• Korean Journal of Family Social Work
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• no.58
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• pp.151-179
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• 2017

The purpose of this study was to evaluate the communication enhancement program through Social Network Service(SNS) of older adults in the community. This program was mainly designed for improving self-efficacy of older adults and enhancing their communication in the community by using SNS. This program was composed of several sub-programs; understanding the value of communication, meeting with SNS users, SNS education and practice, having activities with SNS, promoting SNS, holding public rehearsals and starting ceremony, and having off-line meeting. This study applied analytical framework based on logic model of systems theory, collected data from the subject group, and evaluated the sub-programs on dimensions of process and outcome. The results showed that this program has an effect on improving self-efficacy through participating SNS activities, enhancing communication through boosting SNS, creating new culture for older adults, and changing attitudes between generations. Based on these results, the practical guidelines for expanding the communication enhancement program through SNS, leading by older adults in the community, were suggested.

• 한국노년학
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• v.39 no.3
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• pp.549-567
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• 2019

The present study examined whether the relation between relative handgrip strength and cognitive function varied by paid employment status and participation of social activities among Korean older adults. A total of 3,376 Korean adults aged 65 or older were drawn from the 2016 Korean Longitudinal Study of Ageing (KLoSA). Weighted hierarchical regression analyses were conducted to examine moderating effects of paid employment status and social activities on the relation between relative handgrip strength and cognitive function. After adjusting for covariates, results show that relative handgrip strength has a positive association with cognitive function. Both paid employment status and social activities have positive associations with cognitive function and moderate the relationship between relative handgrip strength and cognitive function. These significant moderating effects show that participating in paid employment and social activities buffer against the effect of lower handgrip strength on cognitive function. Findings from the present study highlight the significant role of active aging in older adults'cognitive function. Implications are discussed in a cultural context.

• Journal of the Korea Society of Computer and Information
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• v.29 no.5
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• pp.131-142
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• 2024

In this paper, we propose antecedent factors that influence health promotion behaviors among rural older adults by gender. The study analyzed data from the 'Need Assessment Survey for the Development of Customized Care Programs for Rural Older Adults' conducted by the Rural Development Administration. The analysis utilized data from 502 individuals aged 65 and older residing in rural areas. The analysis method used SPSS 25.0 program to conduct descriptive statistics, chi-square analysis, correlation analysis, and hierarchical regression analysis. The analysis results showed differences between men and women in practicing health promotion behaviors. For men, lower age, lower education level, living with a spouse, and participating in social activities were associated with higher levels of health promotion behaviors. For women, older age, better self-rated health status, and participating in social activities were associated with higher levels of health promotion behaviors. This study provides baseline data to promote health promotion behaviors among rural older adults according to gender and suggests policy and practical implications based on the findings.

• 한국노년학
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• v.41 no.4
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• pp.547-566
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• 2021

The purpose of this study is to analyze the effect of social activities on healthy life expectancy (HLE) by gender difference. HLE implies an estimate of how long an individual can expect to live in full health or without disease and/or disability. Morbidity, mortality, and functional health status usually have been known as key variables. Many researchers have tried to investigate factors affecting HLE in countries level by performing comparative analyses. In micro level, there have been some studies about social factors affecting HLE in individual level. However, few studies are found focusing on the relationship between HLE and social activities. This study anlayzes 4,029 over 65 years of age from the first wave (2006) to the seventh wave (2018) of the Korean Longitudinal Study of Ageing (KLoSA), which is a national panel data collected by Korea Employment Information Service. The data has been collected as a part of social and economic policies planning for Korean government. HLE was measured by life period without disease or disability. One of findings is that male older adults (76.9 yrs) show higher HLE in comparing to female group (75.3 yrs). Female group appeared to be more likely to have higher incidence rate and disorders. Another finding indicates that age, number of chronic diseases, and subjective health status affect HLE of both groups. Finally, regarding social activities, religion affiliated activities appear to significantly affect HLE of both groups. In case of male older adults, alumni or hometown gathering also appeared another activities affecting HLE. This study indicates that the effect of social activities types on HLE among older adults appears differently by gender. Further, unlikely of longer life expectancy among female older adults as known, HLE shows a reverse estimate, longer healthy life expectancy among male older adults. This finding may imply that later life of female older adults shows lower quality of life in comparing to that of male group, even if female life expectancy has been higher. This study encourages to develop more social activity programs for older adults in community level. Specifically, more attention is required to planning for programs targeting female older adults.

• The Korean Journal of Health Service Management
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• v.12 no.2
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• pp.113-123
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• 2018

Objectives : The purpose of this study was to investigate the effect of participation in social activities on the subjective health satisfaction of the elderly in groups with and without chronic diseases. Methods : Data were used from the "2014 the Korean Elderly Survey" and the subjects were 10,451 persons aged 65 years or older. Data analysis was conducted using SPSS 18.0 statistical package. Results : The results of this study were as follows. In the case of the elderly without chronic diseases, only the employment status (${\beta}=.135$, p<.01) had a significant effect on the health of the elderly. In the case of elderly people with chronic illness, participation in lifelong education (${\beta}=.183$, p<.001), participation in social group (${\beta}=.277$, p<.001), volunteer work experience (${\beta}=.060$, p<.05), and employment status (${\beta}=.342$, p<.001) had a significant effect on health. Conclusions : Policies and systems are needed to actively encourage and support the social activities of the elderly. Additionly, care and attention are needed to provide social jobs for the elderly and build a sustainable network.

• 한국노년학
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• v.38 no.2
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• pp.329-349
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• 2018

The objective of this study is to examine whether there are differences in participation in social activities and the effects of social activity types on the levels of happiness of the Korean older adults by age groups. The 5th wave(2014) of the Korean Longitudinal Study of Ageing (KLoSA) was used and a total of 3,273 elderly were selected from the 5th wave, who were 65 years old and older and who were not living with their offsprings. Chi-square test, ANOVA, and hierarchical multiple regression analysis were used. The rate of participation in economic activities declined with age and the levels of participation in leisure activities was higher in the young-old group in comparison to the middle- and the oldest- old groups. The levels of participation in family activities was higher in the middle- and the oldest-old groups in comparison to the young-old group. Socializing activities and religious activities measured by the frequencies of activities were not significantly different among the age groups. The results of a regression analysis of social activity types and their effects on happiness by age groups are the followings: 1) Leisure, socializing, religious, and family activities all (with the exception of economic activities) significantly affected the level of happiness of older persons in the young-old group. 2) However, only socializing and family activities in the middle-old age group, and only family activities in oldest-old group, had a statistically significant impact on the levels of happiness. These results support that the rates of participation in the five types of social activities and their effects on the levels of happiness were different by age groups. The implication of this study was to report that needs and the interests of older individuals are different by age groups based on empirical evidences.

• Research in Community and Public Health Nursing
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• v.19 no.1
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• pp.57-65
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• 2008

Purpose: The purpose of this study is to assess the priorities of health promotion for older adults in the rural community. The study attempts to display demographic characteristics subjective health status and chronic diseases status of the older adults. Methods: We surveyed 384 senior residents in a community via face-to-face interviews in their homes, who were selected by proportional random sampling. We analysed the frequency, multiple responses and $X^2$ by SPSS 12.0K. Results: The mean of subjective health status was $54.04{\pm}21.69$ with a maximum of 100. Our study found that the high priorities in health promotion for older adults were prevention and management of hypertension and diabetes, strengthening of joint and muscles, cancer screening and physical exercise. Prevention of depression and social activities were low priorities. Strengthening of joints and muscles was a high priority among women while smoking cessation and social activities were high priorities of men. Conclusion: In conclusion, health promotion priorities of older adults differed by gender and subjective health status. Disease-related priorities received more attention than psycho-social health priorities. This study suggests comparing the priorities regionally and nationally.

• 한국노년학
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• v.37 no.3
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• pp.583-600
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• 2017

The purpose of this study is to explore qualitatively what kind of coping strategy the Korean older adults use when they are depressed and why. Participants were users, older than 60, of an elderly welfare center in Seoul, and answers of 34 respondents who experienced depression were included in the analysis. The collected data were analyzed through content analysis. The results of the analysis showed that strategies to cope with depression used by participants were composed of 6 domains and 11 sub-domains: health behavior (medical approach / exercise and diet), family and social contact (social interaction / going out and going on a trip / communication with family), Religious activities (Religious activities), lifelong education (hobbies / educational activities), productive activities (labor), health risk behaviors (drinking and gambling / resignation). The depression coping strategies of the older adults and their characteristics are as follows. First, older adults used diverse problem-focused coping strategies to cope with depression. Second, older adults considered various coping strategies together and used them simultaneously. Third, the facility space for older adults functions as a shelter. Fourth, although there were cases where medical approach was used, the intention to reuse was very low. Through this study, the following suggestions were made to help older adults cope with depression more successfully. First, access to various coping strategies should be promoted. Second, more places where older adults can spend their time comfortably need to be provided. Third, resistance to mental health care should be resolved.

• Journal of Preventive Medicine and Public Health
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• v.56 no.1
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• pp.31-40
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• 2023

Objectives: This study investigated the effect of cognitive impairment on the association between social network properties and mortality among older Korean adults. Methods: This study used data from the Korean Social Life, Health, and Aging Project. It obtained 814 older adults' complete network maps across an entire village in 2011-2012. Participants' deaths until December 31, 2020 were confirmed by cause-of-death statistics. A Cox proportional hazards model was used to assess the risks of poor social network properties (low degree centrality, perceived loneliness, social non-participation, group-level segregation, and lack of support) on mortality according to cognitive impairment. Results: In total, 675 participants (5510.4 person-years) were analyzed, excluding those with missing data and those whose deaths could not be verified. Along with cognitive impairment, all social network properties except loneliness were independently associated with mortality. When stratified by cognitive function, some variables indicating poor social relations had higher risks among older adults with cognitive impairment, with adjusted hazard ratios (HRs) of 2.12 (95% confidence interval [CI], 1.34 to 3.35) for social nonparticipation, 1.58 (95% CI, 0.94 to 2.65) for group-level segregation, and 3.44 (95% CI, 1.55 to 7.60) for lack of support. On the contrary, these effects were not observed among those with normal cognition, with adjusted HRs of 0.73 (95% CI, 0.31 to 1.71), 0.96 (95% CI, 0.42 to 2.21), and 0.95 (95% CI, 0.23 to 3.96), respectively. Conclusions: The effect of social network properties was more critical among the elderly with cognitive impairment. Older adults with poor cognitive function are particularly encouraged to participate in social activities to reduce the risk of mortality.

• Annals of Geriatric Medicine and Research
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• v.20 no.3
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• pp.149-159
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• 2016

Background: Since the mid-20th century, the ways in which social networks and older adults' health are related have been widely studied. However, few studies investigate the relationship between self-rated health and position in a complete social network of one entire Korean rural village. This study highlights use of a complete network in health studies. Methods: Using the Korean Social Life and Health Project, the population-based data of adults aged 60 or older and their spouses in one myeon in Ganghwa island (Ganghwa-gun, Incheon, Korea), Incheon, Korea (with a 95% response rate), this study built a $1,012{\times}1,012$ complete social network matrix of the village. The data were collected from 2011 to 2012, and 731 older adults were analyzed. The ordered logistic models to predict self-rated health allowed us to examine social factors from socio-demographic to individual community activities, ego-centered network characteristics, and positions in a complete network. Results: From the network data, 5 network components were identified. Even after controlling for all other factors, if a respondent belonged to a segregated component, the probability that he or she reported good health dropped substantially. Additionally, high in-degree centrality was connected to greater self-rated health. Conclusion: This finding highlights the importance of social position not only from the respondents' point of view but also from the entire village's perspective. Even if a respondent maintained a large social network, when all of those social ties belonged to a segregated group in the village, the respondent's health suffered from this segregation.