• Journal of Preventive Medicine and Public Health
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• v.43 no.1
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• pp.35-41
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• 2010

Objectives: In Korea, the top 10% of Medical Aid recipients represent nearly 60% of total payment, with the costs for those disabled for over 365 days representing approximately 30% of total payment. The purpose of this study was to compare Medical Aid use of the disabled with non-disabled recipients, and to identify contributing factors to the total payment in the top 2% of recipients identified as Medical Aid overusers. Methods: Subjects (n=2,211) selected were ${\geq}18$-years-of-age and received >1000 days of co-payment-free type I Medical Aid. Case managers (n=200) conducted interviews in December 2006, and collected data from Health Insurance Review & Assessment Service. Amounts over the 9 months from January September 2006 were analyzed descriptively and using Chi-square, ANCOVA, and robust multiple linear regression. Results: Disabled individuals (mean age 61.3 years) composed 36.6% of subjects; 44.8% of the disabled were male. On a monthly basis per capita, the disabled group averaged 10.5 outpatient days, total payment of 523,000 Korean Won(￦), inpatient payment of ￦359,000, and outpatient payment of ￦183,000. All values exceeded the monthly average for non-disabled individuals. Contributing factors were identified as male gender (￦82,000), elementary school or lower educational level (￦64,000), residence in a small city (￦82,000), lack of family support (￦61,000), kidney disability (￦673,000), intellectual disability (￦151,000), and multiple disabilities (￦119,000). Conclusions: The identification of contributing factors to Medical Aid use by those defined as disabled supports the adoption of comprehensive alternative policies such as strengthening of education and consultation services, provision of alternative facilities, and promotion of self-care.

• Korean Journal of Health Education and Promotion
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• v.24 no.3
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• pp.21-34
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• 2007

Objectives: This study aims to examined whether physical activity prevent the negative effect of psychological stress on cardiovascular reactivity by reducing stress induced sympathetic output and preventing norepinephrine depletion negative psych-affective responses. It is assumed that physical activity reduces the magnitude of cardiovascular responses and psychological responses to stress which threaten individuals' physical and mental health. The result of investigating the effect of physical activity on reducing negative physiological and psychological responses would suggest useful information health for practitioners who want to prevent stress-induced diseases, especially coronary heart disease. Methods: participants of this study were 30 students (10 males & 20 females), whose mean age was 21.30 (SD=2.29). Fifteen students (5 males & 10 females) were assigned for in each group, treatment and control groups. They were interviewed and given a survey that included a consent form, demographics sheet and psychological tests, such as State-Trait Anger Expression Inventory and State-Trait Anxiety Inventory. Before the application of psychological stress, participants in treatment group were going through with a course of physical exercise, running on treadmill 15minutes, while participants in control group were not physically active. After exercise, there was 15 minutes resting period before applying cognitive stress. During the experiment, all participants performed challenging cognitive tasks for 20minutes in situations that were designed to experience learned helplessness and measured their cardiovascular reactivity including blood pressure and heart rate every 5 minutes, until 10 minutes after finishing the application of psychological stress(recovering state). In the end of experiment, they were given some psychological test again. Results: Heart rates of exercise group were significantly higher than non-exercise group, especially, five minute after applying cognitive stress and at the end of recovery, in other word 10 minutes after stressful event. Systolic blood pressures of exercise group were lower than those of non-exercise group during the stressful event, but this differences in borderline level of significance. state anger level of exercise group decreased even experiencing stress, while those of non-exercise group increase. And state anxiety level of exercise group decreased in borderline level of significance. Conclusion: This study reiterate health benefits of physical activity and suggest that regular moderate exercise may regulate cardiovascular reactivity and psycho-affective responses from stress by reducing stress induced sympathetic output.

• Korean Journal of Health Education and Promotion
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• v.32 no.2
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• pp.1-13
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• 2015

Objectives: This study was conducted to investigate derived factors associated with a public service announcement on handwashing to evaluate the effect of this announcement. Methods: In early september, 1,000 persons over 19 years old was investigated by Computer Aided Telephone Interview, at last 993 persons for analysis. Outcomes were the exposure to the public service announcements on handwashing, the comprehension of this announcements, the intention of behavioral change and the practice of handwashing. Results: In particular, the proportion of exposure is more women and highly educated. The comprehension of the announcement was no statistically significant difference. The intention of behavior change showed higher in workers and understanding of the announcements. The practice of handwashing is higher in women and lower in student/unemployed. There was no difference in practice in accordance with the exposure, the comprehension and the intention of behavioral change. Conclusions: About the comprehension of the announcements and the intention of behavioral change, the effects of the public service announcements on handwashing can be very positive. But it does not affect the actual practice of hand washing. The handwashing promotion programs will have to devise a strategy and structure, operation method considering realistic and scalable platform.

• Korean Journal of Health Education and Promotion
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• v.21 no.4
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• pp.121-135
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• 2004

This study aims to analyze the oral health status of the elderly. Study subjects were 9,340 elderly aged over 65 who took the health examination (the first) for the local insured when the National Health Insurance Corporation carried out its survey from January to December, 2002. The subjects took an oral examination and filled in the questionnaire. Major results from the analysis are as follows: 1. Analysis of Oral Health Behavior For oral health behavior, 38.2％ of total subjects had visited a dental hospital (or clinic) in the last one year in the order of the elderly of big cities (48.3％), the elderly of medium cities (43.9％), and the elderly of rural areas (29.0％)(P<0.001). Elderly men had a higher rate than elderly women, and the younger age had a higher rate(P<0.01). For experience of oral prophylaxis, 12.3％ of the total elderly had experienced it in the order of the elderly of big cities (18.8％), the elderly of medium cities (16.0％), and the elderly of rural areas (6.4％) (P<0.001). For elderly men, the younger age had a higher rate of oral prophylaxis. The number of toothbrushing in order was twice(47.5％), once (26.7％), three times (25.0％), and none (0.7％). The younger age brushed their teeth more often (P<0.001). 2. Analysis of Oral Health Status The rate of caries was 10.6％ of the elderly surveyed. By area, the elderly of rural areas had a higher rate of caries than the elderly of cities (p<0.001) and elderly men were higher than elderly women (p<0.001). By age, many elderly aged over 80 had more than two caries. For missing teeth, the elderly of rural areas had a higher rate than the elderly of cities (p<0.001) and the older age had a higher rate(p<0.001). The rate of periodontal disease was 43.2％ of the total elderly. By area, the elderly of big cities (46.2％) had a higher rate of periodontal disease than the elderly of medium cities (39.4％) and rural areas (43.6％)(p<0.001), and elderly men (46.4％) were higher than elderly women (40.2％)(p<0.001). By age, the lower age had a higher rate of peridontal disease (p<0.001). Dental abrasion was observed in 16.9％ of the total elderly. The elderly of cities (21.0％) had a higher rate than the elderly of rural areas (12.0％)(p<0.001) and elderly men (21.3％) were higher than elderly women (12.8％)(p<0.001). Also the lower age had more dental abrasion symptoms (p<0.001). For needing a denture, the rate among the elderly was 48.5％ and was higher for the elderly of rural areas(20.9％), than the elderly of big cities(7.0％) and medium cities (10.5％)(p<0.001). For the rate of denture wearing, the elderly of rural areas(41.8％) were higher than the elderly of big cities (27.7％) and medium cities (28.2％ )(p<0.001). For the relation of drinking and smoking to oral health, the elderly who had a higher frequency of drinking, had a higher rate of caries (p<0.001)periodontal disease(p<0.001) and missing teeth(p<0.001) Smokers had a higher rate of caries (p<0.001), periodontal disease (p<0.05), and missing teeth (p<0.001) than nonsmokers.

• Journal of the Korea Academia-Industrial cooperation Society
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• v.14 no.7
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• pp.3275-3283
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• 2013

Purpose: This study is to verify and analyze the influencing factors of successful aging with social support, self-efficacy, community environment and subjective health status on middle and old aged men. Methods: The survey was performed to the men between the ages of 50 and 79 in Seoul and Kyunggi province, Korea. 144 questionnaires were collected and analyzed by SPSS 18.0 program. Stepwise multiple regression was used to identify significant predictors of successful aging. Results: The most influencing factor for successful aging was social support, the second was self-efficacy, the third and the fourth was community environment and subjective health status. This regression model explained 56.7% of the variance in successful aging. Conclusion: The result shows that these variables should be considered in intervention and program of successful aging for middle and old aged men. It can be an important consideration in enhancing promoting care and welfare for the successful aging.

• Journal of Korean Public Health Nursing
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• v.31 no.2
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• pp.327-340
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• 2017

Purpose: The aim of this study was to identify the barriers to promoting physical activity among obese children from low-income families using community child care (CCC) centers. Methods: This study employed an exploratory-descriptive qualitative research using focus group interviews. The participants were recruited from CCC centers, and 4 focus group interviews were conducted with 10 overweight and obese children and 14 primary caregivers. All interviews were recorded and transcribed verbatim. The data were analyzed using content analysis. Results: The barriers to promoting physical activity were classified into three areas: 1) individual, a lack of will for physical activity; 2) interpersonal, a change in communicative mean with the peer group, absence of parental monitoring due to work-family balance, and an absence of consistent rules; and 3) organizational, lack of physical activity programs and human resources, and confined space for physical activity. Conclusion: The physical activity of children in low-income families is influenced by a range of ecological barriers. These findings can be used to develop tailored intervention to prevent and manage childhood obesity in low-income children.

• Korean Journal of Health Education and Promotion
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• v.22 no.4
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• pp.73-90
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• 2005

Objectives: Smokers who had failed to quit smoking were frequently reported that life stress mostly interrupted their abstention. Stress vulnerability model for smoking cessation has been considered, and most of contemporary smoking cessation programs help smokers develop coping strategies for stressful situations. This study aims to investigate the appropriate coping styles for stress of abstention from smoking. The result of investigating the relationship between abstention following smoking cessation program and coping styles would suggest useful information for those who want to stop smoking and health practitioners who help them. Methods: Participants were 69 smokers (62 males, 7 females) participated in a hospitalized smoking cessation program, whose mean age was 44.89 (SD=9.61). Participants took medical test and completed questionnaires and psychological tests including: Fagerstrom Test for Nicotine Dependence and Multidimensional Coping Scale. To identify participants' abstention, researchers followed them for 2 years. To identify whether abstained or not and encourage them to abstain, researchers called them on the telephone once a week for 3 months. After 3 months, they were contacted every other week till 6 months passed since they left smoking cessation program. And they were contacted once a month for other 18months. Researchers also contacted their family to identify their abstention. Data Mining Decision Tree was performed with 37 variables (13 variables for the coping styles and 24 smoking-related variables) by Answer Tree 3.0v Results: Forty four (63.8%) out of sixty nine for 2 weeks, 34 (49.3%) for 6 months, 25 (36.2%) abstained for 1 year, and 22 (31.9%) abstained for 2 years. Participants of this study abstained average of 286.77 days from smoking. Included variables of a Decision Tree model for this study were positive interpretation, emotional expression, self-criticism, restraint and emotional social support seeking. Decision Tree model showed that those (n=9) who did not interpret positively (<=7.5) and criticized themselves (>6.5) abstained 23 days only, while those (n=9) who interpreted positively (>7.5), expressed their emotion freely (>6.5), and sought social support actively (>11.5) abstained 730 days, till last day of the investigation. Conclusion: The results of this study showed that certain coping styles such as positive interpretation, emotional expression, self-criticism, restraint and emotional social support seeking were important factors for long-term abstention from smoking. These findings reiterate the role of stress for abstention from smoking and suggest a model of coping styles for successful abstention from smoking. Despite of limitation of this study, it might help smokers who want to stop smoking and health practitioners who help them.

• Journal of Korean society of Dental Hygiene
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• v.11 no.6
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• pp.961-971
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• 2011

Objectives : The aim of the study was to identify the need of oral health education and prevention? for over 65 years elderly. Methods : his study was to identify the need of oral health management and oral health impact profile among elderly over 65 years. 200 elderly participated in the study, lived in KungBuk and KungNam areas, visited Senior welfare center, from 1st September to 30st December 2008. Results : 1. This majority of respondents are female(74.0%), 75-79 years(29.5%), none education(42.5%), living alone(45.5%), income from children(46.0%), and health insurance(65.5%). 2. In the need of oral health management category, the need of dental treatment are professional toothbrushing, gum treatment, treatment for dental caries, treatment for xerostomia. In the need of prevention and education, the majority participants are 'required'. In oral health impact profile category, the majority participants are 'feel no difficulty during speaking(59.0%)', and 'feel no difficulty during tasting(47.0%)'. In the category, the positive answers are more than negative answers. 3. According to general characteristic with the need of oral health management, famle, obviously income, high level of life are significantly different in the need of prevention and education category. Obviously income is significantly different in the need of dental treatment category. According to general characteristic with the oral health impact profile, getting older, high education are significantly different in disadvantage category. In the case of no spouse, anxiety, physical difficulty, mental difficulty and disadvantage are high score in oral health impact profile. In the case of living alone, pain, anxiety, and disadvantage are high score in oral health impact profile. In the case of no income, limitation of function, pain, anxiety, mental difficulty and disadvantage are high score in oral health impact profile. In the case of no health insurance, anxiety, physical difficulty mental difficulty and lack of sociality are high score in oral health impact profile. 4. The oral health impact profile are positive correlation with the need of dental treatment and the need of prevention education. The effect of oral health impact profile are significantly different with spouse, average of income, the need of prevention education. Conclusions : In Conclusion, the need of prevention education and dental treatment for individual oral health promotion are related with general life condition and life level. Also these are influence of quality of life relate with oral health. These findings are require of development of oral health services program and system from bottom to top.

• Journal of Korean Public Health Nursing
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• v.16 no.1
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• pp.135-147
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• 2002

It is essential to improve the quality of life of the elderly in aging society. Regular exercise as nursing intervention is needed to prevent diseases, maintain and promote their health, and thus promote the quality of life for the elderly, especially who generally had poor cognition for their health maintenance and promotion in a low class community. Subjects consisted of 30 women. over 65 years old in a community welfare center, who lived in the low class apartments financially supported by the local government in G city, Gangwon Province, Korea. The program consisted of dancing on music for approximately 50 minutes, 3 times a week for 10 weeks. Experimental data were analyzed with $x^2-test$, t-test, mean values, standard deviation, percentage of change and paired t-test using SAS program. After the recreation dance, the mean value of the experimental group was decreased from 7.62 to 7.44 (t=-0.258, P=0.799), and that of the control group was also decreased from 7.00 to 6.58 (t=-0.971, P=0.349) in depression. However, there were no statistically significant differences in scores of depression between two groups. In life satisfaction, the mean value of the experimental group was increased from 19.07 to 26.50 (t=2.392, P=0.030), but that of the control group was decreased from 15.92 to 13.71 (t=-1.060, P=0.305). Thus it shows that there was a statistically significant improvement on life satisfaction after the recreation dance.

• The Journal of the Korea Contents Association
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• v.13 no.4
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• pp.170-186
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• 2013

As the population is getting older, medical expenses amount of the whole is keep increasing. So, the pressure of the finances, Health Insurance, Medical Care Assistance Act and etc, is getting higher. The share of healthcare-expense is increasing due to elderly illness. And it became a social problem; we analysed present state of senior healthcare in South Korea-looked into current laws and policies, and found problems. We tried to suggest improvements that drew from the current state of foreign country senior healthcare of those problems. For the result, we found the problem in relevant-law system of senior healthcare guarantee. In this study, we proposed the ways to qualitatively upgrade of medical standard that considered on elderly' features: the strengthened guarantee for healthcare, financial secure for long-term convalescence benefit, linking and functional reinforcement for elderly welfare and long-term convalescence insurance, the solution for overlapped laws about convalescence in long-term convalescence insurance and elderly welfare, a betterment of grading, and a home service consolidation. We need to secure right amount of emergency medical service budget, and effective management system for the improved level of senior severely emergency medical service. Furthermore, we suggested that South Korea needs to legislate [The Law for Senior Medical Secure] to respond to rapidly increasing senior healthcare fee.