone of this study were an average of seventy-three years old, had a low cost of living, and received little formal school education. Over sixty percent(60.3) of them lived on less than thirty dollars a month which was the recognized Korean poverty level in 2006. The female elderly living alone were evaluated as being in good health, but they themselves perceived their health as being poor. Observed by residential areas, the subjects in urban areas were lower in ADL, and both the urban dwellers and the islanders appeared to be higher in their satisfaction with medical services as compared to those in rural areas and fishing communities. The fishing villagers showed the lowest standard of living for female elderly living alone. The analysis of social relationships as seen in the different residental areas revealed that the female elderly living alone g in urban areas tended to be receiving social supports rather than providing for others, and subjects living in fishing areas and the islands proved to be relatively higher in the exchange of social supports. In relation to offspring, the female elderly living alone in urban areas had a lower frequency of meeting with their children and also a lesser degree of intimacy with them because they lived at a distance. On the other hand, subjects living in rural areas and fishing communities had a higher frequency of meeting with their children and a greater degree of intimacy with them even if they lived at a distance. The study also showed that the female elderly living alone in the islands had a higher frequency of once meeting per three week with their offspring and a higher degree of intimacy with them because they all live in the same islands. In conclusion, the subject living in urban areas appeared to be isolated from their offspring as compared to the other seniors in the study. The female elderly living alone in urban areas suffered from an insufficient network of relatives and neighbors, and they experienced a poor quality of relationships to their offspring. Almost all of the lone seniors in the study had a low score in social activities; however, the female elderly living alone in urban areas revealed a higher level of participation in volunteer activities, group activities, and educational activities. Nevertheless, the lone seniors living in urban areas were not satisfied with their participation in social activities. The subjects living in rural in fishing communities and the islands showed more participation in money-making activities. This study suggests that the policies for female elderly living alone should reflect the differences of regional characteristics.

• The Korean Journal of Community Living Science
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• v.27 no.4
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• pp.831-850
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• 2016

The ratio of suicide among the elderly in Korea has nearly tripled within the last 20 years. With this in mind, this study examined the effects of social exclusion on depression and suicidal ideation among the elderly living in elderly-only households with a focus on gender differences. Social exclusion is composed of economic, health, housing, education, social participation, and relational aspects. For this study, data were gathered from 527 participants aged 65 years and over. The statistical methods used for data analysis were descriptive statistics, chi-square test, t-test, and hierarchical regression analysis with the SPSS Win 20.0 program. The results of this study are summarized as follows: First, more than 80% of the elderly experienced social exclusion. Women were shown to be more vulnerable than men in terms of housing exclusion, educational exclusion, health exclusion, and multiple exclusion, whereas men were more vulnerable than women in terms of social participation exclusion. Second, social exclusion had significant effects on suicidal ideation among the Korean elderly. We also observed gender differences in the results. Regression analysis of suicidal ideation showed that relational exclusion had a significant effect on suicidal ideation in men, whereas health exclusion had a significant effect on suicidal ideation in women. Results of the study show that stronger social support networks and policies focusing on the elderly are needed in order to reduce elderly suicide in Korea.

• The Journal of the Korea Contents Association
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• v.14 no.10
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• pp.171-179
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• 2014

The purpose of this study was to analyze the relationships among social activities, self-efficacy and the level of life satisfaction of the elderly. 394 structured questionnaires were collected from the elderly aged 60 plus who live in Joonggu, Dajeon City, and the frequency analysis, factor analysis, reliability analysis and hierarchical regression analysis were carried out through SPSS Ver 18.0. The results were as follows. First, the frequencies of the learning and cultural activity, social collective activity and family community activity showed relatively high. The participation frequencies showed as 30% for one or two times per week and 20% for nearly no. And the participation time lasted only one or two hours which meat very low level. Second, the positive cognition on the participation in social activities and taking an active part in social activities had an positive effect on self-efficacy and the level of life satisfaction of the elderly.

• Therapeutic Science for Rehabilitation
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• v.9 no.4
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• pp.45-54
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• 2020

Objective : The purpose of this study was to identify the relationships among cognitive function, activities of daily living (ADL), participation and quality of life in community-dwelling elderly. Methods : Cognitive function, ADL, participation and quality of life were assessed in the 144 elderly people residing in the community. We used MMSE-K for measuring cognitive function, K-ADL for ADL, K-ACS for participation, and GQOL for quality of life. Results : Cognitive function was significantly correlated with social activity of participation and quality of life (physical health, psychological health, social relations and economic level). ADL was significantly correlated with participation (instrumental ADL, leisure activity) and all sub-areas of quality of life. Social activity of participation were significantly correlated with all subarea of quality of life except physical health. Among the variables, the most relevant variable was leisure activity. Conclusion : It was related to quality of life in the order of participation, ADL, and cognitive function. Among the sub-areas of participation, leisure activity was the most correlated with quality of life. This study, thus, aimed to provide basic data for successful elderly life by examining the correlation between cognitive function, daily life activity, participation and quality of life in community-dwelling elderly.

• The Journal of the Korea Contents Association
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• v.18 no.3
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• pp.509-519
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• 2018

The purpose of this study was to examine the attitude toward own aging among community-residing elderly and the predictors of the attitude focusing on personal resources, social support, and social participation. Data were collected from 198 elders aged 60+ with the cooperation of several social service center for the aged, senior centers, and senior citizen associations in Daejeon Metropolitan City. SPSS 22.0 software was used for descriptive analysis, correlation analysis, and hierarchical regression analysis. The results showed that (1) the research participant elderly's attitude toward own aging indicated fairly negative perception of their own aging; (2) self-esteem and economic status were statistically significant factors indicating the higher levels of self-esteem and economic status predicting the positive attitude of their own aging; (3) emotional support from family was statistically significant factor that predicted the positive attitude of their own aging; (4) the level of social participation was also statistically significantly associated with the positive attitude; (5) In the full model of all independent variables, the significance of emotional support from family and social participation disappeared, but self-esteem and economic status among personal resources remained statistically significant influential factors. Based on the findings, suggestions for social welfare policy and practice to improve community-residing elderly's positive attitude toward their own aging were discussed.

• 한국노년학
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• v.37 no.1
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• pp.1-14
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• 2017

The purpose of this study was to examine the effect of vision and hearing limitation on the onset of disability among Korean elderly with the consideration of social participation and depression. Study population consisted of 2,670 people aged 65 and above who participated in both the 1st(2006) and 2nd(2008) wave of the Korean Longitudinal Study of Aging(KLoSA), and also reported no ADL or IADL disability in 2006. As the results, first, it found that vision and hearing limitation, social participation, and depression were significant risk factors for the onset of IADL disability in unadjusted analysis. After multivariable adjustment, however, only vision limitation showed significant association with the onset of IADL disability. Second, in the logistic analysis with four categorized variables(vision/hearing limitation + social participation, vision/hearing limitation + depression), the elderly who had vision or hearing limitation had a significantly 1.7 times higher odds ratio for disability onset if they also had low social participation compared with those who had no vision or hearing limitation, and high social participation. Whereas, depression was not significantly associated with the relationship between vision or hearing limitation, and disability onset. The study suggests that the intervention program developed to prevent social isolation of older people with vision or hearing limitation, may be helpful to reduce and postpone the risk of disability onset as well as early detection and treatment of vision or hearing problems.

• The Journal of Korea Robotics Society
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• v.15 no.2
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• pp.160-168
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• 2020

There exists a popular belief that the elderly are more conservative than the younger people in acceptability of new technology. This study explores whether the generation gap in technology acceptance exists in the case of using telepresence robots, which project the presence and mobility of remote operator, for the universal purpose of social participation rather than for specific applications. Two groups of senior citizens and undergraduate students in their twenties personally experienced the telepresence robots operation and conducted a survey on how they perceived the social participation of a remote operator mediated by telepresence robot and to what extent the remote operator deserve equal rights to be treated as if one really exists in the local environment. The results show that the elderly have higher expectation on the role and functions of telepresence robots, and more favorable in principle for a remote operator to exercise equal rights by operating telepresence robot. It suggests that the stereotypes, the elderly lag behind younger generation in accepting new technology, is unlikely to fit into the telepresence robot market, for the elderly have more favor and support using telepresence robots as an universal avatar for social participation.

• Journal of the Korean Society of Industry Convergence
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• v.27 no.3
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• pp.709-725
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• 2024

This study utilized the raw data from the Community Health Survey (2023) to compare differences in body function, activity, participation, environment, personal factors, and suicidal ideations between elderly individuals aged 65 and older living alone and those living with families in Korea. The study subjects consisted of 80,618 elderly individuals aged 65 and older. Cross-tabulation analysis χ²-test), independent sample t-test, and logistic regression analysis were conducted. The results indicated that for both elderly individuals living alone and those living with families, age(p<.001), smoking(p<.001), stress(p<.001), depression experience(p<.001), and falls experiences(p<.001) were risk factors that increased suicidal ideations. Conversely, educational level(p<.05), income level(p<.001), subjective health status(p<.001), social participation(p<.001), economic activity(p<.001), community environment(p<.001), and social relationships were protective factors that reduced suicidal ideations. These findings demonstrate that demographic characteristics and individual health status significantly influence suicidal ideation in the elderly, while social factors contribute to a decrease in suicidal ideation. Furthermore, considering the differences found between elderly individuals living alone and those living with families regarding hypertension and gender, differentiated interventions for suicide prevention are necessary.

• Korean Journal of Comparative Education
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• v.27 no.3
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• pp.185-212
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• 2017

The purpose of this study is to raise the necessity of an alternative awareness toward economic activities as the work form of social participation by the elderly and their corresponding educational tasks. For this aim, the concept of Japan's 'rewarding work participation' and its practical cases have been examined. As a study method, the characteristics of Japan's state and local government elderly policy projects have been examined through literature research. Next, the cases of the elderly having established an autonomous company and practiced Ogawanosho Oyakimura were researched based on on-site visits and interviews. As this study has suggested that the economic activities of the elderly have to be carried out from the perspective of successful aging and these activities have been conducted through 'rewarding work participation', the following features have been clarified. First, a converted image of the elderly is necessary. The elderly do have the experiences worthy of social utilization. Second, the educational and managerial policies which turn the elderly's experiences into social values are necessary. Third, a flexible awareness toward the corresponding works of the elderly is needed. In other words, the works which have reflected mentally solitary tendency and social discontinuity features of the elderly and taken into account the demands of the elderly generation who desire to become an influential and meaningful existence are necessary. Thus, future elderly education need to come up with the policies and practices toward work education from the viewpoint of rewarding work participation.