• Nutrition Research and Practice
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• v.4 no.2
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• pp.155-162
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• 2010

Epidemiological evidence of the effects of dietary sodium, calcium, and potassium, and anthropometric indexes on blood pressure is still inconsistent. To investigate the relationship between dietary factors or anthropometric indexes and hypertension risk, we examined the association of systolic and diastolic blood pressure (SBP and DBP) with sodium, calcium, and potassium intakes and anthropometric indexes in 19~49-year-olds using data from Korean National Health and Nutrition Examination Survey (KNHANES) III. Total of 2,761 young and middle aged adults (574 aged 19~29 years and 2,187 aged 30~49 years) were selected from KNHANES III. General information, nutritional status, and anthropometric data were compared between two age groups (19~29 years old and 30~49 years old). The relevance of blood pressure and risk factors such as age, sex, body mass index (BMI), weight, waist circumference, and the intakes of sodium, potassium, and calcium was determined by multiple regression analysis. Multiple regression models showed that waist circumference, weight, and BMI were positively associated with SBP and DBP in both age groups. Sodium and potassium intakes were not associated with either SBP or DBP. Among 30~49-year-olds, calcium was inversely associated with both SBP and DBP (P = 0.012 and 0.010, respectively). Our findings suggest that encouraging calcium consumption and weight control may play an important role in the primary prevention and management of hypertension in early adulthood.

• Sleep Medicine and Psychophysiology
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• v.14 no.1
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• pp.13-19
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• 2007

Sleep disordered breathing is highly prevalent in the elderly and affects older men and women similarly. Nocturia, cardiovascular diseases, cognitive impairment, traffic accidents and repeated falls are common manifestations of sleep apnea in the elderly and sleep study may be indicated in these patients. When a sleep study is planned, reliable markers of respiratory efforts and a tibial EMG should be included because central sleep apneas and periodic leg movements are common in the elderly patients. Although cardiovascular morbidity and mortality seem to be lower in the elderly than in middle-aged adults, these may not be as low as commonly believed. Excessive daytime sleepiness, cognitive dysfunction and nocturia can be improved by effective treatment with continuous positive airway pressure and a therapeutic trial should be recommended to all symptomatic patients. It is still unclear whether sleep apnea in older adults is a specific entity or the same disease as in younger adults. Further clinical research is warranted.

• The Korean Journal of Rehabilitation Nursing
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• v.15 no.2
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• pp.73-82
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• 2012

Purpose: The purpose of this study was to identify the influencing factors on mental health related quality of life (MHRQoL) in adults across the lifespan. Methods: A total of 688 Korean adults aged 19 years and older were selected. Data were collected by personal interviews or self report using structured questionnaires. For data analysis, t-test, ANOVA, Pearson's correlation coefficients and Stepwise multiple regression were used. Results: Mental health related quality of life (MHRQoL) differed significantly according to life cycle, especially showing a lower score in the elderly than others. In addition, elderly adulthood reported the highest stress and depression. The most significant predictors of MHRQoL in young and middle aged people were stress, depression, and subjective health status. Predictors of MHQoL in the elderly were stress and religion. Conclusion: The results indicate that MHRQoL of adult is associated with stress and depression. When the programs are developed to enhance mental health in elderly adulthood, religion should be considered as well as stress.

• Journal of Korean Dental Hygiene Science
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• v.2 no.2
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• pp.21-30
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• 2019

This study identifies oral health behavior factors related to the health-related quality of life(EQ-5D) of adults. Three groups are analyzed, young adults(aged 19 to 39 years old), middle-aged(40 to 64 years old), and elderly(over 65 years old). By comparing the factors related to health-related quality of life by age, we will provide information for improving the overall quality of life, including oral health for current and future elderly. Using raw data from the 1st year(2016) of the National Health and Nutrition Survey, the oral health behaviors of the study subjects were compared. These included: the number of times teeth were brushed, the time brushing took place, the use of interdental care products, and whether they went for oral and examinations. There was a statistical significance in treatment experience and drinking habits. There was also a significant influence on the health-related quality of life across the age groups. Therefore, it is possible to improve the health-related quality of life, including oral health practices according to age. It will be necessary to develop and apply.

• Korea Journal of Hospital Management
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• v.17 no.3
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• pp.23-36
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• 2012

Objectives : The coverage of Korean National Health Insurance is limited to basic level. Korean government encourages private health insurance for covering medical securities. So, many studies examined the determinants of purchasing private health insurance. However, 11% of Korean population is older than 65 in 2011. Considering the elderly is important to establish a health policy. The aim of this study is to examine factors determining the purchase of private health insurance among middle-aged and elderly Korean adults. Methods : We used the second Korean Longitudinal Study of Ageing (KLoSA), selected 8,688 sample of the aged 47 or older for the analysis. KLoSA collected information on demographic characteristics, income, health- related factors. KLoSA data include in the number of outpatient, inpatient, oriental hospital visit, dental clinic visit for two years. Logistic regression was used to examine the relationship between the determinants of purchasing private health insurance and the factors which include age, gender, education, residential district, marital status, smoking, drinking, physical exercise, economic activity status, national health insurance type, income, the number of chronic disease, and the number of outpatient, inpatient, oriental hospital visit, dental clinic visit for two years. Results : People who were older, did not live in a city, had higher IADL, currently drunk alcohol, did exercise regularly and had chronic diseases more than three were inclined not to purchase private health insurance. Females, the married, well-educated, past & currently smokers, the employed, high income earners, national health insurers, metropolitan citizens and someone who got high MMSE were more likely to purchase private health insurance. The more people experienced outpatients, inpatients, dental clinics and Chinese medicine clinics, the more private health insurance was purchased. The elderly people over 75 had more private health insurance than the aged 65-74. The strongest factors for private health insurance is gender, and economic status such as income. Conclusion : In this study, we found healthy-high income people were more likely to purchase private health insurance. In contrast, unhealthy-low income and older people did not. The economic factors were strongly related with private health insurance in aged over 75. These mean inequality exists in the using private health insurance. Therefore, the government should consider vulnerable social group before expanding private health insurance.

• Korean Journal of Culture and Social Issue
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• v.18 no.2
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• pp.279-300
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• 2012

Many studies have demonstrated that family plays a crucial role in health and wellbeing in life. There has been little research, however, examining the relative importance of activities together with family members in middle-aged adults. The goal of this study was to examine the effect of family meal, phone conversation with family, and family leisure activities on happiness, health, and family relationship. Total 286 middle-aged adults (M=50.13) participated in this study. Dependent variables were happiness (SWB), physical and psychological illness symptoms, family satisfaction, sex satisfaction, and parenting sense of competence. This research showed that (1) frequency of meal with family was positively correlated with happiness, family relationship, and negatively physical/psychological illness symptoms; (2) high frequency of talking on the phone with family resulted in that high level of happiness, family satisfaction, sex satisfaction, and parenting sense of competence, and lower illness symptoms; (3) the more participants spent leisure time with family, the happier and the more family satisfaction they feel. Findings suggest that activities together with family members in middle-aged adults may enhance their happiness, health, and quality of family relationship. The implication for current study were discussed.

• Journal of dental hygiene science
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• v.12 no.6
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• pp.624-633
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• 2012

This study was executed to provide the basic data that can be helpful for a program aiming at the enhancement of life quality or establishment of policy related to public health by analyzing the importance of health state among the middle-aged adults when it came to the decision of life quality. For 160 adults who were older than 40 years old, a survey was conducted and the results were derived by using t-test, one way ANOVA, and multiple regression analysis. Followings are the outcome of the study. According to such results, it was known that the level of general life quality and oral health related life quality were shown to be different depending on symptoms of depression and xerostomia. Therefore, it suggests that prevention and early intervention of depression and xerostomia will make a great contribution to improve the life quality among the middle-aged adults.

• Journal of Korean Biological Nursing Science
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• v.26 no.1
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• pp.41-48
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• 2024

Purpose: This study investigated hand-washing practice among community-dwelling older adults during the coronavirus disease 2019 (COVID-19) pandemic and aimed to identify the impact of COVID-19-related concerns and depression on hand-washing practice. Methods: This was a secondary analysis of data extracted from the 2020 Community Health Survey. The primary data were collected through self-reporting from August 10 to September 8, 2020 in a cross-sectional study. The subjects comprised of 1,350 adults aged 65 or older living in Jeju Province who participated in the 2020 Community Health Survey. Results: The factors affecting hand-washing practice among older adults were male older adults (β = -.18, p < .001), age (β = -.07, p = .001), no education (β = -.20, p < .001) and elementary, middle, and high school graduation (β = -.15, p < .001) compared to a college or higher education, poor health perception (β = -.13, p < .001), COVID-19-related concerns (β = .08, p = .005), and depression (β = -.07, p = .001). To summarize, the factors negatively affecting hand-washing practice included male gender, lower education level, poor health perception, and depression. In contrast, factors positively associated with hand-washing practice included COVID-19-related concerns. Conclusion: These findings show the importance of considering these multifaceted determinants when designing targeted interventions and educational programs to promote hand-washing among older adults. Additionally, based on the relationship between hand-washing practice and COVID-19-related concerns and depression, interventions that can alleviate mental problems along with providing proper education are required.

• The Korean Journal of Zoology
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• v.26 no.2
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• pp.123-134
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• 1983

Age variation and secondary sexual dimorphism in four external and 27 cranial characters of 102 specimens of striped firld mice, Apodemus agrarius coreae Thomas, from Cheongju, Korea, were analyzed statistically. Specimens were classified as subadults, young adults, middle-aged adults, and old adults, and variation of morphometric characters among the four age classes was evident. Significant secondary sexual dimorphism among sexes of the same age class was not revealed. Teh specimens of the same age class have to be used in further analyses to clarify geographic variation of morphometric characters in Apodemus agrarius from Korea.

• Journal of the East Asian Society of Dietary Life
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• v.25 no.3
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• pp.432-439
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• 2015

This study was conducted to assess joint effect of body mass index (BMI) and physical activity with risk of hypertension in middle-aged Koreans. The effects of BMI and physical activity on risk of hypertension were studied using data set of 10,020 subjects aged 40~69 years in a Korean Genome and Epidemiology Study (KoGES). About 31.8% of men and 30.2% of women had hypertension. Higher BMI was associated with increased risk of hypertension in men and women. However, diverse association of physical activity with hypertension was only detected in women. Inactive women with a BMI${\geq}25$ were more likely to have hypertension than active women with a BMI<23 (ORs=3.96, 95% CI; 2.77~5.67). The present study indicates that regular physical activity and weight control can reduce risk of hypertension in Korean middle-aged women.