• Journal of Korean Society of Occupational and Environmental Hygiene
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• v.31 no.2
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• pp.119-127
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• 2021

Objectives: We aimed to find the relationships between employment status and hs-CRP level among Korean wage workers using the 2016 Korean National Health and Nutrition Examination (KNHANE, revised). Methods: This study was conducted on 1,937 daytime wage workers over the age of 19 and within a normal weight range (18.5≤BMI≺25). Regular workers were defined as those granted an employment guarantee until reaching retirement age, and non-regular workers were defined as temporary, non-typical, dispatched, short-term workers and contractors. For hs-CRP, three divisions were classified as recommended by the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) and American Heart Association (AHA) with less than 1.0 mg/L indicating low risk of cardiovascular disease, above 1.0 mg/L and below 3.0 mg/L considered moderate risk, and more than 3.0 mg/L indicating high risk. To find the relationship between work type and hs-CRP level in Korean wage workers, multinominal logistic regression analysis was performed. Results: For non-regular workers, the odds ratio of the cardiovascular moderate-risk group and cardiovascular high-risk group was statistically significant compared to regular workers. After adjusting for factors such as gender, age, subjective health status, income, education, smoking, and physical labor, the odds ratio of the cardiovascular high-risk group was statistically significant. Conclusions: In this study, the relationship between non-regular workers and high hs-CRP level was examined. Based on this, institutional strategies should be pursued to prevent and manage cardiovascular disease among non-regular workers.

• Korean Journal of Social Welfare
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• v.57 no.2
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• pp.41-70
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• 2005

The object of the study is to examine the change of social-economic structure and poverty-shape to escape poverty. In Korea, the working poor have been increased by flexibility and division of labor market since the economic crisis in 1997, and are faced with hard conditions due to the vulnerable welfare system. Especially the workers who engage in irregular jobs were increased by restructure of labor market. Besides they are in unstable employment terms such as low payment, low-skill and exclusion from welfare-benefit. Many small independent businessmen are also in danger of poverty for enterprises trend to move abroad by globalization. Poverty policy in our country was focused on the absolute poor class that has relation with old age, unemployment, disable, disease etc, so they were the object of welfare policy. The poverties, however, are increasing rapidly after the economic crisis, and they work so hard but are still poor, that is, participation in labor market doesn't become an element to escape poverty. Thus the emergence of new poverties whose core consists of the working poor becomes to need new poverty policy. The study is to survey change of their economic conditions, their welfare conditions, their experiences and responses of social dangers after the economic crisis, then to explore the policy to escape poverty. As the result of the study, it shows that the working poor experienced many kinds of social dangers like unemployment, decrease of income etc. In their welfare conditions as their responses to the social dangers, the benefit of social insurance, enterprise welfare like legal retirement pay and paid leave and private welfare such as private pension and insurance are low. The working poor are faced with social dangers, moreover, they don't have skill or education for adapting themselves to information society. The study says that it needs variable policies for the working poor to escape poverty, and suggests payment & tax policies as stable income policy, occupational discipline and skill-education for promoting the quality of employment, moreover, social insurance as expansion of social welfare policy and housing & education policies whose objects are the working poor.

• Korean Journal of Family Social Work
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• no.60
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• pp.133-173
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• 2018

This paper analyzes the consistency and the discrepancy between system and practices of the old age pension(Nyunronyungeum) in North Korea. The literature review is conducted to analyze the system. Specifically, the North Korean law and North Korean dictionaries were carefully examined. The interviews with 25 North Korean refugees were conducted to grasp the exact state of the old age pension in North Korea. Major findings are as follows: the consistency between system and practices of the old age pension in North Korea is identified only certain portions of that. Beneficiaries(blue-collar workers, white-collar workers, farmers, soldiers, and employees in foreign-invested enterprises), contribution periods, earning-related schemes, the totalization of periods of coverage(workplace transitions), the absence of double benefits and early retirement pension, and the delivery system around Civic Service offices(Dong offices) are confirmed by complete consistency. Preservation age, variations in the implementation of the pension system by region, and premium of the old age pension are confirmed by partial consistency. The length of service, the labor regulation, lump-sum payment, and double dipping are confirmed by discrepancies. It's important that this study brings about a better understanding the old age pension in North Korea through various original texts of North Korea and interviews with refugees. The results of this study are expected to contribute to the policy production for the age income security system after the unification and to the spread of unification perspectives.

• The Journal of the Korea Contents Association
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• v.15 no.3
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• pp.146-159
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• 2015

The purpose of this study was to investigate the influential factors on the job mobility types and patterns of baby boomers over the past 15 years. Sequential analysis was conducted to analyze the data that were derived from Wave 1~15(1998~2013) of Korean Labor and Income Panel Study(KLIPS). In particular, we analyzed the job mobility types and frequency, conversion analysis, probability, and significance rate. The results were as follows: firstly, proportional rates of male baby boomer workers such as technical, functional, and agriculture workers were higher than those of professionals and semi-professionals, whereas in case of female baby boomer workers, proportional rate of office workers were lower than those of service and sales workers. It was showed that functional and labor workers significantly higher than others. We found that after retiring, they left their job to search for farming job or choose to work in secondary labor markets. We suggested that the retirement support system and management system should be designed and conducted in a good manner.

• Journal of the Korea Convergence Society
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• v.10 no.1
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• pp.257-264
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• 2019

The purpose of this study are the following two: first, to identify success level of elderly's Aging by their household types and second, to analyze the factors affecting successful aging. The results of this study are expected to be used as basic data for policy and program development for the successful life of the elderly. For this purpose, 699 single household, 1,412 couple household and 238 couple/child household data in personal survey and supplementary survey of the 4th Korean Retirement and Income Study. According to the analysis, the level of successful later life of single household is lower than that of couple or couple/children household. Multiple regression analysis was conducted to identify the factors affecting successful aging in single household. The results showed that economic activity, economic independence, housework, neighborhood affairs, family relations, and parent-child relationship were statistically significant. Economic independence, physical health, friendship, and parent-child relationship were found to affect in couple household. Physical health and friendship were found to be significant factors for successful aging in couple/child household.

• Nutrition Research and Practice
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• v.13 no.3
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• pp.222-229
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• 2019

BACKGROUND/OBJECTIVES: Aging is an imperative problem for many countries in this century, and presents several challenges for the maintenance of good nutritional status. This study aims to assess the impact of socio-demographic factors, lifestyle and health status on the nutritional status among the elderly in Taiwan. SUBJECTS/METHODS: A cross-sectional study was carried out in Taiwan. Data were obtained from the Mei Jau Health Management Institution, which is a private health evaluation provider with multiple health screening centers in Taiwan and Asia. This study included 7947 adults aged 65 years or above. The data were extracted between 2001 to 2010. Nutritional status was assessed using anthropometric data, biochemical data and dietary intake information. RESULTS: Among the 7947 participants with mean age of 70.1 (SD = 4.5) years, 20.2%, 6.6%, 10.5% and 52.5% experienced underweight, protein malnutrition, anemia and inadequate dietary intake in the past month, respectively. Age was negatively correlated with body weight (r = -0.19, P = 0.02), body mass index (r = -0.41, P < 0.001), albumin level (r = -0.93, P < 0.001) and hemoglobin level (r = -0.30, P = 0.008). Age above 70 years, gender, unmarried status, retirement, lack of education, low family income, smoking, alcohol drinking, sleep duration of 6-8 hours, vegetarian diet, multiple medications, comorbidity and dysphagia were positively associated with malnutrition in older adults. CONCLUSIONS: Underweight and inadequate dietary intake are prevalent among the elderly in Taiwan. Vegetarian diet, multiple medications, comorbidity, dysphagia and lifestyle factors such as smoking, alcohol drinking and sleep duration of 6-8 hours are risk factors for undernutrition in older adults.

• Korean Journal of Social Welfare Studies
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• v.44 no.3
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• pp.177-206
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• 2013

The Korean government has implemented the senior employment policy as a direct job creation policy since 2004. A realistic discussion of policy alternatives and orientation for this has been given little attention even though senior employment policy has been carried out for the last 10 years and it will be expanded next year. This study tries to examine active labor market policy especially focusing on direct job creation programs and policies for the disadvantaged low-income elderly in OECD countries, and then it suggests some developmental alternatives for senior employment policy based on the study's results. The main results from this analysis are summarized in two points. Firstly, except pension policies, employment policy for older workers in the OECD countries is highly proportional to the tackling of objective factors reducing the demand for older workers (wage subsidies, reduced social security contribution rate etc). And the strategies of improving employability have not been relatively important and direct job creation policy has been marginal. Secondly, employment support policies for the low-income elderly can be divided into three types: support for the low-income elderly, alleviating early retirement and support for full employment according to the criteria which are determined by policy objectives and the social economic index. Korea's employment support policies belong to the type of direct job creation among them. This seems to be due to the fact that the rate of elderly poverty is extremely high and an income security system has not been developed in Korea. However, the policy objective is still uncertain. Therefore, this policy needs to set up clear objectives and establish a proper system for the achievement of its goals. If we focus on the strength of its employment characteristics, we need to modify the policy's plan in the perspective of labor market policy. But if we intend to keep both of the current objectives, it is better for this policy to be divided into two parts: social participation and income supplements. Or it also may be a solution to transform the system into an employment service, a training system which supports participants to move into unsubsidized jobs such as SCSEP in the U. S.

• Korean Journal of Social Welfare
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• v.64 no.4
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• pp.359-381
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• 2012

This Study aims to investigate the patterns and causes of the time to return-to-work(RTW) of the injured workers. This study collected data with structured questionnaires and finally included 791 injured workers. The Kaplan-Meier method is used for describing the patterns of the time to RTW after the injury and after claim closure. And the Cox regression is used to identify significant factors on the time to RTW after the injury and after claim closure. The results show that amom the all respondents, the 2.65% returned to work within 1 month, 28.82% within 6 months, 50.95% within 1 year, 71.69% within 2 years after the injury, and the 29.46% of the all repondent returned to work before claim closure or directly after the claim closure, the 36.41% returned to work within 1 month, 56.64% within 6 months, 67.54% within 1 year after the claim closure. And the Cox regression results of the time to RTW after the injury show that the time to RTW affected by gender, age, income, the retirement during the treatment, the RTW to the company at injured time, injury type, surgery, the claim duration, disability ratings, vocational training. Also, the Cox regression results of the time to RTW after the claim show that the time to RTW affected by gender, age, income, the return to the company at injured time, disability ratings, vocational training. As a result, some implication and policies are suggested for reducing the time to RTW of the injured workers.

• Korean Security Journal
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• no.61
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• pp.307-332
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• 2019

Recently, our society has been changing its population structure due to low birth rate along with the extension of life span due to the development of medical environment and improvement of living environment. It was not long before the population became older, and the problem of the elderly was amplified by generational conflict. The current generation of senior citizens could not afford to prepare for their own retirement income due to their children's education, marriage and housing problems, and is a generation alienated from the benefits of public income security. In addition, not only are they in poverty with rapid industrialization, informatization and economic instability, but they are also threatened with livelihood. The increase in elderly crimes arising from the elderly, who are less adaptable to our society dominated by materialism, is being highlighted as a new social issue. In this study, we are going to analyze the causes of violent and violent senior citizens' crimes in quality along with quantitative growth, and present criminal situations and preventive measures using 10 years of data, judging that this is a time when a national response is needed through a social discussion on crimes committed by senior citizens in our society, where the pace of aging is unprecedentedly fast in the world In order to achieve this research objective, various opinions and statistical data of our society where the standards of senior citizens are changing were reviewed, and analysis of crimes was conducted on literature utilizing data of the Supreme Public Prosecutor's Office, the National Police Agency, and the National Statistical Office, recent press releases, and existing research materials. In this study, we will diagnose crimes committed by senior citizens in various aspects, including the characteristics of the elderly and the view of the elderly in the present society, and explore the direction of development for the prevention of future crimes as well.

• Journal of Families and Better Life
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• v.26 no.5
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• pp.129-142
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• 2008

This study examines how economic and psychological characteristics affect the quality of life (QoL) of elderly individuals age 60 and older, who live in the Seoul-metropolitan area. Relationships among socio-demographic status, economic conditions, psychological characteristics, family life, health status, and QoL are examined by t-test and ANOVA(Duncan's test as post hoc multiple comparisons), and the multiple regression analysis is used to estimate QoL determinants in the elderly. The major findings of the study are as follows. First, younger age, higher education levels, better health status, harmonious family relations, higher levels of household income, lower levels of loneliness, and higher self-esteems are related to higher QoL levels. Second, the impacts of factors on QoL are differentiated according to tercile groups that divide monthly allowance of respondents into three categories: below normal (threshold amount below 21MW), near normal (threshold amount between 21MW and 35MW), and above normal (threshold amount above 35MW). For each tercile group, poor health status or higher loneliness have negative effects on QoL, while harmonious family relationship has a positive effect. For the below-normal group, years of education or self-esteem have positive effects, while age or retirement status have negative effects when controlling for other factors. For the near-normal group, being married, or perceived financial insecurity create lower QoL levels, while higher self-esteem increases QoL levels. For the above-normal group, being widowed, employed, or retired have positive effects on QoL, when controlling for other variables. Third, even among elderly with high allowances, the effects of health status and family relationship are significant determinants that explain QoL levels. This result suggests that, for te elderly, poor health status and poor family relationships severely decrease QoL in later life, regardless of economic condition.