• Journal of Korean Academy of Nursing
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• v.44 no.4
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• pp.351-360
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• 2014

Purpose: This study was done to compare demographic characteristics, comorbidity, and health habits of elders with mild cognitive impairment (MCI) and elders with cognitively normal function (CNF). Methods: Secondary data analysis was conducted using data from the Database of the Seoul Dementia Management Project for 5,773 adults age 60 and above. Results: The MCI group showed an older age distribution, but there was no significant education difference between the two groups. Elders with MCI had more diabetes and stroke than elders with CNF. In subgroups, the same findings were observed in women, but not in men. While more men with MCI had hypertension compared to men with CNF, there was no significant difference in hypertension between the two groups for women. Elders with MCI, men in particular, had a lower prevalence of obesity than men with CNF. MCI individuals did less exercise compared to individuals with CNF. While there were no significant differences in alcohol consumption and smoking between MCI and CNF groups, the over 80's subgroup with MCI reported more alcohol consumption. Conclusion: Findings from this study could be helpful in designing community-based dementia prevention programs and health policies to reduce the prevalence of dementia or related cognitive impairments.

• Journal of Preventive Medicine and Public Health
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• v.42 no.4
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• pp.215-222
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• 2009

Objectives : Vigorous physical activity is a well-known method to promote people s health. This research aims to investigate whether perceived neighborhood characteristics affect vigorous physical activity among adult Seoul residents (aged 19 to 64). Methods : Utilizing the 2005 Seoul Citizens Health Indicators Survey data, this study estimates the probability of vigorous physical activity. Particular attention is given to the effects of three perceived neighborhood characteristics satisfaction with relationship to the neighborhood, satisfaction with park and recreational facilities, and satisfaction with public security). Logistic regression models are analyzed separately by gender for the parameter estimation. Results : Vigorous physical activity is positively associated with three perceived neighborhood characteristics for women, while neither significant nor substantive association is found for men. Conclusions : As vigorous physical activity among Seoul citizens is differentially affected by perceived neighborhood characteristics and by gender, a different approach will be needed to increase vigorous physical activity of men and women in Seoul.

• Health Policy and Management
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• v.31 no.1
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• pp.74-90
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• 2021

Background: It is getting important to improve the oral health status of the elderly because oral health status may affect their health status of the whole body. In this respect, we aimed to explore the association of oral health status and behavior factors with self-rated health status by sex. Methods: Using the data from the 7th Korea National Health and Nutrition Examination Survey for health surveys and oral examinations (2016-2018), we analyzed a total of 3,070 people aged 65 or older (men: 1,329; women: 1,741). Our dependent variable, self-rated health status, was divided into two groups: not good (bad and very bad) and good (very good, good, and fair), whereas our independent variables of interest were oral health status and behavior factors. In addition to descriptive analysis and the Rao-Scott chi-square test, reflecting survey characteristics, we conducted hierarchical multivariable logistic regression analyses adjusted for socio-demographics and health status and behavior factors. All analyses were stratified by sex. Results: The proportion of people having 'not good' self-rated health was 36.5% in women but 24.5% in men. In a model adjusted for all covariates, the self-rated health status showed significant association with the self-rated oral health status. For example, in men, the risk of having 'not good' self-rated health was high in people having 'poor' (odds ratio [OR], 5.31; 95% confidence interval [CI], 2.34-12.03) self-rated oral health status and in those having 'fair' (OR, 4.03; 95% CI, 1.68-9.70) in comparison with those having 'good' self-rated oral health status. Dental status regarding speaking difficulty seemed to be very important in influencing self-rated health status. For instance, in women, compared to people having 'no discomfort' speaking difficulty, the risk of having 'not good' self-rated health was high in people having 'not bad' (OR, 1.60; 95% CI, 1.14-2.24) and 'discomfort' (OR, 1.79; 95% CI, 1.30-2.47) speaking difficulty. The covariates significantly associated with the risk of having 'not good' self-rated health were: physical activity, chronic disease, stress, and body mass index in both sexes; health insurance type and drinking only in men; and economic activity only in women. Conclusion: Oral health status and behavioral factors were associated with self-rated health status among the elderly, differently by sex. This suggests that public health policies toward better health in the elderly should take their oral health status and oral health behaviors into account in a sex-specific way.

• Journal of Families and Better Life
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• v.32 no.1
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• pp.27-41
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• 2014

This study attempted to explain how middle-aged married men and women prospected their family life in terms of their future coresident family members, caregivers, and residence, and what factors were associated with these prospects. The prospects reflected their realistic expectation rather than their preference based on their current life situations. Data were drawn from a survey of 800 married men and women in their 50s and 60s in Seoul and Gyunggi-do. Following previous research, we examined how resources (age, sex, health status, spouse's health status, number of children, current living arrangement, and household income), subjective perception on their responsibility for their parents and children, and relational satisfaction with their spouse and with their children were associated with the prospect. The results showed that these factors were associated with the prospect which is with whom they would live, who would care for them, and where they would live in different ways. The resources were more likely to be associated with the prospect on coresident family members and residence. The perceptions on responsibility were more likely to be associated with the prospect on caregivers. The relational satisfaction was more likely to be associated with the prospect on coresident members. These results underscored that the characteristics of caregiving and family life would change in 10-20 years. Family policymakers need to take these changes into consideration as they deal with issues of family policy.

• Journal of Families and Better Life
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• v.34 no.6
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• pp.15-26
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• 2016

The purpose of this study is to examine the effect of personal psychological variables(cognitive flexibility, emotion dysregulation, subjective health condition), family variables(marital satisfaction, father-adolescent communication) and job satisfaction on the psychological well-being of middle-aged men. For this research, questionnaires were administered to 550 middle-aged men residing in Seoul, Gyeonggi and Incheon. Among 352 questionnaires collected, 327 were selected and statistically analyzed by average, standard deviation, frequency analysis, t-test, one-way ANOVA, and hierarchical regression analysis using SPSS Win 21.0. The main results of the study are as follows: First, according to middle-aged men's social-demographic variables, the level of their psychological well-being differed significantly. Second, cognitive flexibility was the most significant predictor of their psychological well-being. In addition, emotion dysregulation, job satisfaction, father-adolescent communication, and subjective health condition were significant predictors. These results suggest that cognitive reconstruction training or problem-solving intervention could be useful for the psychological well-being of middle-aged men.

• Korean Journal of Community Nutrition
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• v.22 no.5
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• pp.387-400
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• 2017

Objectives: This study was designed to find out factors that are needed to be improved for the Buddhist training environment of Sramanera Sramanerika monks, who have been newly adapted for their life style after becoming a monk, and to provide basic data for the development of the standard diet in Buddhist temples. Methods: A self-administered questionnaire was applied to 365 Sramanera Sramanerika monks at 11 Buddhist monk universities. The questionnaire was designed to investigate their dietary habits, dietary evaluation, satisfaction of food service, and food preferences. Results: The study population consisted of 52.6% men, and 47.4% women. The subjects who had a vegetarian diet before joining the Buddhist priesthood were 27.7% women, and 13.5% men (p<0.01). 42.2% of the total subjects felt that they are healthy now and 19.4% felt weak. The most difficulty of dieting adaptation as soon as entering the priesthood was the strict diet rules (42.9%). The subjects considered health or nutrition (40.0%) highly when having meals. 94.8% women, 84.1% men ate breakfast every day (p<0.001). Women (55.4%) frequently ate snacks more than men (26.6%) (p<0.001). The results of the dietary evaluation indicated that the intake of milk, soy milk or dairy products and beans or tofu received lower than 3 points and women had lower point result than men (p<0.001). Foods with higher preference were grilled mushrooms, grilled laver, miso stew, sweet and sour mushrooms, steamed tofu with seasoning. Conclusions: Women were more interested in their health than men but they also required to improve the nutritional eating habits. It appeared that the lower intake rates of the calcium containing food (milk and dairy), and proteins (beans and tofu) could result in nutritional imbalance. Therefore, it is necessary to offer food based on the standard menu plan with consideration given to their food preferences in order to maintain their health and desirable dietary habits.

• Journal of The Korean Society of Integrative Medicine
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• v.12 no.1
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• pp.41-48
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• 2024

Purpose : This study aims to understand the effects of job-seeking stress on depression and self-esteem in college students majoring in health science. Methods : In this study, in order to measure college students' employment stress, depression, self-esteem, and social support, a measurement tool was used by modifying and supplementing the questionnaire to suit the purpose and method of this study. The subjects, 210 students (46 men and 164 women) enrolled in colleges located in Busan, had their scores on the Beck depression inventory (BDI), job-seeking stress scale, and self-esteem scale measured. Results : There was a positive correlation between all sub-variables of employment stress, and a negative correlation between employment stress and self-esteem. Additionally, a positive correlation was found between employment stress and depression, and a negative correlation was found between self-esteem and depression. The result taken from the job-stress scale showed that women experienced an overall higher level of stress than men while seeking jobs. Furthermore, in terms of the BDI, men exhibited a higher level of depression than women when subjected to job-seeking stress. Finally, the results from the self-esteem scale reveal that men exhibited less self-esteem than women. Conclusion : A comprehensive review of the study's findings suggested that women had greater job-seeking stress than men. Additionally, it found that, for men, job-seeking stress had a greater impact on depression levels and self-esteem. These results suggest that a higher level of job-seeking stress may lead to higher levels of depression and lower levels of self-esteem. It will be useful to conduct follow-up research by operating self-esteem and depression programs.

• Journal of the Korean Home Economics Association
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• v.43 no.3 s.205
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• pp.199-219
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• 2005

The purpose of this study was to examine how life-changes after divorce, individual resources, and interpersonal resources affect post-divorce adjustment. Especially it focuses on gender differences. Data were collected from 114 divorced men and 112 divorced women in their 20s and 30s with the inclusion criteria of 1) having hen divorced for at least 6 months but less than 5 years, and 2) not having remarried after divorce. AH divorced men and women were interviewed with self-report questionnaires. The analysis included frequencies, means, t-test, crosstabs, and hierarchical multiple regression models. The major findings were as follows. 1) Divorced women were better adjusted than divorced men. 2) Fnancial satisfaction and health problems were important factors for both divorced men and women. 3) There were gender differences in the variables that affected post-divorce adjustment. Social support and significant others' attitude toward divorce influenced post-divorce adjustment for divorced men. For divorced women, negative change in financial circumstances, their own attitude toward divorce and divorce initiation found significant. This study showed that there were gender differences in the factors affecting Post)divorce adjustment. The findings of this study suggest that a program for supporting divorced men and women should consider gender differences.

• Safety and Health at Work
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• v.2 no.1
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• pp.70-82
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• 2011

Objectives: Ischemic heart disease (IHD) is a major cause of death in Korea and known to result from several occupational factors. This study attempted to estimate the current magnitude of IHD mortality due to occupational factors in Korea. Methods: After selecting occupational risk factors by literature investigation, we calculated attributable fractions (AFs) from relative risks and exposure data for each factor. Relative risks were estimated using meta-analysis based on published research. Exposure data were collected from the 2006 Survey of Korean Working Conditions. Finally, we estimated 2006 occupation-related IHD mortality. Results: For the factors considered, we estimated the following relative risks: noise 1.06, environmental tobacco smoke 1.19 (men) and 1.22 (women), shift work 1.12, and low job control 1.15 (men) and 1.08 (women). Combined AFs of those factors in the IHD were estimated at 9.29% (0.3-18.51%) in men and 5.78% (-7.05-19.15%) in women. Based on these fractions, Korea's 2006 death toll from occupational IHD between the age of 15 and 69 was calculated at 353 in men (total 3,804) and 72 in women (total 1,246). Conclusion: We estimated occupational IHD mortality of Korea with updated data and more relevant evidence. Despite the efforts to obtain reliable estimates, there were many assumptions and limitations that must be overcome. Future research based on more precise design and reliable evidence is required for more accurate estimates.

• International Journal of Human Ecology
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• v.9 no.2
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• pp.55-65
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• 2008

This study examined the personal and relational factors influencing the formation of body image among older persons. Aging-rel￡lted physical changes, health, marital relationship, cognitive age, and moods were personal and relationship factors explained for influence on the body image of older persons. Data were collected via a mail survey of older married couples residing in three US. metropolitan areas of Florida. A total of 94 married couples who were 60 years older participated in this study. Results indicated that aging-related physical changes, effect of physical changes on the self, self-assessed health, and evaluation of spouse's attractiveness, and perceived attractiveness (one's perception of the other spouse's appraisals of his or her attractiveness) were found to be significantly related to the body image of older men and women. For men, self-assessed health, evaluation of spouse's attractiveness, and perceived attractiveness were significantly related to body image while physical changes, effect of physical changes, and perceived attractiveness were found significant for women. The feelings of older persons about and satisfaction with their bodies and appearance were estimated by aging-related and relationship-related variables.