• Korean Journal of Community Nutrition
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• v.13 no.2
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• pp.276-287
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• 2008

Diabetic mellitus in an older population is associated with increased basal oxidative stress and free radical accentuated by hyperglycemic challenge. Enhanced free radical in diabetic elderly can cause the oxidative damage and such damage can be protected by antioxidant defense system. It is believed that vitamin C, A and E are the most abundant and effective antioxidants in human plasma. The purpose of this study was to determine the antioxidant status in Korean diabetic elderly using the case-control study. The antioxidant status was examined by determining plasma levels of antioxidant vitamins (vitamin C, A, E, ${\beta}$-carotene), total antioxidant status (TAS) and thiobarbituric acid reactive substance (TBARS) and intakes of vitamin C, A, ${\beta}$-carotene and retiol. Fasting glucose and HbA1c levels and serum lipid profiles (triglyceride (TG), total cholesterol, HDL-cholesterol and LDL-cholesterol) were also determined. Diabetic subjects were 122 elderly persons over 60 years old, visiting public health center, and control subjects were 96 healthy elderly persons living in Ulsan, Korea and they were matched by age, gender, smoking and drinking status. The diabetic and control subjects were divided into sub-groups according to the status of using diet therapy and vitamin supplement. The subjects were interviewed to collect data on their general characteristics, disease history, vitamin supplement, diet therapy and health-related habits by questionnaires. Their dietary intakes were obtained by means of semi-quantitative food frequency questionnaires (SQFFQ). Fasting plasma glucose and HbA1c levels were significantly higher in diabetes than in control subjects, and plasma total cholesterol level of diabetes was not significantly different from that of control subjects. However serum HDL cholesterol level of diabetes was significantly lower and serum TG level of diabetes was significantly higher than those of control group. The average vitamin A and ${\beta}$-carotene intakes of diabetes were significantly higher than those of control subjects. There was no significant difference in plasma vitamin C, ${\beta}$-carotene, and TBARS levels between two groups, but plasma vitamin A, E and TAS levels were significantly higher in diabetes than those in control group. Plasma vitamin A and TAS levels of diabetic subjects using diet therapy were higher than those of control using diet therapy, and plasma vitamin E, ${\beta}$-carotene and TAS levels of diabetic subjects using vitamin supplements were significantly higher than those of controls using vitamin supplements. These results suggested that diabetic mellitus could enhance antioxidant defences against reactive oxygen species and interest in healthy eating such as consumption of more antioxidant nutrients.

• Journal of the Korea Academia-Industrial cooperation Society
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• v.20 no.6
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• pp.362-369
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• 2019

This descriptive study investigated depression among 4,904 elderly people aged 60 to 90 years using the Korean Retirement and Income Study. The depressive group and non-depressive group were classified by the depression self-diagnostic scale, CES-D. The effects of general characteristics, disability, disability type, IADL, and social support on depression were examined. A t-test, chi-squared test, and logistic regression analysis were used to identify risk factors affecting depression. The average age of the depressive group was 75.10 years, which was higher than the average age of the non-depressive group (73.44 years), indicating that depression increased with age. Elderly who were female, elderly with no spouse, elderly with lower educational attainment and with a lower household income were in the depressed group. The score to perform IADL of disabled persons was higher than that of non-disabled persons, and the social support was lower. Logistic regression analysis performed to determine the risk factors affecting depression revealed that it was affected by disability and type of disability. Although this study has some limitations, the results presented herein can be used as a basis for understanding elderly with disabilities and developing future healthcare programs for them.

• Journal of Families and Better Life
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• v.22 no.6 s.72
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• pp.47-61
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• 2004

The purpose of this study is to develop a life planning program for retired elderly people. This program is not a preparation program for elderly people prior to their retirement but a readjustment and re-planning their life after retirement. This program help retired elderly people to solve the life problem and set up a affirmative ones future image. Also this program pay regard to social, home backgrounds of this generation. The program consists of four session curriculums session 1 is entitled to &Make my future by oneself&, session 2 is &Enjoy healthy life as much as one can&, session 3 is &Have a heart for family& and session 4 is &Set up a mature old age&. A fled study has been conducted with ten retired elderly people who want to participated in the program voluntarily. 4 sessions each of which consists of 2 hours were performed at Korean Association of Retired Persons. Field test for program evaluation is designed to three steps: pre-test, post-test and one month follow-up test to measure the effectiveness of the program. According to evaluation results, the program shows a significantly positive effect on the improvement of elderly people's understanding about elderly life. At the one month follow-up assessment, the effect of program is still remained strongly even though there is a Partial slight increase or reduction which is not statistically significant. Most of the program participants have expressed high level of satisfaction with the program. For further study, we need various contents which are suited to larger group with diverse socio0-demographic backgrounds. At the same time, the program has diverse instruction methods which are pertinent to levels of participants. Also, the program needs to continuous adjustment to the next generation with their social, home backgrounds.

• The Journal of the Korea Contents Association
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• v.21 no.12
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• pp.870-878
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• 2021

This study aimed to identify how social contact, depression, and anxiety influence suicidal ideation of the elderly related to general characteristics. The objects were 198 elderly living in Mungyeong-si, Gyeongsangbuk-do. The data were collected from 2, March to 15, April 2021. Collected data were analyzed by t-tests, ANOVA, Pearson's correlation coefficient, and multiple stepwise regression analysis using SPSS 24.0. Findings revealed 1) Pearson's correlation coefficient indicated significant association among social contact, depression, anxiety, and suicidal ideation 2) Multiple regression analysis showed that the influencing factors have 44.9% of explanation power in suicidal ideation of the elderly: depression(β=.430, p< .001), perceived financial status(β=-.198, p<.001), psychiatric treatment history (β=-.182, p=.002), and social contact (β=-.155, p=.007) in order. The conclusion of this study indicates that we need to pay interdisciplinary attention to the mental health of the elderly in the Covid-19 pandemic. Based on the findings, health professionals should provide elderly persons with comprehensive and appropriate management to prevent suicidal ideation upon factors. Additionally, there should be establishing a system to access and ensure social contact for the elderly.

• Journal of Preventive Medicine and Public Health
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• v.38 no.3
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• pp.283-290
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• 2005

Objectives : The aim of this paper was to examine the relationship between the summertime (June to August) heat index, which quantifies the bioclimatic apparent temperature in sultry weather, and the daily disease-related mortality in Seoul for the period from 1991 to 2000. Methods : The daily maximum (or minimum) summertime heat indices, which show synergetic apparent temperatures, were calculated from the six hourly temperatures and real time humidity data for Seoul from 1991 to 2000. The disease-related daily mortality was extracted with respect to types of disease, age and sex, etc. and compared with the time series of the daily heat indices. Results : The summertime mortality in 1994 exceeded the normal by 626 persons. Specifically, blood circulation-related and cancer-related mortalities increased in 1994 by 29.7% (224 persons) and 15.4% (107 persons), respectively, compared with those in 1993. Elderly persons, those above 65 years, were shown to be highly susceptible to strong heat waves, whereas the other age and sex-based groups showed no significant difference in mortality. In particular, a heat wave episode on the 22nd of July 2004 ($>45^{\circ}C$ daily heat index) resulted in double the normal number of mortalities after a lag time of 3 days. Specifically, blood circulation-related mortalities, such as cerebral infraction, were predominant causes. Overall, a critical mortality threshold was reached when the heat index exceeded approximately $37^{\circ}C$, which corresponds to human body temperature. A linear regression model based on the heat indices above $37^{\circ}C$, with a 3 day lag time, accounted for 63% of the abnormally increased mortality (${\geq}+2$ standard deviations). Conclusions : This study revealed that elderly persons, those over 65 years old, are more vulnerable to mortality due to abnormal heat waves in Seoul, Korea. When the daily maximum heat index exceeds approximately $37^{\circ}C$, blood circulation-related mortality significantly increases. A linear regression model, with respect to lag-time, showed that the heat index based on a human model is a more dependable indicator for the prediction of hot weather-related mortality than the ambient air temperature.

• Korean Journal of Community Nutrition
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• v.6 no.3
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• pp.553-564
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• 2001

The purpose of this research was to observe the management system of 18 free meal service centers for the low-income homebound elderly in Chungcheongbuk-Do In order researchers interviewed staff members of the free meal service centers. Based on the results of interviews with staff members of the meal service organization. only two centers used a standard recipe. and most of the meal preparation was controlled under the experience of volunteers. Only two meal service centers employed dietitians due to the lak of budgets. The cost of a meal per day ranged from ￦ 556 to ￦2,750 and the number of attendants at meal service ranged from 35 to 350 persons. The budget for most of the meal service centers is not enough to provide meals for the elderly who want to participated in free meal service programs. Home delivery meal service was not considered due to the lake of manpower and areal dispersion in rural ares. Most meal service organizations did not cooperate with other community service organizations. Several improvement strategies are recommended for the effective running of the free meal service centers. First, a nutrition specialist should be included in the staff members of the service organization to provide nutritious meal service to the elderly Second, a joint control system might be introduced into the present system to reduced the cost and the recover the limitations of areal dispersion. Third, service, coordination should be considered to overcome the problem of lake resources.

• The Korean Journal of Rehabilitation Nursing
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• v.12 no.2
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• pp.92-101
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• 2009

Purpose: This study was conducted to explore the functional status and long-term care services for the community-dwelling low-income elderly. Method: A descriptive research design was used in this study. The functional status of the participants was obtained using Minimum Data Set-Home Care Version 2.0 and the long-term care services were identified via Michigan's choice. Total of 154 persons aged 65 years or older completed Korean Minimum Data Set-Home Care Version 2.0 on the community dwelling low-income elderly. Results: The average of Activities of Daily Living was 4.19, and the range was 0-55, while the average of Instrument of Activities of Daily Living was 4.85 and the range was 0-56. Among the subjects, 46.1% belonged to the Information and Referral group and 1.3% to the Nursing Home group. Severe daily pain was reported by 14.9%, and 76.6% of the participants had impaired vision. The Activities of Daily Living was difference according to living with, education, vision, and depression. The long-term care services differed according to gender, pain, vision, hearing, and depression. Conclusion: The support policy for the elderly needed to focus on impaired visual and depression to enhance the activities of daily living. Moreover, there is a need for the Information and Referral group to arrange and develop nursing intervention resources.

• Korean Journal of Community Nutrition
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• v.9 no.1
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• pp.98-112
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• 2004

This study was done to investigate and compare the nutritional status and plasma lipids in the diabetes and control elderly. Subjects were 105 persons (male 32, female 73) aged over 65 years and visited public health centers in Ulsan area. The subjects were divided into 2 groups, diabetes and control group. Athropometric measurement, dietary intakes, and plasma biochemical indices were examined. Body Mass Index (BMI), Percentage of Ideal Body Weight (PIBW) and Waist-Hip Ratio (WHR) of diabetes group were higher than those of control group. Overall eating behavior were worse in diabetes group than those of control group. There was no significant difference in smoking and exercise status among groups. The ratio of drinkers was significantly higher in control group. But the amount of alcohol consumed at once was higher in the diabetes group. There was no significant difference in most nutrient intakes between males and females. The intakes of fiber, natrium (Na), vitamin A, and $\beta$-carotene were significantly higher in diabetes group than control groups while that of potassium (K) was lower in diabetes group. Diabetes group had the higher levels in triglyceride, VLDL-cholesterol, Chol/HDL-cholesterol ratio, LDL/HDL-cholesterol ratio, while they had lower HDL-cholesterol level. Overall results might imply that the elderly with diabetes have to be more careful to their meals and health-related behaviors to increase the likelihood of a healthier life.

• Journal of Computing Science and Engineering
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• v.2 no.2
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• pp.180-199
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• 2008

Technology has had a tremendous impact on our daily lives. Recently, technology and its impact on aging has become an expanding field of inquiry. A major reason for this interest is that the use of technology can help older people who experience deteriorating health to live independently. In this paper we give a brief review of the in-home monitoring technologies for the elderly. In the pilot study, we analyze the possibility of employing the data generated by a continuous, unobtrusive nursing home monitoring system for predicting elevated(abnormal)pulse pressure(PP) in elderly(PP=systolic blood pressure-diastolic blood pressure). Our sensor data capture external information(behavioral) about the resident that is subsequently reflected in the predicted PP. By continuously predicting the possibility of elevated pulse pressure we may alert the nursing staff when some predefined threshold is exceeded. This approach may provide additional blood pressure monitoring for the elderly persons susceptible to blood pressure variations during the time between two nursing visits. We conducted a retrospective pilot study on two residents of the TigerPlace aging in place facility with age over 70, that had blood pressure measured between 100 and 300 times during a period of two years. The pilot study suggested that abnormal pulse pressure can be reasonably well estimated (an area under ROC curve of about 0.75) using apartment bed and motion sensors.

• Journal of Korean Academy of Nursing
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• v.34 no.8
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• pp.1483-1490
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• 2004

Community-based centres were surveyed to determine the frequency of and risk factors for falls among elderly Koreans. We examined fall-related risk factors, including physiological and physical health, psychosocial functions, self-reported physical capacity and activity, vision, and the use of medication, among 351 elderly people aged 65 years or older, with ambulatory. Forty-two per cent of elderly Korean subjects reported at least one episode of falling in the previous 12 months, $38\%$ of whom had consequences that required either the attention of a physician or hospitalization. Factors significantly associated with an increased risk of falling were a restricted activity during the previous five years (adjusted OR 1.3), use of alternative therapy (adjusted OR 2.7), low knee flexor and extensor-muscle strength (adjusted OR 1.21 and 1.20), and poor balance with closed eyes (adjusted OR 8.32). We conclude that falls among older persons living in the community are common in Korea and that indicator of bad health and frailty or variables directly related to neuromuscular impairment are significant predictors of the risk of falling.