• The Korean Journal of Community Living Science
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• v.15 no.1
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• pp.35-47
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• 2004

This study investigated the health and eating habits of college students who commute long distances to and from their schools. Among ninety-eight commuters, 61.2% were females while 38.8% were males. The mean round-trip commuting time was 4.60 hours and the mean number of days of commuting was 3.68. The proportion of underweight females (26.7%) was significantly greater than that of underweight males (5.3%). Conversely, the proportion of overweight males was 34.2% while only 1.6% of the females were overweight, and the difference was statistically significant. The mean number of health-related problems was 1.47 for males and 1.90 for females. Commuting affected the eating habits (90.8%) and health status more noticeably among females. Physical discomfort such as fatigue, stomach discomfort, constipation, weight change, and insomnia appeared after commuting. Irregular meal times, skipping breakfast, frequent overeating and insufficient time to eat were the most prevalent problems indicated. The scores for dietary attitude and eating habits were 20.1/30 and 27.6145, for males and females respectively. Although self-perceived nutrition knowledge was significantly related to dietary attitude and satisfaction with meals, a correlation was not found between self-perceived nutrition knowledge or dietary attitude and the eating habits score. The more concerned the parents were about student's eating habits, the higher the score relating to eating habits. The parents' concerns about students' meals and the food expenses were significantly correlated, but no correlation was found between the food expenses and the eating habits score. Consistent parental concern and encouraging students to maintain good eating habits are recommended. University administrators should also be aware of the needs of commuters and provide a proper and adequate food-related environment for the students.

• Journal of Society of Preventive Korean Medicine
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• v.21 no.1
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• pp.67-81
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• 2017

Objectives : The purpose of this study was to analyze the report conducted in 2014 by the Ministry of Health and Welfares on influences of private insurance coverage on the use of Korean medicine. Methods : We analyzed Ministry of Health and welfares report on the use and consumption of Korean medicine to fit the purpose of this study. Comparison between private insurance holders and non-holders was made in the areas of sociodemographic characteristics, patient distribution by disorders, total number of disorders and existence of complex diseases, general perception of Korean medicine, and medical expenses and visits. Logistic regression analysis was made to verify the private insurance coverage. Results : Among sociodemographic characteristics, significant differences were observed in age distribution, education, professions, income level, and housing factors. But genders, area of residence, and marital status didn't show significant differences. Other significant differences including side effects, experience with Korean medicine, herbal medicine and acupuncture treatments, and main visiting facilities were shown between private insurance holders and non-holders. Majority of disorders treated with Korean medicine were musculoskeletal issues, and criteria of number of disorders, multiple diseases factors, and medical expenses/visits showed significant differences between the two groups. Conclusions : Summarizing above results indicate that holding a private insurance in addition to National Health Insurance contributes significant influences on the use of Korean medicine.

• Research in Community and Public Health Nursing
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• v.26 no.3
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• pp.278-291
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• 2015

Purpose: This study was conducted to examine differences in health care utilization and related costs between before and after the introduction of the designated doctor system, and to find out factors making the differences. Methods: Data were collected from 200 medical aid beneficiaries having one or more chronic diseases, registered in the designated doctor system during the year of 2012, and the relationship between the use of health services and claimed medical expenses was analyzed through paired t-test and multiple regression analysis using the SPSS 18.0 program. Results: There was a decrease in the number of total benefit days and the number of outpatient and medication days, but some cases showed an increase after the designation of medical institution. In general, hospital stay increased after the introduction of the system. However, the number of medical institutions utilized was reduced in most cases after designation. Conversely, medical expenses increased in most cases after the designation of medical institution. Conclusion: These results suggest that a detailed scheme to designate medical institutions should be made in consideration of the seriousness of illness and classification of medical institutions not only for the beneficiaries' enhanced health but for the effective management of medical aid fund.

• Culinary science and hospitality research
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• v.8 no.2
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• pp.93-116
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• 2002

Through a questionnaire survey of 607 respondents over 20 years old currently residing in Seoul, general conditions, items and amount of daily diet, preference of dining-out and instant food, and concern for health were surveyed and the results are as follows. A large portion of respondents, at 36.2% of all respondents, were 20 years old, 57.7% of them graduated from high school or over, and most of them(61.9%) were over middle-class level of living standard. More than half (50.9%) of whom paid less than 10% for dining-out took breakfast as a rule, and 38.3% of whom regularly took meals and 37.3% of them took their regular daily routines. But among whom spent more than 31% for dining-out 46.2% of them took snacks between meals every day. Also, among whom spent more then 31% for dining-out, about 25.6% of them usually dined out every day. On concerns for health, among whom spent less than 10% of dining-out expense, 53.9% of them took exercise almost every day and 32.8% for 30 minutes, and 34.6% of them were generally healthy and 67.5% of them had normal blood pressure. But among whom spent more than 31% for dining-out expenses, 10.3% of them were not healthy, 15.4% had higher blood pressure and 20.5% had lower blood pressure, thus those portion were relatively higher compared with the former group. From those research results, therefore, group who spent lower dining-out expenses were older people with lower educational and living level but regularly took breakfast and exercise. Thus, their daily schedules were routine and took regular meals with healthy condition. The group with lower dining-out expense took right food pattern and kept healthy condition, and, therefore, it implied that dining-out gave significant influence to food pattern of grown-ups. Therefore, nutrition education for grown-ups might be necessary again and our foods as a diet should be re-evaluated and re-highlighted. To formulate the practical nutrition education in early childhood, practical, systematic, and continuous nutrition education might be required and effective and multidimensional education programs should be developed. In addition, various menus of breakfast with diverse materials, wide range of nutrition, and being convenient and time-saving must be studied in the near future.

• Journal of Society of Preventive Korean Medicine
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• v.9 no.1
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• pp.65-75
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• 2005

This study aims to explore the difference in life satisfaction and daily activities of elderly solitaries through a survey conducted from May to June 2004 to 152 who hare moi the criteria set forth for this study. Used for the survey were such tools as 11 items of questions concerning characters of the subjects, Life Satisfaction and Daily activities(K-ADL). The outcomes could be summarized as follows: 1. The majority of 152 subjects are females, aged $70{\sim}79$, living in the urban areas, non-educated with miscellaneous religions(including non-believers), jobless, self-dependent (or living expenses, without leisure, with disease, suffering from sickness despite of treatment and, thus not self-confident in health. 2. The Life Satisfaction and K-ADL of all subjects appear in general to be good with $20.03{\pm}9.74$ and $8.25{\pm}2.74$, respectively. 3. The difference in Life Satisfaction by characters of the subjects is found significantly high in those who are females, living in rural area, educated, with religions and jobs, have diseases treated and currently confident in health. 4. The difference in K-ADL by characters of the subjects is significantly high for those who are older than 80, Buddhists, jobless, affordable with living expenses by themselves, sick currently and not confident in health. Thus, it is thought vastly important to help the elderly solitaries to realize quality of life by social (including family) assistance, economic self-reliance and health promotion and prevention. Measures drawn from the analysis into issues of the elderly solitaries from various aspects may definitely contribute to avoiding and complimenting the causes of various issues relating to the elderly people and to assisting them to cope with the problems in the highly geriatric society to come.

• Journal of Digital Convergence
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• v.18 no.1
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• pp.231-240
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• 2020

The purpose of this study is to investigate the depression of the main caregivers for the elderly in Korea by using a descriptive survey study. A total of two hundred eight participants who admitted at five nursing homes located in G city were analyzed using SPSS 25.0. There was a significant difference in depression according to general characteristics: higher level in extended family in family type. Participants showed significantly higher level of depression in cases of less than five years' hospitalization periods or Decision maker of elderly's hospitalization high level burden for expenses among caring related characteristics. They also had higher level of depression in cases of high level burden for expenses. less than 60 minute in commuting time, or non-satisfaction for nursing home service among caring related characteristics. Although we need more evidences through future studies, the findings from this study will be useful in the development of nursing intervention program for reducing the depression of the main caregivers for elderly population.

• Korea Journal of Hospital Management
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• v.14 no.2
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• pp.1-20
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• 2009

The purpose of this study is to find the determinant variables to make profitability in regional public hospitals. The data come from financial statements and annual reports of 34 regional public hospitals for five years (from year 2003 to year 2007). The T or F-test and hierarchical multiple regression analysis are used. The dependant variables are the profitability indicators, ordinary income to total asset and operating margin to gross revenue, and the independent variables are general characteristics, diagnosis and treatment patterns, financial and public benefits. The findings of this study are summarized as follows. First, Variables affecting the profitability indexes revealed from DEA results is the bed occupancy rate, number of hospitalized patients to outpatients, ratio of first medical examination for outpatients, number of daily patients per medical specialist, labor cost per patient and managerial expenses per patient. Second, the ordinary income to total asset representing the asset usage performance is affected by the average hospitalized days, bed occupancy rate, labor cost per patient and ratio of patients with medical insurance coverage. Third, the operating martin to gross revenue obtained from the actual operations of hospitals has its significance with the bed occupancy rate, number of hospitalized patients to outpatients, managerial expenses per patient and public benefit indicator. This study has some restriction not to use pannel data analysis, although it used data for five years. Accordingly, various additional studies should be done to supplement such problems.

• Journal of Preventive Medicine and Public Health
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• v.34 no.1
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• pp.28-34
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• 2001

Objectives : To investigate the changing pattern of medical utilization claims following the economic crisis in Korea. Methods : The original data consisted of the claims of the 'Medical insurance program of self-employees' between 1997 and 1998. The data was selected by medical treatment day ranging between 8 January and 30 June. Medical utilizations were calculated each year by the frequency of claims, visit days for outpatients, length of stay for inpatients, total days of medication, and the sum of expenses. Results : The length of stay as an inpatient in 1998 was decreased 4.7 percent in comparison to 1997. However, inpatient expenses in 1998 increased 10.8 percent as compared to 1997. Inpatient hospital claims in 1998 increased 6.2 percent over 1997, although general hospital inpatient claims in 1998 decreased 3.3 percent in comparison to 1997. The outpatient claim frequency decreased 7.3 in 1998 percent as compared to 1997 Outpatient visit days of in 1998 were decreased 8.5 percent in comparison to that recorded in 1997. Outpatient claim frequencies of 'gu region' in 1998 decreased 10.5 percent comparison to that in 1997, but 'city and gun region' decreased less than 'gu region'. Conclusions : Medical utilization in 1998 deceased in relation to 1997 Medical utilization by outpatients decreased more than that of inpatients. Medical utilization by 'gu region' decreased mere than the other regions.

• Korea Journal of Hospital Management
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• v.4 no.2
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• pp.85-105
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• 1999

The main purpose of this article is to analyze the managerial performance of small and medium-size hospitals that are specialized in certain areas of medical services. Data of 189 hospitals were obtained from the data file of Korea Institute of Health Services Management The items include general characteristics of the hospitals, fianancial reports, and utilization records. Degree of specialization is measured by concentration(Herfindahl) index, and the sample hospitals are accordingly classified into specialized and unspecialized groups, by means of cluster analysis. These groups are compared in terms of various measures of managerial performance, which include several profitability indices such as operating margin, return on assets(ROA), and return on equity(ROE). To examine the relationship between specialization and managerial performance, we estimate the regression model, where the profitability indices are used as the dependent variables and the concentration index as the independent variable, controlling for the hospital characteristics such as size, type and location. Also, we perform 'Du Pont' analysis, to investigate the basic elements that can explain the differences in profitability between specialized and unspecialized hospitals. Major findings are as follows: 1. Managerial performance is better for the specilized hospitals than the unspecilized, in all aspects of profitability(operating margin, ROA, ROE). 2. Regression analysis suggests that there is a positive, statistically significant relationship beween the degree of specialization(i.e. concentration) and hospital profitability. 3. Main reason for the higher profitability of specialized hospitals lies in lower expenses rather than higher revenue. 4. In particular, personnel and material expenses are significantly smaller for the specialized hospitals, and this result seems to stem from the efficiency of operating fewer lines of business.(some kind of 'economies of scale') 5. Specialized hospitals also have fewer employees compared with the unspecialized, especially in administrative departments, which implies their efficient personnel management.

• Journal of Digital Convergence
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• v.19 no.10
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• pp.339-348
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• 2021

This paper aims to analyze the production efficiency in Korea's ten service sectors using DEA and its determinants utilizing a truncated-Tobit regression model and a censored-Tobit regression model in 2010-2019. This paper found: First, the Korean service sector's production efficiency in general has been significantly low and polarized. Especially, the inefficiency resulted from the scale inefficiency in the 'sewerage waste management industry.' Second, in the determinants analysis, the results show the positive effect of the investment and R&D expenses on technical efficiency, while FDI and lobbying expenses illustrate the negative impact. Moreover, it seems that the larger the industry, the higher the efficiency. Thus, the future Korean government's economic policy for the service sectors requires a mixed and integrated policy of the macroeconomic aspect such as active investment and R&D activities with microeconomic aspect including a convergence of FDI and human capital.