• 한국노년학
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• v.37 no.3
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• pp.601-616
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• 2017

Elderly suicide is a major public health issue in South Korea. The aim of this study was to systematically examine the current knowledge about suicidal ideation among Korean older adults with specific focus on risk and preventive factors. In order to achieve this aim, a meta-analysis was conducted using Korean academic peer-reviewed journals published since 2001. A total of 97 articles were selected that met the research criteria (e.g., original study findings and key words of suicidal ideation, suicidal thought, and suicide). Three domains were identified and used for further analysis: individual, family, and society. Results showed that among individual factors, depression and burden or stress increased the risk of suicidal ideation, while better mental health reduced the risk of suicidal ideation. Among family factors, living alone was a risk factor for suicidal ideation, while family cohesion was a preventive factor for suicidal ideation. Among social factors, elderly discrimination, social isolation, and negative relationships were significant risk factors, while social support, social environment, and social activities were significant preventive factors affecting suicidal ideation. The results suggest several practical implications for developing suicide prevention programs and counseling approaches to address suicidal ideation. For example, depression and stress can be reduced by MBSR (Mindfulness-Based Stress Reduction) program where meditation is used as a coping strategy. In addition, counseling programs specifically focused on improving family and social relations should be implemented. Government should continuously support for these programs to prevent suicide among older Koreans.

• Journal of the Korean Society of Food Culture
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• v.11 no.4
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• pp.455-463
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• 1996

A survey was conducted to investigate the perceptions of health and foods, and the food habits among the elderly men who came to the Tap-Gol park on a daily basis. A total of 253 subjects were selected for this study. The data was analyzed through the $X^2-test$, Duncan's multiple range test and Pearson Correlation by the use of SAS program. The results were as follows. The majority of the subjects were in their 70's. 56.1% of them lived with their sons' families, 9.1% lived alone, and 27.3% lived with a spouse. 32% of the subjects were living with the expense less than 50,000 won per month. Although some were suffering from such diseases as arthritis, indigestion, and hypertension etc., the subjects were generally in good health. Their dependance on dietary supplements were insignificant. Most of the subject had a common-sensible notion as to health. They put emphasis on the three factors for the maintenance of good health: a balanced diet, a peace of mind and exercising. With regard to the food habits, the majority were fair in general. The subject living with family had more regular meals than the single people did. 41.5% of the subjects responded that they had irregular meals, mainly for lunch due to a poor appetite or a financial problem. The respondents cited protein food, milk, fruit, sea weeds and food cooked with oil as conducive to good health. But what they consumed did not match what they thought was good, particularly milk. The results of this study lead to the suggestion that Korea need to develop such a lunch program for the elderly as is practiced in the U.S., through which dietary motivation can be stimulated and a low-priced and balanced diet offered at least for one meal a day.

• Journal of IKEEE
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• v.22 no.2
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• pp.330-338
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• 2018

As population aging progresses, there is a growing demand for IT technology that can relieve the psychological anxiety of the elderly living alone, recognize the dangerous situation, and check the family members' affection. In this paper, we describe the development of a speech recognition speaker that enable senior users to give simple interactive commands by voice and monitor the status of the user. The speaker analyzes the user's voice, grasps the conversation contents through the chatbot, connects the desired service to the user, and provides the result again by voice. By using this speaker, senior users can feel relaxed by natural conversation, and can monitor the status of danger more easily.

• Health Policy and Management
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• v.30 no.1
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• pp.26-36
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• 2020

Background: The purpose of this study was to analyze the relationship between the regional characteristics and the age-adjusted cardio-cerebrovascular disease mortality rates (SCDMR) in 229 si·gun·gu administrative regions. Methods: SCDMR of man and woman was used as a dependent variable using the statistical data of death cause in 2017. As a representative index of regional characteristics, health behavior factors, socio-demographic and economic factors, physical environment factors, and health care factors were selected as independent variables. Ordinary least square (OLS) regression and geographically weighted regression (GWR) were performed to identify their relationship. Results: OLS analysis showed significant factors affecting the mortality rates of cardio-cerebrovascular disease as follows: high-risk drinking rates, the ratio of elderly living alone, financial independence, and walking practice rates. GWR analysis showed that the regression coefficients were varied by regions and the influence directions of the independent variables on the dependent variable were mixed. GWR showed higher adjusted R² and Akaike information criterion values than those of OLS. Conclusion: If there is a spatial heterogeneity problem as Korea, it is appropriate to use the GWR model to estimate the influence of regional characteristics. Therefore, results using the GWR model suggest that it needs to establish customized health policies and projects for each region considering the socio-economic characteristics of each region.

• Journal of Digital Contents Society
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• v.16 no.3
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• pp.457-462
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• 2015

Hybrid video call healthcare system that we propose in thesis is a service for powerless people rather than ordinary people. This system is for communication between users and protectors(or volunteers). To reduce the underprivileged through the 'Malbeot Nanumi' is the purpose of the system. Hybrid Health Care System using a video call and temperature/humidity/pulse sensors that we propose in thesis can connect sensors with software, and save p2p connection information for 'Malbeot Nanumi' service by database. And health check data can save locally. Hybrid Health Care System in a Wireless Network Environment is a system that elderly people living alone is to be a conversation. The purpose of this thesis is to develop the software and to design a convenient UI to the user, And increasing consumption of care system by increasing the happiness index and increasing aging population.

• Journal of the Korean housing association
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• v.20 no.6
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• pp.19-29
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• 2009

The purpose of this study is to clarify the spatial changes that have taken place in the main rooms (Anbang) and kitchens of traditional Utbangkkeokeum houses in Cheongju city, located on the central inland of Korea. These houses consist of a main house (Momchae) and a single-wing house (Nalgaechae), creating an ㄱ-shaped plan. The kitchen is in the front of the Nalgaechae, and the Anbang is at the rear. For the Momchae, the main hall (Daechung) is next to the Anbang, which is at the end of the Nalgaechae, and the room (Gunnunbang) is situated across from the Daechung. This study is based on the assumption that these houses have been conserved and altered from their original forms. As a result of alterations, many changes have occurred to the main room and kitchen spaces. The traditional main room is connected with two rooms (Utbang and Araebang), new standup kitchens are introduced, and floor heating systems are installed. The Anbang has maintained its sedentary lifestyle and the space for major daily activities such as sleeping and TV viewing. Also, TV viewing is a distinctive feature for residential purposes and the bedding is located in such a position that it is easy to observe any exterior movement for the elderly living alone. The layout of the standup kitchen has been altered to maintain the previous circulation, position and function of the entrance. Also, the kitchen and dining room were used together, and the size of these rooms has been partially increased from the original module in different ways for each case. The above findings suggest that Utbangkkeokeum houses of Cheongju city have been spatially changed while maintaining the previous lifestyle.

• Journal of the Korea Society of Computer and Information
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• v.19 no.11
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• pp.33-41
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• 2014

In this paper, we implemented a system to measure respiration rate with nonrestraint sensors comfortable for people to do their everyday life. The proposed system consists of a pad covered with a Piezoelectric sensor, a respiration measuring device able to send the signal data after amplifying and filtering the source signals to the viewer, a viewer providing sensor data visualization and implementing the respiration measuring algorithm. The algorithm is based on a breathing cycle with the local peak points extracted from threshold on sensor data. Respiration measurements on 3 subjects were performed by changing moving averages and thresholds. The proposed system showed less than 5% error rate when proper moving averages are N=50~60 and a range of thresholds is 800~1300. The system will contribute to preventing suffocation during sleep for infants and the elderly living alone.

• Journal of Family Relations
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• v.23 no.3
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• pp.3-29
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• 2018

Objectives: The purpose of this study was to investigate the acceptance of family diversity among college students and related variables. Method: Data were collected by a structured questionnaire with 280 students who attended in three universities located in J province. SPSS Statistics Program version 24.0 was used to analyze the collected data. To answer the research questions, descriptive statistics, t-test, F-test, Pearson's correlation analyses, and regression analyses were performed. Results: The major results of the survey were summarized as below. First, the acceptance of family diversity among college students was slightly higher than the middle level(M=12.11). Most students accepted nuclear family as a typical family. More than half of the students accepted single parent families, adaptive families, step families, unmarried mother families, childless couples, homosexual families, elderly women living alone, and families composed of siblings as a family. Second, there was a significant difference by religiosity. Students without religion were higher than their counterparts with religion in a level of family diversity acceptance. Among the individual factors, third, a level of traditional family value had a significant negative effect on a level of family diversity acceptance. And perspective taking had a positive effect on a level of family diversity acceptance. Fourth, among the family factors, parent-child open communication did not affect a level of family diversity acceptance. However, parents' gender egalitarian beliefs had a significant positive effect on a level of family diversity acceptance. Lastly, regarding the relative effects of the personal and family factors, the traditional family value had the largest effect on a level of family diversity acceptance among college students. Conclusions: Base on these results, the implications and limitations of the study were discussed.

• 한국노년학
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• v.40 no.4
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• pp.577-598
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• 2020

As the socialization of care is progressing rapidly, the necessity of community-level mental health intervention for older adults with severe social isolation and depression is also increasing. In line with the reorganization of the Individualized Support Services for Older Adults in 2020, the social relations revitalization project for the elderly living alone, which had been conducted as a pilot project in 2014~19, was expanded and reorganized into a separate specialized project within the Individualized Support Services for Older Adults. The purpose of this study is to enhance understanding of the specialized service and to clarify its conceptual framework. The characteristics and conceptual framework of the specialized service were examined through a review of the process of institutionalization of the specialized service, which included analysis of related literature and the pilot projects. Finally, it discussed what to consider in order for the specialized service to proceed as intended in the future, focusing on a couple of situations that occur at the fields.

• 한국노년학
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• v.38 no.3
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• pp.569-592
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• 2018

This study purported to investigate the current state of human rights of older adults residing in rural areas of Korea. The study utilized, as an analytic framework, 4 priority directions (1. "older persons and development", 2. "rural area development", 3. "advancing health and well-being into old age", and 4. "ensuring enabling and supportive environments") with 13 task actions recommended by Madrid International Plan of Action on Ageing (MIPAA). Furthermore, the study examined gender differences in all items included in the analytic framework. Data was collected by the face-to-face survey on 800 subjects aged 65 and over. Statistical analyses were conducted using STATA 13.0 program. The main results were summarized in order of 4 priority directions as follows. First, average working hours per day were 6.2, and men reportedly participated in economic activities and needed job training more than women, while women participated in lifelong education programs more than men. Awareness of fire and disaster prevention facilities was low in both genders. Second, accessibility to the support center for the elderly living alone as well as protective services for the vulnerable elderly was found to be low. IT-based services and networking were used more by men than women, and specifically, IT-based financial transactions and welfare services were least used. Third, medical check-ups and vaccinations were well received, while consistent treatments for chronic illnesses and long-term care services were relatively less given. In addition, accessibility to mental health service centers was considerably low. Fourth, although old house structures and the lack of convenience facilities were found to be circumstantial risk factors for these elders, experiences of receiving housing support services were scarce. The elderly were found to rely more on informal care, and concerns for their care were higher in women than men. Plus, accessibility to elderly abuse services was markedly low. Based on these results, discussed were implications for implementing policies and practical interventions to raise the levels of the human rights for this population.