• The Korean Journal of Rehabilitation Nursing
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• v.7 no.2
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• pp.169-178
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• 2004

Purpose: This study examined the health status of elderly. Method: This is a survey using cross-sectional design. The subject were 122 elders who were 65 and over in Daejeon. Instrumental activity of daily living, nutrition and Body mass index for physical health status, social engagement for social health status, and depression and loneliness for emotional health status were measured. Results: Independent level was medium, and nutrition and BMI were normal level. Social engagement score was 2.38 which means low. Mean depression level was 7.71 and mean loneliness level was 56.77, which means high. The risk factors for vulnerable health status were no spouse, lower pocket money, living at institution, poor subjective health status. Conclusion: This finding indicates that the elderly subjects were in normal physical health status, but social and emotional health status were poor.

• Journal of Korean Biological Nursing Science
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• v.21 no.4
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• pp.292-299
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• 2019

Purpose: The purpose of this study was to determine whether poor preoperative nutritional status in elderly patients exhibited a negative influence on postoperative clinical outcomes. Methods: The medical records of 645 elderly patients were examined retrospectively. The patients had undergone major surgery between January 2017 and January 2018. Their nutritional status was measured using the Nutritional Risk Screening 2002. The data were analyzed using the chi-squared test, the Mann-Whitney U test, logistic regression, linear regression, Cox proportional hazards regression, and the Kaplan-Meier analysis. Results: Preoperative malnutrition was found in 73 patients (11.3%). Poor preoperative nutritional status was significantly associated with pressure ulcers, length of hospitalization, discharge to patient care facilities rather than home, and mortality rate at three months. Conclusion: Preoperative malnutrition in elderly patients was associated with negative postoperative clinical outcomes. These results indicate that an effective nutritional program before surgery can lead to a more rapid postoperative recovery.

• Radiation Oncology Journal
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• v.29 no.1
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• pp.1-10
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• 2011

Due to improved life spans, cancer incidence has increased with more aged patients presenting with cancer. Elderly cancer patients could have compromised organ function and/or comorbidities. Due to poor social support or lack of early diagnosis, treatment outcomes for elderly cancer patients are poor in general. However, with aggressive support during cancer management as well as careful selection, most elderly cancer patients can tolerate standard radiation therapy with good results based on published articles. Here, we reviewed existing articles regarding compliance and treatment results in elderly cancer patients based on tumor site.

• Nutritional Sciences
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• v.6 no.1
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• pp.53-66
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• 2003

This study was performed to assess the perception and need for the elderly meal service program of the Korean elderly. The purpose of this study was to assess the dietary environment factors which are related to the perception and need for such service. Subjects of this study were 800 elderly persons of whom responses were received from 769(male: 26, female: 543) aged over 60 years. Their mean age was 7.51 $\pm$8.1 years. Seventy two point two percent of them lived with their family and 54.5% of them were supported economically by their children. Among their meal management behaviors, food purchasing was hard to perform and the most aid-needed activity. In their dietary environment, 47.1% of them were supported by their children. The percent of the subjects who were aware of the elderly meal service program was 48.4%. Men were more aware of the meal service program than women(p<0.01). Elderly who were supported by government were more aware of this service than others. Elderly who were in poor dietary environment, were less affluent or had trouble preparing meals expressed better perception this service than others (p<0.05). Those who requested meal services had poor dietary environment than those who did not (p<0.001). The elderly who were younger, with higher income, and lived with a spouse had more demand for home delivered meal service. This study showed that the poorer the greater desire for meal services. Therefore, the need for urgent improvement and expansion of meal services for elderly is suggested by this study.

• Journal of Korean society of Dental Hygiene
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• v.16 no.2
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• pp.285-293
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• 2016

Objectives: The aim of the study was to investigate the association of self-perceived oral health and depression in the Korean elderly. Methods: The subjects were 1,329 elderly in Korea from the sixth Korea National Health and Nutrition Examination Survey (the 6th KNHANES). The dependent variable was depression that continued more than two weeks. Model I for the impacts of depression on self-reported oral health, Model II for the impacts of depression on chewing problem, Model III for the impacts of depression on speaking problem was evaluated. PASW Statistics 18.0 version was used for frequency analysis, chi-square test and logistic regression analysis. Results: Female elderly were much more prone to depression than male. Female had lower monthly compensation, less medicaid, chewing problem, speaking problem, and less education. For these reasons, they tended to have more depression than male (p<0.001). Self-perceived oral health impacts on depression included poor self-reported oral health(p<0.01), poor chewing problem(p<0.01) and poor speaking problem(p<0.05). On the other hand, male did not show a statistically significant association. Conclusions: The study showed the self-perceived oral health related quality of life had a significant influence on depression in the elderly. The continuing lifelong oral health care can prevent depression in the later life because oral health care improvement can enhance the self-perceived oral health status.

• Korean Journal of Community Nutrition
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• v.12 no.5
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• pp.592-605
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• 2007

Undernutrition could be a significant deterrent to healthy aging and could negatively affect health outcomes in elderly. This study aimed to assess health-related factors which are associated with nutritional risks in middle-aged and elderly individuals by a cross-sectional study. Interviews were conducted with 2660 subjects (847 males, 1813 females), aged 50 years and over, in 15 cities in Korea. Data on food intake were obtained through a validated semi-quantitative food frequency questionnaires. Nutritional status were analyzed according to health-related factors including cigarette smoking, alcohol drinking, exercise, stress and depression level. Less regular exercise was associated with a higher likelihood of a poor nutrition [odds ratio (OR) 1.94; 95% confidence intervals (CI) 1.43-2.65] of middle-aged and elderly male subjects. Cigarette smoking (OR 1.84; 95% CI 1.24-2.71), less exercise (OR 2.58; 95% CI 2.07-3.21), stress (OR 1.73; 95% CI 1.36-2.22), and depression (OR 1.34, 95% CI 1.08-1.67) of middle-aged and elderly female subjects was associated with a higher likelihood of a poor nutrition. The results of the multiple regression analysis showed that less exercise proved to be the strongest predictors for the poor nutrition, followed by stress, smoking, and depression (model $R^2= 9.0%$). It suggests that guidance to promote regular exercise, to quit smoking, to minimize stress and depression level might help to improve nutritional status of middle-aged and elderly in Korea. These findings also suggest that having recommendable health behaviors are beneficial to the good nutrition of subjects aged 50 years and over.

• The Journal of the Korea Contents Association
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• v.21 no.9
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• pp.516-527
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• 2021

Due to the aging population and the entry of baby boomers into the elderly, the elderly are recognized as a group with diversity rather than a single group with the same needs. Therefore, it is necessary to try to grasp the factors that the elderly use welfare centers from the perspective of consumers. The results showed that gender, age, education, occupation, economic status, social class, number of friends, number of social activities, number of diseases, and depression were significant. In other words, women than men, older people, highly educated people, elderly people without jobs, elderly people with poor economic status, the elderly belonging to a lower social class, the more friends, the more social activities involved, the more diseases, the higher the depression, the higher the probability of using the welfare center. It was found that heterogeneous elderly groups, such as the elderly with high educational background, many friends, and active participation in society, and the elderly, economically difficult, and poor in health, use the welfare center. Based on these research results, policy and practical suggestions were made to improve the quality of welfare services for the elderly.

• Journal of Korean Neurosurgical Society
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• v.29 no.6
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• pp.786-793
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• 2000

Objectives : A clinical analysis was performed to provide management strategy and to improve management outcome of elderly patients with intracranial aneurysm. Patients and Methods : We reviewed medical records of 746 consecutive patients with intracranial aneurysm who were admitted from July 1991 to December 1996. They were divided into two age groups : elderly(120 patients aged 65 years or older) and non-elderly(626 patients aged 64 years or younger). We investigated the differences between the two groups in clinical characteristics, management outcome and surgical results. Results : Female(80.0%), internal carotid artery aneurysm(48.9%), poor clinical grade(Hunt and Hess Grade IV, V : 39.8%), postoperative subdural fluid collection(38.2%), and postoperative hydrocephalus(39.7%) were more frequent in the elderly patients. There were no significant differences in the incidence of hypertension, multiple aneurysm, unruptured aneurysm, rebleeding, delayed ischemic neurological deficits, postoperative hemorrhage, and low density on the postoperative brain CT scan. In some cases, surgical clipping of ruptured aneurysm could not be performed due to moribund state or refusal of surgery by the elderly patient's family. Both management outcome and surgical results in elderly aneurysm patients at 3 months after rupture were worse than those of the non-elderly group. The most common reason of unfavorable outcome was poor clinical grade in both groups, while serious medical illness causing unfavorable outcome was more common in the elderly group. Conclusion : Surgical treatment of a ruptured aneurysm should not be avoided in elderly patient solely on the basis of advanced age. If the patients are in good clinical grade, early aneurysm surgery followed by early ambulation should be recommended. Further improvements in outcome may be achieved by thorough knowledge of poor resilience of brain, CSF flow dynamics, and diminished cardiopulmonary reserve in elderly patients with intracranial aneurysm.

• Health Policy and Management
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• v.30 no.4
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• pp.467-478
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• 2020

Background: The purpose of this study is to explain the factors influencing the incurrence of catastrophic health expenditure of national health insurance households using panel data observed over a long period. Methods: The study targeted 3,652 households who had no censoring during the 11-year survey period (2007-2017) and householders whose insurance type was consistently maintained as national health insurance. Generalized estimating equations were adopted to identify factors affecting the occurrence of catastrophic health expenditure at 20%, 30%, and 40% threshold levels. A subgroup analysis was conducted by categorizing groups depending on the existence of the elderly in the household. Results: For the last 11 years, the incidence of catastrophic health expenditure in the households without the elderly decreased slightly at all threshold levels, but the households with the elderly seemed to be increased. At baseline, household type showed a statistically significant relationship with all other variables. The results of generalized estimating equations analyses show that household income was not significant at all threshold levels in the households without elderly. On the other hand, in the households with the elderly, the 2nd (odds ratio [OR], 1.33-2.05) and 3rd quintile groups (OR, 1.25-2.55) were more likely to have catastrophic health expenditure compared to the 1st quintile of household income group. Conclusion: As the amount of health expenditures relative to the ability to pay is increasing in households with the elderly, the application of an intervention followed by consistent monitoring is needed. This study found that there were differences in influencing factors according to the presence of the elderly in the households. In particular, in households with the elderly, interesting results have been drawn regarding the occurrence of catastrophic health expenditure in the near-poor, so additional research is required.

• Journal of Korean Biological Nursing Science
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• v.14 no.1
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• pp.16-24
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• 2012

Purpose: The purpose of this study was to evaluate the nutritional status of elderly Korean women and to investigate related factors. Methods: A total of 100 elderly women attending a local elderly welfare center were recruited for study. Evaluation criteria included demographics, clinical status, nutritional status (using a mini-nutritional assessment), food intake, and nutritional bioparameters, including homocysteine, transferrin, prealbumin and lymphocyte levels, and their antioxidant power status. Results: Among the test group, 83% of the subjects were classified as undernourished, and they often had hyperlipidemia and a lower intake of fiber ($p$ <.05, respectively) and vegetables than normal subjects. In a correlation analysis, their nutritional status was associated with abdominal circumference, the Korean Geriatric Depression Scale score and the Enriched Social Support Inventory score. Nutritional bioparameters and antioxidant power were associated with age among undernourished subjects. Old age, the prevalence of hyperlipidemia, and poor social support significantly increased the risk of undernutrition. Poor social support, the prevalence of diabetes mellitus and depression significantly increased the risk of nutritional deficiency after controlling for age, educational and economic variables. Conclusion: More strategies to increase social support in the Korean female elderly population may improve their nutritional status.