• Journal of the Korea Convergence Society
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• v.9 no.11
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• pp.433-441
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• 2018

The purpose of this study is to understand the effect of psychosocial support, death preparedness, and ego integrity on death anxiety in old people. The participant of this study were the elderly who attended welfare centers, worked in their workplaces, or lived at their home in Seoul regions, from whom this study had collected their data from February to May 2017. A total of 350 questionnaires were distributed and 329 copies of them were used for its final analysis using SPSS 24.0 and AMOS 20.0 statistical programs. According to the results of this study, psychosocial support had no statistically significant effect on death anxiety, whereas death preparedness and ego integrity had statistically significant effects on death anxiety. Based upon these research results, this study suggested that it is necessary to develop death education and counseling programs as policy supports and practical methods for helping old people to accept their death positively, reintegrate their ego, and perform their successful aging.

• Journal of Korean Physical Therapy Science
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• v.2 no.4
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• pp.793-805
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• 1995

The purposes of this review are to know the characteristics and physical changes of elderly person, and to give the information about elderly person when the geriatric physical therapy will be needed in Korea. Current literature on physiological changes that occur in humans owing to aging is reviewed. The musculoskeletal, cardiopulmonary, neurological, perceptual, gastrointestinal, endocrine and immunological systems are discussed. Also, The cognition, personality, and role changes are discussed. We are discussed the changes of aging; biological theory, psychosocial theory and environmental theory. The effects of disuse and of exercise are reviewed. Implications for geriatric physical therapy are suggested.

• The Korean Journal of Health Service Management
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• v.9 no.3
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• pp.187-199
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• 2015

Objectives : This study was conducted to examine social factors associated with problematic drinking among middle- and older-aged men in South Korea. Methods : The data were collected from the baseline survey of the Korean Longitudinal Study of Aging, and the sample consisted of 3,631 men between 45 and 64 years of age and 1,173 men aged 65 or older. This study employed variables identifying various socioeconomic features, social ties, and health-related factors. Logistic regressions were used for the data analysis. Results : Middle-aged men having frequent social relationship with close persons were significantly more likely to be problematic drinkers than those having less frequent social relationships with close persons. Lower education, unemployment, smoking, and depression were associated with problematic drinking only among middle-aged men. Conclusions : We suggest that health professionals develop specific intervention strategies that could lead to more moderate alcohol habits and better health in middle aged Korean men who are actively engaged in social networks. In addition, health professionals need to focus more on the unemployed, lower educated, depressed, and smoking groups for early detection of problematic drinking among middle-aged Korean men.

• Research in Community and Public Health Nursing
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• v.33 no.2
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• pp.188-195
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• 2022

Purpose: With the first generation of marriage-based immigrant women in East Asia now reaching their middle or old age, the need to focus investigations on their health-related quality of life has arisen. This study aimed to examine the extent to which physical and mental health, and psychosocial variables can predict health-related quality of life among Japanese middle-aged immigrant women. Methods: This study has a descriptive cross-sectional design. A convenience sample of 197 Japanese middle-aged marriage-based immigrant women from two regions of South Korea were recruited between December 2017 and March 2018. Participants completed self-administered questionnaires on health-related quality of life, menopausal symptoms, depression, perceived health status, disease morbidity, social support, and acculturation. The data were analyzed using hierarchical multiple regression. Results: Depression was the strongest predictor of health-related quality of life, followed by perceived health status, social support, and household income. Menopausal symptoms, presence of disease, and acculturation appeared to have no additional impact on participant's health-related quality of life. Conclusion: In times of rapid growth of global migration and the aging of immigrants in new destination countries, nursing interventions and public health policies for aging marriage-based immigrant women should be prioritized to improve their mental health by facilitating social support and disease management. In addition, social and employment policies that can help immigrant women transition to a healthy midlife are needed.

• Journal of Hospice and Palliative Care
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• v.27 no.1
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• pp.1-10
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• 2024

This article underscores the importance of integrating comprehensive palliative care for noncancer patients who are undergoing hemodialysis, with an emphasis on the aging populations in Asian nations such as Taiwan, Japan, the Republic of Korea, and China. As the global demographic landscape shifts towards an aging society and healthcare continues to advance, a marked increase has been observed in patients undergoing hemodialysis who require palliative care. This necessitates an immediate paradigm shift to incorporate this care, addressing the intricate physical, psychosocial, and spiritual challenges faced by these individuals and their families. Numerous challenges impede the provision of effective palliative care, including difficulties in prognosis, delayed referrals, cultural misconceptions, lack of clinician confidence, and insufficient collaboration among healthcare professionals. The article proposes potential solutions, such as targeted training for clinicians, the use of telemedicine to facilitate shared decision-making, and the introduction of time-limited trials for dialysis to overcome these obstacles. The integration of palliative care into routine renal treatment and the promotion of transparent communication among healthcare professionals represent key strategies to enhance the quality of life and end-of-life care for people on hemodialysis. By embracing innovative strategies and fostering collaboration, healthcare providers can deliver more patient-centered, holistic care that meets the complex needs of seriously ill patients within an aging population undergoing hemodialysis.

• Korean Journal of Occupational Health Nursing
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• v.10 no.2
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• pp.164-173
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• 2001

To find out the factors affecting to the cardiorespiratory fitness of some workers in Taejon area, cardiorespiratory fitness indices, blood pressure(BP), total cholesterol level(TC), body mass indices(BMI) and life style data were collected from 169 blue collar workers and 106 white collar workers, from September to October 2000. 1. Cardiorespiratory fitness indices were increased statistically significantly by aging(p <0.05), but these was no statistically significantly difference between blue collar workers and white collar workers. 2. These were no significantly difference between types of workers by BMI, BP, blood total cholesterol level, regular exercise, alcohol drinking, smoking and psychosocial stress. 3. Age and BMI were selected affecting factors to the cardiorespiratory fitness indices in blue collar workers by multiple regression analysis, but no affecting factors selected the white collar workers.

• Journal of Yeungnam Medical Science
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• v.36 no.3
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• pp.219-224
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• 2019

Background: Korea has shown a rapid pace of aging and has become an aged society in a shorter period than Western countries. Therefore, it is important that middle-aged workers maintain their ability to work in the industrial field at the maximum level while maintaining their health. The purpose of this study was to analyze the factors affecting work ability and to use this data to maintain the working ability of middle-aged workers in the future. Methods: From 2015 to 2017, we surveyed 371 street cleaners who visited a health center for health promotion in a metropolitan city. The relationship between the general characteristics of the survey subjects and the Work Ability Index (WAI) was confirmed by a univariate analysis. Statistically significant (p<0.2) factors were selected and a multiple linear regression analysis was conducted with WAI scores as a dependent variable. Results: Age, body mass index, body fat percentage, the Alcohol Use Disorders Identification Test-Korea (AUDIT-K) scores, the Psychosocial Well-Being Index-Short Form (PWI-SF) scores, maximal oxygen consumption ($VO_{2max}$), and hypertension showed statistically significant correlations with the WAI in the univariate analysis. In the multivariate analysis, the $VO_{2max}$, AUDIT-K scores, and PWI-SF scores were included in the regression equation. $VO_{2max}$ had the greatest effect on the standardization coefficient indicating the relative contribution of independent variables, followed by the AUDIT-K scores and the PWI-SF scores. Conclusion: Programs to increase workers' physical work ability and alleviate psychosocial stress and drinking habits should be developed and implemented in the future.

• 한국노년학
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• v.38 no.3
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• pp.645-666
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• 2018

The purpose of this study is to investigate the characteristics of the elderly with disability focused on comparison between aging with disability and disability with aging in Korea. Disability in older age has been related to several psychosocial characteristics, including social support, self-esteem, life satisfaction and depression. However, the exact role of these characteristics in the disablement process remains uncertain and this study focused on comparison between aging with disability and disability with aging in Korea. This study analyzed the 12th wave (2017) KWPS(Korean Welfare Panel Study)and Disability Study which included 692 elderly with disability aged 65 and over. The data were processed by SEM and multi-group SEM analysis. The findings were as follows; First, family support and the significant others support showed direct effects on the life satisfaction of the elderly with disability. Second, family support and the significant others support reduced the level of depression and enhanced self-esteem and finally impact on the life satisfaction of the elderly with disability. The formal support enhanced the depression and reduced self-esteem and eventually reduced the life satisfaction. Third, the disability with aging group showed more higher perception and more experience of formal support and formal service and more higher depression than the aging with disability group. Forth, the significant others support on life satisfaction only showed significance in disability with aging group and depression had significance in disability with aging group. Finally, aging with disability group showed positive effects on the formal support of life satisfaction but showed negative effects on the depression and self-esteem. Based on these findings, practical implications of future directions for research are discussed.

• Perspectives in Nursing Science
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• v.3 no.1
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• pp.73-89
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• 2006

Complementary and alternative medicine has gained popularity and respectability in recent years in the United States. Since aging is often associated with chronic health conditions that commonly lead to physical and psychosocial disabilities (e.g., depression, functional and/or cognitive disabilities, and decreased quality of life), older adults often seek options to maintain health and treat chronic conditions as an adjunct to conventional medical care. Herbal products, the most commonly used among various complementary and alternative medicines (CAM), should be used with caution due to potential herbal-drug interactions (related to polypharmacy) and herbal-disease interactions (related to comorbidities). Five of the most common chronic conditions in older adults are chronic pain, cardiovascular problems, hypertension, diabetes, and chronic lung problems. A high rate of falls or risk of falling is also a problem unique to this older population. For these conditions, only a few types of CAM (e.g., acupuncture, qi gong, tai chi) were tested, with promising results. However, in spite of evidence supporting the use of certain types of CAM to alleviate some common chronic conditions, findings are limited in terms of other types of CAM tested and both short and long-term effects. More rigorous clinical trials of various CAM types are thus warranted to advance scientific knowledge and establish evidence-based practices to care for the growing number of older adults who deserve to have a better quality of life.

• Tuberculosis and Respiratory Diseases
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• v.68 no.3
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• pp.125-139
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• 2010

Patients with chronic obstructive pulmonary disease (COPD) frequently complain of dyspnea on exertion and reduced exercise capacity, which has been attributed to an increase in the work of breathing and in impaired of gas exchange. Although COPD primarily affects the pulmonary system, patients with COPD exhibit significant systemic manifestations of disease progression. These manifestations include weight loss, nutritional abnormalities, skeletal muscle dysfunction (SMD), cardiovascular problems, and psychosocial complications. It has been documented that SMD significantly contributes to a reduced exercise capacity in patients with COPD. Ventilatory and limb muscle in these patients show structural and functional alteration, which are influenced by several factors, including physical inactivity, hypoxia, smoking, aging, corticosteroid, malnutrition, systemic inflammation, oxidative stress, apoptosis, and ubiquitin-proteasome pathway activation. This article summarizes briefly the evidence and the clinical consequences of SMD in patients with COPD. In addition, it reviews contributing factors and therapeutic strategies.