• Korean Journal of Health Education and Promotion
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• v.21 no.2
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• pp.87-100
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• 2004

Purpose： This study was to identify the degree of health-promoting behavior and quality of life and the factors influencing quality of life of solitary elderly in rural areas. Method： The subjects of this study were 202 solitary elderly, and 65-89, who had been living in four rural areas. Data was collected through 4 questionnaires from July 10th, 2003 to August 30th, 2003. The collected data was analyzed using descriptive statistics, t-test, ANOVA, Duncan's multiple-range test, Pearson correlation coefficient and Stepwise multiple regression with SPSS/PC. Results： The average item score for the health-promoting behavior was 2.43； the highest score on the subscale was self-actualization (M＝2.58) with the lowest being exercise (M＝2.05). 2) The average item score for the quality of life was 2.81； the highest score on the subscale was neighbor relationships (M＝3.27) with the lowest being economic conditions (M＝2.24). There were significant differences in the health-promoting behavior by educational level and leisure-activity, in the quality of life by age and religion. Quality of life scores correlated negatively with depression scores (r＝-.063, p＝.000) and positively with health-promoting behavior (r＝.144, p＝.000), social support scores (r＝.383, p＝.000). Stepwise multiple regression analysis for quality of life revealed that the most powerful predictor was health-promoting behavior. Health-promoting behavior, social support, depression and age explained 51.8％ of the variance. Conclusion： These results suggested that elderly people in rural areas with high degree of quality of life are likely to be high in health-promoting behavior and social support and low in depression. Therefore, it is necessary to develop health promotion programs in due consideration of health-promoting behavior and social support and depression in order to enhance the quality of life of solitary elderly in rural areas.

• Journal of Oriental Neuropsychiatry
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• v.30 no.2
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• pp.47-58
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• 2019

Objectives: To conduct and report the results of a public health promotion program in Korean medicine (KM), namely the KM Visiting Care Service for Solitary Elderly, from November 2018 to April 2019. Methods: Six elderly people living in a rural area received the KM visiting care service, twice a week, for four months. This service consisted of acupuncture, auriculotherapy, and supportive counseling to manage their musculoskeletal pain, cognitive impairment, and/or depression. The changes of symptoms were assessed using Numeric Rating Scale (NRS), Korean version of Mini-Mental State Examination for Dementia Screening (MMSE-DS), Korean version of Montreal Cognitive Assessment (MoCA-K), and Geriatric Depression Scale-Short form Korean (GDS-SF-K). Results: Through the 4-months KM visiting care service, the overall subjects' NRS-rated pain decreased slightly. Most showed improvement in MMSE-DS and/or MoCA-K, except one subject who was diagnosed with Alzheimer's disease. Depression assessed by GDS-SF-K showed improvement in a few subjects who were unable to walk independently. Satisfaction assessed through survey was generally high in all subjects. Conclusions: This KM Visiting Care Service for Solitary Elderly may help improve the pain and cognitive function of frail solitary elderly in rural areas. However, the protocol need to be improved to optimize the effect.

• Journal of Society of Preventive Korean Medicine
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• v.9 no.1
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• pp.65-75
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• 2005

This study aims to explore the difference in life satisfaction and daily activities of elderly solitaries through a survey conducted from May to June 2004 to 152 who hare moi the criteria set forth for this study. Used for the survey were such tools as 11 items of questions concerning characters of the subjects, Life Satisfaction and Daily activities(K-ADL). The outcomes could be summarized as follows: 1. The majority of 152 subjects are females, aged $70{\sim}79$, living in the urban areas, non-educated with miscellaneous religions(including non-believers), jobless, self-dependent (or living expenses, without leisure, with disease, suffering from sickness despite of treatment and, thus not self-confident in health. 2. The Life Satisfaction and K-ADL of all subjects appear in general to be good with $20.03{\pm}9.74$ and $8.25{\pm}2.74$, respectively. 3. The difference in Life Satisfaction by characters of the subjects is found significantly high in those who are females, living in rural area, educated, with religions and jobs, have diseases treated and currently confident in health. 4. The difference in K-ADL by characters of the subjects is significantly high for those who are older than 80, Buddhists, jobless, affordable with living expenses by themselves, sick currently and not confident in health. Thus, it is thought vastly important to help the elderly solitaries to realize quality of life by social (including family) assistance, economic self-reliance and health promotion and prevention. Measures drawn from the analysis into issues of the elderly solitaries from various aspects may definitely contribute to avoiding and complimenting the causes of various issues relating to the elderly people and to assisting them to cope with the problems in the highly geriatric society to come.