• Physical Therapy Rehabilitation Science
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• v.6 no.2
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• pp.65-70
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• 2017

Objective: The purpose of this study was to examine the intertester reliability and validity of four nonradiologic measurements of thoracic spine rotation in healthy adults. Design: Descriptive laboratory study. Methods: This study was conducted on 20 male and 20 female university students aged between 19 and 26. To measure thoracic rotation, a goniometer, a bubble inclinometer, a dual inclinometer, and a smartphone application-clinometer were used. The measurement was performed twice for each device and the same measurement was performed by two examiners. The measurements were performed in the lumbar locked position. The arm in the direction of rotation was taken back and placed onto the back of the lumbar region. With right and left trunk rotation, the head was rotated together but remained in the center line so that the axial rotation was maintained. Both examiners performed the measuring procedures and directly handled the measuring instrument. All measurement results were recorded by the recorder. Results: The range of motion (ROM) of thoracic rotation in lumbar locked position for all four devices was 47 degrees. The intra-rater reliability estimates ranged from 0.738 to 0.906 (p<0.05). The inter-rater reliability estimates ranged from 0.736 to 0.853 (p<0.05). The goniometer, bubble inclinometer, dual inclinometer, and smartphone clinometer showed high validity (p<0.05). This result indicates that all four devices may be used by the same examiner and by other examiners obtaining follow-up measurement. Conclusions: The use of the goniometer, bubble inclinometer, dual inclinometer, and smartphone clinometer for measurements in the lumbar locked posture are reliable and valid nonradiologic measures of thoracic rotational ROM in healthy adults.

• Korean Journal of Social Welfare
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• v.50
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• pp.109-129
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• 2002

Studies of elder abuse are increasing in our country since the 1990s. But few studies have researched how older people may perceive and give meaning to the phenomenon of elder abuse. Old people have been alienated from their own problems. Elder abuse was constructed as a social problem by experts, not by older people themselves. The purpose of this study was to explore the older people's perceptions ell the meaning of elder abuse and interventions for it, using a qualitative approach based on the grounded theory. The findings from in-depth interviews with 10 the elderly were as follows: The elderly participated in this study has been constructing the aged as independence, privacy, and carer, which conflicts the existing social construction of the aged. They also had their own definition of elder abuse. They perceived all the psycho-emotional sufferings as major elder abuse. So, they understood that elder abuse was the pervasive problem which everyone would experience. They proposed that desirable interventions for it was to guarantee and to sustain their existing independent living.

• Korean Journal of Social Welfare
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• v.67 no.3
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• pp.281-303
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• 2015

This study examined the interdependent retirement decision between husbands and wives. Since most of retirees in Korea retired by involuntary reasons such as health problems, it purposes to test whether the involuntary retirement of husbands(wives) influences the retirement decision of wives(husbands). Using data from 4th Korean Longitudinal Study of Ageing Panel, it conducted probit and multivariate probit analysis on 1,038 dual-earner couples aged 51~76 to test interdependence of couples' retirement. The results showed that husbands who have retired wife were more likely to retire. It also proved that involuntary retirement of spouse is a significant predictor of early retirement decision, though the direction of the effect is reversed by gender. Wives were more likely to retire when husband were retired involuntarily, while husbands were more likely to stay in labor market. These findings helped to understand the retirement decision of aged couples in Korea and brought suggestion on labor market and care policies for aged couples.

• Journal of Family Resource Management and Policy Review
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• v.25 no.4
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• pp.31-41
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• 2021

This study was conducted to determine how the family relationships of the middle-aged affect their life satisfaction and how family support services regulate the association between the two factors. A total of 8,695 middle-aged residents(aged 50 to 64 years) were chosen from among resident-respondents of the needs survey administered to establish the 4th local social security plan in Gyeonggi-do. The moderating effect of family support services on the relation between family relationship difficulties and life satisfaction was investigated. The analysis showed that the life satisfaction experienced by the middle-aged is slightly higher than the middle level. The lower the difficulty in family relationships, the higher the use of family support services, the more women than men, and the better the economy, the higher the life satisfaction of middle-aged. As a moderating variable, family support services significantly moderate the effects of family relationship difficulties experienced by the middle-aged on life satisfaction. The results are meaningful in that they comprehensively shed light on the difficulties that confront family relationships and the relationship structure of family support services, thereby contributing to the search for life satisfaction among the middle-aged in Gyeonggi-do.

• Journal of The Korea Institute of Healthcare Architecture
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• v.4 no.7
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• pp.47-55
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• 1998

The average life span of Koreans has been increased recently. The percentage of the old(over 65), which was 5% in 1990, is expected to be increased to 15% in 2020. Therefore, the social problems of old people occur in various aspects nowadays, and will become more serious in the near future. In Germany, the have developed a comprehensive welfare system which enables the aged to be more independent, such as various welfare facilities for the aged that are built in consideration of the physical conditions.

• Journal of the Korea Academia-Industrial cooperation Society
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• v.17 no.12
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• pp.186-192
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• 2016

The purpose of this study is to examine how Korean dance affects middle-aged women by acting as a cultural mediator. A qualitative approach was taken in order to best achieve the purpose of this study. The data used in this study were collected from Feb 10th to April 1st, 2016, using in-depth interviews. The results are as follows; firstly, on an emotional level, the middle-aged women participating in Korean dance as a cultural mediator, feel a sense of self-achievement and social belonging, as well as experiencing an improvement in their psychological stability by resolving their depression. Those who had lost their sense of autonomy and productivity were able to recover some of their self-esteem through this activity. Secondly, in terms of their activity, the Korean dance enabled the ladies to exercise their poorly used muscles by strengthening their gross and fine motor skills through the movements associated with the Korean traditional music. This allowed them to ease their chronic physical pain and it can be considered that their overall exercise function was increased by expanding their exercise radius. Third, in the cognitive area, it was possible for them to revive their happy memories by listening to the music which was loved by their preceding generations. This is because the melody of familiar Korean music provides them with the chance to remember their former days. Lastly, in the social area, the Korean dance allowed the middle-aged women to accept themselves through music and movement, as well as playing the role of a mediator which enabled them to overcome their isolation and the conflicts they face in their social relations. In addition, they achieved self-realization by reconnecting with the regional community through the Korean dance performances, which they learned as social community members.

• Korean Journal of Health Education and Promotion
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• v.30 no.1
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• pp.13-25
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• 2013

Objectives: This study was performed to investigate the influence of family factors on drinking and smoking of middle-aged men. Methods: This study used data from the fourth-wave of the Korean Welfare Panel Study, which was collected by the Korean Institute for Health and Social Affairs and the Social Welfare Research Center of Seoul National University. This study was conducted on 3,084 men who were between 30 and 59. Results: The family factors, except for living with children, affected drinking, heavy drinking, smoking, and current smoking, after controlling for age, education, employment status, and family income. Marital status had statistically significant influences on heavy drinking, smoking, and current smoking. Living without family had influences on drinking, and heavy drinking. family satisfaction affected heavy drinking, smoking, and current smoking. The effects of family conflicts were also statistically significant. Conclusions: Based on the results, this paper can suggest that the projects of moderation in drinking and smoking are required to consider family factors more and the plan of building up family resources should be considered in the whole aspects of the society.

• Journal of Korean Academy of Nursing
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• v.38 no.5
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• pp.712-719
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• 2008

Purpose: The purpose of this study was to investigate the factors associated with social isolation in older adults using a senior welfare center. Methods: This study was a cross-sectional survey. Data was collected from June to August 2006 using a questionnaire. A total of 248 older adults responded. Results: About one third (34.9%) of participants responded they felt socially isolated. There were statistically significant differences in living, religion, family and belongingness social support, loneliness, depression, family function, perceived health status, and number of chronic illnesses between socially isolated and non isolated groups. However, factors influencing social isolation were family function (OR=0.954, CI=0.926-0.982), loneliness (OR=1.042, CI=1.002-1.083), depression (OR=1.041, CI=1.002-1.081), and number of chronic illness (OR=1.657, CI=1.153-2.382). Conclusion: We found that some older adults were feeling socially isolated even though the senior welfare center was a good place to meet people. The findings of this study indicated that older adults suffering from social isolation need special attention and may benefit from interventions which promote health and social interactions. Further studies are needed to develop and evaluate an intervention program for this population.

• Journal of Family Resource Management and Policy Review
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• v.16 no.1
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• pp.67-83
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• 2012

Baby boomers are often defined by their support of their parents and their devotion to their children's educational success by providing financial and emotional aids. Now, 7.12 million baby boomers in South Korea are retiring, or are about to retire, without any retirement plans. Similar to financial stability, health, and leisure life, social capital is another important element in the quality life after retirement. This is because social capital can function as a potential resource network. Social capital is a source that provides money, information, goods, services, emotional aids, social relational opportunities etc. In the past, family and community provided social capital for the aged. However, the baby boomer generation cannot expect the same. The baby boomers have the task of creating new social capital that can assure their quality of life. Therefore, this study examines cohort characteristics of the baby boomer generation and, based on the examination, seeks an alternative for social capital. The results are as follows: First, social capital from the local community can be an alternative source of caring for the baby boomers in old age. Second, among the social capital of the local community, elderly care supported by a family friendly community is proposed. In addition, baby boomers must become the primary social capital that contributes to a mature civil society rather than a beneficiary of welfare for the aged.

• The Journal of the Korea Contents Association
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• v.10 no.3
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• pp.347-354
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• 2010

Rapidly increasing aged population provides an ample market opportunity for the Korean travel industry, and from national policy perspective, it poses an fortified demands for welfare tourism. In the fierce competition, this emerging market can serve as a lucrative target market for tourism & travel industry in Korea. In addition, using tourism for the aged as a social welfare policy can be a potentially viable means to mitigate the increase social pressure due to rapid population aging. This rationale is based on the assumption that tourism contributes to higher level of perceived life satisfaction compared to other leisure activities among the aged. In this study, using empirical data collected from 185 respondents aged 55 and above in Cheong Ju area, the effect of demographic factors and trip-related behaviors on life satisfaction was tested. The results indicate that economic and health conditions affect life satisfaction positively, while trip-related behaviors did not exert any significant effect on life satisfaction. In light of the results, practical implications for marketing and policy-making were presented in detail.