• Nutritional Sciences
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• v.5 no.3
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• pp.146-154
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• 2002

The aim of this study was to investigate the effects of household type on the health- and food-related behavior of the elderly. The survey was conducted on 304 free-living elderly persons in Chun-Chon city in 1999. The subjects were divided into three groups by their household types : living alone (n=35), living with their spouses (n=59), and living with their extended family (n=191). The results were obtained by personal interviews using questionnaires. Compared to the group living with their spouses and/or extended families, the elderly living alone were : less satisfied with the amount of monthly pocket money available; less involved in social activities; taking less vitamin supplements; doing less physical exercise; more frequently skipping meals and dining out; less frequently consuming meats, vegetables, fruits and seaweed; and having the highest rate of depression. The elderly living with their spouses tended to have the best physical functions and the greatest ability to carry out basic daily activities. The elderly living with their extended families had a higher incidence of diseases compared to the other groups. The preferred snacks were cookies for the elderly living alone, and fruits for the other two groups. In summary, it has been shown that household type should be taken into consideration for formulating adequate future strategies for effective health and nutrition programs.

• Journal of Families and Better Life
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• v.32 no.5
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• pp.207-219
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• 2014

The purpose of this study was to examine the characteristics of suicide attempts and non-attempts of the elderly living alone and the subjects in this study were 690 elderly persons living alone in Seoul and Gyeonggi Province. For data analysis, this study used descriptive analysis, mean comparison correlation analysis, and binominal logistic regression analysis using PASW 20.0. To explain the suicide attempts of elderly persons who live alone, variables such as sex, age education level, monthly household income, religion, subjective economic status, subjective health status, ADL/IADL, depression, hopelessness, social support, and stress were used. The findings of the study were as follows: First, 9.2 percent(64) of the elderly living alone had attempted suicide and 90.8 percent(626) had never attempted suicide. Second, monthly household income, hopelessness, and social support were identified as the factors that affected their suicide attempts. In other words, the elderly living alone who had lower monthly household income, less social support, and greater feelings of hoprlessness had made more suicide attempts. As it is a cross-sectional research using data from non-probability sampling, this has a limitation in generality sampling, this has a limitation in generalizing the study results. To overcome this limitation, longitudinal research using data from probability sampling is necessary.

• Journal of Nutrition and Health
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• v.45 no.3
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• pp.264-273
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• 2012

This study analyzes the food frequency for the elderly regarding different family types and finds the factors for nutritional risk, offers a basic reference for providing nutritional support for them. The study referred to the dietary behavioral survey data of 3,680 elderly people (1652 male and 2028 female) from 21 regions in the northern Kyeonggi province. The data was collected through the method of one-to-one interviews and was a part of the Community Health Survey for 2008 by the Korea Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (KCDC). We classified family types as a household for elderly people living alone, a household of elderly people with a spouse, a household of the elderly with unmarried children and a household of the elderly with married children, and as for intakes of foods, the frequencies of taking fruits, vegetables, kimchi, rice with mixed cereals, meat, fish, bean tofu soymilk, milk and dairy products, as well as sweet beverages are calculated on a daily basis and skipped meals are calculated on a weekly basis. Elderly women showed lower income, lower education level, higher unemployment rates, and a higher rate of government healthcare subsidies than elderly men. Elderly women tend to live alone and with their children while elderly men tend to live with their spouse. In both males and females, the intake of fruits and vegetables were the least in the elderly living alone, while the elderly with married children ate the most. In both males and females, the household of the elderly living alone ate significantly less amounts of Kimchi than other family types. Elderly people living alone tended to have significantly less meat and fish, especially women. In the case of rice with mixed cereals, the elderly men living alone and the elderly men with unmarried children ate significantly less amounts than the elderly men living with a spouse. The elderly men living alone took significantly less milk and dairy products than the elderly men with unmarried children while the elderly women living with a spouse took significantly less milk and dairy products than the elderly women with married children. With regards to the frequency of meal-skipping, the elderly living alone had the highest frequency for skipping meals. From this result, having various foods is difficult for the elderly living alone. Furthermore, the elderly living with unmarried children demonstrated a low quality of dietary life compared to those of married children. Hence, it can be concluded that social support is important in order for the elderly to have a balanced diet.

• Journal of the Korean Home Economics Association
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• v.46 no.10
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• pp.49-57
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• 2008

The purpose of this study was to examine the relationship between household types and suicide ideation among elderly people in Korea. We collected information on 220 elderly individuals(aging over 60), 171 of whom were living alone and 49 of whom were living with their families. The results showed that; 1) number of children, health status, level of stress, and depressive symptoms were all related to the suicide ideation among both groups, and 2) individuals living alone had lower sense of control, were more stressed, and more likely to suffer from depression. Based on these results, various implications were discussed and practical suggestions provided.

• Korean Institute of Interior Design Journal
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• v.27 no.2
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• pp.77-85
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• 2018

The number of household living alone including young single adults has gradually increased. The purpose of this study is to examine the demand on housing options, additional space, shared space, community facilities, housing service for young adults living alone including college students. A total of 180 questionnaire were collected and analyzed. For housing location, commuting distance is the most important feature and amenities are the second important feature. For additional space, there is a significant difference between male and female single residents. Female residents want to install dress room most while male adults want to have a study room. For the shared house option, single adults concerns housing fee and living cost most. However, female adults concern safety and security issues much more than male ones do. The degree of preference to community facilities varies between male and female single residents. The findings suggest more differentiated approaches are needed for alternative housing options for male and female residents.

• Journal of the Korean housing association
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• v.19 no.2
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• pp.31-42
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• 2008

Research outcome shows the following: 1. Estimation by the year 2015 on the number of the aged people and on the number of the household of living alone and living with spouse only, per age-cohort by 5 years, per basic self-govern-ins local groups and the city of Daegu. The result is supposed to serve as meaningful basic material in building up future policies in many areas for the aged people living in their homes. 2. Estimation varies according to the areas and the age-cohorts. In urban areas, increase of the numbers of the households of the aged people living alone and living with spouse only is estimated in every age-cohort. In rural areas, variance between two age-groups, old-old and young-old, is observed. Both of the numbers of the households for the aged living alone and the aged living with spouse only have increased continuously by the year 2005. But the hither-to increase tendency is estimated to reverse itself to a decrease starting from the younger within the young-old age group, and the ratio of the old-old age-group in rural population will sharply increase starting from the year 2005. Such increase in the number of the aged people in need of the housing and the social support requires the increasing policy consideration for the issue of housing for the aged living in their homes. In spite of the decreasing tendency in the number of the aged people living alone and living with spouse only in rural areas, still there will continue to be more number of such households than in urban area for the time being. The government of Gyeongsangbuk-Do should pay more consideration to the old-old aged living alone and living with spouse only in rural areas, while being prepared for the sharply increasing households for the aged living alone and living with spouse only in urban areas.

• The Journal of Korean Society for School & Community Health Education
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• v.19 no.2
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• pp.87-98
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• 2018

Objectives: The purpose of this study is to compare alcohol drinking behaviors between living alone and living together women in Korea. Methods: 6~7th National Heath and Nutrition Examination Survey(2013~2016) data were analyzed using SPSS statistics complex samples. 9,373 Korean Women, aged 19-65 years were included in this study. Among them, 560 participants(5.1%) was living alone women and analyzed between characteristics of drinking behaviors of living alone and living together women. Results: Adjusted confounding variables were analyzed and the risk of light drinking behavior was not significant between the groups. However the group of living alone women showed in higher risk of binge drinking(OR=1.57, 95%CI=1.19-2.07) than those of living together women. Conclusions: Living alone women were associated with binge drinking behaviors compared to living together women. Thus, living alone women are needed to concern on social behaviors including alcohol drinking.

• Journal of Home Health Care Nursing
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• v.26 no.2
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• pp.210-218
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• 2019

Purpose: The purpose of this study was to identify the nutritional status of elderly individuals according to their household types and to investigate the predictors of their nutritional status. Methods: This study, which was a descriptive research study, involved physical measurements, surveys, and biochemical tests in 87 elderly individuals living in the community. Using SPSS/Win 24.0, logistic regression analysis was performed to identify the general characteristics, blood pressure, body mass index (BMI), mini nutritional assessment (MNA) score, and biochemical indicators in elderly individuals according to the household type. Results: Elderly individuals living with family members had higher MNA scores than those of elderly individuals living alone, while showing lower levels of systolic blood pressure and fasting blood sugar. The results of the logistic regression analysis showed that the risk factors were MNA scores (odds ratio (OR)=1.81, 95% confidence interval (CI)=1.36-2.42), systolic blood pressure (OR=0.96, 95% CI=0.92-1.00), and fasting blood glucose (OR=0.94, 95% CI=0.90-0.99). Conclusion: It was confirmed that elderly individuals living alone need differentiated nutrition intervention, since the results showed that they had lower nutritional levels and improper nutritional management than that in elderly individuals living with family members.

• Journal of the Korean Institute of Rural Architecture
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• v.20 no.4
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• pp.31-38
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• 2018

The purpose of this study is to analyze the characteristics and changes of elderly households in rural area. The elderly were classified as elderly living alone, elderly couple living together, and elderly living with their children. Data from the survey of Ministry of Health and Welfare conducted in 1998, 2008, 2017 were used for the analysis. The subjects of the study included a sample of 9,401 respondents who represent aged 65 or more in Korea. The result of analysis was as follows; First, over the past 20 years, there has been no significant difference in the composition of the sexes of elderly in rural area, and aging is becoming more serious. Second, elderly living with children continue to decrease, and elderly couple are increasing. The number of elderly living alone is on the increase, but it tends to decrease in 2017. Third, the proportion of houses in elderly households is still very high, but it is gradually decreasing and the proportion of apartments is increasing. Fourth, the frequency of communication with children tended to increase slightly in all household types, while the frequency of encounter decreased slightly in 2008 and then increased in 2017. Fifth, the health status and economic status of the elderly have been gradually improved over the past 20 years. Finally, the emotional support in all elderly households is maintained constantly, but the instrumental support is gradually weakened.

• The Journal of the Korea Contents Association
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• v.17 no.7
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• pp.610-621
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• 2017

Medical cost for elderly is increasing with ageing society and putting more and more burden on both individuals and government. To find a solution to reduce medical cost among elderly and to propose implication/suggestion to central government and a local government, different degree of medical cost burden by type of household and factors that affect increased medical cost are investigated based on elderly in Suwon city in this article. According to the research result, 59.3% of respondents felt medical cost burdensome. Also, according to the multiple regression performed to understand factors that increases medical cost by type of household, subjectively felt health status was found to be a statistically significant factor commonly in three groups which are living household with adult child, living household with spouse only, living household alone. And the degree of medical cost was higher in living household with spouse only, more higher in living household alone. And socioeconomic status and health status, health status, and health status and private insurance, medical security system were found to be significantly related to medical cost burden to household type of the elderly.