• Research in Community and Public Health Nursing
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• v.33 no.1
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• pp.74-83
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• 2022

Purpose: The purpose of this study was to identify latent classes of health-related quality of life trajectories in middle-aged women and investigate predictors for latent classes. Methods: This study utilized data from the 2^nd, the 4^th to the 7^th Korean Longitudinal Survey of Women & Families. The subjects included 1,351 women aged 40~45 years. The data was analyzed using latent class growth analysis and logistic regression. Results: Two trajectories were identified for health-related quality of life in middle-aged women; 'persistently good' and 'increasing' groups. Predictors for the 'increasing' group were lower economic status, higher depression, and lower perceived health status. Conclusion: This study showed that characteristics of the individual, symptom status, and health perceptions were associated with health-related quality of life in middle-aged women. It is necessary to provide effective intervention for latent classes of health-related quality of life trajectories based on physical, mental, and social factors.

• Journal of Menopausal Medicine
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• v.24 no.3
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• pp.188-195
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• 2018

Objectives: This study investigated the association between menopausal-specific quality of life (MENQOL) and breast cancer screening beliefs among Hong Kong Chinese menopausal and postmenopausal women. Methods: A cross-sectional study was employed to collect data. The questionnaire was distributed to a convenience sample of 218 women aged above 45. The outcome variables were breast cancer screening beliefs and breast examination. Multiple regression analyses were conducted to test the effect of 4 domains in MENQOL (vasomotor, psycho-social, physical, and sexual symptom) and the health behaviors on the 2 outcome variables. Results: This study found that the overall MENQOL scores (in particular psycho-social, and physical aspects) were significantly associated with positive attitudes toward health check-ups and better knowledge and perceptions in breast cancer. Regular exercise was also significantly related to breast examination. Conclusions: MENQOL (especially psycho-social and physical domain) and regular exercise are important factors associated with breast cancer screening beliefs. The results of this study illuminate health care professionals to develop primary health care strategies to improve the quality of life of mid-life women.

• Journal of Nutrition and Health
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• v.57 no.3
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• pp.307-319
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• 2024

Purpose: This study compared the differences in health and dietary characteristics between middle-aged men and women according to their health-related quality of life. Methods: This study used the data from the 2019 and 2021 Korea National Health and Nutrition Examination Survey (KNHANES). The participants were men (n = 1,571) and women (n = 2,179) aged 40-59. A health-related Quality of Life Instrument with eight items (HINT-8) was used to measure the health-related quality of life. The participants were divided into four groups based on their HINT-8 total scores (high, mid-high, mid-low, and low). The general and health characteristics, mental health, and dietary behaviors were compared according to the quality of life. Results: Men with a lower quality of life had lower incomes, were more likely to be single, smoked and drank more, and perceived themselves as slim or obese. Women with a lower quality of life had a higher proportion of older age, obesity, lower education and income, hypercholesterolemia, and hypertriglyceridemia. Both men and women with a lower quality of life had higher proportions of subjectively perceiving poor health, weight gain over the past year, and considering themselves as obese. Both men and women with a lower quality of life had lower consumption frequencies of vegetables/mushrooms/seaweed and fruits. Conclusion: Both men and women with lower health-related quality of life had lower incomes, higher rates of perceiving their health as poor, and consumed vegetables/ mushrooms/seaweed and fruits less frequently, but they showed different characteristics in other aspects. Therefore, policy development tailored to men and women is necessary.

• Journal of Family Resource Management and Policy Review
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• v.10 no.1
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• pp.107-126
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• 2006

The purpose of this study was to investigate the relationships of married middle-aged men and women's gender-role identity, marital conflicts and psychological adjustment. Psychological adjustment was composed of mid life crisis, depression, and perceived happiness. The data of the study were collected from 397 married, middle aged men and women from 40 years to 59 years-old by using self-administered questionnaire method. The results showed that gender role identity was different according to sex. In addition, women's perceived level of marital conflict was found to be significantly different according to their gender role identity, indicating that androgynous women reported the lowest level of marital conflict. However, men's gender role conflict was not related to their marital conflict. Furthermore, men's psychological adjustment level was not different according to their gender role identity, while women's psychological adjustment differed, indicating that androgynous women reported the lowest level of psychological adjustment and the undifferentiated women the highest level of psychological adjustment. Finally, the result indicated that for both men and men, marital conflict were positively correlated with mid-crisis and depression, and negatively related with happiness.

• Journal of Korean Academy of Fundamentals of Nursing
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• v.6 no.2
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• pp.310-319
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• 1999

This study was undertaken to identify the health-promoting behavior and to explore the relationship between health-promoting behavior, self-efficacy, self-esteem and climacteric symptoms among the middle-aged women. The subjects for this study were 101 women and data were obtained using a self-reported questionnaires. The Questionnaire was composed of a health promotion life styles profile, self-efficacy scale, self-esteem scale, and, climacteric symtoms check-list. Data was analyzed by the SAS program using ANOVA, Pearson correlation and stepwise multiple reggression. The results are summarized as follows : 1. The scores on the health-promoting behavior scale ranged from 46 to 114 with a mean score of 77.95(SD=12.99). 2. The scores on the health-promoting behavior of housewives was significantly higher than working women. 3. Stepwise multiple regression analysis showed that : 1) self-esteem was the main predictor and accounted for 21.75% of the total variance in health-promoting behavior 2) Self-esteem, climacteric symptoms and health-promoting behavior were contributors to quality of life. 4. In the relationship between variables, self-esteem was positively corelated with health-promoting behavior and negatively with climacteric symptoms. In conclusion, self-esteem, age and occupation were important variables in health-promoting behavior. The results of this study can be used for the management of health in middle aged women to Increase their quality of life of them.

• Journal of Families and Better Life
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• v.26 no.3
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• pp.53-64
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• 2008

This study was to investigate the learning motive types and degree of psychological well-being of middle-aged married women attending the Korea National Open University and to examine the difference in their psychological well-being according to the types of learning motives. For these purposes, a survey was conducted to 263 middle-aged married women from 36 to 60 at the Korea National Open University. The findings were as follows: First, learning motive types of middle-aged women could be classified into 3 types; a non-oriented type, an activity and goal-oriented type and a multi-oriented type. A multi-oriented types were the most popular among those. Second, the overall level of self-respect was above the median, but the life satisfaction level was below the median. Third, there was difference in their self-respect level according to the learning motive types. That is, students who had a multi-oriented learning motive were higher self-respect level than those who had an activity and goal-oriented learning motive. Therefore, lifelong education is very significance in these days when average life span is prolonged.

• Journal of the Korean Society of Clothing and Textiles
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• v.31 no.3 s.162
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• pp.398-409
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• 2007

Today women's social participation is highly increasing, and especially the middle-aged women's activity is amazing. However, many ladies have trouble in wearing suits or jackets. Because the current ready-made apparels focus on young and slender women, and accordingly the current size system is made for them. So it is necessary to develop new size system for general ladies who are hardly well-proportioned figures. The survey of mid-life ladies in this Paper vividly reveals the above Problem. Many ladies dissatisfied with the fitness of the existing apparels. Therefore updating the current size system of ladies' apparels is badly needed. It also helps reducing corporates' stock-holding costs and customer's clothes-adjusting expenses.

• Journal of Korean Academy of Nursing
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• v.28 no.2
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• pp.414-430
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• 1998

The main purpose of this study was to provide understanding of the meaning of post menopausal womens' lived body changing experience. The methodological approach was guided by Van Manen's hermeneutic phenomenological methodology : inquiring and investigating experience as it was lived rather than as conceptualized : reflecting and analyzing the essential themes which characterize the phenomenon : and describing the phenomenon through the art of writing and rewriting. Multiple strategies for data collecting were used ; in depth face-to-face interview ; analysis of womens' writings : artistic work : and analysis of examples of phenomenon in art, literature, and drama. Although the experience was different for all of the women interviewed, essential themes of experience emerged ; Drifting through the years (solitude, in the twilight of life, loneliness, change of taste, forgetfulness, the sense of missing something), A walking weather forecast, Standing on the threshold of losing ki energy, Lately taking care of my body, Seized with fear all of a sudden, Keenly feeling the preciousness of life, Preferring comfortableness to prettiness, Wanting to recall my past years, A strong impulse to rechallenge life, Becoming more fond of friends. Findings from the artistic and creative inquiry further validated the interview findings and the meaning discovered. The study illuminated meaning and simultaneously validated the phenomenological research process. Essential themes for understanding women's experience, implications for education, research, and practice, direction and need for continuing inquiry were identified.

• Journal of Families and Better Life
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• v.20 no.1
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• pp.75-86
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• 2002

The purpose of this study is to analyse the change of agricultural labor participation and decision-making involvement of rural women in Korea from 1960s to 1990s. For analysis of these changes, I used the data surveyed and collected by different researchers during those times. During last 40 years, rural society and the mode of agricultural production rapidly changed according to the development of Korean industry. Agricultural labor participation of rural women increased since the mid 1970s. Their agricultural labor expanded into full ranges of farming. Their decision-making involvement also expanded into all divisions of farming. However, they did not have decision making power as much as they contributed to farm labor The expansion of rural women's labor within the sphere of farm production has not substantially altered the decision-making power structure within the farm household.

• Journal of Family Resource Management and Policy Review
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• v.15 no.1
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• pp.71-91
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• 2011

This qualitative case study examines how mid-life housewives perceive age, react to aging, and experience the changing of their appearance that comes with age. The participants of this study were eight housewives four full-time housewives and four working housewives in middle adulthood. This study was conducted through in-depth interviews that were based on an unstructured questionnaire, and the data was collected from January 2010 to October 2010. Findings are as follows: during mid-life, housewives continue to exert efforts toward self-development, and toward self-actualization that can unleash the potential of their "multi-self". The housewives of the Entering Middle Adulthood self-actualization period believe that the material self as manifested in appearance is the most important component of the multi-self. Indeed, both groups of housewives thought a great deal about the criterion of appearance for their age and were concerned about others' viewpoints, social stereotypes, the appearance "norm," and other characteristics related to appearance. The full-time housewives made efforts to improve their social selves, and the working housewives tried to enhance their spiritual selves. The viewpoints of husbands are often internalized into housewives' internal points of view; therefore the relationships of housewives with their husbands were crucial both to the confidence the women felt in their appearance, and to their satisfaction in life.