• Journal of the Korean Society of Food Culture
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• v.20 no.6
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• pp.638-643
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• 2005

As Korea has approached the aging society, older Koreans have become an important force in restaurant sales today. To succeed with this silver market, it is important for restaurant managers to know who they are and what factors influence older Koreans' eating-out decision making process. The purpose of this study was to investigate the effect of the silver consumers' education level on eating-out decision making process. Data were collected from 178 older consumers above 55 years old and analyzed using the descriptive statistic analysis, MANOVA, and one-way ANOVA. The results showed that the elderly consumers' education level significantly influenced the decision making process in determining where to eat out. Significant differences were found in the Problem Recognition Step(Wilks' Lambda=0.817, F=2.991), Information Search Step(Wilks' Lambda=0828, F=2.218), Alternative Evaluation Step II(Wilks' Lambda=0.741, F=3.596), Purchase Decision Step(Wilks' Lambda=0.859, F=2.223), and the Post-Purchase Behavior(Wilks' Lambda=0.885, F=1.780). The higher education level was, the more directly involved in the eating out decision process. The elderly consumers with university education were likely to 'propose to eat out by themselves'(F=9.346), to obtain restaurant information from the 'printed materials'(F=7.452), to go to 'family restaurant'(F=9.057), 'Japanese restaurant'(F=8.7891) and 'fine dining restaurants'(F=3.936), and to directly express their emotion when they had complaints about restaurant service(F=3.206). In conclusion, older Koreans will become more healthy and wealthy which means the dining out activity will be an important part of their life to socialize with people. Therefore, food service operations should consider the elderly consumers' needs and expectation of restaurant services and actively position themselves for this new market segment.

• Nutritional Sciences
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• v.5 no.3
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• pp.161-167
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• 2002

Research on diet, acculturation, and ethnicity has suggested that immigrants dietary patterns differ from people who do not have immigration experience. The purpose of this paper is to present preliminary descriptive findings concerning consumption of foods that are common in Korean and American diets, by people of Korean descent residing in California. Adults (18 years of age or older, N=1334) of Korean descent who could be reached by listed residential telephone number in California were randomly selected and telephone-interviewed by closely supervised bilingual (Korean-English) interviewers who were specially trained for this task. This study found that dietary patterns of Koreans living in California differed according to age and gender; also, the frequency of consumption of foods differed according to number of years of residence and acculturation. Koreans who reported higher levels of acculturation to American society ate less of traditional Korean foods such as Kimchi and ate significantly more higher-fat foods common in the American diet. Increased acculturation was also related to an increased frequency of alcohol drinking. Older Koreans tended to eat slightly more of traditional foods such as rice, Kimchi, fruits, and fish, compared to younger Koreans. Women tended to eat healthier foods than men, consuming green vegetables, Kimchi, milk, cheese/yogurt, fruits, and bread more frequently. Koreans reporting longer residences in the United States reported a greater consumption of pork, bread, and soda.

• Journal of the East Asian Society of Dietary Life
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• v.15 no.4
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• pp.475-482
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• 2005

As Korea has approached the aging society, older Koreans have become an important force in restaurant sales today. To succeed with this silver market, it is important for restaurant managers to know who they are and which factor influence the older Koreans' eating-out decision making process. The purpose of this study was to investigate the effect of the elderly consumers financial independency on restaurant selection process. Data were collected from 178 older consumers above 55 years old and analyzed using the descriptive statistic analysis, MANOVA, and one-way ANOVA. The results showed that the elderly consumers financial independency significantly influenced the decision making process in determining where they eat out Significant differences were found between high income group and low income group in the Problem Recognition Step(Wilks' Lambda=0.776, F=3.796), Information Search Step(Wilks' Lambda=0.779, F=2.959), Alternative Evaluation Step (I :Wilks' Lambda=0.835, F=1.748/ II :Wilks' Lambda=0.764, F=3.212), and Purchase Decision Step(Wilks' Lambda=0.849, F=2.412), except the Post-Purchase Behavior(Wilks' Lambda=0.933, F=1.179). The more financially independent older consumers were, the more directly they were involved in the eating out decision making process. Older consumers with higher income and more personal property were likely to 'propose to eat out by themselves'(F=10.986), to obtain restaurant information from the 'printed materials'(F=9.707), to consider 'convenient location' as most important factor when they eat out(F=5.594), and to go to 'family restaurant'(F=7.067), 'Japanese restaurant'(F=7.391) and 'fine dining restaurants'(F-=6.382). In conclusion, we found that the elderly consumers financial independency did influence the eating-out decision making process. Considering that older Korean will become a financially independent consumer and will be eating away from home more often, food service operations should actively position themselves for this market and develop the market-driven menus and services to meet their needs and expectations.

• Nutrition Research and Practice
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• v.16 no.sup1
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• pp.1-10
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• 2022

BACKGROUND/OBJECTIVES: The Dietary Reference Intakes for Koreans (KDRIs) were revised in 2020. Due to the rapidly aging Korean population, special consideration was given to reclassify the KDRI age group categories of older adults. This article examines the evidence for modifying the current KDRI age group ranges of older adults (65-74 and ≥ 75 yrs). SUBJECTS/METHODS: We first reviewed the domestic and international data on the elderly, following which we received expert opinions on age classification from the KDRI Advisory Committee. Finally, the 6th and 7th (2013-2017) Korea National Health and Nutrition Examination Survey (KNHANES) data were used to analyze the nutritional intake statuses by considering the age of older adults. RESULTS: According to the review results of domestic and international data and the inputs received from the expert advisory committee, the minimum age considered for the elderly was maintained at 65 yrs. However, the KNHANES data was analyzed to review whether there was a need to subdivide the later periods. Examining the differences in nutrient intakes by age group through the interaction effect term of the piecewise linear regression model revealed the interaction effect was maximum in the groups divided by 65 yrs (50-64 and 65-80), as compared to the groups divided by 70 yrs (50-69 and 70-80) and 75 yrs (50-74 and 75-80). The mean adequacy ratio was calculated per 1 yr of age, and a 3-yr (age) moving average analysis was performed to examine the change in the trends of overall nutrient intake. However, it was challenging to secure a scientific basis for subdivision into age groups in older adults from the results obtained. CONCLUSIONS: This study could not find any scientific evidence for modifying the KDRI age groups for older adults.

• The Journal of Korean Academic Society of Nursing Education
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• v.22 no.1
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• pp.72-82
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• 2016

Purpose: The purpose of this study was to identify the effects of health status and health management on activities of daily living (ADL) in older, urban-dwelling Koreans. Methods: A total of 206 subjects were recruited from one senior welfare center, six senior citizen centers, and subjects' home in two cities. Data was collected with self-reported questionnaires in order to measure health management, health status, and ADL. Data was analyzed by t-test, ANOVA, and stepwise multiple linear regression using SPSS/WIN 22.0. Results: ADL in this subject were different depending on their age, education, marital status, type of family, and average monthly living expenses. Multivariate analysis showed that age (${\beta}=-0.35$, p<.001), exercise ability (${\beta}=0.20$, p<.001), diabetes (${\beta}=-0.17$, p<.001), osteoarthritis (${\beta}=-0.15$, p<.001), caregiver (${\beta}=0.14$, p=.005), frequency of health management (${\beta}=-0.13$, p=.006), smoking (${\beta}=-0.11$, p=.019), hypertension (${\beta}=-0.10$, p=.027), and type of family (${\beta}=-0.10$, p=.036) were significantly associated with ADL. Overall, approximately 60.2% of total variability in ADL could be explained by the 11 variables in this model ($R^2=0.602$, F=32.06, p<.001). Conclusion: This study suggests that individualized health care should be continued for older, community-dwelling Koreans in order to improve their ADL. Moreover, we need to develop self-care programs and encourage them to participate in those programs.

• Journal of the Health Care and Life Science
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• v.11 no.2
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• pp.361-374
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• 2023

This study was conducted using data from the '2020 National Survey of Older Koreans' to investigate the sociodemographic characteristics, health status, health management practices, and caregiving needs that influence cognitive impairment in early and late-stage elderly individuals. The research targeted 9,885 individuals aged 65 and above. Statistical analyses included descriptive statistics, Chi-square, t-tests, and logistic regression. The study found that cognitive decline in elderly individuals was influenced by age, education, income, location, health status, and depressive symptoms. Those with cognitive decline showed lower health management practices, functional status, and overall health and social satisfaction. There was a high demand for home residency services and assistance with daily activities among cognitively impaired individuals, indicating the need for diverse support and policies within local communities for safe caregiving in the future.

• Journal of the Korean Data and Information Science Society
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• v.25 no.3
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• pp.655-663
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• 2014

This study aimed to investigate the prevalence of depression and suicidal ideation in community-dwelling older adults in Korea, as well as identify factors associated with their occurrence, including cognitive impairment. A cross-sectional study of 484 residents was conducted at a senior centre utilising the PHQ-9K and K-MMSE. Demographic data were also collected for analysis. Of the respondents, 38.1% had symptoms of mild to severe depression. Further, 16.7% reported having suicidal ideation, with 5% of respondents having thoughts of suicide every day. The majority of participants had 'normal' scores on the K-MMSE (88.0%), though significant differences were observed in PHQ-9K scores between cognitive-acceptable and cognitive-impaired groups. Depressive symptoms and suicidal ideation were very prevalent in community-dwelling older adults in Korea. This study indicates the need for the development of community-based mental health programs tailored to older adults, and demonstrates the viability of promoting early detection of depressive symptoms through senior centres.

• Journal of Korean Public Health Nursing
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• v.36 no.3
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• pp.389-401
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• 2022

Purpose: This study was conducted to understand the actual condition and influencing factors of being underweight among older adults in the community based on a survey of national older Korean's data in 2020. Methods: The data from 9,555 older adults in the community were used for analysis. Composite sample analysis was performed with integrated weights applied to the raw data. A Rao Scott-test and logistic regression were performed using SPSS 24.0 for Windows. Results: Underweight older adults in the community were found to have significant differences in age, subjective health status, depression, chronic disease, drinking, exercise, nutrition, chewing, and activities of daily living (ADL). The factors affecting the underweight older adults were age, subjective health status, depression, chronic disease, drinking, exercise, nutrition, chewing, and activities of daily living. Conclusion: A customized program is needed for underweight older adults in the community. In addition, attempts should be made to motivate older adults in the community to continue to participate in the program.

• 한국노년학
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• v.29 no.4
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• pp.1479-1500
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• 2009

This study examined BMI distributions among older adults in three different countries: the U.S., Japan, and Korea. The paper also explored differences in the factors predicting BMI in the three countries using three data sets: the U.S. Longitudinal Study of Aging (LSOA II, 8,589 persons), the Nihon University Japanese Longitudinal Study of Aging (NUJLSOA, 2,888 persons), and the Korean Longitudinal Study of Ageing (KLoSA, 2,397 persons). Descriptive analysis and multiple regression were performed. Japanese older adults were somewhat lighter than Koreans with fewer people at the upper end of the BMI distribution. Distributions of BMI among both Koreans and Japanese are shifted leftward relative to Americans. There is less dispersion in the distribution of BMI for Koreans and Japanese than among Americans. The association between socioeconomic variables and BMI is stronger in the U.S. and Japan than in Korea. Demographic variables are strong predictors of BMI in Korea. In Japan, all health behaviors have significant effects on BMI. It is concluded that the relationships between behavioral, demographical, and socioeconomic factors and BMI are not the same across countries. Results have policy implications for the involvement of health practitioners in helping older adults to control weight.

• Journal of Preventive Medicine and Public Health
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• v.42 no.3
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• pp.199-207
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• 2009

Objectives : Research on the gender differences of health among older Korean people has been limited compared with the research for other stages of life. This study first examined the patterns and magnitude of the gender differences of health in later life. Second, we examined the gender differences in the health of older men and women that were attributable to differing socioeconomic conditions. Methods : Using the nationally representative 2005 Korean National Health and Nutrition Examination Survey, the gender differences in disability and subjective poor health were assessed by calculating the age adjusted and gender-specific prevalence. Logistic regression analyses were used to assess if the differences between the men and women for health could be explained by differential exposure to socioeconomic factors and/or the differential vulnerability of men and women to these socioeconomic factors. Results : Our results indicated that older women were more likely than the men to report disability and poor subjective health. The health disadvantage of older women was diminished by differential experiences with socioeconomic factors, and especially education. The differences shrink as much as 43.7% in the case of disability and 35.4% in the case of poor subjective health by the differential exposure to educational attainment. Any differential vulnerability to socioeconomic factors was not found between the men and women, which means that socioeconomic factors may have similar effect on health in both genders. Conclusions : Differential socioeconomic experience and exposure between the men and women might cause gender difference in health in old age Koreans.