• Communications for Statistical Applications and Methods
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• v.28 no.4
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• pp.393-410
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• 2021

The Korean Long-Term Care Insurance (K-LTCI) provides financial support for long-term care service to people who need various types of assistance with daily activities. As the number of elderly people in Korea is expected to increase in the future, the demand for long-term care insurance would also increase over time. Projection of future expenditure on K-LTCI depends on the number of beneficiaries within the grading system of K-LTCI based on the test scores of applicants. This study investigated the suitability of mixture distributions to the model K-LTCI score distribution using recent empirical data on K-LTCI, provided by the National Health Insurance Service (NHIS). Based on the developed mixture models, the number of beneficiaries in each grade and its variability under the current grading system were estimated by simulation. It was observed that a mixture model is suitable for K-LTCI score distribution and may prove useful in devising a funding plan for K-LTCI benefit payment and investigating the effects of any possible revision in the K-LTCI grading system.

• The Korean Journal of Food And Nutrition
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• v.36 no.4
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• pp.222-235
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• 2023

In this research, we examined the shifts in determinants influencing the frequency of eco-friendly food purchases pre- and post-COVID-19. Our analysis utilized filtered 2019-2021 Consumption Behavior Survey data from the Korea Rural Economic Institute Food, excluding any irrational responses. Given the nature of the dependent variable, a multinomial logistic regression model was employed with demographic factors, variables pertaining to food consumption behavior, and variables concerning food consumption awareness as predictors. Following the onset of the COVID-19 pandemic, an individual's level of education was observed to positively influence the frequency of eco-friendly food purchases. In contrast, income level and fluctuations in food consumption expenditure did not appear to have a discernible impact on the purchasing frequency of such eco-friendly products. Irrespective of the advent of COVID-19, variables such as the frequency of online food purchases, the utilization of early morning delivery services, dining out frequency, and the intake of health-functional foods consistently demonstrated a positive correlation with the propensity to purchase eco-friendly foods. Overall, consumers prioritizing safety, quality, and nutrition over price, taste, and convenience in their procurement decisions for rice, vegetables, meat, and processed foods exhibit an increased inclination toward the acquisition of eco-friendly food products.

• Journal of Korean Society of Rural Planning
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• v.12 no.3 s.32
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• pp.97-106
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• 2006

In this study was investigated the value of rural residence in later life from the personal, regional, and national perspective. For this purpose, a three-round Delphi technique was used to collect data through a series of surveys to obtain the consensus of a group of 38 experts in value of rural residence in later life in the future. In the first round was sent to them unstructured questionnaire and in the second and third round, the summarized results of the first and second round were delivered to rate the importance of each item for confirmation and validation of the results. Data were analyzed using content analysis and descriptive statistics. The major findings of this study are as follows: First, the personal, regional, and national value of rural residence in later life was selected 7 domains 23 items, 4 domains 22 items, and 3 domains 20 items respectively. Experts consented that the value from the personal perspective will be the highest among 3 perspectives. Second, as the value of rural residence from the personal perspective, it was showed nature-friendly life, physical health emotional serenity, lower expenditure, enjoyable filming, feeding the safe food, and etc,. As the value of it from the regional perspective was showed usage of retirees' speciality and experience to community development and the increase of recreational function in the rural. Also, from the national perspective, it was showed the sustainability of the rural, the establishment of welfare base, balanced development between regions. Based on these results, policy implications were discussed.

• Journal of Chest Surgery
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• v.47 no.5
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• pp.437-443
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• 2014

The JCVSD (Japan Cardiovascular Surgery Database) was organized in 2000 to improve the quality of cardiovascular surgery in Japan. Web-based data harvesting on adult cardiac surgery was started (Japan Adult Cardiovascular Surgery Database, JACVSD) in 2001, and on congenital heart surgery (Japan Congenital Cardiovascular Surgery Database, JCCVSD) in 2008. Both databases grew to become national databases by the end of 2013. This was influenced by the success of the Society for Thoracic Surgeons' National Database, which contains comparable input items. In 2011, the Japanese Board of Cardiovascular Surgery announced that the JACVSD and JCCVSD data are to be used for board certification, which improved the quality of the first paperless and web-based board certification review undertaken in 2013. These changes led to a further step. In 2011, the National Clinical Database (NCD) was organized to investigate the feasibility of clinical databases in other medical fields, especially surgery. In the NCD, the board certification system of the Japan Surgical Society, the basic association of surgery was set as the first level in the hierarchy of specialties, and nine associations and six board certification systems were set at the second level as subspecialties. The NCD grew rapidly, and now covers 95% of total surgical procedures. The participating associations will release or have released risk models, and studies that use 'big data' from these databases have been published. The national databases have contributed to evidence-based medicine, to the accountability of medical professionals, and to quality assessment and quality improvement of surgery in Japan.

• Journal of Nutrition and Health
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• v.46 no.4
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• pp.346-356
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• 2013

This study investigated the daily physical activity level, energy expenditure, energy balance, and body composition and their relationship with university students. The participants were 130 male students ($19.5{\pm}0.5$ yrs) and 139 female students ($19.5{\pm}0.3$ yrs) at a university in Chungnam province. Physical activity level was evaluated by an equation based on 24 hr-activity record and dietary nutrient intake was evaluated using the food record method during a three-day period consisting of two week days and one weekend. Body composition was measured using Inbody 430 (Biospace Co., Cheonan, Korea). As a result, mean body mass index (BMI) of subjects indicated that they had normal weight, however mean body fat ratio was $19.1{\pm}5.4%$ for males and $28.4{\pm}5.0%$ for females, indicating that they had higher than normal weight. Daily mean physical activity level was 1.55 for males and 1.47 for females, which was regarded as 'low active', respectively. Females had more light activity than males (p<0.01). Daily mean energy expenditure was $2,803.5{\pm}788.9$ kcal/d for males and $1,915.4{\pm}510.2$ kcal/d for females (p<0.001). Daily mean dietary energy intake was $2,327.0{\pm}562.5$ kcal/d for males and $1,802.1{\pm}523.6/d$ for females (p<0.001), and daily mean energy balance was $-476.5{\pm}955.9$ kcal/d for males and $-113.3{\pm}728.1$ kcal/d for females (p<0.01). Daily mean dietary intake of protein, vitamins, and minerals, except Ca, satisfied recommended nutrient intake. Daily energy expenditure was positively related to body weight (p<0.01), BMI (p<0.01), and fat free mass ratio (p<0.05), but was negatively related to body fat ratio (p<0.01). In conclusion, subjects had a negative energy balance and low physical activity. They had a normal weight by BMI but had a more fat than normal weight by body fat ratio. This appears to be related to their low physical activity. Thus, nutrition education should be provided for university students in order to increase their physical activity for maintenance of normal weight by body composition and health promotion.

• Journal of the Korean Data and Information Science Society
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• v.28 no.5
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• pp.1069-1076
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• 2017

Recently, with the development of advanced medical technology and the introduction of most advanced medical equipments, life expectancy increases accordingly. Many people want to live long-lived in health. Therefore, if it is possible to pre-diagnose the sub-health condition and formulate an appropriate treatment plan, we can prevent the disease and reduce social expenditure costs. In this study, we statistically analyzed the data in responding to each questionnaire for healthy biorhythm and sub-health among targeted members of a specific group. The analysis for the effects of healthy biorhythm to male and female showed that there was a significant difference between male and female. In the analysis of the effects of the conditions of healthy biorhythm to the 10 sub-health indicators, the significant effects of good and bad condition has been observed. The results of the decision tree analysis showed that all the respondents with poor hormone and urological sub-health status have bad healthy biorhythms. In summary, in this paper we have shown that it may be possible to improve the sub-health condition and prevent disease in advance if the healthy biorhythm is well controlled.

• Journal of Preventive Medicine and Public Health
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• v.22 no.4 s.28
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• pp.542-554
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• 1989

The skyrocketing inflation of medical costs has become a major health problem among most developed countries. Korea, which recently covered the entire population with National Health Insurance, is facing the same problem. The proportion of health expenditure to GNP has increased from 3% to 4.8% during the last decade. This was remarkable, if we consider the rapid economic growth during that time. A few policy analysts began to raise cost containment as an agenda, after recognizing the importance of medical cost inflation. In order to Prepare an appropriate alternative for the agenda, it is necessary to find out reasons for the cost inflation. Then, we should focus on the reasons which are controllable, and those whose control are socially desirable. This study is designed to articulate the theory of medical cost inflation through literature reviews, to find out reasons for cost inflation, by analyzing aggregated data with a deterministic model. Finally to identify determinants of changes in both medical demand and service intensity which are major reasons for cost inflation. The reasons for cost inflation are classified into cost push inflation and demand pull inflation, The former consists of increases in price and intensity of services, while the latter is made of consumer derived demand and supplier induced demand. We used a time series (1983-1987), and cross sectional (over regions) data of health insurance. The deterministic model reveals, that an increase in service intensity is a major cause of inflation in the case of inpatient care, while, more utilization, is a primary attribute in the case of physician visits. Multiple regression analysis shows that an increase in hospital beds is a leading explanatory variable for the increase in hospital care. It also reveals, that an introduction of a deductible clause, an increase in hospital beds and degree of urbanization, are statistically significant variables explaining physician visits. The results are consistent with the existing theory, The magnitude of service intensity is influenced by the level of co-payment, the proportion of old age and an increase in co-payment. In short, an increase in co-payment reduced the utilization, but it induced more intensities or services. We can conclude that the strict fee regulation or increase in the level of co-payment can not be an effective measure for cost containment under the fee for service system. Because the provider can react against the regulation by inducing more services.

• Korean Journal of Social Welfare
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• v.56 no.2
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• pp.167-194
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• 2004

This paper examine the gender-poverty gap and the feminization of poverty in Korea with using data from the National Survey Household Income & Expenditure(1996, 2000) and the Urban Survey Household Income & Expenditure(1996-2002) by Korea National Statistical Office. The poverty rate in 2000 was 16.9 percent for female-head families and 7.9 percent for male-head families, which means that female-head families were 2.6 times more likely to be poor than male-head families. With examining impact of economic crisis in 1998 on gender-poverty gap, it show that both the poverty rate of female-head and male-head increase radically in peak of economic crisis, while, in the stage of recovering economy, the poverty rate of male-head families recovered mostly the level before economic crisis, but that of female-head families recover only the 2/3 level before and the 1/3 remain still under poverty. Thus gender-poverty gap appeared bigger during passing through economic crisis. With analyzing on influence factors of poverty, it appear that poverty is influenced by gender itself as well as education level, working condition which is reflected substantially characteristics of gender. Such an analysis results mean that the considering gender dimension is necessary to resolve poverty fundamentally because gender is a point intersection among family, labour market, and social security. Therefore it appears certain that to develop and adopt of women-friendly social policy is effective approach, which could resolve poverty and social problems related to social rights.

• Journal of Hospice and Palliative Care
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• v.14 no.4
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• pp.212-217
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• 2011

Purpose: Since 2005, the Ministry of Health & Welfare has provided financial support to promote palliative care for terminal cancer patients. We analyzed how palliative care facilities used the funding between 2006 and 2010. Methods: Frequency analysis was conducted by the item of expenditure based on fiscal reports of the palliative care facilities. Linear regression analysis was performed to examine a trend over time. Kruskal-Wallis test and Wilcoxon rank-sum test were used to compare expenditure items, the number of provision of financial support and type of palliative care units. Results: About a half of the fund was spent to pay care givers salary, improve facilities and purchase equipment regardless of the year, the number of financial support provided or facility type. By year, the operation cost for palliative care program and the education cost for health care workers have significantly increased in linear regression analysis (P<0.01). However, the amount of financial support for the low income group has decreased over years (P=0.024). This trend was affected by evaluation criteria and weight. Conclusion: The government aid for palliative care units has been used to improve facilities and equipment. Moreover, desirable changes were noted such as a higher portion of expenses for program operation and care giver training to enhance the quality of care. However, the evaluation criteria need to be adjusted to prevent any further decrease in the support provided to the low income group.

• Nutrition Research and Practice
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• v.13 no.3
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• pp.256-262
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• 2019

BACKGROUND/OBJECTIVES: The objectives of this study were to evaluate the accuracy of the Dietary Reference Intakes (DRI) for estimating the energy requirements of older adults, and to develop and validate new equations for predicting the energy requirements of this population group. MATERIALS/METHODS: The study subjects were 25 men and 23 women with a mean age of $72.2{\pm}3.9\;years$ and $70.0{\pm}3.3\;years$, and mean BMI of $24.0{\pm}2.1$ and $23.9{\pm}2.7$, respectively. The total energy expenditure (TEE) was measured by using the doubly labeled water (DLW) method, and used to validate the DRI predictive equations for estimated energy requirements (EER) and to develop new EER predictive equations. These developed equations were cross-validated by using the leave-one-out technique. RESULTS: In men, the DRI equation had a -7.2% bias and accurately predicted the EER (meaning EER values within ${\pm}10%$ of the measured TEE) for 64% of the subjects, whereas our developed equation had a bias of -0.1% and an accuracy rate of 84%. In women, the bias was -6.6% for the DRI equation and 0.2% for our developed equation, and the accuracy rate was 74% and 83%, respectively. The predicted EER was strongly correlated with the measured TEE, for both the DRI equations and our developed equations (Pearson's r = 0.915 and 0.908, respectively). CONCLUSIONS: The DRI equations provided an acceptable prediction of EER in older adults and these study results therefore support the use of these equations in this population group. Our developed equations had a better predictive accuracy than the DRI equations, but more studies need to be performed to assess the performance of these new equations when applied to an independent sample of older adults.