• The Korean Journal of Rehabilitation Nursing
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• v.10 no.1
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• pp.5-11
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• 2007

Purpose: This study was conducted to compare the level of cognitive and physical function by the level of social disengagement in institutions and community dwelling elderly. Method: The study subjects were 209 people whose age ranged from 65 to 94. The data were surveyed with social disengagement index, MMSE-K, and ADL, and analysed by SPSS 11.0 using frequency, t-test, ANCOVA and ANOVA. Results: 1) The level of social disengagement was 1.67 in institution and 3.25 in community elderly, and showed statistically significant difference (F=41.07, p<.001). 2) There were statistically significant difference in MMSE-K (F=15.51, p<.000), and activity of daily living (F=9.65, p=.002) between two residence after control the age, gender, religion, allowance and number of children. 3) There were statistically significant difference in MMSE-K (F=6.55, p=.002) by social disengagement in community dwelling elderly. Conclusions: Programs for successful aging to reduce social disengagement should be developed that stimulate social activities and then improve cognitive function for the elderly. For these, establishing social policies in nation and local government is needed. Especially, these policies should be conducted among the elderly with low-income living in institutions.

• Korean Journal of Community Nutrition
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• v.7 no.3
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• pp.327-335
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• 2002

This study was performed to investigate the relationships among bone mineral densities (BMD), anthropometric data and lifestyle factors in the elderly. Subjects included 138 elderly (male: 38, female: 100) aged over 65 years, who were home-(dwelling in a low-income area of Puchon City. The BMDs of the lumbar spines (LS), femoral necks (FN), Ward′s triangles (WT) and trochanters (TC) were measured by dual energy X-ray absorptiometry. The females showed significantly lower BMDs in four sites (p < 0.0001) . The elderly aged over 75 revealed significantly more decreased femoral BMDs than the elderly aged 65 to 74. Female with BMIs of 20 to 25, showed significantly higher BMDs in LS, FN and trochanter than those with BMIs of less than 20. However, males displayed significantly higher BMDs in only LS with increasing BMIs. THe BMDs of LS correlated with weights (r = 0.543, p < 0.001), heights (r = 0.477, p < 0.001), upper arm circumferences (r=0.368, p < 0.01), waist circumferences (r=0.367, p < 0.001), subscapular skinfold thicknesses (r=0.363, p < 0.001) and flip circumferences (r=0.231, p < 0.01). Non-smokers and non-drinkers shelved significantly higher BMDs in trochanters only in the case of the males. Female milk-drinkers showed significantly elevated LS BMDs. Eighteen percent of the males were assessed as having osteoporosis, as compared to fifty percent of the females. Ninety-three percent of the females and 81.6% of the males responded that they often or always had "difficulty in standing for a long time".

• Health Policy and Management
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• v.28 no.2
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• pp.162-167
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• 2018

Background: In this research, we conducted an analysis to grasp the relationship between hearing and quality of life and to prepare effective troubleshooting. Methods: In this study, we analyzed using the data of the 6th term of the National Health and Nutrition Survey of the Disease Management Headquarters. And, out of 7,380 people, 3,598 adults over the age of 40 years who participated in the hearing test were selected as final research subjects and analyzed. Results: It was confirmed that the result of the analysis affects the quality of life based on hearing. The quality of life associated with hearing loss was unpleasant, motor ability, anxiety/depression, and everyday life affected in order of self management. And factors having an effect on the quality of life of the study subjects were found to be gender, elderly, unmarried, low hearing, low household income, absence of economic activity, and low teaching standards. Conclusion: The conclusion is that strengthening education for realistic management and prevention rather than treatment for unconditional hearing impairment will overcome low self esteem and loneliness and alleviate any uncomfortable life that people with hearing loss give. It is expected to be possible.

• 한국노년학
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• v.31 no.4
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• pp.1135-1153
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• 2011

The study aims to examine the interaction of socio-economic status in education and income in the difference of the level of subjective health, physical health, and mental health of middle-age and the elderly of Korea. While there have been various discussions in precedent study with respect to the serious increase in the number of dependent life alongside with increasing elderly population, research on the health level according to socio-economic status is highly limited, and also how the health level of middle-age and the elderly - whom will arrive at senescence in just a few years - is different. The study aims at analyzing the health level by hierarchy and age based on data targeting the whole nation. As for analysis data, the study utilized 1st Korean Longitudinal Study of Ageing (KLoSA) implemented by Korea Labor Institute, and carried out a path analysis to verify whether income and academic background serve as a parameter to the level of subjective health, physical health, and mental health. As a result, while the subjective health level decreases, the study confirmed an increase in chronic diseases, and extremely low level of mental health when people in middle-age enter the elderly. In addition, the higher the education and income, the more the health levels both on middle-age and the elderly; the result suggests that education background and income have mediated effects in all health level of middle-age and the elderly.

• Health Policy and Management
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• v.5 no.2
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• pp.104-126
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• 1995

This study was carried out to assess the utilization of urban health center and its related factors among the urban residents. The survey was carried out for 2,394 households in Taegu and Kyongju by the structured questionnaire from 28 March to 4 April and from 2 July to 9 July, 1994. Well trained interviewers visited 2,630 households in Taegu and Kyongju, and interviewed with housewives. Of the target households, 91.0%(2,394 households) were responded through three-time visiting. The major results were summarized as follows : The fourth and fifth decad utilized the health center more frequently than any other age groups.. The lower income group showed higher rate of health center utilization than those in higher income group in Taegu City. The mean length of residence among residents of Kyongju City is longer than those of Taegu City, and the longer length of residence, the higher rate of the health center utilization. Those who are living together with neonate and infant or elderly people showed higher rate of health center utilization than those who are living without neonate and infant or elderly people in both Taegu and Kyongju. The most common reason for visiting the health center was 'low cost'. The major reasons for not visiting the health center were 'not regular customer', 'poor health center facility', and 'low quality of care'. Vaccination, communicable disease control, outpatient care, public hygiene, maternal and child health program were well recognized as health center activities. In logistic regression for the utilization of health center, the significant independent variables were length of residence and recognize the site of health center in both Taegu and Kyongju. The improvement of quality of health service, physical environment of health center and public relations on health center's activities shoulod be considered for reactivation and reingorcement of health center functions.

• Korean Journal of Community Nutrition
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• v.25 no.2
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• pp.137-149
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• 2020

Objectives: This study explored the community food environmental factors affecting food purchasing using a qualitative research methodology for the elderly as well as the various food environments under their socioeconomic diversity. Methods: For the qualitative data collection, this study interviewed 20 elderly people aged 65 years or more, who participated in a public health program or lunch services operated by the senior welfare center in Seoul. Five dimensions, such as availability, physical accessibility, affordability, acceptability, and accommodation suggested in previous studies, were used to identify the community food environmental factors. Results: The elderly participants showed overall similarities to the concepts derived from existing studies on the five dimensions of food accessibility environment. In addition, other important food accessibility environmental factors that were not present in previous studies, such as acceptability for a product of domestic origin, delivery service to home, and small-packaged food sales, were derived. On the other hand, the concept of some subjects differed depending on the household income and specifically for the physical accessibility concept. This showed that the close distance factor from a grocery store at home might not apply to older adults in low-income households in Korea. Conclusions: This study found that five dimensions of the food environment suggested by previous studies could also be applied to vulnerable older adults in Korea. On the other hand, the socioeconomic characteristics of individuals and households would affect the perspectives of their local food environments differently. The findings of this study could help in the development of tools for evaluating the community food environment.

• Journal of Families and Better Life
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• v.19 no.6
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• pp.113-128
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• 2001

middle and upper class families, and examine obstacles to their introduction in Korea. Since a few large-scale facilities for the elderly with dementia have been provided for only low-income families free of charge, the necessity of group homes for middle and upper class families willing to pay for such services has become an issue recently in order to lessen the burden on families, as well as to promote the well-being of the dementia victims themselves. The survey was conducted by questionnaires collected from 577 respondents from middle and upper class families. The results of the survey were as follows: The merits of the group homes were 1)decreasing loneliness of the elderly, 2)providing active and stimulating environments allowing for participation everyday life activities, and 3)lessening the emotional and physical burden on the caring families. Potential obstacles to its introduction in Korea were 1)the difficulty of finding sites to build the group home because of the negative perception of people with disabilities and a NIMBY(Not In My Back Yard) reaction to the construction of it and 2)the economic burden on the caring family. Surprisingly, the guilt factor associated with sending the parents into group homes was not considered as a big obstacle. Referring to results of this study, it is asserted that group homes for the elderly with dementia would be embraced throughout the country if Koreans could have the chance to understand what group homes are.

• The Korean Journal of Community Living Science
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• v.20 no.3
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• pp.369-384
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• 2009

Research method was a case study as narrative method through in-depth interviews around 21 sufferers of elder abuse in rural area and the researcher interviewed them directly. Conclusively, the majority of sufferers of elder abuse were physically very low in the ADL(activities of daily living) and had been bereaved with no spouse. The relations of abused parents and the adult children were much disagreed and divided as unrecovered. Their economic reliance and physical reliance were much overlapped and the majority of them were low educational background and low income level. In case of the abused old people, they had severe low self respect and melancholy, so they considered severely suicide so much as invaluable as their existing value. In spite of over 80.5 years old average, the abuse action had continued for 6 months to 50 years long and the intensity of the abuse was more strengthened. The majority of abused old people refused mostly the entrance of social welfare facilities for elders and also they desired to live in present living area and their own houses.

• Journal of Korea Entertainment Industry Association
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• v.14 no.1
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• pp.179-186
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• 2020

The purpose of this study is to examine the factors affecting the satisfaction of elderly care service in the elderly living alone and to provide basic data for the improvement of the satisfaction of elderly care service. The subjects of this study were 301 elderly people aged 65 or older who were receiving care services for the elderly in J city, Chungbuk province. Multiple regression analysis was conducted to examine the influencing factors. The results of this study showed that the factors affecting the satisfaction of elderly care service of the elderly living alone were the manager factor, service factor, institutional factor, and income level. This shows that the higher the life manager, service factor, and institution factor, and the elderly living alone with low income level, the higher the satisfaction of the elderly care service. Especially, the factors of life manager had the greatest effect on the satisfaction of elderly care service, followed by institutional factors and service factors. Based on these results, policy proposals are as follows: First, improvement of professionalism and treatment of life managers, second, professional and systematic service support and strengthening of social safety net, and third, improvement of appropriateness, accessibility and persistence for quality improvement of elderly care service.

• Journal of the Korean housing association
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• v.20 no.5
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• pp.123-132
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• 2009

As society increasingly ages, maintaining an independent lifestyle at home becomes an important issue for older people. This study aims to determine old people's housing needs for maintaining an independent lifestyle despite their health status and living arrangements. A total of 438 residents voluntarily took part in a research questionnaire survey through the quota sampling method. The participants were grouped according to age (60-64, 65-69, 70-74, and over 75), gender (male and female), and house type (apartment houses and others). The results are as follows. (1) The senior residents are mostly within a non occupational, low income, and low subjective living status. (2) They are satisfied with their current residence and hope to manage the rest of their life in the same place. (3) Three out of five residents prefer the apartment housing type to other types of housing. The preferred dwelling size, number of rooms, and preference for use of an extra room all varied depending on gender and housing type as well as whether they were a couple or living alone. (4) The older residents have a higher need for a safety system than do the younger residents. Female residents pay more attention to convenience while male residents pay more attention to safety. The non-apartment residents require more modification to fundamental facilities such as a heating and ventilation system, wind protection, and additional storage than do the apartment residents. This study has thoroughly analyzed request characteristics according to basic qualities of the elderly households.