• The Korean Journal of Food And Nutrition
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• v.28 no.4
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• pp.517-526
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• 2015

This study was carried out to determine the depression symptoms and nutritional status of elderly females that ate congregate meals at lunch in rural Pocheon. The subjects were 18 elderly females aged over 65 ($75.7{\pm}4.6$ years) and information on smoking, subjective health status, depression symptoms and malnutrition risk were collected using a questionnaire administered with the help of trained research assistants. Measurements included mid-arm circumference and calf circumference. Food consumption for 3 days during breakfast and supper were determined by 24-hour recall and food consumption at lunch was determined as the difference between the amounts served and the plate waste. All data were compared between two age groups (${\leq}75$ and > 75). The subjects had the lowest nutrient adequacy ratio (NAR) for vitamin $B_6$ (0.523), followed by calcium and niacin and the lowest index of nutrient quality (INQ) for calcium (0.738). The older elderly had significantly lower NAR for vitamin $B_1$, vitamin $B_2$, vitamin $B_6$ and niacin as well as significantly lower mean adequacy ratio (MAR) compared to the young elderly. They also had significantly lower INQ for vitamin $B_1$ and vitamin C and significantly thinner arm circumference (28.3 cm vs. 31.3 cm). They consumed more than 40% of their daily intake for each nutrient at lunch. Higher proportions of nutrient intake from lunch provided evidence of the importance of congregate meals, suggesting that the government and society should support congregate meals to improve nutritional status.

• Journal of the Korean Dietetic Association
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• v.19 no.3
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• pp.298-308
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• 2013

The elderly population in Korea is rapidly growing. As the population ages, meals become a greater concern, as physical and psychological health problems are directly affected by dietary life, especially for the lower-income elderly. Although the government provides support through a free congregate meal service, there is a lack of systematic management of this meal service. This study investigates the experience of the elderly, especially the symbolic meaning and issues regarding the congregate meal service in their dietary life, to establish strategies for improving congregate meal services. Qualitative data was collected from ten elderly receivers of meal services through in-depth interviews and data was analyzed using Colaizzi's phenomenological research methods. Overall, 90 significant statements, 13 formulated meanings, and five theme clusters were deduced. The five theme clusters for the importance of meal services to the elderly included the followings: "a real meal", "enjoyment of living", "maintenance of regular life", "place for social life" and "meal of silence". We found that the elderly regarded the congregate free meal service not only as meals to appreciate but also as a form of social life. Furthermore, the elderly did not typically express any complaints regarding congregate meal services because they are free. The results showed that it might be difficult to evaluate the quality of meal services based on the opinions of the service receivers. This study suggests it is necessary to develop multilateral evaluation methods to reflect the needs of the elderly and to improve the congregate meal services at elderly welfare centers.

• Korean Journal of Community Nutrition
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• v.3 no.4
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• pp.594-608
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• 1998

Comparative studies regarding the nutritional status of 93 home-living elderly people taking free congregate lunch meals(FL) and 87 middle income class elderly people(MI) were performed in Taejon city. Data was obtained from questionaires, anthropometry and interviews for the 24-hour dietary recall of 2 nonconsecutive days during August, 1996. The average age for FL was 75.8 years. The monthly familly income for FL belonged to the low-income class. FL females had lower heights and weights than MI females. The average daily nutritional intake of both FL and MI were low, particularly in FL whose %RDA of energy was 68.5%, protein 65%, Ca 29.6%, Fe 50.8%, vitamin A 34.5%, vitamin E 30.5%, riboflavin 40.6%, vitamin C 76.9%. MI's %RDA of energy was 76.4%, protein 80.a2%, Ca 48.1%, Fe 78.6%, vitamin A 67.3%, vitamin E 117.4%, riboflavin 45.6%, vitamin C 136.5%. Comsumption of Zn, vitamin $B_6$ and folic daily average. There was no nutrient having average INQ(Index of nutritional quality) over 1 for either group. The INQs for protein, Ca, Fe and vitamin A were 0.802, 0.377, 0.625 and 0.296 in FL, and 0.900, 0.601, 0.784 and 0.602 in MI, respectively. The MAR(Mean adequacy ratio) was low with the value of 0.500-0.518 in FL and 0.630-0.723 in MI. The percentage of main nutrients from lunch was the highest among the three meals for FL males, while that from breakfast was the highest for MI. Free lunches taken by FL supported higher percentages of main nutrients than home-lunches taken by MI. Eating-out was done more frequently by MI than by FL and that eating-out brought them more nutritional intake. The above data indicated that the dietary nutritional intake status of the FL elderly was very poor in both quantity and quality and that free congregate lunch significantly contributed to the daily nutrient-intake for the FL elderly.

• Korean Journal of Community Nutrition
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• v.2 no.2
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• pp.246-255
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• 1997

This study was designed to find out opinions about free congregate site meals that the program served to improve nutritional status of low socio-economic elderly. This study was conducted in Sungnam-shi. The purpose of this study provided the baseline data to extend the meal service program in this area. Five hundred samples were selcted by the propotion of population in three districts(Sujung-gu, Jungwon-gu, Bundang-gu). The result were as follows. 72.8$\%$of subjects were women and 27.2$\%$of subjects were extended family type. Seventy$\%$ of respondant were not aware of the free meal service for elderly. Major channels of information about free meal service were mass media(33.8$\%$)and advertisement material from city (24.3$\%$). The rate of recognition and channels of information about free meal service were different according to demographic characteristics of subjects. Sixty-eight of subjects pointed that the meal service program was highly necessary in these areas and the necessity of the program was not significantly different by socio-economic variables. The group who know about free meal service had a positive attitude toward supporting the meal service program. Women preferred labor volunteers(46.8$\%$)at meal service center and men preferred donations. According to levels of education each group preferred different types of surpport for free congregate site meals for elderly. (Korean J Community Nutrition 2(2) : 246~255, 1997)

• Journal of the Korean Dietetic Association
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• v.9 no.2
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• pp.114-127
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• 2003

In the process of devising an efficient meal service system for the elderly, 478 elderly were interviewed at 6 different social centers with the elderly meal service program in Seoul area to monitor degree of satisfaction and/or needs of the beneficiaries regarding the program. The survey was conducted during the month of December 2002 by well-trained interviewers using self-developed questionnaire. Results were analyzed statistically using SAS package program. Most of the beneficiaries were low economic class and 76% of them had doctor diagnosed disease(s). Among the beneficiaries of congregate meal service, mean score of 12 aspects of satisfaction was 3.72 out of 5. For most of the questions, female elderly and healthy elderly responded with higher score than male elderly and unhealthy elderly, respectively (p<0.05, p<0.01). On the other hand, beneficiaries of the home-delivered meal service were little bit less satisfied with the service (3.54 out of 5). Compared to the beneficiaries of congregate meal service, larger portion of beneficiaries of home-delivered meal service wanted more meats (28.5 % vs. 17.1 %) and vegetables (23.2 % vs. 12.3 %) as side dishes. On the other hand, the most preferred type of cooking and/or seasoning was stewing for both cases. Based on these findings, it is suggested that more fresh foods should be used than processed foods in the preparation of meals for the elderly and, more fish-, meat- and vegetable- dishes should be served to come up to the needs of the elderly. Onto this, mainly Korean style meals with some intermittent Western, Japanese or Chinese style meals served at the right temperature would suffice most of the elderly needs.

• Journal of the Korean Society of Food Science and Nutrition
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• v.36 no.11
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• pp.1399-1408
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• 2007

This study was conducted to compare health and nutritional status of 45 home-living elderly people receiving free Meals on Wheels (MOW) (13 men, 32 women) and 81 low income class elderly people receiving free congregate meals (CM) (10 men, 71 women) served in Seoul. Data were obtained from questionnaires, anthropometry and interviews for the 24-hour dietary recall methods. There were no significant differences between the two groups in age and body mass index. Education level, type of housing, family type and income of the two groups also were not significantly different. In MOW, frequencies of exercise were lower while the prevalence of stroke, respiratory disease and loneliness were higher, compared with the CM. The scores of ADL, IADL and food habit of MOW were lower than those of CM. The average daily nutritional intake of both MOW and CM were as a whole under the DRI for Koreans. Energy and macro-nutrient intakes of MOW were tended to be lower than CM (except protein intakes for female). Ca, K, vitamin A, vitamin $B_1$, vitamin $B_2$, vitamin C and folate intakes of MOW were less than 50% of DRI. Percentages of subjects consuming energy less than 75% of EER and 4 nutrients intakes less than EAR were higher in MOW (42.2%) than in CM (1.2%). Our results indicated that dietary nutritional status of MOW was very poor, especially in the case of female elderly groups. For the welfare of the home-living elderly people receiving free MOW, meal service programs should be improved in quality of diet by national supports.

• Journal of the Korean Society of Food Culture
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• v.14 no.4
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• pp.431-446
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• 1999

The purpose of this study is to examine current foodservice management practices at free congregate meal service for elderly people. Forty seven meal service centers as well as randomly selected Seoul and Kyunggido area were surveyed and interviewed and results were summarized as follows: The cost of each meal(lunch) was ranged from 1,300 won to 1,500 won and 68% of target centers were severed over 100 meals per day. Meal time for lunch begins from 10:30 am to 12:00 because great portion of elderly didn't take breakfast frequently. 52.3% of centers severed meal 5 times per week, just weekdays. 21.3% of centers employeed dietitian, 63.8% of center employeed cook. 95.7% of center were supported labor force by volunteers. Volunteer was important contribution to free meal service. Utilizing the labor force more effectively is thus a major challenge facing manager in each center. Ideal supporting system of free foodstuff, foodbank was still minor source of securing foodstuff. Most of centers(46 centers)served lunch, only one of them served breakfast and lunch. Government was the major financial sponsor, the second of them was religious organization. The large portions of financial support provided only food cost of total meal service budget. Most of center adapted self-service system. Standardized recipes were not developed and meal preparation was controlled under the experience of volunteers. Recording system of nutrition management, production control, storage and inventory control was not adapted by most of sites. It is suggested that in order to meet the change of the patterns of social and family structure, the service of the center should be offended in urban area and it is necessary to develop systematic management models for the center. It was suggested that not only financial support but also systematical support on management by the local government may be necessary to meet the goal of supply nutritionally balanced food at center.

• Korean Journal of Community Nutrition
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• v.13 no.6
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• pp.855-866
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• 2008

The dietary patterns and characteristics of oldest-old subjects over 85 of Sunchang County (total of 171, 61 males and 110 females) were studied. The average age was $90.6{\pm}3.7$ years old (male; $89.1{\pm}2.8$, female; $91.5{\pm}3.8$), and 90.9% of them were reported to have had no schooling experience. Family types having a spouse were much greater in men (50%) than women (1.8%). The percentages of living alone showed the gender differences, which were comprised of 33% of females and 18.3% of males. In this study, 73.7% of subjects answered "very good" or "good" for their health status. These elderly subjects might maintain their health through a relatively lower rate of smoking (22.2%) and drinking (27.5%), having non-sedentary activities (84.2% of the subjects are physically active) and enough sleep. Their characteristic dietary patterns include high preference of rice (96.5%) and blanch & Seasoned vegetable dishes (Namal, 90.6%) frequent consumption of plant-based food groups containing plenty of anti-oxidants such as vegetables and legumes, and they showed high rates of meal regularity (77.2%) and no skipping of meals (94.2%). It seems to be developed and disseminated in the congregate meal program for improving nutritional status of the elderly, since the coming increment of single-elderly family and single dwellers of rural areas.

• Proceedings of the Korean Institute of Interior Design Conference
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• 2004.11a
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• pp.157-158
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• 2004

In this study, we try to understand the present condition of elderly housing facilities in Contra Costa County, California, USA. We got the basic information of 92 facilities through the interview with the chief of elderly housing department in Contra Costa County, California. In practical way of research, this study bears various components of the elderly housing facilities, which are type of facility, financial aids, type of apartment, and provided living services. The short summerising of researches are; The present conditions of elderly housing facilities can be classified as Independent Living(53), Congregate Housing(23), Assisted Living(33), Dementia Care(12). The financial aid conditions are shown like SSI, HA, HUD. The types of apartment are studio type, 1 bedroom type, 2 bedroom type. These facilities provides meals, housekeeping, transportation, small pets. As a result of studying the present condition of elderly housing facilities in Contra Costa County, we propose the basic statistical report on the most general type of housing, financial aids, type of services that people of the states want to get.

• Journal of the Korean Dietetic Association
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• v.14 no.1
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• pp.23-35
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• 2008

Improved nutritional intake contributes to maintaining health and quality of life in elderly population and also reducing individual and social medical costs. Most of nutrition assistance programs for elderly, such as congregate or home-delivered meal programs, are not currently serviced in rural communities mainly due to low cost efficiency of program operation. However, the needs and necessity of such programs are presumed to be higher in rural area where the population density of elderly at nutritional risk is relatively high. Therefore, the purpose of this study was to develop a community-based meal program for the rural elderly. In 2007, four rural communities located in Jeon-Nam province were selected and the pilot meal program was applied for three months. Following are key features of the meal program model developed in this study: 1) meal production and service are operated by elderly participants to overcome the voluntary personnel shortage 2) utilization of locally-produced foods is maximized to reduce the meal cost, 3) traditional cooking methods are applied to adjust the food preference of elderly, and 4) foods are serviced on site to minimize the food safety problem possibly caused by delivery process. The pilot programs resulted in high satisfaction with the programs of participating elderly. The community-based meal program model developed in this study is expected to be used as an effective nutrition and health intervention model for the rural elderly.