• Journal of Families and Better Life
• /
• v.33 no.4
• /
• pp.67-82
• /
• 2015

The study examined whether informal and formal social participations may mediate the association between widowhood and depressive symptoms, and whether gender may moderate the mediated associations. The data consisted of men and women 65+ who participated in the $3^{rd}$ wave of the Koran Longitudinal Study of Aging (KLoSA ; N = 4,146). Findings suggest that first, widowed older adults experienced significantly higer levels of depressive symptoms compared to their married counterparts. At the same time, the widowed individuals also reported more frequent contacts with family, friends, and neighbors (informal social participation), which contributed to narrowing the depression gap between widowed and married. Second, gender moderated the mediated association such that the mediating effect of informal social participation was significant only for older widowed women. Further, no mediating effect was found of formal social participation (participation in social, leisure, religious groups) for widowed and married regardless of gender. Previous studies indicated that social participation may be an important mediating factor that attenuates the effect of widowhood on depressive symptoms. Building on existing research, the present study highlighted theoretical rationales for potential gender differences in the way social participation may mediate the widowhood-depression linkage and evaluated statistically whether gender may moderate the mediated association.

• The Korean Journal of Community Living Science
• /
• v.18 no.1
• /
• pp.147-160
• /
• 2007

This research challenges the general notion of one-person households of the elderly during widowhood as impoverished, isolated, and vulnerable. Recognizing a high potential vulnerability, however, this research attempts to describe the diverse composition of one-person households of the elderly. For this purpose, relying on 2% sample data from the 2000 census, it examines regional distribution, socio-economic characteristics, and determinants of one-person households of the elderly during widowhood. Socio-economic characteristics of one-person households of the elderly differ by region. Jeju island is distinct in terms of sex and age distribution, and residence area of children. In general, rates of economic activity and self-subsistence are higher in provinces than in cities. Compared to the elderly living with family, the elderly living alone show high rates of economic activity, self-subsistence, and capability of physical activity. Results of logistic regression analysis of determinants of living arrangement are consistent with those of descriptive statistics. Those who are economically active and able to move around without assistance tend to live alone after the death of a spouse. Number of sons and living in an urban area are negatively associated with living alone, whereas females are more likely than males to live alone. According to the separate analysis by age, the positive effect of economic activity is greater in the oldest of the old than in other age groups. Those who possess high educational attainment tend to live alone when they are 80 and older, unlike other age groups. Based on these findings, this paper finds that one-person households of the elderly nay not always be the most vulnerable group, and are diverse in terms of socioeconomic characteristics.

• Journal of Family Resource Management and Policy Review
• /
• v.24 no.2
• /
• pp.89-108
• /
• 2020

The purpose of this study was to analyze the factors influencing life satisfaction in widowhood among older females. Using the sixth Korean Retirement and Income Study (KReIS) supplementary survey data, a total sample of 1,471 women aged 65 or older whose spouse had died were selected, divided into 508 young-old (65-74), 745 middle-old (75-84), and 218 oldest-old (85+). Then, factors influencing the life satisfaction of these three groups were analyzed, based on a combination of perceived health and interpersonal satisfaction levels. It was found that among the young-old group, a higher level of subjective health perception indicated by monthly income and material support and interpersonal satisfaction linked to more frequent participation in community gathering combined for an overall higher level of life satisfaction. For the middle-old group, higher life satisfaction was provided by monthly income, informational support, and material support for subjective health perception and no diseases for interpersonal satisfaction. The oldest-old group with higher life satisfaction referred to monthly income for subjective health perception and no experience in donation activities for interpersonal satisfaction. Based on these findings, this study provides implications for policy and practice to improve the life satisfaction of elderly women who have experienced their spouse's death.

• Korean Journal of Health Education and Promotion
• /
• v.1 no.1
• /
• pp.59-73
• /
• 1999

It is known that the role of informal support for elderly women is critical to their physical and mental health, adjustment in old age, and their overall life satisfaction. Elderly women's situation such as social losses, widowhood, living alone, and geographic relocation etc. may result in a need for more informal supports for elderly women's health than ever before. Particularly, women's same-sex friendships were rated higher for overall quality, intimacy, enjoyment, and nurturance. Unlike a generally accepted notion that later life for women is a time of isolation and loneliness, elderly women tend to maintain and reestablish their friendship regardless their marital status and living situation. Although studies on informal support for elderly women were inconclusive in many ways, elderly women's friendship tends to be stable despite of changing health status and life events. The relative importance between daughters and friends was also controversial. This study suggests that more research with reliable measurements is necessary for the practical prevention and intervention program of elderly women's health on this issue.

• Journal of the Korean Home Economics Association
• /
• v.36 no.4
• /
• pp.95-108
• /
• 1998

The purpose of this study was 1)to examine the effect of various stress on adjustment in terms of depression and well-being, 2) to examine whether the widow's self complexity and coping behavior mediate the effect of various stress on adjustment . The subject was composed of 117 women in the first 7 years of their widowhood. The major results of findings were as following: 1. Widows experienced children-related stress(54.7%), financial stress(47%), emotional loneliness(42.7%), relational stress(34.2%), and instrumental stress(27.4%) in their order. 2. Widows who experienced emotion loneliness had high depression and low well-being. And Widows who experienced financial stress reported low well-being. 3. When widows experienced instrumental stress, Widows who had high active coping behavior reported high well-being than widows who had low active coping behavior.

• 한국노년학
• /
• v.40 no.1
• /
• pp.147-161
• /
• 2020

The purpose of this research is to investigates 10-year trajectories of cognitive functions among older adults in their 70s to understand changes in cognitive functions as a continuum until very late life. This study also examines differences in trajectories of cognitive functions by gender and by changes in marital status, especially widowhood. Among participants of the Korean Longitudinal Study of Ageing(KLoSA), the sample of this study includes 800 older adults in their 70s during the first study wave (2006) and those who reported their cognitive functions for six consecutive study waves (2006, 2008, 2010, 2012, 2014, and 2016). The analyses were conducted in two steps. First, we conducted Latent Class Growth Analyses(LCGA) to investigated heterogeneous trajectories of cognitive functions in 10 years. Then, we performed multinomial logistic regression. Three heterogeneous trajectories of cognitive functions were identified. One group of 48.7% of older adults showed high cognitive function at baseline and maintained it over 10 years. Second group of 14.7% of older adults reported low cognitive function scores at baseline and showed continuous decline over time. Third group of 36.6% were showed mid-level cognitive functions and maintained their functions over time. We also found significant gender differences but not significant differences in marital status when we consider both in our model; however, the we found significant differences in changes in marital status when we did not consider gender in the model. The results suggest that the importance of considering dynamics of gender and changes in marital status to understand changes in cognitive functions in later life.

• Journal of the Korean Home Economics Association
• /
• v.35 no.2
• /
• pp.255-272
• /
• 1997

In the point of view, this study aims to examine the life of remarriaged old people after divorce and bereavement. therefore, the purpose of this study is to increase the understanding of married couple's relationship and remarriage in old age and help old people who want to be abused about their remarriage as a coping response of lire for widowhood in old aged. the subject were 14 old people who married over 53 years old bereavement and divorce residing in Chonju, Chonbuk and they had indepth interviews. 1. Most of subject would married with help of matchmaker under the consent a children and relative 2. The main motivation of remarriage was lone lies, however, for men being taken care and for women economic security were also important. 3. Premarriage experience seemed to help spouse adjustment between couples. 4. They matintained close relationship with there biological children. 5. There show a tendency to the bereavement woman remarriage life was happier than divorce woman. 6. When one of the couple had regular income, little economic conflict was there. In most case, wifes were younger than husband and economic stability after husband's death was their main concern and when the husband didn't show definite will to inherit asset to his wife, conflict got bigger.

• Journal of the Korea Convergence Society
• /
• v.2 no.1
• /
• pp.21-29
• /
• 2011

The purpose of this study was to investigate the prevalence of depression and related to the factors among the rural people. The questionnaire survey using the Center for Epidemiology Studies-Depression Scale(CES-D) was conducted in the rural people. The subjects were 226 individuals, living in the rural area. The results of this study were as follows. In this study, the prevalence of depression was 15.0% in all and 18.3% in the elderly. The prevalence rate was higher in non educational, widowhood, higher income group. The prevalence rate was lower in the group of having good health status, having no chronic disease, low stress level. In the multiple logistic regression analysis, significant predictors of the depression were stress level whereas there was no relation with other factors. Based on the above findings, this study suggests that these risk factors of depression should be taken into consideration for the comprehensive mental health programs for the people living in the rural area.

• Journal of Preventive Medicine and Public Health
• /
• v.41 no.4
• /
• pp.272-278
• /
• 2008

Objectives: To compare the health behaviors of widowed women with those of currently married women. Methods: We randomly sampled the subjects from the Jeollanamdo Resident Registration Data and we then selected 2,331 widowed women and 4,775 married women. Well-trained examiners measured the height, weight, blood pressure and abdomen circumference, and the women were interviewed with using a questionnaire. Logistic regression analysis was used to estimate the odds ratios(OR) of the two groups. Results: The smoking rate (OR=2.46; 95% confidence interval [CI]1.65, 3.66) was significantly higher for the widowed women. On the contrary, the awareness rate of a smoking cessation campaign (OR=0.80; 95% CI=0.70, 0.92), a quit tobacco telephone line (OR=0.73; 95% CI =0.61, 0.88) and a quit smoking clinic (OR=0.74; 95% CI=0.62, 0.89) were lower for the widowed women. The rate of receiving a health exam (OR=0.80; 95% CI=0.70, 0.91), the rate of undergoing gastric cancer screening (OR=0.77; 95% CI=0.68, 0.88), breast cancer screening (OR=0.79; 95% CI=0.69, 0.89), cervix cancer screening in the last 2 years (OR=0.81; 95% CI=0.71, 0.92), colon cancer screening in the last 5 years (OR=0.74; 95% CI=0.63, 0.87) were significantly lower for the widowed women. Conclusions: This study revealed that the health behaviors are significantly different between the widowed women and the married women. To improve the health behaviors of the widowed women, further study and research that will investigate the socioeconomic and environmental factors that affect the health behaviors of widowed women will be needed.

• Journal of Korean Public Health Nursing
• /
• v.4 no.1
• /
• pp.75-82
• /
• 1990

This study was to examine the effects of group reminiscence on depression of the elderly and to identify the possible use of the independent nursing intervention for reminiscence. The subjects, consisting of 46 elderly residents at D-ku, in Seoul, were divided into experimental and control group. The research was done by non-equivalent control group quasi-experimental design. Data were gathered from Oct. 4th to Dec. 2nd, 1989 through interview by questionnaire and measure the degree of depression by Zung's scale. Group reminiscence, was defined as independent nursing intervention belong to cognitive intervention by nurse. The schedule and content of reminiscence were developed by investigator. Analysis of data were done by frequency, mean, t-test, and Pearsons's correlations. The results were as follows: $\cdot$ There was no significant difference between experimental and control group after pre & post group reminiscence. $\cdot$ The mean depression score was 43.4 all subjects. In addition to, the result of added analysis were as follows; $\cdot$ There was significant difference in the depression score between healthy and unhealthy group according to perception by subjects (P<05). $\cdot$ There was significant difference between above average economic status and poor status according to perception by subjects (p<.05). $\cdot$ Depression of the subjects was related to the duration of widowhood(r=.3980, p=.015). Further research needs to be done on the effects of group reminiscence as independent nursing intervention. This study needs to be replicated in different settings, studied on the assess of psychological well being for the elderly with the exception of depression and to be identified psychological chacaracteristics of the elderly.