• Journal of dental hygiene science
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• v.18 no.4
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• pp.210-217
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• 2018

Periodontal disease is a chronic inflammatory disease that affects quality of life and nutrition. Several studies have demonstrated a link between periodontal disease and low bone density, and vitamin D is expected to have a beneficial effect on periodontal disease as well as on bone mineral density and anti-inflammatory effects. The purpose of this study was to identify the association between periodontal disease and vitamin D because the results are different in some studies and there is a lack of research in Korea. In this study, we conducted a multiple linear regression analysis of 8,783 subjects among 23,626 subjects who were older than 20 years of age, who had serum vitamin D levels and periodontal disease, who had three years of the National Health and Nutrition Survey that was conducted in Korea from 2012 to 2014. We examined the relationship between serum vitamin D levels and periodontal disease. Tooth loss and vitamin D levels were negatively correlated (${\beta}=-0.028$, p=0.008). In addition, the prevalence of periodontal disease was found to be higher in men younger than 50 years of age with lower vitamin D levels (Q1: 1.769 [1.125~2.782], Q2: 1.182 [0.743~1.881], Q3: 0.676 [0.400~1.881]; p=0.001). Low vitamin D levels and periodontal disease are common diseases in primary care. Vitamin D supplementation is expected to have favorable effect on periodontal disease and falls, osteoporosis, osteoarthritis, and cancer. Therefore, patients with periodontal disease may benefit from periodic vitamin D management to improve quality of life as well as to manage periodontal disease. In addition, as shown in this study, not only elderly individuals, but also men younger than 50 years of age are related to periodontal disease, so there should be interest in controlling the levels of vitamin D in adults.

• Journal of agricultural medicine and community health
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• v.44 no.1
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• pp.11-27
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• 2019

Dementia is major epidemic disease of the 21st century in the world. Dementia is one of the major issues in public health globally. Also in Korea, the estimated prevalence of dementia was 8.7%(0.47 million) in 2010, the number will reach the 1 million mark in 2024, it will become a 15.1%(2.71 million) by 2050. Among Koreans aged 65 or older, 725,000 are estimated to be suffering from dementia in 2017. Against dementia, Korea developed three National Dementia Plans in 2008, 2012, and 2016. The 1st plan was came into effect in 2008 and focused on prevention, early diagnostic, development and coordination of infrastructures and management, and improving awareness. The 2nd plan was launched in 2012, addressed the same priorities but had a stronger focus on supporting family members. In 2012 the Dementia Management Act established a statutory basis for organization of the National Dementia Plans. Under the Dementia Management Act, the government is required to produce a comprehensive plan for dementia every 5 years. The Act also orders that the government should register the dementia patients and collect statistics on epidemiology and the management of the dementia conditions. The Dementia Management Act of Korea required the operation of the National Institute of Dementia and Metropolitan/Provincial Dementia Centers to make and carry out dementia management plans throughout the nation. The Act also mandate to establish Dementia Counselling Centers in every public health center and the National Dementia Helpline. The 3rd National Dementia Plan of 2016 aims to build a dementia friendly community to ensure people with dementia and their carer live well. This plan focus on community-based prevention and management of dementia, convenient and safe diagnosis, treatment, and care for people with dementia, the reduction of the care burden for family care-givers of people with dementia, and support for dementia research through research, statistics and technology. In 2017, Moon's government will introduce the "National Dementia Responsibility System," which guarantees most of the burden caused by dementia. This plan include that the introduction of a ceiling on self-pay for dementia diseases, expansion of the application of dementia care standards through alleviating the support criteria for long-term care insurance for mild dementia, expansion of dementia support centers, expansion of national and public dementia care facilities. In the meantime, Korea has accomplished many accomplishments by establishing many measures related to dementia and promoting related projects in a short time, but there are still many challenges.

• The Journal of Korean society of community based occupational therapy
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• v.10 no.3
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• pp.37-52
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• 2020

Objective : This study was conducted to identify occupational therapists working in public health centers, the characteristics and actual conditions of occupational therapists in the community, and use them as basic data on occupational therapists in the community as of 2020. Methods : 77 questionnaires were replied by e-mail from OTs work at nationwide health public centers. Job characteristics and status were analysed by descriptive statistics and check correlation between job satisfaction and other factors. Results : Most survey respondents were female(77.9%) and 20-30(96.1%).. Some occupational therapists worked for dementia related team(72.7%) and others worked for like visiting care, health care, and rehabilitation center etc. Rate of experiences of public health center was 1-2 years(67.5%), the most common type of contract was flexible part-time worker(61%) and work intensity(94.8%) and satisfaction of work was very high(85.7%). The highest difficulty of their job was budget administrative work(26.7%) and of non-work difficulty was inequality under contracts(27.2%). They usually participated at dementia shelter, visiting OT, group OT. Difficulty of their job was high in budget administration, dementia shelters, and visiting work treatments. Goals of treatment were high in improvement of cognitive ability and, family support. Frequency of treatment was high in improvement of cognitive therapy, family support, and evaluation. Occupational therapy targets for health centers were dementia, the general elderly, and adult brain lesions, including those for ordinary people, psychiatric disorders and children. It was found that the primary occupations for evaluation were nurses (35.7%) and occupational therapists (33.7%), and that MMSE-DS, SGDS, and SMCQ were used a lot. Conclusion : This study could identify the job characteristics and status of community OTs. We hope that this result could be basic data for building expertise and role for community OTs in changing situations like community cares.

• 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.

• Korean Journal of Health Education and Promotion
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• v.2 no.1
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• pp.93-106
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• 1984

Today, elderly people has desperately felt isolation and desolation due to the loss of activity at home and society by the change of social structure and the tendancy of nuclear family. The mutual-relationship between parants and their children is important to solve the problem of eldery people's isolation and desolation. The present study was conducted to investigate the status of mutual-communication by visiting, telephone and letter on 678 parents over 55 years of age and 1,316 their adult children from September 1st to 30th, 1982. It was investigated with questionaire by students. The frequency of communication from children to parents was highest in 25.4% by telephone and 21.6% by visiting, 4 times a month. Correspondence of letter showed only 18.1% in a year. The frequency of communication from parents to children was highest 16.1％ by telephone and 15.6％ by visiting, 4 times a month. Correspondence of letter showed only 11.3％ in a year. Urban parents showed higher frequency than rural parents by visiting and telephone, but lower by letter. The older age group of children showed higher frequency than the younger by visiting and telephone but 3rd decade was highest by letter. The younger age group of parents showed higher frequency than older age group. Mother was showed higher frequency than father by visiting and telephone, but father by letter. Higher education level group showed higher frequency than lower education level group. Merchants and factory workers showed the highest frequency by visiting and telephone, but officials by letter. Upper class group in socio-economic status showed higher frequency than lower class group generally, but lower class group dy letter from parents to children. The group within samedistrict between parents and children showed the highest frequency by visiting and telephone, but the group within long distance by letter.

• The Korean Nurse
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• v.36 no.1
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• pp.59-76
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• 1997

The purposes of this study were to identify the contents and satisfaction level of the patients received home care service, and to compare the differences of the contents by the characteristics of the patients. Seventy eight patients received home care service from 1st Jan. to 30th Sept., 1996 were data-collected to analyze the contents and outcomes of home care service. Sixty-nine patients currently receiving home care service were participated to evaluate the satisfaction level of home care service. The data were analyzed using mean, standard deviation, $x^2$ test, and ANOVA by SPSS $PC^+$ program. The findings of this study were as follow : 1. The contents & outcomes of home care service 1) The mean age of the subjects was 64.4 years: 58% of them were female. Those who living in Seoul were 83% and the rest of the subjects was living in Kyung-Gi. 2) The subjects who had one diagnosis were 41%. Over 60% of them had the disease of neurologic & sensory system. 3) The mean number of visit was 6. Only one visit was 22%. The mean time of care was 79 minutes. Duration of visit from 31 minutes to 60 minutes were 47 %. The subjects who terminated the visit because of death were 67.3%. 62% of the persons who referred them to the home care service were nurses. 4) The pain after the service was more relieved than before. The amounts of intake, the degree of bed sore, edema & fracture after the service were more improved than before. Health status after the service was improved in general. 5) There were significant differences between initial and last conscious level in tracheostomy care & oxygen inhalation care. There was significant difference between initial and last degree of activity in blood sugar check. 6) There were significant differences on the number of visit in assessment of the status, evaluation & observation, vital sign check, skin care, injection, medication, bed sore care, colostomy care, relaxation therapy for pain relief, patient education, family care, exercise therapy, position change, supply of disinfected equipments and infection control. There were significant differences on visiting time in nasogastric tube care, drainage tube care and oxygen inhalation care. 2. The satisfaction level of home care service 1) 50% were male. Over 60 years of the subjects was 61 %. Those who living in Seoul were 82%. 2) The subjects who had one or two diagnosis were 32% respectively. 55% of the persons who referred them to the home care service were nurses. 3) Total level of satisfaction of home care service was very high. 4) The older the age, the higher the satisfaction level. The larger the number of visit, the higher the satisfaction level. 5) The subjects who were in cloudy state were higher level of satisfaction than in alert or coma state. The subjects whose activity were normal or who needed assistance were higher level of satisfaction than bedridden or immobilized subjects. These findings suggested that the patients had substantial need for posthospital care. They tended to be elderly and to have experienced the wide range of health problems associated with aging, chronicity, including limitations in activities, and other serious health problems. So, the nationwide home care systems beyond the limit of demonstration program by local association and the development of the effective financial system of home based health care are necessary for the clients who are in need of home care.

• Journal of Preventive Medicine and Public Health
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• v.33 no.2
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• pp.208-214
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• 2000

Objectives : Face-to-face interviews were conducted to investigate the relationship between blood pressure and the impairment of cognitive function in rural elderly (N=932) aged 60-64 in Dalsung County, April to September in 1996 Methods : Impairment of cognitive function was defined as a score of less than 23 by the Korean version of the Mini-Mental State Examination (MMSEK). Blood pressure was measured once in each subject using a portable automatic sphygmomanometer. Results : By univariate logistic regression on males, no category of systolic blood pressure bore statistical significance. Groups with diastolic blood pressures of, less than 80 mmHg, 90-94 mmHg, and more than 95mmHg had odds ratios of more than one compared with the reference group (80-89 mmHg). This was most significant in the group with blood pressures lower than 80 mmHg, which had a statistically significant odds ratio of 1.68 (95% confidence interval CI; 1.02-2.75). No category of blood pressure was statistically significant in females. Multivariate logistic regression for males, with adjustment for age, educational attainment, smoking, alcoholic drinking, body mass index, atherosclerotic disease, and antihypertensive medication use, did not alter the odds ratios significantly in terms of systolic blood pressure. However, the group with diastolic blood pressure of less than 80 mmHg had an increased odds ratio of 2.01 (95% CI; 1.15-3.52) compared with the reference group. In females, systolic blood pressure did not alter the odds ratio, but the group with a diastolic blood pressure of less than 80 mmHg had a statistically significant odds ratio of 0.57 (95% CI; 0.37-0.89). Conclusions : These results suggest that the relationship between blood pressure and cognitive function status is stronger diastolic than systolic blood pressure and that there is a complex relationship between blood pressure and cognitive function by sex.

• Korean Journal of Social Welfare
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• v.50
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• pp.235-263
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• 2002

The present study is designed to explore restructuring direction of the old-age income maintenance system and development direction of the Seniority Pension Scheme(SPS) in Korea. While the SPS is trifling scheme with tiny benefit amount and small budget, the SPS has important role that function as only public income maintenance scheme for both the low income class and the excluded from public pension and public assistance at present stage because of immature National Pension. This study starts with the research question why serious mis-matching problem between needs and resources in old-age income maintenance system occur. Thus this study explores fundamental change direction of the old-age income maintenance system which is coincide with further situation change(demography, labour market, family structure). Also this study explores desirable SPS's development direction as taking into account relation with other public old-age income maintenance system. This paper suggests basic direction of old-age income maintenance system as follows: principle of universal and individual security; principle of sustainability; principle of equity. Under general principle, this paper also proposes largely two development scenario of the SPS. The one is to maintain present transitional and provisional scheme with trying scheme's substantiality. The other is to change into permanent old-age income maintenance scheme for the excluded public pension and public assistance. At this point it is the public pension's role that the SPS's development direction is determined. If the public pension keep one pension per one earner as present system, non-contribution pension as present SPS should maintain continuously. However, if the public pension reorganize into basic pension of one pension per one person and earning-related pension, the SPS should be managed temporarily until mature of public pension. Therefore whether the public pension play basic security role for all elderly or not will determine the SPS development direction.

• Journal of Christian Education in Korea
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• v.67
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• pp.11-44
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• 2021

In the early 21st century, the global COVID-19 pandemic, which has arisen during the development of the technological science of the Fourth Industrial Revolution, has been a great challenge in all fields including politics, economy, industry, education and religion in Korean society. To prevent the spread of the COVID-19 epidemic, the Korean government announced 'social distancing guidelines,' focused on the 'prohibition of three conditions'(crowd, closeness, airtight) for safety reasons. These quarantine guidelines made it more difficult for Korean churches and Sunday schools to operate. In general, looking at the statistical data of the major denominations of the Korean Church in the second half of the 20th century, shows that the Church has entered a period of stagnant or declining growth. Data also show that the number of students attending Sunday School is decreasing. The researcher identified four causes of the crisis faced by the Korean church and Korean Sunday school entering the 21st century. These trends are influenced by the tendencies of postmodernism, the deconstruction of modern universalism, the certainty and objectivity of knowledge, and the grand narrative and worldview of diffusion. Moreover, it is a phenomenon in which the young population decreases in contrast to the increasing elderly population in the age of population cliff in Korean society. Sunday Schools are also facing a crisis, as the youth population, who will become the future heroes of the Korean church, is declining. Finally, constraints of Church and Sunday school education activities are due to COVID-19 Pandemic. As analysis shows the loss of the Church's educational vision and a decrease in the passion for education. Accordingly, the researcher suggests four new strategies for the next generation of Korean Sunday schools, whose ranges from 200 members or less; this range covers the majority of Sunday School program run by churches in Korea. First, in the age of postmodernism, a time of uncertainty and relativism, Christian Societies requires teachers who are certain of absolute Christian truth and faith. Second, in an era of declining population cliffs for younger generations, a shift to a home-friendly Sunday school paradigm is needed. Third, during the COVID-19 pandemic, educational activities must appropriately utilize face-to-face and non-face-to-face communication. Finally, even in difficult times, Korean Sunday school should nevertheless remember the Lord's great commandment(Matthew 28:18-20) and restore the vision and passion of education to announce and teach the gospel. The researcher hopes that this study will provide small, positive steps in rebuilding Korean Sunday school educational activities for future generations in difficult times.

• Journal of agricultural medicine and community health
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• v.49 no.1
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• pp.1-12
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• 2024

Objectives: Presenteeism is known to be a much more economically damaging social cost than disease rest while going to work despite physical pain. Since COVID-19, social discussions on the sickness benefit have been taking place as a countermeasure against presenteeism, and in particular, farmers and fishermen do not have an institutional mechanism for livelihood support when a disease other than work occurs. This study attempted to examine the relationship between agricultural, fishing, and forestry workers and presenteeism using the 6th Korean Work Conditions Survey. Methods: From October 2020 to January 2021, data from the 6th working conditions survey conducted on 17 cities and provinces in Korea were used, and a total of 34,981 people were studied. Control variables were gender, age, self-health assessment, education level, night work, shift work, monthly income, occupation, working hours per week, and employment status. Results: As a result of the analysis, farmers and fishermen showed the characteristics of the self-employed and the elderly, and as a result of the regression analysis, when farmers and fishermen analyzed the relationship with presenteeism tendency compared to other industry workers, farmers and fishermen increased by 23% compared to other industry groups. Conclusion: This study is significant in that it has representation by utilizing the 6th working conditions survey and objectively suggests the need for a sickness benefit for farmers and fishermen who may be overlooked in the sickness benefit.