• Korea journal of population studies
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• v.16 no.2
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• pp.125-139
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• 1993

Korea has successfully achieved a lowered fertility level owing to the strong population control policy and effective family planning program. Along with fertility decline and decreased number of children in family, average number of household members has decreased and nontraditional households such as one person household and households composed of unrelated individuals have prolifirated, even though the absolute number of them are found minimal in Korea. However in recent years several data and survey results suggest that one person households are gradually in the increasing trend. The study aimed at investigating the real state of one person households in Korea and next analyzing the proportional distribution of one person households by a few socioeconomic characteristics, thus providing basic for eatablishing far-singhted population and social welfare policy in the future. Korea has experienced high growth rate of economy through government-led development plans starting from the 1960s. During the past three decades, Korea has shifted from the agricultural state to the industrialized one. In compliance with the economic growth, urbanization and industrialization have brought about rural-to-urban migration and a great bulk of young population migrated to urban areas, who are seeking for educational and job opportunities. Korean society has also been under drastic change in every aspect of life involving norms, tradition, and attitude, etc. Therefore, in spite of the prejudice on 'living alone' still remaining, young people gradually leave parents and home, and further form nontraditional households in urban areas. Current increase in the number of one person households is partly attributable to the increase in high female educational attainment and female participation in economic activities. As the industrial structure in Korea changes from primary into secondary and tertiary industries, job opportunities for service/sales and manufacturing are opened to young female labor force in the process of industrialization. Contrary to the formation of one person households by young people, the aged single households are composed when children in family leave one by one because of marriage, education, employment. In particular, a higher proportion of aged female single households occur in rural areas due to the mortality difference by sex. Based on the data released form the 1990 Population and Housing Census and National Fertility and Family Health Survey in 1985 and 1991, the study tried to examine the state of one person households in Korea. According to Census data, the number of one person households increased to 1, 021, 000 in 1990, comprising 9.0 percent of total households. And the survey reveal that among total 11, 540 households, 8.0 percent, 923 households, are composed of one person households. Generally, the proportion of female single households is greater than that of male ones, and a big proportion of one person households is concentrated in the 25-34 age bracket in urban areas and 65 years and more in rural areas. It is shown than one person householders in urban areas have higher educational attainment with 59.2 percent high schooling and over in 1991, Job seeking proved to be the main reason for leaving home and forming one person households. The number of young female single households with higher education and economic self-reliance are found nil and the study did not allow to analyze the causal realtionship between female education and employment and one person household formation. However more research and deep analysis on the causal facors on one person household formation using statistical method are believed to be necessary.

• Journal of agricultural medicine and community health
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• v.20 no.2
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• pp.149-156
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• 1995

This study was performed for 182 rural persons of patients who had admitted at National Masan Tuberculosis Hospital from 21th Feb to 18th Aug, 1994. We investigated diseased history based on the data according to the kind of occupation. The results were summarized as follows : The most common occupation was no occupation(35.2%). The most common age group was 5th decade(25.3%). By the age, the most common group in cases of no occupation was over 7th decade and under 5th decade, and agriculture was over 7th decade and 6th decade. Male(83.5%) were more than female, but wasn't significantly different. The most common group in the level of education was over the graduate of high school. The group that have ever drunken(p<0.05) and smoked(p<0.01) was significantly different in labour, service, agriculture, others. Family history, combined disease, symptom were no significantly different by occupation. Both lung fields on the chest X-ray was the most common site of invasion(82.4%). In the tests of AFB smear and culture, the differences according to the occupation were not. At the time of admission, the most common group in the state of treatment was initial treatment. The multi-drug resistance tuberculosis was no significantly different by occupation.

• Journal of Veterinary Clinics
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• v.26 no.6
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• pp.515-519
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• 2009

Antibodies to Anaplasma phagocytophilum and Ehrlichia chaffeensis were detected by the immunofluorescent antibody (IFA) test in sera collected from cats, thoroughbred horses and Holstein cattle in Gwangju, Jeonju and Jeju Island of Korea. Two hundred fifty four sera (33 feral and pet cats, 92 grazing horses and 129 grazing cattle) were obtained from Republic of Korea. Antibodies to A. phagocytophilum (titer $\geq$ 80) were detected in 6 of the 33 feral and pet cats (18.2%), and 1 seropositive cat (3.0%) also had antibodies to E. chaffeensis. Only 1 of 129 (0.8%) cattle and 2 of 92 (2.2%) horses had antibodies to A. phagocytophilum. Antibodies to E. chaffeensis were not detected in either of these animals. This is the first report of serological evidence of A. phagocytophilum and E. chaffeensis from cats, cattle and horses in Korea. These rickettsial agents could have an important impact on human health or impact animal health with economic losses among industrial grazing animals in Korea.

• Journal of the Korea Academia-Industrial cooperation Society
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• v.11 no.10
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• pp.3808-3819
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• 2010

This study was performed to determine the levels of quality of life(QOL) according to the grade of long-term care service in the elderly people who were judged from long-term care insurance, and to reveal its association with related variables. The interviews were made to 958 elderlies in urban and rural areas from March 1 to May 31, 2009. The mean scores of QOL among all subjects were $55.4{\pm}15.62$(Grade I; $49.7{\pm}14.17$, Grade II; $56.8{\pm}14.62$, Grade III; $59.4{\pm}16.36$), and they were lower according to the higher grade of long-term care insurance. The multiple regression analysis was used to reveal the explanatory powers of factors influencing on the level QOL. Such factors as educational level, monthly income, subjective health status, depression and MMSE-K were shown to affect their QOL in Grade I, Grade II, and Grade III with explanatory powers of 45~62%.

• Journal of the Korean Society of School Health
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• v.12 no.2
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• pp.217-230
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• 1999

The purpose of this study is to find out problems in obesity management through survey and analysis of the actual conditions from the view of a elementary schools school-nurses and to establish fundamental data for efficient obesity management. The subjects for this study were 313 numbers of elementary school-nurses in Kyung-Sang-Pook-Do. The data were collected through mail questionaries from November 1 to November 30, 1997. The major findings in this survey were as follows: 49.8% of the school-nurses who responded in the survey were in their 30s. The average career was 7.3years. The average service duration in their present school was 2.3 years, 55.6% of them were serving at schools which have less than ten classes total 77.2% of them were serving rural areas, 79.6% of them were serving at schools with fewer than 100 obese students. The total obesity prevalence rate was 11.4%, 13.3% were girls, 9.3% were boys. The measurement of height and weight is performed once a year for all surveyed students (91.7%), but obese students were measured as much five times (51.1%). The rate of obesity management planning was 74.1%, however the rates of evaluation and role assignment were 41. 2%, and 24.3%. 79.6% of the surveyed schools have health education classes for obesity, the rate compared (8.0 periods per year) to the whole of health education (79.1 periods per year) is 10.1%. 99.9% of the schools had counseling rooms for obesity (combined with nursing rooms) but they were used. The roote of individual counseling was 84.3%. The frequency counseling was six times a year for about 15 minutes. Obesity counseling records were kept 93.6% of the time and individual information cards were kept 98.7% of the time. The frequency of parents counseling was 42.8% and the survey shows that the main problem here was insufficient counseling facilities. The frequency of dietary guidance and exercise therapy was 84.3% and the dietary instructor was usually the school nurse at 51.7%. The frequency of obesity student exercise was 1-2 times a week and more-than-10-minutes at a time. They skip rope during the morning self-study class. The number on problem of exercise guidance at 56.2% was students' non-cooperativeness. School-nurses, 87.9%, answered that obesity management at school is necessary and 86.9% mentioned the shortage of obesity related information in present physical exercise books. From the plural responses of executing the obesity management, there are many similar problems: lack of knowledge and non-cooperation in parents at 41.9%, is predominant followed by of knowledge and non-cooperation in the children. The third problem is the lack of funds and facilities.

• Journal of Nutrition and Health
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• v.51 no.3
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• pp.264-274
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• 2018

Purpose: This study aimed to investigate the current status of food service management in elementary care classes. Methods: A focus group interview with seven care class managers and a survey with 101 care class managers using a self-administered questionnaire in Gyeonggi province were conducted. Results: In the focus group interview, purchased meals and snacks were evaluated as low quality by the care class managers. Frequent use of frozen or processed food and products with low prices were also reported as problems. Care class managers were in charge of meal and snack planning without any guidelines or expert advices. The results of the survey show that most schools serve purchased snacks and meals. The average unit costs of one meal and snack were 4,062 and 1,463 Won, respectively. The average unit costs of snacks during semester (p = 0.015) and vacation (p = 0.039) were significantly lower in rural than urban areas. The percentages of schools that prepared nutrition standards for meal and snack planning in elementary care classes were only 7.4% and 10.9%, respectively. The meal menus were mostly provided by catering service companies, and the snack menus were planned mostly by the care class managers. Menu planning by the care class managers was more usual in rural than urban areas (p = 0.054 for meal planning and p = 0.008 for snack planning). Just 33.7% of schools introduced safety standards for food service in elementary care classes, and more than half of the respondents (56.4%) did not do a regular medical check-up. Only 33.7% of the respondents received education for food safety. Conclusion: These results show the necessity for establishment of detailed guidelines for food service in elementary care classes and for the introduction of a food safety and nutrition education program customized for care class managers.

• Journal of Preventive Medicine and Public Health
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• v.16 no.1
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• pp.163-192
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• 1983

In order to facilitate the Korean government's efforts in integrating family planning and maternal & child health at the primary health care level (or township level), the Soon Chun Hyang College of Medicine, with the financial and technical assistance of WHO, has under-taken a service research project. The project has employed a quasi-experimental study design introducing interventions tat provide crucial factors lacking in the ongoing government programs such as midwives and qualified referral physicians. The study is being conducted in three locations, one control area and two study areas. Before introducing trained Nurse/Midewives into the study areas, a baseline prevalence survey was undertaken from 15 July 1981 to 10 August 1981 in selelcted townships of Seosan County. In this sample survey of bath the study and control areas, 2,484 eligible women (97% reponse rate) were interviewed to obtain benchmark data on basic evaluation indicators related to family planning and maternal and child health. The salients results were summarized as follows.: 1. CONTACT RATES WITH HEALTH WORKERS; During the year preceding the survey, 12% of women were visited by government health workers. The primary reason for such visits by health workers was family planning (45% of the visits). About 34% of the women visited the health centers during the year. The primary reason for visiting health centers was immunizations for their children (45% of the visits). 3. FAMILY PLANNING USE RATE; The baseline data showed little difference between women in the study area and the control area on contraceptive use. Approximately 59% were currently using some methods. However, among those current users, almost half were practicing less effective methods of birth control such as rhythm or withdrawal. Among other methods, the tubectomy was the most popular (16%), while use of the IUD, oral pill and condom together reached only 14%. 3. PRENATAL CARE RATE; About 75% of the women reported no prenatal care for their last births (the youngest child of each women), Additionally, among women received prenatal care, over half had only one visit. 4. ATTENDANCE AT DELIVERY; Most of the women surveyed (over 80%) were attended by a non-medical person during their last delivery. These figures are somewhat comparable to the national figure of 84% for remote areas. 5. POSTNATAL CARE; The proportion of women reporting postnatal care was only 4.5%, and postnatal care was not received by the majority of women surveyed. 6. CHILD HEALTH CARE: In contrast to the low rate of maternity care for women themselves, most women reported obtaining immunization care for their children. About 75% of the women obtained Polio and/or DPT, 58% BCG, and 44% Measles vaccine for their children. However, in terms of illness care, while 35% of the women stated that their youngest child had been sick during the month preceding the survey, only 28% of these women took their child to the clinic for treatment. 7. COMPLICATIONS OF PREGNANCY AND DELIVERY AND ABNORMALITIES IN THE NEWBORN; Among all last deliveries, 18% of the women had pregnancy complications and 9% of the women had complications during delivery About 5% of the women reported abnormality in their most recent newborn. 8. REPRODUCTION EFFICIENCY; PERINATAL MORTALITY AND INFANT MORTALITY Based on data from the pregnancy history in this survey, reproduction efficiency was estimated. Out of the 11,154 pregnancies reported by all women surveyed, foetal loss was 21% (almost 16% were induced abortions) and infant deaths before reaching one year old were 3.1%. The reproduction efficiency was, therefore, reduced to 76%. In terms of perinatal and infant mortality rates, the former was 40.2 per 1,000 total births and the latter was 39.3 per 1,000 live births. Both rates described J shaped relationships with age of mothers and parity, and they were also correlated with birth interval and mother's education. In summary, this baseline survey data indicated a need for (1) improving contraceptive practices with more effective methods to prevent unwanted pregnancies and (2) providing better services for maternal and child care to protect wanted pregancies. In the Korean rural setting. the author believes that the latter is more important as the value of each child has increased as a result of the family planning campaign for the past two decades. This calls for more effective integration of Family Planning and MCH programmes to meet the needs of the family in each stage of the child bearing and rearing period with deploying more qualified personnel than the current government program personnel.

• Journal of Preventive Medicine and Public Health
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• v.43 no.4
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• pp.319-329
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• 2010

Objectives: This study was performed to determine the levels of quality of life (QOL) according to the grade of long-term care service for the elderly people who were admitted from long-term care insurance, and to reveal its association with the physical and mental functioning such as the Activity of Daily Living (ADL), the Instrumental Activity of Daily Living (IADL), the Center for Epidemiologic Studies Depression Scale (CES-D), and the Mini-Mental State Examination-Korean version (MMSE-K). Methods: The interviews were performed during the period from March 1 to May 31, 2009, for 958 elderly people in urban and rural areas. The questionnaire items included various indices such as the ADL, IADL, CES-D, and MMSE-K, as independent variables and the index of QOL, as the dependent ones. For statistical analysis, t-tests were used for the mean scores of QOL according to gender and the grade of long-term care services, and Spearman's correlation was used for each variable. The effects of physical and mental functioning for QOL were assessed by covariance structure analysis. The statistical significance was set at p<0.05. Results: The mean scores of QOL among all the subjects was $55.4{\pm}15.62$ (Grade I: $49.7{\pm}14.17$, Grade II: $56.8{\pm}14.62$, Grade III: $59.4{\pm}16.36$), and it was lower according to the higher grade of long-term care insurance. In terms of the correlation matrix of the QOL and the physical and mental function factors, the QOL showed positive correlation with the ADL, IADL and MMSE-K, while it had negative correlation with depression. On the analysis of covariance, mental functioning (depression and the MMSE-K) had a greater influence on the level of QOL than the physical functioning (ADL and IADL). Conclusions: The level of the QOL in the elderly people who were admitted from long-term care insurance was lower according to higher the grade of long-term care insurance. Also, the mental functioning (depression and MMSE-K) was more influential on the level of the QOL than the physical functioning (ADL and IADL).

• Journal of agricultural medicine and community health
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• v.11 no.1
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• pp.44-54
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• 1986

This study was aimed at investigating the health seeking behaviors of patients; For the purpose of analyzing the research theme we classified the study into two phase. First, the types of patients' health seeking behavior were categorized into a scheme according to what medical care resources were utilized in patients' coping process. Second, from patients' first visits to third visits to medical resources, we analyzed variations of factors which noted as crucial elements in constituting the patients' sickness career. To grasp the generalized characteristics from complicated empirical data, we limited the scope of our analysis to third stage of health seeking. A total of 121 persons who had beer suffering from chronic diseases more than 3 months was sampled among the residents of Banwol-Eup, the target Area of Korea University Health Project. The findings are as follows ; 1) In the course of visiting medical care resources, 34 different types of health seeking Behavior were found. From this result we inferred the idea that patients in Banwol-Eup had not any stable norms to cope with their pains. Clinics, hospital, pharmacy, Herb-doctors', folkways (self-treatment) were accessed by patients in orders. But more than half of patients who had utilized clinics or hospitals from their first to third visits, changed medical care resources to others, for example herb doctors or folkways, which had fundamentally different treatment models. Upon these two facts, the diversified types and capricious patterns in the health seeking behavior of Banwol patients, we observed a typical Shopping-Around phenomenon. 2) Factors which influenced patients' to their sickness career were changed along the courses of health seeking, from first to third visits as follows ; $\cdot$ Perceived seriousness of diseases were tended to decrease. $\cdot$ Professional medical personnel tended to be influencial in the patients' sickness career, (5.0%, 25.0% and 65.7%). The influence of the primary interaction groups such as parents, friends, neighbours, tended to decrease ; (90.9%, 71.2% and 30.0%). $\cdot$ The subjective reasons why to choose such a medical care resource were related to economic affordability and disease-itself as main motives. Credibility of health resources tended to increase 14.9%, 24.0% and 31.4 sequently. $\cdot$ Geographic accessibility factors did not change significantly. Most of patients had utilized health resources in Banwol and Anyang area. 3) Cultural inclination in the shopping-around phenomenon has shown difference among age groups. The age group' over 50 years' preferred traditional health resources to modern health resources. 4) Consistency of health seeking behavior on the shopping around phenomenon has shown difference according to the degrees of patients' economic affordability and those of psychological satisfaction toward modern health services. However, there were some restrictions in this thesis ; a) the study was limited to the 3rd health seeking career so it did not allow us to collect more informations after that, b) the study was not able to carry out causal analysis on patients health behavior determinated by explanatory model of health resources, and c) the study was not able to take into consideration of factors connected with social structural circumstances. Despite of restrictions described above, we are sure that this thesis would promote health providers' understanding toward patients' inclinations, through which they could provide efficient and accurate medical service.

• 한국노년학
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• v.38 no.3
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• pp.569-592
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• 2018

This study purported to investigate the current state of human rights of older adults residing in rural areas of Korea. The study utilized, as an analytic framework, 4 priority directions (1. "older persons and development", 2. "rural area development", 3. "advancing health and well-being into old age", and 4. "ensuring enabling and supportive environments") with 13 task actions recommended by Madrid International Plan of Action on Ageing (MIPAA). Furthermore, the study examined gender differences in all items included in the analytic framework. Data was collected by the face-to-face survey on 800 subjects aged 65 and over. Statistical analyses were conducted using STATA 13.0 program. The main results were summarized in order of 4 priority directions as follows. First, average working hours per day were 6.2, and men reportedly participated in economic activities and needed job training more than women, while women participated in lifelong education programs more than men. Awareness of fire and disaster prevention facilities was low in both genders. Second, accessibility to the support center for the elderly living alone as well as protective services for the vulnerable elderly was found to be low. IT-based services and networking were used more by men than women, and specifically, IT-based financial transactions and welfare services were least used. Third, medical check-ups and vaccinations were well received, while consistent treatments for chronic illnesses and long-term care services were relatively less given. In addition, accessibility to mental health service centers was considerably low. Fourth, although old house structures and the lack of convenience facilities were found to be circumstantial risk factors for these elders, experiences of receiving housing support services were scarce. The elderly were found to rely more on informal care, and concerns for their care were higher in women than men. Plus, accessibility to elderly abuse services was markedly low. Based on these results, discussed were implications for implementing policies and practical interventions to raise the levels of the human rights for this population.