• Journal of muscle and joint health
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• v.19 no.3
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• pp.373-382
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• 2012

Purpose: The purpose of the study was to compare levels of health-related quality of life (HRQOL) between fallers and non-fallers among community-dwelling elderly people. Methods: A cross-sectional comparative study was conducted with the secondary analysis of 2,067 elderly people registered in S-Gu Visiting Health Care Program in Seoul, South Korea. Participants were 206 fallers and 206 non-fallers who were age- and sex-matched with fallers. HRQOL was measured by SF-8 including physical component summary (physical HRQOL) and mental component summary (mental HRQOL). Results: There were more people in the faller group having more than or equal to three chronic diseases (p<.001), living in multiplex houses (p=.004), and being dependent by the activities of daily living (ADL) (p=.001) and instrumental ADL (IADL) levels (p<.001) than those in the non-faller group. Fallers had higher levels of depression than non-fallers (p<.001). Moreover, fallers had significantly lower levels of both physical HRQOL (p<.001) and mental HRQOL (p=.001), after adjusting for number of chronic diseases, ADL, IADL, depression, healthcare insurance, and living environment. Conclusion: Among the community-dwelling elderly people, falllers had lower levels of HRQOL than non-fallers, and such a difference remained even after the adjustment for covariates. Factors that underlie the different susceptibility to HRQOL need to be explored.

• Korean Journal of Human Ecology
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• v.16 no.4
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• pp.711-722
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• 2007

The purpose of this study was to analyzed child care teachers' health state and a relationship between health promoting lifestyle and job stress of child care teachers. The subjects were 101 child care teachers in Busan. They responded to 'health state open ended question', 'health promoting lifestyle scale', and 'job stress scale'. For the analysis of the data, M(SD), frequencies, t-test, Pearson's correlation were run by using SPSS WIN computer program. The major findings of this study were as follows; First, the most uncomfortable symptoms of child care teacher's physical health state was respiratory organs and the main cause was classroom ventilation and dust. The most uncomfortable symptoms of child care teacher's mental health state was tension and the main cause was children's safety. Second, the mean scores of the variables were as follows : the mean score of health promoting lifestyle was 2.54. The highest sub factor of health promoting lifestyle was 'positive self recognition' and the lowest one was 'exercising'. The mean score of job stress was 2.80 and the highest sub factor was 'administration services'. They desire for a healthy life, but in reality, they are unsatisfied with their current health state and they are not able to practice certain actions actively to promote their health. Third, health promoting lifestyle was negatively correlated with job stress. The result of this study can be used as the basic data for reducing day care teacher's job stress, development of a program to promote day care teacher's health and improving day care teachers working environment.

• Health Policy and Management
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• v.29 no.4
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• pp.412-421
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• 2019

Background: The purpose of this study was to identify the status of Successful Aging among the elderly aged 65 and over in rural areas and to compare factors related with Successful Aging between "kyung-ro-dang" users and non-users. Methods: A total of 181 elderly aged 65 or older were selected from four districts (Heung-upri, Mejiri, Sajerri, and Daeanri) of Wonju city. A survey method using face to face interviews was applied to collect information. Successful aging was measured on a 5-point Likert-type scale using the successful aging scale developed for the Korean elderly, which indicates the higher the score, the higher the level of successful aging. Descriptive statistics, bivariate, and multivariate analyses were computed; the level of significance was set at 5%. Hierarchical polynomial regression was applied to find out the factors associated with successful aging. Results: Of the total, 112 elders used kyung-ro-dang and 69 elders who did not use kyung-ro-dang. The level of successful aging of the elderly was higher among kyung-ro-dang users than non-users. The factors related to successful aging among kyung-ro-dang users were walking and social participation. Users who walk more than 4 times per week and social participation activities have a higher level of satisfaction. In the case of non-users, a higher level of monthly income, having a spouse, social support, and social participation associated with a higher level of successful aging. Conclusion: Monthly income, social participation, and social factors were found to be related to successful aging along with physical and mental health conditions among the elderly in rural areas. Therefore, it can be concluded that income, social as well as mental and physical factors, are more critical for successful aging in the rural community care in Korea.

• The Journal of Economics, Marketing and Management
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• v.12 no.1
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• pp.89-96
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• 2024

Purpose: This study explored the impact of using a music and horticultural therapy program on depression among rural seniors living in Yeongam-gun and conducted a comparative analysis before and after the program to present basic data helpful for an integrated mental health promotion program tailored to rural areas. Research methodology: The analysis subjects of this study were users of the rural residential program of 'Our Village Day Care Center' in Yeongam-gun in 2023, with a total of 20 people, 10 seniors for each program. The research analysis used SPSS to determine the effect on participation and depression before and after the program was implemented. Results: As a result of the analysis, depression levels decreased after completion of the horticultural therapy program and music therapy program, and this was statistically significant. Conclusion: Three implications are presented based on the following research results. First, the need for programs that can improve not only the physical health but also the mental health of elderly people living in rural areas is suggested. Second, the need for programs that link cultural programs such as music and gardening activities with welfare programs is suggested. Third, the need for follow-up management and verification of periodic mental health checkups for rural elderly is suggested.

• Korean Parent-Child Health Journal
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• v.12 no.1
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• pp.61-76
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• 2009

Purpose: The purpose of this study was to develop child's health assessment tools for children in child care centers. Methods: Based on the literature review and several types of workshops participated with the child health nursing professors, doctoral students, nurses in pediatric units and pediatric psychiatric units from July to December 2006, the standards of child health assessment tools were developed. Graduate students and 4th grade students in nursing were trained for health assessment and used these assessment tools to validate the content and reliability of said tools. Results: Some record forms were newly developed, including demographic characteristics, past history, present health status, behavioral problems, and appropriate developmental screening tests in child care centers were selected. For systematic health care management in child care centers, daily care report, illness log, and referral sheet were also developed. Conclusion: In the face of growing utilization of daycare and their association with increased risk of various diseases, assessment and control measures are indispensable to the promotion of child health. Children's physical and mental health and developmental problems can be assessed using this assessment tools. They can be used for establishing the direction for developing a health care service system for young children.

• Research in Community and Public Health Nursing
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• v.18 no.2
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• pp.284-292
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• 2007

Purpose: The purpose of this study is to explore and understanding the nature of the shift workers' experience in industries requiring 24 hours-a-day service provision and support. For the Purpose, the present researcher made a research Question, "What are workers' experience in the shift work?" Methods: In the study, 5 male shift workers, 3 female shift worker and a woman (key informant) whose husband is a shift worker participated. Then profound interviews with the participants were made after their agreement. Results: The researcher classified the significant statements under 6 theme clusters, 1) sense of difference; 2) worries about health; 3) draining of emotion; 4) anxiety; 5) sadness; and 6) being comfortable. Conclusions: Shift work which is inevitable in modern society may have severe influences on shift workers' physical, mental and psychological aspects by causing their work cycle rhythm to be unbalanced. Finally, the researcher hopes that the results of the study would help understand workers' life and increase social concern and support to the workers.

• Korean Journal of Psychosomatic Medicine
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• v.26 no.1
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• pp.26-34
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• 2018

Objectives : This study tried to explore the prevalence of chronic physical diseases in patients with schizophrenia and its effects on total medical costs. Methods : The Health Insurance Review and Assessment Service data in 2014-2015 was employed. Only the injuries and diseases, identically diagnosed 3 times or more as a major or minor injury and disease, were classified into chronic physical diseases to improve data accuracy. Total medical costs included out-of-pocket and insurer's costs from health care system perspective. Results : It was shown that 24.5%, 17.3% and 23.4% of schizophrenia patients had one, two and three or more chronic physical diseases, respectively. There was a high prevalence of not only metabolic, but also musculoskeletal, diseases in those patients. The amount of 2015 total medical costs of patients with schizophrenia in 2014 was about 1.08 trillion won. The factors affecting the costs included sex, age, number of chronic physical diseases, and health insurance status. Conclusions : It is considered that clinical practice guidelines based on personal diseases may not sufficiently solve the problems for comorbidities in schizophrenia patients. Accordingly, it should be required to develop models for new types of medical systems capable of treating and caring varied illnesses at the same time.

• Journal of agricultural medicine and community health
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• v.15 no.2
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• pp.97-106
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• 1990

1. Background Women's health and their involvement in health care are essential to health for everyone. If they are ignorant, malnourished or over-worked, the health &-their families as well as their own health will suffer. Women's health depends on broad considerations beyond medicine. Among other things, it depends upon their work in farming. their subordination to their families, their accepted roles, and poor hygiene with poorly equipped housing and environmental sanitation. 2. Objectives and Contents a. The health status of rural women : physical and mental complaints, experience of pesticides intoxication, Farmer's syndrome, experiences of reproductive health problems. b. participation in and attitudes towards housework and farming c. accessibility of medical care d. status of maternal health : fertility, family planning practice. induced abortion, and maternal care 3. Research method A nationwide field survey, based on stratified random sampling, was conducted during July, 1986. Revised Cornell Medical index(68 out of 195 items). Kawagai's Farmers Syndrome Scale, and self-developed structured questionnaires were used to rural farming wives(n=2.028). aged between 26-55. 4. Characteristics of the respondents mean age : 40.2 marital status : 90.8% married mean no. of household : 4.9 average years of education : 4.7 yrs. average income of household : \235,000 average years of residence in rural area : 36.4 yrs average Working hours(household and farming) : 11 hrs. 23 min 5. Health Status of rural women a. The average number of physical and mental symptoms were 12.4, 4.7, and the rate of complaints were 22.1%, 38.8% each. revealing complaints of mental symptomes higher than physical ones. b. 65.4% of rural women complained of more than 4 symptoms out of 9, indicating farmer's syndrome. 11.9 % experienced pesticide overdue syndrome c. 57.6% of respondents experienced women-specific health problems. d. Age and education of respondents were the variables which affect on the level of their health 6. Utilization of medical services a. The number of symptoms and complaints of respondents were dependent on the distance to where the health-care service is given b. Drug store was the most commonly utilized due to low price and the distance to reach. while nurse practitioners were well utilized when there were nurse practitioner's office in their villages. c. Rural women were internalized their subordination to husbands and children, revealing they are positive(93%) in health-care demand for-them but negative(30%) for themselves d. 33.0% of respondents were habitual drug users, 4.5% were smokers and 32.3% were alcohol drinkers. and 86.3% experienced induced-abortion. But most of them(77.6%) knew that those had negative effects on health. 7. Maternal Health Care a. Practice rate of contraception was 48.1% : female users were 90.9% in permanent and 89.6% in temporary contraception b. Induced abortions were taken mostly at hospital(86.3%), while health centers(4.7%), midwiferies(4.3%). and others(4.5%) including drug stores were listed a few. The repeated numbers of induced abortion seemed affected on the increasing numbers of symptoms and complaints. c. The first pre-natal check-up during first trimester was 41.8%, safe delivery rate was 15.6%, post-natal check-up during two months after delivery. Rural women had no enough rest after delivery revealing average days of rest from home work and farming 8.3 and 17.2. d. 86.6% practised breast feeding, showing younger and more educated mothers depending on artificial milk 8. Recommendations a. To lessen the multiple role over burden housing and sanitary conditions should be improved, and are needed farming machiner es for women and training on the use of them b. Health education should begin at primary school including health behavior and living environment. c. Women should be encouraged to become policy-makers as well as administrators in the field of women specific health affairs. d. Women's health indicators should be developed and women's health surveillance system too.

• Korea Journal of Hospital Management
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• v.19 no.2
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• pp.66-72
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• 2014

Although stress has been implicated to be a risk factor that can threaten physical and mental health, there have been no sufficient studies that analyze the different levels of stress among employees working in the different levels of the hospitals. We aim to identify the general characteristics of hospitals at different levels, to compare the stress levels among customer service representatives working in the tertiary care hospitals as well as acute general hospitals. In addition, we also wanted to analyze the relationship between the types of hospitals and the stress level. The work stress was measured using the Korean Occupational Stress scale. Study subjects' demographic characteristics and lifestyle factors were analyzed using analysis of frequency and multiple regression analysis. Our study revealed that the levels of medical facility were significantly associated with the levels of job stress(P=0.043), and the stress levels of employees working in the acute general hospital's medical facilities were higher than those who were working in tertiary care facilities. We also found that those with higher depression level tended to have higher job stress (P<0.001). Therefore, it is urgent to implement some kind of job stress interventions, especially in the acute general hospital's medical facilities. Moreover, further studies including social and policy research are necessary in order to analyze the overall impact of stress on physical and mental health and to reduce health inequalities among healthcare workers.

• Research in Community and Public Health Nursing
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• v.19 no.3
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• pp.480-494
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• 2008

Purpose: The study was to got basic data on the well-being of middle-aged people concerning their preparation for their upcoming old age and their quality of life. Methods: The subjects were 440 people aged between 40 and 59 living in Seoul and Gyeonggi-do. Results; First, Physical Preparation for old age was affected by religion, children, health, monthly income, and economical status, and these factors were shown statistically significant. Emotional preparation and spiritual Preparation were also related to the above-mentioned factors. Secondly, in the subjects' mental picture, a nursing home was a place for the aged without anyone who is going to take care of them and without abilities to care of themselves. Preference for nursing home was based on two factors. i.e., nursing and treatment care. and the cost was about one million won per month. Also they wanted that the government should pay a certain amount for private users. Conclusion: Therefore, people should lead a life of good health-related habits along with economical preparation for their old age.