• Journal of Industrial Convergence
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• v.22 no.1
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• pp.149-162
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• 2024

This study is a longitudinal study of female older adults living alone, one of the most vulnerable groups in our society, to determine how their depression changes over time and what factors affect their depression. At the same time, considering that there is a large difference in age among the same older adults, this study divided the female older adults into the young-old and the old-old to see how the predictors of depression in each group differ from each other. The main findings are as follows First, depression among female older adults living alone appears to have a declining pattern over time. In the conditional model, factors affecting the initial level of the depression trajectory among women living alone were found to be associated with lower initial depression values among those living in metropolitan areas rather than non-metropolitan areas, better subjective health, and those who did not exercise. Next, we examined the factors affecting rate of change (slope) in depression among female living alone older adults and found that the higher the age, the larger the metropolitan area, the better the subjective health, the less socializing, and the more socializing, the greater the decrease in depression level. Finally, there were some differences in the pathways affecting the initial value and slope of depression among female older adults living alone between the early and late older adults. Specifically, the higher the initial level of participation in social activities, the greater the change in depression among the late older adults, while there was no significant relationship among the early older adults. In the early older adults, better initial subjective health was associated with a larger change in depression than in the late older adults. Only in the late older adults did those who regularly exercised in the early years have higher initial depression values than those who did not. Based on the results of the above analyses, suggestions were made to reduce depression among female older adults living alone.

• Journal of Korean Academy of Nursing
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• v.38 no.2
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• pp.195-203
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• 2008

Purpose: The purpose of this study was to understand the level of functional health literacy and its influence on perceived health status in Korean older adults. Methods: A cross-sectional survey was conducted in Daegu, Kyungpook and Susan province. A total of 103 older adults aged 65 yr or older were interviewed in person between July 1 to August 30, 2007. Results: A high proportion of older adults were unable to read and understand written basic medical instructions. Only 40-50% were able to comprehend directions for taking medication four times a day or on an empty stomach. Only 11-38% were able to understand information regarding treatment procedure, informed consent, or educational material for elderly fall prevention. Individuals who were older, single, and had less education and income were more likely to have lower functional health literacy. After adjusting for sociodemographic variables, individuals with lower health literacy had poorly perceived health status. Conclusion: Many Korean older adults have a very low level of fuctional literacy. Low health literacy was independently associated with poorly perceived health status.

• The Korean Journal of Rehabilitation Nursing
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• v.13 no.1
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• pp.32-43
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• 2010

Purpose: The purpose of this study was to determine factors that affect poor quality of life (QOL) of older adults who received home health service. Method: The sample 492 older adults participated in the study. The QOL was measured using the scale of QOL of Ware and other data were collected through face-to-face interviews from September to August, 2009. Results: The level of QOL was moderate (Mean 24.4, SD 7.4). The QOL was poorer in older adults (p<.05) and in those living alone (p<.01) compared to older adults and those living with couple or family respectively. The QOL was positively correlated with a sense of mastery (r=.213, p<.05), connection of health (r=.160, p<.05) and a cognitive function (r=.119, p<.01), and negatively correlated with Activities of Daily Living (r=-.266, p<.01) and Instrumental Activities of Daily Living (r=-.339, p<.01). Sense of mastery, connection of health & welfare, and IADL were significant predictors of QOL. Conclusion: Finding suggest that home health service program should incorporate strategies for increasing sense of mastery and capability of performing IADL, and strengthening connection of health service that may improve QOL of older home health service recipients.

• Journal of Korean Academy of Nursing
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• v.53 no.2
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• pp.167-176
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• 2023

Purpose: Despite the high prevalence of visual impairment caused by diabetic retinopathy and nutritional problems among older adults with diabetes, evidence regarding factors related to nutritional risk in this population is limited. Therefore, this study aimed to identify the correlates of nutritional risk among older adults with diabetes, focusing on visual impairment. Methods: This study was a secondary data analysis of the 2020 National Survey of Older Koreans aged 65 years and above. The sample comprised 2,376 older adults with diabetes, and complex sample ANOVA and Rao-Scott chi-square tests were used to compare the groups according to visual impairment. Complex-sample logistic regression analyses were conducted to verify the association between visual impairment and nutritional risk. Results: Older adults with diabetes, who also have severe visual impairment, are more likely to have nutritional risk status than those without impairment after controlling for covariates (odds ratio [OR] = 2.44, 95% confidence interval [CI] 1.16~5.13). Among the covariates, depression (OR = 3.58, 95% CI 2.60~4.94), dependent activities of daily living status (OR = 2.79, 95% CI 1.60~4.86), and experience of hospitalization during the past year (OR = 2.51, 95% CI 1.57~4.03) were strongly associated with nutritional risk. Conclusion: Severe visual impairment increases the nutritional risk among older adults with diabetes. Therefore, it is essential to prevent visual impairment due to exacerbation of diabetes through appropriate management. Additionally, tailored nutritional interventions for visually impaired older adults with diabetes that consider visual characteristics are required.

• Journal of the Korean Society for Library and Information Science
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• v.54 no.2
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• pp.323-348
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• 2020

The purpose of this study is to suggest a plan to establishment and management for a library for old adults. Therefore, the library for old adults defined to the concept of providing a specialized service by providing the necessary material with an elderly user over 65 focus. And presenting the basic direction and specific direction, organizational plan, and ordinance on establishment and management of a library for older adults. In addition, after conducting a semi-structured interview based on a pre-prepared questionnaire targeting 30 elderly people aged 65 or older who had experiences using public libraries, the results were analyzed, and 20 responses indicated that the purpose of using the library was a way to participate in the program as an essential service for the elderly. 12 respondents stated that the purpose of using the library was possibly a necessity for such things as writing autobiographies and reflections of historical events. Lastly, investigating the operational cases of two public libraries that already utilize elderly learning and health information rooms, it was concluded that the operation of the elderly library also needs to reflect the regional differences and characteristics unique to older adults.

• 한국노년학
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• v.37 no.2
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• pp.415-430
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• 2017

This study aims to examine whether assets matter for depression among older adults and whether the relationship between assets and depression is mediated by social activities. The research questions are based on asset effect theory, stakeholder theory, and activity theory. This study used the 5th wave of KLoSA data which is a nationally representative data in Korea. Research findings are summarized as follows: First, we found the negative relationship between assets and depression of older adults. Second, The relationship between assets and depression was partially mediated by social activities of older adults. The findings suggest that older adults with assets are more likely to participate in social activities and accordingly their depression is likely to decline. Based on the empirical findings, we can propose that asset-building programs targeting older adults should be developed and that the financial education and saving chances should be given to middle-aged adults who need to prepare old age in the long-term perspective.

• The Journal of Korean Academy of Sensory Integration
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• v.5 no.1
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• pp.31-40
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• 2007

Objective: The purpose of this study was to get the cognitive reaction time according to the intensity of auditory stimuli in older people and to differentiate the cognitive reaction time between older people and adults. Method: 49 subjects consisted of 32 older people and 17 adults. Cognitive reaction time was assessed with Simple Auditory Reaction of Foundation I in PSS CogReHab. Analysis of the data was done by using independent t-test. Results: The results were as follows: 1. There was a significant difference of the mean of cognitive reaction time to the intensity of auditory stimuli. 2. There was no significant difference from older people regardless of sexual distinction in mean of cognitive reaction time. However, there was a significant difference of the mean of cognitive reaction time in adults. 3. There was a significant difference between older people who got a job or not in 90 dB of auditory stimuli. 4. The mean of cognitive reaction time to the intensity of auditory stimuli in older people was slower than adults. There was a significant difference of the mean of cognitive reaction time between older people and adults in 70 dB of auditory stimuli. 5. The mean of cognitive reaction time to the intensity of auditory stimuli in older people did not have the significant difference in scholastic ability. Conclusions: The results of the study showed slowing of the cognitive reaction time in auditory stimuli to aging in older people. Therefore, applying silver industry and development of equipment for older people may maintain independent life.

• Journal of Korean Academy of Nursing
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• v.29 no.3
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• pp.585-595
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• 1999

The purpose of this study was to examine the predictors of burnout among informal caregivers of older adults. One hundred thirty seven caregivers who had provided care to older adults over 60 years of age for more than one month were included in the study. Most of the caregivers were white (91%) and female (78%). Mean ages of the caregivers were 64 years and 78% of them were married. Seventy percent of the older adults suffered from Alzheimer and related disease. In this study, caregivers reported that they experienced burnout once a month. The scores of emotional exhaustion and reduced personal accomplishment of the caregivers were in the moderate burnout range. To examine the predictors of burnout, discriminant analysis was used. Caregivers were divided by two groups based on the sum of scores (cutpoint＝6) on three dimensions of burnout after each dimension was categorized into high(3), moderate(2), and low(1). Nine predictors were included in the analysis : Caregiver's age, employment status, Instrumental Activities of Daily Living (IADL) of the older adult, presence of dementia of the older adult, caregiver's empathy toward the older adult (emotional and cognitive), and 3 coping strategies (negative, problem-focused, cognitive reconstructioning). Caregivers who reported high burnout showed higher cognitive empathy toward the older adults than those who showed low burnout. Caregivers who experienced high burnout used negative coping more often, and cognitive reconstructioning coping and problem focused coping less often than their counterparts. Wilks' Lambda was .78 indicating that differences between the two groups were significant. Cognitive empathy and cognitive reconstructioning coping showed high standardized canonical discriminat function coefficients over .40. Discriminant function with 9 predictors correctly classified 71% of the sample. In conclusion, informal caregivers also experienced certain level of burnout. Cognitive empathy and coping strategies predicted burnout experience of the caregivers. Based on this study, nursing intervention to the informal caregivers to improve their cognitive empathy toward the older adults and to modify their coping strategies in a way to reduce burnout experience can be applied. Further research to develop effective nursing interventions for the purpose of reducing burnout experience by modifying predictors was suggested.

• Korean Journal of Cognitive Science
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• v.24 no.2
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• pp.111-132
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• 2013

Previous research has shown that aging asymmetrically affects various functions in language. It is known that older adults show deficits in language production compared to young adults, while the performance in semantic processing is similar between older and young adults. The tip-of-the-tongue (TOT) phenomenon effectively reflects failure in retrieval of phonological knowledge. Older adults report TOTs more often than young adults and the cause of this phenomenon has been explained by two frameworks: the 'blocking hypothesis' and 'transmission deficit hypothesis'. This study examines the effect of aging on the retrival of phonological knowledge by inducing TOTs in the laboratory. Two variables were manipulated: age and word category. Participants were young and older adults, and stimuli was selected from 5 categories of words. After the participants read a definition about a target word, they reported three conditions: 'know', 'don't know', 'TOT'. The results were as follows: First, the older adults reported TOTs more often than the young adults. Second, TOTs occurred more in proper nouns such as names of persons and places. Third, in the category that TOTs occurred more often, there was a bigger age difference. Fourth, older adults reported fewer alternative words during TOT than young adults. Fifth, participants tended to report the partial information during TOT in characters. These results show the age-related difficulty in the retrieval of phonological knowledge in Korean. It is explained by the transmission deficit hypothesis and the characteristics of Korean orthography and phonology.

• Korean Journal of Adult Nursing
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• v.25 no.4
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• pp.464-472
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• 2013

Purpose: The purpose of this study was to identify aging anxiety and influencing factors of middle-aged adults. Methods: Descriptive correlation design was used. Three hundred and three middle-aged adults participated in the study and completed the questionnaires in the period from September 11 to October 15 of 2011. The data was analyzed using independent t-test, one-way ANOVA, Scheff$\acute{e}$ test, Pearson correlation coefficients, and hierarchial multiple regression analysis. Results: Aging anxiety of middle-aged adults was higher than a moderate level. Socio-demographic variables such as age, religion, education, economic level, perceived health status and experience of living with older adults influenced significantly on aging anxiety. In contrast, general self-efficacy, aging knowledge and attitude toward older adults were negatively correlated with aging anxiety. Hierarchial multiple regression analysis incorporating these variables showed an explanation rate of aging anxiety at 21%. And religion, perceived health status, attitude toward older adults, and general self-efficacy were statistically significant among variables that influence on aging anxiety. Conclusion: The findings of this study suggest that senior preparation programs that can enhance self-efficacy, induce positive attitude on older adults and promote health should be implemented to reduce aging anxiety of middle-aged adults.