• Journal of agricultural medicine and community health
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• v.26 no.2
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• pp.111-132
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• 2001

This study was conducted to examine the therapeutic compliance and its related factors in rural women with osteoporosis. A questionnaire survey was performed from April to May in 2000 for 140 osteoporotic patients who were diagnosed from April to June in 1999 through community health program. The study employed the health belief model for predicting and explaining sick role behavior. The analysis techniques employed included contingency table analysis and path analysis using LISREL. The major results of this study were as follows: Of the subjects, 12.1% were continuously complaint, 53.6% were intermittently compliant, and 34.3% were non- compliant to calcium supplement therapy. As the result of path analysis, the therapeutic compliance was significantly higher(${\mid}T{\mid}$ >2.0) as patients had higher perceived severity of disease, lower perceived barriers of treatment, and when patients thought their disease status as severe. As the patients had higher educational level, more experience of mass media contact or health education about osteoporosis, and when family had more concern for patient treatment, they had higher perceived susceptibility of complication(bone fracture)${\mid}T{\mid}$ >2.0). The patients had higher perceived severity(${\mid}T{\mid}$ >2.0) as they had more educational level, more advice for treatment from their doctors, and when family had more concern for their treatment. As the patients had more advice for treatment from their doctors and when family had more concern for their treatment, they had higher perceived benefit of treatment and lower perceived barriers to treatment(${\mid}T{\mid}$ >2.0). In order to improve the therapeutic compliance in rural osteoporotic women, it would be necessary that the patient should recognize their disease severity properly. And the perceived barriers should be removed through supportive environments for osteoporosis treatment such as doctor 's more advice and family 's more concern for treatment. In addition, effective and continuous management system for osteoporotic patients should be established.

• Journal of Nutrition and Health
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• v.46 no.3
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• pp.239-249
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• 2013

Subclinical vitamin $B_{12}$ deficiency is common in the elderly worldwide. We investigated the change of serum vitamin $B_{12}$ concentration with aging and compared anthropometric data and clinical health indicators between normal (${\geq}$ 340 pg/mL) and low (< 340 pg/mL) serum vitamin $B_{12}$ groups in 470 Korean women aged 65 years and over living in a rural area. Serum vitamin $B_{12}$ concentration showed inverse correlation with age (r = -0.0992, p < 0.05). The normal $B_{12}$ group showed significantly (p < 0.05) higher red blood cell count, hemoglobin, and hematocrit compared to the low $B_{12}$ group, however, no difference in mean corpuscular volume was observed between the two groups. The normal $B_{12}$ group showed significantly lower serum homocysteine concentration (p < 0.01) and prevalence of vitamin D (p < 0.01) or folate deficiency (p < 0.001). Bone mineral density (T-score) was significantly higher (p < 0.05) in the normal $B_{12}$ group, compared with that in the low $B_{12}$ group, and showed positive correlation (r = 0.1490, p < 0.01) with serum vitamin $B_{12}$ concentration after adjusting for age, body weight, and body mass index. No differences in anthropometric data, physical activity, and smoking and drinking habits were observed between the two groups. In conclusion, it could be suggested that older female adults with normal serum vitamin $B_{12}$ level would be less anemic and osteoporotic and more resistant to hyperhomocysteinemia associated chronic diseases than those with low serum vitamin $B_{12}$ level.