• Korean Journal of Community Nutrition
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• v.24 no.4
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• pp.277-289
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• 2019

Objectives: This study examined the practices of a community meal program for older adults in rural areas during the agricultural off-season. Methods: A survey was conducted from December 12 to December 22, 2016. Self-administered questionnaires were distributed to 150 cooking volunteers, who had participated in the community meal program in 50 villages. A total of 114 responses were returned from 44 villages and used for data analysis. In addition, in-depth interviews were conducted with the volunteers of eight villages. Results: Most of the cooking volunteers were 50 years old or older and they participated in serving older adults meals for good will. The cooking volunteers perceived that the older adults in their community did not eat various foods, had difficulties in grocery shopping, and frequently consumed salty foods. During the agricultural off-season, 40.9% of villages served the older adults meals 6-7 days a week and 95.5% provided meals for lunch. An average of 21 to 40 older adults were served meals in each village. The cooking volunteers reported that the food preparation and meal service times were sufficient, recipes provided were useful, and menus met the preference of the older adults. At the end of the program, they felt proud of serving meals for older adults in the community. An increased awareness of healthy eating, interest in health, and consumption of nutritious meals, a decrease in loneliness among older adults, and the promotion of fellowship in the community were rated highly. The cooking volunteers expected additional support for cooking personnel and insisted that the program should be provided for the entire agricultural off-seasons. Conclusions: The community meal program during the agricultural off-season for the elderly in rural areas was effective in improving the dietary life of older adults, relieving their feelings of isolation, and promoting fellowship of the community. The volunteers felt workload due to a shortage of volunteers but answered that they were rewarded by helping older adults in their community.

• Journal of Preventive Medicine and Public Health
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• v.38 no.4
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• pp.391-400
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• 2005

Objective : This study examined the socioeconomic differentials for the health and health related behaviors among South Korean middle school students. Methods : A nationwide cross-sectional interview survey of 3,449 middle school second-grade students and their parents was conducted using a stratified multi-stage cluster sampling method. The response rate was 93.3%. The socioeconomic position indicators were based on self-reported information from the students and their parents: parental education, father's occupational class, monthly family income, out-of-pocket expenditure for education, housing ownership, educational expectations, educational performance and the perceived economic hardships. The outcome variables that were measured were also based on the self-reported information from the students. The health measures included self-rated health conditions, psychological or mental problems, the feelings of loneliness at school, the overall satisfaction of life and the perceived level of stress. The health related behaviors included were smoking, alcohol drinking, sexual intercourse, violence, bullying and verbal and physical abuse by parents. Results : Socioeconomic differences for the health and health related behaviors were found among the eighth grade boys and girls of South Korea. However, the pattern varied with gender, the socioeconomic position indicators and the outcome measures. The prevalence rates of the overall dissatisfaction with life for both genders differed according to most of the eight socioeconomic position indicators. All the health measures were significantly different according to the perceived economic hardship. However, the socioeconomic differences in the self-rated health conditions and the psychosocial or mental problems were not clear. The students having higher socioeconomic position tended to be a perpetrator of bullying while those students with lower socioeconomic position were more likely to be a victim. Conclusions : The perceived economic hardships predicted the health status among the eighth graders of South Korea. The overall satisfaction of life was associated with the socioeconomic position indicators. Further research efforts are needed to explore the mechanisms on how and why the socioeconomic position affects the health and health related behaviors in this age group.

• Journal of the Korea Knowledge Information Technology Society
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• v.13 no.2
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• pp.273-286
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• 2018

Korean government has taken various population policy so far According to demographic results, The aging population is rapidly aging and it is expected to deepen in the future. However, many senior citizens are also exposed to poor economic conditions and inconsistent health care risks Most seniors suffer from mental illness and chronic diseases. seniors in traditional cities feel very alienated as they change from large family to small family. As the number of elderly people living alone grows, social problems increase. At present, the health care for the elderly who live alone is not being taken properly, and they are under a very poor management system, both physically and mentally. Every human being has to be old, and we aim to spend our old age processes physically and mentally healthy. As the basic age of the elderly increases, it is necessary to consider various aspects of the welfare policies and medical policies that are followed. In this study, 100 elderly people over the age of 65 were surveyed for economic situations and physical and mental health conditions, and specially performed study on utility of 'urban senior multi care zone' to prove the necessity of introducing the latest digital devices to resolve these problems more effectively by analyzing serious feelings of alienation, loneliness, and emotional situations. Lastly, We conducted this research to find ways to help the elderly through customized health care.

• Journal of Korean Home Economics Education Association
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• v.22 no.3
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• pp.37-54
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• 2010

In this work, we investigated the images of (unmarried) single women as seen from the viewpoint of married men and women. In-depth interviews were conducted with twenty-seven (married) men and women of ages from twenties to sixties. By carrying out a content-analysis on the interview results, we could extract three different thematic types of images on single women, which are (1) single women seeking some outlet of their passion instead of forming a family, (2) single women who are enjoying a life of unbound liberty, unlike married men and women, and (3) single women who have distinct personalities from married men and women. Each of these three thematic types could be further classified into narrower themes of specific images. From the first theme of single women who are looking for some outlet of their passion instead of forming a family, one could extract two specific image types in which the single women choose their work as the main outlet of their passion, or else they choose self-development. From the second theme of single women who are leading a life of unbound liberty, four different specific types were found, which are single women with sexual freedom, single women enjoying liberty from the bondage of a family, single women who can freely choose men to go out with, single women who have privileges to enjoy consumption and leisure life only for themselves. From the third theme of single women who have distinct personalities from married men and women, four different types of images were found, that are single women who want to avoid the hard reality of marriage life, single women who are selfish and self-assertive and leading a life that is self-centered or one that is centered around communities of only singles, single women who have secret feelings of emptiness and loneliness, and finally single women who can not find satisfaction in their life style. The images of married men and women on (unmarried) single women are based on the perception that 'those single women are different from us because they are not married'. That is, married men and women look upon the life of single women from the perspective of marriage life that they are experiencing.