• Journal of Families and Better Life
• /
• v.28 no.1
• /
• pp.159-174
• /
• 2010

The purpose of this study was to examine the health care expenditure of elderly single and elderly couple households whose head is more than 60 years old. The data analyzed for the study were Korean Retirement and Income Study(KRelS) conducted in 2007 by National Pension Corporation. The major finding of this study were as follows: First, the amount of health care expenditure of elderly single households was lower than that of elderly couple households. However, ratio of health care expenditure to total consumption expenditure of elderly single households was larger than that of elderly couple households. Second, the ratio of health care expenditure in consumption expenditure in this study was larger than the ratios in past analyse showed in the previous studies. Third, common factor affecting on health care expenditure of elderly single and elderly couple households was the existence of the family member with chronic disease or handicap. The health care expenditure of elderly singer households was influenced by income, gender and the ownership of national health insurance. The influence of income for elderly singer households seemed to be greater than for elderly couple households. The variables which affected health care expenditure of elderly couple households were age and housing tenure status. The amount and ratio health care expenditure were increased as the age increases. These results show that the health care expenditures for each groups varied according to socio-demographic variables and health-related behavior variables. It is suggested that there should be a discriminative health care policy for each elderly single and elderly couple households. In addition, the health care policy for the elderly households of which member has a chronic disease is certainly necessary. Especially a health care plan for the elderly single households with lower income is in need. For the elderly couple households, the priority group of health care policy would be the high age group.

• The Korean Journal of Community Living Science
• /
• v.25 no.4
• /
• pp.511-531
• /
• 2014

This study explores supportive and conflictual network structures of elderly single and couple households and analyzes the effects of supportive and conflictual networks on suicidal thoughts by gender and family type. The analysis considered a sample of 522 individuals over the age of 60 who did not live with their adult children. The statistical methods used to analyze data were descriptive statistics, a t-test, a chi-square test and a regression analysis using SPSS WIN 20.0. The results are as follows. First, men and elderly single households had support networks that were smaller than those of women and elderly couple households. The conflictual network of elderly couples households was larger than that of elderly single households. In addition, the larger the network, the more the conflictual was. Second, elderly single households thought about suicide more often than elderly couple households. Third, economic status, the number of adult children, the size of conflictual network and subjective health had considerable influence on suicidal thoughts of elderly single and couple households. The size of the conflictual network had a greater effect on suicidal thoughts of elderly individuals than that of the supportive network. These results have important policy implications for elderly single and couple households.

• Journal of the Korean Home Economics Association
• /
• v.39 no.2
• /
• pp.111-130
• /
• 2001

Using the 1996 Expenditure Survey of Urban Famines from the Korea National Statistics Office, this study examines the economic status and the inequality of the elderly households. To explain the inequality of the single elderly households, this study divides the elderly into three groups of single, couple, and Living with admit children, and compares the total household income, total household expenditure and the net saving amount of these three groups. The results of Gini coefficients and Lorenz curries show that the inequality is higher in the single elderly household than couple elderly households or living with adult children elderly households. To investigate the reason of the inequality, this study compares the income, expenditure, and net saving amount by working condition of the household head in each three group. The result implies the need of employment to get household income especially for the single elderly who are in the higher inequality economic condition.

• Korean Journal of Human Ecology
• /
• v.12 no.1
• /
• pp.25-38
• /
• 2003

This study was conducted to analyze the economic well-being of the elderly households based on the housing ownership and the housing costs, with the comparison between the coupled elderly and the single elderly. The results of this study were as follows: the household type was related to the housing ownership, showing that the single elderly households owned the housing less than the coupled elderly did. There was a difference in housing costs between the single elderly and the coupled elderly, showing the single elderly households had higher housing costs than the coupled elderly households. The housing ownership was significantly related, but the housing costs negatively related to the economic well-being of the elderly.

• Journal of the Korean Institute of Rural Architecture
• /
• v.25 no.3
• /
• pp.1-8
• /
• 2023

This study aims to analyze the trend of changes in the elderly living arrangement over the past 20 years and the reasons why the elderly choose these changes. The subjects of the survey were households aged 65 years or older in Korea. Data from the survey of Ministry of Health and Welfare conducted in 2004, 2014, 2020 were used for the analysis. The result of analysis was as follows; First, since 2000, the number of elderly households living with their children has been rapidly decreasing, while the number of elderly couple households and single elderly households is gradually increasing. Second, elderly living alone appeared more in rural areas, women, older people, and elderly with low education. They are in a vulnerable position that needs help. Therefore, welfare policies for the elderly should be focused on elderly single households. Finally the reason for choosing elderly single household in 2020 was that the voluntary choice by the individual accounted for a much higher rate than the unintentional choice by the children. In addition, the life satisfaction of the elderly who arbitrarily selected the living arrangement was higher than that of the elderly who deliberately chose the living arrangement.

• Clinical Nutrition Research
• /
• v.13 no.1
• /
• pp.42-50
• /
• 2024

This study analyzed the 2019 Community Health Survey data to compare and analyze the health levels and life satisfaction of single-person elderly households based on food security. The final study subjects were 15,606 single-person elderly individuals aged 65 and above. These subjects were classified based on their response to food security into three groups: food sufficient-diverse, food sufficient-not diverse, and food insufficient. The study results showed that the proportion of the food insufficient group among single-person elderly households was 7.4% for men and 10.6% for women, with a slightly higher rate for female elderly. Both male and female elderly over 80 years of age, with low education levels, and basic living support recipients showed significantly higher proportions in the sufficient-not diverse and food insufficient groups. For male elderly, significant differences were observed in subjective health status and oral health level in the food insufficient group, and for female elderly, stress levels also showed significant differences. Life satisfaction scores were generally lower for female elderly compared to male, and significant differences were found in both male and female elderly based on food security. Common factors that significantly influence life satisfaction among single-person elderly households, both male and female, include food security, subjective health status, and living environment satisfaction, with food security being the most impactful factor. The study suggests that it is necessary to include these significant factors in the development of various social activity programs, such as dietary programs, to enhance life satisfaction and food security of single-person elderly households.

• 한국노년학
• /
• v.29 no.4
• /
• pp.1559-1575
• /
• 2009

As the basic old-age pension system was enforced in 2008, the base for old-age income security was founded. However, due to the basic old-age pension played a minor role as assistant allowance, it did not reach to sufficient level to cover full income security system. It is estimated that the dependency on private transfer income among the elderly who are difficult to be economically independent is still high. Therefore the poverty rate of the elderly households, who are not economically active or who are not protected by old-age income security system, is more likely to be higher than that of non-elderly households. Based on the assumption that public transfer income system should become a central means of old-age life guarantee, this study examined the poverty mitigation effects among the elderly households by comparing the private transfer income and the public transfer income. For this purpose, we selected single-elderly-households who have been considered the most vulnerable to poverty. We used 2006- 2008 Household Income and Expenditure Survey dataset that contained single-elderly who were older than 65 years old. To understand the conditions of poverty among single-elderly-households and the degree of poverty-reducing effect originated from income transfer system, we compared the poverty rates of total households and the whole elderly households. Next, we analysed the poverty of the single-elderly-households by social demographic factors such as gender, age, and economic activity. Our major findings are as follows: First, the poverty rate of the whole elderly households were not reduced, even though the basic old-age pension and long-term care management system were enforced in 2008. Second, half of the elderly households including single-elderly-households belonged to the absolute poverty line. Relatively higher level of poverty among the single-elderly-households was found especially those who were female, unemployed, low-educated, older, and rural single-elderly-households. Third, the effect of the public transfer income on mitigating the single-elderly-households poverty showed a little progress. However, even greater poverty reducing effect was found by the private transfer income system. Fourth, in a group of the public transfer systems, the public assistance such as supporting living costs contributed more to reduce poverty of the elderly population than the public pension system did.

• The Korean Journal of Community Living Science
• /
• v.22 no.4
• /
• pp.557-572
• /
• 2011

This study examines the effect of adult-children support network on the psychological well-being of the single and couple elderly households in rural areas. Adult-children support networks include both structural and functional characteristics. For the purpose of this research, 476 participants, who are older than 60 years old, living in rural areas, were selected. The results of this study are summarized as follows: the average degree of psychological well-being of the rural elderly was high. Emotional support from adult children was higher than economic or instrumental support. In the case of the single elderly households, adult children's economic support was the strongest variable affecting the psychological well-being. In the case of the couple elderly households, adult children's emotional support had the greater effect on psychological well-being. On the basis of this analysis, policy implications regarding the single and couple elderly households in rural areas were discussed.

• The Journal of the Korea Contents Association
• /
• v.22 no.7
• /
• pp.187-201
• /
• 2022

This study analyzed the dynamic changes in the energy poverty structure of all households, elderly households, and single-person households in Korea. To this end, a TIP curve was derived and the focus was on changes in energy poverty intensity and poverty incidence. For the data, annual and quarterly data on fuel costs from the National Statistical Office's Household Income and Expenditure Survey were used. And the results were presented using data from the first quarter, where the energy poverty problem can be prominent due to the high proportion of heating costs among the four quarters. As a result of the analysis, there was no clear improvement in poverty intensity and poverty incidence over time in the analysis of all households. However, the analysis of elderly and single-person households showed improvement in poverty intensity and poverty incidence over time. In particular, in the results of the analysis using the data for the first quarter, the poverty intensity and poverty incidence of elderly and single-person households improved remarkably. In addition, the poverty intensity and poverty incidence of the elderly and single-person households were larger than the all households, and the energy poverty of single-person households was more severe than that of the elderly households.

• Journal of Families and Better Life
• /
• v.19 no.1
• /
• pp.173-190
• /
• 2001

The purpose of the study was to provide the informations about the economic status of elderly households. Utilizing the 1996 national household data, economic status was investigated by the components of two financial statements: the income and expense statement and the balance sheet statement. Thus it included incomes, consumption, propensity to consume, savings(financial assets), debt amount and net-savings. The elderly households were compared with the nonelderly households. The subgroups of the elderly were also compared. They were divided based on the employment status of the head and household composition. The results showed that the economic status of the elderly was worse compared to the nonelderly. There were also variations among the subgroups of the elderly households. In general, the economic status of retired households and single households were worse than those of employed households and of the households composed of couple and the elderly living with children.