• Journal of Korean Biological Nursing Science
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• v.18 no.4
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• pp.296-304
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• 2016

Objective: The purpose of this study was to explore the effects of a senior functional game (Rejuvenescent village) on cognitive function, instrumental activities of daily living (IADL), depression, and life satisfaction in Korea. Methods: An one-group pretest-posttest design was used in this study. Data were collected twice (at the beginning and the end) from 100 elderly adults in S city who played "Rejuvenescent village" 8 times (twice per week, one hour per session) for a month. Also they completed questionnaires on their cognitive function, IADL, depression, life satisfaction, and general characteristics. The data were analyzed using SPSS 20.0 programs. Results: The mean age was 70.06(${\pm}3.77$) years, with a range of 65-80 years old. Among 100 subjects, 21% were male and 85% were young old. There were statistically significant differences in cognitive function (t=-3.32, p=.001), IADL (t=1.98, p=.049), and life satisfaction (t=-2.15, p=.034). Although there was no statistically significant difference in mean depression score (t=1.06, p=.292), categorized depression was statistically significant (${\chi}^2=62.97$, p<.001). Conclusion: The findings in this study show that the serious game (Rejuvenescent village) was effective for older Koreans' cognitive function, IADL, depression, and life satisfaction. Thus, we need to consider senior functional games to get health benefits by making elderly adults active with enjoyment.

• Asian Pacific Journal of Cancer Prevention
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• v.16 no.10
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• pp.4401-4408
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• 2015

Background: Cancer is a primary source of concern in Thailand and other countries around the world, including the Asian-Pacific region. Evidence supports that an important contributing cause of cancer and other chronic illnesses such as stroke, diabetes, and hypertension is excessive alcohol consumption. Studies conducted in Thailand reveal a worrisome rise in the number of new and regular drinkers in communities. Therefore, actions for primary, secondary and tertiary prevention of problem drinking are necessary. In recent years nurses in North East Thailand have been developing and implementing the Khon Kaen Family Health Nursing model to embed disease prevention in communities through the actions of family health nurses and local family health leaders. Aim: The aim of this qualitative research was to better understand the experiences of the local family health leaders using this model and to synthesize lessons learned. Materials and Methods: As part of a participatory action research approach involving analysis of focus group discussions and individual interviews, the experiences of 45 family health leaders were synthesized. Results: Four main themes were identified, namely: i) Family first: role modeling beginning at the personal and family level. ii) Local leverage: using village community forums to reduce alcohol drinking. iii) Gentle growth: making the first step and treading gently; and iv) Respect, Redemption, Rehabilitation: valuing the person to re-integrate them in the village society. Conclusions: As alcohol consumption in the village declined significantly following the prevention program, these findings illuminate how low-tech integrated prevention approaches may be very useful, particularly in rural communities. The lessons learned may have relevance not only in Thailand but in other countries seeking to prevent and mitigate behavior that conduces to diseases such as cancer.

• Journal of the Korean Institute of Rural Architecture
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• v.21 no.3
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• pp.49-60
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• 2019

This study is on the practice and limitation of the environment improvement project in the delinquent residential areas implemented as part of the urban restoration project that this study was carried out with the subject of the Saeddeul Village Project in Balhan Dongmunsan District of Donghae City that is implemented as part of resident-participating urban rehabilitation that has emerged as a socially important issue. In particular, at a time the issues of increasing senior population and poverty resulted thereof have surfaced in the society that this study has taken a look at the characteristics in the planning and practice process in the Saeddeul Village Project area for the purpose of improving the mental health. In the planning process and practice process, those human-care project and resident competency strengthening projects, together with physical environment improvement, are implemented, and the contents implemented by respective project are purported to establish the community identity through voluntary participation of local residents together with the environment improvement of the villages on the basis of resident participation as well as leading the economic independence by the village with its own discretion. However, the limitations in the practice process and exposure of problems that may be experienced in the field have made difficulties in such approach and provokes the difficulties of project performance depending on the conflicts in community constituents. Under such a relationship, it is required to have the endeavors to facilitate the community and solution of issued, and this study presents the need of access for revitalizing the regional welfare system.

• Journal of Korean Society of Rural Planning
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• v.27 no.4
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• pp.71-82
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• 2021

A diverse rural development projects are continuously increasing. However, in most villages, the business run by residents is not being operated normally. Followed by these problems, a follow-up management evaluation system has been created and utilized, but the existing evaluation system is only administratively approached and not suitable for application in reality. This research emphasizes that the perspective of community and re-startup support should be added to the evaluation system as these are projects that are carried out to improve the quality of life of local residents and enhance the rehabilitation of villages. Based on the evaluation system proposed in this study, field surveys and interview surveys were conducted targeting 10 villages in Taean-gun, Chungcheongnam-do in South Korea. As a result of the study, various types that have not been activated were derived, and they were presented by categoriz ing them. The purpose of this study is to help the rehabilitation of common rural villages by providing a updated post evaluation system and items that can be applied not only to Taean-gun but also to numerous villages in the entire villages in South Korea.

• Journal of the Korean association of regional geographers
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• v.22 no.3
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• pp.515-528
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• 2016

Since 1960s the rural population of Korea has continually decreased as a result of the rapid rural-to-urban migration and this caused an economic recession as well as the accelerated aging phenomenon in the rural communities. Such problems got worse in smaller rural villages and marginal villages began to appear among the rural communities. This study aims to analyze the structures and characteristics of rural marginal villages. A case study on the county of Goheung, Jeollanamdo, is carried out using survey and stakeholder interviews. With the survey results a series of comparative analysis are done revealing the commonalities and peculiarities between two different types of marginal villages. This study also tries to reveal the residents's perceptions on the marginal villages and the potential determinants of rural rehabilitation.

• Journal of Microbiology and Biotechnology
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• v.29 no.3
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• pp.429-440
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• 2019

Several studies have attempted to identify factors associated with longevity and maintenance of health in centenarians. In this study, we analyzed and compared the gut microbiota of centenarians in longevity villages with the elderly and adults in the same region and urbanized towns. Fecal samples were collected from centenarians, elderly, and young adults in longevity villages, and the gut microbiota sequences of elderly and young adults in urbanized towns of Korea were obtained from public databases. The relative abundance of Firmicutes was found to be considerably higher in subjects from longevity villages than those from urbanized towns, whereas Bacteroidetes was lower. Age-related rearrangement of gut microbiota was observed in centenarians, such as reduced proportions of Faecalibacterium and Prevotella, and increased proportion of Escherichia, along with higher abundances of Akkermansia, Clostridium, Collinsella, and uncultured Christensenellaceae. Gut microbiota of centenarians in rehabilitation hospitals were also different to those residing at home. These differences could be due to differences in diet patterns and living environments. In addition, phosphatidylinositol signaling system, glycosphingolipid biosynthesis, and various types of N-glycan biosynthesis were predicted to be higher in the gut microbiota of centenarians (corrected p < 0.05). These three metabolic pathways of gut microbiota can be associated with the immune status and healthy gut environment of centenarians. Although further studies are necessary to validate the function of microbiota between groups, this study provides valuable information on centenarians' gut microbiota.

• Journal of Korea Entertainment Industry Association
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• v.14 no.2
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• pp.205-212
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• 2020

The purpose of this study was to investigate the recognition levels of students in occupational therapy on the function of the dementia care center. The study included 357 students in occupational therapy and the study was conducted from September 2019 to December 2019 based on the questionnaire about the function of the dementia care center. The major results of this study were as follows: Among the types of projects of the dementia care center, 'consultation and registration management' scored the highest. There were significant differences in recognition levels of 7 projects of dementia care center according to 'age' among general characteristics. There were significant differences in recognition levels of 6 projects except 'a visiting model' according to 'grade'. There were significant differences in recognition levels of 'rest area business for dementia' and 'support for families with dementia' according to 'region'. There was a significant differences in recognition levels of 'dementia care village' according to 'experience of using dementia care center'. There were significant differences in recognition levels of 'consultation and registration management', 'support for families with dementia', 'dementia care village' according to 'experience of clinical practice'. This study will provide basic data for the study of community based rehabilitation and help to establish the curriculum of occupational therapy.

• Journal of Korean Society of Forest Science
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• v.106 no.4
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• pp.487-496
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• 2017

The marketization in North Korea is spreading rapidly. This study proposes forest rehabilitation strategy for North Korea in light of their major shift toward market economy. This current trend of marketization in North Korea is now affecting the forest sector, especially the way the residents utilize small forest land. For analyzing the influence of marketization on forest management in North Korea, we reviewed the official documents issued by North Korea and related materials of North Korean marketization. The government of Kim Jong Eun has set up policies and systems regarding the spread of marketization, such as guaranteeing individuals a right to dispose certain products on their own and establishing a special economic zone to attract foreign investments. In the forestry sector, the North Korean government has been trying to fully implement its forest restoration plan by carrying out measures like re-claiming of sloping lands that had been previously used by residents. However, as marketization progresses, it is expected that there lies much difficulty in government-led massive mobilization for forest restoration due to the increase of illegal logging to meet high demand for timber, illegal firewood harvesting, collecting non-timber products for livelihoods and illegal crop cultivation to sell in the market. Therefore, South Korea's support for forest restoration should also consider the recent marketization phenomenon in North Korea. It is necessary to formulate strategic measures such as conducting joint commercialization project on agroforestry management using cooperative farming unit, helping to improve income source from small forest lands, and to activate a comprehensive mountain village special economic zone by utilizing forest business. We do hope that our proposed forest rehabilitation strategy in this paper regarding the changes in North Korea's marketization and forest policy can give a meaningful suggestion on supporting forest restoration in North Korea in an effective way.

• Journal of Korean Society of Rural Planning
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• v.8 no.1 s.15
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• pp.105-113
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• 2002

This investigation aims to provide basic data for rural village planning and rehabilitation planning. Public infrastructures of forty selected villages have been surveyed. Provision of facilities, user satisfaction, perceived problems, and conditions of maintenance have been surveyed for three classified types of infrastructures; 1) public utility spaces such as community hall, and parking lots, 2) public production infrastructures such as warehouses, and irrigation facilities, and 3) public infrastructures for living environments such as roads, water supply, and sewage system. All twenty smaller villages (ki-cho-ma-ul) had problems of poor conditions and insufficient spaces with community halls. Most of the smaller villages suffered from lack of public production infrastructures, or had problems of insufficient spaces and poor maintenance conditions. They also lacked good access roads with adequate right of ways. Only three villages were provided with sewage systems. In the twenty larger villages (myun-bo-ma-ul), though public utility spaces were provided for most of them (as an example, sixteen villages had welfare centers), they were not large enough and they were maintained in poor condition too. On the one hand twelve of the larger villages had farm machine service centers, only a few villages were equipped with warehouses. Many more public infrastructures for living environments were found in larger villages. However, only a few villages had pollution control facilities. Multidimensional scaling revealed groups of distinctive characteristics, in terms of public infrastructures, among smaller villages. It did not show any noticeable distinctions among larger villages.

• Journal of Korean Public Health Nursing
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• v.29 no.3
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• pp.594-607
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• 2015

Purpose: The purpose of this study was to test the effectiveness of a weight reduction program on the body weight, BMI, self-esteem, and self-efficacy of chronic mentally ill persons. Methods: A nonequivalent control group pre-posttest design was employed. Participants were 46 chronic mentally ill persons who agreed to participate in this study, and were assigned to an experimental group (n=23) and a control group (n=23). The weight reduction program was modified by the author, based on the Wellness program (Lilly Pharmaceutical Company, 2003), Lee (2007) and Kim (2013). Data analysis with frequency, ${\chi}^2$-test, Fisher's exact test, and t-test was performed using SPSS/Win 18.0 version. Results: The results showed a significant decrease in body weight and BMI and an increase in self-esteem in the experimental group compared to the control group. Conclusion: The weight reduction program had a positive effect on body weight, BMI, and self-esteem. Evaluation of drug compliance and vocational rehabilitation is recommended for long term effect of the program and conduct of further studies will be required for use of various resources for self-efficacy for inclusion in drug education in a program for improved health outcome.