Journal of Korean Biological Nursing Science

Korean society of Biological Nursing Science (한국기초간호학회)
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The effect of Health Inequality Factors on Health Level of the Rural Elderly

건강불평등 요인이 농촌노인의 건강수준에 미치는 영향

  • 최동희 (강릉영동대학교 간호학부) ;
  • 채영란 (강원대학교 의과대학 간호학과)
  • Received : 2017.01.31
  • Accepted : 2017.05.14
  • Published : 2017.05.31
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Abstract

Purpose: This study aimed to analyze the relationships between the factors affecting health levels of the elderly in rural areas. Methods: Subjects were 257 elderly people residing in rural areas of six cities and Gangwon Province. Data was collected through questionnaires (demographic and socioeconomic status, social resources, health behaviors, physical environment, psychological tendency and general health levels) and was analyzed by using multiple regression and Sobel test. Results: The demographic and socioeconomic characteristics of the subjects exerted statistically significant influence on their social resources, health behaviors, physical environment, and psychological tendencies. The demographic and socioeconomic characteristics, social resources, health behaviors, physical environment, and psychological tendencies, in turn, exerted a statistically significant influence on the health level. The social resources had mediating effects on the relationship between income, one of the demographic and socioeconomic characteristics, and health level. The residential environments had mediating effects on the relationship between income and health level. The psychological tendency had mediating effects on the relationship between income and health level. Conclusion: This study suggests that income is an important factor affecting health level among rural elderly people. In addition, social resources, health behaviors, physical environment, and psychological tendencies among them also affect health level, so it is necessary to make strategies to improve these factors.

Keywords

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