• Korean Journal of Culture and Social Issue
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• v.9 no.1
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• pp.115-137
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• 2003

This study aims to investigate the related variables of self-esteem and depression among the Korean elderly people living alone and examine the relationships or interactions between those variables. Participants were 676 elderly men and women who were at least 65 years of age(M=76.17, sd=7.60) and lived in Seoul, Korea. Three hundred seventy eight participants of this study were living alone. Participants completed questionnaires and psychological tests including: Rosenberg's Self-Esteem Scale, Zung's Self-Rating Depression Scale, The Index of Activities of Daily Living(IADL), Social Support Index(SSI), and Life Satisfaction in the Elderly Scale(LSES). Main statistical designs were 2(gender)×2(residential types), Pearson-product moment and regression analysis. Results indicated that the elderly living alone recognized their health poorer, have lower economic status, and received less social supports than the elderly lived with others. The elderly men who had children were more likely to lived alone. And the elderly men living alone received less social supports than the elderly women living alone, and significant gender difference was found in the reason of living alone. The elderly men living alone had lower self-esteem than the elderly women living alone, while the elderly living alone showed more depressive symptoms than the elderly living with others. There were 2-way interactions both in self-esteem and depression by gender and residential types. There was highly significant gender difference in self-esteem only for the elderly living alone, and it was found that there was no significant difference in depression between elderly men living alone and women living with others. Regression analysis revealed that physical function and self-reported health are predictors of self-esteem, and physical function, self-reported health, and social support are predictors of depression for the Korean elderly living alone. These findings reiterate the role of physical function, social support, health in self-esteem and depession among the elderly and suggest the gender role for quality of life among the Korean elderly living alone.

• Journal of People, Plants, and Environment
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• v.23 no.1
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• pp.35-46
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• 2020

The purpose of this study was to investigate the effects of the horticultural therapy program on patients with mild cognitive impairment and mild dementia depending on the frequency and duration of the interventions. We developed the same 15-session program to improve cognitive functions and life satisfaction and alleviate depression of the elderly women with mild cognitive impairment or mild dementia. Subjects in Longer Treatment group participated in the program once a week for 15 weeks and subjects in Shorter Tratmet group participated twice a week for 7½ weeks. This study conducted pretest-posttest verification of both groups using quasi-experimental design involving 21 subjects. Elderly life satisfaction, Geriatric Depression Scale (short form), and the Korean Version of Consortium to Establish a Registry of Alzheimer's Disease (CERAD-K) were used in the evaluation. As a result, both groups showed an increase in life satisfaction, and a decrease in depression. However, there was a significant difference in the changes of the CERAD-K scores between the two groups (p < .05). In Longer Treatment group, life satisfaction increased significantly (p < .001), and depression decreased at a marginally significant level (p = .068), but no statistically significant change was observed in neurocognitive function. In Shorter Treatment group, life satisfaction increased at a marginally significant level (p = .059), and depression and CERAD-K scores decreased significantly (p < .05). However, in the case of Mini-Mental State Examination (MMSE-K), there was no significant change in both groups. According to these results, when planning a horticultural therapy program for persons with mild cognitive impairment or mild dementia, it is effective to organize and execute the program by determining the duration of intervention as 3 to 4 months or longer, even if this reduces the number of interventions per week.

• The Korean Journal of Community Living Science
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• v.28 no.1
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• pp.5-16
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• 2017

This study was conducted to compare the nutritional status, nutrient intakes, and chronic disease risks of Chinese elderly people. MNA (Mini Nutritional Assessment) developed for elderly people was used to determine their nutritional status. In this study, participants consisted of 148 urban residents aged 65 years and over residing in three cities in Shandong Province, China. Participants were 67 (45.3%) men and 81 (54.7%) women, and average age was 72.8 years. According to MNA score, 77.7% of participants were 'well nourished', 22.3% were 'at risk of malnutrition', and 2% were 'malnourished'. Nutritional status was divided into two groups by MNA score as 'well nourished' and 'malnourished', which was formed with the combination of 'at risk of malnutrition' and 'malnourished'. Compared with the well nourished group, the malnourished group was older, and physical status indicators such as weight, BMI (Body Mass Index), and calf circumference of the malnourished group were much smaller. The malnourished group had higher prevalence rates of heart disease and stomach disorders while the well nourished group had a higher rate of hypertension. There was no significant difference between the malnourished group and well nourished group in nutritional intake below Chinese DRIs (Dietary Reference Intakes) among elder males. A higher proportion of elder females showed insufficient intakes of energy, protein, vitamin A, vitamin E, and zinc in the malnourished group compared to the well nourished group. The INQ (Index of Nutrition Quality) of calcium, magnesium, zinc, iodine, and most vitamins was less than 1 in both the malnourished and well nourished groups.

• Journal of Korean society of Dental Hygiene
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• v.9 no.4
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• pp.795-807
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• 2009

Objectives : This study was to examine the satisfaction level of participants in a oral exercise program geared toward the improvement of oral function, their reuse intention of the program and their willingness of recommendation in an effort to facilitate the advancement of the program. Methods : The subjects in this study were 85 senior citizens who used senior welfare centers and nursing homes in Seoul. A oral exercise program was implemented 24 times from April to June 2009, twice a week, and the selected elderly people participated in the program 20 times or more. An interview survey was conducted by two trained dental hygienists, and the collected data were analyzed. Results : 1. As for satisfaction level with each part of the program, the elderly people investigated expressed the best satisfaction with the service supplier(a mean of 3.81), followed by the usefulness of the procedure of the program(3.77) and oral exercise(3.64). 2. The satisfaction level with oral exercise had a significant impact on their overall satisfaction with the program, reuse intention and willingness of recommendation, and the entire satisfaction level with the program was correlated to reuse intention and willingness of recommendation(p<0.001). 3. Out of the demographic characteristics, marital status and whether to live with their families or not made a significant difference to their satisfaction level with oral exercise(p<0.05). Conclusions : It took 20 minutes to get oral exercise, which consisted of warming-up, exercise for each part of oral and cooking-down, and they found it appropriate to spend that time and had no difficulties in repeating after the instructor.

• Journal of International Academy of Physical Therapy Research
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• v.4 no.2
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• pp.605-610
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• 2013

The purpose of this study is to examine the changes on lumbar muscle strength in relation to 12-week pilates mat exercise of elderly women. The participants are chosen for 17 people who is an experimental group and 14 people who is an comparison group who except wastage and pilates mat exercise program was gradually intensify applied three times a week, during 12 weeks. The peak torque of flexion was increased(p<.01) and the difference of ratio of agonist to antagonist was decreased(p<.001). The total work of flexion and extension had significant increased(p<.001) at $120^{\circ}/sec$. As a result of all these, it was judged as positive effect for body composition, basal physical fitness and lumbar muscle strength after pilates mat exercise in 12 weeks. These positive effects showed that pilates mat exercise could got conclusions that mitigated the musculoskelctal disorders, slow down the progress of disorders, helped as a functions of physical.

• Journal of The Korean Society of Integrative Medicine
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• v.11 no.4
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• pp.95-104
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• 2023

Purpose : This study aimed to introduce a 12-week muscular endurance exercise program and β-glucan consumption to obese elderly people with sarcopenia. We evaluated the program's impact on appendicular skeletal muscle strength and function, muscle function-related physical strength, blood lipids, and IGF-1. The results will serve as foundational data for preventing and improving sarcopenia. Methods : Forty elderly people aged 65 or older were recruited and underwent dual-energy X-ray absorptiometry. Based on criteria related to appendicular skeletal muscle mass (ASM/Height2: less than 5.4 kg/m2) and body fat percentage (at least 30% for women and 25% for men), we selected 24 obese elderly people with sarcopenia and excluded 56 who did not meet the criteria. Variables related to sarcopenia, blood lipids, IGF-1, and muscle function were measured before the 12-week muscular endurance exercise program. Results : In sarcopenic obese elderly participants, the 12-week muscular endurance exercise program significantly increased bone density and muscle mass while decreasing fat mass and percentage (p<.05). This program also improved grip strength, static balance, and SPPB in sarcopenic obese older adults. Furthermore, their 6-minute walk distance significantly increased (p<.05). Conclusion : Muscular endurance exercises combined with supplement intake can increase appendicular skeletal muscle and improve muscle strength and function, thereby improving the daily physical performance of the elderly.

• Journal of the East Asian Society of Dietary Life
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• v.21 no.3
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• pp.311-324
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• 2011

This study was performed to assess the nutritional status of low income elderly women aged ${\geq}$65 years residing in Gyeongnam Masan (n=124). Nutrition intakes, food intake frequency, and health-related behaviors including smoking, drinking, and exercise were investigated. Nutrition intake was calculated by the 24-hour recall method using CAN-pro (ver. 3.0). Average daily intakes of energy were $1,142.3{\pm}39$ kcal (71.4% of EER) in subjects aged 65~74 years and $1,071.0{\pm}41.7$ kcal (66.9% of EER) in subjects aged ${\geq}$75 years and the subjects consumed energy less than both 75% of estimated energy requirement (EER). The proportions of energy derived from protein, fat, and carbohydrate were 15.4:15.5:70.6 (aged 65~74 years), and 15.3:13.4:70.8 (aged ${\geq}$75). Nutrients consumed at less than estimated average requirements (EARs) were Ca (60.4%), P (98.4%), Zn (91%), vitamin E (48% of adequate intake, AI), vitamin $B_1$ (63.3%), vitamin $B_2$ (54%), niacin (87.7%), vitamin C (62.5%), and folate (50.5%). Especially, the intakes of Ca (58%), vitamin E (41% of AI), vitamin $B_1$ (60%), vitamin $B_2$ (50%), folate (46.5%), and vitamin C (54%) were 75% less than the EAR for people aged ${\geq}$75 years. According to the food intake frequency survey, the intakes of calcium, milk, fruits, and vegetables were very poor. In conclusion, this study suggests that a nutritional support program for elderly women of low socioeconomic class must be provided by the government to improve the quality of remaining life.

• Journal of Digital Convergence
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• v.17 no.10
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• pp.381-393
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• 2019

This study aimed to explore and understand the meaning and essence of their experiences in the context of Vietnamese daughter-in-law and rural elderly women's lives. Van Manen's hermeneutics phenomenological method was used. Participants of the study were 8 people who live with a Vietnamese Daughter-in-law. Data was collected through individual in-depth interviews. 8 essential themes and 28 themes were derived from the data analysis. The rural elderly women who had Vietnamese Daughter-in-law had to continuously provide support for their son's family and were subject to a high level of stress due to the differences between Korean culture and Vietnamese culture. The findings can be used to develop a practical and comprehensive community nursing intervention based on the perspectives of all family members. For further study, exploratory study on the grandson who has a Vietnamese mother or the son who has a Vietnamese wife is recommanded.

• PNF and Movement
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• v.18 no.3
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• pp.323-331
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• 2020

Purpose: This study was conducted to determine the effects of motion taping on muscle activity and the WOMAC in a rehabilitation exercise program for elderly women with knee joint osteoarthritis. Methods: The subjects were 28 elderly women aged over 65 years with knee joint osteoarthritis. The subjects were divided into two groups: one experimental and one control group. During the study period, a total of 26 patients completed the experiment, with one drop each from the experimental group and control group. The experimental group applied motion taping and conducted a rehabilitation exercise program. The control group experienced a rehabilitation exercise program without motion taping. The rehabilitation exercise program consisted of warm-up exercises, maximum isometric exercises, the range of motion of the joints, and leg stretching exercises. The intervention was conducted three times a week for six weeks. To investigate the effects of the intervention, muscle activity and the WOMAC were measured. The WOMAC is a tool that can be used to evaluate the pain, stiffness, and physical function of osteoarthritis patients; it has 29 items in three areas. Results: The change in muscle activity according to the intervention showed a statistically significant increase in both the experimental group and control group. The WOMAC also showed statistically significant changes in terms of pain, stiffness, and physical function in both the experimental and control groups. The experimental group showed a greater functional improvement than the control group. Conclusion: For older women with osteoarthritis of the knee, a rehabilitation exercise program is a good intervention. When motion-taping is applied, it is considered to be an intervention program that can be expected to have a better effect on knee joint osteoarthritis.

• Journal of Korean Society of Transportation
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• v.13 no.1
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• pp.83-94
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• 1995

Many taxis called "Mobum" in Seoul are empty and waiting along the curb during the day time. However, it is almost impossible for elderly and handicapped people, and women carrying babies to use them .It is because they can not serve passengers who request services by phone. If taxis, expecially "Mobum" taxis which offer high quality services, can be dispatched based on requests by phone, not only elderly and handicapped people but also auto commuters will easily call and use them. This paper shows a taxi dispatching system. The system minimizes the total empty vehicle hours under given number of empty vehicles and passengers and their locations. As a result, the system maximizes number of services and revenue under given number of taxis. The system adopts a well -known linear programming model and the model can fast and easily be solved by PC level linear programming packages. Also, practical solutions of the system's constraints such as size and travel time forecast are discussed.ecast are discussed.