• Journal of Korean Academy of Nursing
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• v.33 no.5
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• pp.544-552
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• 2003

Purpose: This study examined the health status among elderly in community. Method: This is a survey using cross-sectional design. The subjects were 531 elders who were 65 and over in Pusan, Korea. Data were collected by 17 trained interviewers from April 10 to August 26, 2000. Functional status for physical health status, depression, loneliness, self-esteem for psychological health status, and social support for social health status were measured. Result: About forty three percent of the subjects were found as the elderly who need support in physical status. About fifty six percent of the subjects were depressed. The mean score on the Loneliness scale was 40.4, which means relatively higher. For self-esteem, its score was lower than that of elderly who were examined in other studies. The subjects were living in the state of lower social support. The risk factors for vulnerable health status were being female, becoming older, lower income and education, and living alone. Conclusion: This finding indicates that the elderly subjects in Korean community were in poor health status in physical, psychological and social aspects.

• Journal of Korean Library and Information Science Society
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• v.43 no.2
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• pp.53-75
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• 2012

In recent years, many studies on the public library services for individual vulnerable groups have been performed in Korea. From the standpoint of public libraries with limited human and physical resources, however, all proposed alternatives are difficult to accommodate due to overload and in an integrated perspective, the several alternatives have a logical contradiction and possibility of realistic conflicts. Focusing on these facts, this study proposed an integrated direction and strategic plan to strengthen knowledge and information services of public libraries for five vulnerable classes, ie., the disabled persons, multi-cultural families, the elderly, rural residents, basic living subsidies.

• Korean Journal of Adult Nursing
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• v.21 no.2
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• pp.257-267
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• 2009

Purpose: The purpose of this study was to identify risk factors of fall and to examine its results among patients aged 60 and over diagnosed with osteoporosis. Methods: A retrospective descriptive survey was conducted with 91 patients admitted in a university hospital in a city. Data were collected using an interview method with a structured questionnaire, and were analyzed using descriptive statistics and multiple logistic regression. Results: In patients with osteoporosis, the intrinsic risk factors of falls were aging (OR = 3.742), gait disturbance (OR = 12.565), taking one or fewer medicine (OR = 7.873), and having two or more diseases (OR = 5.173). The extrinsic risk factors included the use of a bed (OR = 3.093), slippery floors (OR = 12.130), bathroom mat without anti-slip rubber backing (OR = 3.564), and presence of a night light on the passage from the bedroom to the bathroom (OR = 2.980). Conclusion: For the elderly aged over 70 who are most vulnerable to falls, screening tests such as bone mineral density (BMD) should be conducted in health examinations and the risk of fracture caused by osteoporosis should be communicated to the vulnerable elderly. Besides, development of new exercise programs combining weightbearing exercise is needed to prevent bone loss and increase functional activities.

• Journal of Korean Academy of Rural Health Nursing
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• v.12 no.1
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• pp.13-27
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• 2017

Purpose: The purpose of this study is to identify health-related factors, especially for the elderly who are subject to visiting health care at vulnerable populations. Methods: Tools were Guide to Community Integrated Health Promotion Project 2016, Visit Health Care Health Interview Survey, measures of physical function, motor skills, composite mobility, BMI, and subjective fitness levels. Depression was measured with the Short Results: Older elders living alone were more vulnerable than those with living others. Elders with less education showed greater weakness but the difference was not significant. Average scores for frailty were 2.21 (healthy group), 7.66 (high-risk group) and 15.69 (frail group). Scores based on weakness level differed significantly with the exception of nutrition. Nine out of 10 elders in disadvantaged areas were in the frail group or at high risk. Conclusion: Results support the goal to maintain/improve physical/mental functions through individual management of high-risk/frail older adults at risk of becoming infirm. It is imperative to implement a public health care delivery system to ensure programs are operated effectively and personalized.

• Journal of Drive and Control
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• v.19 no.4
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• pp.97-103
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• 2022

Low fertility rates and increased life expectancy further exacerbate the process of an aging society. This is also reflected in the gradual increase in the proportion of vulnerable groups in the social population. The demand for improved mobility among vulnerable groups such as the elderly or the disabled has greatly driven the growth of the electric-assisted mobility device market. However, such mobile devices generally require a certain operating capability, which limits the range of vulnerable groups who can use the device and increases the cost of learning. Therefore, autonomous driving technology needs to be introduced to make mobility easier for a wider range of vulnerable groups to meet their needs of work and leisure in different environments. This study uses mini PC Odyssey, Velodyne Lidar VLP-16, electronic device and Linux-based ROS program to realize the functions of working environment recognition, simultaneous localization, map generation and navigation of electric powered mobile devices for vulnerable groups. This autonomous driving mobility device is expected to be of great help to the vulnerable who lack the immediate response in dangerous situations.

• Journal of Family Resource Management and Policy Review
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• v.26 no.3
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• pp.49-64
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• 2022

This study aims to investigate unmet healthcare needs due to economic or non-economic difficulties among the elderly aged 65 or older. Using Korea Health Panel Survey (KHPS) data from 2018, the elderly are classified into one of four groups (health insurance subscribers, non-take-up, lower income relief, and medical aid recipients) based on their level of medical vulnerability. For hospital or dental care, the prevalence rates of unmet healthcare needs due to economic and non-economic difficulties are 12.6% and 10.6%, respectively. The prevalence rate of unmet healthcare needs due to economic difficulty in the medically vulnerable group was much higher than that of the non-vulnerable group-that is, health insurance subscribers. After controlling for other influential factors, medical vulnerability has a great impact on the prevalence rates of unmet healthcare needs due to economic difficulties. Compared to health insurance subscribers, the non-take-up, the lower relief, and the medical aid recipients are 1.4 times, 3.3 times, and 2.4 times more likely to experience unmet healthcare needs due to economic difficulty, respectively. The results of this study can provide important policy implications for securing essential healthcare resources for the elderly.

• International journal of advanced smart convergence
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• v.11 no.3
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• pp.36-41
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• 2022

In the 21st century, information collection and information provision based on digital informatization and intelligent automation are emerging as one of the social problems in the society for the elderly and the vulnerable groups in the welfare society including the disabled, and various methods are being studied to find realistic alternatives. Among these factors, the problem of the elderly living alone is emerging as the most serious, and as a realistic approach to solve some problems by applying information devices, it is a monitoring system using the Internet of Things(IoT). The need for an optimized system is emerging. In this study, the state of the elderly and the elderly living alone can be measured remotely by applying IoT technology. We present the research cases of a Breathing Sensor-based Smart Monitoring System that is used as a smart information system and used as a monitoring system for the elderly and infirm when it is identified as deceased through state detection

• 한국노년학
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• v.31 no.3
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• pp.673-689
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• 2011

It is a qualitative study based on a focus group with an aim to figure out elderly people's experiences in health inequality in vulnerable health zones in agriculture and fisheries areas. Of eups, myeons and dongs selected as 40 vulnerable areas where standardized death rates had continued to be high from 2004 to 2007 in 20 counties and cities in Gyeongsang-do, 15 agriculture and fisheries areas were randomly chosen to extract 8 to 10 elderly people. Explanations were given to study subjects, and 7 to 8 people who agreed to take part in the study joined a regional focus group. Contents of interviews were analyzed with a phenomenological method by Colaizzi (1978) in order to accurately describe pertinent phenomena. The study has found four categories including ecological environmental problems, insufficient services for local community & harmful environmental problems, worsening economic conditions and insufficient health care management in terms of health behavior.

• Journal of agricultural medicine and community health
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• v.43 no.3
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• pp.147-157
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• 2018

Objectives: The aim of this study is to measure health literacy levels and to identify health literacy related factors in vulnerable elders. Methods: The research design for this study was a descriptive survey design using convenience samples. Data collection was done by interviewing questionnaire with 200 elders from welfare centers in the cities. Data were analyzed by using percentage, Chi-square and multiple logistic regression with the IBM SPSS Statistics Ver. 24.0. Results: The results of this study are as follows: Vulnerable elders' sources of health information levels were very low, especially internet. In multiple logistic regression analysis, monthly income, sources of health information were significant accounted for OR 2.201, p<.05, OR 2.989, p< .01 health literacy. Conclusion: These results suggest that interventions for improving health literacy are necessary to enhance elders' finding of health information. Also, these results could be used in developing health literacy programs by internet.

• Journal of the Korean Society of Safety
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• v.30 no.3
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• pp.135-140
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• 2015

Individuals who are vulnerable during disaster - including elderly, people with disabilities, children, pregnant women and etc - have a strong desire to protect themselves when disaster strikes since they are less capable to deal with the impact of disaster. Their experience and effort to keep them safe can be used as a resource to reduce the impacts of disaster not only for them but also for the community as a whole. Therefore, voluntary disaster management program will contribute to our society as a tool to respond effectively to disaster not only to meet the vulnerable's special needs but also to enhance community safety and public interest. This paper suggests a model that able "disaster vulnerable population" to take a leadership role in identifying risk and vulnerability factors, recommending disaster management strategy, and through that, contributing to enhance society's disaster plan. Therefore, this study aimed to surveyed individuals including "disaster vulnerable population" in order to assess the vulnerable's participation in disaster related volunteer work and surveyed associated institutions(volunteer centers, community centers) in order to research currently existing relevant programmes and the participation of "disaster vulnerable population" in such programmes. Also conducted focus group interview to explore voluntary program which will possibly integrate "disaster vulnerable population" into disaster management activities. As a result, three types of voluntary disaster management programs - education, public-relations, and activity - were suggested.