• Journal of Korean Society of Rural Planning
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• v.28 no.1
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• pp.49-55
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• 2022

School closures in rural areas is especially relevant because low fertility rate and population aging are common not only in rural but also in urban areas. This paper examined a variety of users' perceptions on welfare facilities using closed rural schools. For this study, the descriptive survey research design was conducted at the EZER located in Kyungsnangbuk-do. The sample size of 200 was selected through convenience sampling and data collection was completed by a self-completion written questionnaires. Main findings are as follows: 1) the level of users' relative satisfaction with welfare facilities using closed rural schools was generally positive, main factor associated with relative satisfaction was facilities and surrounding environment at closed rural schools, 2) socioeconomic usefulness of closed rural schools was also was generally positive, main factors for revitalization were adequate facilities and places, accessible and convenient places, 3) future necessity and willingness for welfare facilities using closed rural schools were overwhelmingly positive, children or youth were revealed as a priority service target. Finally, theses analyses show that a high proportion in the rural welfare sector, especially seemed to have a positive impact on bridging negative gabs between urban and rural in the socioeconomic development and social welfare.

• The Korean Journal of Food & Health Convergence
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• v.8 no.2
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• pp.7-13
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• 2022

The purpose of this study was to compare the nutrient intake of elderly according to their cohabitation status and determine its effects on the prevalence of anemia. Data from the KNHANES were used for this study, including raw data on socioeconomic characteristics, nutrient intake, health status, and clinical laboratory findings. Study subjects aged 60 to 80 years were retrieved and analyzed. As a result, the prevalence of anemia was 12.0% (men, 11.6%; women, 12.3%). The prevalence rate increased with age, and odds ratio [OR] of anemia among those aged 75 to 80 years was 4.16 times higher in men (OR=4.16, 95% confidence interval [CI]=2.48-6.97) and 2.77 times higher in women (OR=2.77, 95% CI=1.86-4.14) compared to 60~64 years old. Socioeconomic factors (area of residence, education level, household income), including cohabitation Status (living alone VS living with other family members), and health behaviors (high-risk drinking, smoking, aerobic exercise) did not significantly effect on anemia. In addition, other than protein intake for men, nutrient intake did not have a significant effect on the prevalence rate of anemia. Hypertension, diabetes, and cancer significantly increased the risk of anemia. In Korea, the influencing factors of elderly anemia change over time, so periodic follow-up studies are needed.

• Journal of Preventive Medicine and Public Health
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• v.56 no.5
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• pp.475-480
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• 2023

Objectives: This study examined differences in health care spending and characteristics among older adults in Korea by high-cost status (persistently, transiently, and never high-cost). Methods: We identified 1 364 119 older adults using data from the Korean National Insurance Claims Database for 2017-2019. Outcomes included average annual total health care spending and high-cost status for 2017-2019. Linear regression was used to estimate differences in the outcomes while adjusting for individual-level characteristics. Results: Persistently and transiently high-cost older adults had higher health care spending than never high-cost older adults, but the difference in health care spending was greater among persistently high-cost older adults than among transiently high-cost older adults (US$20 437 vs. 5486). Despite demographic and socioeconomic differences between transiently high-cost and never high-cost older adults, the presence of comorbid conditions remained the most significant factor. However, there were no or small differences in the prevalence of comorbid conditions between persistently high-cost and transiently high-cost older adults. Rather, notable differences were observed in socioeconomic status, including disability and receipt of Medical Aid. Conclusions: Medical risk factors contribute to high health care spending to some extent, but social risk factors may be a source of persistent high-cost status among older adults in Korea.

• Journal of Nutrition and Health
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• v.50 no.2
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• pp.158-170
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• 2017

Purpose: The purpose of this study was to explore the relationship between milk intake and prevalence rates of chronic diseases using KNHANES data, and the significance of the relationship was tested based on meditators, socioeconomic status (income, education), dietary behaviors (smoking, alcohol drinking, breakfast, and eating out), and physical activity (walking, medium, and high). Methods: Using the 5th and 6th survey data of KNHANES, milk intake rates and presence of seven chronic diseases were summarized and analyzed by ANOVA for two groups of adult men and women as follows: hypertension, hypertriglyceridemia, low HDL-cholesterol, diabetes, abdominal obesity, obesity, and metabolic syndrome. The dependent variables for the presence of seven chronic diseases regressed with socioeconomic, dietary behavior, and physical activity variables according to Logistic models. The dependent variables for milk intake using predictor variables of socioeconomic, dietary behaviors and physical activity were analyzed according to Logistic models. Finally, the significant socioeconomic, dietary behavior, and physical activity variables in the above model along with milk intake as a control variable or mediator variable regressed with significant chronic diseases according to Logistic models. Results: Milk intake, socioeconomic status, dietary behaviors, and physical activity were significantly different among the two groups of adult men and women, which were also critical factors to the prevalence of chronic diseases. The dependent variable for prevalence of chronic diseases regressed with significant factors of socioeconomic status, dietary behavior, and physical activity variables according to chronic diseases using the control or mediator variable of milk intake and summarized as follows: For adult men, milk intake controlled the education effect on diabetes partly, alcohol on hypertension and hypertriglyceridemia, low HDL-cholesterol, metabolic syndrome, breakfast on metabolic syndrome, eating out on obesity, and medium physical activity on hypertriglyceridemia. For adult women, household income on hypertriglyceridemia, diabetes, abdominal obesity, education level on hypertension, alcohol drinking, eating out, and walking activity on abdominal obesity, alcohol, breakfast, eating out, walking activity on low HDL-cholesterol, and medium physical activity on hypertriglyceridemia and low HDL-cholesterol were partly controlled by milk intake. Other significant socioeconomic status, dietary behavior, and physical activity variables related to prevalence of chronic diseases were fully controlled or mediated by milk intake. Conclusion: This study shows that milk intake (daily more than 200 g) prevents chronic diseases such as hypertension, hypertriglyceridemia, low HDL-cholesterol, diabetes, obesity, abdominal obesity, and metabolic syndrome.

• Journal of Families and Better Life
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• v.23 no.2 s.74
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• pp.137-148
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• 2005

This study compared one-child households' economic structures between those who determined not to have more children and those who have a birth plan. This study examined the demographic characteristics and economic variables such as income, consumption expenditures, assets. debt, and a subjective evaluation of future economic status. Especially, it compared the effects of socioeconomic variables on expenditures on a child between low-fertility and birth-planned households. From a questionnaire completed by a husband or wife of one-child households, 154 low-fertility households and 201 birth-planned households were obtained. A t-test, chi-square test, multiple regression analysis and a dummy variable interaction technique were used. The findings of this study are as follows: First, low-fertility households were older, had higher income, and had more educated, employed wives. Their marital duration was longer, and their child was older than those of birth-planned households. Second, low-fertility households had higher consumption expenditures than did birth-planned households. Especially, expenditures of apparel and shoes, health care, education, and entertainment were significantly higher for low-fertility households. Also, low-fertility households spent more than did birth-planned households on a child. However, low-fertility households had significantly more debt than did their counterparts, and their expectation level of future economic status were lower than that of birth-planned households. Third, the effects of socioeconomic variables on expenditures on a child were different between low-fertility and birth-planned households. Age, education level, husband's occupation, wife's employment status, income, net asset, and subjective evaluation of future economic status showed significant differences. Income elasticity of expenditure on a child was significantly higher for low-fertility households than their counterparts.

• Journal of Korean Academy of Nursing
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• v.28 no.4
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• pp.846-855
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• 1998

The purpose of the study was to investigate the level of health behavior of school-age children and to identify the predicting variables of the school-age children's health behavior. The subject were 467 children in grades four to six, enrolled in two elementary schools located in two cities. The mean age of the subject was 10.03(SD=1.33). The data were analyzed using t-test, ANOVA, correlation analysis, and stepwise multiple regression. The result are as follows : 1. The mean of the score of health behavior of the school-age children was 154.6, showing that they are practicing health behavior relatively well. 2. There were significant differences in the mean scores of health behavior according to grade (F=6.53 p=.001), sex(t=-3.70, p=.000), educational level of the parents(F=4.92, p=.002 ; F=4.47, p=.004), occupation of the parents(F=3.31, p=.003 ; F=4.76, p=.000), and socioeconomic status(F=11.87, p=.000). 3. There were significant correlations between health behavior and health motivation(r=.53, p=.000), self-concept(r=.32, p=.000), perceived health status(r=.16, p=.000), and health locus of control (r=.15, p=.001). 4. Health motivation, self-concept, grade, socioeconomic status, and health locus of control were identified as predictor variables of health behavior of the school-age children from the stepwise multiple regression analysis. The total percent of variance accounted for by these five variables was 35.0%. From the result, it is suggested that in the development of a school health education program, the effect of health motivation and self-concept to promote student's health behavior in school-age children should be considered.

• Journal of the Korea Convergence Society
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• v.9 no.12
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• pp.75-80
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• 2018

This study was conducted to provide basic data on the dental hygienists Happiness Index and identify factors influencing dental hygienists A self-administered questionnaire survey was conducted dental hygienists in Jeollabuk-do(Jeonju, Iksan, Gunsan) from October to November 2017. Data were analyzed using t-test, ANOVA and multiple regression. As the result of study, Happiness Index of socioeconomic level has increased when the more work career, and more monthly wage, and better interpersonal relationship. Happiness Index of psychological well-being has increased when younger group and more monthly wage, and better interpersonal relationship. Therefore, in order to increase the happiness index of dental hygienists, economic compensation such as incentives and if the education of the communication method of the cases where the most difficulty case of the communication situation in the human relationship is confirmed is preceded, the quality of the medical service provided to the patient due to the happy working life will be improved.

• Journal of the Korean Society of Food Culture
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• v.25 no.2
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• pp.170-178
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• 2010

We conducted this study to determine the factors associated with childhood obesity. The subjects were 170 preschool children in Busan. Data were collected by using questionnaires which asked for information about socioeconomic status, parental perception of their child's weight status and dietary/physical activity behavior. BMI was calculated for each child and their classification was determined, according to their age and sex, as follows: "overweight" at or above the 85th percentile, "normal" for the 15th-85th percentile, and with a BMI below the 15th percentile the children were deemed as underweight. Classification according to BMI percentile showed that 23.5% ($18.25{\pm}1.33\;kg/m^2$) of the children were overweight, 62.9% ($15.51{\pm}0.76\;kg/m^2$) normal, and 13.5% ($13.23{\pm}2.86\;kg/m^2$) were underweight. Socioeconomic status, as represented by the parents' level of education, the occupation of the father and the household income, did not affect the results. However, mothers working outside the household was a factor that was more likely to affect the weight status (p<0.05). Among mothers whose children were overweight, 30% underestimated their children's weight status (believing them to be of normal weight when they were overweight), and 25% failed to recognize the necessity of weight control for their overweight children. While sedentary activity and total daily activity levels were not related to BMI, the level of physically active leisure activity was inversely correlated with BMI (p<0.05). Although there were no differences in total energy intake, dietary behavior was significantly related to weight status. Overweight children had poor eating tendancies: they eat faster (in less than 15 minutes), overeat, and eat late at night. Based on our findings where hereby recommended the following interventions to help limit weight problems in Korean pre-schoolers: early promotion of active leisure behavior and healthy eating habits, along with attempting to correct parental misperception of healthy weight status for children.

• Biomedical Science Letters
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• v.30 no.1
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• pp.24-31
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• 2024

Mercury is a chemical pollutant widely present in the environment. Humans are generally exposed to mercury in the form of organic Hg (methylmercury) through the consumption of seafood. Koreans enjoy eating fish therefore blood mercury concentration is usually higher than in developed countries. By investigating blood mercury concentration according to the frequency of seafood consumption and sociodemographic factors, we aimed to identify recent trends in blood mercury concentration in Korean adults. This study was conducted using KoNEHS cycle 4 (2018~2020) from the National Institute Environmental Research Survey. The geometric mean concentration of blood mercury of the subjects was 2.959 (±1.018) ㎍/L, which was significantly higher in men than in women. It was observed that as the frequency of fish and shellfish consumption increased, the blood mercury concentration increased. In adjusted logistic regression, fish consumption was associated with 36.7% increased risk of blood mercury levels [Odds ratio, 1.367; 95% confidence interval (CI), 1.246~1.500], and shellfish consumption was associated with 26.5% increased risk of blood mercury levels [Odds ratio, 1.265; 95% confidence interval (CI), 1.134~1.410]. Blood mercury concentration was also found to increase as the socioeconomic level increased. In conclusion, the geometric mean concentration of blood mercury was increased compared to the one in the 3rd KoNEHS (2015~2017) and seafood consumption and socioeconomic level were still significantly associated with increasing blood mercury concentration in Korea. Therefore, it is necessary to encourage healthy seafood consumption habits and conduct continuous monitoring considering various factors to reduce blood mercury levels.

• The Journal of Korea Assosiation for Disability and Oral Health
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• v.13 no.1
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• pp.33-36
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• 2017

Cerebral palsy(CP) is a motor disorder of the central nervous system resulting from irreversible brain injury due to congenital or acquired causes. Health-related quality of their life is associated with severity of impairment and socioeconomic factors. These patients are particularly easy to be neglected because they lack capacity to care themselves unless they have the help of caregiver from high socioeconomic status. A 11-year-old girl with severe motor impairment came with the chief complaint of severe calculus deposition on whole dentition. She was taken with bed-ridden state with pediatrician not her parents. Since brain was damaged at the age of two, she has been left alone in the city care hospitals without parental care. Main caregiver is her father with not high educational level. Oral hygiene was not performed at all. Severe calculus deposition, gingival swelling, and gingival redness around the whole dentition were observed. During the 1st and 2nd visit, scaling and extraction was performed. CP patients with low socioeconomic status and severe motor impairment tend to be neglected from dental treatment. Dental care, along with medical care, is crucial to the quality of CP patients' lives. Therefore it is important that they visit for regular dental check ups and receive preventative care.