• Women's Health Nursing
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• v.17 no.2
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• pp.169-177
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• 2011

Purpose: This study was to compare social support and depression by gender, to investigate related factors, and to inquire effect of social support on depression by gender. Methods: This study analyzed raw data from a project funded by Jeju Province. The data were collected through home visit interview from 750 households which were selected by using randomized cluster sampling method. CES-D and MOS SSS were used for measuring depression and social support. Data obtained from 896 adults were analyzed using t-test, $x^2$ test and hierarchical regression. Results: There was no significant difference of depression prevalence, presenting 15.2% for men and 14.5% for women. The related factors were marital status, educational level, and socioeconomic status for men and only socioeconomic status for women. The result of hierarchical regression presented that social support was significant on depression, showing increase of $R^2$ from .151 to .328 when adding social support to other variables for men, increase of $R^2$ from .058 to .192 for women. Conclusion: The social support was an influential factor on depression both men and women, the development of strategies considering risk population by gender for enhancing social support to prevent and to manage depression was suggested.

• Health Policy and Management
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• v.20 no.3
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• pp.104-122
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• 2010

Long-term care insurance has been introduced in Korea a year ago, and we are in a stage requiring to set principles regarding the generosity of coverage and how to gradually extend the coverage. This study empirically analyzes how the long-term care insurance in Korea is operated. Special attention is given to who is the main beneficiary of the long-term care insurance introduction, and what is the factors influencing the elderly's decision to apply for or use long-term care services. Use of a detailed information of individuals' public health insurance and long-term care insurance from administration data made it possible to control for health status, socioeconomic status including family type, housing tenure, income level. Logit models were employed to analyze the effects of various socioeconomic factors on the likelihood of applying and using long-term care services. Also, this study employed a survey questioning whether to ever willing to take other option as a alternative to residential care or home-care and the level of cash benefit for which they are willing to replace the formal care with informal care. The result indicated that although the poorest elderly population groups are in the greatest need for the long-term care service, they are in difficulty using the service due to economic burden. This implies the copayment amount needs to be adjusted in order for the poor elderly group to be able to get the benefit of the long-term care service.

• Fashion & Textile Research Journal
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• v.3 no.3
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• pp.249-256
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• 2001

This study was to investigate difference across socioeconomic groups in factors of purchase intention of apparel in internet shopping mall and in satisfaction were internet shopping mall. A questionnaire was administered to collage students majoring in fashion design during May of 2001. Data was analyzed by using Factor analysis, T-test, one-way ANOVA, Duncan test, ${\chi}^2$-test. Factor analysis yield three factors of purchase intention, purchase stimulus, convenience and economic and rationality. Significant differences were found across levels of monthly pocket money and types of payment for purchase apparel of internet shopping mall purchase stimulus (factor 1). In convenience and economics (factor 2), differences were also significant across levels of purchase frequency, product price and payment ways of internet sopping mall. Significant difference was identified across sex type and levels of product price purchased in internet shopping mall (factor 3). Regarding internet shopping mall satisfaction, differences were significant across levels monthly pocket money and apparel purchase frequency of in internet shopping mall.

• Journal of the Korean Society of Surveying, Geodesy, Photogrammetry and Cartography
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• v.38 no.5
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• pp.487-496
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• 2020

This study introduces how GISs (Geographic Information Systems) are used to assess spatial disparities in urban green spaces in the Chicago. Green spaces provide us with a variety of benefits, namely environmental, economic, and physical benefits. This study seeks to explore socioeconomic relationships between green spaces and their surrounding communities and to evaluate spatial disparities from a variety of perspectives, such as health-related, socioeconomic, and physical environment factors. To achieve this goal, this study used spatial statistics, such as optimized hotspot analysis, network analysis, and space-time cluster analysis, which enable conclusions to be drawn from the geographic data. In particular, 12 variables within the three factors are used to assess spatial disparities in the benefits of the use of green spaces. Finally, the variables are standardized to rank the community areas and identify where the most vulnerable community areas or parks are. To evaluate the benefits given to the community areas, this study used the z- and composite scores, which are compared in the three different combinations. After identifying the most vulnerable community area, crime data is used to spatially understand when and where crimes occur near the parks selected. This work contributes to the work of urban planners who need to spatially evaluate community areas in considering the benefits of the uses of green spaces.

• International Journal of Advanced Culture Technology
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• v.9 no.3
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• pp.81-85
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• 2021

The purpose of this paper is to measure the relative efficiency of the police agencies in Korea with data collected from 2018 to 2020, using data envelopment analysis (DEA), as put forward by Charnes et al., which is used to construct a scalar measure of efficiency for all police agencies. The results of this study can be used to assist police agencies in delivering better and more efficient services to the community. The analytical results based on DEA identify potentially weak and strong police agencies on policing performance, their efficient benchmarking, and the levels of clear-ups that would make inefficient police agencies efficient. We could suggest that higher levels of the police force are associated with higher performance efficiency against crimes. But, it is a little hard to say that higher levels of the police force can keep the local police agencies efficient without explaining the contribution of other input variables to criminal arrest and prevention. On the other hand, our analysis presents that differences in operating environments and socioeconomic factors do not have a significant influence on the efficiency of local police agencies. But, it is necessary to note that we need to examine the effect of environments and socioeconomic factors on crime to create the better-policing performance.

• Safety and Health at Work
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• v.10 no.2
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• pp.188-195
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• 2019

Background: Mine workers in South Africa face challenges relating to poor health and safety, including fatigue risks, and poor socioeconomic and living conditions. Fatigue results in impaired mental and physical performance. The aim of this study was to assess contributors to fatigue of mine workers in South Africa. Methods: Data collection took place at four gold mines and one platinum mine in South Africa. A total of 21 focus groups were held with individuals in management, union representatives, and mine workers, and 564 questionnaires were completed by mine workers to gather information about fatigue and potential contributors to fatigue at these mines. Results: Qualitatively (through focus groups), fatigue was attributed to extended working hours, harsh working conditions, high workloads, production pressure, and resource constraints, along with aspects relating to demographic and socioeconomic factors, living conditions, lifestyle, health, and wellness. Greater fatigue was significantly associated with younger age, indebtedness, a lack of exercise, poor nutrition, less sleep, increased alcohol use, poor self-reported health, more sick leave, higher stress, and lower job satisfaction. Conclusion: The aim of the study was achieved; numerous work-, sociodemographic-, lifestyle-, and wellness-related factors were linked to fatigue in the participating mine workers. Contributors to fatigue should be addressed to improve health, safety, and sustainability in the industry.

• Journal of Preventive Medicine and Public Health
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• v.55 no.4
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• pp.371-378
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• 2022

Objectives: No studies have examined the association between preterm birth rates and socioeconomic factors in Japan using nationwide statistical data. We analyzed the association between preterm birth rates and household occupation using Vital Statistics data. Methods: Aggregated Vital Statistics data from Japan from 2007 to 2019 were obtained from the Ministry of Health, Labour and Welfare. From the data, the number of births according to year, age group, gestational period, number of pregnancies, and household occupation were used in this study. Crude preterm birth rates and preterm birth rates adjusted by maternal age according to household occupation were calculated for each year. Poisson regression analysis was conducted to evaluate the association between household occupation and preterm births. Results: Unemployed households had the highest preterm birth rate, and households with an occupation classification of "full-time worker 2" (an employee at a large company, civil servant, or board member) had the lowest preterm birth rate throughout each period. Poisson regression analysis revealed that unemployed households were statistically significantly associated with a high preterm birth risk. In contrast, the preterm birth rate adjusted by maternal age remained stable throughout each period regardless of household occupation, and preterm birth rates were found not to have increased in recent years in Japan. Conclusions: Unemployed households had higher preterm birth rates than other household occupations. Further studies investigating the characteristics of unemployed households are needed to identify the reasons for this disparity.

• The Korean Journal of Food & Health Convergence
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• v.8 no.2
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• pp.7-13
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• 2022

The purpose of this study was to compare the nutrient intake of elderly according to their cohabitation status and determine its effects on the prevalence of anemia. Data from the KNHANES were used for this study, including raw data on socioeconomic characteristics, nutrient intake, health status, and clinical laboratory findings. Study subjects aged 60 to 80 years were retrieved and analyzed. As a result, the prevalence of anemia was 12.0% (men, 11.6%; women, 12.3%). The prevalence rate increased with age, and odds ratio [OR] of anemia among those aged 75 to 80 years was 4.16 times higher in men (OR=4.16, 95% confidence interval [CI]=2.48-6.97) and 2.77 times higher in women (OR=2.77, 95% CI=1.86-4.14) compared to 60~64 years old. Socioeconomic factors (area of residence, education level, household income), including cohabitation Status (living alone VS living with other family members), and health behaviors (high-risk drinking, smoking, aerobic exercise) did not significantly effect on anemia. In addition, other than protein intake for men, nutrient intake did not have a significant effect on the prevalence rate of anemia. Hypertension, diabetes, and cancer significantly increased the risk of anemia. In Korea, the influencing factors of elderly anemia change over time, so periodic follow-up studies are needed.

• Journal of Preventive Medicine and Public Health
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• v.56 no.5
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• pp.475-480
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• 2023

Objectives: This study examined differences in health care spending and characteristics among older adults in Korea by high-cost status (persistently, transiently, and never high-cost). Methods: We identified 1 364 119 older adults using data from the Korean National Insurance Claims Database for 2017-2019. Outcomes included average annual total health care spending and high-cost status for 2017-2019. Linear regression was used to estimate differences in the outcomes while adjusting for individual-level characteristics. Results: Persistently and transiently high-cost older adults had higher health care spending than never high-cost older adults, but the difference in health care spending was greater among persistently high-cost older adults than among transiently high-cost older adults (US$20 437 vs. 5486). Despite demographic and socioeconomic differences between transiently high-cost and never high-cost older adults, the presence of comorbid conditions remained the most significant factor. However, there were no or small differences in the prevalence of comorbid conditions between persistently high-cost and transiently high-cost older adults. Rather, notable differences were observed in socioeconomic status, including disability and receipt of Medical Aid. Conclusions: Medical risk factors contribute to high health care spending to some extent, but social risk factors may be a source of persistent high-cost status among older adults in Korea.

• Asian Pacific Journal of Cancer Prevention
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• v.13 no.2
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• pp.407-409
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• 2012

The ACTION (Asean CosTs In ONcology) Study will be one of the largest observational studies of the burden of cancer ever conducted in Asia. The study will involve 10,000 newly diagnosed patients with cancer and will be carried out across eight low- and middle income countries within the ASEAN region (Indonesia, Thailand, Malaysia, Cambodia, Myanmar, Viet Nam, Laos and the Philippines). Patients will be interviewed three times over 12 months to assess their health, use of health care services, out of pocket costs related to their illness, social and quality of life issues. The project is a collaboration between the George Institute for Global Health, the ASEAN Foundation and Roche. The aim of the study is to assess the health and socioeconomic impact of cancer on patients in ASEAN communities, and the factors that may impact on these outcomes.