• Journal of Preventive Medicine and Public Health
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• v.44 no.1
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• pp.32-40
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• 2011

Objectives: This study investigated the gender and age differential effect of major chronic diseases on activity of daily living (ADL) disability. Methods: Surveyfreq and Surveylogistic regression analyses were employed on the 2005 Korean National Health and Nutrition Examination Survey (KNHANES) with a sample of 3,609 persons aged 65 - 89. Results: After adjusting for potential covariates, stroke, among elderly men more so than women, had a 2-3 times greater odds of engendering ADL disability in the 65-69 (p < 0.05) and 70-79 age groups (p < 0.01). In comparison to elderly women, cancer, diabetes, and incontinence in elderly men was associated with a higher risk of ADL disability in the 70 - 79 age group (p < 0.05), and this association was also observed for pulmonary disease in the 80-89 age group. Among elderly women, however, a significant association between incontinence and ADL disability was identified in all three age groups. In addition, this association was found in pulmonary disease and diabetes in elderly women aged 70 - 79 years. Significant gender differences were observed in the association between stroke in the 60 - 79 age group and cancer in the 70 - 79 age group. Conclusions: Age and gender differences were observed in the effect of chronic diseases on ADL disability.

• Korean Journal of Health Education and Promotion
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• v.1 no.1
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• pp.59-73
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• 1999

It is known that the role of informal support for elderly women is critical to their physical and mental health, adjustment in old age, and their overall life satisfaction. Elderly women's situation such as social losses, widowhood, living alone, and geographic relocation etc. may result in a need for more informal supports for elderly women's health than ever before. Particularly, women's same-sex friendships were rated higher for overall quality, intimacy, enjoyment, and nurturance. Unlike a generally accepted notion that later life for women is a time of isolation and loneliness, elderly women tend to maintain and reestablish their friendship regardless their marital status and living situation. Although studies on informal support for elderly women were inconclusive in many ways, elderly women's friendship tends to be stable despite of changing health status and life events. The relative importance between daughters and friends was also controversial. This study suggests that more research with reliable measurements is necessary for the practical prevention and intervention program of elderly women's health on this issue.

• IEMEK Journal of Embedded Systems and Applications
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• v.8 no.1
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• pp.31-42
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• 2013

Considerations of how to facilitate aging-in-place(AIP) are becoming increasingly pertinent as care-givers are overwhelmed by an aging population. Aging friendly home-care services combined with IT can satisfy the needs of the elderly suffer from chronic diseases such as depression and dementia. Therefore, we propose future smart phone services and application technologies which can estimate emotional states of the aged and respond to the desire to be happy with mental health, connectedness and consolation from peoples. Firstly, we introduce depression measurement techniques to estimate the severity of depression using multiple sensors. At second, the emotional responding services are categorized to four parts and the details are described. Lastly, we propose the process to implement emotional communication and the application techniques(services) to fulfill the emotional satisfaction and mental healthcare for AIP using smart phone as a mediator.

• The Korean Journal of Health Service Management
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• v.4 no.2
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• pp.73-84
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• 2010

This study conducted a secondary analysis by using original data of performed by Korea Institute for Health and Social Affairs to determine factors affecting doctor's diagnosed disease-related mental health for the elderly aged over 65 years living in Korea. The survey was conducted in 2007 and it evaluated finally 720 cases by excluding cases with no answer or a wrong answer. The results were as follows. The proportion of the elderly who stress cognition was influenced when subjects were female and older, lower subjective health condition and osteoporosis, showed statistically significant difference. The proportion of the elderly who experience depression was influenced when subjects were older, had not health insurance or medical care, and lower subjective health condition, showed statistically significant difference. The proportion of the elderly who have suicide thoughts was influenced when subjects were female and higher educational background, lower subjective health condition, COPD(Chronic obstructive pulmonary disease), and diabetes mellitus, showed statistically significant difference. We knew that the relationship between diseases and depression in the elderly influenced on the depression about most of the diseases. Particularly, Depression and suicide had a high correlation. The results suggest that it should be necessary to systematic management of diseases in the depression treatment of the Elderly in Korea.

• The Journal of Economics, Marketing and Management
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• v.12 no.1
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• pp.89-96
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• 2024

Purpose: This study explored the impact of using a music and horticultural therapy program on depression among rural seniors living in Yeongam-gun and conducted a comparative analysis before and after the program to present basic data helpful for an integrated mental health promotion program tailored to rural areas. Research methodology: The analysis subjects of this study were users of the rural residential program of 'Our Village Day Care Center' in Yeongam-gun in 2023, with a total of 20 people, 10 seniors for each program. The research analysis used SPSS to determine the effect on participation and depression before and after the program was implemented. Results: As a result of the analysis, depression levels decreased after completion of the horticultural therapy program and music therapy program, and this was statistically significant. Conclusion: Three implications are presented based on the following research results. First, the need for programs that can improve not only the physical health but also the mental health of elderly people living in rural areas is suggested. Second, the need for programs that link cultural programs such as music and gardening activities with welfare programs is suggested. Third, the need for follow-up management and verification of periodic mental health checkups for rural elderly is suggested.

• Journal of the Korea Convergence Society
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• v.12 no.11
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• pp.501-510
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• 2021

This study is a secondary data analysis study that analyzed the data of the 8th Korea National Health and Nutrition Examination Survey(2019) to identify factors that affect physical and mental health status according to the presence or absence of a spouse of the elderly. 𝜒² test, logistic and linear regression analysis were performed on 1,510 elderly aged 65 years or older. As a result of the study, general characteristics (gender, age, education level, household income) and health-related characteristics (smoking, drinking, and physical activity) were adjusted according to the spouse status. As a result, compared to those without a spouse, the probability of diagnosis of arthritis (OR=0.673, p=.010) and the Possibility of experiencing depression (OR=0.535, p=003) lower. It was confirmed that the quality of life was significantly higher (B=0.023, p=.040). The results of this study can be used as basic data to determine the factors that influence the health status of the elderly by existence of spouses.

• Journal of Convergence for Information Technology
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• v.11 no.1
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• pp.62-70
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• 2021

The purpose of this study was to identify health literacy among elderly and to investigate the relationships between healthy literacy and health status. A cross-sectional study was conducted with a sample of 158 participants between July and December 2019. The linguistic and functional health literacy (using the KHLAT and NVS) and self-rated physical and mental health were assessed. Above third of elderly have difficulties reading and understanding linguistic and functional health literacy. There were significant differences in health literacy according to residence, spouse, living together, educational level, occupation, monthly income, and number of diagnosed disease. Linguistic and functional health literacy and self-rated physical and mental health are closely related. Sociodemographic and disease related factors such as residence, educational level, monthly income, and multi-morbidity need to be considered when developing educational programs to improve health literacy. It could be possible to promote health status by improving the health literacy through individualized convergent educational program.

• Journal of The Korea Institute of Healthcare Architecture
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• v.15 no.3
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• pp.31-39
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• 2009

Population of senior citizens in Korea has been on the increase rapidly through decrease in population by falling birth rate and extension the average life span by development of medical technology and improving people's standard of living. As the booming population of senior citizens, it has appeared to problems of the elderly such as protection, health and supporting and welfare facilities for the elderly have increased there but it leaves something to be desired at plan and improvement of qualitative environment which the elderly's living space. It attaches importance to valuate about nursing homes such as management, quality of service, manufacture of physical environment and so on, so it is required to consider the elderly's emotion on environmental valuation. Healing environment that is a important fact of indoor environment operates powerfully upon the nursing homes as well as general medical facilities. It needs to healing environment for the elderly's physical health and mental stable life, we should know importance of healing environment that affects the elderly's health and life. The elderly have experienced physical, mental, and social changes with advancing years. The people who use the nursing homes are the elderly. We should find fact of healing environment as the elderly's characteristics and have to find healing environment that gives aid to the elderly's health in the nursing homes. In care for the elderly is not house care, it has focused on the elderly's health for improving their life and leading comfortable life.

• Korean Journal of Social Welfare
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• v.44
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• pp.318-345
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• 2001

The purpose of this research was to develop and evaluate a preventive mental health program for the depression among the elderly in community. Based on the review of literature, intervention program for preventing depression among the elderly was developed. In particular, the program focuses on enhancing the sense of control which is from social cognitive theory. The preventive mental health program consists of two parts: Tan-Hak and Social intervention program. Tan-Hak was oriented to cognitive change and activities, while social intervention program dealt with some social skills for relationship, stress management, motivation of social activities (volunteer activities), positive future designing, etc. For the evaluation of this program, we employed depression scale and medical measurement such as hormone test before and after the program, and in-depth interview of subjects. Overall, this program was successful in some points. First, through the pre and post test, this program has positive effect on strengthening the sense of control, and consequently, lowering depression level. Secondly, 18 people started this program called "smile class" at first time, and none of them turned out until the end of the program. This implies that the program was interesting to the elderly.

• Journal of Preventive Medicine and Public Health
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• v.54 no.6
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• pp.441-450
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• 2021

Objectives: Socioeconomic disadvantages interact with numerous factors which affect geriatric mental health. One of the main factors is the social relations of the elderly. The elderly have different experiences and meanings in their social lives depending on their socio-cultural environment. In this study, we compared the effects of social relations on depression among the elderly according to their living arrangement (living alone or living with others) and residential area. Methods: We defined social relations as "meetings with neighbors" (MN). We then analyzed the impact of MN on depression using data from the Korean Longitudinal Study of Aging Panel with the generalized estimating equation model. We also examined the moderating effect of living alone and performed subgroup analysis by dividing the sample according to which area they lived in. Results: MN was associated with a reduced risk of depressive symptoms among elderlies. The size of the effect was larger in rural areas than in large cities. However, elderly those who lived alone in rural areas had a smaller protective impact of MN on depression, comparing to those who lived with others. The moderating effect of living alone was significant only in rural areas. Conclusions: The social relations among elderlies had a positive effect on their mental health: The more frequent MN were held, the less risk of depressive symptoms occurred. However, the effect may vary depending on their living arrangement and environment. Thus, policies or programs targeting to enhance geriatric mental health should consider different socio-cultural backgrounds among elderlies.