• Physical Therapy Rehabilitation Science
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• v.13 no.3
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• pp.324-331
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• 2024

Objective: This study aimed to explore the effects of a novel training program that integrates ultrasound technology to enhance the palpation skills of physical therapy students. The program was designed to support students in developing more precise palpation techniques by using ultrasound as a supplementary tool for anatomical identification. Design: A randomized controlled trial. Methods: A total of twenty students, all enrolled in the physical therapy department at S University, who met the specified selection criteria, were randomly assigned to one of two groups: the experimental group (EG, n=10) or the control group (CG, n=10). The experimental group participated in an ultrasound-assisted palpation training program, while the control group did not receive this intervention. Results:The experimental group demonstrated significant improvements in their ability to accurately palpate anatomical landmarks, specifically the long head of the biceps brachii (LHBT) and the lateral joint line of the knee (LJLK), as well as an increased level of confidence in their palpation skills (p<0.05). A comparative analysis of changes from pre- to post-training revealed statistically significant differences between the two groups (p<0.05). Conclusions: The findings of this study suggest that the ultrasound-assisted training program can provide valuable educational benefits, offering foundational data to enhance the development of palpation skills in physical therapy students and making a meaningful contribution to educational research within the field.

• Journal of Physiology & Pathology in Korean Medicine
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• v.21 no.6
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• pp.1590-1596
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• 2007

Complementary and alternative medicine (CAM) has gained in popularity among cancer patients in recent years. The use of CAM in cancer patients is common with about one third of patients using some form of CAM in Western countries. The purpose of this study was to analyze the use of CAM and determine what factors affect to use CAM among cancer patients to provide CAM therapy information and assist therapy selection among various CAM therapies to cancer patients. The design of the study was descriptive cross-sectional, and data were collected using a 16-item questionnaire. This study was conducted in subjects with confirmed diagnosis of stomach, colon, liver, or pancreas cancer, in both out-patients clinics and inpatients setting in a tertiary hospital in Seoul Korea. As a result, among the participants, past or current CAM use was reported by 75%, which shows a statistically significant difference in income groups(P<0.05), but no difference in age and religion groups. The most common therapies use by cancer patients included traditional Korean medicine (32.1%), folk remedies (26.6%), exercise (14%), dietary supplements (11.6%), physical therapy (9.9%), diet therapy (5%), and meditation (4%). 77.8% of patients show satisfaction and 64.4% shows perceived effectiveness of CAM. Male patients with higher income, and previous treatment were more likely to use CAM. The main benefits from CAM reported by cancer patients were psychological improvement and symptom improvement. Of the cancer patients used CAM, 30.9% were dissatisfied, 25.8% did not have benefits from the use, and 7.6% experience side effects. Cancer patients who prefer CAM (more than 3 kinds) used it to cure cancer, on the contrary, the one who do not prefer CAM used to improve symptoms and psychological stability. The main sources of information about CAM were family and friends(54.4%), and media(24.5%), doctor and nurse(18.3%), and religion group(2.6%). Findings suggest that due to the relatively high use of CAM among cancer patients in Korea, this topic should be taken into account in the development of a holistic approach to cancer patients and efficient cancer patients management system and proactive and consistent management of CAM is necessary in the health care system in Korea.

• Journal of Digital Convergence
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• v.12 no.7
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• pp.197-203
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• 2014

This study deals with a comparative analysis on reverse mortgage loans and mortgage loans in order to pave a path for activation of real estate financing. The fact-revealing analysis was conducted through surveys based on theoretical consideration and advanced researches, which has drawn a range of findings. As the results of this study, the important findings concerning the improvement on the activation of practical housing reverse mortgages are applicable to all real estate, diversifying the tax benefits, and deregulation of 1 house, etc. and findings concerning the improvement to activate mortgage loans are diversifying types of interest rates, diversifying types of repayment, tax benefits for less than 15 years maturity period, and granting benefits(low interest rates, higher loan limits) to low-income households, etc. This study has a significance for providing basic materials in order to accomplish advanced finance policies along with social welfare services as suggesting measures to improve and activate real estate financing through the findings out of the fact-revealing analysis conducted as above.

• Journal of People, Plants, and Environment
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• v.23 no.6
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• pp.667-681
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• 2020

Background and objective: Recently, there has been an increasing need for relaxation and familiarity with nature in residential and living spaces faced daily by urban residents, leading to a growing social interest in urban gardens. The aim of this study was to determine how gardens in a city provide physical and social benefits, comparing cases in Korea and overseas. Methods: We used the keywords "garden" and "city" for Korea, and "urban," "garden," and "green" for overseas. We then determined the Korean and overseas research trends in urban gardens by analyzing 63 Korean and 90 overseas articles deemed suitable for this study. Results: As to the types of urban gardens, the most significant type was community gardens, both in Korea and overseas (30.2% and 48.6%, respectively), followed by rooftop gardens in Korea (22.2%) and kitchen gardens overseas (22.2%). Due to the narrow and complex urban structure in Korea, people focus on using rooftop, wall, and alley spaces, and tend to arrange container-type flexible gardens. Overseas there has been a focus on promoting health and reducing food inequality through allotment and kitchen gardens, and a tendency to use a larger area as a fixed form than Korea. In addition, it was found that gardens in urban areas had a positive effect on urban biodiversity. Conclusion: To sum up, gardens in Korea are close to living spaces, and gardens overseas influence the ecosystem with an emphasis on food production. Therefore, creating urban gardens is a method of urban regeneration with a high utility that goes beyond mere food production, both in Korea and overseas, providing comprehensive benefits for the environment (37.73%) and society (62.27%). As such, continuous research on this area of study is needed to create policy guidelines for Korea.

• Korean Journal of Social Welfare
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• v.57 no.3
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• pp.337-361
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• 2005

This study seeks the implications for the Korean family welfare policies after examining the characteristics of fertility rates and family welfare policies of advanced OECD countries, and comparatively analyzing the fertility rates among clusters of countries having similar family welfare policies. The fertility rates of most advanced OECD countries declined below the population replacement level in the 1970s, and continuously declined slowly after that period. But in the 1990s the fertility rate of some countries increased, on the other hand that of other countries declined. Such a difference of fertility rates suggests that there is some correlation between the fertility rate and the family welfare policy of each country. Advanced countries became concerned about the decline of fertility rate, established the government Population Issues Committee in order to deal with population problems, and increased family welfare supports. But the level and pattern(focusing on maternal employment supports or child-rearing supports) of each country's family welfare policies are differently developed according to its political ideology, cultural and historical background, and economic environments. A comparative assessment of the fertility rate among clusters of countries having similar family welfare policies demonstrates that the higher the level of family welfare supports is and the level of maternal employment supports in comparison with that of maternal child-rearing supports is, the higher of fertility rate is. And a comparative assessment of the fertility rate changes among clusters of countries also shows that the higher the level of family welfare supports is and the level of maternal employment supports in comparison with that of maternal child-rearing supports is, the higher the increase of fertility rate is or the lower the decrease of fertility rate is. The implications for the Korean family welfare policies are summarized as follows. First, it is necessary to establish the government Population Issues Committee which can study systematically fertility rates and population problems, and provide comprehensive population measures. Second, family welfare supports should be expanded through the establishment of family allowances, the prolongation of maternity leave and child-care leave and the upward readjustment of child-care leave benefits, and the extension of public child-care facilities. Third, maternal employment supports such as public child-care facilities and maternity leave should be given more weight than maternal child-rearing supports such as family allowance. Fourth, it is required to prepare social environments which can provide the youth with the hope that child-rearing is not difficult and gives them happiness.

• Asian-Australasian Journal of Animal Sciences
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• v.31 no.1
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• pp.149-156
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• 2018

Objective: Broilers show clear preference towards red color light (RL). However setting of an optimum light intensity is difficult since dim intensities that favor growth reduce welfare. This experiment was conducted to test the most effective RL intensity regimen (Dim [5 lux; DI] vs high [320 lux; HI]) in combination applied at different growth stages that favors for both performance and welfare. Methods: Complete randomize design was adopted with 6 replicates. Treatments were; T1 = early DI (8-21 d)+latter HI (22-35 d); T2 = early DI (8-28 d)+latter HI (29-35 d), T3 = early HI (8-21 d)+latter DI (22-35 d), T4 = early HI (8-28 d)+latter DI (29-35 d) and T5 = control (white light; WT) (8-35 d) at medium intensity (20 lux). Body weight (BW), weight gain (WG), water/feed intake and ratio, feed conversion ratios (FCR) were assessed. Common behaviours (15) were recorded by scan sampling method. Lameness, foot pad dermatitis, breast blisters, hock burning damage were assessed as welfare parameters. Fear reactions were tested using Tonic Immobility Test. Ocular and carcass evaluations were done. Meat and tibiae were analyzed for fat and bone ash respectively. Results: On 35 d, the highest BW ($2,155.72{\pm}176g$), WG ($1,967.78{\pm}174g$) were recorded by T2 compared to WT ($BW_{WT}=1,878.22{\pm}155$, $WG_{WT}=1,691.83{\pm}160$). But, application of RL, either DI, or HI during early/latter stage had no significant effect on FCR. Under HI, birds showed much higher active behaviours. DI encourages eating. Though LI changed from DI to HI, same trend could be seen even under HI. The highest leg strength ($218.5{\pm}120s$) was recorded by T2. The lowest leg strength ($64.58{\pm}33s$) and the highest ocular weight ($2.48{\pm}1g$) were recorded by T1. Significantly (p<0.05) the highest skin weight ($162.17{\pm}6g$) but the lowest fat% in meat ($13.03%{\pm}5%$) was recorded by T2. Conclusion: Early exposure to DI-RL up to 28 days followed by exposure to HI-RL is the most favorable lighting regimen for optimizing production, better welfare of broilers and improving health benefits of meat.

• 한국노년학
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• v.25 no.2
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• pp.109-126
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• 2005

Recently it has been encouraged in developed countries that labor force participation of the elderly is one of the means to cut down the cost of social welfare for them. However, empirical studies have rarely explored how work in later life contributes to national economy. Especially, even though 56.6 percent of elderly workers aged 65 and older engaged in agriculture and forestry in Korea, their contribution has been socio-economically overlooked. This study aims at examining the effect of farming labor in later life on social welfare expenditure. For this purpose, social welfare expenditure was defined as social benefits provided for the elderly by the social security in public sector and measured as transportation allowance, pension, livelihood aid, medical aid, and health insurance in 2003. Data were obtained from National Health Insurance Cooperation and 37 town/village offices and analyzed by 3 age groups; 65~74, 75~84, and 85 and over using SPSS/PC windows program. Results showed that both livelihood and medical support in all age groups were expended more to non-farm than to farm workers. The amount differences per person between them were 113,959~361,132 won in livelihood support and 15,644~51,418 won in medical support. Also, participation in farming influence reduction of livelihood expenditure for the group 65~74 and 75~84 and that of medical expenditure only for the group 65~74. Based on these results, it was estimated the amount of social welfare expenditure reduced by farming labor in later life. The limit of this study and the policy implications of the results are discussed.

• 한국노년학
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• v.30 no.4
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• pp.1213-1223
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• 2010

The purpose of this study is to explore and describe the health and welfare needs experienced by old parents living with disabled adult children, and to help generate research interest and public policy attention on this critical issue. For the purpose of this study, the survey was conducted with older parents who are living with dependent adult children with physical or mental disability. Among collected data for this study, data for 105 older parents were analyzed. The results showed that older parents have suffered with care responsibilities for their disabled adult children as well as special needs resulted from their old age. And older parents have little or even nothing prepared for later life because of lifetime economic, physical and social difficulties related to their disabled children. Also these difficulties had a significant impact on their idea of health and welfare needs in later life. It showed that older parents had mainly concerned and wanted to have the direct cash benefits and medical provisions but hardly recognised the importance of other services such as leisure activities. Preliminary suggestions of this study therefore may be helpful to improve the public policy approach in order to better serve older parents with disabled adult children in the coming aging society.

• Journal of the Korea Academia-Industrial cooperation Society
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• v.11 no.4
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• pp.1504-1510
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• 2010

According to a research analysis of the factors which affect the medical utilization fee after an increase of health insurance benefits for patients with serious illnesses based on 225 patients over 6 months, both before and after the increase of benefits, from January, 1st, 2005 to June 30th, and also from January, 1st, 2006 to June 30th. In terms of genders, 67.8% of males were affected, whereas only 32.2% of females were effected, a much higher rate of men than women. Men also had higher rates before and after the increase of benefits. Out of 5 categories related to medication and treatment, radiation testing was the most expensive at about 5,300,000, operation fees were 590,000, and costs of other testing approximately 200,000 with the least expensive category being 120,000 for medication. By looking at the relationship between the fees and increase of benefits, medication was a hospital charge (p<0.01), injection fees were hospital charges (p<0.01), operation fees were hospital charges (p<0.01). Medication fees (p<0.01) and injection fees (p<0.01) were found to be related.

• Korea journal of population studies
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• v.10 no.2
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• pp.58-81
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• 1987

The purpose of this study is to examine major factors that affect patterns of living arrangements of older Korean noncitizens in the United States using the 1990 8% Public Use Microdata Sample(PUMS). In order to do so, I analyzed the effects of four factors including acculturation(English proficiency and Age at migration), economic circumstances(Personal Income and Supplemental Security Income: SSI receipt), health status(Mobility and Personal care limitation), and the ethnic community. The results show that acculturation and economic circumstances play an important role in determining the patterns of living arrangements among older Korean aliens, whereas the health status and the ethnic community do not show consistent effects. Regardless of marital status, the impact of age at migration is positively associated with solitary living of older Korean noncitizens, though, the effect of English proficiency show the opposite direction in accordance with marital status. That is, among nonmarried elders, those who cannot speak English are more likely to live alone. The case is reverse for married elders. The impact of economic feasibility is also positively associated with independent living arrangements. Those who receive SSI are much more likely to live apart from family, and elders whose annual personal income between $5,001 and $10,000 have the greatest propensity of solitary living-a large proportion of their income source is SSI. Individuals who receive SSI are also qualified to collect Medicaid, food stamps, rent subsidies, and other welfare benefits. In a sense, the economic feasibility provided by welfare benefits is the key determinant of independent living of older Korean noncitizens. Therefore, the recent welfare reform which denies legal aliens welfare benefits such as SSI and food stamps will severly affect the present living arrangements of older Korean aliens, and give economic burden to their family member The findings also show that there are significant differences within the elderly Korean Americans in terms of demographics, income, fertility, health status, and patterns of living arrangements by U.S. citizenship status. In particular, after controlling for age at migration as a proxy for acculturation, there is a statistically significant variation in living arrangements between elderly Korean noncitizens and naturalized citizens. For both theoretical and methodological reasons, future research on minority aging needs to investigate the concept of U.S. citizenship status for its impact on patterns of living arrangements among the minority elderly.