• Journal of the Korean Institute of Rural Architecture
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• v.13 no.4
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• pp.1-8
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• 2011

Korea is moving toward an aging society faster than the other advance countries such as the U.S. and France. Such aging phenomena are posing greater problems in rural areas than in urban areas, and particularly, decrease in productivity caused by aging population leads to economic difficulties and hinders the improvement of housing life. The purpose of this research is to examine and identify the housing conditions of the vulnerable in rural areas and to present ways to improve the elderly housing and the housing environment in rural areas and to provide basic data for materializing the policies to enhance the quality of life. The results of this research are as follows. First, the elderly in rural areas were found to receive relatively smooth supports for services related to clothing and food through the government and social organizations. But for the housing problems, it was found that there were not any supports. Second, the poor housing environment may cause diseases to the elderly with weak immunity, so ways to remedy these problems are urgently needed. Third, the vulnerable in rural areas can hardly bear the burden of improving the housing environment, so supports from the government and social organizations are needed. Fourth, ways to support the vulnerable such as households receiving basic living subsidies and to support the poor who are not receiving such subsidies should be explored.

• Journal of Digital Convergence
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• v.12 no.1
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• pp.501-510
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• 2014

Purpose: The purpose of this study was to compare urban-rural differences on influencing factors of health related quality of life(HRQoL) of the elderly in senior center. Methods: The subjects were 902 older adults (571 from urban areas, 331 from rural areas). Data were collected using a questionnaire from 20 July to 31 August, 2011. The SPSS/WIN program was used for data analysis. Results: For older adults of urban areas, the influencing factors of HRQoL were depression, age, subjective health, drinking, number of chronic disease, and smoking. On the other hand, the influencing factors of HRQoL of older adults of rural areas were depression, subjective health, number of chronic disease, and educational level. The significant factors of HRQoL were depression, subjective, and number of chronic disease in both urban and rural areas. Conclusion: Public health nurses should consider urban-rural differences when designing HRQoL enhancing program for the elderly in senior center.

• Journal of Families and Better Life
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• v.29 no.3
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• pp.23-41
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• 2011

The purpose of this study is to explore social supports for elderly housing and their residential lives in small cities along rural counties of the United States and Canada, and suggest future implications for age-concentrated rural villages in Korea. In this study, five small and medium cities in non-metropolitan counties of California and Ontario province were visited and elderly residents and service experts were interviewed about their perceptions of community integrated social support networks for senior residences. The senior housing complexes were built due to influx of both metropolitan and rural residents seeking warm localities, traffic connections, business purposes in active production areas. and leisure attractions. There are five main social support networks for senior housing issues in these areas. First, the areas are claimed for senior zones and accordingly health industries are encouraged by local authorities. Second, the community is homogeneously constructed as a senior friendly environment and include features such as an RV park and mobile cottages. Third, senior-helping seniors are offered active work through golf-cluster active retirement communities. Fourth, traditional theme production camps are mobilized by the elderly workers. Lastly, an information system is maintained for screening volunteers and for senior abuse prevention. On the other hand, residential lives are occasionally negatively influenced by unbalanced concentrations of elderly facilities such as nursing stations and funeral homes. For the future of Korean rural elderly policies, suggestions are made as follows: first, an integrated urban and rural township that contains attractive places for early retiring people who seek a warm atmosphere in later life needs to be constructed. Second, an integrated model retirement village of urban and rural retirement life needs to be initiated as a measure of evaluating the adaptation process of movers in senior concentrated zones. Third, a cooperation system among governmental ministries needs to be formed with the long- term goal of establishing a traditional rural town of independent housing districts and medical facilities in rural areas. Fourth, productive and active lifestyles need to be maintained as the local community and government develop successful retirement rural villages, by limiting the expansion of nursing related facilities. Finally, generation integrated visiting welfare programs and services need to be further developed for the housing areas especially in the winter, when social integration and activity are relatively low.

• Health Policy and Management
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• v.24 no.2
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• pp.128-135
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• 2014

Background: With ageing and growing importance of disease management system, it is necessary to investigate the extent of regional difference in service utilization for chronic diseases among the elderly and to reflect it in designing the system. Methods: A multiple regression analysis and descriptive statistics analyses were employed using patient survey, which covers nationwide health facilities and their users. Results: While the differences in the rate of service utilization/utilization outside living area between urban and rural areas or between income levels are not large, considerable variations are observed within urban or rural areas and within income groups. Conclusion: This results suggest that it is important to subsidize economically disadvantaged segments of the population and residents of less-favored areas to be better-equipped for chronic disease management in order to prevent the development of severe ailments and the need for treatment at higher-level medical institutions. Improvements to the service infrastructure in vulnerable regions are essential.

• Journal of the Korea Academia-Industrial cooperation Society
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• v.17 no.1
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• pp.485-492
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• 2016

This study examined the relationships among dementia knowledge, attitude, and preventive behavior of an urban-rural complex city. In this study, 483 subjects using welfare and health centers were selected from one urban-rural complex city. The data were collected using the questionnaires for dementia knowledge, attitude and preventive behavior. Data analysis was performed by descriptive statistics, t-test and ANOVA using SPSS 19 software. In both urban and rural areas, elderly more than 70 years of age, no spouse, less educated, and lower income had higher scores of dementia attitude. In addition, the dementia attitude scores were higher when they were thinking more of their bad health. In conclusion, there is a need to strengthen the training and programs for dementia's knowledge, attitudes and prevention activities by a spouse or family member in early elderly period.

• Proceeding of Spring/Autumn Annual Conference of KHA
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• 2008.11a
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• pp.369-374
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• 2008

In the 21st century, universal design has started to expand as new design value system for the diversity and various need of user: a new design that can reflects the welfare of the society. In addition, the percentage of population over 65 years old has been rising rapidly in Korea, and we are expected to reach 'aged society' with 14.3% of elderly population in 2018. In rural districts, population of the elderly has already reached 'super-aged society' with over 20%. With the rapid increase of the number of the elderly, the need for social service system is rising. For the independent living of the elderly, the dwelling space that supports their lifestyle is the most important factor. In advanced countries, they have proposed the housing for the elderly to keep living in their house, improvement of housing quality that fits the changing various needs of them. Until now, however, the most housing condition that the elderly has lived is poor living environment as below housing standards, especially housing in rural districts is very poor. The purpose of this study was to extract issue of housing in the rural districts in terms of universal design concept and reflecting the cultural and living characteristics of rural districts. With this, additionally, this study make understood about the necessity and important of universal design housing to reflect the characteristics of rural districts. For this study, data were collected from field survey and interview. The major results showed the following. 1) There were very various type of housing in rural districts. Spatial composition and shape was not related to living behavior and cultural characteristics of rural district. 2) The most new constructed housing was similar to urban housing type. It means that housing with respect to living culture of users in rural district must be developed. 3) In rural housing, they all had outdoor building (included storehouse, bathroom/toilet, kitchenet, etc.) relating to a series of work behavior. However, living environment was not to meet needs and characteristics of users.

• Journal of Korean Academy of Nursing
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• v.40 no.2
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• pp.191-201
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• 2010

Purpose: The aim of this study was to compare the predictors of physical activity between urban and rural dwelling Korean older adults. Methods: This study was a cross-sectional descriptive survey. A self-report questionnaire or face to face interviews were used to collect data from 336 older adults (urban: 129, rural: 207) who visited public health centers or welfare centers in 2008. Results: About half of the participants (urban: 50.4%, rural: 47.3%) were classified as the minimally active group. Cognitive function (odds ratio [OR]=1.106, p=.004) and loneliness (OR=0.965, p=.044) were predicting factors for physical activity in rural elderly. Age (OR=0.326, p=.037), gender (OR=2.841, p=.021) and depression (OR= 0.799, p<.001) were significant factors predicting physical activity in urban elders. Conclusion: These findings provide information that is relevant in designing interventions to enhance physical activity in older adults. There is a need to develop effective mutifaceted physical activity interventions that include reducing psychological barriers such as depression, loneliness.

• Research in Community and Public Health Nursing
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• v.32 no.3
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• pp.303-311
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• 2021

Purpose: This study investigated the health literacy level of, the hypertension knowledge of, the self-management behaviors of, and the factors influencing self-management behaviors of the hypertensive elderly population residing in the urban and rural areas. Methods: Data were collected from November to December 2017 by the trained research staff. For two months, a total of 160 subjects in urban and rural areas who had been taking antihypertensive medications consented to participate in the project. 157 participants completed the survey. Results: The health literacy score of the hypertensive elderly subjects was at 48.38±8.13, the hypertension knowledge score at 8.90±2.01 points, and the self-management behaviors score at 52.96±8.08. The factor that influenced the self-management behaviors of the hypertensive elderly subjects the most was the health literacy, followed by the residential area, and the hypertension knowledge. Conclusion: The research findings suggest that a health promotion program for the hypertensive elderly population should be designed in consideration of the health literacy, the area of residence and the hypertension knowledge of the elderly.

• Korean Journal of Human Ecology
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• v.24 no.6
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• pp.795-809
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• 2015

The suicide rate in South Korea has been the highest among the OECD countries for more than 10 years. In addition, the suicide rate among the rural elderly is much higher than that of the elderly in urban areas and that of younger generations. The purpose of this study was to examine the general tendencies of family ties, community consciousness and suicide ideation of the rural elderly in Korea. Also, this study aimed to verify the mediating effect of community consciousness between family ties and suicidal ideation. The data for this study came from 283 elderly people (over 65 years old) living in 11 villages in South Korea. The data was gathered from July to August 2013. Baron and Kenny's (1986) step based regression from the SPSS Win 18.0 program was used to analyze this data. This study also utilized the Sobel-test. The results of this study are as follows. First, the suicidal ideation of the respondents had a lower score than the median score. However, the magnitude of suicidal ideation was still significant. Second, this study found that family ties and community consciousness have both direct and indirect effects on the reduction of suicidal ideation. Lastly, this study examined the mediating effects of community consciousness. The findings of this study are of great significance because they reconfirmed the importance of establishing a social safety net in local communities to replace adult children who have relocated to urban areas.

• Korean Journal of Community Nutrition
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• v.3 no.1
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• pp.76-93
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• 1998

Three hundred sixty-two(male 131, female 231) elderly aged over 65 in Chungb- uk area were interviewed to determine the disease states and drug usage patterns. The prebalence of disease was 78% and women reported more chronic diseases(83%) than men(71%). Elderly who live with spouse and have an occupation have a lower rate of disease. Average number of diseases of the elderly was $1.8\pm{1.1}$, and women$(2.1\pm{1.3)}$ have significantly higher average number of diseases than that of men$(1.4\pm{0.7)}$. Also the elderly in urban areas$(2.1\pm{1.4)}$ have significantly higher number of diseases than that of the elderly in rural areas$(1.6\pm{0.9)}$. Arthritis, hypertension, cardiovascular and gastric diseases were the most frequently listed chronic diseases in order for both men and women. Anemia and fracture of bone were relatively higher in women than in men. Particularly, the arthritis of the urban elderly have a rate of 1.5 times higher than that of the rural elderly. Fifty-two percent of the elderly were currently using drugs ; among drug users 71.2% used prescription drugs and 20.5% used nonprescription drugs. The average number taken per person was 2.1$\pm$1.4 and there was no sex or age difference. However, the elderly in rural areas $(2.7\pm{1.7)}$ consumed a significantly higher number of drugs than those in urban areas$(1.7\pm{0.7)}$. The average number of prescripti- on drugs taken was 2.0$\pm$1.4 while the average of nonprescription drugs taken was $(1.3\pm{0.6)}$. Analgesics and antihypertensive drugs were most commonly used. Vitamin and analgesics were the most frequently used self-prescribed drugs. It was noted that potential adverse drug interaction by concominant drug consumption for arthritis and antihypensive drug, abuse of digestants and antiacid without treatment of the underlying disease, and misuse of quick-acting bowel medications were problematic for the elderly. In addition drugs used for the elderly have some adverse effect on the digestive system. The types and composition of drugs used by the elderly were identified and presented. Medication compliance was poor and 13.5% reported adverse reactions such as edema, heartburn, nausea, and difficulty with eating. Seventeen percent of the elderly obtained drugs arranged by those other than medical staff. Also, even among those elderly who obtained drugs prescribed by a doctor, 69.1% of subjects had not receive instruction about potential adverse reactions. These results suggest that nutritional problems related to drug usage might exist and so dietitians, either individually or as members of health teams, need to have a better understanding of drug-nutrient interaction and closer supervision, and drug information/education service should therefore be provided to prevent or minimize adverse drug reaction in elderly users of medication.