• Journal of Korean Public Health Nursing
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• v.36 no.3
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• pp.389-401
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• 2022

Purpose: This study was conducted to understand the actual condition and influencing factors of being underweight among older adults in the community based on a survey of national older Korean's data in 2020. Methods: The data from 9,555 older adults in the community were used for analysis. Composite sample analysis was performed with integrated weights applied to the raw data. A Rao Scott-test and logistic regression were performed using SPSS 24.0 for Windows. Results: Underweight older adults in the community were found to have significant differences in age, subjective health status, depression, chronic disease, drinking, exercise, nutrition, chewing, and activities of daily living (ADL). The factors affecting the underweight older adults were age, subjective health status, depression, chronic disease, drinking, exercise, nutrition, chewing, and activities of daily living. Conclusion: A customized program is needed for underweight older adults in the community. In addition, attempts should be made to motivate older adults in the community to continue to participate in the program.

• Journal of Korean society of Dental Hygiene
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• v.24 no.3
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• pp.243-251
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• 2024

Objectives: This study used secondary data from the 2021 Community Health Survey to identify the impact of dysphagia on mental health-related characteristics among older adults, selecting 73,970 individuals aged 65 years and older. Methods: Frequency analysis, χ²-test, and multiple logistic regression were conducted to identify risk factors affecting mental health-related characteristics among older adults. Results: Dysphagia was most common among individuals with the following demographic characteristics: female, aged 85 years and older, three-generation household and household income in the 1st quintile. Chewing discomfort according to mental health-related characteristics was higher in older adults with cognitive impairment and depression. Sex, age, education level, household income, and chewing discomfort were significant for cognitive impairment, whereas sex, age, household type, education level, household income, and chewing discomfort were significant for depression. Conclusions: The above results confirmed that chewing discomfort contributes to mental health issues such as cognitive impairment and depression. It is therefore necessary to recognize chewing discomfort as an important health problem affecting the mental health of older adults, and to develop a multifaceted dental hygiene approach to target community-dwelling older adults who suffer from chewing discomfort.

• Korea journal of population studies
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• v.35 no.1
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• pp.211-238
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• 2012

Using data from Korean Longitudinal Study on Aging (KLoSA), this study examines how continuity and change of marital status is associated with health over time among older women, focusing on the moderating effects of age and parent-child relationships. KLoSA data set has two waves of interviews, and for this study, 2046 women aged 65 and over were selected. To analyze data, Structural Equation Modeling (SEM) was used. The major findings are as follows. First, there was no statistically significant difference in health between continuously married older women and continuously single older women. However, older women who had transition from being married to being single showed lower physical health than continuously married and continuously single older women. Second, there were statistically significant differences in the effect of marital status on mental health according to the age of older women. Older women who had transition from being married to being single showed lower mental health than continuously married elders when older women were younger. Third, contact with children moderated the effect of marital status on physical health. Older women who had transition from being married to being single showed lower physical health than continuously single and continuously married older women when older women had less contact with their children. The findings imply after the loss of marital role, older women's relationship with adult children plays a significant role in promoting health. In conclusion, the findings of this study show the different pathways through which marital status is associated with health for 3 different groups of older women, being continuously single, being continuously married, and making transition from being married to being single.

• Journal of the Korean Society of Safety
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• v.33 no.4
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• pp.111-118
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• 2018

Korea is facing a surge in the aging population, showing that population aged 65 and above will be accounted for 42.5% of the total population in 2065 with the emphasis on the over-80 population consisting of 19.2%. In response to this abrupt change in population structure, the number of traffic fatality accident referring to older driver as aged 65+ years had been increasing from 605 fatalities in 2011 to 815 fatalities in 2015 resulting in increases in 34.7% in oppose to happening to decreases in 17.2% about non-older driver. With Logit analysis based on Newton-Raphson algorithm utilizing older driver's traffic fatality data for the 2011-2015 years, it was found that the likelihood of an accident resulting in a fatality for super older driver aged 80 years and above considerably increased compared to other older driver with aging classification: 2.24 times for violation of traffic lane, 2.04 times for violation of U-turn, 1.48 times for violation of safety distance, 1.35 times for violation of obstacle of passing; also average annual increase of traffic accident cost related to super older driver was fairly increased rather than other older driver groups. Hence, this study proposes that improving and amending transport safety system and Road Traffic Act for super older driver needs to be urgently in action about license management, safe driving education, etc. when considering the increase of over-80 population in the near future. Also, implementing a social agreement with all ages and social groups to apply with advanced driver assistance system for older driver groups will be able to become a critical factor to enhance safe driving over the face of the country.

• The Korean Journal of Community Living Science
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• v.27 no.2
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• pp.221-231
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• 2016

This study was conducted to investigate the effects of participation in adult education on cognitive function, and the mediating effects of relationships with children among older adults. This study employed data from the 2011 Elderly Survey, and a total of 8,668 older adults over 65-years old were used for analysis. Multiple linear regression analyses were used to examine the mediating effect of relationship with children based on the approach proposed by Baron & Kenny (1986). The results showed that participation in adult education increased cognitive function of older adults. Adult education participation also increased satisfaction with relationship with children, and relationship with children was found to have a mediating effect. These findings suggest that there is a need to recognize the importance of the relationship between older adults and children when developing education programs for older adults.

• Journal of the Korean Society for information Management
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• v.37 no.3
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• pp.177-202
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• 2020

In this study the author examines the health information seeking behavior of older adults from the perspective of cognitive load. Using a qualitative method, based on ground theory, data were collected using in-depth interviews. Twenty-eight participants were participating older adults living in G community city, South Korea who experienced seeking health information. Interview transcripts were analyzed using a qualitative thematic coding framework. Three themes describing older adults' health information seeking behaviors were focused: intrinsic, extraneous, and germane cognitive load. The findings are geared towards the context of older adults' information seeking to support an understanding of successful information seeking behaviors in this population and to contribute to their health and well-being. The intent is to present information on current research in the field of Library and Information Science and to demonstrate how a cognitive load approach can be used to address the problems of older adults' health information seeking behaviors.

• Journal of Environmental Health Sciences
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• v.44 no.4
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• pp.391-396
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• 2018

Objectives: The purpose of this study is to examine the level of community environmental perception of older adults and to identify the association between environmental perception and subjective health status among older persons. Methods: Analyses are based on data from Statistics Korea 2016 Social Survey. This study analyzed a total of 8,193 older adults aged 65 and over, and examined the association between environmental perception on air, water, soil, noise and vibration, and subjective health status using multiple regression analysis. Results: Study findings shown that environmental perception on water and soil had significant association with subjective health status of older adults. Specifically, older adults reported worse health status when they had more negative perceptions of water and soil environments in their communities. Conclusions: Results of this study suggested that efforts to enhance safety of drinking water and soil environments, and continuous research to identify relationship between environment and elderly health shoud be needed.

• Journal of Oral Medicine and Pain
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• v.49 no.1
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• pp.12-17
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• 2024

Dry mouth is common among older adults and significantly affects the oral health-related quality of life. It is a significant risk factor for dental caries, particularly root caries, in older adults due to concurrent periodontal disease and age-related comorbidities. Clinicians managing patients with dry mouth must be aware of preventive measures against dental caries. This clinical review aims to update our knowledge on the use of fluoride for caries prevention in order to establish better strategies for the management of dry mouth in older adults.

• Journal of the Korean housing association
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• v.18 no.5
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• pp.65-72
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• 2007

What is the meaning of home to older people? How much is home significant for older people? How do they express self-identity through decorating their own homes? These are the new subjects that scholars in the West are involved in lately in terms of micro-perspective (George, 1998; Kellett, Gilroy & Jason, 2005; Gilroy & Kellett, 2006). It is evident that home has more significant meaning to older people than other age groups, since the older are more likely to spend greater time within the home through lower income, lessening mobility or loss of companions (Gilroy, 2005). Also the older tend to cling to their homes and attach to possessions than the younger. Older people's possessions are the things that memories of their lives were absorbed. Therefore, possession display can role as a mean of showing their past lives and memories. Gilroy and her colleagues (2005, 2006) found that there was a certain pattern of possession display in English older people's households, and that older people would like to express self-identity through decorating their own homes with their precious possessions. Then, isn't it interesting to find out if there is any pattern of possession display or decoration items in Korean older people's households as well? Thus, the aim of this study is to describe pattern of possession display as a mean of expressing self-identity in Korean older people's households. Interview with older people was used to find out the way and reason of display possessions. Observation method including taking photos and hand-drawings was also added in order to demonstrate detail condition of display items in the house. Possessions display and furniture arrangement in the living room and bedroom were investigated to find out a certain pattern of display and meaning. Research objects were healthy older people aged over 60, who are living independently from their adult children, and who can manage housekeeping by themselves. 32 households were investigated in the area of Seoul, Kyunggi, Chungchungnam, and Kangwon provinces. The findings demonstrate that most precious possession for Korean older people is photo of themselves; especially one taken in their younger age. The reason of it is because the photo reminds them of their heydays when they were vital. Photo of the most beloved one is displayed more frequently in the bedroom than in the living room indicating consistence with English case. As symmetrical display pattern was dominant in case of English older people's households, no dominant display pattern is found in Korean case. Korean older people also cling to their homes and possessions and want to keep their dwelling space as large as what they use now. It is notable that even after they become older and frail, they want sufficient space to display possessions as a mean of self-identity expression. Attachment to possessions and decoration can give older people significant meaning of identity, and it is the reason why architects or interior designers have to meet older people's needs. It needs consideration that residents are allowed to bring their old furniture and precious possessions when they move in elderly housing unit in order to minimize environmental shock, as well as feeling at home. This subject could suggest a clue to designers or architects who have to meet residents' needs in space design of elderly housing or facilities in the future. Psychological well-being of older people can be met by making them feel at home wherever they live. They need space where they can express their own identity and personality even in case when they have to live in a limited small space like elderly housing unit or nursing home.

• Korean Journal of Social Welfare Studies
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• v.44 no.3
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• pp.395-420
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• 2013

This study was performed to test the influence of older people's satisfaction factors (safety and convenience) of housing environment on their quality of life and the mediating effect of self-esteem and depression. In this study, from 386 older people over the age of 60 in senior welfare center and senior club of Cheongju region, the data were collected by questionnaire during October, 2012. The findings of this study are as follows: First, safety had not any significant influence on older people's quality of life, while convenience had a significant positive influence on their quality of life. Second, safety had not any significant influence on older people's self-esteem and depression, while convenience had a significant positive influence on older people's self-esteem and it had a significant negative influence on their depression Third, older people's self-esteem had a significant positive influence on their quality of life, while older people's depression had a significant negative influence on their quality of life. Fourth, between safety and older people's quality of life, the indirect effects of older people's self-esteem and depression as mediating variables were not found. However, between convenience and older people's quality of life, the indirect effects of older people's self-esteem and depression as mediating variables were found. This study shows that various measures for convenience of housing environment need to be prepared to increase older people's quality of life and self-esteem and to lessen their depression.