• Korean Journal of Family Social Work
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• no.55
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• pp.265-297
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• 2017

This study aims to provide basic information about the policy and system improvements relevant to single elderly men, through an investigation concerning the use and needs of activity spaces near their housing environments. Eighteen single elderly men over 60-years-old living in Gunsan city of Jeonbuk province in Korea participated in in-depth interview, and the data were qualitatively analyzed. The results of the study are as follows: The social networks of the participants were focused on friends or colleagues, while mutual exchanges with their children were intermittently undertaken. Natural networks of the elderly were formed mainly in third places, such as parks, restaurants, or community facilities, and about a half of the elderly participants had no spatial needs, and the rest required spaces for meal services, the elderly living community, jobs, leisure/hobby activities, or facility improvements. The elements influencing use of activity spaces were access from the residence, health, social networks, and economic conditions. The results suggest the following: Exercise or leisure facilities supporting elderly mobility should be set up close to their residential environments. Senior facilities centered on systematic supports and shuttle buses circulating around the places that the elderly visit frequently should be considered. On the other hand, regular maintenance and education on residents' proper use of the facilities, and sufficient information and fee discounts for the general programs are needed so that the elderly could interact with the younger generation. From a public perspective, a rational system and policy based on understanding single elderly men's needs should be prepared for provision and management of the activity space.

• Journal of agricultural medicine and community health
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• v.28 no.1
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• pp.39-51
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• 2003

Objectives: The oriental medical care has been getting popular in community health centers because of uniqueness, changing of disease patterns, and increasing of elderly population. From 1998, oriental medical doctors has been working in several rural community health centers for their military obligations. At this point of time, it is necessary to evaluate the oriental public health doctors system. This study was performed to investigate the utilization patterns, the degree of satisfactions, needs of oriental medical care service provided by community health center in a designated Gun area. This study focused on the need for extending over Myun area of community health center's oriental medical care services. Methods: Person-to-person interview survey method through a structured questionnaire was done by a personnel at a oriental medical care service room in a Gun community health center. The major statistical method used for the analysis were the t-test, ANOVA, and logistic analysis. Results: The total number of responded subjects in this study was 163 residents. Among these 65.0% were aged 61 or over, and only 13.5% recognized themselves were healthy. 73.7% of the respondents demanded establishment of more oriental medical care services provided by community health center to other Myun area. Factors affecting the need for enlargement of oriental medical care service room were education level, subjective awareness of access to community health center, and cost satisfaction of oriental medical service provided by community health center. Thus, a resident who had graduation of middle school achievement or above(OR=3.35), had a long way to center(OR=2.47), satisfied with oriental medical service cost(OR=2.78) had demonstrated increased chance of need by logistic regression analysis.

• 재활복지
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• v.22 no.3
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• pp.69-91
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• 2018

This study aims to identify factors of life satisfaction of the adults with developmental disabilities, focusing on the comparison between young and old. Data are collected through in-depth interview of the adults with developmental disabilities as well as via workers proxy responses at the group home. Regression model analysis is conducted based on 387 cases. The result shows that the young adults with developmental disabilities are more likely to satisfied with life when they evaluate job performance of workers at the group home and when they are more actively involved in community activities. For the old adults with developmental disabilities, life satisfaction is positively associated with their evaluation of job performance of workers at the group home as in the young adults. In addition, life satisfaction of the old adults is higher when they feel less fatigue. It is also higher for those with more choices on residence and higher level of social activities. The findings reveals that enhancement of life satisfaction for the old adults with developmental disabilities dwelling at group home require supports and services for health and social activities different from other ages. It shares the general ideas that service efforts should be made for needs and desires of the recipients. The present study suggests to expand our research interests to include the disabled in danger of early aging, such as the persons with Down Syndrome and the persons with intellectual disability and cerebral palsy, and look into their particular needs.

• Journal of Nutrition and Health
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• v.54 no.2
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• pp.179-198
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• 2021

Purpose: This study examined general characteristics, health status, accessibility to medical services, health-related quality of life, dietary behavior, and energy and nutrient intakes of the elderly at different levels of food security utilizing data from the 7th Korea National Health and Nutrition Examination Survey (2016-2018). Methods: The elderly subjects (1,721 males and 2,271 females) were divided into 3 groups (secure, mildly insecure, moderately/severely insecure) according to their food security levels. Health and nutrient status was determined using energy intake, nutrient density, the prevalence of insufficient nutrient intake, dietary behavior, and health status. Results: The elderly with food insecurities had a lower self-evaluated health status and a higher prevalence of physician-diagnosed chronic diseases such as arthritis, osteoarthritis, rheumatoid arthritis, osteoporosis for males, and hypertension, stroke, arthritis, and osteoarthritis for females. The associated financial burden was the major reason for not accessing medical services in the food insecure group. Furthermore, the food insecure group had a higher risk of impaired health-related quality of life compared to the secure group. The proportion of subjects with an energy intake below the estimated energy requirement was higher in the food insecure group and a significantly higher prevalence of insufficient intake was observed for all the nutrients (proteins, vitamin A, vitamin B₁, vitamin B₂, niacin, vitamin C, calcium, and iron) assessed in this study compared to the food secure group. Conclusion: This study suggests that food insecurity poses a challenge to the health and nutritional status of the elderly population in Korea and needs proper management. It would be helpful to develop food and nutrition assistance programs to ensure the food stability of the elderly population and assure quality to address gaps in their nutrient intake.

• The Journal of the Korea Contents Association
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• v.18 no.1
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• pp.504-516
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• 2018

Many countries have tried to reform financing systems toward UHC and paid attention to the function of strategic purchasing. This study was performed to examine theoretical foundations and the function of strategic purchasing. And we examined the functions of strategic purchasing in Korea based on the framework proposed by Preker(2005). For this purpose, we reviewed literature related to purchasing. we defined the strategic purchasing as strategic activities to provide health care services people need within a given budget, which is carried out by certain organizations, purchasing organizations. These activities include selecting appropriate providers, designing and operating the payment system, setting the price, and determining the target populations and their needs etc. The relationships among government, purchasers and healthcare providers can be explained by the principal-agent theory. In addition to Preker's framework, we emphasized the importance of the infrastructure such as decision making support systems, information systems, health care resource management systems, or expenditure monitoring systems. The National Health Insurance Service and the Health Insurance Review & Assessment Service play major roles in performing strategic purchasing.

• Journal of Chest Surgery
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• v.49 no.sup1
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• pp.53-59
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• 2016

Background: The purpose of this study is to evaluate the concentration of cardiovascular surgical procedures in a metropolitan area and investigate the perception of specialists regarding governmental policies to resolve this imbalance. Methods: From March to May 2015, surveys were distributed to members of the Thoracic and Cardiovascular Surgery Association. The final pool of research subjects consisted of 75 respondents. Subjects were queried regarding the concentration of cardiovascular operations in metropolitan areas, alternatives to the imbalance, and governmental policies to resolve the inequalities. Results: Survey participants responded that South Korea needs governmental policies to alleviate the concentration of cardiovascular surgery patients in large metropolitan hospitals. Participants agreed that the freedom to choose medical institutions and improved accessibility to metropolitan hospitals due to advanced transportation systems were some of the causes for the concentration. A majority (98.7%) of respondents thought establishing thoracic and cardiovascular surgery centers in provinces was an appropriate solution to alleviate the concentration. Thoracic and cardiovascular surgery specialists were ranked as the number one group on which to focus development. Conclusion: Developing and carrying out policies to establish thoracic and cardiovascular surgery centers in provinces will alleviate the regional imbalance in available heart surgery services and an overall improvement in cardiovascular disease treatment in South Korea.

• Research in Community and Public Health Nursing
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• v.10 no.2
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• pp.422-434
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• 1999

The purpose of this study was to describe the degree of satisfaction at day care center's services and the degree of relationship between each service and overall satisfaction. The data collection was performed from July 1, 1999 to July 15, 1999. And total 199 elderly clients were interviewed in Koksung-kun. The results of the study is as follows: 1. The percentage of satisfactory response at transport service was 95.2%, food supply 94.3%, bath 93.2%, hair cutting 90.8%, physical therapy 90.2%, medical treatment 89.3%. And oriental medical treatment 82.0%. 2. For question of the degree of satifaction at day care service, the distribution of answer was 75.1% in exellent. 15.5% in good, 3.6% in moderate, 3.6% in poor, 2.1% in most poor. 3. The subjective satisfaction was not significantly different by sex, age, the presence or absence of religious, educational level, the presence or absence of family and economic level. 4. A significant association between the program satisfaction and the subjective satisfaction was observed: odds ratios were 26.9 in food supply, 26.4 in luncheon supply, 17.4 in bath, and 14.5 in hair cutting. The following is suggestion based on results of this study: A service program should be developed to fit conditions of rural elderies by specifically analyzing needs of the elderly.

• Journal of Families and Better Life
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• v.23 no.4 s.76
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• pp.1-15
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• 2005

Korean society is experiencing rapid changes which are certain to shape the lives of the older people and their families. So, the purpose of this study was to improve the quality of the elderly welfare service in Korea. Even though the interest about the elderly welfare in Korea is rapidly on the increase, the reality of Korean Society still leaves much to be desired, quantitatively as well as qualitatively. Pay attent to this point, now going to grasp the situation of not the handicapped elder people but the general elder people actual life condition and demand for welfare. So this study focused on the demand of not out-of home service but in-home care service. It was based on the data from by Korea National Statistical Office, having observed 6,139 elderly people. The results were as follows. They hope to get the elderly welfare services about health examination service, nursing survice, supporting service for household. That was, the most of them wanted in-home care service than out-of home care service. To ensure effective care to the elderly, it needed development and settlement of welfare service in face of their daily living. And, even though they recognized that they should cover the elderly life expenses themselves, the rate was hit that indicated their adult children as a parents supporter. This means that we should consider not only to the elder people but also to the family which contained the old people as the elderly welfare service. As a remedy, we can find the cooperation between elder welfare service at the social welfare organization and counsel, education at the family strengthen center. To improve the quality of the elderly welfare service in Korea, the elderly welfare service should focus not only on the physical and spiritual health maintenance but also active understanding living environment and growing ability to arbitrate between individual and living.

• Journal of Community Nutrition
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• v.1 no.2
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• pp.75-80
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• 1999

Special nutritional foods are one category of processed foods. In this category, 5 different food standards are defined in the current rule of the Korean Food Code ; that is, infant formulae, complementary foods for infants and young children, foods nutrient supplementation, processed dietary fiber-based foods, and foods for special dietary uses. The major differences between the special dietary uses. The major difference between the special nutritional foods and the other processed foods is that the special nutritional foods are characterized by their dietary uses for specific population groups rather than food ingredients or manufacturing and processing techniques which characterize and distinguish most of other processed foods. Although several countries establish similar standards for this type of foods, they use different legal names such as foods for special dietary uses(U.S.A., CODEX, Japan), foodstuffs intended for particular nutritional uses(EC), or special purpose foods(Australia). In addition, there are some other differences in the definitions for these food types and categorization of food types among countries. The major difference in the definitions is the description of 'special dietary uses' by specifying certain population groups whose nutrient requirements are different from those of ordinary men due to physiological or physical conditions and therefore may not be sufficiently met by consuming ordinary foods. The categorization of this type of foods is based on the type of dietary uses in the other countries, whereas we include foods simply supplemented with nutrients or foods having certain components such as dietary fibers even if these foods types do not have special dietary sues. Recently, a revision of standards for special nutritional food has been proposed. However, the description of 'special dietary uses' is not clearly indicated in the definition, and some food types which should not be categorized into the special nutritional foods still remain in this category. In order to correct these problems, the standard of food labeling in the Food Safety Law needs to be revised along with revision of food standards in the Food Code.

• Journal of Society of Preventive Korean Medicine
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• v.6 no.2
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• pp.36-47
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• 2002

Over thousands of years oriental traditional medicine has developed a theoretical and practical approach to treat and prevent diseases and to promote people's health in China and Korea. In China, the integration of traditional Chinese medicine into the national healthcare system began in the late 1950s. This was in response to national planning needs to provide comprehensive healthcare services. On contrary to China, South Korea established the parallel operation of two independent medical systems in 1952. Hence there has been a political conflict between oriental and modern medicine over issues of fee, the ability to sell and prescribe herbal medicines, and the licensing of practitioners in traditional medicines. Given this background. This study is to compare peoples' attitudes and opinions for oriental traditional medicine by ethnicity (Chinese, Korean-Chinese and Korean). Chinese and Korean-Chinese were more used and satisfied with traditional medicine treatment and traditional practitioners compared with Koreans. The proportion of Koreans who reported the cost of traditional treatments was expensive was higher than those of Chinese and Korean Chinese. Most of Chinese, Korean-Chinese, and Koreans reported that they would use traditional medicine: 1) when they would have some disease to be treated best through traditional medicine; and 2) when traditional practitioner had a reputation and lots of experiences for those diseases. Most Korean people reported that oriental and western practitioners should cooperate each other to improve the quality of care. Therefore, policy framework including integration of traditional and western medicine, regulation, etc. is needed. In addition, research is needed to determine which diseases is treated best through traditional medicine.