• Journal of Korean Academy of Nursing
• /
• v.33 no.4
• /
• pp.503-509
• /
• 2003

Purpose. The purpose of this study was to survey the prevalence rate of cognitive impairments and to identify the factors influencing cognitive impairment in the elderly in rural communities of Jeju Province. Methods. 590 elderly in 6 rural communities of Jeju Province were interviewed, using a questionnaire consisting of sociodemographic characteristics, health behavior, quality of life, and MMSE-K Results. Prevalence of cognitive impairment was 33.1 % (39.1 % of females, 16.76% of males). Prevalence of dementia was 12.4% (16.3% of females, 2.87% of males). Factors related to cognitive impairment were age, sex, education, standard of living, employment status, and subjective health state. Conclusions. In community health care for the elderly, factors relating to cognitive impairment have to be considered. When planning community health care, priority should be given to the elderly; who need care but live alone; who lack social support; who have a low standard of living; who experience discomfort in the activities of daily living; who believe they are not in a good state of health; or whose life satisfaction is low.

• Journal of Korean society of Dental Hygiene
• /
• v.11 no.5
• /
• pp.707-715
• /
• 2011

Objectives : The objective of this study was to assess a level of oral health related quality of life(OHRQoL) for rural communities elderly and to determine the association between OHRQoL and socio-economic position. Methods : The study population was elderly(60+year-old) residents of PyeongChang county, Jeongseon county, Yeongwol county, Gangwon province. A total of 171 people were invited to participate. Oral health related quality of life was measured using the GOHAI. The data were analyzed with Mann-Whitney U test or Kruskal-Wallis test and to assess socio-economic inequalities in OHRQoL(GOHAI), we used multi-variable logistic regression models. We used models adjusting for age, sex, family status factors(Model I) and compared them to models additionally adjusting for stress level(Model II). Results : There were significant differences in lower score of GOHAI at lower age group and live alone group. And we found that lower SES was significantly associated with lower score of OHRQoL. Social gradient in the score of OHRQoL persisted when adjusted for age, sex, family status, stress level. Conclusions : We recommend that oral health promotion program should be developed after due consideration SES for rural communities elderly because OHRQoL of rural communities elderly was low and association between SES and OHRQoL for rural communities elderly.

• International Journal of Advanced Culture Technology
• /
• v.11 no.3
• /
• pp.131-141
• /
• 2023

This study aimed to identify the determinants of physical frailty among the old-old adults in rural Korean communities. A total of 191 individuals aged 75 and older were included in the study, with the majority being female. Participants were classified into healthy (n=47), pre-frail (n=54), and frail (n=90) groups. Significant differences were found across these groups in terms of age, gender, education level, depression, and nutritional status. Multiple logistic regression analysis revealed that age (OR=1.16), depression (OR=0.21), malnourishment (OR=10.85), and short physical performance ability (OR=0.70) were significant predictors of physical frailty. These findings underscore the multifaceted nature of physical frailty among old-old adults in urban-rural complex communities and highlight the need for comprehensive and integrated interventions. Such interventions should consider not only physical factors but also broader health conditions and socio-demographic influences impacting the elderly. Further research is needed to develop and evaluate interventions that address these determinants and promote health equity among the elderly population in urban-rural complex communities

• The Korean Journal of Community Living Science
• /
• v.16 no.1
• /
• pp.73-88
• /
• 2005

As the proportion of the elderly population in rural Korea has increased rapidly, the quality of life of the rural elderly has become a major public and policy concern. In this regards, most of the researches on rural elderly have focused mainly on the 'risk factors or problems' of rural areas, ignoring the 'positive or protective aspects' of rural community on the quality of life of elderly. This study attempts to explore the possible positive influence of rural community on the quality of life of elderly and to examine the linkage among ecological characteristics of the communities, social interaction and quality of life of rural elderly. To achieve this goal, a community case study was conducted in four Korean rural villages. The data were collected using participant observation method and in-depth interviews (person-to-person, group interviews). All the interviews were tape-recorded and transcribed verbatim for the analysis. The data was analyzed using the reflective qualitative analytic technique. The major findings of this study are as follows : All of the four villages have strong community ties and provide contexts which make it possible for older people to share their everyday life with neighbors and to actively participate as a community member. Although the four villages were geographically not far from each other, the pattern of social interaction and the nature of everyday-life of the elderly were nevertheless different depending on the ecological environment of each community, the relationship history among the community members, and the shared experience of historical events in recent Korean history. Elderly men have smaller networks and have less frequent contact with community members than elderly women. The political and practical implications of this study are discussed.

• The Korean Journal of Community Living Science
• /
• v.18 no.3
• /
• pp.417-431
• /
• 2007

This study investigates the differences among residental areas in the health, standard of living, and social relationships of female elderly living alone. The total of 501 subjects(185 from rural areas, 159 from fishing communities, 77 from the islands, and 80 from urban areas) were questioned from May to July, 2006. The research area was confined to Chungcheong Province. The female elderly living alone of this study were an average of seventy-three years old, had a low cost of living, and received little formal school education. Over sixty percent(60.3) of them lived on less than thirty dollars a month which was the recognized Korean poverty level in 2006. The female elderly living alone were evaluated as being in good health, but they themselves perceived their health as being poor. Observed by residential areas, the subjects in urban areas were lower in ADL, and both the urban dwellers and the islanders appeared to be higher in their satisfaction with medical services as compared to those in rural areas and fishing communities. The fishing villagers showed the lowest standard of living for female elderly living alone. The analysis of social relationships as seen in the different residental areas revealed that the female elderly living alone g in urban areas tended to be receiving social supports rather than providing for others, and subjects living in fishing areas and the islands proved to be relatively higher in the exchange of social supports. In relation to offspring, the female elderly living alone in urban areas had a lower frequency of meeting with their children and also a lesser degree of intimacy with them because they lived at a distance. On the other hand, subjects living in rural areas and fishing communities had a higher frequency of meeting with their children and a greater degree of intimacy with them even if they lived at a distance. The study also showed that the female elderly living alone in the islands had a higher frequency of once meeting per three week with their offspring and a higher degree of intimacy with them because they all live in the same islands. In conclusion, the subject living in urban areas appeared to be isolated from their offspring as compared to the other seniors in the study. The female elderly living alone in urban areas suffered from an insufficient network of relatives and neighbors, and they experienced a poor quality of relationships to their offspring. Almost all of the lone seniors in the study had a low score in social activities; however, the female elderly living alone in urban areas revealed a higher level of participation in volunteer activities, group activities, and educational activities. Nevertheless, the lone seniors living in urban areas were not satisfied with their participation in social activities. The subjects living in rural in fishing communities and the islands showed more participation in money-making activities. This study suggests that the policies for female elderly living alone should reflect the differences of regional characteristics.

• Journal of the Korean Dietetic Association
• /
• v.14 no.1
• /
• pp.23-35
• /
• 2008

Improved nutritional intake contributes to maintaining health and quality of life in elderly population and also reducing individual and social medical costs. Most of nutrition assistance programs for elderly, such as congregate or home-delivered meal programs, are not currently serviced in rural communities mainly due to low cost efficiency of program operation. However, the needs and necessity of such programs are presumed to be higher in rural area where the population density of elderly at nutritional risk is relatively high. Therefore, the purpose of this study was to develop a community-based meal program for the rural elderly. In 2007, four rural communities located in Jeon-Nam province were selected and the pilot meal program was applied for three months. Following are key features of the meal program model developed in this study: 1) meal production and service are operated by elderly participants to overcome the voluntary personnel shortage 2) utilization of locally-produced foods is maximized to reduce the meal cost, 3) traditional cooking methods are applied to adjust the food preference of elderly, and 4) foods are serviced on site to minimize the food safety problem possibly caused by delivery process. The pilot programs resulted in high satisfaction with the programs of participating elderly. The community-based meal program model developed in this study is expected to be used as an effective nutrition and health intervention model for the rural elderly.

• Journal of the Korean Institute of Rural Architecture
• /
• v.19 no.4
• /
• pp.33-40
• /
• 2017

Following the development of economy and progress of the society, the problem of aging population appears. In 1999, China had been classified as "aging society" and aging of population has become a serious social issue that affects the economic growth and social stability. And one of the crux issue is the dwelling of aged people. As a cosmopolitan city, Beijing keeps leading position on residential development. But facing grim problem of ageing population, and the problem of the elderly living has not been solved yet. At the beginning of 21 Century, the first aged community(Oriental Sun City) was built in Beijing, and attracted a large number of old people to move in. But there are many problems in the process of design and construction since there is not much correlative researches for planning and design of aged communities. With a view to aged communities in Beijing, this thesis intends to research on the planning and design of aged communities. This thesis will give reference to help the programming and design of aged communities.

• Journal of the Korean Home Economics Association
• /
• v.28 no.4
• /
• pp.65-86
• /
• 1990

Living conditions of the rural elderly were assessed in terms of clothing behavior, health and nutritional status, housing and envioronmental condition, and psychological adjustment. The subjects were eighty individuals over sixty residing in the rural community of Iksan-kun, Chollabukdo. The interview method using questionnaires, direct measurement, and observation was used for this study. Data were compared with those obtained from a previous study of the elderly residing in an urban area. Clothing behavior showed that the elderly residing in the rural community were more concerned about plain and conservative design of clothes than their urban counterparts. Special protective clothes for cropdusting with agricultural chemicals had not been prepared. The following urgent needs were pointed out: development and supply of agricultural chemical protective clothing and development and education of appropriate washing and clothing care methods. The health status of the elderly was generally good, but poor eating habits were found more frequently in the rural elderly than among the urban dwellers. Several dietary nutrient intakes were insufficient. Contrasting the urban elderly with the rural group, it was found that the urban group lacked sufficient vitamin A and vitamin C and the urban women had insufficient calorie whereas the rural group was deficient in protein, vitamin A, calorie, and fat. A significant relationship was found between dietary nutrient intake and health index, food habit points, self recognized health status, meal satisfaction, and economic status. Urgent needs of the development of a nutrition education program for the elderly were pointed out. Most of elderly residing in the surveyed rural communities were living alone or with their spouse only, therefore only one room was used among the three or four available rooms. Most of the rural elderly were living either in a traditional Korean house built with differing floor levels or in a modified Korean style house. Minimal modernization had been made for kitchen facilities such as sink and gas range or for heating facilities with the briquette boiler. However, sanitary space such as lavatory and bathroom had not been remodeled. A housing welfare program for rural communities should be implemented at the national level. The comparison of psychological characteristics of the rural elderly with their city counterparts revealed that the rural elderly have a more stable psychological status and optimistic attitude than those living in a city. However, it was found that most of the elderly did not have any future plan. Community programs for the elderly including hobbies or leisure activities or education programs to generate close interpersonal relationships with their children should be developed and provided.

• Journal of Families and Better Life
• /
• v.27 no.4
• /
• pp.1-18
• /
• 2009

This study has been performed to explore process of forming low cost small site housing communities and residential lives of the young elderly around small cities along rural counties of America and Canada, and suggest future implications for Korea. In this study, five low cost small housing zones such as cottage and mobile home parks in non-metropolitan counties of California and Ontario State such as Weed, Paradise, Sun City,, Wellington on the Lake, and Trenton were visited and the elderly residents and service experts were interviewed. The senior concentrating housing clusters were formed primarily from influx of both metropolitan and rural residents for the purpose of seeking warmful localities, traffic connections, and business purposes in theme focused production areas. On the other hand, residential lives in the zones are occasionally negatively influenced by unbalanced concentrations of elderly facilities such as nursing stations and funeral homes. For the future of Korean rural elderly policies, suggestions are made as follows: first, integrated forms of urban and rural township need to be settled as attracting places for early retiring people who seek low cost pastoral oriented but culturally activated environment. Second, a model town of mobile housing structures needs to be initiated as a measure of evaluating adaptation process of those movers. Third, a cooperation system among governmental ministries needs to be formed in order to integrate a long term master plan of establishing traditional rural town of independent housing districts. fourth, productive and active lifestyles need to be maintained for government lead retirement rural villages by limiting expansion of nursing related facilities around the independent areas. Fifth, visiting welfare service programs and volunteer groups need to be further developed for the housing area especially in winter time, when social integration and emotional comforts are extremely limited.

• Journal of Agricultural Extension & Community Development
• /
• v.10 no.2
• /
• pp.153-166
• /
• 2003

The objective of this study is to explore the situations and extension roles for rural elderly welfare program in North Dakota, USA. With a growing older population, aging has become an important issue for extension. Services for rural elderly available in North Dakota were adult day care, home health care, senior insurance counseling, nutrition and medication assistance programs, support groups, legal assistance, meals on wheels, nursing homes and more. With a growing older population, aging has become an important issue for extension. Extension provides programs and services for rural elderly. This study was conducted by literature review. First, many rural elderly Americans are actively engaged in volunteer work and have made substantial contributions to their communities. Second, extension educators from interdisciplinary areas should work together to develop programs. Extension programs can include intergenerational programs to help younger generations learn about the issue. Third, extension can collaborate with other agencies and groups to offer support groups. Offering educational programs is a key to empowering older people. Fourth, elderly residents may be the only increasing natural resource for volunteering in general, and for participation in community improvement in particular. Fifth, extension educators should be proactive in working with agencies to provide social access and in helping older people be actively engaged in their lives, especially in rural areas.