• Journal of agricultural medicine and community health
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• v.28 no.2
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• pp.87-105
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• 2003

Objectives: The purpose of this study was to examine the health care utilization pattern and its related factors of low-income population with abnormal results through health examination. Methods: Analysed data were collected through a questionnaire survey, which was given to 263 persons who 30 years or over with abnormal results through health examination at Health Center. This survey was conducted in March, 2003. This study employed Andersen's prediction model as most well known medical demand mode and data were analysed through 2-test, and multiple logistic regression analysis. Results: The proportion of medical utilization for thorough examination or treatment among study subjects was 51.0%. In multiple logistic regression analysis as dependent variable with medical utilization, the variables affecting the medical utilization were 'feeling about abnormal result(anxiety versus no anxiety: odds ratio 2.25, 95% confidence intervals 1.07-4.75)', 'type of health security(medicaid type I versus health insurance: odds ratio 2.82, 95% confidence intervals 1.04-7.66; medicaid type II versus health insurance: odds ratio 3.22, 95% confidence intervals 1.37-7.53)', 'experience of health examination during past 2 years(odds ratio 2.39, 95% confidence intervals 1.09-5.21)' and 'family member's response for abnormal result(recommendation for medical utilization versus no response: odds ratio 4.90, 95% confidence intervals 1.75-13.75; family member recommended to utilize medical facilities with him/her versus no response: odds ratio 19.47, 95% confidence intervals 5.01-75.73)'. The time of medical utilization was 8-15 days after they received the result(29.9%), 16-30 days after they receive the result(27.6%), 2-7 days after they received the result(20.9%) in order. The most important reason why they didn't take a medical utilization was that it seemed insignificant to them(32.4%). Conclusions: In order to promote medical utilization of low-income population, health education for abnormal result and its management would be necessary to family member as well as person with abnormal result. And follow-up management program for person with abnormal result through health examination such as home-visit health care would be necessary.

• The Korean Journal of Applied Statistics
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• v.28 no.4
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• pp.603-620
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• 2015

The National Pension of Korea is a public social security system designed to alleviate social risks and poverty that has had a major impact on the quality of life for the aging population. However, a rapidly aging population and low fertility threaten the sustainability of national pension in Korea. The National Pension Research Institute publishes a nancial projection every ve years; consequently, the government has lowered the entitlements for the sustainability of national pension based on the projection results. The current reform of the pension system that arbitrarily reduces the entitlements might detract from the income security role of the national pension for pensioners without accounting for the highest elderly poverty rate in the OECD countries. We first discuss methods for the financial projection of the national pension in terms of population, subscribers, and pensioner projections in order to estimate the pension reserve fund and the financial depletion year. We also conduct a sensitivity analysis for population variables, institutional variables, and economic variables based on pension reserves and the financial depletion year. We evaluate intergenerational fairness between the income hierarchy by conducting a money's worth analysis. Finally, we investigate the possibility of the sustainability of national pension by adjusting pension contributions and entitlements (income replacement rate). A new dependency ratio shows that a simple reform of the national pension does not secure the sustainability of the national pension without adapting a pay-as-you-go system.

• Journal of Preventive Medicine and Public Health
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• v.40 no.5
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• pp.381-387
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• 2007

Objectives: This study was conducted in order to determine how the association between socioeconomic position(SEP) and health status changes with age among Seoul residents aged 25 and over. Methods: We utilized the 2001 and 2005 Seoul Citizens Health Indicators Surveys. We used self-rated 'poor' health status as an outcome variable, and family income as an indicator of SEP. In order to characterize the differential effects of socioeconomic position on health by age, we conducted separate multivariate analyses by 10-year age groups, controlling for sociodemographic covariates. In order to assess the relative health inequality across socioeconomic groups, we estimated the Relative Index of Inequality (RII). Results: The risk of 'poor health' is significantly high in low family income groups, and this increased risk is seen at all ages. However, the magnitude of relative socioeconomic inequality in health, as measured by the odds ratio and RII, is not identical across age groups. The difference in health across income groups is small in early adulthood (ages 25-34), but increases with age until relatively late in life (ages 35-64). It then decreases among the elderly population (ages more than 65). When the RII reported in 2005 is compared to that reported in 2001, RII can be seen to have increased across all ages, with the exception of individuals aged 25-34. Conclusions: The magnitude of health inequality is the greatest during mid- to late adulthood (ages 45-64). In addition, health inequalities have worsened between 2001 and 2005 across all age groups after economic crisis.

• Journal of Ecology and Environment
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• v.42 no.4
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• pp.139-149
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• 2018

Background: Ethiopia is among the poorest countries where land degradation caused livelihood problem to its inhabitants. The livelihood of rural communities in Ethiopia is seriously threatened by land degradation. Land is the major natural resource that economic, social, infrastructure, and other human activities are undertaken on. Thus, land resources play an important role in shaping rural livelihoods, and lack of sustainable land management practices leads to land degradation. Thus, this study aimed to analyze interlink between land degradation and livelihood of rural communities in Chilga district, Northwest Ethiopia. It also addresses the factors which influence income diversification for livelihood of households in the study area. Result: The result depicts that the major causes of land degradation are both natural and anthropogenic. Land degradation and livelihood are negatively interlinked with each other. The livelihood of the majority of the population in the study area is dependent on subsistence agriculture both farming and animal husbandry with low diversification. The survey result showed that more than half (69%) of the sample households have farm size of less than 2 ha, nearly one third (31%) have 2.0-2.5 ha, and insignificant number of farmers have more than 2.5 ha. More than 80% of the respondents pointed out that land degradation has impacts both on crop yield and livestock production. Most of the explanatory variables such as gender, age, education level, farmland size, and family size have statistical significant influence (at P < .01 and P < .05 levels) for income diversification of households, while marital status on the other hand is not statistically significant though it has positive relation with income diversification in this study. Conclusions: Our results suggest awareness should be created in the community about the livelihood diversification mechanisms which enabled them to engage in different income-generating activities and comprehensive watershed management should be implemented.

• Journal of Preventive Medicine and Public Health
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• v.46 no.1
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• pp.39-49
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• 2013

Objectives: This study aims to investigate the prevalence of musculoskeletal symptoms and factors related to daily activities in a representative Korean population. Methods: This study was based on the questions about musculoskeletal symptoms in the Korean General Social Survey 2010. The questionnaire about musculoskeletal symptoms was adopted from Korean Occupational Safety and Health Agency guide, and it includes general characteristics, characteristics of pain, work type, work intensity and a 12-item Short Form Health Survey (SF-12). We utilized the criteria of the National Institute for Occupational Safety and Health to define the prevalence of musculoskeletal symptoms. Demographic, behavioral and socioeconomic factors were analyzed using logistic regression. Results: The prevalence of musculoskeletal symptoms was 38.3%. The prevalence was higher in females, the elderly, those without health insurance, and those with a low income, low education, and occupations with a heavy workload. The prevalence by body part was highest in the back, shoulder, and knee, in that order. The physical component summary and mental component summary of the SF-12 decreased with increasing musculoskeletal symptoms. Conclusions: Musculoskeletal symptoms are very common in the general population, and related to various socio-demographic factors. These results suggest that active prevention and management of musculoskeletal symptoms is needed at a national level.

• Journal of The Korea Institute of Healthcare Architecture
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• v.16 no.1
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• pp.55-63
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• 2010

The study was initially designed to look into the soon-to-be senior citizens' preferences for the life after retirement in aging society. Its outcomes are to be contributed to grading up the quality of housing culture through examining the expected changes of housing types in the future. The increasing number of the soon-to-be senior citizens becomes leading subjects in information, culture and consumption areas. Therefore it is significant to present a model of housing types for those citizens by analyzing their preferred residence after retirement. To complete those objectives, a set of questionnaires concerning sex, age, district, education and income of those subjects in 40's-50's, who are expected to be more than 20 percent of national population by 2030, were collected and analyzed to find out their preferences over housing types, residential welfare facilities, and co-housing. The results show that the preferences over the residential welfare facilities and co-housing for those who are able to move for themselves are low, while the preferences over single-unit houses in the suburbs within 2 hours from a city are very high. Preferences for apartments in the urban areas are high for those with high income and education. In contrast preferences for life in their hometowns are high for those whose income and education are relatively low. Most of those with some difficulties in moving for themselves want to get help with welfare facilities for the elderly people. And the preferences of those who want to receive help from assistants are different from those preferring to get help from their offsprings, which tells a need for further study of the convertible housing types according to their family members.

• Korean Journal of Community Nutrition
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• v.10 no.6
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• pp.952-962
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• 2005

To explore the relationship between economic status and food and nutrient intake patterns, the 2001 National Health and Nutrition Survey result was analyzed. Dietary intake data of 6,978 Korean adults of 20 years and older who participated in the 2001 National Health and Nutrition Survey were used along with their demographic data. Economic status of the subjects was classified into the following 4 groups based on the self-reported average monthly income of household with reference to the minimum monthly living expenses (MLE) in 2001 : low < $100\%$ MLE $\leq$ middle < $200\%$ MLE $\leq$ high < $300\%$ MLE $\leq$ higher, Individuals in the higher income class had significantly higher mean intake for most of the nutrients including energy, protein, carbohydrate, fat, calcium, thiamin, riboflavin, niacin and vitamin C, and a higher percentage of energy intake from fat. In addition, they consumed more animal foods including meats, eggs, fish/shellfish, milk/dairy products and fats. On the other hand, the mean intakes of individuals in the lower economic class for calcium, vitamin A, and riboflavin were lower than $75\%$ of RDAs. And, there was a predominant difference in contribution of fat to total energy intake among the groups of different economic status. These results showed that household income is an important factor influencing the food and nutrient intake patterns of the Korean adult population. Although individuals at different age classes may respond differently to a change in economic status, developing and implementing nutrition policy and intervention programs for those nutritionally vulnerable groups should consider the economic status as an important factor to customize and differentiate the content of the Program. (Korean J Community Nutrition 10(6) : $952\∼962$, 2005)

• Journal of Distribution Science
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• v.14 no.8
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• pp.139-151
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• 2016

Purpose - In Chinese rose market, Korea competes against Latin American and African countries, but is not so competitive in terms of price and quality, implying the importance of using appropriate marketing strategies. This study aims to examine Chinese rose consumers' recognition and attributes of preference for roses produced in Korea, in order to use the result as baseline data for Korean rose exporters to China and provide implications that help establish a variety of marketing strategies targeting each region, income and age group. Research Design, Data and Methodology - 112 Chinese people were involved and interviewed in Chinese horticulture industry who had participated in 2016 Hortiflorexpo IPM Beijing. Online questionnaire survey was additionally conducted with 533 Chinese living in Korea and China. The Conjoint Analysis was conducted for region, age, and income group of respondents to estimate the relative importance of rose attributes evaluated by each population group and the utility derived from each attribute level. This process aimed to compare respective population groups for the relative importance and utility to derive implications for targeted marketing strategies. Results - The analysis finds that Chinese rose consumers prioritize rose color, followed by price, flowering stage, and flower size in purchasing roses. They prefer red roses most, followed by pink and then yellow. Moreover, they prefer larger roses, and relatively cheaper roses. The analysis reveals they prefer roses in their 20%-flowering stage to more than 40%-flowering stage. Conclusions - Establishing marketing strategies differentiated for each Chinese consumer group is critical in expanding Korean rose export. The analysis finds while Chinese consumers living in Beijing considered rose color and flowering stage more importantly than their counterparts in Shanghai, Chinese consumers living in Shanghai considered rose price and size more importantly than their counterparts living in Beijing. Therefore, establishing marketing strategies based on these attributes of preference in each region is necessary. Mid & low-income consumer groups considered price as the most important factor, and high-income consumer groups considered rose color as the most important one. It is, thus, important to focus on rose color when establishing a marketing strategy with targeting the high-income consumer group.

• The Journal of the Korea Contents Association
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• v.21 no.4
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• pp.96-110
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• 2021

Korea is faced with the challenge of adapting to the world's fastest - growing low birthrate, aging society, and low growth with low interest rate era. With low fertility and aging population, the factors of financial income of health insurance are decreasing, and the increase of public interest in health, high cost medical technology and the development of medicine are leading to increase expenditure of health insurance. In this study, I will examine the strengthen protection of health insurance, financial stabilization, and fairness of medical care. First, the present status and limitations of health insurance were identified through domestic policy report, domestic and foreign literature, and precedent research. Second, the foreign health insurance policy measures to stabilize the finances were examined separately. Based on this study, in order to maintain sustainable health insurance through reinforcement and financial stabilization of health insurance, the current financial income structure of health insurance must be renovated. It will be necessary to expand government subsidies and discover new tax revenues. In addition, a policy to save finances by reorganizing the medical bill payment system and medical delivery system will also be needed.

• Asian Pacific Journal of Cancer Prevention
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• v.14 no.6
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• pp.3799-3804
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• 2013

Background: Colorectal cancer is the second most common cancer in Malaysia. The prognosis of the disease is excellent if detected at an early stage, but the majority of Malaysian patients present at late stages. We aimed to assess the awareness of cancer warning signs and anticipated delay in help-seeking as possible contributors to this phenomenon. Materials and Methods: A population-based cross-sectional survey using the Colorectal Cancer Awareness Measure was initiated in Perak, Malaysia. A total of 2,379 respondents aged 18 years and above were recruited using a multi-stage sampling in five locations. Analysis of covariance was used to examine independent sociodemographic predictors of scores for symptom awareness. Results: Younger age, being female, a higher education, and higher income were significantly associated with better scores for both recall and recognition of warning symptoms. Among the ethnic groups, Malays had better recognition of symptoms whereas Chinese recalled the most symptoms. Passing bloody stool was associated with the least anticipated delay and unexplained anal pain had the highest anticipated delay. Conclusions: The level of awareness across all ethnicities in Malaysia is generally low, especially among minorities. Targeted public education, which is culturally and linguistically appropriate, should be developed to encourage early help-seeking and improve clinical outcomes.