• The Journal of the Korea Contents Association
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• v.18 no.1
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• pp.44-54
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• 2018

The main goal of this study was to investigate the factors influencing the life satisfaction of elderly individuals living alone. We analyzed the data obtained in 2016 through "Survey on Residents'Quality of Life in Gyeonggi Province", performing stepwise multiple regression on 824 cases. The results were as follows: First, age, income, and education had a significant impact on life satisfaction, while sex, marital status, and employment had no influence on life satisfaction. Second, as individual-level factors, self-rated health, exercise, and participation in religious activities and social associations had a significant and positive impact on life satisfaction. Third, the results showed that both helping others in neighborhood and trusting people in the neighborhood, between-person factors, positively influenced their subjective quality of life, but receiving help from the neighborhood did not significantly affect life satisfaction. Fourth, satisfaction with cultural facilities, one of the physical environmental factors, was associated with life satisfaction. These results suggest that multi-level factors influencing life satisfaction should be considered to enhance the quality of life of elderly individuals. In particular, they suggest that when planning measures, it is necessary to consider built-environments for the elderly.

• The Journal of the Korea Contents Association
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• v.17 no.7
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• pp.610-621
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• 2017

Medical cost for elderly is increasing with ageing society and putting more and more burden on both individuals and government. To find a solution to reduce medical cost among elderly and to propose implication/suggestion to central government and a local government, different degree of medical cost burden by type of household and factors that affect increased medical cost are investigated based on elderly in Suwon city in this article. According to the research result, 59.3% of respondents felt medical cost burdensome. Also, according to the multiple regression performed to understand factors that increases medical cost by type of household, subjectively felt health status was found to be a statistically significant factor commonly in three groups which are living household with adult child, living household with spouse only, living household alone. And the degree of medical cost was higher in living household with spouse only, more higher in living household alone. And socioeconomic status and health status, health status, and health status and private insurance, medical security system were found to be significantly related to medical cost burden to household type of the elderly.

• Journal of Korean Academy of Rural Health Nursing
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• v.18 no.2
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• pp.99-105
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• 2023

Purpose: This study aims to develop a shared forest walking program and verify its effects on self-esteem, life satisfaction, and depression among older adults living alone in rural communities. Methods: Participants were assigned to an experimental or a control group, with 20 participants each. Data collected during August 1~3, 2022, before the program, and October 29~31, 2022, after the program. In this study, the shared forest walking program was conducted twice a week for a total of 24 sessions, with each session lasting one hour. All data were analyzed using SPSS version 18.0, x² tests, and t-tests. Results: The experimental group participating in the sharing forest walking program showed higher self-esteem and life satisfaction than the control group, along with a decrease in depression. Additionally, there were statistically significant differences in self-esteem (t=5.97, p<.001), life satisfaction (t=7.78, p<.001), and depression (t=-7.58, p<.001). Conclusion: The shared forest walking program, developed based on the results of this study, improved self-esteem and; life satisfaction; and reduced depression among older adults living alone in rural communities. We propose the development of a continuous program to assist older adults living alone in underprivileged rural areas to experience retirement with reduced depression, increased self-esteem, and enhanced life satisfaction.

• Journal of the Korean Home Economics Association
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• v.28 no.4
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• pp.65-86
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• 1990

Living conditions of the rural elderly were assessed in terms of clothing behavior, health and nutritional status, housing and envioronmental condition, and psychological adjustment. The subjects were eighty individuals over sixty residing in the rural community of Iksan-kun, Chollabukdo. The interview method using questionnaires, direct measurement, and observation was used for this study. Data were compared with those obtained from a previous study of the elderly residing in an urban area. Clothing behavior showed that the elderly residing in the rural community were more concerned about plain and conservative design of clothes than their urban counterparts. Special protective clothes for cropdusting with agricultural chemicals had not been prepared. The following urgent needs were pointed out: development and supply of agricultural chemical protective clothing and development and education of appropriate washing and clothing care methods. The health status of the elderly was generally good, but poor eating habits were found more frequently in the rural elderly than among the urban dwellers. Several dietary nutrient intakes were insufficient. Contrasting the urban elderly with the rural group, it was found that the urban group lacked sufficient vitamin A and vitamin C and the urban women had insufficient calorie whereas the rural group was deficient in protein, vitamin A, calorie, and fat. A significant relationship was found between dietary nutrient intake and health index, food habit points, self recognized health status, meal satisfaction, and economic status. Urgent needs of the development of a nutrition education program for the elderly were pointed out. Most of elderly residing in the surveyed rural communities were living alone or with their spouse only, therefore only one room was used among the three or four available rooms. Most of the rural elderly were living either in a traditional Korean house built with differing floor levels or in a modified Korean style house. Minimal modernization had been made for kitchen facilities such as sink and gas range or for heating facilities with the briquette boiler. However, sanitary space such as lavatory and bathroom had not been remodeled. A housing welfare program for rural communities should be implemented at the national level. The comparison of psychological characteristics of the rural elderly with their city counterparts revealed that the rural elderly have a more stable psychological status and optimistic attitude than those living in a city. However, it was found that most of the elderly did not have any future plan. Community programs for the elderly including hobbies or leisure activities or education programs to generate close interpersonal relationships with their children should be developed and provided.

• Journal of Korean society of Dental Hygiene
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• v.18 no.6
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• pp.911-920
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• 2018

Objectives: This study investigated the relationship between demographic and socioeconomic characteristics of the Korean elderly and their unmet dental care needs, by using the 2015 data from the $6^{th}$ Korea National Health and Nutrition Examination Survey (NHANES). Methods: In total, 1,372 elderly persons aged 65 and over, who responded to the $6^{th}$ NHANES, were included in the final analysis. Logistic regression analysis was performed in order to identify any relationship between demographic and socioeconomic characteristics and unmet dental care needs. Results: The rate of unmet dental care needs was shown to be less by 0.799 times in the elderly who reside in dong than those who live in eup and myeon (OR: 0.799, 95% CI: 0.679-0.959). Unmet dental care needs were higher in participants with 'low' and 'below average' than 'above average' income, by 1.645 times (OR: 1.645, 95% CI: 1.087-2.366) and 1.172 times (OR: 1.172, 95% CI: 1.108-1.880), respectively. Elderly individuals living alone had a higher rate of unmet dental care needs than those living with their family by 1.157 times (OR: 1.157, 95% CI: 1.084-1.498). Conclusions: Demographic and socioeconomic factors influenced unmet dental care needs, causing inequality. Proper policy support to the vulnerable should be considered in order to enhance the elderly's access to dental care.

• Journal of the Korea Academia-Industrial cooperation Society
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• v.18 no.11
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• pp.526-535
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• 2017

This study was conducted to identify the effects of a comprehensive health care program for elderly living alone on blood pressure, fasting glucose, body composition, and depression at a senior welfare center in M city. The study employed a one-group, pre-posttest design. The comprehensive health care program lasted for three months, from March to June in 2015, and consisted of open health education, exercise class, health consulting and personal education, nutritional consultation, and a self-support group. The sample elements of this study were individuals over 65-years-old with hypertension or diabetes mellitus, living near a welfare center in M city. A total of 34 participants were initially selected, but five subjects who were attended less than five times were excluded; therefore, a total of 29 individuals were included. The t-test and Pearson's correlation were used to analyze the data. The characteristics of subjects were 19 male(65.52%) and 10 female(34.48%). The most common age was 70 (16 subjects;55.17%). Additionally, 14 subjects were suffering from hypertension and diabetes mellitus (48.27%), which were occupied in the largest number in this study. The average attendance number of health programs was 10.28 times(${\pm}4.17$). In this study of subjects were significantly lower systolic blood pressure(t=3.275, p=0.004), body weight(t=3.878, p=0.001), depression(t=3.308, p=0.004) compared to pre-test. As the elderly population has increased, the number of individuals living alone has also increased. Accordingly, then need for physical and psycho-social health programs targeting the elderly is greater.

• Journal of Digital Convergence
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• v.19 no.5
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• pp.69-79
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• 2021

As the government's public services have been digitized, the necessity of research on the use of e-government services by middle and high-aged people has been raised. Thus, this study aims to verify the mediating effect of digital capacity on the relationship between the family structure and use of e-government services of middle and older aged adults. The study analyzed 1,660 middle and elderly individuals from the 2018 Digital Divide Survey conducted by the National Information Society Agency(NIA) using Baron & Kenny(1986)'s method for mediation. The result is as follows: first, the family structure of the middle and older adults has a significant effect on use of e-government services. Second, the effect of the family structure of middle and older aged people on use of e-government services is partially mediated by digital capacity. The result represents that the elderly living with two or three generations have higher use of e-government services than the elderly living alone and married elderly couple. Also the elderly living with two or three generations have higher digital capacity, resulting in higher use of e-government services. Based on the results, The study suggested that the specific plan for each type of family structure to promote the use of e-government services and a plan to improve the digital capacity of middle and older aged adults.

• 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.

• Research in Community and Public Health Nursing
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• v.23 no.3
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• pp.338-346
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• 2012

Purpose: The purpose of this study was to examine the association between oral health impact profile, depression and quality of life among community-dwelling elderly persons in South Korea. Methods: The design of this research was cross-sectional descriptive study. The participants were 266 community-dwelling individuals aged 65 and older. Data were collected from November 20 to December 20, 2011. The measurements for assessing the subjects' oral health, depression, quality of life were OHIP-14, GDS-SF and QOL. Data were collected using self-administered or interviewer-administered questionnaires. Collected data were analyzed using descriptive statistics, Pearson's correlation coefficient and stepwise multiple regression. Results: The participants' mean age was 77.68, and 86.5% were female, 42.9% were living-alone elders. Pearson's correlation coefficient analysis found that oral health impact profile was significantly associated with depression (r=-.622, p<.001), QOL (r=-.400, p<.001), number of disease (r=.298, p<.001), age (r=.198, p=.002), education (r=-.149, p=.015), eating habit (r=.185, p=.003). The QOL was explained 54.7% by depression (${\beta}$=-.619), oral health impact profile (${\beta}$=-.127), number of benefited welfare service (${\beta}$=.235), perceived health (${\beta}$=-.327), eating habit (${\beta}$=-.094) using stepwise multiple regression analysis. Conclusion: These results indicate that the intervention program of oral health promotion for community-dwelling elders is needed from now on.

• Korea journal of population studies
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• v.20 no.2
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• pp.99-134
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• 1997

The purpose of this study is to examine major factors that affect patterns of living arrangements of older Korean noncitizens in the United States using the 1990 8% Public Use Microdata Sample(PUMS). In order to do so, I analyzed the effects of four factors including acculturation(English proficiency and Age at migration), economic circumstances(Personal Income and Supplemental Security Income: SSI receipt), health status(Mobility and Personal care limitation), and the ethnic community. The results show that acculturation and economic circumstances play an important role in determining the patterns of living arrangements among older Korean aliens, whereas the health status and the ethnic community do not show consistent effects. Regardless of marital status, the impact of age at migration is positively associated with solitary living of older Korean noncitizens, though, the effect of English proficiency show the opposite direction in accordance with marital status. That is, among nonmarried elders, those who cannot speak English are more likely to live alone. The case is reverse for married elders. The impact of economic feasibility is also positively associated with independent living arrangements. Those who receive SSI are much more likely to live apart from family, and elders whose annual personal income between $5, 001 and $10, 000 have the greatest propensity of solitary living-a large proportion of their income source is SSI. Individuals who receive SSI are also qualified to collect Medicaid, food stamps, rent subsidies, and other welfare benefits. In a sense, the economic feasibility provided by welfare benefits is the key determinant of independent living of older Korean noncitizens. Therefore, the recent welfare reform which denies legal aliens welfare benefits such as SSI and food stamps will severly affect the present living arrangements of older Korean aliens, and give economic burden to their family member The findings also show that there are significant differences within the elderly Korean Americans in terms of demographics, income, fertility, health status, and patterns of living arrangements by U.S. citizenship status. In particular, after controlling for age at migration as a proxy for acculturation, there is a statistically significant variation in living arrangements between elderly Korean noncitizens and naturalized citizens. For both theoretical and methodological reasons, future research on minority aging needs to investigate the concept of U.S. citizenship status for its impact on patterns of living arrangements among the minority elderly.