• Journal of Families and Better Life
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• v.4 no.2
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• pp.53-66
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• 1986

The prensent study was aimed to explore the reality of the low-income consumers problem by the comparison among five income classes. Specifically, this study was intended to (1) compare the levels of consumer skill, market risk, and consumer problem among the five income classes, (2) examine the relationship between consumer problem and consumer skill, and the relationship between consumer problem and market risk, and (3) search the types of consumer problems that each income class consumers might experience the most often. For this purpose, a survey was conducted using questionaire on 525 home managers in Seoul. The deta were analyzed by ANOVA and DMR test. The major findings were as follows; First, the consumer skill was the poorest in the low-income consumers. There was curvilinear relationship between consumer skill and income level. Second, the market risk was the highest in the low-income consumers. Market risk had a negative linear relationship with income level. Third, consumer problem was the most serious in the low-income consumers and was the least serious in the middle-income consumers. Fourth, the lower consumer skill and the higher market risk the consumers had, the more consumer problems they tended to experience. Finally, the low-income consumers had relatively more difficulties in door-to-door sale and inferior goods problem than the middle and the high-income consumers. On the other hand, the latter experienced relatively more difficulties in false and misleading advertising, overcharge, unfair bargain, and warrenty-repair-exchange problem than the former. Taken together, the research hypotheses were well supported in this study. It was suggested that the quality and the quantity of the low-income consumers problem were different from those of the middle-and the high-income consumers problem.

• Journal of Families and Better Life
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• v.6 no.1
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• pp.51-69
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• 1988

This study was mainly concerned with providing a basis of the development of low-income consumer education program. The purpose of this study was to investigate the level of their consumer skill and the degree of consumer problems' perception. For the purpose of this study, 480 questionnaire were distributed to the housewives in Seoul. The 320 data were analyzed by Frequency, Percentage, ANOVA, Duncan's Multiple Rang Test, Multiple Classification Analysis, and Pearson's Correlation . The major findings of this study were as follows; 1) The socio-demographic variables indicating significant relation to the level of consumer skill are income level, housewife's age , and housewife's education level. The independent influence of all the variables affecting consumer skill was analyzed. It result is in confirming the income as the most influential one. 20 The socio-demographic variables indicating significant relation to the degree of consumer problem's perception are income level, and housewife's education level. The independent influence of all the variables affecting consumer problem's perception was analyzed. It results in confirming the income as the most influential one. 3) Consumer skill level differs significantly at the 0.001 level, according toe the degree of consumer problems' perception. The higher level of consumer skill, the lower degree of consumer problems' perception. The result of this study implies that a consumer education should be given to the low-income consumers, on the basis of their consumer skill level. Further research regarding the consumer skill and problems ' perception of the low-income consumers should be conducted.

• Journal of Families and Better Life
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• v.7 no.2
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• pp.31-43
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• 1989

The purposes of this study were to identify the overall levels of consumer problem, consumer competencies and purchase pattern of urban low-income consumers and to examine the factors affecting the consumer problem and the subareas-market environment problem(MEP) and transaction relation problem(TRP). The related factors, that is, independent variables were competencies-related factors(consumption-oriented attitude, attitude on consumerism, consumer knowledge), purchase pattern-related factors (search pattern, credit pattern, peddler pattern) and socio-demorgraphic factors(age, educational level, family size). For this purpose, a survey was conducted by interview using questionaires on 198 homemakers that lived in the poor areas of Seoul. Statistics used for data analysis were Frequency Distribution, Percentile, Mean, Pearson's Correlation, One-way ANOVA, Scheffe-test, Breakdown and Multiple Classification Analysis. Major findings were as follows: 1) In the level of consum r problem were in the middle level and the level of MEP were higher than that of TRP. The attitude on consumption-orientation was so negative, while attitude on consumerism was positive. The level of consumer knowledge was in the middle level. The urban low-income consumers searched a little and depended on credit and peddler in the low level. 2) Consumer problem perceived by urban low-income consumers differed significantly according to attitude on consumerism, credit pattern, monthly charge of peddler purchase. The MEP depended on attitude on consumerism and monthly charge of peddler purchase, and the TRP was affected by credit pattern and attitude on consumerism. Resulting from MCA, the most influencial variable was attitude on consumerism and credit pattern in the consumer problem, and attitude on consumerism in the MEP, and credit pattenr in the TRP.

• Journal of the Korean Society of Food Culture
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• v.29 no.6
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• pp.519-527
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• 2014

This study was conducted to analyze the differences in consumer behavior of coffee product according to monthly income in franchised coffee shop's consumer in Korea. A total of 293 questionnaires were used out of the 330 that had been distributed for analysis; those that lacked reliability were excluded. Frequency, ANOVA, and Duncan's multiple range test was conducted to analyze the hypotheses of the study. The findings are summarized as follows. There were significant differences in consumer behavior with regard to seeking health, eco-friendly products, product brand, and product taste as well as preferred coffee menu and coffee consumption expenditures. High income consumers rather than low income groups showed much higher score for concerning health, concerning diet, concerning calorie, concerning instant, concerning caffeine and concerning nature, organic in coffee consumer behavior. In amount spent on purchasing coffee products according to income, low income consumers rather than high income groups had much higher financial expense burden.

• Journal of the Korean Society of Food Culture
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• v.29 no.4
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• pp.342-347
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• 2014

This survey was conducted to investigate consumer preferences for branded and imported pork, including favorite cooking styles. Data were collected from a total of 252 consumers and analyzed. The results are summarized as follows. Consumers of branded pork showed a moderate preference "moderate" (54%). There was no significant difference in consumer preference for branded pork according to educational level or living area. However, there was a significant difference according to yearly income (p<0.05). Consumers in the high-income group preferred branded pork more than those in the low-income group. Most consumers did not like imported pork (64.6%). There was no significant difference in consumer preference for imported pork according to educational level or living area, whereas there was in the yearly income group (p<0.05). Whereas low-income consumers did not like imported pork, high-income consumers did. The royalty for purchasing of branded pork was shown "3.65" out of 5 points. Whereas there was no significant difference according to educational level, there was for living area and yearly income (p<0.05). Consumers living in large cities or having low income showed high royalty of purchase for branded pork. The royalty for purchase of imported pork was "2.08" out of 5 points. Significant differences for purchase royalty of imported pork were observed according to educational level, living area, and yearly income group (p<0.05). Consumers responded that they liked roasted pork (47.6%). Secondly, consumers liked stew (16.7%). There were no significant differences among various cooking styles in any of the groups.

• Human Ecology Research
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• v.54 no.1
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• pp.107-118
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• 2016

This study examined differences in consumers' images of short-term income forest products, preference, willingness to pay prices and purchase behavior according to dietary lifestyle as well as investigated what factors influence the degree of satisfaction when purchasing short-term income forest products and willingness to repurchase. According to dietary lifestyle, the results classified consumers as 'frugal housewife type,' 'convenience-seeking type,' and 'food high-involvement type.' A 'food high-involvement group' is defined as a group that wants high quality products regardless of price. In the 'frugal housewife type,' country of origin and hygiene/safety (considered when purchasing food) had positive influences on the degree of satisfaction. In the 'convenience-seeking type,' country of origin (considered when purchasing food) had a positive influence on the degree of satisfaction while country of origin (checked when purchasing food) had a negative influence on degree of satisfaction. Consumers had a lack of perception for short-term income forest products; subsequently, short-term income forest products had a weakness of low access to consumers. Therefore, farms for short-term income forest products need to divide products into 'high-priced' luxury products and 'low-priced' frugal products according to dietary lifestyle characteristics, improve packaging status to enable consumers to check quality certificates, and clearly indicate country of origin as well as improve distribution processes and increase consumer access to products.

• International Journal of Human Ecology
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• v.5 no.1
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• pp.117-130
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• 2004

Poverty is an important issue, not only in developing countries but also in industrialised societies. In 1999 15% of the European population have been in risk of poverty and the number of people living in poverty in Germany continues to increase. As poverty concerns all aspects of life, it influences health, well-being and the nutrition of the people living on low-income. Although this problem is obvious, only few surveys have been conducted to analyse it and therefore there is only limited information on the nutritional situation and nutrition behaviour of the poor. A qualitative study, which looked closely at the nutrition behaviour of 15 low-income families, was carried out in Giessen, Germany. The results showed that the nutritional situation of poor families differs from that families with a higher income have, the reasons being that their scope for action is restricted by a shortage of money and that there is a lack of skills and knowledge to provide family members with adequate nutrition. Strategies to improve the nutrition situation of poor families should aim at encouraging them to acquire relevant information and appropriate skills to adopt a healthier diet within their financial, social and cultural constraints. Also there have to be socio-political arrangements, which improve existing financial and social provisions as well as preventive educational measures.

• Journal of Families and Better Life
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• v.4 no.2
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• pp.67-88
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• 1986

This study attempts to explain the income and consumption problems of urban low-income consumers and to explore factors of their poverty. For the purpose of this study, interviews were conducted with 124 low-income home managers. All the subjects live in Seoul and Inchon. The major findings are: First, low-income families seriously suffer from low income and small property. And the degree of economic hardship is the most serious with wife-working families whose husbands have no job or are dead. Second, low-income consumers have low budgeting and purchasing skill. Third, low-income consumers have 'doing' orientation but have fatalistic value orientation. This study suggests that it is necessary to develop an integrative measurement of economic hardship. It also suggests that low level of low-income consumer's skill can be well explained in terms of man-nature value orientation.

• Journal of Families and Better Life
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• v.27 no.2
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• pp.77-97
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• 2009

This study evaluates the poverty experiences of low-income single mothers according to the Capability Approach of Amartya Sen. In this approach, the capability to achieve the basic functionings of life, not income itself, is the criterion of poverty. 26 single mothers were interviewed using focus-group interviews and in-depth interviews. 21 functionings on the existence level, 18 on the relatedness level, and 15 on the growth level were found in the areas of work, health, food consumption, clothing, housing, child rearing, and leisure. The results of this study suggest that low-income single mothers can achieve only some of the existence level functionings with significant help from welfare services. They can scarcely achieve higher level functionings in any of these areas.

• Journal of the Korean Home Economics Association
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• v.50 no.4
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• pp.37-50
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• 2012

This research was conducted for the analysis the middle-old aged empty nest households' debt holdings and their financial status(emergency fund index, liquidity index, debt burden index) considering the level of income and assets. In order to accomplish this study, we made use of the KReIS third beta-version data. The results of the analysis were as follows. First, in all income asset groups there were more non-debts holding houses compared to debt holding houses. Moreover in debts holding houses, compared to other groups high income high assets groups were more. Second, the households that possessed more assets, had more debts. Third, the financial status of the households holding debts were more vulnerable compared to households that had no debts. Moreover, all income asset groups' emergency fund index were low. Households having no debts possessed low real assets and so the liquidity index was higher in holding debts households. In holding debts households, debt burden index was high. And especially these houses suffered from high debt burden when their income and asset were low.