• Korean Journal of Community Nutrition
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• v.19 no.2
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• pp.142-162
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• 2014

Objectives: To evaluate the critical environmental factors on healthy-aging of Korean people, we investigated the significant factors influencing health status of septuagenarians living in rural area of Jeonla province, known to be one of the representative longevity regions in Korea. Methods: We divided subjects into healthy group (36M/25F) or poor-health group (26M/73F) based on self-reported health status, body mass index, a number of prescription, and blood test data. General characteristics, physical measurements, lifestyle, dietary behavior and nutrient intake, physical health and mental health data were statistically compared between the two groups. Results: Average age was not different between healthy group and poor-health group in men and women, respectively. In men, significantly favorable factors to health were observed to be higher education, regular exercise, higher grip strength and walking function, body mass index (${\geq}18.5kg/m^2$), moderate frequency of drinking and eating-out, non-smoking, normal red blood cell (RBC) count, higher serum dehydroepiandrosterone-sulfate (DHEAS) level, good digestive function and appetite, normal hearing function, regular meals, adequate vegetable and fruit intake, diverse food intake, adequate energy and nutrients (protein, vitamin $B_1$, $B_6$, C and E, folate, niacin, P, Zn and K) intake, higher mini-nutrient status assessment (MNA) score and low level of depression. On the other hand, in women, those were literacy, living arrangement, moderate frequency of drinking, healthy teeth, higher grip strength and walking function, bone mineral density, normal RBC and white blood cell (WBC) count, higher DHEAS concentration, higher MNA score, normal cognition and memory function, having snack and adequate fruit intake. Conclusions: These results could be useful to plan effective strategies to increase health-life expectancy of Korean old people living in rural areas.

• Journal of Korean Ophthalmic Optics Society
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• v.14 no.3
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• pp.103-108
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• 2009

Purpose: This study was performed to assess the effects of metabolic syndrome and its components to cataract. Methods: We investigated the relation of metabolic syndrome and its components to cataract using data for 2,120 adults, aged 60 years or older, from the Korean National Health and Nutrition Examination Survey 2005, 2007. Using multiple logistic regression analysis, we presented significant odds ratio (OR) increase of cataract according to the number of metabolic abnormalities ${\leq}$1, 2, 3, ${\geq}$4). We also analyzed OR by the prevalence of metabolic components, and analyzed the effects of metabolic medication intakes to cataract prevalence using multiple logistic regression analysis. Results: The risk of cataract development was significantly increased according to the number of metabolic abnormalities, after adjusting for age, sex, life style, and social economic status variables (p for trend < 0.0001). In metabolic components, the disturbances of blood pressure (OR(95% Confidence Interval): 1.32(1.05,1.65)) and fasting glucose (1.35(1.09,1.67)) significantly increased the prevalence of cataract after adjusting for age and sex. Among these metabolic components, the significance of fasting glucose (1.26(1.01, 1.58)) was remained after adjusting for the other variables. Medication intake of hypertensive also increased the risk of cataract (1.49(1.14,1.96)). Conclusions: Metabolic syndrome and its components increased the risk of cataract, and some medication for treating hypertension was also associated with the cataract incidence.

• Journal of muscle and joint health
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• v.27 no.1
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• pp.61-70
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• 2020

Purpose: The purpose of this study was to develop a new fall-prevention exercise intervention for the community-dwelling elderly and to examine the effects of program. Methods: A total of 7 older adults were participated in a 10-week fall-prevention exercise intervention (1 day per a week in community centers, 2 days per a week in a home). The exercise program consisted of warming-up, extension exercises, muscle strength exercises, balance exercises, and finishing exercise. Data were collected before the exercise and after 10 weeks of exercise. In this study, muscle strength of lower limbs was measured by 10 times of standing up and sitting on a chair. Static balance was measured by one-leg standing, and dynamic balance was measured by 6 meter walking. Results: After a 10-week exercise program, muscle strength of lower limbs (t=4.18, p<.05), statical balance were significantly improved (left leg, t=-3.11, p<.05; right leg, t=-4.56, p<.05). Seven of 11 items measuring fear of falls were significantly decreased (p<.05), and dynamic balance tended to be improved (p=.117). Conclusion: This result suggests that evidence-based, fall-prevention exercise program can improve muscle strength, static and dynamic balance, and fear of falling in the community living elderly.

• Journal of the Korea Academia-Industrial cooperation Society
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• v.17 no.10
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• pp.119-130
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• 2016

This study was conducted to investigate the effects of individual patient behavior regarding health and medical care level on doctor's diagnoses of hypertension. A X2-test was used to compare therapeutic compliance in individual characteristics and two-stage multilevel logistic regression to identify community variance of the related index of high blood pressure therapeutic compliance using data from 229,229 adults over the age of 19 in a community health survey conducted in 2010. The experience rate of doctors' diagnoses of hypertension was higher for people of older age, higher level of education, higher BMI, and among heavy drinkers (no recipients of basic living). Furthermore, there was a higher rate for those visiting health and medical institutions, having more frequent checks of blood pressure in a month, having a higher stress level, and having depression. Among paid workers, the ratio was lower for employers and owner/operators with more daily exercise (such as walking), infrequent smokers, and private health insurance holders. Doctor's diagnoses of hypertension was affected by individual health behavior and health and medical care level. Further studies employing multilevel analyses considering regional level data should be conducted in the future.

• Korean Journal of Family Social Work
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• no.61
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• pp.59-91
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• 2018

Using a Consensus Qualitative Research approach, this study aimed to identify the ageism and explore age-integration as a solution of age discrimination that occurs during the delivery of medical services by nine healthcare professionals who have experience in treating elderly patients. There were two-sided confession has shown by health care professionals about the Ageism. They reported that they don't discriminate by age. However, They also appealed an inconvenience due to the elderly. There were real Ageism in the Healthcare Professional site as a way of Unsuitable care, elderly alienation and dependence on caregivers, polarization of medical service and double discrimination against poor elderly. They found it difficult to offer age integrated health care as a means to mitigate or solve. However they have sought to break barriers to communication, provided a comfortable environment not only for senior citizens but also for all others, and have diversified institutional and service standards. To ensure the healthy life and proper medical service of the rapidly increasing elderly patients, we proposed to do critical review of the factors in the Korean medical system that accelerate the Ageism, reorganization of the health care system for the poor elderly, including the curriculum associated with age-integrating within the health care professional education system, raising the Geriatric Medical Service and the relating professionals and improvements in perception of the health care domains for the elderly and older adults.

• Journal of Sasang Constitutional Medicine
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• v.25 no.3
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• pp.180-194
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• 2013

Objectives Impaired lung function(ILF) and sasang constitution(SC) is associated with metabolic syndrome(MS). However, the relationship between ILF and SC is unclear. So, we assessed the relationship between ILF and MS according to SC, and examined whether SC is an independent risk factor for ILF. Methods This study included 1,148 subjects 40years and older who were performed the health examination at Kyung Hee University Hospital in Korea between December 2011 and February 2013. We defined ILF if FVC or $FEV_1$ value were less than lower limit of normal(LLN), and classified ventilatory patterns as obstructive pattern and restrictive pattern. MS was assessed according to AHA/NHLBI criteria. We used multivariate logistic regression to analyze the association of ILF with MS respective to SC types, and to identify the risk of SC types for ILF. Odds ratio(OR) was calculated by adjusting for age, sex, smoking status, drinking, physical activity, and BMI. Results In whole subjects, ILF was associated with MS [OR (95% CI), 1.69 (1.24-2.31) for FVC, 1.67 (1.20-2.33) for $FEV_1$]. And in Taeeum type(TE type) and Soeum type(SE type), ILF was associated with MS [1.63 (1.10-2.42) for FVC, 1.48 (1.01-2.24) for $FEV_1$ in TE type; 6.93 (1.14-42.00) for FVC in SE type], while in Soyang type(SY type), it wasn't. The restrictive pattern was associated with MS in TE type and SE type, while in SY type, it wasn't. Furthermore, TE type and SY type had more risk for ILF than SE type [1.71 (1.12-2.59) for SY type, 1.95 (1.23-3.08) for TE type in FVC; 2.06 (1.26-3.36) for TE type in $FEV_1$; 1.85 (1.21-2.85) for SY type, 2.17 (1.35-3.49) for TE type in Restrictive pattern]. Conclusions These results show that SC is an independent risk factor for ILF, especially TE type and SY type than SE type, and the prevalence of MS is an independent risk factor for ILF in TE type.

• 한국노년학
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• v.38 no.2
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• pp.271-290
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• 2018

The study aims to analyze the effects of socio-economic deprivation on suicidal ideation. The analysis data were used as a guide for Korea Welfare Panel Study 9. the frequency analysis, mean difference analysis, correlation analysis, and logistic regression were performed by SPSS programs. The results of analysis are as follows. First, The results of frequency analysis by deprivation type showed a high frequency of deprivation in the following order. Experience of not receiving a public pension, experience of being able to work but unemployed, experience of not being able to eat a balanced diet due to financial difficulties, and experience where you had nothing to eat but no more money to buy. Second, the average difference analysis shows that when a person does not have a spouse, the lower the academic background and the income level, the higher the likelihood of suicide. Third, regression analysis shows that the following deprivation patterns have a statistically significant effect on older adults' thoughts of suicide. Experience in which the respondents or their family could not go to hospital because they had no money, experience that move house because is back rent more than 2 months or can not pay rent, experience that they could not afford to buy food and eat well-balanced meals, experience of failing to pay your bills on time, experience of being able to work but not having a job, and experience in which financial difficulties left them short of food and no money to live. Based on such research results, some policy measures, such as the expanding management of medical care benefits cases, the improvement of elderly housing, residential conditions and the diet survey for the elderly, and the expansion of measures to support elderly people's tax rates, were proposed.

• 한국노년학
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• v.38 no.3
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• pp.467-480
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• 2018

The purpose of this study is to examine the relationship between the cell phone utilization and depression among the Korean elderly living alone using '2014 Korean National Survey on Older Adults. A total of 2,493 survey data of the elders living alone 65 years or more was included in the analysis. The degree of the cell phone utilization were categorized into (1) No cell phone, (2) Only phone calls, (3) Phone calls and text messages, and (4) Searching news and information through the internet surfing. The results showed that 81.5% elderly living alone had a cell phone. The 'no cell phone' group was 19.5% while 'information search' group was 3.5% among the elderly living alone and has more probability of depression than 'information search' group (OR=0.064, 95% CI=0.018-0.227), which indicates that as elders living alone utilize their cell phone more, the probability of the depression decreased. This result implies that elders living alone who utilize their cell phone more are engaged in social interaction more and this can lead to decrease in depression.

• Korean Public Health Research
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• v.44 no.4
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• pp.99-109
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• 2018

Objective : Health literacy (HL) is, defined as "the degree to which individuals have the capacity to obtain, process, and understand basic health information and services needed to make appropriate health decisions." Being old is one of the main risk factors with limited health literacy. This study aims to adapt Chew's health literacy scale into the Korean language and validate the scale for the use of the elderly. Methods : Data were drawn from the '2016 Seoul Survey on Elderly Health and Functional Assessment, which includes a total of 725 people aged 60 to 79. The sample was randomly divided into two groups for reliability and validity tests of the modified Chew's scale of 8 items. The Korean version of the questionnaire was developed by group translation, expert reviews, and forward-backward translation. Exploratory and confirmatory factor analyses were conducted to assess and validate the factor structure of the scale. Results : Results suggest the two-factor structure ("Understanding" and "Applying" of HL) with 8 items. Exploratory factor analyses of the first sample (n=400) revealed that the internal reliability of the scale was high (Cronbach's ${\alpha}=.904$). Principal axis factoring extracted two factors ("Understanding" and "Applying" of HL) and explained 78.3% of total variance (KMO=.872, Bartlett's ${\chi}^2=2431.3$, df=28, p<.001). Confirmatory factor analysis of the second sample (n=325) was performed and the two-factor model was supported (GFI=.960, CFI=.979, TLI=.969, RMSEA=0.075). Conclusions : This study provides evidence for adequate criterion and validity of the health literacy scale for the community dwelling elderly in Korea.

• 한국노년학
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• v.38 no.1
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• pp.169-185
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• 2018

The purpose of this study examined the feasibility and efficacy of a senior center-based diabetes self-management program applying action research approach. The cyclical action research method was applied for this study: plan, act, evaluate, and reflect in delivering three waves of the intervention program. Three waves of a 12 weeks-length small group diabetes self-management program were offered during the period of 15 months in a senior center in Seoul. Planning of $2^{nd}$ and $3^{rd}$ wave program were based on reflection of $1^{st}$ and $2^{nd}$ program evaluation respectively. Among the 46 participants, 93.48% (N=43) completed the program. The quantitative evaluation showed statistically significant improvement in HbA1C(p<.001), fasting plasma glucose(p<.001), BMI(p=.016), waist circumference(p=.001), systolic blood pressure(p=.036), diabetes self-management behavior(p<.001) and health knowledge(p=.008). Qualitative data revealed that individual management was very helpful in empowering and adhering for own diabetes care for the participants. Participants reported high satisfaction towards the program with mean satisfaction score of 65.12. Application of the Diabetes Self-management program with action study strategy was successful in community setting for improving participants' subjective and objective outcomes. Action research method guides the practitioner to tailor the program to respond for the participants and field needs.