• Journal of the Korean Institute of Rural Architecture
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• v.13 no.2
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• pp.1-8
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• 2011

Due to rapid decrease in population of farming and fishing villages and drain of young rural manpower to the cities, aging is being intensified, and the conditions of housing and welfare of elderly households are inadequate. Currently, group home is being discussed as part of specialized housing and welfare support policy for the people in the vulnerable class with poor self-supporting abilities such as the aged living alone in farming and fishing villages, and aged farming and fishing households. So the purpose of this research is to present the basic data for proposing the policy of supplying group home through examining the realities of housing and welfare of the people in the vulnerable class in farming and fishing villages. Survey was conducted on the 4 regions -Cheonan-si, Gongju-si, Yesan-gun, and Seosan-si - whose apartments were all occupied by the residents among the group homes for the elderly living alone in Chungcheongnam-do and the following results were derived from the analysis on the data collected from the survey. First, great effects can be attained at small costs by reorganizing and utilizing the public facilities that are unused or little used and the existing houses that are exposed to risks due to improper maintenance. Second, it can be pointed out that the residential environment of the vulnerable members of society was improved without impairing the existing village landscape. Third, housing welfare was enhanced without investing a large sum of money and the system to promptly cope with negligent accidents and emergency can be built and operated. Fourth, the cases promoted to solve the problems of the poor, unhygienic, and unsafe housing of the elderly and the vulnerable members of society were very positive and well worthy of being presented as planning direction of future group homes in farming and fishing villages. Finally, if they are operated entirely for free, it will cause the lack of the sense of ownership and the problems in securing the budget, so the ways of paying minimum individual housing expenses should be examined. The alternatives of housing welfare for the vulnerable members of farming and fishing villages are needed and the ways of constructive planning and researches should be continuously made. Also, the government's support policy should be actively promoted.

• Stress
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• v.26 no.4
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• pp.259-267
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• 2018

Background: The purpose of this study was to identify the risk factors influencing cognitive function and life satisfaction in elderly living alone. Methods: It was cross-sectional descriptive study by using secondary data from the 2014 national survey of Korean elderly. The study sample consisted of 2,249 subjects who live alone, aged 65 years old and over. Data were analyzed frequency analysis, ${\chi}^2$-test, t-test, ANOVA and Logistic regression analysis. Results: The risk factors that significantly influenced cognitive function were old age, bereavement, lack of education, no regular exercise and low socio-cultural activity satisfaction. The risk factors that significantly influenced life satisfaction were no bereavement, lack of education, no work, negative evaluation of health status, diagnosis of depression and no regular exercise. Also experience of emotional and economical abuse, neglect of financial support and low cognitive function were identified risk factors of life satisfaction. Conclusions: The elderly living alone with risk factors of cognitive decline should be interested. To prevent or delay cognitive impairment, regular exercise and socio-cultural activities were recommended. It was suggested that the promotion of cognitive function, appropriate work and exercise, and social efforts to prevent abuse and neglect can contribute to improving life satisfaction of elderly living alone.

• Journal of the Korean Dietetic Association
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• v.27 no.3
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• pp.133-148
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• 2021

This study was undertaken to identify dietary patterns of Korean elderly people living alone, and to compare the quality of diet consumed. Data of 821 elderly people aged 65 years or older who were living alone, was obtained from the 2016~2018 National Health and Nutrition Survey. The percentage energy intake from 24 food groups was calculated, and a cluster analysis was applied to identify dietary patterns. General characteristics, energy and nutrient intake, nutrient adequacy ratio (NAR), mean adequacy ratio (MAR), and index of nutritional quality (INQ) were analyzed. Dietary variety score (DVS) and dietary diversity score (DDS) were subsequently calculated. The rice-centered diet group and mixed diet group were characterized as consuming higher intake of rice and a wider variety of food groups, respectively. The mean age and percentage of participants living in rural areas were higher, whereas education level and monthly income were lower, in the rice-centered diet group (P<0.001 for all). Intakes of energy and all other nutrients (except carbohydrate and thiamine) were lower in the rice-centered diet group (P<0.001 for all). The NAR for all nutrients (except thiamine), MAR, and INQs (except thiamine and iron) were significantly lower in the rice-centered diet group (P<0.001 for all). The rice-centered diet group had significantly lower DVS (P<0.001) and DDS (P<0.001), as compared with the mixed diet group (P<0.001). Due to the insufficient energy and nutrient intake in the rice-centered diet group, it is necessary to develop nutritional monitoring and customized nutrition policies for these individuals.

• Journal of Convergence for Information Technology
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• v.10 no.2
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• pp.138-145
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• 2020

The purpose of this study is to identify factors influencing suicidal ideation for the elderly living alone. Utilizing the identified factors as the base data, the study aims to develop community programs for suicide prevention. This research is a secondary analysis of the 2017 national survey, 'Survey on the Elderly,' conducting logistics regression analysis on the data collected on 10,299 elderly aged 65 or older living in 17 general residential facilities as of 2017. The analysis reveals that 10.5% of the elderly living alone have contemplated suicide. The frequency of suicidal ideation was attributed to such factors as gender, age, chronic disease, depression and experiences of abuse and discrimination. To prevent suicide among the elderly, therefore, active management from both public and private sectors are needed for early detection of chronic diseases and depression.

• Journal of Korean Public Health Nursing
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• v.30 no.2
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• pp.247-258
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• 2016

Purpose: The purpose of this study was to evaluate the effects of a comprehensive exercise program for the prevention of urinary incontinence (UI), frailty, and depression, as well as the promotion of physical function in community-dwelling elderly female living alone. Methods: A nonequivalent control group pretest-posttest design was employed. The participants were 76 vulnerable elderly female with a mild-to-moderate urinary incontinence. The exercise group completed 12 weeks of a moderate intensity, comprehensive exercise program. Descriptive statistics, independent t-tests and ANCOVA were used for data analysis with SPSS. Results: Upon the completion of the 12-week exercise program, significant improvements for UI symptoms (p=.001), timed up and go (p<.001), frailty (p=.006), and depression (p<.001) were observed, but not for hand grip strength (p=.053). Conclusion: The findings of this study indicate that the 12-week comprehensive exercise program for the prevention of urinary incontinence had positive effects on improving UI symptoms, physical function, levels of frailty and depression in elderly women living alone. More prolonged exercise programs with other types of exercise should be developed for these vulnerable elderly women, and future studies are encouraged to confirm the effect of the comprehensive exercise program in other settings.

• Research in Community and Public Health Nursing
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• v.25 no.3
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• pp.180-186
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• 2014

Purpose: The purpose of this research is to identify factors affecting suicidal ideation of the low-income elderly. Methods: The study subjects were lowest-income(basic living allowance) and lower-income elders who were registered for home visiting services at five District Health Centers in Seoul. Interview data were collected from 280 elders and analyzed. Using SPSS/WIN 21, $x^2$-test and t-test were conducted to analyze the relationship between the subjects' characteristics and their suicidal ideation, and logistic regression was done to identify factors affecting suicidal ideation. Results: Of the subjects, 48.6% had suicidal ideation for the last one year. Self-evaluated psychological status, quality of sleep, depression, and loneliness were affecting factors to the subjects' suicidal ideation. Conclusion: Psychological and social factors are strongly related to the suicidal ideation of the elderly who are living alone in metropolitan areas. Therefore, home visiting services should supply physical, psychological and social cares continuously to the low-income elderly, especially those who live alone in metropolitan areas.

• Korean Journal of Community Nutrition
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• v.10 no.2
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• pp.216-223
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• 2005

This purpose of this study was to investigate the nutrient intake, the health status as determined self-assessment checklist, biochemical indicators of elderly Korean women. We interviewed and 55 female subjects living alone in the Urban aged over 65 years. Information on their dietary intake was collected by 24-hour Recall method. Their health status was determined by a NSI checklist. Biochemical indicators were performed in whole blood and plasma of subjects. Except for protein, Fe, all of the elderly subjects belonged to over moderate nutritional risk. The average daily nutrient intake of the elderly was below the level of the recommended dietary allowances (RDA) for Koreans. A relationship between their health risk score and nutrient intake was observed negatively (not significantly). They had a risk of anemia as hemoglobin and hematocrit of subjects were under the normal value. Therefore, the reason that health risk score and health status badly was thought for lower nutrient intake.

• Journal of Korean Academy of Nursing
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• v.42 no.4
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• pp.525-536
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• 2012

Purpose: The purpose of the study was to evaluate effectiveness of a peer support program conducted by older community volunteers for older adults living alone. Methods: Thirty volunteers trained as peer supporters were matched with low-income, older adults living alone in the community on gender. Visits occurred on a weekly basis over the 12 month study period, and the volunteers provided peer support for health management to solitary older adults. Data were collected, before the start of the program and again 6 and 12 months after its initialization, from intervention and control groups regarding physical health, general health, mental health, depression, social functioning, and satisfaction with social support. Repeated measures ANOVA was used to analyze data. Results: By the end of the program, socially isolated older adults in the intervention group had significantly higher scores in physical health and general health than elders in the control group. Significant interaction effects between time and group were found for depression, social functioning, and satisfaction with social support. Conclusion: The peer support program undertaken by older community volunteers was effective in improving physical health, general health, depression, social functioning, and satisfaction with social support in socially isolated, low-income, older adults.

• Research in Community and Public Health Nursing
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• v.27 no.4
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• pp.299-308
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• 2016

Purpose: The purpose of this study was to develop a positive psychology-based and character strengths-integrated activity program for elders living alone in rural areas, and then to examine the effectiveness of the program. Methods: A quasi-experimental pre- and post-test design with a nonequivalent control group was used. The participants included 59 elders in total, of whom 30 were assigned to the experimental group and 29 to the control group. positive psychology-based and character strengths-integrated activity program for elders consists of sixty-minute sessions held twice per week during 6 weeks, hence 12 sessions in total. Results: There were significant differences between the experimental and control groups in depression, vitality and life satisfaction (all p<.001). Conclusion: The positive psychology-based and character strengths-integrated activity program for elders living alone in rural areas is effective in that it decreased the degree of depression and increased the vitality and life satisfaction in the participants.

• 한국노년학
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• v.41 no.1
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• pp.169-185
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• 2021

This study investigated whether the increased Basic Pension amount in 2014 affect the level of depression of recipients and whether the effect differs according to three groups by household type(living-alone male, living-alone female, and couple households). Data from two waves of the Korean Longitudinal Study of Ageing(KLoSA) in 2012 (before the introduction of the Basic Pension) and 2016 (after the introduction of the Basic Pension), the elderly aged 65 years or older as of 2012 and the recipients of the basic pension in 2016 (N=2,277) were analyzed. Using the statistical package SPSS 25, mean comparison and multiple regression analyses were implemented. The results confirmed that the level of depression in female elderly living alone and married couples significantly decreased after the introduction of the Basic Pension, while there was no significant change in the level of depression in male elderly living alone. As results of regression analysis in the whole sample, the increased Basic Pension amount had an effect on the depression level of recipients in 2016, the higher the Basic Pension increase, the lower the depression level. Also, the regression analyses among the three groups by household type found that the significant effect of raising the basic pension on depression was reported only in elderly women living alone. Based on the main results of this study, implications were presented.