• Journal of Korean Biological Nursing Science
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• v.13 no.1
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• pp.53-60
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• 2011

Purpose: The purpose of the present study was to investigate the prevalence and lifestyle factors related to the metabolic syndrome in Korean elderly. Methods: A total number of 122 elderly over 60 yr were recruited from a community elderly center. Elderly were classified into young old (60-74 yr) and old (75-84 yr). Metabolic syndrome was defined by third report of the national cholesterol education program (NCEP) expert panel on Adult Treatment Panel III (ATP III). Abdominal obesity was determined by Korean society for the study of Obesity criteria. The nutritional status was measured by mini nutritional assessment (MNA). Results: The prevalence of the metabolic syndrome was significantly higher in the old than young old elderly (p<0.05, respectively). Abdominal obesity and hypertension were the most common risk factors. The related factors to metabolic syndrome were high Body mass Index (BMI) and currently not participating in exercise. Abdominal obesity, low HDL cholesterol and hypertension were associated with specific nutrient intakes. Conclusion: A strategy to decrease the metabolic syndrome in the elderly is urgently needed particularly so for the old elderly. A nutritional and exercise program for young old elders may be helpful reducing the prevalence of metabolic syndrome in later stage.

• Korean Journal of Health Education and Promotion
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• v.7 no.2
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• pp.89-102
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• 1990

The research is a comparative study of death attitudes between male and female elderly people. There is no doubt as to the inevitability of death. And yet, there is a vast conspiracy involved in the word of dead or death. The aged are considered to be nearer death than are people in other age groups. Kalish(1976) emphasized that for the aged two meanings of death have significance for evaluating their life ; first, that older people are known to have a limited life time and face death ; second that older people are known to have suffered many death-imposed losses that are often associated with the dying process. In considering these implications, the level of anxiety regarding death and dying is a crucial factor in determining mental health. In the study, 152 male elderly and 145 female elderly residing in Seoul, Korea was compared on the four dimensions of death anxiety and assigned personal variables. Therefore, the purpose the research was (1) to examine the characteristics of subjects on the independent variables(age, marital status, family relationship, social activities, religiousity etc.) ; (2) to examine the relationship between the independent variables and each dimension of death axniety ; (3) to determine the proportion of variance in the respective of death anxiety which is accounted for by the respective independent variables ; (4) to examine whether a significant difference between the respective independent variables and each dimension of death anxiety has ; (5) to determine the combination of variables which is the most successful in explaining the variance in death anxiety. Finding from this study support the following conclusions; 1. There was a significant differences between the male and female subjects in the level of death anxiety. In turn, the male older adults had lower death anxiety than did the female elderly. This implies that male tend to look forward to death rather than deny it. 2. As there was evidences from several studies, this research found that fear of death decreases as age increases. 3. The following two variables that correlate best with dying anxiety of others in both male and female older adults : 'marriage life', 'social interaction'. 4. The variables 'age' and 'children' for both female and male elderly accounted for the most variance in death anxiety of self. The findings of the study lend this investigator several suggestions, implications and recommendations for future research. There can be no death without life, and conversely, no life without death. Psychologists and health-related professionals may be learn as much about death as they can in order to develop more healthy attitudes and in order to be able to better aid and comfort dying people and their familities. Perhaps most importantly, professionals may be help those who are not faced with death at present to develop an understanding of it and healthy attitudes toward it. The programs of death education are needed for dedication to the evitability of death and the preparation of life for the older adults. More seminars, symposiums and research on death attitudes are needed. Finally, study for female older adults has been negelected topic in the areas of women's study and health education. Future study, for female elderly, have to deeply investigate where those problems come from and how to cope with in order to the female elderly segment can live the rest of their lives in satisfaction with well-being.

• Journal of International Academy of Physical Therapy Research
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• v.9 no.4
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• pp.1591-1595
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• 2018

The number of healthy older adults is rapidly increasing recently owing to the increase of the elderly population. Therefore, programs for improving the cognitive functions of these healthy seniors are actively being expanded. This study aimed to prevent the decline of cognitive function due to aging by applying a program enhancing cognitive functions to healthy older adults. The objective of this study was to evaluate the effects of Korean computer-based cognitive rehabilitation program (CoTras), which is commonly used in cognitive therapy for the aging, on the memory of the elderly. The subjects had scored at least 24 points in MMSE-K. CoTras was applied once a week (30 minutes) for one month. Electronic pegboard programs were used as an evaluation tool: order memory (difficulty=low) and location memory (difficulty=medium). The order and location memories were compared before and after the intervention. The Wilcoxon signed rank-sum test was used for the study at the significance level of ${\alpha}=.05$. The results showed that CoTras significantly improved order memory and location memory. Therefore, CoTras can be applied to the healthy elderly for improving that memory improvement training has a positive impact on healthy older adults result in the development of memory enhancement programs can be expanded in the future.

• Journal of Family Resource Management and Policy Review
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• v.17 no.3
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• pp.39-58
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• 2013

The purpose of this study was to identify the factors determining the participation of the poor elderly in economic activity. This study analyzed secondary data of the second wave of Korean Longitudinal Study of Ageing. Binary logistic regression was used to identify the factors that are associated with the economic activity of the poor elderly. The results of the analyses showed that age, gender, region, public assistance, education, health status, chronic illness, contacts with acquaintances, and support from children were associated with participation in economic activity. The study's findings have several implications for policies and services. The study identified the need for an age- and gender-specific approach to promoting participation in economic activity among the poor elderly. Regional differences should also be considered in the creation of work opportunities for older adults. In terms of human capital, the positive effect of good health indicates that strategies are needed to address the needs of older adults with health issues. In addition, there is a need for more jobs for elderly job seekers with high levels of education. Finally, policy makers and practitioners should explore interventions for enhancing the social network involvement and community support for the elderly living in poverty.

• Journal of Medicine and Life Science
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• v.19 no.3
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• pp.79-89
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• 2022

Whereas systolic blood pressure (SBP) continuously rises with age, diastolic blood pressure (DBP) gradually decreases after the age of 55 years. Therefore, hypertension in the elderly shows the pattern of isolated systolic hypertension. There is evidence on the benefits of controlling blood pressure (BP) in elderly patients with hypertension. The BP lowering effect has also been demonstrated in patients over 80 years of age with hypertension. The BP threshold for the initiation of antihypertensive drug treatment for older adults with hypertension is gradually decreasing. The antihypertensive treatment is recommended if, despite therapeutic lifestyle modifications, SBP ≥140 mmHg or DBP ≥90 mmHg in those aged 65-79 years old, and SBP ≥140-160 mmHg or DBP ≥90 mmHg in those aged ≥80 years old. Although there is no consensus on the target BP for older adults with hypertension, a target SBP of <130-140 mmHg and DBP of <80-90 mmHg are recommended. In older adults over 80 years of age with hypertension, the target SBP is <140-150 mmHg. When the dose of antihypertensive drugs is increased to reach the target SBP, DBP may decrease to less than 70 mmHg, but it should not be <60 mmHg. Thiazide diuretics, calcium channel blockers, angiotensin-converting enzyme inhibitors, or angiotensin receptor blockers can be selected as the first-line drug for older adults with hypertension. Beta-blockers may be selected in case of compelling indications.

• Journal of Community Nutrition
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• v.3 no.2
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• pp.110-119
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• 2001

This study was designed to assess the needs for nutrition education and educational materials for older adults. Two cross-sectional surreys were conducted. The first survey, conducted by personal interviews, was part of the large-scale elderly nutrition study. Subjects were adults aged 50 and over, recruited from 6 large cities and 8 middle-sized cities(n = 1,850). The second survey, done by mail survey using open-ended questions, was conducted with dietitians working at public health centers or hospitals(n = 53). Adults aged 50 and over were interested in topics such as healthly eating(32.1%), hypertension/stroke and diet(22.1%), osteoporosis and diet(11.4%), and diabetes and diet(9.2%). Television and radio(58.2%), health professionals(12.2%) and friends(7.9%) were common sources of nutrition information. Preferred topics of nutrition education and sources of nutrition information were different by general characteristics of subjects, suggesting that nutrition education or educational materials be planned considering the characteristics of subjects. About 70% of subjects indicated that they sometimes use or do not use nutrition information in daily lives, suggesting the need to provide more practical information. Among 53 facilities responding to the second survey, 73.6% provided nutrition education for older adults. Common topics for nutrition education included diabetes(39.3%), hypertension and stroke(19.1%) and general nutritional management(11.2％). These were consistent to the topics preferred by older adults. As materials In elderly education, dietitians wanted primarily to use leaflets and slides. Boards, booklets and posters were other commonly cited materials. For contents of elderly educational materials, dietitians mentioned the nutritional management for age-related diseases(33.8%), general nutritional management for older adults(25.4%) and practically applicable information(19.7%). They also suggested that nutrition education materials for the elderly should use larger print and attractive pictures, and be easily understood, as well as presenting simple, specific and practical information. These results provide baseline information for developing nutrition education and educational materials for older adults.

• Korean Journal of Cognitive Science
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• v.34 no.2
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• pp.67-84
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• 2023

In this study, Korean older adults (70-75 yrs) were divided into two groups according to the degree of reading exposure, and real-time data were collected through a reading eye movement tracking experiment. Then, overall reading patterns and word frequency ef ects were compared with two groups of older adults and younger adults (20-28 yrs). Furthermore, through the results of the eye movement tracking experiment of older adults with rich reading exposure and older adults with poor reading exposure, we tried to find out whether reading performance af ects not only changes in age but also reading exposure. As a result of the experiment, the older adults with poor reading exposure group generally had a longer fixation time and a shorter saccade than the younger adults group, and the older adults with rich reading exposure group showed the same reading patterns as the younger adults group. The word frequency ef ect was confirmed in all groups, and the fixation time was short in the order of older adults with rich reading exposure group and older adults with poor reading exposure group. In addition, an interaction ef ect was shown in the two elderly groups according to reading exposure, but no interaction could be confirmed in the dif erence between the younger adults group and the older adults with rich reading exposure group. This suggests the possibility that reading performance is not af ected by age itself, but by the reading experience of the elderly.

• Korean Journal of Health Education and Promotion
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• v.25 no.5
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• pp.65-77
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• 2008

Objectives: The purpose of this study was to examine factors associated with the self-rated health status of the elderly and whether these factors were different from younger adults. Methods: An interview survey was conducted on non-institutionalized adults in Wonju City, Korea. Determinants of self-rated health status were identified and compared between individuals aged 19 to 64 years and those aged 65 years and over, using an ordered logistic regression conducted separately on these two groups. Participants were 1,685 younger adults and 188 elderly people. Self-rated health status was measured along a continuous scale from 0 to 100 (0 for the worst and 100 for the best they could imagine) and then binned into 11 categories. Results: Self-rated health status of the elderly in Wonju was associated with household income, education, bereavement, adequate sleep, daily and social life being affected by poor health status, mobility, and anxiety and depression. Household income, adequate sleep, and participation in social activities were significant only in the elderly, while some factors associated with the self-rated health status of younger adults, such as rural dwelling, regular exercise, living alone, and skipping breakfast were not significant in the elderly. Conclusion: In order to improve the health of the elderly in Wonju City, it would be necessary to develop programs addressing those specific needs of the elderly and to integrate them effectively in the Healthy City projects.

• Nutrition Research and Practice
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• v.16 no.sup1
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• pp.1-10
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• 2022

BACKGROUND/OBJECTIVES: The Dietary Reference Intakes for Koreans (KDRIs) were revised in 2020. Due to the rapidly aging Korean population, special consideration was given to reclassify the KDRI age group categories of older adults. This article examines the evidence for modifying the current KDRI age group ranges of older adults (65-74 and ≥ 75 yrs). SUBJECTS/METHODS: We first reviewed the domestic and international data on the elderly, following which we received expert opinions on age classification from the KDRI Advisory Committee. Finally, the 6th and 7th (2013-2017) Korea National Health and Nutrition Examination Survey (KNHANES) data were used to analyze the nutritional intake statuses by considering the age of older adults. RESULTS: According to the review results of domestic and international data and the inputs received from the expert advisory committee, the minimum age considered for the elderly was maintained at 65 yrs. However, the KNHANES data was analyzed to review whether there was a need to subdivide the later periods. Examining the differences in nutrient intakes by age group through the interaction effect term of the piecewise linear regression model revealed the interaction effect was maximum in the groups divided by 65 yrs (50-64 and 65-80), as compared to the groups divided by 70 yrs (50-69 and 70-80) and 75 yrs (50-74 and 75-80). The mean adequacy ratio was calculated per 1 yr of age, and a 3-yr (age) moving average analysis was performed to examine the change in the trends of overall nutrient intake. However, it was challenging to secure a scientific basis for subdivision into age groups in older adults from the results obtained. CONCLUSIONS: This study could not find any scientific evidence for modifying the KDRI age groups for older adults.

• Korean Journal of Community Nutrition
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• v.6 no.3
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• pp.516-526
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• 2001

Working towards the compression of morbidity, we attempted to find the way to contribute to desirable aging and/or healthy old age. By looking into the factors affecting nutrient intake in middle-aged adults, we sought to find ways to improve their health status, Two hundred and fifty middle-aged adults from 40 to 60 years of age residing in Seoul and its vicinity were recruited for the survey. Subjects were interviewed for general characteristics, dietary habits lifestyle, status and food intake by a trained interviewer. Two -day food record was included in addition to the 1 -day 24 hr recall. Date were analyzed for the relationship among nutrient intake, health status, socio-economic status dietary habits and lifestyle using a statistical program (SAS) Although the mean energy intake of the subjects did not reach the recommenced dietary allowances(RDA), mean protein intake was well above the RAD for both sex groups(111.2% and 129.1% for men and women, respectively) The caloric contribution of fat was 15 to 20 % of total energy intake among different groups. Riboflavin was the most deficient nutrient and its mean intake reached only 71.0% of RDA for mean This seemed to be due to the lower intake of milk and dairy products among middle-aged Koreans who are more accustomed to traditional meals. Income and exercise habit were the most important factors influencing the nutrient intake of middle-age adults. Also, BMI, smoking habit, level of education regularity of meal, and hours of sleeping influenced the nutrient intake, In conclusion, middle-age adults appeared to have similar problems with the elderly in terms of nutrient intake and this age group should to included when considering nutritionally vulnerable groups in addition to the elderly and young children. The improvement in the nutrition status of middle-age adults is even more important because that could lead into the better health the elderly.