• Journal of agricultural medicine and community health
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• v.29 no.1
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• pp.29-41
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• 2004

Objectives: This study was to identify socioeconomic factors and health-related behaviors influencing on HRQOL(health-related quality of life) for the older adults in rural area. Methods: 483 subjects aged over 65 years responded a direct interview, which covered HRQOL, BMI, socioeconomic characteristics, and health-related behaviors including smoking, drinking, and exercise. Results: Overall, the mean number of healthy days were 15.1 days and not significantly different by sex. Men didn't show a significant difference in HRQOL by age group. But women reported lower levels of healthy days and higher levels of activity limitation and physical unhealthy days with increasing age. Results from ANCOVA showed HRQOL to be significantly associated with education, job, and family type. Men presented no significant difference in HRQOL by health-related behaviors, but women who have been drinking, or have less number of chronic diseases reported higher mean healthy days and lower activity limitation days, physical unhealthy days, and mental unhealthy days. Older adults who reported good to excellent self-rated health were higher healthy days and lower activity limitation, physical unhealthy days, and mental unhealthy days than those who reported fair to poor health status. Conclusions: The HRQOL for the older adults in rural area was related to socioeconomic characteristics, health-related behaviors and self-rated health status. A better understanding of factors related to HRQOL would help to improve the older adults' quality of life.

• Journal of Community Nutrition
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• v.3 no.2
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• pp.103-109
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• 2001

With a continuous and steep increase in life expectancies, Korean society is expected to enter the aged society by year 2020. And as the number of elderly increases, the burden of medical and health care expenses for them becomes greater in every developed society. Hence, the preventive approach for chronic degenerative diseases remains to be the best solution for the above-mentioned problem and warranting optimal nutrition would be one of the most important approaches. We performed a nutrition survey on 585 older adults of 50 years of age and older, residing in 3 metropolitan areas including Daejun, Daeku and Kwangju. Anthropometry, including body composition analysis based on the bioelectrical impedance analysis using InBody 3.0 and dietary intake survey by semi-quantitative flood frequency questionnaires, were used in collecting data. As one of the most important factors affecting the health and nutritional status of the elderly, we focused on living arrangements. Analyses were performed on the data from 550 subjects only, after excluding statistical outliers. Three hundred and sixty-eight of them(66.9%) were female and the number of elderly(65 years of age and older) was 485. According to the statistical analyses, the female elderly were more vulnerable to malnutrition than the male elderly. And the older they befame, the less adequate they were in nutrient intake. In addition to this, the elderly living alone showed the poorest patterns of nutrient intake and anthropometry. Although the exact effect of living alone could differ among different sex-age groups, the fact that the elderly living alone is vulnerable to malnutrition would remain concrete. This raises the utmost necessity of nutrition intervention to be devised and directed to the targeted population, namely the living-alone elderly from the government level. The intervention may include nutrition education, nutrition counseling and support In forms of meal service by networking the efforts of central as well as local governments to ensure the good health of the Korean elderly.

• The Journal of Korean Physical Therapy
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• v.35 no.1
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• pp.1-7
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• 2023

Purpose: This study sought to investigate the perceptions and service needs of tele-physical therapy among people in their 50s and older in Korea. Methods: Subjects were inducted during a 14-day survey of 104 people over the age of 50 in Korea and were administered a questionnaire consisting of 14 questions about their general characteristics and another 14 questions about tele-physical therapy. Results: The general characteristics of the participants (participants' gender, whether they were single or married, number of cohabiting families, final education, major, job, physical therapy experience, tele-physical therapy experience, presence of a physical therapy worker among relatives, subjective health awareness, chronic disease conditions if any, frequency of drinking, and smoking) were investigated. Among the perceptions of the subjects about tele-physical therapy, the score of 'awareness' was the lowest, and that of 'resolving restrictions on hospital visits' was the highest. In an analysis of the correlation between perceptions and needs, there was a significant correlation with factors other than 'awareness' and 'information protection' factors. The regression analysis of necessity and factors revealed that the awareness of necessity increased as the intention to use, health improvement, and time efficiency improved. Conclusion: These findings presented the perception and necessity of tele-physical therapy for adults in their 50s or older in Korea. These results will help confirm the demand for tele-physical therapy in this age group in Korea and the need to improve the available physical therapy services.

• Korean Journal of Social Welfare Studies
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• v.44 no.2
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• pp.327-358
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• 2013

This study aimed to analyze the trajectories of cognitive function and functional disability, and to identify the impacts of socio-demographic factors on the two variables. Based on the assumption that there are differences according to the progress of cognitive impairment, it focused on examining the differences in trajectories of cognitive function and functional disability between two groups: dementia conversion group and dementia non-conversion group among cognitively normal older adults. This study was conducted based on the data from a 3-wave panel study of a sample of 966 Yeoncheon elderly cohort aged 65 and over between 1997 and 2003. Latent growth curve model and multi-group structural equation modeling were used to examine the hypothesis. Results revealed that dementia conversion group exhibited faster rate of cognitive decline as well as lower initial cognitive level. Difference between two groups was not significant in the initial level of functional disability, yet dementia conversion group showed greater degree of deterioration in the functional disability over time than dementia non-conversion group did. In terms of the influence of socio-demographic factors on cognitive function and functional disability, the cognitive decline was more drastic in the female group, whereas functional decline was more apparent for the male group. The level of education in early life had a strong impact on the cognitive function in later life. Based on these findings, practical implication for high risk groups in cognitive function and functional disability were discussed.

• Journal of the Korean Society of Marine Environment & Safety
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• v.28 no.4
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• pp.477-487
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• 2022

This study suggests a plan for revitalizing return-to-farming / fishing villages through the marine leisure industry by analyzing the practical problems faced by young and older adults who have returned to the marine leisure field. A case study was conducted to identify the problems faced by those returning to marine leisure, and to determine the measures for revitalizing return-to-farming / fishing villages. Interview participants were those returning to marine leisure and experts in related fields. The problems identified include the exclusive culture of fishing villages, difficulty in raising initial investment funds, and lack of marine leisure education programs for return-to-farming / fishing villages. The proposals to solve these problems and revitalize return-to-farming / fishing villages through the marine leisure industry include the introduction of an incentive system to mitigate barriers to entry; establishment of a matching system; use of idle land in fishing villages to promote return-to-farming / fishing villages; introduction of a consignment management system after the pre-investment of the fishing villages; and establishment of an education program, including in the fisheries field, and infrastructure for return-to-farming / fishing villages for marine leisure.

• Journal of the Korea Society of Computer and Information
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• v.19 no.8
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• pp.197-205
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• 2014

The purpose of this study is to analyse on the internet use of Korean older adults focused on their socioeconomic characteristics. For this study, data were collected through the face to face interview with aged over 60 using a questionnaire for the residence of Daegu and Kyungsang Buk-Do areas. Subjects were divided into socioeconomic characteristics such as gender, education level, economic level, religion, and life satisfaction. The data were analysed the elderly's internet use such as frequency of internet access, motivation of internet use, utilization of internet, and usefulness of internet based on their socioeconomic characteristics. The results of this empirical study revealed that there exist a significant differences between internet use and socioeconomic characteristics in elderly people. It is hoped that the results of this study provide an essential data for developing the policy of the elderly's digital divide and welfare.

• Physical Therapy Korea
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• v.30 no.2
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• pp.87-91
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• 2023

Most advanced countries that are members of the World Physiotherapy have established a 4-year education system or specialized graduate school system for physical therapists based on national standards. They have also expanded their laws and systems to provide physical therapists with the autonomy and independence to offer services in their clinics. However, compared with developed countries in North America and Europe, there are issues with the autonomy and independence of physical therapists in Korea related to national regulations. Social status and recognition of the profession are also lagging. Korea is expected to become a super-aged society by 2025. To reduce the financial burden of healthcare and welfare on the government, it is necessary to extend the time spent by older adults on independent activities and minimize their time spent using medical services. To achieve this goal and maximize the active life of older adults, a plan to efficiently use licensed physical therapists in the country should be prepared. Korea should increase the license utilization rate of physical therapists to reduce waste at the national level and increase the professional hope of the younger generations of physical therapists. To create a healthcare policy focusing on the use of physical therapy personnel, similar to that in advanced countries, it is necessary to unify educational systems and produce excellent physical therapists. Providing professional autonomy can help physical therapists develop a sense of job satisfaction. Outstanding talent will choose physical therapy as a profession if they can see hope for their future careers, and if physical therapy services in Korea are similar to those delivered in advanced countries, physical therapy in Korea can develop into a healthcare service that people desire.

• Journal of Korean Academy of Fundamentals of Nursing
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• v.19 no.4
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• pp.463-473
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• 2012

Purpose: The main purpose of this study was to identify factors affecting medication adherence and to develop an explanatory model for medication adherence in elders with chronic disease. Method: Empirical data were collected from 312 older adults with chronic disease and the data collect period was from August 8 to 31, 2011, and were analyzed using SPSS for Windows 19.0 program and confirmatory factor analysis with the structural equation model (SEM) procedure performed with AMOS 19.0 program. Results: Results of this study showed that perceived self-efficacy was the strongest factor influencing medication adherence, and it affected also outcome expectations positively but impediments were negatively influenced by self-efficacy. Outcome expectations and impediments subsequently acted on medication adherence with the same relationship as self-efficacy. In additional results, self-efficacy and medication adherence were further significantly affected by the factors; social support, medication knowledge, and depression. Conclusion: These results show that nursing interventions to promote medication adherence in this population should focus on self-efficacy promotion including social support, education for delivery of medication knowledge, and reduction in depression.

• Journal of the Korean Society for information Management
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• v.19 no.4
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• pp.185-208
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• 2002

Information service for the aged is a new challenge for public libraries in Korea. To develop an internet-based information service at public library perspectives, information sources, information need, and information seeking and using behavior are investigated. Interview survey is performed to 1060 adults aged 60 and over. Finding revealed that the respondents led to few channels to information except for mass media and informal oral communication. It ascertain ways in which 23% of the respondents currently use internet, and identify barriers of nonusers. The information need of the elderly are diverse, but health/medicine, news, hobbies, religion, leisure/travel are most identified need in descending order. Based on data analysis and previous research results, a cooperative service model consisting of information contents, online reference, interface design, and education is developed. Finally problems and suggestions for future improvement are discussed.

• Korean Journal of Social Welfare
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• v.64 no.1
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• pp.101-124
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• 2012

This study examined the longitudinal changes of self-perceptions of own aging among middle-aged and elderly adults, using the latent growth modeling with the three waves of the "Aging and the Quality of Life of the Elderly in Korea", which sampled adults aged over 45 living in Seoul and Chuncheon. The dependent variable is attitudes toward own aging, the sub-scale of the Philadelphia Geriatric Center Morale Scale developed by Lawton (1975). The results showed that the research participants' attitudes of their own aging deteriorated over time. In addition, the lower initial status of the research participants' attitudes of their own aging was associated with being older, being non-married, living in rural areas, attaining the lower level of education, having the fewer social activities, reporting the worse subjective economic status, and reporting the worse subjective health status. The slope of the research participants' attitudes of their own aging differed by the residence areas, educational attainments, subjective economic status and subjective health status. In particular, the difference of the initial status by educational attainments grew over time. Social welfare policy and practice implications are discussed for middle-aged and elderly adults to improve attitudes toward their own aging.