• Journal of muscle and joint health
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• v.13 no.2
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• pp.83-93
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• 2006

Purpose: The purpose of the study was to compare the effects of Tai Chi self-help program and Tai Chi exercise in patients with osteoarthritis. Methods: quasi experimental design was utilized for the study to compare the effects after implementing tai chi self-help program and Tai Chi exercise for 6 weeks. The subjects of the study was osteoarthritis patients who visited to two Public Health Centers in Gyunggi-do from August to December, 2005. Total of 25 OA patients agreed to participate in the study, and 10 tai chi self-help program group and 9 Tai Chi exercise group were included for the final analysis after 6 weeks. Tai Chi self-help program was provided twice a week, 2 hours per session (one hour for tai chi exercise, one hour for self help program) for 6 weeks, and Tai Chi exercise group was provided once a week, 2 hours per session for 6 weeks. Outcome measures include flexibility, 6 m walking, and balance. Mann-Whitney U test of SPSS WIN 11.0 was utilized to compare the group differences. Results: The subjects of both program participants were not improved in their arm flexibility, and the difference was not significant. Tai chi self-help group improved more in their 6 m walking ability than Tai Chi exercise group, but the difference was not significant (F=.000, p>.05). Tai chi self-help group improved more in their balance than Tai Chi exercise group, but the difference was not significant (Rt: U=.24, p>.05; Lt: F=2.60, p>.05). Conclusion: The provision of both Tai Chi self-help program and Tai Chi exercise can lead improvement of 6 m walking, and balance, but the group difference was not significant. A rigorous research design should be further utilized to identify the potential benefits for this population.

• Journal of Family Resource Management and Policy Review
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• v.26 no.2
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• pp.1-17
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• 2022

This study provides a critical analysis of the Family Center's programs for adoptive families by interviewing employees at these centers and at Adoption Agencies who have experiences with adoption programs. For this study, nine such workers from three separate Family Centers and three such workers from two separate Adoption Agencies have (voluntarily) engaged in in-depth interviews. Major findings from the interviews are that the Family Centers were initially motivated to carry out adoption family programs for three principal reasons: they located many families (in need of adoption family program); potential adoptees were interested in the program; adoption families participated in the pre-existing programs such as Self-help Group and Co-parenting Space. Workers in the study also reported that they approach to an adoption family and their contemplation on ways to provide better services to the adoption families. They don't have any official and formal manual or guidelines from the Government Ministries and offices such as Korean Institute for Healthy Family; as a result, the workers at Family Centers have endeavored to gain connection with Adoption Agencies in hopes of cooperation with them and to improve the services at Family Centers. For benefits of Family Centers as a delivery system, they mentioned nationwide infrastructure, family professional, and arrangement of integrated program for family. For improvements, they listed awareness education based on a thorough consideration of adoptee's varied characteristics, close cooperation with adoption institutions, provision of basic operational manual from Korean Institute for Healthy Family, and governmental efforts to enlarge the consideration pool for families.

• 한국노년학
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• v.30 no.4
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• pp.1129-1143
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• 2010

The purposes of this study were to investigate the major determinants influencing on health promoting behaviors(HPB) of the elderly living in Seoul. The conceptual framework of the study was Pender's health promoting model and the ecological perspectives. The study was conducted with 495 elderly persons whom 60 years old. For the analysis of data, descriptive statistics and hierarchical regression were used for the statistical analysis with SPSS program. The results were as following: 1) The mean score of the HPB was 3.11(SD=0.41). 2) Hierarchical regression analysis found that ModelIV accounted for 55.7% of the variance in HPB. 3) The Major determinants on HPB among the elderly persons were prior related perceived benefits of action, social support, perceived self-efficacy, community environment, perceived health status, education, and age. In conclusions, first, we should develop to various levels of educational and supportive programs for the HPB among the elderly persons. Second, we should examine more with environment, the accessibility to senior welfare agencies. Third, we should be organized the self-help groups for the elderly persons to improve health promoting behaviors. Fourth, the government should established more secure environment for the HPB, and find better solutions that are provided by various social welfare agencies connected with the coordination of the services in the local communities. Finally, we should develop professional education training programs of the HPB for the practitioners in the field of Gerontological Social Work.

• Journal of agricultural medicine and community health
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• v.35 no.2
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• pp.177-192
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• 2010

Objectives: This study was conducted to examine the educational needs of elderly hypertensive or diabetes patients and educators for the education program development of cardiocerebrovascular high-risk group in community. Methods: This study was conducted with 60 hypertensive or diabetes patients aged 65 years or above (cardiocerebrovascular high-risk group) who had registered KHyDDI(Korea Hypertension Diabetes Daegu Initiative) Project and attended Hypertension Diabetes Intervention Center Program, and with 44 educators in the center between June and August, 2009. Data were collected using questionnaires including general characteristics, educational objectives, curriculum, contents, and methods. Results: The major findings of this study were as follows: In education methods, cardiocerebrovascular high-risk group and educators both preferred small-grouped(5-9 persons) or individual education, 30min-1 hour, 50%-50% of theory-practice ratio, 3 months of education. In education contents, both groups needed all the suggested contents. Five categories would be suggested for the development of education program. The first category was that there was no significant difference between cardiocerebrovascular high-risk group's needs and knowledge. The second was category of low knowledge level in cardiocerebrovascular high-risk group's knowledge. The repeated education would be necessary for this category. The third was category with large standard deviation in cardiocerebrovascular high-risk group's knowledge. Individual education would be necessary for this category. The fourth category was that there was significant difference between cardiocerebrovascular high-risk group's knowledge and knowledge assessed by educators. The improvement of educator's education skill would be necessary for this category. The fifth category was that there was significant difference between cardiocerebrovascular high-risk group and educator's needs. Conclusions: Small group or individualized and staged education reflecting above cardiocerebrovascular high risk group and educators' needs should be developed for more effective education to prevent and manage the cardiocerebrovascular disease.

• Journal of Genetic Medicine
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• v.8 no.2
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• pp.89-99
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• 2011

Over the years Korean health care system has improved in delivery of quality care to the general population for many areas of the health problems. The system is now being recognized in the world as the most cost effective one. It is covered by the uniform national health insurance policy for which most people in Korea are mandatory policy holders. Genetic counseling service, however, which is well recognized as an integral part of clinical genetics service deals with diagnosis and management of genetic condition as well as genetic information presentation and family support, is yet to be delivered in comprehensive way for the patients and families in need. Two major obstacles in providing genetic counseling service in korean health care system are identified; One is the lack of recognition for the need for genetic counseling service as necessary service by the national health insurance. Genetic counseling consumes a significant time in delivery and the current very low-fee schedule for physician service makes it very difficult to provide meaningful service. Second is the critical shortage of qualified professionals in the field of medical genetics and genetic counseling who can provide the service of genetic counseling in clinical setting. However, recognition and understanding of the fact that the scope and role of genetic counseling is expanding in post genomic era of personalized medicine for delivery of quality health care, will lead to the efforts to overcome obstacles in providing genetic counseling service in korean health care system. Only concerted efforts from health care policy makers of government on clinical genetics service and genetic counseling for establishing adequate reimbursement coverage and professional communities for developing educational program and certification process for professional genetic counselors, are necessary for the delivery of much needed clinical genetic counseling service in Korea.