• Journal of the Korean Home Economics Association
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• v.28 no.4
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• pp.65-86
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• 1990

Living conditions of the rural elderly were assessed in terms of clothing behavior, health and nutritional status, housing and envioronmental condition, and psychological adjustment. The subjects were eighty individuals over sixty residing in the rural community of Iksan-kun, Chollabukdo. The interview method using questionnaires, direct measurement, and observation was used for this study. Data were compared with those obtained from a previous study of the elderly residing in an urban area. Clothing behavior showed that the elderly residing in the rural community were more concerned about plain and conservative design of clothes than their urban counterparts. Special protective clothes for cropdusting with agricultural chemicals had not been prepared. The following urgent needs were pointed out: development and supply of agricultural chemical protective clothing and development and education of appropriate washing and clothing care methods. The health status of the elderly was generally good, but poor eating habits were found more frequently in the rural elderly than among the urban dwellers. Several dietary nutrient intakes were insufficient. Contrasting the urban elderly with the rural group, it was found that the urban group lacked sufficient vitamin A and vitamin C and the urban women had insufficient calorie whereas the rural group was deficient in protein, vitamin A, calorie, and fat. A significant relationship was found between dietary nutrient intake and health index, food habit points, self recognized health status, meal satisfaction, and economic status. Urgent needs of the development of a nutrition education program for the elderly were pointed out. Most of elderly residing in the surveyed rural communities were living alone or with their spouse only, therefore only one room was used among the three or four available rooms. Most of the rural elderly were living either in a traditional Korean house built with differing floor levels or in a modified Korean style house. Minimal modernization had been made for kitchen facilities such as sink and gas range or for heating facilities with the briquette boiler. However, sanitary space such as lavatory and bathroom had not been remodeled. A housing welfare program for rural communities should be implemented at the national level. The comparison of psychological characteristics of the rural elderly with their city counterparts revealed that the rural elderly have a more stable psychological status and optimistic attitude than those living in a city. However, it was found that most of the elderly did not have any future plan. Community programs for the elderly including hobbies or leisure activities or education programs to generate close interpersonal relationships with their children should be developed and provided.

• Journal of Korea Entertainment Industry Association
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• v.14 no.7
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• pp.141-160
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• 2020

The purpose of this study was to devise a specific plan for activating sports to promote health in old age against the prolonged COVID-19 pandemic. Through literature review, it also analyzed the association between health status and COVID-19 in old age, suggested health promotion policies and projects for elderly people, and presented a plan for activating sport to promote health in old age against COVID-19 era. First, it is necessary to revise the relevant laws, including the Sport Promotion Act and the Elderly Welfare Act, partially or entirely, make developmental and convergent legislations for elderly health and sports, and establish an institutional device as needed. Second, it is necessary to build an integrated digital platform for the elderly and make a supporting system that links facilities, programs, information, and job creation as part of a New Deal program in the field of sports on the basis of the Korean New Deal. Third, it is necessary to train elderly welfare professionals. Efforts should be made to establish more departments related to elderly sports in universities and make it compulsory to place elderly sports instructors at elderly leisure and welfare facilities. Fourth, it is necessary to develop contents related to health in old age. This means performing diverse movements by manipulating them through a virtual reality (VR) simulation. Fifth, it is necessary to make a greater investment in research and development related to elderly sports and relevant fields. This means the need to conduct constant research on healthy and active aging in a systematic and practical way through multidisciplinary cooperation. Sixth, it is necessary to establish and operate an elderly management agency (elderly health agency) under the influence of the Office of the Prime Minister. This means the need to secure independence in implementing the functions related to health promotion in old age and make comprehensive operation, which involves all the issues of health promotion in old age, daily function maintenance and rehabilitation, social adjustment, and long-term care, by establishing an elderly management agency in an effort to give lifelong health management to the elderly and cope with the untact, New Normal age.

• Journal of the Korean Association of Geographic Information Studies
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• v.24 no.4
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• pp.26-40
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• 2021

This study aims to propose improvement plans and directions of existing policies to build a Barrier-Free city for the socially underprivileged. We conducted correlation analysis and T-test based on the results of a survey of the general public including the socially underprivileged to understand how their satisfaction with the use of facilities close to their daily lives, such as housing, sales·business facilities, affects their happiness. The results are as follows: First of all, the socially underprivileged experienced discomfort and barriers in urban life more than the privileged, and there was a negative(-) correlation between the degree of discomfort and barrier that the socially underprivileged experienced and happiness in urban life. Second, as a result of analyzing the difference in satisfaction with the life·welfare·leisure environment indicators, the satisfaction with the life environment showed a significant difference between the socially underprivileged and the privileged, and it was found that satisfaction in the life environment had the greatest effect on happiness to the socially underprivileged. We examined the current status and the spatial distribution of BF-certified facilities, one of the representative policies for the socially underprivileged to support their urban life without any obstacles, based on the above outcome, and most certified facilities were concentrated in welfare environment. In addition, we used ArcGIS to analyze that BF-certified facilities have been being supplied to people who really need them and saw that the spatial distribution of the socially underprivileged (elderly, children, and infant) and the distribution of BF certification facilities were somewhat consistent, but were intensively supplied to urban areas.

• Journal of Digital Convergence
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• v.22 no.2
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• pp.21-28
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• 2024

This study analyzed the current status of care policies and senior citizen issues in Korea, which has entered a super-aging society, and attempted to suggest improvement measures for desirable convergence policies. The problems of the elderly in Korea have emerged as health problems, poverty problems, loss of roles, and care problems due to changes in the concept of family, values, and socioeconomic structure. In addition, poor seniors need jobs and employment policies, and healthy middle-class seniors need policy development to enable leisure activities and volunteer activities. In particular, it is necessary to establish policies to enable people to spend the rest of their lives in elderly care facilities and elderly care hospitals through community care policies. The super-aging society accounts for more than 20% of the total population among those aged 65 or older, and according to the National Statistical Office, it is expected to become a super-aging society by 2025. Elderly welfare policies must provide various programs and the needs and services of elderly care, and in the future, a super-aging society will need to secure a lot of financial resources and maintain a productive population to cover the financial resources. In other words, the human life cycle is from birth to death, and when the ratio of natural deaths of the elderly and infants born is appropriate, the society and the country can be seen as stable, vibrant, and healthy societies.

• Journal of the Korea Academia-Industrial cooperation Society
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• v.17 no.11
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• pp.584-594
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• 2016

This research empirically analyzes, from an ecological perspective, whether socio-economic factors of the regions in which the elderly live have any actual influence on thoughts of suicide on the part of the elderly. Microscopic data either included outliers in part of the variables, including income and other variables of that type, from among source data from investigations into actual conditions of the elderly in 2014. Regarding macroscopic data, the indices that represent social and economic situations in each region, which were provided by KOSIS, were selected. Regarding the method of analysis, hierarchical or multi-level analysis models were applied by considering special hierarchical characteristics and heterogeneity at the personal and regional levels. The analyses showed that the following had statistically significant influences: 1. the cost-of-living index and the national basic supply and demand rate of the region; 2. the extent of natural disaster damage; and 3. the number of leisure and welfare facilities for the elderly, compared to the elderly population. Based on the results, proposals are made for systematic and practical endeavors in the community.

• Journal of the Korea Society of Computer and Information
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• v.17 no.6
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• pp.201-209
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• 2012

This study was conducted in order to empirically analyze factors affecting the quality of life in the elder resulting from the use of elderly leisure facilities in the community. For this purpose, we surveyed the elder using the senior health town of Gwang-ju Metropolitan City to see whether the quality of life in the elder is influenced by factors such as facilities' environment within the health town, the capacity for the staff and instructors, and the elders' satisfaction with programs. The results of this study are expected to provide practical solutions for enhancing the quality of life in senior users. The survey was performed with 1,038 elders aged over 60 who were using the senior health town of Gwang-ju Metropolitan City by using a self-administered questionnaire and being interviewed with surveyors. The period of the survey was from the 10th to 15th of December, 2010. According to the results of this study, variables affecting the elders' quality of life were academic qualification (B= .074, p<0.05), instructors satisfaction (B=.172, p<0.001), staff satisfaction (B=.104, p<0.01), and facilities and environment satisfaction (B=.217, p<0.001). That is, the lower academic background they have, the higher instructors', staff's, facilities and environment's satisfaction are, the quality of life in the elder was positively affected. In particular, facilities and environment's satisfaction show a relatively high effect and this suggests the necessity to modernize cultural and leisurely facilities in community for senior citizens and create pleasant environment in order to improve the quality of life in the elder.

• The Journal of the Korea Contents Association
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• v.18 no.8
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• pp.51-61
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• 2018

This study was conducted to propose regional policy for reducing suicide rate by confirming the change of local suicide rate for 10 years from 2005 to 2015 and the effect of change of local environmental factors influencing the change. The main results are as follows. First, the change of city, county, and province suicide rate in 10 years showed that the suicide rate decreased in order of military district, city area, and district. Second, in the case of economic factors, local suicide rate decreased as the local tax burden per capita increased, and as the financial self - reliance increased. Third, in the case of the social integration factors, the local suicide rate decreased as the ratio of the basic livelihood recipient decreased. In addition, local suicide rate decreased as the number of elderly leisure welfare facilities increased. Fourth, in the case of the social demolition factor, the region where the divorce rate is increased, the depression experience rate is increased, and the region where the rate of one person is increasing, the local suicide rate is increased. Therefore, it is expected that the local suicide rate can be reduced through efforts to improve the economic capacity of the whole region, social integration and reduction of the social disintegration phenomenon in the region.

• Journal of Technologic Dentistry
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• v.32 no.4
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• pp.417-433
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• 2010

Purpose: This study evaluated the manpower planning of dental technicians. Methods: Methods : Survey was conducted regarding subject's general characteristics, characteristics of dental technician's occupational view and working conditions, and reason to enter into branches of the public health enter. The survey sample consisted of 323 dental technicians (221 male/ 102 female). Survey was conducted for one month from August 1 to September 1 in 2010. Following results were obtained. Results: 1. Regarding general characteristics of the subjects, there was a slight male predilection with 68.4%. Subjects in their 40s occupied the highest proportion of 32.2%. Majority of subjects worked in the big cities (71.5%). Favored working places were dental laboratory (57.6%) and dental hospital or dental clinic (19.5%). Although no position is available in the public sector such as public health center or health care civil servant, 9.3% preferred working in the public health center. Public sector is more favored than 2-year technical colleges or dental supply and equipment companies. In respect to education, 57% of the subjects graduated college. 67.8% were married. Subjects who specialize in the porcelain or all-ceramic were 57.9%. With regard to current position, head of the dental laboratory was most common. 2. Following occupation characteristics were found. Economic reason took the highest proportion when deciding their occupation (39.9%) followed by gaining social experience (36.5%). Majority of the subjects (76.5%) wanted to work as dental technicians until their retirement. 71.5% pursuit to become a manager of the dental laboratory. 76.1% agreed on opening a dental technician position in the public health center. Regarding an authority to lead developing the dental technician position in the public sector, majority of the subject chose ministry of health and welfare (35.6%) and Korean dental technologist association (34.7%). Employment (average, 30%) and turnover rate (average, 36.5%) of dental technology college graduates ranged from 40% to 60%. Most important factors for the employment were practical experience (41.2%) and competency (34.4%). With regard to job satisfaction, so-so as 46.7% and satisfactory was 42.7% 3. In respect to the reason for opening a position in the public health center, 'It is needed to continue denture rogram for elderly patients' obtained the highest score (4.14 point). 'Institutional devices are required to open a position for dental technicians as a public healthcare provider' received high score (4.11 point). 4. Concerning the working conditions, 'professional knowledge is required' received the highest score (4.23) followed by 'too short maternity and parental leave' (4.21). 5. Relationship between general characteristics of the subjects and favor of working in the public health center was investigated. Significant differences were found according to the current and favored working area, favored occupation, education level, marital status, and specialty. Working in the public health center was favored by following subjects: working in mid- or small-sized cities (4.16 point, p<0.05); PhD degree-holder (4.59 point, p<0.01). 6. Among general characteristics of the subjects, significant difference of working conditions was found in the following factors: gender; working areas; favored working areas; favored working positions, and education level. Majority of subjects favored working in big cities and currently work in big cities although satisfaction was comparatively low (3.75 score). 7. Future plan to work in public health center was evaluated according to occupational characteristics. Subject's intention to work in the public healthcare center was significantly affected by opening of dental technician position, leading authority, average turnover rate, and factors affecting employment. Working in the public health care center was favored by the following subjects: Dental technicians who actively supported opening of the dental technician position (4.34 point, p<0.001); subjects who thought the Korean dental technologist association is responsible for the opening of positions in the public sector (4.26 point, p<0.001); and subjects who thought that attitude and character are important for the employment (p<0.001). 8. Concerning difference of working conditions according to the occupational characteristics, significant difference was demonstrated by factors such as a reason to choose to be a dental technician, work plan, pursuing position, responsible authority, average employment rate, and job satisfaction. High standard of working conditions was required in subjects who selected to be a dental technician for the leisure time after work (s.05 point, p<0.01), who planted to work until their marriage (4.25 point, p<0.001), and who pursuit to be a manager (3.98, p<0.05). 9. In respect to influence of general characteristics on the advancement to public health centers, the coefficient of determination (R2) was 0.068 and age affected the working condition with significant difference according to the pvalue. 10. Regarding influence of general characteristics on the advancement to public health centers, the coefficient of determination (R2) was 0.335 and work plan, opening of dental technician position in the public sector, and responsible authority had significant influence over the subject's intention to work in the public health center according to the p-value. 11. With regard to the influence of general characteristics on the advancement to public health centers, the coefficient of determination (R2) was 0.091 and reason to choose to be a dental technician, work plan, and responsible authority significantly affected subject's working conditions. Conclusion: Korean society is becoming a super-aged society according to several statistics. As aged population is rapidly increasing, national health insurance plans to cover denture for senior citizen over 75 years old from 2012. Therefore, dental technicians are urgently needed in the public health centers all over the nation. Many subjects in this study planed to work until their retirement and recognized dental technician's expertise. Ministry of health and welfare and Korean dental technologist association should co-operate each other to prepare foundation and institutional devices for dental technicians to advance into the public health center. This will improve oral health of the population. This study showed urgency of medical facilities and services which meets increasing number of aged population and welfare of the population.