• Journal of Families and Better Life
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• v.23 no.3 s.75
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• pp.53-62
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• 2005

In this study, we challenge recent apocalyptic rhetoric about idle, burdensome, and dependent older people. Our primary objective is to examine and compare the productive activities of older adults in both Korea and Canada using a broader definition of productivity that included household work. Another objective is to identify and compare the factors related to the participation of household work of older adults in both countries. In order to conduct a comparative culture study two data sets were used; one was the 1999 Survey of Time Use collected by Korean Statistics Office and the other was 1998 Survey of Time Use collected by Canadian Statistics Office. Many countries have been collected a time use survey and used to study labor, welfare, and culture. Total number of 17,730 Korean and 2,729 Canadian between when and 84 were included to analyze the data. It is clear from the results that older people engage in productive behaviors, particularly when the definition of activities is broadened to include unpaid work. However, it is also clear the productive contributions in terms of household work ale lower among older Koreans than among older Canadians.

• Korean Journal of Health Education and Promotion
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• v.27 no.4
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• pp.29-38
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• 2010

Objectives: This study purports to comparatively study health condition, health behaviors, and health care utilization of Koreans living in Korea and in the US, and then, to analyze the factors influencing them. Methods: The collected data were analyzed on the basis of the 2005 Korea National Health and Nutrition Examination Survey. Of 25,196 adults aged 19 or older, 7,802 respondents to health behavior survey and 5,526 respondents to physical examination survey. The analyzed data of the Korean Americans were the results of the California Health Interview Survey (CHIS) conducted by the UCLA Center for Health Policy Research in 2005. This study analyzed the responses of 645 known Korean respondents to the 2005 CHIS. Results: In regard to differences in overall health condition between the two groups, it was found that both the male and female Korean Americans thought their own overall health conditions were relatively poor compared to Koreans, especially in relation to diabetes and cardiovascular diseases. For smoking status considered as one of health behavior factors, smokers of the Koreans account for 46.1% which is higher than that of the Korean Americans and the proportion of the Koreans smoking daily is also at least two times higher than that of the Korean Americans. Similarly, for alcohol drinking, the Koreans showed higher drinking experience rate and no less than three times higher drinking frequency than that of Korean Americans. Conclusion: It is expected that this study will contribute greatly to solving health problems among foreign immigrants and overseas Koreans in future by clarifying any differences in health status and health behaviors resulting from sociocultural differences despite of similar genetic factors.

• Journal of the Korean Society of Food Science and Nutrition
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• v.28 no.1
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• pp.246-256
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• 1999

This study was undertaken to investigate the perception and the consumption behavior for the meats in Koreans. The subjects were 491 Koreans including the ones residing in New Zealand. Most of subjects answered the meats are used for supper time. The frequency of the meats intake was affected by education and monthly income level. 69.2% of the subjects had positive response such as increased stamina and fulled stomach for psychological state after the meats intake. The use of meats recently revealed that 48% of the subjects have decreased its consumption. The main reasons diminished the use of meats were for the good health and economic state. Women were found to avoid the meats fat to a greater degree than men. The kinds of the meat used frequently were beef, pork and chicken. The younger tended to higher the frequency of the processed meats intake than the older. According to 3 level of BMI of the subjects, there were significant differences in the amount of the meat intake and perception for necessity of the meat. This study showed that the higher the preference for meat, the education and the monthly income level, the more the meat intake frequency. There were not significant differences between Koreans residing in domestic and New Zealand except the dog meat in the perception and consumption of the meat.

• Journal of Obesity & Metabolic Syndrome
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• v.27 no.4
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• pp.254-261
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• 2018

Background: The most beneficial dietary pattern in managing metabolic syndrome (MetS) in the elderly has not been ascertained. The aim of this study is to classify dietary patterns and to examine associations between dietary pattern, MetS and body composition in elderly Koreans. Methods: This study was conducted among Koreans 65 years or older using data from the Korea National Health and Nutrition Examination Survey in 2009. A total of 1,567 study subjects were included. All statistical analyses were conducted using SPSS version 20.0 and dietary patterns were classified by cluster analysis. Results: There were three dietary patterns derived by cluster analysis in this study. We observed that most South Korean elderly still maintain a traditional dietary pattern. Dietary patterns were classified as balanced (31%), imbalanced (40%), or very imbalanced (30%), with the majority of subjects having an unbalanced diet pattern in which their total energy and nutrient intake was insufficient compared with the Dietary Reference Intake for Koreans. Those in the very imbalanced group had a ratio of macronutrients (carbohydrates:fats:protein) of 81.15:7.18:11.50 and a 54% higher likelihood of having hypertriglyceridemia (P=0.025) compared with those in the balanced group. Conclusion: The current findings indicate that the diets of South Korean elderly are nutritionally imbalanced, including high carbohydrate consumption, which confers a high risk hypertriglyceridemia. These findings highlight the effect of nutritional imbalance in elderly with MetS.

• Research in Community and Public Health Nursing
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• v.22 no.2
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• pp.184-191
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• 2011

Purpose: The purpose of this study was to compare health management and leisure activities of the Korean and Japanese elderly. Methods: This study used a cross-sectional descriptive research design. A total of 149 Korean and 140 Japanese older adults living in two urban-rural composite areas participated in this research project. Data were collected using interviews with the participants. t-test and $x^2$ test were used to analyze the data. Results: Eighty eight point two percent of the Japanese perceived that their health status was good whereas 27.3% of the Koreans responded that their health status was poor. There were significant differences in types of leisure activities in art, intellectual, events, and volunteer activities between the two groups. A majority of the Japanese elderly replied that they spent some time and money for leisure activities; however, 20.2% and 27.2% of the Koreans reported that they did not spend time or money at all for leisure activities. Conclusion: The number of the Korean elderly participating leisure activities was significantly lower than Japanese participants. Developing nursing strategies using leisure programs would improve the quality of life of older adults and the quality of nursing care.

• Journal of Korean Academy of Fundamentals of Nursing
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• v.14 no.4
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• pp.493-499
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• 2007

Purpose: This study focused on identifying health promotion behavior of older adults, and factors affecting this behavior. Method: The participants in this survey analysis were Koreans aged 65 or over who had the ability to communicate and could do cognitive thinking, and who consented to participate in the survey. The survey questionnaire included items on demographic characteristics, level of depression, social support, activities of daily living, self-efficacy, and health promotion behavior. Data were analyzed using the SPSS Windows 14.0 program. Results: There were significant differences in health promotion behavior according to religion, economy and health status. Levels of depression, social support and self-efficacy had strong correlations with health promotion behavior. The factors that had the greatest effect on health promotion behavior were social support and self-efficacy. Conclusion: As social support and self-efficacy have been found to affect health promotion behavior in older adults, programs developed to enhance health of older adults should include activities to enhance both social support and self-efficacy.

• Food Science and Biotechnology
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• v.17 no.2
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• pp.262-266
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• 2008

This study was conducted to provide a vitamin $B_{12}$ database for the representative Korean food items and to assess the dietary intake assessment of vitamin $B_{12}$ for Koreans. The vitamin $B_{12}$ content of 106 foods had been determined by high performance liquid chromatography (HPLC) using column switching method. Rich sources of vitamin $B_{12}$ were meats, milk, and egg ($0.3-3.4\;{\mu}g/100g$). Vegetables and fruits contained vitamin $B_{12}$ below limit of detection (LOD). The major food sources for vitamin $B_{12}$ intake were milk (72.0%), meats (22.3%), egg (3.6%), and fishes & shellfishes (2.1%). Mean vitamin $B_{12}$ intake of Koreans was $3.16\;{\mu}g$/person/day. The proportion of population with intake below estimate average requirement (EAR) and above recommended intake (RI) of vitamin $B_{12}$ was 60.7 and 36.5%, respectively. The vitamin $B_{12}$ intake level of young children with 1-2 years which was 834.6% of RI while the intake level of the older adults 50 years and older was only 70.0% of RI. Also, there were regional differences between urban and rural area. The population with intake below RI was larger than that with intake above RI in Korea.

• Journal of Environmental Health Sciences
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• v.38 no.1
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• pp.31-41
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• 2012

Objectives: Biomonitoring is used to assess human environmental exposures. Urinary biomonitoring data are typically adjusted to a constant creatinine concentration to correct for variable dilutions among spot samples. Our objective was to investigate urinary creatinine concentrations by region, gender, age and lifestyle. Methods: We studied urinary creatinine concentrations in 6,286 Koreans aged 20 years old and older who participated the fourth Korea National Health and Nutrition Survey (KNHANES IV) in 2009. Urinary creatinine concentration analysis used the Jaffe method. Results: The average urinary creatinine concentration of 6,286 Koreans was 158.99 mg/dl. The urinary creatinine concentration was significantly higher among men (184.97 mg/dl) than women (130.02 mg/dl). In both men and women, urinary creatinine concentrations were significantly different according to age group (p < 0.01). Whereas the urinary creatinine concentration of men significantly differed with smoking in adjusted comparison analysis, that of women significantly differed by education level. Ninety-two percent of urinary creatinine concentration was included within WHO guidelines effective range(30 mg/dl ${\leq}$ urinary creatinine concentration ${\leq}$ 300 mg/dl). In multiple regression analysis, creatinine was influenced by gender, age and body mass index (BMI). Conclusions: The urinary creatinine value obtained from representative samples of adult Koreans aged 20 year and older in KNHANES IV 2009 could be used as a reference value for other nationally studied surveys, such as abandoned metal mine surveys and surveys for industrial complexes.

• Journal of The Korean Society of Integrative Medicine
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• v.8 no.4
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• pp.241-251
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• 2020

Purpose : This study examined the effect of locomotive syndrome on stress index and lifestyle patterns among elderly Koreans aged 65 years and older, and analyzed its correlation with stress index and lifestyle patterns. The purpose of this study was to provide basic data for the management and prevention of locomotive syndrome in the elderly. Methods : Using the "25-Question Geriatric Locomotive Function Scale (GLFS-25)", the study evaluated locomotive syndrome in 123 elderly Koreans aged 65 years and older. Of them, 85 patients were assigned to the locomotive syndrome group and 38 patients were assigned to the normal group. The questionnaire measured and investigated the participants' stress index and lifestyle patterns. Statistical analysis was performed using SPSS 22.0 ver. Results : Results showed the locomotive syndrome group displayed a higher stress index than the normal group, with a statistically significant difference between the two groups. The group also scored lower in the lifestyle pattern survey than the normal group did, with a statistically significant difference in high-intensity work performance ratio and average daily performance time between them. The GLFS-25 score showed a significant positive correlation with the stress index and sitting and lying down time, and a significant negative correlation with medium-intensity working time, walking, and cycling time. Conclusion : In conclusion, Locomotive syndrome in elderly Koreans is closely related to stress and lifestyle patterns, especially high-intensity work. We recommend active prevention and management of locomotive syndrome and further research into the effects of various lifestyle factors on the illness.

• Nutritional Sciences
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• v.8 no.1
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• pp.50-55
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• 2005

This study was conducted to determine the relationship between the body fat percent (BF%) and body mass index (BMI) of Koreans and the differences with Caucasians. Complete data were collected from 3297 subjects (2441females and 856 males) between the ages of 18 and 79. Data were collected between September 2001 and November 2001 in Seoul and Pusan. For the statistical analysis, only the data on subjects between the ages of 18 and 65(3200) were used Body weight and height were measured BMI (kg/$m^2$) was computed From BMI, BF (%) was calculated using age- and sex-specific prediction formulas. BF% was assessed using an INBODY 2.0 body fat analyser. Data analysis showed that the females were significantly younger than the males, were smaller, lighter and had a lower body mass index. Body fat percent of the females was higher than that of the males. 1he differences between actual measured BF% and BF% as predicted from prediction equations from the literature, based on BMI, age and sex, were correlated with level of body fat and age. There is a significant age-related decrease in body fat in Koreans for any given BMI and sex, which is remarkably different compared to age-related increases in body fat in the European reference group. For the same age and BF%, Korean females have a slightly lower BMI than their European counterparts. Korean males have, for the same age and BF%, a higher BMI than their European counterparts. The differences between females and males were not significant. It was concluded that, assuming that the data on body fat percent was correct, that the relationship between BF% and BMI is quite different in Koreans than in European Caucasians. Thus, for younger Koreans cut-off values for obesity should be slightly lower than those for Caucasians whereas for older Koreans the cut-off points for obesity should be higher than those for Caucasians.